“No need. We’ll just go a bit further and find another car,” Li Ge refused without hesitation.
“But it’s very dangerous here after dark. I’m worried something might happen to the two of you. It’s not too late to leave at dawn,” the woman said anxiously, a trace of fear showing on her face.
Although having Xi Zhou around meant there was little danger, they were close to the Eastern Base now—it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. Li Ge agreed.
“Alright, then we’ll trouble you. My name is Li Ge, and he’s Xi Zhou.”
“Just call me Sister Yan,” she said. When her gaze landed on Xi Zhou, her arms trembled as she held the child. Her face lit up with excitement. “Y-you’re Xi Zhou?”
Xi Zhou nodded coldly, keeping strangers at arm’s length—completely different from her enthusiasm.
Well… another fan, perhaps?
And indeed, she was.
Sister Yan excitedly showed Xi Zhou the posters in her room, a drawer full of his albums, and even a handwritten notebook filled with lyrics from all his songs.
“I never thought I’d meet the real Xi Zhou! I couldn’t attend your concert before and felt so regretful. Now, thinking about it, it’s all worth it,” she said, smiling sincerely.
Seems like he really is famous. Li Ge raised an eyebrow at him. Meanwhile, Xi Zhou lounged lazily in a chair, legs crossed, not even glancing at her.
“Xi Zhou, Li Ge, sit here for a bit. I’ll go cook. I’m so happy tonight—I’ll make something nice.”
His cold attitude didn’t dampen her enthusiasm. She settled Yuanyuan in the room with some toys and went to the kitchen, her cheerful laughter echoing from afar.
“Your face is really useful. You could just stand somewhere and get free meals forever,” Li Ge teased, arms crossed.
Xi Zhou glanced at her indifferently. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle that many.”
Ha. As if free meals were ever that simple.
Honestly, the superstar in posters looked much better than the real one.
Since it was her first time in someone else’s home, Li Ge didn’t wander around. She sat nearby, watching Yuanyuan play.
The little girl wasn’t shy at all, stretching out her soft hands to invite her to join. It had been a long time since Li Ge had seen such a young child.
When Xi Zhou casually looked up, he saw the two—one big, one small—throwing plush toys at each other, having a great time.
He quietly closed the door and slipped out without a sound.
Noticing his movement, Li Ge’s lips curved slightly. She tossed another toy to Yuanyuan.
“Yuanyuan, is it just you and your mom at home? Where’s your dad?”
There was a wedding photo of Sister Yan at the bedside, and plenty of men’s belongings around the house. Yet she was raising the child alone and hadn’t mentioned the father at all.
“Daddy and uncle went to the village chief’s house to eat meat,” the little girl replied in a sweet voice.
Kids are easily distracted—her attention quickly returned to the toys. Li Ge smiled and didn’t ask further.
A woman with a young child living at the most dangerous entrance of the village, while the men were away “eating meat” at the village chief’s house…
Maybe that would make sense in peaceful times—but this was the apocalypse.
The kitchen was across the courtyard. The village still used wood-burning stoves—perfect now that electricity was gone.
Xi Zhou set down some vegetables and rice at the door. “No need to trouble yourself. Just make something simple with these.”
Sister Yan was chopping meat when she froze at the sound of his voice, then nodded awkwardly.
“Thank you!”
It was as if her deepest secret had been exposed. She stared at his face—cold and distant, just like on screen.
But his voice… it was the same warm voice she listened to every night.
“I don’t know if the food will suit your taste, but being able to cook for you is already worth it.”
She quickly regained composure and began washing the vegetables and rice.
Xi Zhou’s gaze briefly passed over the meat in the basin. He turned away, flicking a fireball over the wall with his fingers.
Before it was fully dark, dinner was ready.
Li Ge led Yuanyuan into the living room. Xi Zhou was already seated, and Sister Yan went to fetch chopsticks.
Seeing the abundant dishes on the table, Li Ge immediately understood what had happened and sat down, slightly surprised.
“Wow, rare of you to share food from your storage. But can you even eat this?”
She’d only ever seen him drink red wine—barely even water, let alone actual meals.
“A little won’t hurt.”
Just before dinner began, Yuanyuan’s father Qin Yi and uncle Qin Bo returned.
Both were in their thirties. Qin Yi looked honest and steady, while Qin Bo appeared flashier and more frivolous.
Sister Yan must’ve told them earlier—they didn’t seem surprised.
Qin Bo circled Xi Zhou, staring at him before sneering sarcastically, “Oh? I thought big stars looked like immortals. Why’s this one bald?”
Not a single pleasant word out of him. Yet Xi Zhou remained expressionless, completely ignoring him.
“Qin Bo, watch it. They’re guests,” Qin Yi said sternly.
“Guests?” Qin Bo widened his eyes in mock surprise. “What kind of guests show up empty-handed? If it were just this woman, I wouldn’t mind entertaining her properly—but the man can leave where he came from!”
His leering gaze kept drifting toward Li Ge.
She flashed a bright smile, but her words weren’t gentle at all.
“If you don’t want your eyes anymore, I don’t mind helping you.”
If not for the child present, she wouldn’t have stopped at words.
Before things escalated, Xi Zhou placed a bottle of liquor on the table—worth over a thousand.
“Consider this a gift.”
“Nice, very nice!” Qin Bo grinned, immediately going to fetch cups.
One bottle of liquor settled the conflict.
Sister Yan returned with the chopsticks, introduced everyone, and mentioned that Li Ge and Xi Zhou would be staying the night.
Since there were spare rooms, Qin Yi had no objections, and Qin Bo was already busy drinking.
The food wasn’t extraordinary, but home-cooked meals always carried a warm, comforting feeling—something incredibly rare for Li Ge, who had survived five years in the apocalypse.
And it wasn’t just this household.
As evening fell, smoke rose from chimneys throughout the village. Many families cooked over open fires just like before.
It was as if the cruelty of the apocalypse had never touched this place at all.