The next morning, Jiang Li quickly finished breakfast. It was steamed buns she had bought previously, paired with a bowl of soy milk and fried dough sticks. Eating the piping hot buns, Jiang Li felt that having a space that could preserve food really was wonderful.
After breakfast, she fastened the two short Tang sabers she had purchased earlier at her waist and covered them with her clothes. Then she stored all the items in the room back into her space, slung on the hiking backpack she had prepared beforehand, and opened the door right on time at eight o’clock.
The moment Jiang Li opened her door, the door to the apartment across from hers opened at the same time. Gu Jin was also carrying a backpack. The two simply greeted each other briefly before heading downstairs together.
After descending several floors, they were stopped at a stairwell corner by a girl wearing a white dress. Her long hair was draped behind her shoulders, her face was covered in very pale foundation, and her lips were painted with bright red lipstick, giving her an oddly unnatural appearance, though she herself seemed to think it looked good.
Looking at her, Jiang Li really wanted to ask where she had bought her makeup. In weather this hot, it still had not melted at all. And with the heat like this, wasn’t it uncomfortable to leave her hair down?
Chen Sisi first glanced at Jiang Li before shifting her gaze to Gu Jin beside her.
“Big brother, are you going out to look for food? Could you take me with you? I haven’t had anything to eat for several days already.” After speaking, she stared at Gu Jin with her eyes wide, putting on a weak and pitiful white lotus act, completely ignoring Jiang Li standing nearby.
Yesterday, Chen Sisi had seen those three men go upstairs and knew they had gone to look for Jiang Li. Later, she also saw Gu Jin capture them and bring them back, so she knew he was capable. She believed Jiang Li had come out unharmed entirely because of Gu Jin; otherwise there was no way she could have escaped safely. Today, Chen Sisi had deliberately waited here to try her luck. She had not expected to succeed on the very first day. She was very confident in her appearance and believed Gu Jin would definitely agree.
“No,” Gu Jin refused decisively, then walked around Chen Sisi and continued downstairs.
Chen Sisi had not expected Gu Jin to reject her so decisively and froze on the spot for a moment.
Seeing that there was no more show to watch, Jiang Li followed Gu Jin downstairs, but unexpectedly, Chen Sisi chased after them again.
“Big brother, are you refusing because of big sister?” Chen Sisi stopped Gu Jin as she spoke, then timidly glanced at Jiang Li, making it seem as though Jiang Li had bullied her. She then turned to Jiang Li and said, “Big sister, I really just wanted to go look for food together with you. Please don’t misunderstand big brother.”
Jiang Li was so irritated she actually laughed. Before Gu Jin could speak, she directly said to Chen Sisi, “I think not only are you deaf, you also forgot to bring your brain with you. He already rejected you clearly, yet you’re still shamelessly clinging on. And don’t call me ‘big sister.’ One look and it’s obvious you’re older than me. Aren’t you embarrassed pretending to act young? Then again, your skin is probably thick enough not to care.” Without giving Chen Sisi time to react, she continued, “Also, if something doesn’t suit you, then don’t wear a white dress. Your face is painted like a ghost. Good thing it’s daytime, otherwise I’d think I ran into an actual ghost at night.”
After saying that, she immediately walked past her and headed downstairs. Staying another second would have been an insult to herself.
Gu Jin had not expected Jiang Li to have this side to her. To be honest, it felt pretty satisfying. Watching Jiang Li walk downstairs, he quickly followed after her.
“You… you…” Chen Sisi pointed at Jiang Li for a long while without managing to say anything. “You’re seriously infuriating!” After quite some time, that was all she managed to spit out before stomping her foot and returning to her apartment. There was no way she would dare go out alone. At the same time, she secretly began holding a grudge against Jiang Li.
By the time Jiang Li reached the underground parking garage, she had no idea Chen Sisi now hated her. Even if she had known, she would not have cared. Although women were indeed a vulnerable group in the apocalypse and could seek help from others, that did not mean they should survive by clinging to others like parasitic vines. As long as someone still had hands and feet and enough courage, it was still possible to go out and find supplies at this stage.
If someone like Chen Sisi encountered people like them, things might still turn out fine, but if she ran into someone else, who knew what kind of outcome awaited her.
In the apocalypse, there were indeed many women without the ability to survive independently who lived this way. Jiang Li disliked that kind of lifestyle, but she would not say much about it either. Everyone had the right to choose their own way of living, and some people truly had no other choice. No matter what, as long as they did not bring their problems to her doorstep, it was none of her business.