The academy director scratched the back of his head.
Choosing between Cen Wu and Lu You was difficult.
Choosing between Base No. 18 and Base No. 9 wasn’t.
“Student Lu You, your father asked me to treat everyone equally.” The director looked at her calmly. “I know why Student Cen Wu requested a class transfer, and I believe you all know the reason as well. But what reason do you have for transferring classes?”
For once, Lu You was left speechless.
She hadn’t expected her words to carry so little weight.
Her face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
Seeing his little goddess being contradicted, Zhao Zhao’s male pride flared up.
He immediately pointed at Cen Wu.
“Why do we need a reason to transfer classes when she doesn’t?”
The academy director lowered his brows, his expression becoming stern.
“Because you destroyed her desk!”
“Because you smeared glue all over her chair!”
“Because you formed cliques to bully her and slandered Student Cen Wu’s family!”
“Are those reasons enough? If you’re still unconvinced, then take the surveillance footage to the Ability Management Bureau and argue your case there.”
Zhao Zhao was so overwhelmed by the barrage of accusations that his head spun.
Was it really that serious?
They would even have to go to the Ability Management Bureau?
That place was a prison specifically for Ability Users.
A chill ran through his body.
His legs trembled as he instinctively took two steps backward.
…
Two transfer students joined the class.
Rumor had it they had come from the class next door.
Most of the students showed little interest and simply continued doing their own things.
After Cen Wu and Cen Yuxing entered, they were practically ignored.
Fortunately, neither of them cared.
Chu Yueyue enthusiastically helped them pick what he considered the perfect seats.
The very last row.
He dragged his own desk over and sat beside Cen Wu.
“Don’t worry. Everyone in our class is as detached as chrysanthemums. They’d never stoop to bullying classmates.”
He paused before adding,
“But they won’t help their classmates either.”
Cen Wu rested her head on the desk and continued dozing.
“Thanks.”
Chu Yueyue grinned.
“I’m actually really happy you transferred here. Otherwise I’d be bored to death. Nobody in this class talks.”
Cen Wu couldn’t help praising the teacher who had assigned the classes.
If Chu Yueyue had been placed in Lu You’s class, with his temper, there would probably have been a minor fight every three days and a major one every five.
The classroom would have exploded from the constant conflicts.
Chu Yueyue shook Cen Wu lightly.
“Stop sleeping. The academy is taking us out gathering tomorrow. How about the three of us form a team?”
Cen Yuxing leaned over.
“We get to choose our own teammates?”
Chu Yueyue rubbed his nose and laughed sheepishly.
“I don’t know. I’m just reserving you two in advance.”
After thinking for a moment, Cen Yuxing asked,
“When Ability Users go gathering, do we go to the same places as ordinary residents?”
He remembered that Base No. 9 didn’t do things that way.
That was why he had been so surprised back then when he saw a child with supernatural abilities among the Collection Team, using stones to attack.
“Ability Users go to much more dangerous places. That’s our adventure!”
Chu Yueyue clenched his fists, becoming more excited as he spoke.
“Everything’s covered in thick fog these days. It only gets a little better around noon. My dad said the base plans to send Ability Users out to bring back more useful resources. It’s called preparing for a rainy day.”
Cen Wu listened quietly and thought it made sense.
Although the next disaster would be the Year of Extreme Heat, the Year of Extreme Cold had claimed the most lives.
It had also been one of the major reasons the zombie hordes had formed on such a massive scale.
Gathering warm supplies was absolutely necessary.
If possible…
She hoped that more people would survive in this lifetime.
…
After school, Cen Wu and Cen Yuxing returned home.
The two children collapsed onto the sofa like two utterly useless husbands.
Xie Yuanchuan casually swiped through the communicator in his hand and glanced at them.
“So… do we still have to pay that five thousand points in compensation?”
If those two children dared to say yes…
He would throw them out of the house.
Cen Wu waved her hand.
“Dad, it’s already been settled.”
Xie Yuanchuan became a little interested.
“How did you settle it?”
As he spoke, his fingers continued operating the communicator, hacking into Lu Han’s communication network.
Cen Wu and Cen Yuxing exchanged a glance.
Neither of them really wanted to explain.
Thankfully…
Big Sister wasn’t home.
The front door unlocked with a click.
The two children turned toward the sound.
Cen Jiao walked in wearing a neat trench coat, her icy expression as cold as ever.
Instantly, Cen Wu felt like a child who had been caught doing something wrong.
She licked her lips and spoke with some difficulty.
“Big Sister…”
Cen Yuxing was also afraid of Big Sister.
Even so, he jumped off the sofa and bravely stood in front of his younger sister.
“Big Sister, I was the one who gave the director your communicator number.”
His chubby little face was filled with nervousness, yet he willingly stepped forward to protect Cen Wu.
He really was starting to look like an older brother.
Unfortunately…
Cen Jiao grabbed Cen Yuxing by the collar.
Then, with incredible speed and force, she tossed him straight toward Cen Wu.
The moment Cen Wu realized the danger, her first thought wasn’t to dodge.
Instead, she immediately considered how she could catch Cen Yuxing without either of them getting hurt.
Using an incredibly tricky angle, she kicked off the sofa and leaped into the air.
She wrapped one arm around Cen Yuxing’s waist while shielding the back of his head, making sure it wouldn’t hit the floor when they landed.
Thump!
The two of them landed together on the carpet like conjoined twins.
Watching the scene before her, Cen Jiao raised an eyebrow.
The relationship between her younger brother and younger sister was far closer than the relationships she and the other older siblings had with them.
Thinking about those two disappointing younger brothers…
She almost wanted to strangle them.
The oppressive atmosphere in the room gradually faded.
Cen Wu and Cen Yuxing secretly glanced at Big Sister before quietly climbing to their feet.
Xie Yuanchuan had never interfered with how the children got along.
If one of them ended up beaten to death…
He would simply assume there was something wrong with his genes for producing such a useless child.
“Xiao Jiao, Lu Han came to Base No. 18. It looks like he’s searching for someone.”
Cen Wu’s pupils contracted slightly.
She had assumed Lu Han had come solely to escort Lu You here for advanced training.
After all, the Ability Users of Base No. 18 were renowned throughout the apocalypse for their strength.
In her previous life, Lu You had also been sent here.
But at that time, Cen Wu had only been an ordinary person.
She had never known what they had actually been doing.
Those hazy memories resurfaced in her mind once more.
She frowned.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself.
What Cen Wu didn’t know…
Was that every trace of uneasiness on her face had been noticed by both Xie Yuanchuan and Cen Jiao.
Even Cen Yuxing was quietly frowning as he looked at her.
Xie Yuanchuan withdrew his gaze, his tone casual.
“Should we keep investigating?”
Cen Jiao remained standing where she was.
She picked up her communicator and sent out several messages before replying,
“Yes.”
At that moment, Cen Yi came downstairs.
The instant she saw her eldest daughter, she happily ran over, hugged her tightly, and spun her around once.
“Husband! Make more of our precious eldest daughter’s favorite dishes tonight!”
Xie Yuanchuan set down his communicator.
Looking boneless as ever, he lazily got to his feet and ambled crookedly toward the kitchen.
As he passed Cen Wu, he tugged lightly on one of her braids.
“Come help.”
The complicated emotions in Cen Wu’s heart instantly vanished.
Her eyes curved into happy crescents.
“Then… can you stop muting me?”
Xie Yuanchuan sighed.
“You can speak once every five minutes.”
Cen Wu immediately became full of energy.
“Okay, Dad! What are we cooking today? Besides washing vegetables, can I use the spatula too?”
Xie Yuanchuan immediately regretted his decision.
“Cen Yuxing, you come too.”
It was better for his son to be the one listening to his daughter’s endless chatter.
That way…
It was better for all three of them.