Cen Wu was awakened by a grating creaking sound that made her teeth ache.
Daylight had already flooded the sky. She raised an arm to shield her eyes from the sun, her face filled with confusion.
Creak… Creak…
Following the sound, Cen Wu turned her head.
The moment she saw its source, her pupils dilated, and all the color drained from her face.
The Zombie’s grayish-white skin was covered in blackish-purple corpse spots and split-open wounds. Its cloudy eyes couldn’t focus as it mechanically opened its mouth, gnawing on a lump of shredded flesh that was impossible to identify.
Cen Wu scrambled to her feet on all fours before turning and sprinting away.
She had no idea why she had woken up in the wilderness, but she was certain it had something to do with Cen Yuxing.
He had looked so shy and adorable.
Who would’ve thought the brat had been pretending the whole time?
If he didn’t want her moving into the family, he could’ve just said so. Instead, he had secretly set her up behind her back!
The more Cen Wu thought about it, the angrier she became.
After running a short distance, she suddenly stopped.
Then she turned around and quietly circled behind the Zombie.
Looking down at her still-slender arms, Cen Wu suddenly wanted to test the power of her Absolute Strength.
She threw a punch straight into the Zombie’s back.
Immediately, she heard a sound like building blocks collapsing.
A chunk of the Zombie’s chest had been blasted away, leaving behind an incomplete hole.
It showed no reaction at all.
Or perhaps it noticed but simply didn’t care.
It continued tearing at the flesh in its hands with complete indifference.
After testing her newly acquired ability, Cen Wu shook her hand.
She could tell that punch hadn’t even been close to her limit.
Since she had the chance, she simply treated the Zombie like a punching bag and enjoyed a satisfying warm-up session.
…
Following the route in her memories, Cen Wu marched forward on her short little legs.
After walking for a full two hours, she finally found the same two-story villa where she had stayed the previous day.
Keeping a straight face, she pounded on the door.
“I’m back.”
Inside the house, Cen Yi had assumed Cen Wu had quietly slipped away during the night.
She had been turning the house upside down in frustration.
The moment she heard the knocking and the little girl’s childish voice outside, all her anger instantly disappeared.
Overjoyed, she bounced toward the door and threw it open.
“Baby, where did you go?”
Holding the Doll she had thought she’d lost, Cen Yi wrapped her tightly in a hug as she carried her back inside.
Feeling the warmth surrounding her, Cen Wu hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around Mom’s neck.
“When I woke up, I was already outside.”
Cen Yi exchanged a glance with Xie Yuanchuan.
Both of them had already guessed what had happened.
For once, Cen Yi actually looked a little embarrassed.
She gave an awkward chuckle before immediately selling out her youngest son.
“He did it. Mom will beat him up for you!”
Burying her fluffy little head into Cen Yi’s shoulder, Cen Wu asked softly,
“No need to trouble Mom. Can I do it myself?”
Hearing the Doll call her “Mom,” Cen Yi’s eyes curved into happy crescents.
How could she possibly refuse?
“Hit him! Hit him harder! No matter how badly he’s injured, your Dad can heal him!”
With those words, Cen Wu no longer had any reservations.
She walked over to Cen Yuxing.
She quickly noticed that his presence was completely different from yesterday’s.
If yesterday’s Older Brother had been like a harmless sticky rice cake…
Then right now, he was like a sesame-filled glutinous rice ball that radiated danger from head to toe.
Cen Yuxing wore a look of utter disdain.
The next second—
A fierce gust of wind accompanied a merciless punch that flew straight toward his face.
Bang!
A perfect arc appeared through the air.
The little boy was sent flying straight out the window by a single punch before crashing onto the ground with a loud thud.
Cen Yi let out an impressed, “Whoa!”
Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she enthusiastically applauded.
“Baby is amazing! Such incredible strength—you definitely inherited it from me.”
Xie Yuanchuan raised an eyebrow as he quietly reevaluated Cen Wu.
So…
She had been pretending to be weak all along?
Judging from the force and angle of that punch, she had clearly held back.
Otherwise, with that foolish son’s physical condition…
His head would’ve been punched clean off.
His bargain Daughter was actually a naturally gifted Ability User.
That discovery amused him.
Feeling his gaze behind her, Cen Wu reached into her pocket.
She opened her tightly clenched fist in front of Xie Yuanchuan.
“Dad, this is for you.”
Resting in her palm was a Crystal Core.
Xie Yuanchuan narrowed his eyes.
“You killed a Zombie outside just now?”
“Yep!”
Cen Wu looked rather proud.
“I’ll get lots more Crystal Cores in the future. I’ll give them all to Mom and Dad.”
Hearing that, Cen Yi clutched her chest, her heart practically melting.
“How can Baby be this sweet? Just as expected from the Daughter I picked at first sight.”
Meanwhile, Xie Yuanchuan quietly began making calculations of his own.
He thought the proposal sounded quite excellent.
Crystal Cores were indispensable resources in the apocalypse.
They were used in technology, weapons development, scientific research, and countless other fields.
They were comparable to oil before the apocalypse.
The ultimate hard currency.
Silently, Xie Yuanchuan updated Cen Wu’s label to “Useful.”
The harmonious family atmosphere was interrupted by a head popping up outside the window.
Cen Yuxing stood by the window in confusion, clutching his fractured arm as tears welled in his eyes.
“Waaah… Younger Sister… it hurts so much…”
Cen Wu jumped in surprise.
The sticky rice cake was back.
Cen Yi nudged Xie Yuanchuan.
“Husband, heal Xiaoxing.”
Then Cen Wu finally witnessed Xie Yuanchuan’s Innate Ability.
It was actually a Healing Ability!
The fracture in Cen Yuxing’s arm, along with all the injuries from being blasted out the window, disappeared in an instant.
He cautiously moved his body.
Sure enough…
It didn’t hurt anymore.
Not even the faintest mark remained on his skin.
“Dad is amazing!”
Cen Wu’s eyes sparkled as she gave him a thumbs-up.
He truly was incredible.
Across both her lifetimes, Cen Wu had only ever met two Healing-Type Ability Users.
One had been her Scumbag Dad’s Adopted Daughter, Lu You.
The other was her newly acknowledged Dad, Xie Yuanchuan.
Although Lu You’s healing ability could only heal herself, she had still been worshipped like a goddess throughout the Base.
Xie Yuanchuan, on the other hand, could regenerate cells and repair damaged tissue with nothing more than a flick of his fingers.
Judging by how effortlessly he had done it, Cen Wu felt certain this wasn’t even the full extent of his abilities.
“So-so. Just number one in the world.”
Xie Yuanchuan spoke with calm confidence as he draped an arm over his son’s shoulder and pulled him over.
“Since we’re family, there’s no point hiding things.”
“I think you’ve already guessed that my Innate Ability is healing.”
“Why don’t you guess what Xiaoxing’s Innate Ability is?”
Cen Wu thought for a moment before obediently raising her hand.
“Is it a Buoyancy Ability? Or maybe a Space-Type Ability?”
A complicated expression appeared on Xie Yuanchuan’s face.
In his mind, the label “Useful” was quietly replaced with “Dummy.”
Cen Yi couldn’t stand watching any longer.
She shot her husband a sharp glare before offering Cen Wu a hint.
“Baby, do you remember how you left the house last night?”
Cen Wu shook her head.
She had only looked at Cen Yuxing once before losing consciousness.
Not understanding, she simply asked,
“Older Brother, how did you knock me out?”
Cen Yuxing’s cheeks immediately turned bright red.
Embarrassed, he twisted his body away.
“It wasn’t knocking you out…”
“It was Mind Control.”
After saying that, he hurriedly turned back and explained with obvious urgency.
“Younger Sister, that wasn’t me! It was Luke! While I was asleep, he controlled you and made you leave the house. He’s a bad kid!”
Cen Wu’s brain froze for a brief second.
She quickly realized he was talking about the black sesame-filled glutinous rice ball personality.
Cen Yi patted her son’s back.
Yet the words she spoke were as casual as discussing today’s lunch.
“Xiaoxing just has a bit of a split personality.”
“If you run into Luke again and he still doesn’t know how to cherish his Younger Sister…”
“Just beat him until he behaves.”
Xie Yuanchuan added calmly,
“Just remember to leave him breathing.”
Cen Yuxing immediately pleaded,
“Younger Sister, don’t hit my face!”
Wow.
What incredibly sincere and unpretentious family members.
The emptiness in Cen Wu’s heart was suddenly more than half filled.
A joyful smile slowly spread across her lips.
She felt as though…
She was starting to fall in love with this place.