Yuan Li instinctively blocked the zipper of her bag, her eyes on Ji Huan filled with a hint of wariness.
“It’s already the apocalypse. Even if it could be a little smarter, it’s normal, right?”
“Pfft, I was just joking,” Ji Huan said, his expression relaxed, the heat from before completely gone. “I was just a bit surprised, that’s all. No other meaning.”
Yuan Li seemed to accept his explanation, but when she got off the car, she still took ShuangTang with her.
She ran straight into the hotel, and only after she could no longer see Ji Huan outside did she finally let out a deep, harsh breath.
She touched her backpack, still shaken. “I should probably avoid being in front of him from now on.”
She couldn’t shake the feeling that his gaze just now had been like that of a dangerously obsessive person.
Of course.
In the Cleaning Department, there were hardly any normal people.
Yuan Li felt a pang of bitterness.
But when she saw her two colleagues, she realized she had already become a dangerous person in their eyes too.
Unlike their enthusiastic greetings when they first met, today Liu Jiao didn’t even dare meet Yuan Li’s eyes.
Yuan Li pretended not to notice the difference in attitude and greeted them warmly. “Sister Jiao, Sister Fang, I’m back.”
“Ah? Ah, you’re back,” Liu Jiao forced a smile onto her face that looked like she was on the verge of tears.
In truth, she really wanted to cry.
What had she said to Yuan Li before? Had she scolded the Cleaning Department?
At this moment, she wished desperately for a chance to take back her words.
After greeting them, Yuan Li went into the break room to change her clothes, only coming out afterward.
Wang Fang and Liu Jiao, who had seemed to be talking just moments ago, were now silently sitting with their heads down, saying nothing.
Yuan Li lowered her gaze, feeling dejected. “Sister Jiao, are you mad at me because I didn’t tell you I’ve been temporarily staying at the Cleaning Department?”
“Haha, no, no,” Liu Jiao laughed dryly, thinking to herself that she wouldn’t dare be mad.
Yuan Li pursed her lips. “I actually wanted to tell you, but as soon as I brought it up, your reaction… I didn’t dare continue. I was afraid of exactly what’s happening now.”
But now, exactly this situation had happened.
Yuan Li’s appearance was deceiving. A pale, fragile-looking girl with her head down naturally invoked pity.
Even though Liu Jiao had repeatedly told herself not to get involved with the Cleaning Department, she couldn’t help but ask cautiously, “Y-You… what exactly is going on between you and the Cleaning Department?”
“I… had a bit of trouble before… later, people from the Cleaning Department saved me. Since I don’t have any family, and I’m not sure if that previous situation is resolved, I’m temporarily staying over there.” Yuan Li deliberately kept her explanation vague regarding the laboratory.
After hearing this, Liu Jiao’s expression became cautious. “Your family…?”
Yuan Li froze for a moment.
Since she woke up, she had hardly thought about her family.
Why?
She hesitated briefly, and under Liu Jiao’s anxious gaze, shook her head. “I don’t know.”
The apocalypse had already lasted five years, and it was eight years after the memory she remembered.
Eight years was enough time for anything to happen, especially since those eight years included the darkest, most chaotic period of the apocalypse.
Yuan Li’s reflective and absent-minded demeanor, in Liu Jiao’s eyes, was simply the grief of losing her family.
Feeling guilty, Liu Jiao said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay.” Yuan Li hadn’t fully come to herself yet. She shook her head, pushing aside those doubts and focusing on the matter at hand.
“Sister Jiao, I really want to work properly and earn money. The Cleaning Department wouldn’t have me stay there indefinitely. Also, I actually came today because I have something I hope you can help me with.”
For a moment, Liu Jiao thought: she’s from the Cleaning Department; I should keep my distance.
Then: but she came to me for help, crossing over from the Cleaning Department!
After a brief internal struggle, she gave up. “Fine, tell me. What is it? I might not be able to help, though.”
“Are you renting a place? If I want to rent somewhere, where should I go? Which areas are safer?” Yuan Li fired off a few questions at once.
Hearing this, Liu Jiao fell silent for a moment. Then she said, “I advise you not to rent a place.”
“Why not?” Yuan Li asked, puzzled.
Even setting aside the fact that she had already planned to move out, Ji Huan’s unusual attention toward ShuangTang today had made her anxious.
“You…” Liu Jiao hesitated. After a while, she said delicately, “If possible, try to share a place with someone reliable.”
“I don’t know anyone else,” Yuan Li said, lowering her gaze, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Liu Jiao thought for a moment. “You’re not moving out immediately, right? Then you can take your time finding a suitable roommate.”
Yuan Li fell silent.
Until she figured out why she had developed tentacles and how to fully control her body, she wouldn’t have a suitable roommate.
So in response to Liu Jiao, she asked, “Can you at least tell me where I should rent a place?”
Liu Jiao: “…Did I just talk for nothing?”
Taking a deep breath, Liu Jiao gritted her teeth. “When are you going to look for a place?”
Yuan Li felt a little guilty for no reason. “Don’t we have a two-hour break at noon?”
Liu Jiao chuckled.
“Fine, then during that time, right? I’ll go with you to see a place. Then you’ll understand why I said you shouldn’t rent alone.”
Perhaps because Yuan Li was so “oblivious,” after scolding her twice, Liu Jiao unexpectedly relaxed a bit.
The atmosphere between them became somewhat reminiscent of their first day at work, though Liu Jiao remained a little restrained this time.
The lunch delivered at noon was still three portions.
After eating, Yuan Li went back into the break room, locked the door, and finally let ShuangTang out.
“ShuangTang, you’re amazing. You really didn’t draw anyone’s attention,” she said.
Today, she carried her bag with her, occasionally reaching in to stroke ShuangTang.
Each time, it only brushed against her hand, making no sound. When her hand wasn’t inside the bag, it didn’t move at all.
Obedient little creatures were always the ones people loved and pitied the most.
Was it not being spoiled because it didn’t want to? Or because it had suffered too much before, it had learned to be so sensible? Was it afraid she might leave it behind?
ShuangTang lowered its head to drink its milk, still wrapping its tail around Yuan Li’s wrist.
Yuan Li, adoring it, didn’t resist at all, stroking its tail with her other hand.
A bottle of milk was finished in less than five minutes.
Afterwards, Yuan Li played with ShuangTang for a while longer—about ten minutes—before opening the door.
Liu Jiao had finished eating and had already arranged with Wang Fang to let her take her break freely tomorrow.
Seeing Yuan Li come out, she stood. “Let’s go. Time to see the place.”