"Every time that man brings people over and sees me like this, they insult Mom and Dad and demand points. If we don't give them anything, they beat us. The wound on Dad's cheek still hasn't healed…" Jiang Wanning's voice trembled as her tears fell faster. "It's all because of me… they're suffering like this…"
She cried harder and harder, as if she wanted to pour out every grievance she had been holding inside.
Around them, the people in the tent had already begun paying attention. Two who had been resting quietly slipped out midway, then returned, clearly curious about what was happening.
Jiang Yanxin held her sister tightly.
On the way here, she had prepared herself for the worst. She knew her sister might have suffered… she had even braced herself for the possibility of not finding her at all.
But seeing her like this in person—
It still felt like a knife twisting in her heart.
Nearby, Chen Wan and the others listened, their expressions darkening. Qin Ke's fists clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. Scenes like this always reminded her of her own past with Yan Yan.
People who forced others into submission…
They weren't human.
They were beasts.
Seeing that Jiang Wanning was still dazed, Chen Wan stepped forward and touched her forehead.
Hot.
Burning hot.
Without hesitation, Chen Wan removed her backpack and quickly searched through it. Inside were basic supplies, including fever medicine.
She found the pills, then gently patted Jiang Yanxin's back.
"Yanxin," she said softly, "Wanning has a fever, and it's pretty high. Let's get her to take this first. If it gets worse, it could lead to complications."
Jiang Yanxin snapped back to her senses. "Right—right… Wanning, listen to me. Take the medicine first."
Chen Wan handed over the pills and water.
Jiang Wanning sniffled, her gaze landing on Chen Wan with difficulty. A faint, fragile smile appeared on her face, though her eyes were still filled with tears.
"This really is a dream…" she murmured. "You two were getting divorced… how could you still be together? Even needing medicine in a dream… it feels so real…"
Her fever blurred the line between reality and illusion.
"Alright," Jiang Yanxin coaxed gently, "dream or not, just take the medicine first. Be good."
Obediently, Jiang Wanning placed the pill in her mouth. She hesitated at the bitterness, frowning slightly, before finally taking a few sips of water and swallowing it.
She looked at Jiang Yanxin again, her voice soft and aggrieved.
"Sis… why is the medicine bitter even in a dream? But… it's a good dream. At least I get to see you clearly before I go…"
Before Jiang Yanxin could respond, Jiang Wanning buried herself in her arms and began crying again.
Jiang Yanxin held her, comforting her over and over. With her body already weak, Jiang Wanning soon drifted into sleep.
Chen Wan quietly took out two jackets from her bag and covered Jiang Wanning.
Then she leaned closer, using tissues to gently wipe the tears from Jiang Yanxin's face.
"Don't cry," she said softly. "She's going to be fine. We made it in time."
She glanced at Jiang Wanning.
"Let her sleep. Once she sweats, the fever should go down. As for the allergy, I'll see if I can exchange points for medicine later. And this time—we keep an eye on her. No more beef jerky."
Jiang Yanxin leaned weakly against Chen Wan's shoulder, letting her take care of her without resistance.
Qin Ke and Yi Yi spread some clothes on the ground and sat down nearby.
The tent gradually filled with low murmurs again.
The elderly woman in the middle watched them for a while before sighing and speaking up.
"Girls… you should leave this base. It's not safe here."
Chen Wan glanced at her and nodded politely. "Thank you for the reminder. We'll leave once we find our parents. Do you know where they might be working?"
"There's no fixed place for moving goods," the old woman replied. "But the laundry area is deeper inside, near the river. Still… it's getting late. You'd be better off waiting here. They should be back soon."
"Alright," Chen Wan said. "We'll wait here for now. Thank you."
Yi Yi handed Yang Yang over to Qin Ke, then turned to Chen Wan with a smile.
"I'll go exchange for allergy medicine. You all stay here."
Chen Wan nodded. She wasn't comfortable leaving at the moment, and aside from herself, Yi Yi was the strongest among them.
"Be careful," she still reminded.
Yi Yi smiled lightly. "Don't worry. I finally get to stretch my legs—nothing's going to happen."
With that, she left.
The tent fell quiet for a moment before whispers started up again.
"Hey… Jiang Wanning got mixed up with those people. Do they really dare come here?" a short-haired female alpha whispered. "And they're all so pretty… aren't they just asking for trouble?"
"I heard some tough women came into the base today," a bald male alpha chimed in. "Over six feet tall, all muscle. They took down Er Hu's group. Could it be them?"
"Don't be ridiculous," the short-haired woman scoffed. "Look at them—none of them are that tall. Those two alphas are about my height, maybe 5'7" at most. No way it's them."
"Then they're in trouble," a buzz-cut beta muttered. "Seven people, and backed by someone from District A…"
"Yeah," the woman lowered her voice even more. "I heard that guy supplies 'fresh prey' to someone in District A. No one who gets sent there ever comes back."
A chill passed through the group.
"What kind of life is this…" the bald man sighed. "I thought things would stabilize once we got to the base."
"It has nothing to do with us," the short-haired woman replied quietly. "We're plain. We don't stand out. As long as we keep our heads down, it's still safer than outside."
She even felt a bitter kind of relief.
In this world… being beautiful was almost a curse.
Back on Chen Wan's side, they stayed put, waiting for Yi Yi to return.
Jiang Yanxin occasionally dipped a shirt in water and gently wiped Jiang Wanning's face, trying to bring her fever down.
Chen Wan watched silently.
She had no idea how far the rumors had already spread.
From one person to ten, from ten to a hundred—
By afternoon, the story had turned into something completely absurd.
Now people were saying Chen Wan and her group were all over six feet tall, covered in muscle, strong enough to send people flying with a single punch.
Even little Yang Yang wasn't spared—rumor had it the child was unbelievably strong, with a punch powerful enough to knock down adults.
Ridiculous as it sounded…
Some actually believed it.
Because compared to four seemingly ordinary women defeating Er Hu's group, this version felt more believable.
Chen Wan, however, couldn't care less.
All she wanted was to find her people, rest, and leave.
Meanwhile, Yi Yi walked through the base with ease.
With points in hand, she casually stopped a woman.
"Excuse me," she asked with a smile, "could you tell me where I can exchange for medicine?"
The long-haired female alpha blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard by Yi Yi's appearance.
"Ah—just go straight, then take the first left corridor. Ground floor of the building—that's the place."
"Got it. Thank you," Yi Yi said with a smile.
The woman watched her leave, a little stunned.
For a moment, she had imagined something more… but it turned out to be nothing.
Still, she couldn't help but feel worried.
People like Yi Yi didn't fare well here.
Yi Yi, however, paid no mind.
If not for her host, she wouldn't have come to a place like this at all.
Sometimes… the malice humans showed each other was far worse than that of zombies.
At the exchange point, a few men lingered nearby, their gazes following her with ill intent.
The staff behind the counter—mostly alphas—looked up in mild surprise.
"What do you want to exchange?" one of them asked flatly.
"A box of allergy medicine. How many points?" Yi Yi replied calmly, still smiling.
"Loratadine. Ten points."
"Alright."
She handed over the points without hesitation.
The man passed her the medicine.
As she turned to leave, he spoke again in a low, almost mechanical voice.
"You should wait for someone to pick you up. Don't look back—you've been targeted."
There were too many cases like this.
People coming alone to exchange goods… only to be robbed the moment they stepped outside.
Yi Yi let out a soft chuckle, lightly tapping the medicine box in her hand.
"Thanks," she said casually. "It's fine."
And as if she truly hadn't noticed the five men waiting outside—
She walked straight out.