117: It only takes a moment to recognize a person

She had endured too much suffering these past few days.

Before the Apocalypse, although she was quite attractive, men still had to respect the rules and didn't dare to act recklessly.

But ever since order collapsed, there had been no shortage of people wanting to lay hands on her.

Fortunately, Wang Ba and Director Wang protected her closely, so she managed to keep her purity, but for the past few days, she hadn't dared to sleep soundly, and her heart had been constantly on edge.

Now that she could finally lie down and sleep for a while in peace, her emotions were on the verge of collapsing.

That feeling of having her heart hanging for days, only for it to finally settle, was almost enough to make one shed tears.

"Sigh, as long as you remember my daughter's kindness, that's enough." Mother Bai waved her hand, not saying anything more.

She knew clearly that killing zombies was not an easy task; even for her daughter, it wasn't something that could be done lightly.

Now that they had finally managed to stabilize, this sense of security must not be taken for granted.

"Of course we remember." Wen Mian promised earnestly, then carefully carried the bowl of rice, enough for three people, to find a room to settle down in.

Meng Suisui and Meng Qibao followed closely behind; they didn't want to really freeload off the Bai family, eating without working.

But just after settling down, Meng Suisui paused for a moment and turned to leave.

"Hey, Sis, where are you going?" Meng Qibao asked in confusion.

"You eat first, I'll be back in a moment." Meng Suisui said without looking back, her footsteps quickening.

She went to the attic.

Although she was filled with resentment towards Meng Anzhi, she couldn't forget how her aunt and uncle had taken care of her when she was young.

Now that only Meng Anzhi was left in the family, she couldn't completely give up like her younger brother.

Bai Minghe's attic was large, but now it was packed tightly; as soon as Meng Suisui entered, she was stunned.

It was crowded with people; some were sleeping against the walls, some were curled up holding sacks, others were using the sofa as a bed, and some were even lying on the carpet with clothes spread out.

Several pieces of originally exquisite furniture had already been dismantled to start fires for warmth, and the air was filled with a mixture of ash and the sour, putrid smell of sweat.

Meng Suisui frowned and looked around, finally finding Meng Anzhi in a corner.

She was smiling and talking to a popular male actor, her eyes filled with fiery starlight, as if the world outside, filled with blood and hunger, didn't exist.

"...What on earth is she thinking?" Meng Suisui stood where she was, looking at that familiar yet strange back, a flash of complexity in her eyes.

Even in the Apocalypse, she was still chasing after celebrities?

"Anzhi, come out for a moment." She suppressed her anger and called out at the doorway.

Upon hearing the voice, Meng Anzhi's expression immediately sank.

She had been talking enthusiastically and was extremely annoyed at being interrupted by Meng Suisui.

But she still squeezed out a smile and said to the man behind her, "I'll go out for a moment."

She turned and walked out of the room, not noticing the man behind her secretly heave a sigh of relief.

Once the door closed, Meng Anzhi immediately dropped her face and hissed angrily, "Where did you go just now? Do you know how hard it is for me? If you were here, I could at least beg for some food! But as soon as you left, these people didn't take me seriously at all, and I couldn't even get a bite of a biscuit!"

She looked full of grievances, speaking at a rapid pace, "These people don't give me any face at all! If you weren't away, how would they dare treat me like that?"

Meng Suisui was berated head-on and was momentarily speechless, the chill in her heart growing heavier.

She asked coldly in return, "Didn't you give away all the life-saving supplies to others? How come, instead of gratitude, you got humiliation in return?"

Meng Anzhi was taken aback, turned her face away with an ugly expression, and said in a low voice, "That's different."

"How is it different?" Meng Suisui scoffed, her eyes devoid of emotion, "You are truly smart, clearly distinguishing who should be saved, who can help you, and who will trample on you. It's just that you don't care about your own cousin's life or death, right?"

"Can you blame me for that?" Meng Anzhi blushed and muttered, "They were hungry, and I..."

"Aren't we hungry too?" Meng Suisui looked at her with icy eyes, "Do you think Qibao and I can go days and nights without eating? Or is it that because we are family, you just take it for granted that we must help you and must let you boss us around?"

Meng Anzhi opened her mouth but couldn't say anything.

Meng Suisui felt a tightness in her chest and a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

She certainly knew that Meng Anzhi had been spoiled and willful since she was a child, but she hadn't expected that even at a time like this, she would still only be thinking about her own face.

Silence fell, and the air seemed to have frozen.

Seeing that Meng Suisui wasn't speaking, Meng Anzhi felt a panic in her heart.

She knew that no matter how much she tried to please outsiders, she couldn't bypass this cousin; in these times, the people who could truly help her were still the ones surnamed Meng.

She quickly squeezed out a look of grievance, her voice softening, "Sister Suisui, don't be so fierce to me. I didn't mean to... When Sister Xue's brother comes back, I'll save some food for you, okay? I really don't have any bad intentions."

Her eyes were slightly red, and a fawning smile still played on her lips.

Looking at her like that, Meng Suisui sighed, "That is exactly what I wanted to talk about."

She didn't continue to expose her shortcomings in front of everyone, but instead pulled Meng Anzhi to a corner of the hallway.

The carpeted corner was dim and quiet, and the distant roars of zombies could be heard from outside, reminding them that this world was no longer what it used to be.

"Anzhi," Meng Suisui's voice lowered a few notches, but it was even calmer, "I don't think we can rely on others anymore. Sister Xue's brother is indeed capable, but those supplies were exchanged with his life. We are not his relatives, and we cannot keep relying on being familiar faces to consume his favors."

She paused, her tone serious, "We should find something to do ourselves."

"Pfft." Meng Anzhi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Sister Suisui, you really are stubborn. Do you think this is before the Apocalypse? You think if you want to go out and find a job, there will be one?"

She waved her hand lightly, "You should save your breath. In this day and age, it's good enough just to be alive. Instead of going out to throw your life away, it's better to honestly stay here, help out a bit, and incidentally build a connection. When Brother Bai comes back, we won't have to worry about food or drink."

After finishing, she even kindly advised, "Don't be so strong-willed anymore; at a time like this, relying on people is more important than anything else."

"Then are you planning to rely on Brother Bai for the rest of your life?"

"I..." Meng Anzhi was momentarily speechless, and her tone also softened, "I haven't thought that far ahead yet. Don't think too much, let's wait until he comes back to talk about it."

Meng Suisui looked at her, saying nothing, the disappointment in her eyes already impossible to hide.

She had originally hoped to persuade Meng Anzhi not to treat the Apocalypse as a new arena for social climbing.

But the other party's attitude already explained everything; she had no intention of changing at all.

"Since that's the case..." She sighed softly and turned to leave.

"Hey, where are you going?" Meng Anzhi hurriedly chased after her, "There are still empty spots inside, you and Qibao can just make do."

"No need." Meng Suisui said in a cold tone, looking back at her, "There are plenty of empty houses that opened up on the day of the tsunami; Qibao and I can just find one to live in."

She turned and went downstairs, her back resolute.