44: Put aside the desire to help others

She kept her head down, her expression unreadable in the darkness of the night.

Although her voice was extremely soft and she hadn't uttered a single word of reprimand from start to finish.

It still made Sister Sun's heart skip a beat.

Seeing that her daughter hadn't mutated after all this time, she felt a wave of relief, but an inexplicable sense of panic surged within her at the same time.

Not a single one of those insults could escape her lips now.

Yue Yue and Ji Chuan exchanged a glance, both utterly disgusted by this woman who usually seemed quite kind.

Only those close to them knew that the angrier Wanwan got, the calmer she became.

This time, her heart had truly been wounded.

When she was being cursed at, most people chose to stand by and watch; only a few had stepped forward to speak up for her.

Yi Nian shot an uneasy Sister Sun a fierce glare and stood by Lin Wan's side, refusing to leave.

Shen Mo Chi's expression was cold as he looked at Zhao Yan and said:

"Have your subordinates conduct a thorough inspection, one by one! Check if there are any other infected or mutated individuals within the base."

Zhao Yan nodded, pulling out his walkie-talkie to make the arrangements.

Everyone crowded around to watch Bei Bei's condition, unwilling to leave.

Twenty minutes later, Bei Bei finally opened her large, clear eyes.

"Sister..."

Lin Wan said nothing. After a brief check to confirm everything was fine, she carried Bei Bei over and handed her to a jubilant Sun Ping.

"Mama, what's wrong? Bei Bei is fine now. It doesn't hurt at all, and I feel so strong!"

Seeing that she really hadn't mutated and that her complexion had regained its usual rosy glow, Sun Ping wept with joy.

Recalling her extreme actions and the foul language she had used against Lin Wan just moments ago, she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

However, she then thought that as a mother and a fellow woman, Lin Wan would surely understand. After all, she had always been so kind.

After hesitating for a moment, she gave Lin Wan a stiff smile and said:

"I'm sorry, I..."

Lin Wan's expression was unreadable, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips as she tilted her head to look at her, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

"There's no need for that."

"Zhao Yan, help Sun Ping pack her things and have them leave the base immediately."

They all knew she was kind, but they didn't realize her kindness had limits. She had never been a spineless Holy Mother without boundaries.

Zhao Yan and the others had been seething with anger for a while, so hearing Lin Wan say this...

...they immediately nodded and stepped forward.

"Let's go, Sister Sun."

Sun Ping's heart filled with bitter regret! It was the Polar Night! As a widow and her child, going out now meant certain death!

Qingyun Base was a sanctuary that countless people dreamed of!

No matter what, she had to stay!

Sun Ping was consumed by fear, dread, and resentment.

She wailed through her tears:

"Little Wan, I'm so sorry, I..."

"Is 'Little Wan' a name you're fit to call her? From now on, you are no longer a member of our base. Please, leave immediately!"

Yue Yue glared coldly at this woman who changed her tune faster than one could flip a page. She just wanted her gone so she would stop upsetting Wanwan.

Seeing that they were serious, Sun Ping knelt before Lin Wan, kowtowing and begging incessantly, even trying to pull Bei Bei down to kneel with her.

"Bei Bei, hurry and beg Sister Lin Wan! She's kicking us out! Hurry!"

Bei Bei didn't know what was happening, only that her mother's distorted expression was terrifying.

Hearing her mother say they were being expelled from the base, she obediently knelt down.

"Sister Wanwan, are you kicking Mama and me out because Bei Bei was naughty? Bei Bei apologizes to Sister. Please, don't kick us out!"

The small child choked out the words in her childish voice, her eyes red.

Lin Wan's heart felt cold.

Nevertheless, she knelt down in front of Bei Bei and spoke softly.

"It's not because of you, Bei Bei. It has nothing to do with you. It's just that the base has its rules, and I can no longer let you stay."

After saying this, Lin Wan turned and walked away without even glancing at Sun Ping.

"Zhao Yan, get them out as soon as possible, then come for a meeting in twenty minutes!"

Seeing her being so heartless, Sun Ping's face changed once again.

Her earlier humble pleading vanished.

Gritting her teeth, she pointed at Lin Wan's retreating back and began to curse her out once more.

"What 'kindness'? It's all just an act! Isn't it just for a good reputation?"

"Hmph, I was right to curse you earlier! You're a vicious, cold-hearted woman! Using your power to bully us defenseless weaklings, kicking us out when you know full well it's the Polar Night! You have no mercy! Hypocrite!"

"Fine! There are so many bases in Sea City; do you really think this place is such a prize? I'm telling you, once I'm out, I'll make sure everyone knows exactly what kind of hypocritical and poisonous person the leader of Qingyun Base is! Bitch!"

"Slap!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yue Yue rushed over like a gust of wind and delivered a harsh slap to her face.

"I'm warning you, if I hear another word about Wanwan from your mouth, I will make sure you die right here, right now!"

Bei Bei was terrified and burst into loud sobs, shielding Sun Ping.

"Sister Yue Yue, please don't hit Mama. She knows she was wrong."

"Sister Wanwan, I apologize to you on behalf of Mama. I'm sorry!"

Lin Wan's footsteps faltered slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with mockery.

If she hadn't stopped him, Shen Mo Chi would have turned Sun Ping into a corpse with a flick of his hand.

But she didn't want him to dirty his hands.

"Wanwan."

Lin Wan looked up at him and said with a smile:

"I know, Mo Chi. I haven't taken it to heart. I just suddenly feel that in this Apocalypse, one should let go of an excessive savior complex and respect the fates of others."

"Yue Yue, let's go."

Yue Yue gave the spiteful Sun Ping a warning look before turning to leave.

Zhao Yan quickly helped them pack their belongings.

When they first came to Qingyun Base, they had nothing.

But Lin Wan had always felt that she should protect the people of her own base.

It just so happened that the Spatial Containers held a large amount of children's clothing.

As a reward when she first established the school, Lin Wan had given each of these children four sets of clothes—one for each season—not to mention the occasional pastries and candies.

These were items that couldn't be bought for any price nowadays.

But looking at it now, it really would have been better to feed them to Dou Dou.

This was the nature of the human heart in the Apocalypse.

As soon as something went wrong, Sun Ping didn't remember a single bit of that past kindness...