272: Is the end of the world really coming to an end?

Ai Yue took a deep breath and exhaled slowly: "It's all over! The zombie problem is solved, and the Apocalypse is ending!"

Gong Qiuqiu turned to look at Ai Yue upon hearing this, tilting his head as he asked, "The Apocalypse is ending?"

Ai Yue smiled slightly: "Yes!"

Hearing their conversation, Gu Xiheng asked hurriedly, "What? Ai Yue, are you serious? Is the Apocalypse really ending? How do you know?"

"I'm not certain! But I think it should be true. Just wait and see!"

Ai Yue said with a relieved smile.

As she spoke, she recalled Jing Xi once saying that the natural disasters of the Apocalypse were supposed to have ended, but it was she who released the Nameless Monster and the zombie virus to infect humans, causing another global upheaval.

Now that the source of the zombies had been destroyed and the zombies themselves had been completely absorbed by the Crystallized Heart, the world would finally return to normal without the natural disasters!

While others remained skeptical, only Gong Qiuqiu believed her words completely.

Ai Yue didn't care what others thought; now, she was going home!

Her father, mother, and sister were still waiting for her at home!

"Alright, we've resolved the crisis, and this matter can be considered settled. Let's part ways here. Goodbye!"

Ai Yue finished speaking in a relaxed tone, waved her hand, and strode away.

"Hey, you woman, how can you just leave like that? Wait for me, I'm coming with you!" Gong Qiuqiu shouted urgently.

He quickly turned to look at Gu Xiheng and the others: "Xiheng, I'm leaving first. See you later!"

Without waiting for Gu Xiheng's reply, he hurriedly chased after Ai Yue!

Gu Xiheng's feet shifted, but in the end, he didn't take the step to catch up with Ai Yue.

The remaining people felt like survivors of a disaster, but their hearts grew heavy at the thought of so many people buried here.

Gu Xiheng sighed softly and took one last look at the place where the Nameless Monster had vanished; that was also Cheng Siyu's final resting place.

He felt empty inside. That girl whose eyes were once filled only with him had completely disappeared from the world. Though it was her own doing, they had grown up together, and she was his betrothed wife; he couldn't feel happy no matter what.

He could only look with envy at Gong Qiuqiu, who was chasing after Ai Yue without a care. He feared he would never again have the right to follow behind her.

"Brother, let's go home too," Gu Xitian said quietly.

After this ordeal, Gu Xitian had completely changed. She was no longer loud, proud, or willful. Being able to return alive made her incredibly grateful. The old grudges now seemed like nothing, utterly meaningless!

"Okay, let's go home," Gu Xiheng said in a low voice, suddenly looking much more haggard... Ai Yue was in high spirits, heading toward home with light, brisk steps.

Gong Qiuqiu quickly caught up from behind. "Ai Yue, why are you walking so fast? Wait for me."

Without looking back, Ai Yue said, "Why are you following me? Why don't you go back to your Safety Tower?"

A rare flush appeared on Gong Qiuqiu's refined face. Fortunately, Ai Yue's back was turned to him, so she didn't notice his reaction.

"Since the Nameless Monster has been eliminated anyway, I need to give myself a vacation. Whoever wants to clean up the mess can do it. I'm just going to relax with you guys," Gong Qiuqiu said solemnly.

Ai Yue simply gave a faint smile. "Suit yourself!"

Soon, the two of them returned to Ji County.

From a distance, Ai Yue spotted three people standing on the ruins, looking this way from afar.

It was Ai Guosheng and the other two.

Since Ai Yue left, the three had no heart to stay obediently at their temporary residence. They had come directly to the road leading back to Ji County, staring toward the mountains—where Ai Yue and the others had gone—without moving a step.

Seeing someone emerge, their eyes lit up. Ye Rui's eyes widened as she said excitedly, "Uncle, Auntie, is... is that Big Sister?"

Ai Guosheng and Li Shilan couldn't help but walk forward to get a better look. After a moment, they said simultaneously in pleasant surprise, "It's her, it's her! It's Yueyue!"

The three of them ran toward Ai Yue with immense joy.

"Yueyue!"

"Big Sister!"

Watching the three of them rush toward her, Ai Yue's eyes involuntarily filled with a layer of mist from the emotion.

She wiped it away and ran toward her parents with a wide smile.

"Dad, Mom, Rui Rui, I'm back!"

The family of four embraced tightly.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..." Li Shilan repeated incessantly.

Gong Qiuqiu stood behind Ai Yue, smiling sincerely as he watched their family reunion.

After a long while, Ai Yue patted their backs and said gently, "Alright, Mom and Dad, let's go back. We should pack up; it's time to leave!"

Ai Guosheng wiped away his overflowing tears and said repeatedly, "Yes, yes, let's go back. But... are we leaving this place?"

Ai Yue nodded. "Yes! The Nameless Monster is dead, and the Apocalypse is over. We'll find a place to rebuild our home. From now on, we won't have to keep moving around!"

They were all shocked. The Apocalypse was over? They could rebuild their home? They could live a normal, ordinary life?

In response to their questions, Ai Yue nodded firmly.

Seeing Ai Yue's solemn expression, the three naturally believed her. They had absolute faith in her words!

"That's wonderful! The apocalyptic natural disasters are finally over! We don't have to live in fear anymore!" Ye Rui jumped up and spun around in joy.

Although the entire country was currently decentralized into ten Safety Towers, the foundation was still there, and not much time had passed. It wouldn't be difficult to reorganize into a single nation again!

With the national machinery in motion, productivity would soon be restored, and it would become a powerful nation once more!

Ai Yue wasn't worried about any of this. When the time came, someone would naturally step up to lead and revitalize the country!

She only needed to wait for the country to stabilize, then find a suitable time to anonymously donate the seeds, books, technology, and other items she had collected!

Of course, that was a story for later.

A day later, Ai Yue's space could finally be opened. She immediately entered it, and upon seeing the scene before her, her jaw dropped in shock, unable to process it.

This wasn't just a space; it was a small world.

As far as the eye could see, it was boundless. There were even birds flying in the sky, and her three-story villa had transformed into a massive palace complex covering ten acres. Da Bai was excitedly frolicking around inside.

The fruit trees, medicinal herbs, vegetables, and grains she had once planted had all turned into endless orchards, medicinal gardens, and vegetable fields.

And everything was fully ripe, with fruits hanging heavy on the branches.

There were so many changes, but most importantly, Ai Yue could finally bring people inside. Upon discovering this, she was so happy she nearly fainted.

She had no heart to continue exploring the changes in the space for now, saving it for her and her family to explore together later... Half a month later, early in the morning, the family of five was arguing heatedly over where to settle down.

"Dad, this is just a small county town. When the country starts redevelopment, they won't consider this place. Who knows how long it will take for construction to reach here? We should settle somewhere that will be convenient in the future!" Ai Yue argued with Ai Guosheng, her face flushed.

In the past, Ai Guosheng was always the first to agree with Ai Yue's suggestions and never opposed them. But this time, for some reason, no matter what she said, he insisted on settling here!

"Yueyue, this place has beautiful mountains and clear waters. Look, even the Nameless Monster took a liking to it, so how bad can it be? Besides, this is our hometown, the place where you grew up. Why can't we settle here! As for national reconstruction, what are you afraid of! Once it's built, you can just go buy a place. Don't think I don't know—you're not short on gold!"

Ai Guosheng said, huffing and puffing.

Ai Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry, unsure how to rebut him... She indeed wasn't short on gold jewelry; even gold, silver, and jade were piled like small mountains in her space, enough to last three lifetimes.

"Yueyue, Uncle, please don't argue. Although the Apocalypse is over and the zombies are wiped out, it won't be that easy to get back on track. Reconstruction and development won't be on the agenda immediately; after all, the waters there are very deep and murky! For at least ten years, you don't need to worry about where to settle. Yueyue, I suggest the family just stays here for now. It's quiet..."

Gong Qiuqiu, who had just returned from outside with a satellite phone, said as he heard the content of their argument. He looked at Ai Yue with a meaningful gaze, leaving the rest of his thoughts unsaid.

Ai Yue was startled, then suddenly realized. She gave a helpless smile; he was right, she really didn't understand the affairs of those at the top. Since Gong Qiuqiu said so, she wouldn't make a fuss. During this special period, it was better to keep her family away from the center of conflict.

"Alright, we'll listen to my dad and settle in Ji County. Are you leaving?" Ai Yue asked with a smile.

Gong Qiuqiu nodded with a helpless smile. "Yes. Now that the Apocalypse is over, there are even more things to do. I'm afraid I'll rarely have the chance to come here in the future. But whenever I have time, I'll come back. This time... Yueyue, are you interested in coming back with me? When you stayed at the base last time, I didn't have the chance to introduce my mother and grandmother to you."

Ai Yue was stunned and said awkwardly, "Maybe later. I still have to stay and build a house; we can't keep living in tents forever."

Gong Qiuqiu understood he had been too impatient. However, now wasn't the right time to talk about other matters anyway. Once things settled down, he would just move here; he wasn't afraid she wouldn't agree.

Having made up his mind, he didn't stay any longer. He said his goodbyes and departed.

Ai Yue watched Gong Qiuqiu's departing back and, as if thinking of something, smiled involuntarily, her eyes filled with hope for the future...

And here, the story comes to a close... The end of the text, but not an unfinished tale!

Though the stars and rivers shift, I must say: thank you, dear readers, for patiently following this book to its end. Next, a new story will begin!

【The End】