292: Chapter 292 Qin An

Li Ying poked her with her elbow, signaling her to keep it down.

Under everyone's gaze, Qin An yawned, his mouth wide open, his tiny tongue peeking out for a split second before closing again.

His face scrunched up like a crumpled flower.

Then it slowly smoothed out, returning to a calm state as he continued to sleep.

"He's actually quite cute."

Xu Xue rolled her eyes at her, implying, 'You call that cute?'

Li Ying ignored her and kept watching.

Xu Xue looked at Qin An, the light in her eyes soft, a smile playing on her lips.

Xia Qiuyan, standing behind Xu Xue, also saw Qin An's face and whispered, "He's so small."

Han Yurou reached out a finger to touch him, but Han Qing slapped her hand away.

"Did you wash your hands?"

Han Yurou pulled back her hand and pouted, "I just wanted to touch him."

"Touching isn't enough, you want to take a bite too?" Han Qing said.

Han Yurou thought about it and asked seriously, "Can he be eaten?"

Han Qing took a deep breath and pulled her aside to lecture her.

Qin Lin held Qin An, standing there for a long time until his arms grew sore, before handing him back to Su Yuran.

Su Yuran leaned against the headboard, took the baby, unbuttoned her top, and began to breastfeed.

The moment Qin An latched on, he quieted down.

His little mouth moved rhythmically, nursing vigorously.

After he was full, Qin An let out a tiny burp, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

Qin Lin walked up to the Observation Tower alone.

The The Ark's deck shimmered with a silvery luster under the moonlight, with moving star map projections beneath his feet and the Observation Tower's transparent dome overhead.

Outside the window, the apocalypse continued.

Darkness, ice and snow, wasteland, wind—nothingness.

But the slight, warm weight in his arms seemed to still be there, pressed against his chest through his clothes.

Qin Lin placed his hand on his chest, his palm still able to feel that Warmth.

Footsteps came from behind. Su Yuling walked onto the deck barefoot, wearing a creamy white cotton nightgown, her hair loose.

She walked up to Qin Lin, hugged him from behind, and pressed her face against his back.

It was the same gesture as Su Yuran, the same Warmth, but Su Yuling's tone was much softer than usual, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Brother Lin, do you think the apocalypse will end?"

"It will."

"Then what will we do after it ends?"

Qin Lin thought for a moment. "Go explore the stars."

"Explore?"

"Yeah."

Su Yuling buried her face in his back and smiled.

The laughter was muffled, but very warm.

The The Ark continued flying northward.

On the third day after Qin An was born, Su Yuran was already able to get out of bed and walk around.

Her Recovery was faster than expected. Han Qing said it was related to the The Ark's Physique Enhancement System, which made the mother's Recovery speed much faster than normal.

Qin An slept in the crib beside Su Yuran's bed, breathing evenly, his little face glowing with a healthy pink in the light.

Su Yuran leaned against the headboard, holding the parenting book, but she wasn't reading it.

She tilted her head, gazing continuously at Qin An in the crib.

Li Ran sat on the chair by the bed, holding a small blanket, folding and unfolding it over and over, her eyes never leaving Qin An.

Su Yuling poked her head in from outside the door. "Mom, Sis, breakfast is ready. Aunt Qing made wontons."

Li Ran stood up, placed the neatly folded blanket at the foot of the bed, and walked out.

Su Yuling walked in, stood by the crib, and looked down at Qin An.

Qin An was sleeping soundly, his little mouth slightly open, his breathing very soft.

"Sis," Su Yuling called out softly.

"Hmm."

"He looks like you."

Su Yuran smiled. "He looks like your brother-in-law."

Su Yuling tilted her head and looked at Qin An for a while, then said, "Yeah."

The living room was already bustling.

Han Qing came out of the kitchen carrying a large pot of wontons, steaming hot, filled with shrimp, each one wrapped plump and full.

Han Yurou followed behind her carrying a large plate of pan-fried dumplings, the skins fried golden and crispy, sizzling as they were placed on the table.

Everyone sat down at the long table.

Qin Lin sat at the head of the table, with Su Yuran on his left, and the empty seats to his right were for Li Ran and Su Yuling.

Then, lined up in order, were Lin Wanwan, Han Yurou, Li Ying, Xu Xue, Xia Qiuyan, Zhou Lingling, Zhou Yueyue, Lin Xiaoyue, Lin Fang, and Wang Xiulan. Han Qing sat next to Su Yuran.

The sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking, the sound of talking, and laughter all blended together.

Su Yuran held her bowl, sipping the wonton soup, while Qin An slept soundly in the crib.

Li Ran looked up from her bowl towards the crib; Qin An hadn't woken up.

Su Yuling picked up a pan-fried dumpling and took a bite. Her eyes lit up. She picked up another one and placed it in Qin Lin's bowl.

Li Ying took a couple of sips of soup and put down her spoon. "Brother Qin Lin, have you named the baby yet?"

Qin Lin said, "Yuran named him. It's Qin An."

Li Ying nodded and lowered her head to pick up her spoon and continue drinking soup. After a couple of sips, she looked up again. "Qin An, as in 'peace'?"

Su Yuran nodded.

Li Ying said, "Good name."

Su Yuran said, "Thank you."

Lin Wanwan put down her chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I... I've thought of one too." Everyone looked at her.

Lin Wanwan lowered her head, her face slightly flushed, her fingers subconsciously tracing the edge of the table.

"If it's a girl, call her Qin Yuan, as in 'wish'."

Wang Xiulan took over from the side. "Wanwan has been thinking about this name for several days; she's been muttering it every night while lying in bed. At first, she thought of several, like Qin Hua, Qin Cao, Qin Yueliang, Qin Xiaowan. Then, one night, she suddenly said, 'Let's call her Qin Yuan,' saying that in this apocalypse, she hopes for peace—that is her greatest wish."

Lin Wanwan pulled on Wang Xiulan's hand and said, "Auntie, don't say anymore."

Li Ying put down her soup spoon. "Qin Yuan, that sounds quite nice, much better than Qin Cao or Qin Yueliang."

"Although Qin Cao is quite unique, too. If she's called Cao, her nickname could be Caocao."

Lin Wanwan blushed and picked up her bowl, pretending to drink soup.

Qin Lin watched them, listening to them talk, and then he smiled. When he laughed, his shoulders moved slightly; the sound wasn't loud and was almost inaudible amidst the noisy chatter and laughter.

But Su Yuran heard it, Li Ran heard it, and Su Yuling heard it too.

Su Yuran turned her head to look at him, a smile playing on her lips.

Li Ran picked up her cup to take a sip of water, her own lips curving into a smile.

Su Yuling finished the pan-fried dumpling in her bowl and picked up another one. This time, she didn't put it in Qin Lin's bowl but ate it herself.

The sky outside was very dark, and the light from the protective shield looked like a thin, pale golden film in the darkness.

But inside the The Ark, the lights were on, the wontons were hot, and the baby was sleeping peacefully.

Qin Lin leaned back in his chair, watching the people at the table.

Before, it was just him. Then he saved Su Yuran and Su Yuling, and later, more and more people joined.

Every new face brought a story—some sad, some twisted, some mundane.

But in the end, they all gathered here, at this long table, on this The Ark.

Su Yuran reached out and took the pan-fried dumpling that was getting cold from Qin Lin's bowl, replacing it with a hot one.

Her movements were as natural as if she had done it countless times.

Qin Lin lowered his head and took a bite; it was still hot.

Although Su Yuran had just given birth, thanks to the RV's self-healing System and the enhancements her body had received previously, she was already up and about just a few days later.

Her body was in incredibly good shape; you couldn't tell at all that she had just given birth.