chapter 10

Chapter 10

A month after the Zombie crisis broke out, humans gradually adapted to the suddenly harsh living environment. At the same time, something major happened.

A handful of survivors actually evolved Superpowers.

Staring at the news on TV, my eyes widened.

Superpowers?

Has this turned into a sci-fi script?

But then again, since Zombies have appeared, what else is impossible?

On TV, a middle-aged man wearing glasses was speaking confidently: “So far, we’ve only discovered a few types of Superpowers. Fire Element, Water Element, Wind Element, Wood Element, Earth Element, and Electric Element. We can’t rule out the possibility of other types emerging, but this isn’t necessarily good news for humanity, because it’s highly likely that Zombies are evolving too.”

My mom was knitting a sweater. Hearing this, she asked me, “Have you evolved?”

I shook my head.

She then asked Qi Mubai, “Xiao Bai, what about you?”

Qi Mubai was leaning by the window, drinking water.

He watched the TV, looking very calm, but his expression and even his entire aura felt strange. Even the way he gripped the cup was unusually tight, his fingertips turning pale.

“Xiao Bai?” My mom called again.

This time he snapped out of it, smiling as usual, “What’s up, Auntie?”

“They say some people have evolved Superpowers. Do you think you have any?”

“Nope,” he replied.

Seeing me staring at him, Qi Mubai suddenly flashed a bright smile, “Duoduo, have you evolved?”

I suddenly felt a chill for no reason. My mom looked at me with disdain, “I just asked her, she hasn’t. How could she possibly evolve? It’s already a miracle she’s like this now…”

Qi Mubai smiled ambiguously.

That night, I came down with a high fever.

I figured it was Qi Mubai who scared me.

My mom wrung out a towel soaked in ice water and placed it on my forehead, anxiously humming like an ant on a hot pan, “What’s going on? How can a Zombie get a fever? Xiao Bai, do you know what’s happening?”

Qi Mubai stood beside me, unhurried, as if everything was going according to plan.

“Auntie, don’t worry. I’m here.”

I looked at him, my vision growing blurrier, and soon lost consciousness.

I don’t know how much time passed before I woke up again. The first person I saw was Qi Mubai.

It was dark outside, I had no idea what time it was. He was sitting by my side, and when he saw me wake up, he asked, “What’s wrong? Still not feeling well?”

In my mind, I said, “I want some water.”

Qi Mubai poured a large glass of water from the table, helped me up, and brought it to my lips. “Drink slowly.”

I couldn’t help but think how he seemed nicer now, but I gulped down the water in a few big swallows. Qi Mubai looked at the empty cup, tilting his head, “You can drink water now?”

His words made me suddenly realize.

That’s right, I don’t need to drink water. Why did I suddenly want it today?

Confused, Qi Mubai helped me lie down again, checked his watch, “It’s not time yet. Go back to sleep.”

I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep again, but as soon as I closed my eyes, sleepiness came over me in less than a minute, and soon I was out cold.

I dreamed for the first time in ages.

I dreamed of being bullied by other kids in kindergarten, and my mom taking me to confront them so I could fight back.

I dreamed of being in fifth grade, always talking about wanting the full set of Disney princess dolls. My mom scolded me, telling me to focus on my studies, but secretly worked a part-time job for a month and actually bought them for me.

I dreamed of graduating middle school and not doing well on the exams, ending up in a mediocre high school. My mom said I was hopeless, worrying over such a small thing, and told me that even if I ranked last, I’d still be better than everyone else.
She never asked about my grades. If I wanted to talk about them, I did; if I didn’t, I kept quiet.

When my homeroom teacher approached her saying I was falling behind, my mom replied confidently that as long as I wasn’t having any issues with my morals, there was no need to contact her.

My mom is truly wonderful. All my friends have envied me for having a mom like her since we were little. Now I finally understand why she decided to keep Qi Mubai.

In my first year of high school, I had a crush on the school heartthrob and confessed to him. Not only did he reject me, he even went around school bragging about my confession.

I was completely lost and instinctively turned to my mom. She found the school heartthrob and gave him a good talking-to. Back then, I hugged her and cried, swearing fiercely that one day I’d find a boyfriend a hundred times more handsome than him!

Turns out, my mom remembered every word I ever said.

My mom is the best mom in the world.

I cried in my dream, and heard my mom’s voice by my ear, “Duoduo! Duoduo!”

I opened my eyes in a daze and saw my mom’s face.

I burst out crying, “Mom! I love you!”

My mom froze.

“Duoduo, you…”

I still didn’t know what had happened. When I looked up and saw Qi Mubai smirking in the corner, I finally came to my senses. “What’s going on?”

My mom was trembling. “You… You can talk now?”

I was stunned.

Just now… I spoke?

“I can talk now?”

“You can!” My mom was overjoyed. She looked at Qi Mubai, “Duoduo can talk now!”

“Yes, Auntie.” He smiled meaningfully, almost to himself. “It really is a miracle.”

After being silent for so long, now that I could talk again, I had to make up for lost time.

“Mom, Mom, Mom!

“You are my little, little apple, I can never love you enough.

“Love without material things is just a pile of loose sand; you don’t even need the wind to blow, just walk a couple steps and it falls apart!

“Qi Mubai, I bet you’re disappointed that I can talk now, right? Listen up, don’t even think about stealing my mom-I could crush you with one finger!”

Qi Mubai: “…”

My mom: “Quiet!”

She muttered as she wiped the table, “Should’ve stayed mute, all this chattering is driving me crazy, my ears are going numb. Xiao Bai, if she keeps it up, tape her mouth shut! Spoiled brat!”

Me: “…”

It’s fine, I’ve been moved by that dream these past couple days. In my heart, my relationship with my mom is still in the honeymoon phase. I can put up with it, it’s fine.

At night, when my mom was doing laundry, I sidled over, whispering, “Mom!”

“Out with it!”

“I already know.” I grinned slyly.

My mom poured in laundry detergent. “Know what?”

“You kept Qi Mubai around because of what I said after that thing with the school heartthrob, right?”

“What school heartthrob?” My mom thought for a moment, finally remembered, and looked at me with disdain. “You mean that embarrassing incident of yours?”

Me: “…”

“That hadn’t even crossed my mind. Didn’t I tell you? I just like good-looking people. Xiao Bai is so handsome, you couldn’t find another like him in a thousand miles. How could I let him go easily? With those genes, you should have at least seven or eight kids with him before I let him go!”

Me: “…”

So it was all just wishful thinking on my part.

Now I’m emo.

The filter I had for my mom has completely vanished, and I’ve turned dark-Niohuru Duoduo!