PSW - Chapter 178

Chapter 178

Humanity's Light Shelter.

Yu Yinan had left, but Zheng Yi's stand-in remained at Humanity's Light. At first, Zhao Haiyue felt awkward around this double, but as they spent more time together, she discovered it was much easier to talk to than the real Zheng Yi. It had no airs about it at all! As long as it was within its power, it would grant any earnest request made of it.

This stand-in was quite interesting. She? It? Zhao Haiyue wasn't sure which pronoun was more appropriate. In any case, it was clearly aware that it was a fake and took pride in being Zheng Yi's double. It had no sense of "self"; its purpose of staying at Humanity's Light to help people within its capabilities was merely a setting left by Zheng Yi. As for how it determined who truly needed help... Zhao Haiyue didn't quite understand the specific parameters, but the stand-in always managed to make the right choice.

"Yu Yinan might be sad, but I think... the fake Zheng Yi is pretty great too." Zhao Haiyue walked toward the bed, drying her damp hair with a towel. She sighed in satisfaction. "Look at this water supply. The whole of Pujie has no shortage of water anymore."

"Don't you dare say that in front of Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi," Yun Lingjian said, sitting up in bed and moving to the edge. When Zhao Haiyue came closer, she took the towel from her and straightened up to gently dry her hair. "So, if a fake version of me were more perfect, would you fall in love with the fake one?"

Before Zhao Haiyue could explain that she was just making a casual remark and wouldn't say such a thing in front of her friends, she heard the strange tone in Yun Lingjian's voice and immediately turned her head. "What are you talking about? Where did that 'so' come from... Of course I wouldn't. And neither would Yu Yinan, right? She already left. Although- although the letters she's sent back recently have been normal, and she seems emotionally stable, I still feel like she's very lonely and sad." As she explained, she reached for the glasses on the bedside table, immediately putting them on to carefully study Yun Lingjian's expression. Only when she was sure Yun Lingjian had just been joking did she relax.

"Time for sleep, don't wear those." Yun Lingjian found it a little funny. Were those glasses Zhao Haiyue's true form? She pressed on Zhao Haiyue's shoulders, forcing her to turn back around and sit properly, then continued drying her hair. "Actually, it's good for Yu Yinan to live on her own for a while. She was too dependent on Zheng Yi before. When you told me Zheng Yi had left and only a stand-in remained, I thought Yu Yinan would have an emotional breakdown. I was worried she might do something drastic."

An emotional breakdown... Maybe Yu Yinan had already had one, just without letting her friends see. Zhao Haiyue thought with a hint of gloominess and sighed softly. "How should I put it... Yu Yinan is actually very strong and brave. In fact, a lot of the time, I'm not as determined or courageous as she is. You can get a sense of that just from how persistently she loved Zheng Yi, right? She's not a particularly weak person."

"That's true," Yun Lingjian agreed, setting the towel aside and picking up a comb to carefully brush Zhao Haiyue's hair. Zhao Haiyue's long hair was smooth and soft, so there weren't many tangles to worry about, but she still had to be gentle, or she might pull and hurt her.

"Anyway, let's not talk about this. We don't even know if Zheng Yi will ever come back... Yu Yinan has been gone for so long and has visited quite a few cities. The shelter has now expanded to cover all of Pujie, and we even control all the highway access points. The next step is to continue expanding and take the neighboring city. Even just setting up a few warning posts would be a start."

"Mhm, the mutated plants over at Sugui Mountain have been very cooperative. As for the antidote for the zombie mutation... give us a little more time, and we should be able to develop it." Speaking of the antidote, Yun Lingjian couldn't help but shake her head and smile for a moment. "Those two siblings are really something else. The toxins in their bodies are only under control, yet they've already completely integrated into the shelter. They perform transformation shows for the kids every night."

"Weren't they often forced to perform when that mutated zombie captured them? Performing for the kids on their own terms is much happier than performing for a mutated zombie." A smile appeared on Zhao Haiyue's face as she thought of the Xia siblings. They were just so optimistic and cheerful, and that atmosphere was infectious. "Hasn't Wan Yinyue's little boyfriend been led astray by them too? The other day, he was begging Wan Yinyue to play the princess to his knight for the kids. I think he transforms into a knight, right? It was hilarious. The kids didn't buy it at all and started crying and demanding a prince."

Yun Lingjian clearly remembered it too. She laughed along, picturing Xie Congdong's face turning green with frustration. But he couldn't get angry at the children, so he just tried to reason with them: princesses and knights are a great match, and it's not fashionable for princesses to be with princes anymore. All the princes had been eaten by zombies.

In the end, he just made the really young kids cry. Their parents didn't try to soothe or persuade them; they just stood to the side, enjoying the show. Finally, Wan Yinyue had to drag Xie Congdong away, and the Xia siblings had to perform again to salvage the atmosphere.

The two of them chatted and laughed like this until Zhao Haiyue's hair was mostly dry. Yun Lingjian placed the comb on the headboard, and Zhao Haiyue snuggled into bed, hugging her as she lay down.

Just before falling asleep, Zhao Haiyue suddenly said, "Actually, if you were to say Zheng Yi is some kind of god, I... I'd be more than halfway to believing it."

Whether it's her various abilities or how she can produce things out of thin air... she seems able to conjure anything instantly, and even her mental power is terrifyingly strong. And then there was that barrier that covered the shelter. Inside, it was protected from the elements and the temperature was pleasant, while outside was the extreme weather you'd expect from the apocalypse... There are just too many things, too many abnormalities. And- and her need for faith and recognition, that has to mean something, right? But then again, Zhao Haiyue didn't think Zheng Yi seemed like a deity who had been banished to or stranded in the mortal realm.

She couldn't have descended to the mortal realm just to fall in love, could she? With Yu Yinan? To undergo a trial of love? Zhao Haiyue's imagination ran wild as she thought about all the novels from before the apocalypse.

"Earlier, did you pray?" Yun Lingjian asked softly, holding Zhao Haiyue and toying with her fingertips.

"...Mhm," Zhao Haiyue whispered. "I prayed immediately. But I thought you didn't feel it, so I didn't say anything. You...?"

"Wasn't I taking a nap just now? The feeling came so suddenly that it startled me awake. I didn't hesitate," Yun Lingjian murmured. "I wonder if we'll ever see Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi again."

"...Yeah." Maybe Zheng Yi just ascended to godhood, Zhao Haiyue thought. "But would she take Yu Yinan with her?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Yun Lingjian seemed sleepy. She gave a small yawn and relaxed further into sleep. "She's always been so indulgent with Yu Yinan. Yu Yinan is already the special one."

Zhao Haiyue wanted to ask more, since from her perspective, Yu Yinan's emotional pain was much more striking and glaring. But she saw that Yun Lingjian's eyes were already closed, as if she were exhausted. So she kept quiet, only gently raising a hand to touch the dark circles under Yun Lingjian's eyes. "Sleep," she said, her heart aching for her. "Good night." She propped herself up and leaned over to place a kiss between Yun Lingjian's brows.

"Good night..." Yun Lingjian weakly lifted a hand to touch Zhao Haiyue's face before letting it fall. After Zhao Haiyue lay back down, she wrapped an arm around her waist and drifted off to sleep.

---

So early... Zhao Haiyue yawned, squinting at the already bright world outside her window. The person who had been beside her had already tiptoed out and left for the research institute. She wondered if she had skipped breakfast again. If I'm not busy later, I'll sneak over and check on her, she thought.

Zhao Haiyue slowly washed up and got dressed. Just as she was about to head out to the cafeteria, before she even reached the door, she heard a few polite knocks.

Knock knock. Knock knock knock. The sound wasn't loud; whoever it was must not have been using much force. After a moment, the knocking stopped.

Who could it be this early? Zhao Haiyue carefully reviewed the tasks she had handled yesterday. There shouldn't have been anything urgent she'd missed. Could it be Zhou Xiyue? But why would that girl be up so early? Besides, she would have shouted... Zhao Haiyue pressed her lips together and cautiously approached the door. She looked through the peephole but saw nothing. Am I hearing things?

She hesitated. But remembering her shift was about to start, she paced back and forth a couple of times before concentrating her mind and carefully pushing the door open. This was Humanity's Light! Even if some ability user was launching a surprise attack, they shouldn't be targeting her, of all people!

"Hi, long time no see?"

Zhao Haiyue froze on the spot.

She stared blankly at the beaming Zheng Yi, struggling to process the soul-deep tremor this version of Zheng Yi sent through her. Yes, that's the feeling. A moment later, her attention shifted to Yu Yinan. Seeing Yu Yinan looking so vibrant and full of life, Zhao Haiyue felt a sense of relief and happiness well up from within, overriding her shock and confusion. For a moment, she didn't know what expression to make, but in the end, she managed a smile and instinctively raised a hand to push up her glasses. "Long time no see."

So, Zheng Yi became a god? Was that feeling last night her ascension? And Yu Yinan is back so soon? In her last letter, she was still in a city far away... In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed. That Zheng Yi is definitely not an ordinary person. She hasn't changed a bit, has she? Yu Yinan, on the other hand, looks much more mature and steady... Wait, isn't Yu Yinan older than Zheng Yi? But that's not right, you probably can't measure Zheng Yi's age like a normal person...

Almost at the same instant she smiled and spoke those four words, a brainstorm erupted in Zhao Haiyue's mind. Countless thoughts raced through her head, setting her mind ablaze.

But in the end, she didn't ask a single question. She simply pressed her lips together, then broke into a genuine smile and held out her arms to Yu Yinan. "So, how about a hug? I thought I'd never see you two again."

Yu Yinan glanced at Zheng Yi, then stepped forward with open arms and gave Zhao Haiyue a brief hug. As they separated, she heard Zhao Haiyue whisper by her ear, unable to hold it back, "Long time no see."

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