Chapter 90 : Zombie Empire (4)

Mama Gu was standing next to Papa Gu so she turned to look over upon hearing Papa Gu call out. Seeing that it really was her daughter, a hint of unease flashed across her face.

“Yi? You know Uncle and Aunty Gu?” The baby-faced man looked at Shi Sheng in surprised. ‘The person I saved at random turned out to be related to some people??’

Shi Sheng laughed coldly. “Of course I know them. They’re my parents.”

“Parents?” ‘Since they’re your parents, why are you using such a harsh and ridiculing tone?’

“Xiaonan, back then you-”

Mama Gu interrupted Papa Gu, her expression worried yet angry at the same time. “You damn girl, don’t you know how worried we’ve been, being unable to find you ever since you ran out in the middle of the night?”

Mama Gu started choking with sobs as tears streamed down her face. “Since you’re here now, stay by our side. Mom and Dad will protect you.”

“I wouldn’t dare. I don’t have parents who would abandon their own daughter and run off with someone else’s.” ‘You want me^(bbb) to play along with you? Are you dreaming?’

Mama Gu thought that since Gu Nan was alone, she would have to play along with them if she wanted to survive in the apocalypse. In the original storyline, Gu Nan had met them too, though it wasn’t here but on the road to City B.

Her mother had also spoken like this, telling people that it was because she had run off one day and how worried they had been when they couldn’t find her. Back then, Gu Nan had gone along with their words to escape those beasts who had tainted her. She had to deal with odd looks from the surrounding people.

‘Pity, I’m not Gu Nan.’

“What’s going on?” The baby-faced man was clearly a bit confused and the surrounding people also directed their gazes over.

Shi Sheng spoke before Mama Gu could, “I had a fever when the apocalypse started so my parents abandoned me and ran off with my cousin.”

“What?! They abandoned their daughter?!”

“How could they do such a thing?!”

Only six days had gone by since the start of the apocalypse so aside from those who had already been evil from the start, a large majority of people still retained their humanity.

“You unfilial daughter! How did I give birth to such an ingrate?! Back then when you hung out with those people, I didn’t say anything yet now you’re saying this about me! Just what did I do wrong?!”

Mama Gu started crying, as if she was speaking the truth. For a time, no one knew who to believe.

“Alright, that’s enough. It wasn’t easy to survive. You guys are family, what kind of enmity lasts between family, right? Right now, surviving is most important.”

“Everyone go back and make use of the time to rest up.” The driver got everyone to disperse before casting a look at Shi Sheng. “Let’s continue talking about your matter after Boss and Ms Qi get back. Rest up first.”

Shi Sheng’s lips tugged upwards into a smile. “There’s nothing to discuss. I won’t recognise them.”

“Xiaonan… don’t be rash. You know what it’s like outside now. It’s safest to stay with us.” Papa Gu’s character was softer due to the constant suppression by Mama Gu so his speech was slow and hesitant.

“Then just treat me like I’m dead.” ‘I’m not going to accommodate these kinds of parents!’ “You guys only have Qi Mingxue in your eyes anyways. Go and be her parents, by all means, don’t waste your time on me.”

‘There’s nothing Gu Nan wanted with them anyways.’

Gu Nan did hate them but they were her parents—the people who had given birth to her and had raised her. Even if they had treated her that way, in the end, she still had no intentions of taking revenge on them.

“Fine! Your Dad and I will just take it that we raised you for nothing! From now on, we’ll have nothing to do with each other! Old Gu, let’s go!”

“Er, Xiaonan…”

“Go! What are you still talking to her for? She won’t recognise you!” Mama Gu dragged Papa Gu as she shouted, “Even a dog would know how to wag its tail after so many years of raising it, but look what we got in return for raising her for this long?”

The baby-faced man and the driver had awkward expressions on their faces. This was the Gu family’s private matter so they weren’t able to butt in.

As Shi Sheng watched Papa and Mama Gu slander her in front of others, the expression on her face grew colder. ‘Has Gu Nan never wondered whether she was really their daughter? Have you seen parents who treat their own daughter this way?’

[Side Quest: Uncover Identity. Quest has been auto-accepted.]

System’s voice suddenly spoke up, scaring the crap out of Shi Sheng. ‘The hell is with “Uncover Identity”?! Are you telling me Gu Nan really isn’t their kid?! Holy shit I^(bbb) was just thinking nonsense, don’t issue quests so casually! And you didn’t even give me^(bbb) a chance to reject it… You’re going to lose me^(bbb) at this rate, you know?

Last time, didn’t you at least give me^(bbb) a choice? System, you’ve changed…’

[Host, there are rich rewards for completing this Side Quest.] System gave a very considerate reminder.

‘How rich? Can it get my negative morality points to 0?’

[Host, please do not indulge in fantasies.]

‘You’re indulging in fantasies! Don’t think I^(bbb) don’t know that all of this is just a bunch of data!’

[……] System chose to go offline.

‘If Gu Nan isn’t Papa and Mama Gu’s daughter, whose daughter is she? Did Papa Gu cheat on Mama Gu? Is that why Mama Gu disliked her so much?’

The more Shi Sheng thought about it, the more she felt it was likely. She decided to find a chance to ask Papa Gu.
……

Song Shi and Qi Mingxue only came back the next day. The moment they returned, Mama Gu and Papa Gu went up to them. That concerned manner was as if she was their real daughter.

Shi Sheng leaned against a shelf and watched the harmonious scene, an indifferent expression on her face. Her eyes were apathetic, without the slightest hint of vexation or jealousy. Su Jiye, the baby-faced man who had been observing her, felt like there was something off about her.

Ever since they let her in the car and even when she had gotten into a disagreement with Papa Gu and Mama Gu, though there had been expressions on her face, her eyes had always retained that calm apathy.

“Little Five, what are you staring at that lady for? Did you take a liking to her? It’s not good to start thinking of such things at such a young age.” A man, his face darkened from being exposed to the sun for long periods of time, slapped Su Jiye’s head before his tone turned serious, “That lady has a strong presence, even Ms Qi can’t compare.”

The man who had been driving, Zhao Jing, also looked at Shi Sheng. “I feel like she isn’t a normal person either. Earlier, I observed that her gaze when looking at zombies wasn’t any different from her gaze right now.”

He didn’t know whether it was just him but he felt like her gaze when she looked at humans was much colder than when she looked at zombies.

“Last night I was keeping watch. She just kept her eye on me throughout! Yet she didn’t look as if she hadn’t rested at all this morning…”

“Hey, hey, are you sure you guys are talking about a girl not yet 20, and not our Boss?” Su Jiye was exasperated. ‘Based on the way they described her, is that still a girl anymore?!’

They looked at him like he was an idiot before shaking their heads. Zhao Jing lowered his voice, “Pay more attention to her.”

After Qi Mingxue had finished conversing with Papa and Mama Gu, she looked at Shi Sheng and brought over a container filled with rice congee¹ before speaking to her gently, “Cousin, eat something.”

Shi Sheng lifted her head slightly to look at the woman in front of her. She was completely different from the Qi Mingxue in the memories she had inherited.

The Qi Mingxue right now was utterly dazzling. The skin of her face was as white and tender as a newly peeled boiled egg². Her eyes were like a clear spring, filled with watery light. Her every expression possessed a charm capable of hooking one’s attention.

Shi Sheng pulled her lips into a smile. “I’m sorry but I have amnesia. Do I know you?”

The smile on Qi Mingxue’s face stiffened before she quickly recovered. “Cousin, don’t be childish now. Aunt was only angered too much, it’ll be fine as long as you apologise properly to her later.”

Author’s note:

Sixth update.

1. More specifically, it’s rice congee made with red beans, lotus seeds, longan, red dates, nuts etc. The name is “八宝粥”, which literally means Eight Treasures Porridge. I simplified it because it sounded too chuuni otherwise…
2. This analogy… was too good to leave out 😂