The Picked-Up Little Sister Acts Weird (14)

Seeing the expression Le Xu was giving her, Le Xiaowei felt a bit awkward and quickly pushed Yuan Qiaoqiao away.

"Alright, you’re not a kid anymore. Crying like this is ridiculous."

Yuan Qiaoqiao sniffled and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I was just worried about you," she puffed up her cheeks, slightly annoyed. After all, she was only concerned about her sister.

"Fine, fine. Anyway, we’re heading to the Northwest Base," Le Xiaowei said, ruffling her hair.

"I need you to do us a favor. My brother and his friends have some belongings in the base, but they can’t enter right now due to their status. He has an access card—could you go in and retrieve their things for us? They also have a car. Once everything’s loaded, you can just drive it out."

"Huh?" Yuan Qiaoqiao blinked, as if she hadn’t processed the request.

Just as Le Xiaowei was about to explain further, she saw Yuan Qiaoqiao nod.

"Okay, I’ll go get the things for you, sis."

A chill ran down Qiaoqiao’s spine. She had always thought her sister would stay nearby, so she’d been looking forward to leaving the base every day. But now, after being away for just two or three days, this might be their last meeting.

"Oh, and grab your stuff too," Le Xiaowei added after a moment’s thought.

Though Qiaoqiao had probably already eaten all her snacks, if she’d bought anything else in the base, there was no reason to leave it behind.

Yuan Qiaoqiao’s head snapped up. "Wait—does that mean you’re taking me with you?"

The gloom on her face vanished, replaced by a radiant smile.

"Of course. Did you think I’d leave you behind? Look at this rain—it’s terrifying. What if it keeps pouring like this every day? My brother and I are planning to go northwest. The elevation’s higher there, fewer people, and food’s more abundant." Le Xiaowei had known this girl would cling to her.

If their personalities weren’t so different, she might’ve even mistaken Qiaoqiao for her master.

But that was impossible. Her master wasn’t the clingy type. In this vast world, who knew when they’d meet again? Well, if fate willed it, they’d cross paths eventually.

"Alright, alright! Big brother, give me the access card. I’ll hurry back to the base right away!" Yuan Qiaoqiao’s earlier melancholy was gone in an instant. She took the card from Le Xu and dashed back to the base.

In less than an hour, she drove out in the car.

Le Xu’s vehicle was far more advanced than Le Xiaowei’s previous one—modified with an extremely high and spacious chassis, capable of seating five or six people comfortably.

The moment she stepped out, Qiaoqiao threw herself into Le Xiaowei’s arms again.

"Sis… can I sleep hugging you tonight? I missed you so much," Yuan Qiaoqiao whispered.

Le Xu had gone upstairs to pack and gather the others, leaving Qiaoqiao clinging tightly to Le Xiaowei.

"In your dreams," Le Xiaowei said, lightly tapping her head.

Sleep hugging a zombie?

Did she not fear waking up as a pile of bones?

Le Xiaowei realized this girl’s courage was growing by the day.

"Aww." Yuan Qiaoqiao drooped like a rabbit denied its carrot—pitiful yet adorable.

Le Xiaowei sighed.

"Fine. You can rest your head on my lap."

If she’d had a younger sister, she’d probably be as cute as Qiaoqiao. Le Xiaowei mentally scolded herself for being soft. If she weren’t so lenient, she might’ve been the fiercest zombie out there.

She really was something.

By the time Le Xu returned to the car, he found Yuan Qiaoqiao in the backseat, fast asleep with her head on his sister’s lap, looking utterly content.

"Sleeping this early?" Le Xu glanced at the blazing sun—it was barely noon.

Meanwhile, Yu Jing had retrieved their atlas from the items Qiaoqiao had packed. The book was incredibly detailed, something Le Xu had specifically picked up from a bookstore earlier, since GPS no longer worked in the apocalypse.

"I’ll chart a rough route. We’ll go this way, pass through City C, then take this highway. That’ll help us avoid the mountains. If a landslide happens, we’d have to trek cross-country otherwise."

"I’ll refine the route later, but for now, just take the road to the right of the base."

Yu Jing flipped through the atlas, brows slightly furrowed as he pointed in the direction.

Le Xiaowei watched in surprise as Yu Jing skillfully sketched maps and routes on a blank sheet.

"You’re this good at it?"

"Oh, right. Forgot to mention—Yu Jing was in charge of mission routes in our squad. Back when we were with Teddy, he handled all this. With him around, we’ll avoid a lot of detours."

Le Xu grinned at Le Xiaowei before starting the car.

Le Xiaowei smirked.

That was perfect. Xiao Linfeng would probably end up taking countless wrong turns if he ever tried heading to the Northwest Base.

"Oh, and when we reach City C, let’s stop by a clothing store," Le Xiaowei said, eyeing her outfit. This was her last clean tracksuit. If this one got dirty, she’d have nothing else to wear.

As for laundry—Le Xiaowei considered that far too extravagant.

She didn’t need to drink water, but using purified water to wash clothes? That was beyond her.

"Sure," Le Xu agreed readily.

The entire journey, Le Xiaowei kept unleashing the pressure of a high-level zombie, making their entry into City C remarkably smooth. Only the occasional growl of undead reached their ears.

Yuan Qiaoqiao shifted slightly on her lap, reminding Le Xiaowei of the special mutants.

"By the way, bro—have you guys encountered any special mutants besides the ones you mentioned?"

Hearing this, Yu Jing immediately closed the atlas and turned to Le Xiaowei.

"You’re thinking of hunting those? They’re way too dangerous. Once they mutate, they’re no longer humanoid. Taking one down alone is impossible—it requires a coordinated team."

"Sure, their energy cores can unlock abilities, but there’s no need to rush into that."

Yuan Qiaoqiao’s eyelashes fluttered briefly before settling again.

"Look, these are the three special mutants the Southeast Base encountered before. Only a few survived—most who ran into those things died instantly." Yu Jing, worried Le Xiaowei might stubbornly pursue them, pulled out a notebook tucked under the map.

"These are all public records. I even sketched their appearances."

He handed the notebook to Le Xiaowei.

Flipping through it, she noted Yu Jing’s artistic skill—the mutants were rendered in vivid detail, with multiple angles for each.

The first was the one from the grain depot. Le Xiaowei had once joked about it growing eight legs, and sure enough, this mutant had exactly that—a pitch-black monstrosity with two heads, utterly unrecognizable as any known creature.

The second wore a metal bucket over its head, obscuring its face, but its body was covered in hair, likely its primary weapon.

This one had appeared in a factory.

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