A Fake Holy Mother in the Zombie Apocalypse

Bei Nuan, her enthusiasm undimmed, suggested, "Lu Xingchi, let's play hide-and-seek! I bet 10,000 yuan you can't find me!"

Lu Xingchi saw the bed depress in several places, as if someone were scrambling underneath.

Following this, there was a series of stumbling footsteps, the sound of someone bumping into furniture followed by an "ouch," and then, silence from Bei Nuan.

Lu Xingchi sighed, walked to the sofa, bent down, and touched the air in the corner beside it.

Bei Nuan's surprised voice came, "How did you know I was hiding here? How can you be so amazing? Let's do it again."

An invisible current of air swept past Lu Xingchi. This time, having learned her lesson, the sound was much softer.

Lu Xingchi turned and went to the bathroom, reaching into the shower stall.

He touched her arm.

"How is that possible?" Bei Nuan protested. "Lu Xingchi, you're cheating! Can you see me?"

"Of course not."

Lu Xingchi fumbled, reaching under her arms and lifting her out of the shower, afraid she would stumble and fall again.

"Silly, haven't you thought about what my ability is?"

Lu Xingchi lowered his head and kissed her hair.

"My sensitivity to metal is getting stronger. To be honest, I've known you were wearing a small navel piercing for the past few days."

"Although I can't see you, if I concentrate, I can sense a small metal stud running around the room," Lu Xingchi said. "And from the height, I can tell if you're standing, crouching, or lying down."

"Oh, I see." Bei Nuan's voice was filled with sudden understanding.

There was the sound of a zipper being pulled down, followed by the rustling of clothes, and finally a whoosh, as something invisible landed on the coffee table with a clink.

Lu Xingchi helplessly raised his hand. The invisible navel stud that had vanished with her flew up and landed in his palm.

She doesn't even want her space anymore, just throwing it around so carelessly, Lu Xingchi thought.

He carefully tucked the invisible stud into his shirt pocket.

"I don't have my navel stud anymore. Come find me now if you can!" Bei Nuan's triumphant voice rang out.

Unable to use the stud to pinpoint her location, Lu Xingchi's first move was to walk to the door.

He placed his hand on the lock and welded the bolt shut, ensuring she couldn't sneak out and get lost, then he walked around the room.

The room wasn't large. Lu Xingchi took a few steps to the bedside table and pulled Bei Nuan up.

"Why? I'm clearly not wearing the stud!" Bei Nuan's voice was laced with frustration.

Lu Xingchi couldn't help but laugh. "Because you smell good."

He continued, "You used the fruity shampoo in the shower. It has a strong scent. Combined with the coconut-scented body lotion you usually wear, the two smells mixed together make you smell like a milk candy."

"You're used to your own scent, so you don't notice it, right?"

Lu Xingchi pulled her into his arms, sat on the bed, and ruffled her hair.

"I don't even need any special ability. I think if you went near any ordinary person, as long as they were close enough, they could smell you."

"Last night, when you went to our room and hid under Du Ruo's bed, why do you think Du Ruo thought it was you under there?"

"Bei Nuan, you have too many flaws."

"And yesterday, when you pretended to be showering, although you weren't using that shampoo then, when you pulled the shower door closed, I saw it with my own eyes. Fingerprints appeared on the steamed-up glass, clearly from an invisible person closing the door."

"I saw your clothes thrown on the bed, so I could guess that you were panicked because you weren't wearing any clothes in front of me, and you even fell. Am I right?"

Lu Xingchi chuckled and kissed her ear. "It's a shame I couldn't see."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Last night, when you came out of the bathroom, I really didn't mean to let you see me. I noticed Tang Tang holding a clothes hanger, about to poke under the bed. I sensed you were in the room."

"I didn't expect you to react so strongly, avoiding my gaze all day." Lu Xingchi whispered in her ear, "Am I that scary without clothes on?"

His question received no response.

Bei Nuan didn't make a sound.

Lu Xingchi touched her face, then her eyelids, and suddenly realized that after a busy day and some alcohol, she was tired. She had actually fallen asleep in his arms, still invisible.

Lu Xingchi gently placed the invisible Bei Nuan on the bed and fumbled to take off her shoes and outer clothing.

Unable to see, his fingers accidentally brushed against something soft.

"Not my fault. Who told you to be invisible?" Lu Xingchi said righteously, his ears slightly red.

He settled her in, got into bed himself, pulled her into his arms, and adjusted the covers.

The situation was strange. The sensation was real, yet he couldn't see her, as if he were holding tangible air.

Lu Xingchi leaned down and kissed her, unsure where his lips landed. He smiled. "New surprises every day."

Keeping him on his toes.

Bei Nuan was awakened by the sunlight streaming through the porthole. Her closed eyelids were bathed in a golden-red light, bright and dazzling.

Bei Nuan's head ached faintly. She lay in the sunlight for a moment, then suddenly remembered drinking last night.

What happened after that?

Bei Nuan sat up abruptly.

Why did she have this unsettling feeling, like she was playing hide-and-seek with Lu Xingchi while invisible?

And it seemed like Lu Xingchi had said something about a navel stud.

Bei Nuan quickly threw back the covers.

Her outer clothes were off, but her undergarments were still on. She lifted her shirt and checked. The space-attached navel stud was securely in place, everything normal.

Was it all a dream?

The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Lu Xingchi came out.

His hair was wet, as if he had just showered. Just like last time, he was shirtless, his broad chest and sculpted abs on full display.

This time, however, his attractive V-line was only half visible, the rest hidden beneath a towel wrapped around his waist.

Bei Nuan was speechless. "Why are you in my room? And why did you shower here?"

Lu Xingchi calmly dried his hair. "Because I slept here last night. Couldn't you tell?"

She was drunk last night, so it was reasonable for him to stay and take care of her.

Bei Nuan didn't want to stare, but her eyes wouldn't obey. "…But why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

"Your clothes are in your space. You were still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you."

His reasoning was sound.

"What's wrong? Embarrassed?" Lu Xingchi glanced at Bei Nuan indifferently. "Such a strong reaction means you're not used to it. I think you need desensitization. You'll get used to it after seeing it a few more times."

Bei Nuan: "…"

After breakfast, Nie Beian came looking for Lu Xingchi for something. Bei Nuan went to the deck alone for some fresh air.

The sea was calm under the sunlight, shimmering with tiny, sparkling waves.

Bei Nuan had checked shortly after waking up. The countdown for Poseidon's Gift, "Invisible Secret," had ended. She couldn't use invisibility anymore.

Now, it seemed there were at least four types of invisibility: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

Alpha invisibility was complete, including clothes. No one could see her, the most perfect and ideal type.

Beta invisibility wasn't as great. Only the body became invisible, not the clothes. To be unseen, she had to take off her clothes and streak.

Gamma invisibility was tiered. Acquaintances and friends could see her as usual, but strangers couldn't.

Delta invisibility made both her body and clothes disappear, but a butterfly, visible to everyone, would appear on her chest.

Bei Nuan was quite curious if there were other types of invisibility besides these four, but unfortunately, the countdown was over, and she couldn't experiment anymore.

Bei Nuan reached the deck and walked to the stern.

Sheng Yi was still in his usual spot, but this time he was leaning against the railing, no longer in a wheelchair, gazing at the morning sea.

He could stand and see, but his senses were still sharp. He knew Bei Nuan had arrived without turning around.

"We'll reach the opposite side of Gala Bay before noon. I'll see you off the ship then," he said.

Bei Nuan walked to his side and leaned against the railing as well.

There was still something she didn't understand, and now, with no one else around, she could ask him.

"Sheng Yi, everyone says your legs and eyes aren't good. Were you pretending?"

"Not pretending. I was in a car accident before."

Sheng Yi turned and smiled at her.

"The last time I was reborn, a voice told me to draw a rebirth lucky bag, saying it would contain an ability. I told it I didn't want any ability, I just wanted my eyes and legs to recover, to be like an ordinary person."

Sheng Yi gazed at the distant sea. "The voice agreed."

So, after his recent rebirth, he had fully recovered, but to lure out the murderer, he had pretended to be in a wheelchair.

Bei Nuan realized something else.

The first night she met him here, his eyes were fine.

He knew she was there by sensing her, but he couldn't see.

That meant Sheng Yi knew she was invisible from their first encounter, when he touched her head.

He chatted so casually with an invisible person. He was quite daring.

So later, during the day in the hydroponics room, when she was invisible and looked like a butterfly, he didn't find it strange at all, even reminding her to be careful.

Bei Nuan thought of another daring person who had been reborn.

"Sheng Yi, there's a little boy on the ship named Yuanyuan. There's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Sheng Yi smiled gently at Bei Nuan. "Just tell me."

At noon, Sheng Yi and Nie Beian came to the deck with several crew members.

It was a busy time, and they easily found Yuanyuan and his mother.

Nie Beian, unusually wearing a captain's hat, looked dignified in his full uniform.

Everyone knew he was the captain and watched curiously.

Nie Beian squatted down in front of Yuanyuan.

"Yuanyuan, you've been warning everyone that those people boarding the ship were bad. We investigated and found out you were right. We've caught all the bad guys who wanted to hijack the ship. So, we've decided to give you a reward."

Yuanyuan looked at Nie Beian in disbelief.

Even more surprised than Yuanyuan was his mother. She was speechless, not knowing what to say. After a long while, she asked, "My son talks nonsense all the time. Wasn't he just making things up?"

Nie Beian smiled at her. "No."

He took off his captain's hat and placed it on Yuanyuan's head.

"Because you protected this ship, we've decided to let you be the captain for a day. Would you like that?"

Yuanyuan couldn't speak, but he nodded vigorously.

Nie Beian stood up and took Yuanyuan's hand. "Let's go to the bridge. Being a captain involves a lot of work."

Everyone was stunned.

Especially the group of children who ran around the ship every day but refused to play with Yuanyuan. They were all dumbfounded.

The captain himself confirmed that what the "crazy kid" said about the bad guys was true, and that he had saved everyone on board.

He was going to be the most important person on the ship – the captain – for a day, wearing the captain's hat, and even going to the legendary, supreme, and mysterious bridge.

Yuanyuan, under the envious green gazes of the other children, walked away hand-in-hand with Nie Beian.

Sheng Yi found Bei Nuan in the crowd. She gave him a bright smile and a double thumbs-up.

Land appeared on the distant horizon. Bei Nuan and the others packed their things, preparing to disembark.

Their leisurely days on the ship were over. They were heading back into the zombie hordes.

Du Ruo sighed, "I haven't seen my subjects for days. I actually miss them a little."

Everyone: "…"

They arrived at a desolate beach, suitable only for small fishing boats. There was no dock large enough for the Vali. Nie Beian planned to use a small boat to ferry them ashore.

Before disembarking, Nie Beian brought Yuanyuan, the captain for the day, along with Sheng Yi.

Bei Nuan pulled a large bag of things she had prepared from her backpack and handed it to Sheng Yi.

"I have something I want to give you." Bei Nuan opened the bag.

Inside were fresh potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, soybeans, mung beans, and rooted lettuce, scallions, cilantro, and spinach.

Each one could be planted and grown.

These were specially selected from the fresh vegetables in Bei Nuan's space.

Sheng Yi and the others had mentioned that there were no crops on the ship, only vegetable seeds they had obtained from fishing boats.

Bei Nuan was a little embarrassed. "Potatoes can sprout, and these vegetables have roots. I don't know if they can survive on the ship, but I think you can try."

If they could be successfully cultivated, it would at least partially solve the food shortage problem on the ship.

Her Saintess Points silently increased.

Sheng Yi stared at the contents of the bag for a long time without speaking.

It had been so long since the apocalypse began. These fresh, plantable items were hard to come by, often requiring the price of human life.

This seemingly ordinary bag of things was actually incredibly precious in the apocalypse.

Sheng Yi looked up at Bei Nuan, his voice slightly hoarse. "I also have something I want to give you."

He took a small, dark blue velvet pouch from his pocket and handed it to Bei Nuan.

Bei Nuan opened it and gasped.

Inside was a handful of sparkling, uncut diamonds.

"They're not very useful," Sheng Yi smiled gently at Bei Nuan, "but they're beautiful. I think girls might like them."

A bag of fresh vegetables in exchange for a bag of diamonds. Bei Nuan had never made such a profitable trade in her life.

"Take them," Sheng Yi said. "When you see them, you'll remember that there's someone like me in the world."

The small boat ferried them to a small wooden pier where fishing boats were moored.

Even after they got off the boat and walked onto the wooden planks, Du Ruo was still chattering, "He gave Bei Nuan diamonds!"

Jiang Fei chuckled mischievously. "Diamonds have a special meaning, don't they?"

Bei Nuan took out a diamond as she walked, studying it in the light. "Are these diamonds real?"

"They are, right? So beautiful," Tang Tang said. "Sister Nuan Nuan, you're just holding them like that? Be careful not to drop them in the water."

Lu Xingchi glanced at her and suddenly said, "Bei Nuan, I'm thirsty."

Bei Nuan quickly put the diamonds away in her space and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to him.

Lu Xingchi didn't take it. "I want cola."

There were many boxes of cola, but she didn't know where they were. Bei Nuan rummaged through her space and finally found a can, handing it to Lu Xingchi.

The allure of the fizzy drink was too strong. Everyone forgot about the diamonds and asked Bei Nuan for cola.

Lu Xingchi took only a sip and gave it back to Bei Nuan. She took it, seemingly lost in thought, and took a sip herself.

Lu Xingchi saw this and smiled faintly, saying nothing.

Bei Nuan was indeed distracted. She was thinking about something else.

She had met two reborn people on the ship – Sheng Yi and Yuanyuan.

Both had mentioned that when they were reborn, a voice had offered them a lucky bag of abilities.

Yuanyuan had drawn the ability to see invisible people. Sheng Yi hadn't drawn, choosing instead to exchange for a healthy body.

When Bei Nuan herself had transmigrated, Little Three had also let her draw a newbie lucky bag, from which she received her space.

She had met a few people with abilities before, like Zhou Cang with his temporary muting ability, Xie Yuanqing with her hypnosis, and Old Hu who could predict the probability of someone's death. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the chance to talk to them in depth.

There was also Huo Ren with his ability, who would laugh whenever he heard "Saintess Jiadé," highly suspected of being, like Bei Nuan, someone who had transmigrated to this world.

So far, including Bei Nuan herself, there were at least three people with abilities who were confirmed to have transmigrated or been reborn, and they had all drawn from a lucky bag of abilities during their transmigration or rebirth.

Bei Nuan looked up at Lu Xingchi beside her.

If this reasoning held true, how did Lu Xingchi get his ability?

Had he also drawn from a lucky bag?

"Lu Xingchi," Bei Nuan called him.

Lu Xingchi turned, giving her a "what's up" look.

Bei Nuan gave him a pure and innocent smile and asked, "When did you get your ability?"

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