Chapter 3: The Things You Can't Say Out Loud

Chapter 3: The Things You Can't Say Out Loud

Xiao Mei sold everything she had—necklaces, rings, electronic devices, and even her beloved car. Her room now looked like a showroom, the kind where people come to see before deciding to buy. All the belongings that once filled the space were now gone, leaving only a bed, a wardrobe, and a table with chairs.

Her boss and the guardian, who were now sitting on the floor, were in the room with her. Xiao Mei leaned back against the bed, exhausted. She glanced at Pao Pei, sighed, and said,

"After selling everything and adding my savings, I only have 25,000 yuan." Xiao Mei stared at the numbers in her account, feeling downhearted. If she didn't need to prepare for the end of the world, this amount of money would actually be a lot for her.

Pao Pei, still in its egg form, had claimed to be a guardian, but it seemed that Xiao Mei was the one protecting it. She felt that Pao Pei was going through a change. Every time she touched it, it felt warmer, and it seemed like it was getting closer to hatching.

Xiao Mei called her grandmother to tell her that she would return home in two days. Her grandmother was very happy and reminded her to take good care of herself, nagging about a dozen things before finally hanging up.

In the next two days, Xiao Mei started organizing things. She made a list of items she needed to prepare. Some she ordered to be sent to her grandmother's house, and some she had to buy in the village. In the survival novels she had read, the protagonist was usually alone with no one to worry about, but Xiao Mei was just an ordinary person who interacted with others. Besides her family, she had old friends, close teachers, and even a mother who, despite not seeing her for many years, still supported her when needed.

Wu Meiqing was the name her mother gave her, wanting her to live a pure and beautiful life. Her family had inherited this beauty from her grandmother, and their names reflected it. Her grandmother's name was Wu Lijun, meaning "extremely beautiful," her mother's name was Wu Lilin, meaning "beautiful jade," and Xiao Mei's full name was Wu Meiqing, meaning "pure and beautiful."

Xiao Mei wanted to warn the people she cared about to prepare for the coming disaster, but she couldn't say it directly. If she went around telling people that the apocalypse would happen in less than six months, they would think she was crazy. Even her friends would probably assume she was just joking or obsessed with internet rumors.

So, she planned not to confront them.

Xiao Mei sent an email to her close professor first, followed by some of her close friends. Her message was somewhat similar, saying that she needed to return to take care of her grandmother in the countryside and, due to the increasingly unpredictable weather and outbreaks of infectious diseases, she asked everyone to take care of their health and be cautious. She also recommended stocking up on food and water, as no one knew when another pandemic might break out.

The last person she warned was her mother. It wasn't that she didn't care, but she didn't know how to speak to her. She couldn't send an email with indirect hints like she did with others. Xiao Mei hesitated, holding the phone for a while, her hands trembling slightly. Finally, she forced herself to make the call. She didn't say much, just told her mother to take care of herself and mentioned that she was going back to her grandmother's in Henan.

"If anything happens to you, come stay with me and Grandma."

Wu Lilin was very happy that her daughter cared so much about her. Xiao Mei had never invited her to live together before, and it seemed that now was a good time to go back. Wu Lilin felt guilty for marrying again and not bringing Xiao Mei to live with her. She hadn't visited her daughter much because she was afraid of facing her for abandoning her in the care of her grandmother.

After hanging up, Xiao Mei sighed in relief. At least she had done what she could. The rest would depend on everyone's fate.

Pao Pei, seeing that its master was still in a gloomy mood, floated over to her. This woman had been sitting there with a troubled face for almost half the day, despite having a guardian like him by her side. It couldn't understand why she was so worried. It wobbled a bit and then floated to her side.

"Master, don't worry too much. It's not that hard to survive on this planet," Pao Pei said.

Xiao Mei stared at the little egg floating in front of her. It was still just an egg, yet it was already trying to comfort her. With no one else to consult, she thought maybe she could ask the egg. After all, she had once told it, "If I die, you die too," so they had to survive together.

"Pao Pei… Do you think we'll starve to death? With zombies and all the disasters, we'll definitely die when that time comes."

"Not if you're worried about food," Pao Pei said, "Just stock up on lots of it."

"But food spoils, and I'm worried it won't be safe either," Xiao Mei replied.

"Shh... you really don't know anything. Even though I'm still just an egg, I can at least keep our shelter safe," Pao Pei replied.

Xiao Mei saw a shimmering light emanating from the egg and watched as it slowly wove into a familiar shape.

"That's the necklace I sold!" she exclaimed excitedly. The necklace floated toward her, and the light from Pao Pei continued to weave something. It then pulled a pendant from her pocket and attached it to the necklace.

"Master, try to imagine an empty space," Pao Pei said, sounding a little proud.

Xiao Mei followed the instructions and closed her eyes. She saw a spacious room of about 30 square meters with a penguin standing in the middle.

"Hey! A penguin!" she exclaimed, opening her eyes. But the room and penguin were still there in her mind. She could understand the space for storing things, but the penguin was a mystery.

"That's your servant, Master. Your hidden power is spatial elements, which is why Pao Pei can create a space for you. The stronger you get, the stronger the space becomes. The servant's job is to maintain the space for you. Otherwise, as it gets bigger, how will you be able to manage it on your own?"

Pao Pei had used a lot of energy, but its master was only excited because of the penguin. It had only created the servant to match the picture on the balcony because this woman liked creatures that were soft, fluffy, and chubby.

"I can store creatures here too, right?" Xiao Mei asked, realizing how useful this could be. When the time came, she could put her grandmother in the space to keep her safe.

"You can't store creatures. You don't have enough power. The servant is just an energy form, not a living creature. You can call it a 'little servant,' though," Pao Pei said.

Xiao Mei's brief joy was dashed, but having this personal dimension was still a great cheat item.

"Pao Pei... Thank you," Xiao Mei said, giving it a kiss, and then kissed it again with a mischievous grin. She continued to tease it, laughing each time it squirmed away.

"Yuck, no more kisses! Don't let your saliva touch Pao Pei!" Pao Pei protested as it floated to the other corner of the room. If it had feathers, it would have puffed them out in annoyance.

Seeing Pao Pei embarrassed and possibly angry made Xiao Mei laugh even more.