Chapter 198: The Perks of Being Close

Chu Peipei frowned.

Judging by how much that woman doted on her child, there was no way she would have left her alone here for so many days. With the acid rain pouring down so heavily, that woman had most likely died on the road...

She looked at the little girl with a hint of pity. “Do you have any other family?”

The little girl pointed at Chu Peipei. “Yes, Mommy.”

Chu Peipei felt a bit helpless. This girl probably had some developmental issues, which was why she kept calling a stranger “Mommy.” And her features looked a bit odd too...

Not quite like a child with Down syndrome, but there was something indescribably strange about her appearance.

Pretty, but strange.

Chu Peipei didn’t dwell on it and asked again, “I mean, besides your mom, do you have any other relatives?”

The little girl shook her head. “I only have Mommy.”

Chu Peipei: “What about your dad?”

Little girl: “Daddy’s dead.”

Chu Peipei: “How did he die?”

The little girl didn’t answer. Instead, she started crying again.

Chu Peipei felt a pang of sadness. In the apocalypse, there were all sorts of bizarre ways to die—just surviving was a miracle.

So she didn’t press about the father and instead asked, “What about your grandparents?”

The little girl kept sobbing, “I only have Mommy!”

With that, she threw herself into Chu Peipei’s arms.

Chu Peipei felt the child’s body—skin and bones, barely any flesh—and her heart ached.

“How old are you, little one?”

The girl thought for a moment. “I’m nine.”

Chu Peipei sighed. When disaster struck, this child must have just started elementary school. Now, forget about getting an education—she couldn’t even get a full meal.

She looked down at the child clinging tightly to her.

What should she do?

Chu Peipei asked, “How did you manage on your own these past few days?”

The little girl’s face was still streaked with tears, her voice pitiful. “I hid under the bed.”

Chu Peipei was surprised. “Why did you hide under the bed?”

The girl sniffled, “Those scary uncles... I was scared...”

Chu Peipei understood. The “scary uncles” must have been the people taking shelter from the rain in the building.

She gently patted the girl’s back to comfort her.

Such a young child, and a girl at that, all alone out here—it was just too dangerous. It wasn’t just about the lack of food and water; there were too many twisted people in the world. Even in peaceful times, girls with parents to protect them could still fall victim to the wrong kind of men, let alone now.

The little girl, exhausted from crying, tugged at Chu Peipei’s sleeve. “Mommy, I feel so bad... I want to go home.”

Hearing her call her “Mommy” over and over, Chu Peipei’s heart softened.

After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to take the child home.

After all, a kid didn’t eat much. One more mouth to feed wouldn’t make a difference.

She had no family left in this world. This little girl was like a miniature version of herself.

And she kept calling her “Mommy”...

It made her think of her own poor, unborn child...

Chu Peipei carried the little girl into the house.

The girl obediently rested her head on Chu Peipei’s shoulder, a faint smile curling on her lips.

Room 1402.

An Nan was sparring fiercely with Gu Zhiyu.

Over the past few days, she’d gradually gotten used to having another man in the house and wasn’t so resistant to him anymore.

Of course, the main reason was that not only was Gu Zhiyu a great cook, but he was also quite skilled.

He’d brought her plenty of delicious new dishes, and now she had a rare sparring partner for training.

Before, she could only practice with Gouzi the dog. But a dog wasn’t a person—there were many moves she couldn’t use on it.

With Gu Zhiyu as her opponent, her practice became much more dynamic and effective. In just a few days, she’d made remarkable progress.

After a few more rounds, An Nan stopped.

“That’s enough! I’m tired!”

This man really was way better than her.

They’d been at it for almost three hours, and she was exhausted, while he still looked as energetic as ever.

Gu Zhiyu also stopped and smiled at her. “How do you feel today?”

An Nan thought for a moment. “Not as much progress as yesterday.”

Then she asked, “Do you usually do a lot of physical training?”

Gu Zhiyu: “Yeah. Every day.”

An Nan nodded. No wonder.

She’d only started working out regularly after being reborn.

Back in college, she’d just learned a few basic moves—she’d never really trained her body.

So, even though their skills were now about equal, her stamina was nowhere near Gu Zhiyu’s.

Looking at his calm and relaxed demeanor, An Nan couldn’t help but complain, “Don’t you ever get tired?”

Gu Zhiyu smirked. “A man can’t admit defeat.”

An Nan: ...

This petty guy still remembered that time in Kangwang Community when she’d said he wasn’t up to the task.

He never missed a chance to tease her about it.

An Nan scowled. “Friends should have boundaries. No inappropriate jokes!”

Gu Zhiyu chuckled. “Yes, ma’am—dear friend.”

An Nan pursed her lips.

Why did everything sound so ambiguous when he said it?

Ever since he’d moved in, he’d completely dropped his aloof, noble demeanor and turned into a peacock fanning his feathers, constantly using his good looks to seduce her, a pure and innocent girl.

Trying to take advantage of being so close, hoping to win her over.

After countless rounds of back-and-forth, An Nan had finally sat him down for a serious talk.

She made it clear she would never date him—at most, they could be friends.

Gu Zhiyu readily agreed.

And so, the most boundary-less friendship in history was born.

Not only did he not keep his distance, he used the “friend” label as an excuse to boldly invade every corner of her life.

Seeing his beaming face again, An Nan immediately took a step back.

“I’ve had enough practice. I’m going to bed! If you watch TV, keep the volume down.”

Then she fled to her bedroom.

Gu Zhiyu looked at the door she’d slammed in his face, smiled, and went back to his own room to rest.

An Nan returned to her room, carefully locked the door, and slipped into her space.

She went to the villa’s first-floor bathroom, tossed a rose-scented bath bomb into the tub, and sank into the water. The fatigue from training melted away instantly.

She soaked comfortably for over half an hour, until she was drowsy, then dried off, changed into her nightgown, and left her space.

Half-asleep, she crawled into bed, closed her eyes, and prepared to sleep.

Hmm?

Why did her bed feel harder than usual?

An Nan opened her eyes in confusion—only to find herself face-to-face with a sleeping man.

Gu Zhiyu?!

She was instantly wide awake and looked around.

What the hell—this wasn’t her room at all?!"