Three days later.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains and dappled the living room. Xu Yan was busy in the kitchen, constantly bringing out dishes.
Ten minutes ago, her contact list had received a message from a woman, saying she had arrived at the Lighthouse, gone to the trading hall, exchanged trading currency, and was on her way back.
Although they had only been apart for less than half a month, Xu Yan felt as if she hadn't seen her daughter in a long time.
She couldn't help but feel happy. This was the first time she and her daughter had been separated for so long since the apocalypse.
This separation also made Xu Yan understand many things. Sometimes, hiding at home wouldn't prevent trouble from finding you.
Before the apocalypse, she had led such a large corporation and was quite adept at handling interpersonal relationships. This time, descending to the Lighthouse, not only did she earn a considerable commission with her excellent cooking skills, but she even made many "partners."
At the same time, she had gradually gained a foothold in the apartment building, blending in with the "original residents," even inquiring clearly about how many people were in each household upstairs and downstairs.
There is only a thousand days to be a thief, never a thousand days to guard against one.
When encountering ruffians who dared to have designs on her daughter, Xu Yan no longer needed to act herself; she could resolve matters by utilizing her connections.
Where there are people, there are relationships; where there are relationships, there are connections.
In the past, Xu Yan felt that since it was the apocalypse, she just wanted to live a stable life with her daughter.
She didn't want to bring "interpersonal relationships" to the Lighthouse. But after actually living there for a while, Xu Yan finally understood a principle.
This Lighthouse was no different from before the apocalypse. The human relationships and principles from before the apocalypse still applied here, and even more openly.
She accepted this matter with almost no psychological burden.
Her daughter could strive for supplies outside the Lighthouse, so why couldn't she use the "resources" within the Lighthouse to profit for them?
In a short while, Xu Yan placed four dishes and one soup on the table.
The seasons changed outside, but on the Lighthouse, there was no feeling of temperature change.
As soon as Xu An stepped into the Lighthouse, she felt a wave of warmth. She took off the assault jacket she was wearing.
This time, she didn't rush to exchange. Instead, she queued up for a while, observing what others were exchanging before deciding what to offer.
Before coming to the Lighthouse, she had already contacted Xu Yan. Upon learning that Xu Yan's earnings this time were considerable, she decided to only exchange enough for their mother and daughter's rent for the second half of the year.
Her mother's income this time was enough to cover their expenses until the Lighthouse's next descent.
"Xu An! You're here too, what a coincidence!"
Hearing this voice, Xu An instinctively turned her head to look, only to find Zhou Zhe approaching.
The memories she had forcibly suppressed resurfaced. She didn't see Qin Chuan and her attitude remained indifferent.
She couldn't be bothered to say a word, merely glancing at Zhou Zhe with an expression that seemed to say, "If you're fine, then stay away from me."
Zhou Zhe also felt the air of being kept at arm's length from Xu An, but remembering Qin Chuan's instructions, he still had to brace himself and speak.
"Um... are you free later? I'd like to treat you to a meal..."
Ever since their captain woke up, besides telling him to keep an eye on Xu An and take her to see him when she returned, he had given no further instructions.
For a full three days, he had been lying in the treatment pod, refusing to say a word.
Zhou Zhe greeted the guard at the registration desk, causing the clerk to assume Xu An was some Grade-1 dangerous individual and immediately prepare to report her.
He spent a long time explaining before he could persuade the clerk to grant him this favor, even giving up half a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes he had cherished for a long time.
Xu An watched Zhou Zhe walk directly towards her without any detours, and it didn't look like an "accidental encounter" at all.
"Did Qin Chuan send you?"
Facing Xu An's questioning, Zhou Zhe wanted to hide it, but he retreated under her cold gaze and had no choice but to nod obediently, muttering under his breath, "Such a young girl, why so much hostility."
However, Xu An did not hear the last sentence.
"Please tell Qin Chuan that what we needed to say, I think we've made it very clear. What shouldn't be said, I hope we can both keep it to ourselves."
"I'm just an ordinary person, Zhou Zhe. We're not on the same path. I can't afford to play your games!"
"So, don't come to me if there's nothing! And definitely don't come if there is!"
The disgust on Xu An's face was almost written on her forehead.
Zhou Zhe's face flushed with shame at Xu An's clear rejection. They both knew what the other had done.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them accomplices.
What Xu An said was not wrong; they were indeed not on the same path. They had only met by chance a few times. Her reluctance to be dragged down and get into trouble was understandable.
But, while he understood, thinking of Qin Chuan made Zhou Zhe feel a headache again.
"Our captain... he said if he can't see you, he'll personally visit your home after he recovers..." Zhou Zhe lowered his head quickly after speaking.
He absolutely did not want to admit that the person who said this was their usually stern and strict Captain Qin, who sounded like a hooligan...
Xu An was speechless: "...You..."
The words were spoken by Qin Chuan. Even if she scolded Zhou Zhe to death now, it would be useless.
"I don't have time now, we'll talk about it later!"
Annoyed, she pushed Zhou Zhe's body, which was blocking her way, and walked towards the queue, preparing to exchange her supplies.
Having received Xu An's "promise," Zhou Zhe then happily hurried back to report.
Well... Xu An's words just now... could be considered a promise...
...
She didn't wait long before it was her turn. From the half-height black backpack, she took out some gold, some rare metals, and finally, a few small barrels of crude oil.
Among these supplies, only the rare metals were somewhat valuable; the rest were ordinary exchange goods.
The Lighthouse's descent this time was to the Chahannur Desert, which was primarily for energy. Therefore, besides the mining team, many people chose to go out and try their luck, and they actually found quite a lot of energy fuel.
Xu An retrieved her recharged ID card and turned to leave the trading hall.
As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Xu Yan's well-maintained face. The long-suppressed emotions seemed to have found an outlet.
"Mom..."
Saying this, Xu An rushed forward and hugged her mother tightly, burying her small face deep in Xu Yan's neck. It was like a drowning person finally grasping a piece of driftwood, finding a sliver of breath. She could finally shed all her cold pretense.
"Mom... I missed you so much..."