After Xu An and Zhou Haimei arrived in the bedroom, she first inspected it to ensure there were no issues before unzipping her backpack, setting it down, and sitting on the bed.
Zhou Haimei instantly knew what Xu An was about to do, setting aside the items in her hand and joining Xu An in the inspection.
Although this was the apocalypse, pre-apocalypse methods like pinhole cameras wouldn't appear here.
However, the vigilance developed from their long stay on the lighthouse still made Xu An habitually check every new environment.
"Everything okay?"
"Mhm." Xu An nodded, taking out two self-heating rice meals from her backpack, and even conjuring a can of fruit cocktail like magic.
They hadn't eaten properly all day while traveling, and now that they were finally free, both of them were ravenous.
"An'an, how much food did you bring down here this trip?"
Zhou Haimei looked astonished, having assumed Xu An was completely out of food.
She hadn't expected Xu An's black backpack to be like Doraemon's pocket, always producing an endless supply of food.
"It's not that much, really, but it's definitely enough for the two of us."
Xu An had a spatial storage filled with supplies; the two of them could eat until the end of their days and still not finish it. However, this was something she couldn't tell Zhou Haimei yet.
Just as Xu An took out the food and placed it on the table, she heard movement at the door.
The footsteps were light and unsteady, not like an adult's, but more like a child's.
Immediately after, a knock sounded at the door.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
"Sister, are you busy? My mom sent me to bring you hot water." It was the voice of the little girl from earlier.
Xu An glanced at Zhou Haimei, put the food back into her bag, and ensured there were no conspicuous items on the table.
Only then did she get up and open the door.
The girl poked her head in, curiously wondering what the two sisters were doing that took so long to open the door.
"Sister, my mom sent me to bring hot water."
After speaking, the girl pointed to a small trolley behind her, on which sat an aluminum alloy iron bucket, from which steam continuously rose.
In the girl's hand was also a small wooden bucket; the paint on the outside was a bit chipped, but overall it looked quite clean.
"This is spring water from our own home. It's all natural and pollution-free, I secretly brought it for you sisters to drink."
The girl's eyes were wide and glistening, looking at Xu An with an expression that seemed to be asking for a reward.
At first, Xu An had been curious why a little girl was delivering something and how she managed to carry so much hot water.
She hadn't realized the girl had a trolley.
Seeing the girl holding up the wooden bucket with an eager expression, the smile on Xu An's face gradually faded.
This child...
"Thank you, little one." Xu An subtly took the water bucket, placed it by her feet, and said to the girl.
"This water is for you to drink. Sister doesn't need it, please take it back."
The girl pouted unhappily, seeming a bit disappointed at having her kindness rejected.
"It's okay, sister, we have plenty of water, please just take it."
Despite her words, her eyes kept darting behind Xu An.
Xu An knew the girl was looking for the backpack behind her.
Feigning embarrassment, she accepted the water from the wooden bucket. She vaguely recalled asking the proprietress on the way upstairs if their own drinking water was scarce and not for sale.
Yet, here this girl was, delivering water to their door. There had to be something fishy going on.
After taking the water, the girl indeed stood at the doorway without leaving, her eyes filled with a thick, unshakeable greed.
She was a completely different person from the shy little girl who had hidden behind her mother downstairs with a bashful expression.
Xu An tentatively said, "Sister, I don't have any more chocolate, but I have a pack of soda crackers. Would you like them?"
Her words were full of warmth and gentleness, but her eyes were filled with chilling coldness.
The girl, lost in the joy of "soda crackers," nodded repeatedly, failing to notice the icy expression on Xu An's face.
Xu An didn't open the door to let the girl in. Instead, she wedged her leg in the door crack, blocking the gap with half of her body.
After bringing the water bucket and wooden bucket inside, she entered the room, picked up her black backpack, and walked towards the door.
Zhou Haimei, puzzled, was about to ask when Xu An stopped her with a look, signaling her to remain silent.
Having spent so much time together, Zhou Haimei understood what Xu An meant with just a glance.
She quietly remained seated, not moving, not even making a sound.
She knew Xu An must have noticed something amiss.
Xu An deliberately walked towards the girl with her black backpack, unzipping it in front of her. Inside were two opened bottles of mineral water, two packets of instant noodles, and a bag of soda crackers.
There were also a towel, a toothbrush, and some personal items.
Nothing else.
It was as if she was intentionally showing the girl her meager possessions, her face displaying a hint of embarrassment.
"It's all my fault for rushing. When we came from the north, we passed a small supermarket, but there were zombies then. My sister and I were focused on escaping, so we just grabbed some random food and stuffed it in our bags."
After speaking, she handed the crackers to the girl.
Upon receiving the crackers, the smile on the girl's face was not entirely genuine; it was more like a forced smile. After a perfunctory thank you, she left the entrance of Xu An's room.
The moment the door closed, a mocking smile appeared on Xu An's face.
Indeed, the world was like a parade of ghosts.
What was she foolishly hoping for, thinking that a girl they met by chance could be a sweet little angel?
The only thing Xu An regretted now was that the chocolate and candies she had kindly given out downstairs had become bait to lure a devil.
The fruit of Satan.
"An'an, why did you say your food was from the supermarket in the north?"
Watching Xu An close the room door and return to sit on the bed, the tension in her heart finally eased.
She let out a long sigh.
Who knew how nervous she had been, barely daring to breathe just now.
"Also, why did you take your bag out? Wouldn't the food in your bag be discovered?" Even Zhou Haimei had sensed the girl's ill intentions.
"It's fine, my bag has a special design. I intentionally showed it to her, just to let that child see for herself that I had nothing else."
Xu An's backpack was actually quite empty. The food was extremely heavy, and she usually kept her food directly in her spatial storage.