Survivor Mother and Daughter
If it had been before, Xiao Yi probably wouldn't have noticed such a subtle sound.
But now, his senses had sharpened considerably.
Even this faint noise caught his attention immediately!
When Xiao Yi turned toward the window with the movement, he vaguely glimpsed a pair of big eyes with dark pupils flash past.
"Is anyone there?" Xiao Yi kept his voice low as he called up to the floor above. "I mean no harm! If there are survivors inside, we could be friends—help each other out down the line!"
He waited a moment, but no one replied.
This made Xiao Yi furrow his brow.
Had the people inside already left? Or were they dead?
"If no one answers, I'll assume the place is empty—and I'm coming in!"
With that, Xiao Yi pulled a chainsaw from the Space Magic Cube.
"Vroom-vroom-vroom~~~~"
As the motor roared to life, the chainsaw's deafening noise instantly drew zombies from around the villa. Several of the creatures shambled over, roaring as they clawed at the iron gate, shaking it with furious rattles.
"Stop!"
A woman's sharp cry cut through the air.
Xiao Yi darted behind a nearby pillar for cover, killed the chainsaw, and cautiously peered toward the glass window.
Through its reflection, he spotted a dark gun barrel on the balcony, aimed straight at him.
Xiao Yi tightened his grip on his shotgun. At this range, a single blast would shred the shooter with buckshot—but they were well concealed. Without a clear shot, he was at a disadvantage.
He needed to get out of this bind.
"Hello! I mean you no harm at all! I'm your neighbor—a survivor from a villa nearby. I just came to see if you need help. I've only got a bit of food left!"
Saying this, Xiao Yi retrieved a package of bread from the Space Magic Cube and hurled it up onto the balcony.
Survivors here had sunk to gnawing grass roots and tree bark. Xiao Yi was certain his offering would stir gratitude—and lower their guard.
In the grip of starvation, no one could resist food's allure!
"You... you're that new Chinese guy? Can you tell me where you got that gun?"
The woman's voice trembled with fear and panic.
Gun?
Xiao Yi glanced at his shotgun and told the truth. "I found it on a man's body in the villa next door. He'd been bitten by zombies and blew his own head off. Looks like he'd been dead two or three days."
"No!! Mark!!"
A desperate, heartbroken wail erupted from the balcony.
"Mom, what's wrong? Why hasn't Dad come back? Why does that guy have Dad's gun?"
A girl's tender, frightened voice followed. Xiao Yi sneaked another glance and saw a golden-haired little beauty in a long skirt step onto the balcony.
From his angle, he could only see her profile.
But that was enough—Xiao Yi recognized her as the girl from the photo clutched in the dead man's hand.
Her question confirmed it: these two were the mother and daughter in the picture.
And the dead man was the girl's father.
If he wasn't mistaken, the villa now held just the pair of them.
A voluptuous beauty in her thirties and a cute twelve-year-old girl.
A wonderful combination.
Xiao Yi could empathize with the women, who had just lost their family's sole protector.
This was their most vulnerable, bewildered, helpless moment.
He eyed the girl's delicate profile and precociously budding figure, recalling the photo's charming, happy young wife.
A flicker of pity—and desire—stirred in him.
But with a knockout like Nicole already at home, women didn't hold much appeal right now.
He just wanted out of this standoff. A gun trained on him grated on his nerves.
"Jessica! Get down!"
The woman's panicked shout rang out again. Xiao Yi watched as a curvaceous figure rose and tackled the girl flat on the balcony.
Her wariness caught him off guard. Even now, she stayed on high alert.
She was sharp—and knew how treacherous people could be.
"Mom! Tell me! Is Dad... is Dad never coming back?!"
The girl's voice cracked with sobs, but she fought back the tears, sounding brave.
"It's okay, Jessica! Mom's here! I'll protect you just like Dad did! We have to keep living!"
The woman choked on her words, forcing strength into her voice amid the pain.
"I'm truly sorry."
Xiao Yi spoke with regret. "I wish I could've helped more. When I found him, he'd been gone two or three days. Since the shotgun was your husband's, consider it returned. I also found a photo gripped tight in his hand—I bet he stared at it for ages before pulling the trigger. Next time I'm by, I'll grab it for you."
He set the shotgun on the ground, then shoved hard at the door.
The weapon wasn't much use to him anyway. Keeping it only fueled their suspicion.
In this setup, a firefight would put him in a lousy spot.
Better to hand it over—show he posed no threat.
Now unarmed, with no supplies to tempt them, and fresh off the news of her husband's death, the woman had zero reason to shoot.
His words sent the mother and daughter into deeper sobs, grief raw and consuming. Xiao Yi had struck right at their fragile hearts, leaving them shattered.