Seducing and Flirting with Boss O While Stockpiling in the Apocalypse (GL) - Chapter 28

The sky was incredibly somber, thick with dense clouds and crackling with lightning. It looked as if a gash had been ripped through the heavens, allowing the torrential rain to pour down in a deluge. The long streaks of rain fell like sharp icicles, striking the ground and windowsills with a rhythmic, clattering din.

The temperature had plummeted to just a few degrees. Only yesterday, it had been hot enough to wear short sleeves and eat popsicles, but today it was cold enough for a fleece jacket. Luo Sheng woke up very early. Before bed the previous night, she had turned on the heater in advance, so the living room was cozy and warm, keeping the chill at bay.

Luo Xiaoli had woken up even earlier. Her mind was entirely occupied with today’s wedding arrangements, and she hadn’t noticed anything unusual until she pulled back the curtains and saw the world outside looking like the dead of night.

The sight left Luo Xiaoli in total shock. According to the calendar, today was supposed to be an auspicious day. She had checked the weather forecast, which predicted high temperatures and clear skies for at least the next two weeks. How had it turned into this after just one night?

Luo Xiaoli slid the window open just a tiny crack. A gust of bone-chilling wind drifted in, and the sound of the rain outside instantly became a roar. The soundproofing of the reinforced apartment was so effective that it was only now she realized how heavily it was actually pouring.

Luo Xiaoli immediately shut and locked the window, then called out to Luo Sheng in a panic.

Luo Sheng was just coming out of the bathroom. Seeing her mother’s state, she knew exactly what the worry was about, but panic was useless now. She walked into the kitchen with a calm, composed air, intending to brew two cups of soy milk.

Luo Xiaoli grew even more anxious seeing her daughter acting so unconcerned. “Nuonuo, what is going on?? Didn’t we agree the wedding car would leave at seven sharp? You haven’t changed or put on makeup—what if Wanwan gets tired of waiting?”

Luo Sheng choked slightly, thinking to herself that Nan Shuwan was right next door and didn’t need to wait at all.

However, since it was only the first day, there was no need for them to sleep in the same room yet. But Nan Shuwan’s unit hadn’t undergone any door or window reinforcements; she would eventually have to come over here to sleep.

She continued to leisurely pour the powdered drink into the cups. At that moment, Nan Chu emerged from her room, eyes bleary with sleep. She walked over, patted Luo Xiaoli on the shoulder, let out a yawn, and said in a muddled voice, “Auntie, no need to wait. Keep that wedding for later!”

What does that mean?

Luo Xiaoli grew increasingly bewildered. She grabbed Luo Sheng’s arm, her expression turning serious. “Nuonuo, tell Mom exactly what’s happening right now.”

Seeing that her mother was truly getting angry, Luo Sheng nodded repeatedly. She took the brewed soy milk and led her back to the living room. Once they were seated, she rubbed her cheeks and spoke carefully. “Mom, look at this weather. Can anyone go out?”

“Even if the weather is bad, the business at hand has to be done!” Luo Xiaoli didn’t expect such a response. Even if the date needed to be changed, it should have been done in advance. “Nuonuo, what kind of talk is that? Mom is really going to be upset!”

Luo Sheng sighed and continued, “But what if this weather lasts for a long time? For years, or even decades?”

The heavy rain had been falling since last night without pause, and the intensity was only increasing. The gale-force winds blew the tree trunks askew. Combined with a night’s worth of accumulation, the water was rising exceptionally fast. There was not a single person outside.

Upon waking, Luo Sheng had already received a heavy rain warning on her phone. The sky, flickering with lightning, looked like a monster opening its abyssal maw, ready to swallow everyone whole.

In the group chat, some people were actually excited, marveling that the rain had finally arrived to end the unbearable heat. Some were even secretly glad they could take the day off work, completely unaware that a massive crisis had quietly arrived.

Luo Xiaoli fell silent for a while, pondering, but she still didn’t quite grasp the point. “Daughter, just speak plainly. Mom really doesn’t understand the situation.”

Just then, Nan Shuwan happened to knock and enter. Being quite sensitive to the cold, she was wearing a thick sweater today. As soon as she changed into her slippers, she saw the mother and daughter sitting in the living room with a tense atmosphere. In the next second, Luo Sheng shot her a look.

Nan Shuwan was stunned for a moment before being pulled over by Nan Chu.

She sat down side-by-side with Luo Sheng, acting very obediently.

After about half an hour, Luo Sheng and Nan Shuwan had finished explaining everything to Luo Xiaoli from start to finish, alternating like a double act. They appealed to her emotions and logic, even using physical gestures to make her understand the gravity of the situation.

When they finished, Luo Sheng sat on the sofa to catch her breath, and Nan Shuwan gulped down a large glass of water. Nan Chu watched from the side like she was watching a monkey show, but seeing Luo Xiaoli’s bewildered expression, she felt as if she were seeing herself in the office earlier; these two had performed for her exactly like this.

Luo Xiaoli thought for a while, her face turning pale. She finally began to feel the dread. “Nuonuo, is… is everything you said true? How can such a thing happen?”

Her lips trembled, completely terrified by their vivid explanation. Having lived for decades, she never imagined such a thing would actually happen. The concept of an “apocalypse” was too foreign to Luo Xiaoli; even though she now knew, she was still in a state of dazed fear.

Luo Sheng took off the ring she was wearing and waved it before her mother’s eyes. “Mom, do you remember this?”

“Of course! Isn’t that the emerald jade ring I gave you? It’s an heirloom, very valuable!” Luo Xiaoli took it and turned it over in her hands. “It was meant for your wedding, but now…”

“No need for ‘but now.’ This treasure is what we rely on for survival. All our supplies are inside.” Luo Sheng used her mind to pull out some vegetables, leaving Luo Xiaoli utterly gobsmacked. She sat on the sofa processing this for a long time. Even as her soy milk went cold, she couldn’t regain her composure.

The others quietly finished their breakfast without saying much. Luo Sheng reheated the soy milk and placed it back in front of her mother. At that moment, Luo Xiaoli seemed to remember something. She grabbed Luo Sheng’s hand and asked, “Oh, by the way, Nuonuo, what about your uncle and the boy? Didn’t you take them to some hotel? What will happen to them…?”

As she reached the end of the question, Luo Xiaoli stopped. She saw Luo Sheng’s face go cold and her expression become unnatural. Even a fool would understand what this meant. She began to mutter to herself, lost in thought. “Right… it was all a lie…”

Luo Sheng suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She knelt down, grabbing her mother’s hand and pressing it to her cheek, her gaze dimming. “Mom, I couldn’t manage everything. Right now, I only want to protect you. Everything else has nothing to do with me… Do you blame me?”

Blame her?

Luo Xiaoli didn’t seem to think that way. The suddenness of it all just made it hard to process. Her daughter had been a quiet child, someone who liked to keep things bottled up, but she was exceptionally resilient. Hearing everything she had said, knowing she had silently completed such a massive stockpile by herself, Luo Xiaoli couldn’t imagine how much pressure and panic she had endured alone. She felt only heartache; how could she blame her?

After all, no matter how independent and strong Luo Sheng was, she was still just a young woman in her twenties. How could one be perfect in everything? To be able to cut ties decisively in the face of a life-and-death crisis was already a remarkable feat.

Thinking of this, Luo Xiaoli let out a heavy sigh, even feeling a bit of post-traumatic fear that she had almost held her daughter back. She stroked Luo Sheng’s cheek with great affection. “Mom doesn’t blame you. You are the most important person in my life. As long as you are well and healthy, nothing else matters.”

A surge of emotion hit Luo Sheng. With tears in her eyes, she nodded vigorously. “It’s the same for me.”

Nan Chu and Nan Shuwan, sitting nearby, were quite moved by the scene of maternal and filial devotion.

After the full confession, Luo Sheng finally felt completely relaxed. She entered the space happily to sign in, while Nan Shuwan stayed in the living room to continue chatting with Luo Xiaoli.

“Owner has successfully signed in for 30 consecutive days. Space level upgraded to 4.”

As the announcement finished, Luo Sheng felt the villa she was in double in size again. She used her mind to move some of the supplies from the back garden into the villa, then picked up a hoe and rolled up her sleeves, preparing to do some work in the fertile soil.

Although she could move items with her mind, the soil still required manual labor to turn. Luo Sheng suspended various seeds in mid-air. For every small hole she dug, some seeds would drop in, and she followed up by watering them.

The whole process left her gasping for breath.

Fortunately, the air and scenery in the villa were beautiful, and the sunshine was bright, making it very comfortable. Luo Sheng drank a few glasses of water while panting. Just as she was about to rest, she noticed the Strength and Speed value bars next to the villa level had lit up!

She immediately dropped the hoe and hurried over. She saw a new button and a line of small text on the screen: For every level the space gains, the owner may choose to add 1 point to physical stats.

Luo Sheng processed the meaning: from now on, with every level up, she could increase her physical stats, though she had to choose between the two for a single point.

Looking at the two values, Luo Sheng chose Strength without hesitation. As the button was pressed, a red horizontal line immediately stacked onto the value bar. Simultaneously, an announcement sounded: “Congratulations to the owner for successfully obtaining 1 point of Strength.”

The moment the words landed, Luo Sheng felt different. She, who had been gasping for breath just moments ago, suddenly lost that feeling. Instead, her body felt light, and she was full of energy and spirit.

The moment she picked up the hoe, she felt the strength in her arms had changed. Her entire body felt as if it had been reborn.

She hadn’t expected that adding just one point of strength would cause such a noticeable change in her physical constitution. Now full of energy, Luo Sheng grabbed the hoe and ran back to the fields.

Working was many times easier than before. Without realizing it, she worked until the time limit for the villa was reached, and in the next instant, Luo Sheng was ejected.

“Auntie, it really hasn’t been easy for you, raising your daughter alone and making her so outstanding. I actually quite envy Luo Sheng for having a mother like you.” Nan Shuwan held Luo Xiaoli’s hand, expressing her true feelings. Having lost her mother at a young age, chatting with Luo Xiaoli for so long made her feel a long-lost warmth of family.

Luo Xiaoli was delighted to hear this. “Wanwan, Auntie likes you very much too. I really hope you and Nuonuo could…” At this point, Luo Xiaoli paused, then slapped her thigh and changed the subject. “Aiya, in that case, it wouldn’t be bad if I took you as my goddaughter! Wanwan, you and Nuonuo can get along like biological sisters. What do you think?”

So, just as Luo Sheng was ejected from the space and walked into the living room, she witnessed this scene. Her head buzzed, and before she could react, she saw the corners of Nan Shuwan’s mouth curl up. Those fox-like eyes flickered, and she spoke in a playful tone.

“Did you hear that? Why aren’t you calling me Sister yet?”

Luo Sheng: ?