Chapter 301: The golden fruit 12.

Finally, she asked, "Aunt Bai Li, where are you going?"

Bai Li crouched down in front of her.

"Mommy Yan and I are going out for a little while."

LiLi immediately frowned. "Where?"

"To the mall."

"I want to go too."

The answer came so quickly that Bai Li almost laughed.

Yan Cijin sighed softly. "LiLi, you can’t come with us this time."

"Why not?"

"Because it is dangerous."

LiLi crossed her arms. "I am not scared."

"I know you’re brave." Yan Cijin gently rubbed her head. "But being brave doesn’t mean going everywhere adults go."

"But Aunt Bai Li goes everywhere with Mommy."

Bai Li raised her eyebrows when she heard that. Yan Cijin glanced at her, slightly embarrassed.

LiLi continued, "And Aunt Bai Li can protect me."

"I can," Bai Li admitted, "but I would rather protect you by keeping you here."

LiLi’s little face immediately fell.

Bai Li gently squeezed her cheek. "Listen to me. Mommy and I are going to get something very important. After that, we will come back. You have to stay with Grandma and wait for us."

"How long?"

"Not too long."

"You promise?"

Bai Li hesitated for half a second before nodding. "I promise I will do everything I can to come back safely."

Yan Cijin’s heart tightened slightly when she heard that wording. Bai Li had not made an absolute promise that nothing would happen. She had simply said she would do everything she could. In the apocalypse, that was probably the most honest promise anyone could make.

LiLi was still unhappy.

"I don’t like waiting."

"I know." Bai Li smiled. "But this time, you have an important job."

LiLi looked at her suspiciously. "What job?"

"You have to stay with Grandma and make sure she doesn’t get bored while we are gone."

LiLi immediately looked toward Yan Laojin.

Yan Laojin laughed softly. "It sounds like an important job."

"It is."

Bai Li nodded seriously. "And when I come back, I will check whether you did it properly."

LiLi thought for a while and then asked, "Will you bring me something?"

Yan Cijin covered her mouth to hide a smile.

Bai Li answered without hesitation. "Of course."

"Candy?"

"Maybe."

"Aunt Bai Li."

"Alright, alright. Candy."

LiLi finally smiled, though she still looked reluctant to let them leave.

Even after that, she kept asking whether she could come along. It took both Bai Li and Yan Cijin quite a bit of effort to persuade her. Yan Cijin had to explain that the roads were dangerous, while Bai Li distracted her by asking which snacks she wanted when they came back. In the end, LiLi finally agreed to stay, but she made them promise several times that they would return.

Only after the little girl was satisfied did Yan Laojin speak.

She looked at Bai Li and Yan Cijin for a long moment. As a mother, she did not need anyone to tell her that their journey was dangerous. The world outside had already become a place where every trip could turn into a fight for survival.

"You two must be careful," Yan Laojin said quietly.

Yan Cijin nodded. "We will."

Yan Laojin looked at Bai Li next. "I don’t know what happened for you to decide to go out again so soon. I also know you probably won’t tell me everything because you don’t want me to worry."

Bai Li did not deny it.

Yan Laojin gave a tired smile. "But I am not asking you to explain. If you are willing to take this risk, then it must be important."

Her eyes lowered briefly toward LiLi before she continued, "In this world, staying inside is not always enough. I used to think that as long as we had food, water, and a safe place, we could simply wait for things to get better. But it is becoming obvious that the world isn’t going to give us that chance. If you want to survive, sometimes you have to go out and take the things that might give you a better chance tomorrow."

Yan Cijin’s expression softened.

"Mom."

Yan Laojin smiled at her daughter. "I am worried. Of course I am worried. I would be lying if I said otherwise. But worrying is not the same as stopping you. If I stop you from taking every risk, then one day we may lose the chance to survive because we were too afraid to move."

The room became quiet.

Bai Li looked at Yan Laojin with a trace of respect in her eyes.

The older woman took a slow breath and said, "So I won’t ask where you are going or what you are looking for. Just remember that there are people here waiting for you to come back."

Yan Cijin nodded, her eyes slightly red.

"We will return."

Yan Laojin reached out and pulled both women into a brief embrace, then released them before the moment became too heavy.

"Go carefully."

Bai Li nodded. "We will."

Yan Laojin looked at her and added, "Bring my daughter back safely."

Bai Li looked toward Yan Cijin.

"I will."

Those words came naturally, almost before Bai Li had time to think about them.

Yan Cijin looked at her for a moment.

Something warm passed through her chest.

She quickly lowered her gaze.

"And you come back safely too," Yan Laojin added.

Bai Li nodded. "I will."

LiLi suddenly ran over and grabbed Yan Cijin’s hand.

"Mommy, you have to come back."

Yan Cijin crouched down and hugged her. "I will come back."

Then LiLi turned to Bai Li and opened both arms. "Aunt Bai Li too."

Bai Li crouched down and hugged her as well. "Aunt Bai Li too."

LiLi buried her face against Bai Li’s shoulder. "Don’t forget me."

Bai Li gently patted her back. "I wouldn’t dare. You would probably complain to everyone in the building if I did."

LiLi giggled.

The sound eased some of the tension in the room.

Finally, Bai Li stood up and looked at Yan Cijin.

"Ready?"

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TO BE CONTINUED.