Xi Qingyue took Xi Weilan on another tour of the villa, carefully explaining the use of every facility so that she could enjoy herself freely in the future.
Finally, they arrived at a beautifully decorated room. Everything in it, from the decorations to the items, was in shades of pink. The sheets, quilt, and pillows on the bed were all pink, the walls were adorned with pink patterned stickers, and several plush toys sat on the pillows.
"Big Sister, I love this room," Xi Weilan said happily, running to the bed and picking up a teddy bear to hug.
Xi Qingyue chuckled softly. "Alright, then you'll sleep here from now on. Later, Big Sister will bring all your clothes over."
"Big Sister, won't you stay with me? I want Big Sister to keep me company." Xi Weilan looked up at her with eager expectation.
Xi Qingyue had originally planned to stay in the next room. But after a moment's thought—she might have an adult soul, but Xi Weilan was still young, a child of only three—she smiled and nodded. "Alright, Big Sister will stay with you."
She then brought the clothes they had bought to the walk-in closet, along with various sleepwear and other garments from the storage area.
That night, Xi Qingyue enjoyed a rare good sleep, waking up naturally the next morning.
The next day, after washing up and grabbing a quick bite, she walked out of the villa. Seeing the vast new area that had appeared in her space, a grin spread across her face.
The chickens, ducks, and other animals she had kept in the space were now visible. The vegetables, fruits, and ginseng she had planted had also emerged, and two new supply warehouses had appeared.
These were things she had acquired since the apocalypse began. Though not everything had materialized yet, she already had more than enough to last a lifetime.
Instead of leaving the space, she crouched down in her ginseng patch and laughed to herself. These were far better than the two plants she had sold earlier. Every single one was a top-tier ginseng over a hundred years old. There was no rush to harvest them.
Suddenly, she sensed that Xi Weilan had woken up. With a thought, she appeared in the room.
"Big Sister, what time is it? Did I wake up too late?" Xi Weilan instinctively felt she had slept longer than usual.
"Not at all. From now on, you can sleep as long as you like. If I'm not here when you wake up, just freshen up and eat. Big Sister will have everything ready for you."
"That's wonderful, Big Sister!" Xi Weilan beamed with joy.
Xi Qingyue helped her get dressed and led her to eat breakfast.
After the meal, she took Xi Weilan outside the villa to explore the surrounding area and gave her a toy electric car for kids.
"It's quite big out here. You can ride around wherever you like. Pick any fruit you want, or go look for snacks in those big warehouses over there. If you can't reach something, just tell Big Sister."
She pointed to the supply warehouses as she spoke. A three-year-old wouldn't have an easy time reaching things on high shelves, given her small size.
"I understand, Big Sister," Xi Weilan said obediently.
Xi Qingyue then took her into the warehouses to show her where the food was stored and explained how the toy car worked. Once Xi Weilan was comfortable using it, she left the space.
She rode a mule alone through the mountain forest, a long sheathed blade hanging at her waist.
This way of traveling felt far more comfortable than driving a cart, she thought.
Patting the mule's head, she muttered, "What should I name you?"
The mule seemed to understand and let out a cheerful bray in response, making Xi Qingyue even more amused.
"You might not be able to travel a thousand miles in a day now, but one day you'll outshine even the finest steeds. The Spirit Spring water wasn't for nothing. How about 'Windstep'? They say masters of lightness can tread on snow without leaving a trace. I hope your speed will one day be like wind underfoot, unmatched by any horse."
The mule brayed happily again, as if agreeing.
"Good. From now on, Windstep is your name. All those legendary horses will be no match for you."
Man and mule chatted joyfully through the mountain, unafraid of the wolves howling in the distance.
Xi Qingyue traveled south through the forest. She had no idea exactly where she was, but heading south was the right direction. She would find her bearings once she got out of the mountains.
She encountered no other people along the way, but there was no shortage of wild game. Whatever came too close, she dealt with using a wind blade or a wooden spike. Anything farther away, she shot with her gun, storing all of it in her space.
Whenever she spotted rare herbs, she dismounted, dug them up by the roots, and planted them in her space. She wasn't in a hurry; she traveled at a leisurely pace, as if on a sightseeing trip.
Xi Weilan, having had her fill of playing in the space, would come out and ride on the mule with her. When they encountered prey, Xi Welan would first try to take it down. If she missed, Xi Qingyue would step in. The two of them passed their days in carefree comfort.
"Big Sister, can you teach me martial arts?" Xi Weilan thought the wind blades were a form of martial arts.
Xi Qingyue shook her head. "Big Sister doesn't know martial arts. What I use is a kind of mystical skill, and you can't learn it. Once we find some martial arts manuals later, you'll be able to learn."
"Alright. One day, I'll become very strong too," Xi Weilan said with determination, her small face resolute. She wanted to be just as capable as her Big Sister.
Suddenly, a faint rustling came from the bushes ahead.
Thinking it was another little rabbit, Xi Weilan didn't hesitate. She raised her small handgun and fired.
A sharp scream rang out, startling both sisters. Were they shooting at a person?
Xi Weilan turned around nervously and whispered, "Big Sister, oh no, I hit someone."
Xi Qingyue smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. Let's go take a look."
She dismounted from the mule, lifted Xi Weilan down, and the two walked toward the source of the sound. Xi Qingyue drew the long blade from her waist, cutting a path through the tangled grass.
The scream seemed to come from a woman. She sounded young, but Xi Qingyue remained cautious.
"Who are you?" Xi Qingyue stepped forward, pointing her blade at the injured woman.
The woman was dressed in simple, unadorned clothing, yet carried an air of refined grace. She appeared to be in her teens, her clothes clean and neat. She didn't look like an ordinary person; rather, she seemed like a fallen lady from a wealthy family.
When she saw Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan, she was also startled. She hadn't expected her attacker to be two children—and by the looks of it, the little one had shot her.
"No need to be afraid, little sisters. I was just looking for food and got lost in the mountains. I mean you no harm," she said, pressing a hand to her bleeding leg to ease the pain. She was wise enough not to yell or threaten them—only a fool would do that.
Xi Weilan felt embarrassed and apologized, her gaze fixed on the woman's wound. "I'm sorry, Big Sister. I thought you were a rabbit and shot without looking. I didn't know it was a person."
She turned to Xi Qingyue with a troubled expression. "Big Sister, what do we do now?"
Having hurt someone by accident, the young child felt a deep sense of guilt.
Xi Qingyue observed the woman closely for a moment, then used her supernatural ability to probe the surroundings and confirmed there was no one else nearby before sheathing her blade. She slightly regretted not using her ability earlier to scout the area; that would have prevented the accidental injury.
She patted Xi Weilan on the head. “It’s fine. You couldn’t see clearly because something was in the way. It wasn’t your fault.”
Turning her gaze to the injured woman, she pointed at the wound on her leg and said, “Miss, my younger sister didn’t see well and hurt you just now. If you don’t mind, would you allow me to tend to your wound?”
The woman did not grow angry; instead, she offered a gentle smile. “Very well. Then I shall trouble you.”
