Ch 218: Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Yu Xi did not leave Starhouse recklessly.

She opened the door, took a few steps up the stairs to the rooftop, and looked outside through the panoramic glass walls, which provided an excellent view.

Starhouse was located inside the kitchen of a rooftop restaurant. Since it was a scenic restaurant, its kitchen was positioned at the very center of the top floor. This meant that Starhouse stood at the heart of the building’s rooftop. From the terrace, she could take in a full 360-degree view of the entire city and see every corner of the rooftop clearly.

The spring rain had paused for now, but thick rain clouds still covered the sky, obscuring the stars. The rooftop outside was littered with the remnants of collapsed buildings, with several partition walls crumbling down to just a third of their original height.

She carefully scanned each broken wall but saw no sign of anyone. At first, she had thought Shen Qiu might have come up looking for her to fulfill her wish.

Yu Xi turned back, descending the stairs toward the simulated apartment. Just as she was about to return to her room, the crackling noise echoed again.

This time, she pinpointed the direction of the sound. She stepped back onto the terrace and walked directly toward the source.

A few meters from Starhouse, near the edge of the building, something thin and green was trembling in the shadows at the base of a collapsed wall.

Moments later, the green object suddenly sprayed a barrage of sharp, rigid thorns at the bricks in the corner of the wall. The sound of the thorns embedding themselves in the stone was exactly what she had heard earlier.

Yu Xi frowned as she observed the small green entity. After firing the thorns, it seemed to be completely drained of energy and collapsed weakly into the shadows, which explained why she hadn’t noticed it before.

Wrapping a thick, long cardigan over her pajamas, she changed into outdoor shoes at the entrance and stepped out of Starhouse.

The moment she stepped outside, the previously limp green object straightened up immediately. It wriggled in place, twisting back and forth as if warming up. Then, it yanked its soil-colored root tendrils out of the rubble and sprinted straight toward her.

Yu Xi: …

This was the first time she had ever seen a plant that could walk.

Those soil-colored tendrils must have been its roots. Due to the widespread mutation of underground plant systems, its roots had also transformed. However, its mutation seemed to have taken a different path compared to other plants.

While most roots had grown thinner and sharper to pierce living organisms and drain nutrients, this one’s roots had flattened out—almost as if they had evolved specifically for walking.

The tiny, delicate plant ran toward her at full speed, agilely leaping over the debris of collapsed buildings. In mere moments, it had reached her feet.

It was a small shrub seedling, barely ten centimeters tall. Its stem was unbranched, topped with a single small, unopened flower bud, with only a few sparse leaves. It was bare, thornless, and honestly looked rather pitiful.

Seeing that she wasn’t moving, the little plant jumped onto her shoe and bent its stem and leaves, rubbing against her ankle.

Yu Xi: …

Alright, she recognized it now.

This was the mutant rose seedling she had casually catalyzed the day before.

She had no idea what had happened to it since then to make it end up like this, but one thing was certain—it had accomplished the primary requirement she had set for choosing a mutant plant as a battle companion: it could detach itself from the soil.

While the little plant was enthusiastically rubbing against her, Yu Xi frowned at her now-dirtied white sneakers. She picked up the plant and set it aside before taking out a bottle of water to wash it down.

The mutant rose seedling seemed to love cleanliness as much as she did. The moment the clean water flowed down its body, it straightened its stem, shook its flower bud and leaves, and let the water wash over itself completely.

Yu Xi focused her plant communication ability. She could sense the little seedling’s delighted emotions. She put away the water bottle, crouched down, and extended her palm. The seedling immediately jumped onto her hand, steadied itself with a few root tendrils, then stretched out a few more to wrap around her wrist, securing itself to her.

Then, it resumed rubbing against her palm.

Yu Xi: …

Was this a dog?

Still, since it had climbed twenty-five floors to find her, what else could she do? She had no choice but to keep it.

“So, how did you find me?” she asked.

The mutant rose seedling wriggled and rubbed against her hand.

Yu Xi understood. Since it had received her plant abilities before, it had memorized her scent. However, that scent had vanished once she entered Starhouse, since it was located in a separate space.

To lure her outside, it had deliberately fired its thorn attack to attract her attention.

The mutant rose seedling wriggled and rubbed against her again.

Yu Xi looked at the small green sprout in her palm, slowly furrowing her brows. If she wasn’t mistaken, the reason it had been so desperate to find her was to deliver a warning.

She focused on sensing the message it was transmitting: destruction… growth… buildings… everything… collapse…

Yu Xi immediately stood up and quickly walked to the edge of the building.

In the darkness of the night, plant growth had slowed slightly compared to the previous day, but it had not stopped.

The thin root stems had begun thickening, their branches expanding like massive parasols, puncturing through the walls of nearby buildings. Some of the vines on those buildings slithered like monstrous constrictor snakes, slowly tightening their grip.

The same was happening to the building she was in.

Among the climbing vines, some had already stretched up to the tenth floor. Nearly half of the entire structure had been overtaken by greenery, as if the building itself had been wrapped in a living green shell.

Yu Xi heard the faint cracking of the building’s walls as they struggled under pressure. In the distance, a loud collapse echoed from an unknown structure.

Under the tightening force of the plants, a high-rise that had already been on the verge of collapse was the first to fall.

Yu Xi frowned. If this continued, the survivors taking refuge in the upper floors of the city’s buildings would be completely wiped out.

She closed her eyes and focused on the plants growing on the building beneath her feet.

The drive for growth and the need for “nutrients” were still strong, but slightly less intense than the previous day. She concentrated, directing all her plant-controlling abilities onto this particular building.

A few moments later, the vines wrapped around the exterior finally reacted. Though reluctant, they began to loosen their grip, no longer twisting uncontrollably around the walls and support beams. Instead, more vines withdrew from the structure and draped themselves over windows and open spaces rather than forcefully constricting the building.

She couldn’t control the massive network of plants overtaking the city, but she could still manage this one building for now.

She had no idea how many survivors remained in the city or which buildings they were in. The closer ones were within reach, but those further away were beyond her control.

It wouldn’t work to scatter her efforts trying to help everyone. Instead, she needed to figure out a way to gather the survivors into one location.

Feeling the mutated rose seedling rubbing against her palm, she gently tapped its small leaves. “Thanks for the warning. My ability is limited, but let’s see how much we can do before Starhouse resets.”

---

The survivors on the fourteenth floor had barely slept for the past two nights. The transformation of the city was terrifying, but their situations varied. Zhuo Yun’s team had secured plenty of new supplies. Lu Yichen’s group, thanks to his wealth, had stockpiled large amounts of resources and still had reserves left. Yan Ya’s group, however, was struggling the most.

In the past, Yan Ya might have been able to negotiate some supplies from Zhuo Yun by framing it as a matter of teamwork. Zhuo Yun might have even spoken to Lu Yichen on his behalf to ask for more supplies.

But now, Mu Keli had completely ruined that option.

After barely making it back alive, Yan Ya realized how much had changed. He had no idea what Mu Keli had said to Zhuo Yun, and Mu Keli refused to explain. Zhuo Yun, on the other hand, had no interest in discussing it at all.

During the freezing temperatures, everyone had gathered in the hotel lobby for warmth, dragging out mattresses and blankets to sleep near the fire. It wasn’t comfortable—too many people, too much noise from snoring and teeth grinding—but it was necessary.

Now that the weather had warmed, many survivors were eager to reclaim their own spaces. Those who had stayed in the lobby moved their mattresses back to the rooms, choosing to bunk with two or three close friends.

This meant that if someone didn’t want to see a certain person, all they had to do was close the door.

The first day back had been chaotic. Everyone was still reeling from the escape, and Yan Ya hadn’t noticed Zhuo Yun’s change in attitude. By the time he realized, the window to fix things had already passed.

Zhuo Yun knew Yan Ya was persuasive, so she avoided him entirely. When he knocked on her door, she had someone else handle it. That person didn’t explain in detail but made sure Yan Ya understood who had caused the problem.

As for sharing supplies, they simply told him that with the way the city was now, they barely had enough for themselves.

Bringing up the past was useless.

Back when they had been one team, all their resources had originally come from Lu Yichen’s stockpile. It was Lu Yichen’s supplies, Yan Ya’s knowledge of plants and creatures, and Zhuo Yun’s combat abilities that had formed the foundation of their cooperation.

Later, even when they gathered new resources together, all three groups contributed equally. No one owed anyone anything.

So now, Zhuo Yun’s group didn’t feel obligated to help Yan Ya’s. If he was desperate, he could go ask Lu Yichen himself.

That night, Yan Ya lost his temper at Mu Keli—not just because she had caused trouble, but because she refused to explain what had happened.

Unfortunately, Mu Keli had always been self-centered and failed to grasp the bigger picture. She assumed that because Yan Ya led their group, everyone still followed him without question. She thought Zhuo Yun’s declaration about splitting up was just words and that things would return to normal soon.

Yan Ya was furious. Mu Keli, as usual, responded by crying and throwing a tantrum, insisting that it was his fault for not trusting people. If he had, they could have done what Zhuo Yun and Shen Qiu had done—grabbed supplies and left safely instead of returning empty-handed, injured, and with ruined protective gear.

Her words left Yan Ya with nothing to say.

But regardless of their argument, they still needed food. Yan Ya’s team was running out, yet Mu Keli had an entire bag of supplies.

Everyone knew how valuable food was. Even if she was willing to give some to Yan Ya, there was no way she would share it with the rest of the group.

She wasn’t stupid.

If she rationed it for herself, she could make it last for more than a week. If she shared it, it would be gone in two days.

Besides, the food wasn’t something she had found herself—it had been given to her by Shen Qiu.

Of course, she would never admit that. Instead, she just sat off to the side, clutching her backpack and crying.

Yan Ya’s teammates were furious.

While they had been out searching for supplies, fighting off mutant plants and creatures, Mu Keli had never gone hungry even once.

Yet now, when they were struggling, she had food and refused to share even a little.

And just like that, within only a couple of days, tension had completely fractured Yan Ya’s group.

Meanwhile, Shen Qiu, who had returned to the high-rise earlier, packed up her things and quietly moved into Zhuo Yun’s room at her invitation.

When Yan Ya came to find Zhuo Yun, Shen Qiu was actually in the room the whole time. Yet from start to finish, Yan Ya never asked about her even once. It was clear that Mu Keli, who had spent so much time with her, hadn’t even mentioned her name to him.

She had been gone for an entire night—how could Mu Keli not have noticed?

Even if Mu Keli had truly been careless enough not to notice, what about Yan Ya? Had he also not realized?

The truth was simple: she was insignificant. She had no value and no presence in their eyes.

Zhuo Yun, watching her from the side, asked if she regretted giving Mu Keli that bag of supplies. In her own small team, resources were never evenly distributed. Whoever found something got to keep it, and those who didn’t contribute got nothing.

If someone couldn’t find food, they could trade for it—either with combat skills or other valuable items. But doing nothing and expecting special treatment just because they were someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend? That was impossible.

Unless their lover was willing to personally provide for them, sharing their own portion, no one else was going to offer anything.

That day, when she had spoken to Yan Ya, she had eaten a bowl of instant noodles that he had given her. But afterward, she had also given him two sausages in return.

Yan Ya’s team was different. Perhaps because he saw himself as a leader, he believed he deserved privileges. Their group had always split their resources equally—even though Mu Keli had never contributed anything.

That was exactly why, despite traveling together for so long, Zhuo Yun had never truly trusted him.

Shen Qiu shook her head at Zhuo Yun.

She didn’t regret giving away the supplies. Maybe, deep down, she had always known what kind of person Mu Keli was. But in the past, back in peaceful times, no one was perfect. She wasn’t flawless either, and as long as it wasn’t a matter of life or death, she didn’t bother dwelling on these things.

But now, in the apocalypse, where survival was on the line, no one could always afford to be the one giving.

She had already left her old mattress and blankets behind for Mu Keli. That night, however, she still didn’t sleep well. She woke up before dawn, took a bottle cap’s worth of melted snow water, mixed it with the mouthwash she had found, and carefully swished it in her mouth for a long time before spitting it out.

The cool minty taste lingered, making her feel a little more refreshed.

Out of habit, she walked to the window to check on the growth of the plants outside. But the moment she looked out, her eyes froze.

Shen Qiu rubbed her eyes and looked again. Around the height of the tenth floor… what was that?

---

Fan Qi was up early, but when she went downstairs, she found that her daughter was already awake.

Yu Xi was still in her pajamas, sitting cross-legged in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, seemingly playing with something.

Playing with what?

Fan Qi had initially planned to go straight to the kitchen, but the moment she caught something moving in the corner of her eye, she froze. A shiver ran down her spine, and she turned back.

On the clean wooden floor of the simulated apartment, a small, green sprout was twisting left and right—dancing.

Fan Qi: …!!

“Mom, this is the mutant rose seedling. It’s still young and needs to stay in the soil for a few hours each day. After breakfast, let’s plant it on the terrace,” Yu Xi said.

She let the rose seedling jump onto her palm, then walked over to Fan Qi, letting the little sprout rub against her sleeve and the back of her hand to remember her scent.

Fan Qi: …

“Oh, and besides the pot and soil, we’ll also need a bucket of water,” Yu Xi continued. “After it plants itself, it’ll need to wash the dirt off its roots. Otherwise, it’ll track mud all over the place.”

She was already planning to set up a small pet area—one place for planting, another for cleaning, and a spot with a super-absorbent towel where it could dry its roots. Though she wasn’t sure if it would remember all of that. Given how lively it was, she might have to teach it several times.

Fan Qi stared blankly for a long moment before remembering that her daughter had plant-related abilities. “Alright, I’ll go make breakfast. What do you want to eat?”

“Beef and offal vermicelli soup. We all like it. I still have some beef bone broth from before, and I’ve got pre-sliced beef and offal. I’ll cook them with vermicelli, and I’ll fry some scallion pancakes to go with it.”

Yu Xi hadn’t slept all night, but she didn’t feel tired. She placed the rose seedling back on the floor and linked arms with Fan Qi as they headed to the kitchen.

A moment later, from the living room, Yu Feng’s startled voice rang out.

“This—this sprout can move!?”

Fan Qi, sprinkling scallions into the soup pot, laughed. “Your dad still has a good sense of aesthetics. With how lively it looks, it’s not much different from a pet. Why don’t we name it? How about ‘Bean Sprout’?”

Yu Xi: …

And so, because of the unexpected arrival of “Bean Sprout,” Yu Xi’s parents didn’t immediately notice the change in the building.

It wasn’t until after breakfast, when the three of them stepped onto the terrace to set up a pet area for Bean Sprout, that Yu Feng finally noticed it.

Stretching between their high-rise and a shorter building nearby was something new—

A suspended bridge made entirely of intertwined green vines.