Bai Li looked at her and noticed that Yan Cijin’s lips were also a little dry. She did not reach for the water right away. Instead, she pushed it gently back toward her, clearly meaning that she should drink first. Yan Cijin had not expected Bai Li to think of her first instead of herself. A small smile curved her lips before she picked up the bottle and took a few sips.

The cool water ran down her throat and made her feel a little better. People were under a lot of stress in a situation like this, and drinking water really did help ease the tension in the body. After taking a few sips, Yan Cijin handed the bottle back to Bai Li. Bai Li took it and drank it all in one go, not wasting a single drop. The two of them acted so naturally together that it made the atmosphere around them feel even more shut off from the rest of the room.

Yan Cijin still had five and a half bottles of water and plenty of food in her backpack. Bai Li quickly guessed that it might take some time before the zombies in the building fully dispersed. Since Yan Cijin had not completely recovered her strength yet, it would be best not to rush out recklessly. Staying here to rest first was the safest choice. She leaned back against the cabinet behind her, but the hard surface immediately made her frown a little. Her shoulder was sore from the pressure, but in this kind of place, there was nothing else to use, so she just had to bear with it.

"Let’s rest for a while. The zombies in this building won’t disperse anytime soon," Bai Li said.

"Okay," Yan Cijin nodded.

Her eyes landed on Bai Li, and when she saw how uncomfortable she looked leaning against the hard cabinet, she thought about it for a moment. Then, before Bai Li even had time to react, she reached out and grabbed her by the neck.

Bai Li was shocked at first because the movement came so suddenly. For a second her mind went blank, and she instinctively thought something had happened. But then she realized it was Yan Cijin and relaxed slightly, though she still waited curiously to see what she was going to do. She had barely had time to wonder when she suddenly felt a gentle tug. Yan Cijin pulled her a little toward her, and in that moment her body leaned exactly where she wanted it to. Before she could figure out what was happening, she found her head resting on something soft.

Very soft.

It felt like a pillow.

But how could there be a pillow in a place like this?

Bai Li looked down in confusion, and then her eyes widened instantly when she realized what she was resting on. It was Yan Cijin’s thighs.

Her ears turned red so fast it was visible to the naked eye. She had not expected this at all, and for a moment she was so flustered that she did not know whether to get up or stay where she was. Her heart was beating a little faster, and she could not even explain whether it was because of shyness or because the position really was comfortable. Just as she was about to sit up, feeling that this was a little too inappropriate, Yan Cijin held her down gently and spoke in a soft voice.

"It’s okay, lie down and rest. You have worked hard."

Her tone was light and warm, and there was no awkwardness in it at all. Bai Li felt shy, but honestly, it was much more comfortable than leaning against a hard cabinet. The softness beneath her head made her tense body relax almost immediately, and she could not help but enjoy it. Even if she tried to act normal, the comfort was too obvious to ignore.

Yan Cijin looked at her like that and felt both amused and a little embarrassed herself. This was the first time she had ever done something like this in all her lives, and it was impossible for her not to feel awkward about it. She had only wanted Bai Li to rest more comfortably, but now that she had actually done it, she realized how bold it looked. Still, seeing Bai Li lie there quietly, her heart felt a little soft. She did not say anything else, only let her stay there and rest.

On the other hand, Wang Bo felt like a piece of dirt standing beside them. He had been completely ignored from the very beginning, and now he had even seen them acting close right in front of his eyes. The feeling made his face even uglier. He cursed inwardly, then stomped away in a huff and puff, clearly unhappy that the two of them had not given him even a tiny bit of attention.

Not long after, Ren Ming, Wang Bo’s assistant, stepped forward with a look that was both careful and greedy. She seemed to have noticed Wang Bo watching Yan Cijin and Bai Li from the side, and after seeing that the two of them were drinking water while Wang Bo walked back angrily, she decided to speak up.

"Dr. Yan, if you have any bottled water, why don’t you bring it out so we can all drink together? Look, our vice president hasn’t had a sip of water all day. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

Her words were clearly meant to pressure Yan Cijin into sharing. She was not asking in a polite way. She was trying to use the vice president’s identity to force a response, as if saying the title alone should make her hand over her supplies. It was the same ugly habit as Wang Bo’s, just dressed up in a slightly softer voice.

Yan Cijin looked over coldly and spoke with obvious sarcasm. "Why, aren’t you guys a shameless bunch. This water belongs to my friend. Only she has the right to use it. Besides, there are zombies everywhere outside. It’s hard to say whether we can survive. Do you think it’s meaningful to flatter the leader now?"

Her words were sharp and direct, and there was no intention to make them feel better. She had already seen through them. These people were not asking because they were truly in need. They were asking because they wanted to take advantage of others even now. They still thought rank and authority mattered more than life and death.

Ren Ming’s face flushed with humiliation at once. She had clearly not expected Yan Cijin to reject her so bluntly in front of everyone. Anger rose in her chest, and she immediately shot back, "You, Dr. Yan, watch your words. Do you even want to stay in the hospital anymore?"

She sounded offended, but her threat only made her look more childish. Yan Cijin shook her head and spoke with a dismissive attitude, like she did not even consider her worth taking seriously.

"This hospital doesn’t belong to you so shut up."

That sentence landed hard. It was calm, but there was no softness in it. Ren Ming’s face stiffened immediately, and even Wang Bo’s expression turned even uglier. They had wanted to use the hospital, the titles, and the idea of leadership to force obedience, but Yan Cijin had crushed all of it with just a few words. In the current situation, those empty titles were nothing. Power was what mattered, and she had that while they did not. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

After saying that, Yan Cijin no longer looked at them. Her thoughts drifted away, and she began thinking about calling her mother. She wanted to reassure her that she was alright, so her mother would not keep worrying. After all, quite a lot of time had passed since she last called them. In this kind of chaotic situation, even a short phone call could make a huge difference. She knew her family would be anxious, and the longer she stayed silent, the more they would worry.

Yan Cijin looked at Ren Mingju with a calm face, but inside, she already knew very well that no kind words would work on this damned devil. People like her would not listen no matter what was said, so there was no real point in wasting any more breath on her. The whole world was already in chaos anyway. At a time like this, what use were titles, bonuses, or all that fake talk about status and reward? If she wanted to keep licking the dean’s boots and following her lead, that was her own choice, but she should not drag other people down with her. Yan Cijin said nothing else after that. She even stopped looking at her. Her expression was cold, and her silence was even colder than any insult.

"Dean Wang, look at her!" Ren Mingju was furious. Her face had gone ugly with anger, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt she had been slapped in front of everyone. Yan Cijin had not only refused her, she had completely ignored her, and that was even worse. To someone like her, being treated like air was the same as being humiliated in public. Wang Bo saw that Ren Mingju was losing control, so she put on the face of a kind and reasonable elder and raised a hand to stop her. She acted like she was trying to smooth things over, but her eyes were still sharp and calculating. "Little Ren, you’re right. That is indeed someone else’s property, and it is only right that we do not get a share. But Little Mo, what you just said was wrong. There are monsters outside right now, but our A country’s police system has not completely collapsed. This chaos is only temporary. Soon, Jinghua City will return to its original order. What? Are you not planning to work at the hospital then?"

Yan Cijin did not even bother to give her a second glance this time. She had already taken out her phone and was typing a message to her mother, telling her that she was fine. Her fingers moved quickly, and her focus was completely on the screen. She was not interested in Wang Bo’s fake concern, and she was even less interested in listening to her long speech about order, duty, and the future. She could talk all she wanted, but to her, it sounded like the whining of someone trying to protect her own gains. Since she had already seen through her, there was no need to give her any face. Wang Bo, however, took her silence the wrong way. She thought she was afraid. A faint smile returned to her face, and she went on as if she had already won.

"You young people are always so impatient," she said with a tone that sounded both patient and superior. "You never think about the consequences of your actions. What good will it do you to offend your superiors? You should understand that in times like this, cooperation matters more than stubbornness. Nobody is asking you for much. We are only trying to make sure everyone can survive. That should be the priority."

"That is right, Dr. Yan," Lin Da hurriedly joined in. She put on a flattering look and spoke with a tone that sounded respectful on the surface, but the words underneath were shameless. "You should quickly talk to your girlfriend and take the supplies out of the backpacks so everyone can share them. Our Dean Wang is such a kind person. She will definitely remember your kindness."

In truth, there were quite a few cups of water in the doctor’s office already, but Lin Da and the others did not want those. They thought the water in cups was not clean enough, and they preferred bottled mineral water instead. Even now, they were still standing there with greedy faces, pretending they had some noble reason for asking.

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To be continued,