Chapter 115: Failed Trap
"Little boy, little boy, where’d you go? Don’t leave, I have yummy food over here!" Lily Hart shouted.
She wished she could pull out a megaphone, but she was afraid of attracting wave after wave of zombies.
An idea flashed in her mind. She remembered the little boy snatching someone else’s cake that morning.
She immediately stopped shouting and walking, simply finding a clean spot to sit.
She took out a juicy apple, then a steaming hot container of pickled vegetable and beef noodles.
And dug in!
The aroma wafted for what seemed like miles.
Lily Hart deliberately made exaggerated noises. "Mmm, delicious! So yummy! Smells so good!"
Anyone in this apocalyptic world would find the sight unbearable.
From behind a wall not far away, the little boy peeked through a small hole, his mouth watering uncontrollably.
His eyes were filled with desperate hunger. When his stomach rumbled traitorously, he quickly clutched it, willing it to be quiet.
The little boy sighed. He wanted to turn and leave, but his legs felt like they’d been filled with cement, rooted to the spot.
He was young but precocious, and he kept telling himself to hold back. ’I have to resist. Don’t go snatch it. Gotta be careful, or that lady who looks so nice but is actually super fierce might beat me to death.’
He’d seen her from the shadows, seen the vicious way she handled zombies...
Lily Hart finished the entire container of noodles and ate the whole apple. She looked around, but there was still no movement.
’That’s weird,’ she thought. ’Do kids have this much self-control these days?’
’If I hadn’t had a full meal in what felt like forever and suddenly smelled noodles this amazing, I’d definitely charge right over.’
’Maybe the little boy isn’t here?’ Lily Hart decided that must be it.
So she moved to a different spot and started on some fragrant oden. She had killed wave after wave of zombies earlier and was starving anyway.
"Mmm~ This daikon radish absorbed all the flavor! It’s so tender! This is sooo delicious~"
"Wow, what’s this? A lucky pouch! It’s even got fish roe inside! It’s as pretty as it is tasty!~"
"Whoa, and a sausage! What’s this one? A seaweed knot! This is just too good to be true!"
Lily Hart’s expressions and words were as over-the-top as a 21st-century mukbanger.
She could barely watch her own performance. But to the little boy, it was a different story. ’What is that? Can it really be that good? I can’t... I can’t hold back anymore...’
With that thought, the little boy shot out, appearing before Lily Hart in a flash.
Their eyes met. Lily’s were full of delighted surprise. ’I knew this would work! Who could possibly refuse oden this good!’
The boy’s eyes, on the other hand, were filled with ravenous hunger.
Just as Lily Hart was about to speak, the little boy snatched the entire disposable paper bowl from her hands.
Her guard wasn’t up, and she was holding the bowl loosely. With a leap and a stretch of his arm...
...it was snatched away just like that. By the time Lily Hart reacted, she only saw the boy’s back as he disappeared around a wall.
She scrambled to her feet and gave chase, shouting, "Frost Shaw, over here!"
Frost Shaw had never been far, mostly because he was worried and wanted to be there to rescue her immediately if she ran into danger.
Hearing her urgent cry, his heart leaped into his throat. He pushed off the balls of his feet and shot forward at incredible speed.
"Heh heh, nowhere to run now!" Lily Hart and Frost Shaw had him cornered, blocking his path from the front and back.
The boy looked at the person in front of him, then the one behind him, and finally down at the oden in his hands, much of its broth now spilled.
A decision already made, he plunged his hands directly into the bowl, grabbing the daikon radish, the seaweed knot, the lucky pouch—everything—and stuffing it all into his mouth.
His cheeks bulged as he chewed and swallowed frantically, all while continuing to stuff more food in.
Lily Hart said anxiously, "Slow down, don’t rush! It was all for you anyway."
Seeing the way he was eating, Lily Hart was genuinely afraid he would choke to death. She took a step forward to stop him.
The boy immediately took a step back, his eyes wary as he watched them. His back was already pressed against a wall, with nowhere left to run.
Despair flickered in his eyes. He didn’t know what these two adults wanted, only that he had to survive.
’And to survive, I have to eat my fill! I refuse to die on an empty stomach!’
With that thought, the boy’s hands and mouth didn’t stop, continuously cramming oden into his mouth, his eyes never leaving them.
Lily Hart stopped and gestured for Frost Shaw to do the same. She then crouched down to speak to the boy, who was about five meters away.
"Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you..."
When the boy saw they weren’t advancing, he shoved the remaining oden into his mouth with even more fervor. Broth dribbled down, staining his clothes, but he paid it no mind.
Hearing her words, the boy glared at Lily Hart, tossed the empty paper bowl aside, and spat a loud "Ptooey!" in her direction.
Then he ducked low, squeezed through a hole at the very bottom of the wall, and vanished.
Lily Hart’s eyes flew open. She tried to lunge after him, but she stood up too fast. Her vision went black, and she staggered, plopping right back down. Frost Shaw rushed to her side and crouched down next to her.
"Are you okay?"
Lily Hart hugged her knees, her fists resting on them. She shook her head slightly. "Let’s go back. We’re not going to catch that kid today."
"Okay." Frost Shaw always deferred to her. Hearing her, he helped her to her feet. "Legs fall asleep?" he asked. ’She was only crouching for a moment,’ he thought. ’Is Boss Hart really this delicate?’
"They’re not," Lily Hart denied, her tone stubborn.
Frost Shaw stifled a laugh and supported her as she walked it off. Once she’d recovered, Lily Hart gently pushed him away, insisting stubbornly, "I’m fine now!"
"Alright, alright," Frost Shaw chuckled, his eyes as gentle as a calm lake, as if he could drown her in their warmth.
The paths were a confusing maze, and neither of them had paid attention to the route. After wandering aimlessly for a while, they stumbled their way back out. When the RV came into view, Lily Hart felt like she’d been saved.
"Finally back," Lily Hart said, collapsing onto a chair with a long sigh. "The world outside is too dangerous. I think I’ll just stay in my lottery shop until I’m old and gray."
Frost Shaw nodded in agreement. He’d had to claw his way through the apocalypse to reach his current level of power. For an ordinary person, survival would be a thousand times harder...
Their eyes met, and they both said in unison, "So how did that little boy survive?!"
Frost Shaw sat down as well, expertly pouring himself a glass of water. "He probably has a superpower."
Lily Hart nodded. "That makes sense." ’Otherwise, how could a normal kid possibly survive out here on his own...’ She sighed again.
Their little excursion had taken a while. Time flew, and the sun was slowly setting. Lily Hart sent a message to their group chat, calling everyone for dinner. The mention of food got a very enthusiastic response.
Roman Rowe asked curiously, "What were you two up to this afternoon?"
Frost Shaw glanced at him, then shot a look at Lily Hart before saying nothing and focusing on his meal.
"’Wouldn’t you like to know,’" Lily Hart replied between bites. She wasn’t actually very hungry, though; she’d been eating all afternoon. After the self-heating hot pot, she’d had instant noodles and an apple.
She was full after half a bowl, but on the principle of not letting food go to waste, she asked Diana Sharp, "Is that enough for you? You can have some of mine?"