Yi Yi watched Jiang Wanning disappear upstairs, blinked her bright peach-blossom eyes, and decided she had been genuinely brilliant today. Not only had she declared her intention to be Wanning's girlfriend, she had also kissed her. No wonder Chen Wan was so agreeable around Jiang Yanxin — if Wanning held her and kissed her every day, Yi Yi thought she'd be very agreeable too.
She had completely forgotten that she'd once teased Chen Wan for being afraid of her wife.
Yi Yi lay down contentedly, privately concluding that the educational videos in her optical brain were an excellent resource and she should continue her studies.
Upstairs, Jiang Wanning's face was still red when she reached her sofa bed. Her heart was going at an unreasonable pace. The two kisses kept replaying in her mind. The nerve of that android — not even waiting for a yes before kissing her twice. If she ever actually agreed to be her girlfriend, what would happen then?
But Jiang Wanning's face was entirely overtaken by a smile that she buried in her blanket and refused to acknowledge. She rolled over, eyes curving with happiness she wasn't admitting to. She wasn't going to give in easily. Yi Yi could wait a little longer.
Chen Wan woke early the next morning and lay looking at Jiang Yanxin in her arms, something soft settling in her expression. Her wife had been so patient with her last night. Chen Wan pressed a quiet kiss to the corner of Jiang Yanxin's mouth, careful not to wake her, and slipped out to the living area.
Qin Ke was already up — steaming buns and brewing tea, with Yi Yi standing nearby chatting with her.
"Morning."
"Morning. A few more days of early mornings and then, once Yan Yan comes back, I might finally be able to sleep in."
The RV had started upgrading at two in the afternoon the previous day. Twenty hours from then meant completion at ten this morning — which meant they'd have the afternoon to search for the remaining materials. Every step brought Yan Yan closer. Qin Ke's mood had been lifting steadily.
Chen Wan smiled. "Speaking of which — I wonder if this upgrade adds any extra rooms. We're running out of space for everyone."
Yi Yi considered this and nodded to herself. She was also wondering when she and Wanning might get a room like Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin had.
Chen Wan and Qin Ke ate a few bites and then wandered around the RV doing a light morning workout. Chen Wan lowered the steel panels on all sides, letting warm sunlight fill the interior. Standing there with family and friends around her, she thought for a moment that this wasn't so different from life before all of it — except that it wasn't, not really. This quiet and warmth were temporary. The apocalypse had barely begun.
Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan, lighter sleepers in their age, were also up early and had already helped Yang Yang wash up and brought her downstairs. Yang Yang's eyes were still barely open. The moment Chen Wan saw her, she reached out. "Mom, let me take her for a bit."
"Here you go — she's still half asleep. A little grumpy about it too." Ye Lan handed her over with a smile.
Chen Wan looked at the small head drooping against her shoulder and laughed softly. She tapped Yang Yang's little nose. "Sweetheart — not awake yet? Do you want to sleep a bit more on Mama?"
Yang Yang didn't even open her eyes. She turned her face into Chen Wan's shoulder and went right back to sleep.
Chen Wan settled on the sofa and let Yang Yang use her as a mattress, tucking a jacket carefully around her. One arm around the baby, one hand holding a book, she read quietly.
Ye Lan watched and felt that warm, settled certainty again. This was Chen Wan's RV. The supplies were Chen Wan's. The two capable friends beside her were Chen Wan's. Her temper was even, her patience genuine — nothing like the alphas at the base who accumulated omegas the moment they earned any standing. She was good to Jiang Yanxin. She was good to Yang Yang, indulgent to an almost ridiculous degree, always wanting to give her the best of everything.
Ye Lan thought: if only Wanning could find someone like this.
She glanced over — and saw Jiang Wanning pointedly not looking at Yi Yi, while Yi Yi trailed behind her saying something, clearly trying to get her attention.
Ye Lan made a mental note to have a word with her younger daughter at some point. Being a little warmer to Yi Yi couldn't hurt. These things had a way of becoming something, if you let them.
What Ye Lan did not know was that her younger daughter had been kissed twice the previous evening and was currently fighting a losing battle against her own smile.
Yi Yi had caught up to Jiang Wanning and, while no one was watching, tugged lightly at her wrist. "Why are you ignoring me?"
Jiang Wanning glanced at her and said quietly: "You know why. Think about what you did wrong. When you figure it out, I'll talk to you."
"Don't do this, Wanning — tell me. Human expressions are incredibly hard to read. My optical brain can find eight hundred interpretations in a single micro-expression. I genuinely can't work it out." Yi Yi followed her with a genuinely distressed look.
"Then think harder. And stop following me so closely — my parents are right there." Jiang Wanning said this while privately feeling entirely too pleased with how earnest Yi Yi was being. She did want to reach out and ruffle her hair. She didn't, because there were too many people around. Instead she took a steamed bun from the pot and sat down beside Chen Wan to watch Yang Yang sleep.
Yang Yang had apparently decided Chen Wan was her personal bed and had committed to this fully — deeply, happily asleep against her, small arms and legs occasionally twitching in a way that invited touching.
After another hour in Chen Wan's arms, Yang Yang finally stirred, rubbing her face against Chen Wan's front.
Chen Wan squeezed the small chubby arm gently. "Awake? What does Yang Yang want for breakfast — little dumplings or steamed buns?"
"Dumplings. Beef ones." Yang Yang's mouth was operating at full capacity before her eyes had even opened.
"Little Auntie will cook them. You play with Mama for a bit." Jiang Wanning got up and went to make Yang Yang's dumplings, while Yang Yang and Chen Wan played.
By the time Yang Yang was eating, Jiang Yanxin had appeared from the bedroom — she and Chen Wan had kept each other up rather late the previous night, and now she had come in search of food. She boiled herself a bowl of dumplings from the generous supply remaining in the refrigerator and ate while Chen Wan discussed plans with the group.
Chen Wan suggested that once the RV finished its upgrade, they should look around for a scrapyard or recycling facility — those were typically the most reliable sources of bulk steel and metal alloys.
Jiang Wanning didn't know of any specific ones off the top of her head, which meant they'd need to drive around and search.