Chapter 31: Sister, Are You Socially Anxious?

Su Miao returned to the second floor and let out a long sigh of relief. As long as she didn’t have to interact with strangers, she wouldn’t feel any pressure. When did this start? She thought it must have been when she was very young—perhaps five years old? Back then, her parents were still at home; she laughed happily like any other child and played with friends.

But one day, her parents suddenly packed their things and left. Her grandmother told her that they had gone to serve the country and wouldn’t be back for many years. Later, the friends she played with at school transferred away, leaving her alone. Her world shrank to just her grandfather and grandmother.

Over a decade passed. Her grandparents departed one after another, and her world became limited to the internet. When she was in university, a kind old professor suggested she try to change her personality and offered guidance, which helped her improve a little—at least, she no longer appeared abnormal when she went out. But soon after graduating, no one expected the apocalypse to arrive.

Under the threat of the apocalypse, Su Miao lived in constant anxiety, and her symptoms worsened without her noticing.

“Su Miao!” Xia Xiao’an’s voice called out.

“Huh? Xiao’an.” Su Miao snapped back to reality. “It’s just the security team—nothing to worry about.”

Seeing Xia Xiao’an, Su Miao felt happy. She was grateful that, on that day, she had temporarily forgotten about danger and rescued Xiao’an. Humans are social creatures, after all—even someone like her.

Every time she saw the adorable Xia Xiao’an, Su Miao felt healed. She remembered there were some dresses in the magical space that would suit Xiao’an; perhaps she could give her one. Or maybe, when they left this place, she could go to an empty mall or warehouse and get some pretty dresses for Xiao’an.

As she thought about this, Xia Xiao’an seemed to gather all her courage and asked, “Sister, can I ask you a question?”

Su Miao tilted her head. “What is it?”

Xia Xiao’an said, “Sister, are you socially anxious?”

Su Miao froze. Was it that obvious?

How should she answer?

Xia Xiao’an quickly added, “I absolutely don’t mean to dislike you! I—I—I just want to say, it’s the apocalypse now, right?”

The apocalypse? Wasn’t that a rather abrupt turn? Su Miao was puzzled. “Yes, it’s the apocalypse now.”

Xia Xiao’an’s mood suddenly shifted to something somber. “Is it really the apocalypse...?”

She remembered her mother risking everything to save her from the landslide.

Xia Xiao’an’s expression turned resolute again. “Exactly because it’s the apocalypse, being socially anxious will put you in danger, so you need to change, Sister.”

Su Miao blinked. The professor had said something similar to her before. She truly wished to meet more people, to have more friends, but when it came time to take that step, it was incredibly difficult.

And if she couldn’t fix it when the world was normal, how could she change now, when everywhere was filled with danger?

The malice radiating from others was all too obvious.

Su Miao looked at Xia Xiao’an, unsure what to say.

Xia Xiao’an said, “You don’t have to change everything. Start with the basics.”

Su Miao was confused. “The basics?”

Xia Xiao’an gestured. “Well, at least manage your expressions, stop your body from trembling. For example, imagine that all the strangers who make you uncomfortable are pumpkins.”

Su Miao was even more bewildered. “Pumpkins...?”

Xia Xiao’an grew anxious. “It’s just an example—it could be pumpkins, eggplants, apples, even moles—anything works. This way, you can control your emotions, keep fear off your face, and stop your body from shaking.”

Su Miao understood. Had Xia Xiao’an noticed the way she trembled while using the crossbow to kill?

Xia Xiao’an continued, “What I mean is, you can control your expression and pretend to be an expert—the kind that warns strangers away. That would at least make them afraid.”

“No, Sister, you really are an expert. Just show the aura of one!”

“Like Hitori Gotou, Ten Fan, or Infinite, Luo Xiaohei’s master—you know them, right?”

Xia Xiao’an hurriedly named a few characters. “Control your emotions, control your body, don’t speak, and show the aura of a master.”

Su Miao felt Xia Xiao’an’s concern for her. She understood this suggestion—it sounded good, and she could try it.

During her last few fights, she had been trembling, her hands shaking, her face fearful. In such a state, those with ill intent thought she was easy to bully. At the same time, if her crossbow missed because of her tremors, it would only put her in more danger.

She hadn’t expected Xia Xiao’an to understand so much.

“Mm, I—”

“And Sister, you can use magic, so there’s absolutely no problem!” Xia Xiao’an shouted, then immediately covered her mouth, wide-eyed and silent.

Su Miao was stunned, quietly watching Xia Xiao’an.

She soon realized that Xia Xiao’an must have seen her take things from the magical space.

If it had been anyone else, would she still be alive now?

A dangerous thought suddenly flashed through Su Miao’s mind.

Almost at the same moment, Xia Xiao’an looked frightened and quickly said, “Sister, I won’t tell anyone about your secret.”

Su Miao nodded. “Mm.”

Xia Xiao’an shouted, “Sister, that’s exactly the feeling!”

...

Inside a villa.

More than thirty people were gathered here. They were workers who had escaped from the construction site with their foreman, discovered refugees along the way, and followed them to the tourist area.

At this moment, a worker who had seen Security Captain Chang Jieming bring rice and noodles to Su Miao’s villa was reporting everything he’d witnessed.

The foreman, a bald and stout man with a hard hat, looked around at his brothers and summarized, “That’s about the situation. The resident in this villa is a young woman who moved in before the storm started.”

“The front gate has always been blocked. We’ve never seen her come out searching for food, but there’s the faint aroma of grilled fish.”

“Her status is special—even the security team tries to curry favor with her.”

“She refused the rice and noodles the security team sent, meaning she’s not lacking food. She must have plenty of supplies.”

The worker who’d been reporting confirmed this.

The foreman swept his gaze over the numb faces of his men and continued, “This morning, someone saw many corpses floating near the villa—probably people who knew there was food inside and tried to rob it.”

“The rice we brought won’t last long. We need to discuss whether we should take a chance on this.”

“I must remind everyone: if we try to rob her, some of us might end up like those people soaking in the rain.”