Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



Wu Bai Hee quickly smoothed out her clothes before knocking on the office doors in front of her. She wished she had nicer clothes, or even any clothes that she hadn't worn every day for months. Fucking bitch burning down her home like that, destroying her wardrobe.

She could feel her face twisting into a vicious sneer just thinking about that… thing… that followed her man around like that. It was no wonder the Goddess didn't want her to live; she really didn't deserve to be polluting the same air as the rest of them.

"Come in," came a low, commanding voice on the other side of the wooden doors. Rearranging her face until her trademark innocent look reappeared, Wu Bai Hee slowly turned the handle and pushed open the heavy door.

"Hello, Sir. You called for me?" she said hesitantly as she slipped into the room, softly closing the door behind her. Taking measured steps, she looked down at the floor and folded her hands in front of her.

"Wu Bai Hee, right?" came the voice, and goosebumps rose across her hands. That voice made her want to melt into a puddle at his feet. Did he have manipulation, too? She briefly looked up and into the young man's eyes before dropping her head back down in 'fear.'

"Yes, Sir," she said, trying to hold back the smirk on her face. The man in front of her had no barriers of any kind inside his mind. Even the soldiers out front put up a better mental battle than this man would.

"Please, call me Zhao Jun Jie," smiled the man as he stood up and gestured for the timid girl to take a seat in front of him.

"Thank you, Sir," she said, and he had to suppress a shudder as her voice seemed to twirl around him before sinking into his very bones. He had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. She was also soft, kind, and oh-so feminine in all the best ways.

Stories had made it to him about her helping the normals around the city. Volunteering her hours looking after children and helping cook at some of the restaurants. She was a modern-day Saint, not breathing a word about the outside but, instead, stressing how much he did for everyone in the city.

His advisor had mentioned that getting someone like that on his side would prove to be beneficial in his future path. Initially, that idea didn't settle well with Zhao Jun Jie. After all, Wang Chao didn't need a woman beside him to amass his power, why should he?

But seeing her standing in front of him like a porcelain doll, he forgot about every reason why he hesitated before. She would be perfect. All he had to do was convince her to stay by his side.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking her in the eyes with a kind, charming smile. "But your beauty blew me away. It is the first time I have even been speechless."

Zhao Jun Jie watched a blush paint her pale skin as she briefly dropped her eyes before looking back up at him. "Thank you," she said softly. "I am so sorry about my appearance. I donated all of my clothes to those who needed them more, and before I knew it, all I had was this."

"So kind, just like an angel that descended from heaven in our hour of need," smiled Zhao Jun Jie flirtatiously.

"Hardly," she replied with yet another blush. "If anyone is our savior, it is you. I mean, look at everything you have done for the people of City A. None of this would have been possible without you. I know. I traveled all over the place before finding this sanctuary."

"We are so lucky to find you," interrupted Zhao Jun Jie, not wanting to think of what could have happened to a woman like Wu Bai Hee outside the protection of the gates. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to my place tonight for dinner. We can talk about some of the things I was hoping to get your help with and get to know you better. If it would make you feel more comfortable, you can invite your father with you."

She chuckled and dropped her eyes back down to the ground. "No, I'm afraid that you are so intimidating that Daddy wouldn't know what to do. I think it would be best if it were just the two of us… if that isn't being too presumptuous?"

"No, I think that is a perfect idea," smiled Zhao Jun Lie. "But you find me intimidating?" he pressed, pretending like he wasn't completely flattered over the idea. It was always Wang Chao who was the intimidating one in their group, and he was always overlooked in favor of the younger man.

"Who in their right mind wouldn't find you intimidating?" demanded Wu Bai Hee softly. "I mean, look at you. So tall and handsome. Not to mention you are the most powerful person in this City," she hedged, watching him puff up with every word out of her mouth.

"Well, you will never need to worry about that," he assured her, and Wu Bai Hee simply blinked at him. She weaved a little thread into his mind and wrapped it around a portion of his brain so that he would always be thinking about her.

She wanted absolute power but didn't want to deal with any of the fallout. The best way to accomplish that was to use him as a shield as she manipulated him in the background.

"Oh, I forgot to ask. Do you have a special power? I know that some of the people we let through from the outside seemed to have developed a power of some kind," asked Zhou Jun Jie as he looked across his desk at the beautiful woman.

"No," she answered with a sigh. A lone tear fell down her cheek, and she frantically tried to wipe it away. "Life would have been so much easier if I had a power, but… it was not to be. You won't think less of me, knowing that I don't have a superpower of some kind?"

"How could I possibly do something like that? In fact, it speaks to what an amazing woman you are for being able to survive all that without powers," answered Zhou Jun Jie with a shake of his head. "I will never think less of you."