Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Chapter 98

She paused before continuing. "But there’s a difference between being careful and deciding that you’re incapable of doing anything. You keep telling yourself that you’re a burden, that nobody will want you, and that you have nothing to offer. If you continue thinking that way, you’ll never give yourself the chance to find out whether any of it is true."

Maya looked away, but Ingrid wasn’t finished. "I won’t force you to leave by making you feel guilty. I’m not going to tell you that you owe us anything, or that you have to be brave just because someone else needs your help. But I think you should at least consider the possibility that your life could be better somewhere else."

Ingrid’s expression softened slightly. "In a way, we’re not very different. I used to be obese, and a lot of people considered me useless. There were people who hated looking at me, people who insulted me, and people who treated me like I wasn’t worth anything. I spent a long time hiding away from everyone. I allowed the way they treated me to decide what I thought of myself."

She gave a small shrug. "I can’t say I suddenly became confident overnight. But look at me now. I’m no longer the person who spends all her time hiding from the world. If I hadn’t been pushed out of that place, I might still be sitting somewhere, convincing myself that I couldn’t do anything."

Maya studied her face. "Are you saying I should be grateful for the way they treated me?"

"No. I’m saying you shouldn’t let them decide what happens to the rest of your life."

Ingrid’s voice remained calm, but there was a firmness in it. "Nobody is truly useless. Sometimes, you’re simply in a place that doesn’t need you, or a place that has no intention of appreciating what you can do. If that’s the case, then leave and find somewhere else. Go where people need you. Go where your skills can make a difference. You might discover that you’re far more useful than you ever imagined."

She glanced briefly towards Lanxiang. "And don’t assume that you have to be the strongest person in a group to be valuable. Everyone has something they can contribute. Maybe you can’t fight zombies right now, but you understand medicine. You know how to treat injuries, you understand the human body, and you have experience that most people don’t. Those kind of things matter too. Also, who knows... If you leave, you might just get more stronger, it’s not impossible."

Maya didn’t respond. For a while, she looked at Ingrid, and the troubled expression on her face slowly shifted. Ingrid couldn’t tell whether her words had changed anything, but she could see that Maya was thinking about them.

That was enough for now. Being too forceful won’t change anything, it would only cause Maya to shift back further.

Ingrid turned towards Lanxiang. "Do you still want to leave with us?"

Lanxiang nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I do."

"Alright. Then within three days, we’ll leave together. I want to get out of here as soon as possible, so don’t waste time preparing things you don’t need. Only bring what you can carry."

Lanxiang’s face brightened. The tension in her shoulders eased, and she let out a breath she seemed to have been holding for a very long time.

"Thank you, Ingrid. I don’t know how to repay you."

"You can think about that after we get out."

Lanxiang nodded quickly. Ingrid then glanced at the clothes she and Lysander were wearing. More importantly, she couldn’t keep using the items in her spatial storage whenever she needed something. If the people in the Guild were already suspicious of her, producing clean clothes and other supplies from nowhere would only give them another reason to investigate her.

She looked at Lanxiang. "Do you have any clothes that Lysander and I can wear? Maya said you have clothes here."

Lanxiang blinked before looking between them. "Clothes? Oh! Of course. I have some." Lanxiang hurried to her feet. "Wait here. I’ll find them."

She disappeared behind a curtain at the back of the store, leaving Ingrid with Maya and the others.

Freya leaned against a shelf and watched Ingrid with an amused expression. "You’re making friends quite quickly."

Ingrid glanced at her. "Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. I’m just impressed. You came here asking for a tour, and now you’ve managed to convince the owner to leave the Guild with us."

"Well, I haven’t convinced Maya yet."

Freya’s grin widened. "Give her time."

Maya rolled her eyes. "You two shouldn’t talk about me as if I’m not standing here."

"Then make a decision," Freya replied playfully. "It’ll save her the trouble of talking about you."

"Freya!" Freya laughed, and even Maya’s expression softened slightly.

A few moments later, Lanxiang returned with two sets of clothes. They were traditional Chinese-style outfits, with loose-fitting tops and matching trousers, made from dark fabric with subtle patterns along the edges. One set was slightly larger than the other, and both appeared to have been kept carefully folded.

"These are the only ones I have left," Lanxiang explained. "I’m sorry if they’re not what you wanted. I used to have more, but most of them were damaged when the store was being searched."

Ingrid took the clothes and examined them. "They’re fine. Thank you."

Lanxiang then looked at her hair. "Would you like me to help you with that too? Your hair is a little messy. I can fix it while you change."

Ingrid glanced at her reflection in a small mirror hanging behind the counter. Her hair had become untidy during the events of the past few days, and she hadn’t really paid attention to it.

"Sure."

Lanxiang smiled and led her towards the small space behind the curtain. She helped Ingrid change into the outfit before gathering her hair and arranging it neatly. The style was simple but suited the clothing, and Lanxiang secured it carefully so it wouldn’t fall apart when Ingrid moved around.

When Ingrid stepped out again, Lysander was already dressed. She looked at him, then down at herself. They were wearing slightly matching outfits.

Lanxiang noticed their expressions and quickly apologised. "I’m sorry. Those are the only clothes I have left."

Freya immediately grinned. "What a coincidence! Lanxiang just happened to give them matching clothes!"