Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The couple resembled the parents in the photos exactly, yet the strangeness from years of separation made Lin An somewhat reserved; he looked at the two excited figures, clutching his clothes, his eyelashes trembling as he hesitantly said, "I am Lin An."

"It really is An'an!" The woman approached excitedly, examining him closely as she held his shoulders, "You've really grown up, I've missed you so much over these years."

That familiar face was alight with a joyful smile, yet tears glistened in her eyes.

The man beside her approached and affectionately ruffled his head, "I'm sorry for making you wait all these years."

In that moment, Lin An's trepidation and reserve evaporated.

With aggrieved eyes, he choked up at them, "Why didn't you come home? I've been waiting for so long, but you never returned."

Guilt washed over his parents' faces; his mother embraced him, apologizing incessantly, while his father explained they didn't wish to stay away but were trapped here, constantly seeking a way out, and worrying about him every day.

Lin An rubbed his eyes, struggling to hold back tears, "I guessed you must have been trapped somewhere, so I came looking for you, and finally, I've found you."

The family's reunion was tender, with the mother pulling Lin An to sit down, inquiring about his life over the years, what he did daily, if anyone bullied him, or if he had someone special.

The incessant chatter was endearing to Lin An; he gazed tenderly at his mother and at his father, who was anxiously trying to interject, a scene he had longed for, for so long.

The square cave was not large and dimly lit, yet Lin An felt an overwhelming warmth because it housed his family.

He responded to his mother's questions, omitting the sorrowful experiences, and spoke of how well he had been.

When it was time to sleep, as there was only one bed, they all slept together.

Lying in bed, Lin An turned to look at his mother on his left, then his father on his right, feeling an inner contentment and joy that seemed to overflow, the smile on his lips never fading.

It was wonderful; he had finally found his parents.

The next day, Lin An led his parents in search of an exit, retracing their steps through the green corridor, all the way to the area beneath the vertical shaft.

Now, a series of golden, spiraling staircases lay above the vertical opening, and the three of them discussed the route back as they stepped onto the staircase, ascending.

Immersed in the joy of reunion, Lin An gave no thought to how the staircase appeared, and the giant snake from outside had vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there.

After leaving the pyramid, they traversed forests and wilderness; after months of travel, they finally returned home.

Their home in the old district of the Dawn City remained unchanged, small in size but warm in its arrangement and decor.

Lin An's parents' room was just as they left it, with a large double bed and a white wardrobe, which his mother caressed nostalgically, "I remember how you loved to hide in the wardrobe as a little boy, always popping out to startle us when we came looking."

Lin An's father chuckled, "Yes, but you often fell asleep while hiding, and we'd always find you in there if you went missing."

Lin An's cheeks colored slightly; those were childish antics he would no longer indulge in.

Opposite his parents' room was Lin An's bedroom, with an invisible door on the innermost wall.

Lin An, like presenting a treasure, led his parents through the invisible door into what seemed like a mini library, filled with books of all sorts.

Both Lin An's parents were fond of reading, and the sight delighted them immensely.

The family's most common activity was sitting on the sofa, each with a book in hand; Lin An would often glance up from his reading to observe his parents.

They read intently, occasionally looking up to smile at him, this tranquil and peaceful life was what he had longed for.

It had now been realized, and he wished it could continue forever...

In the eerie green corridor, with ghostly lights on either side, Shen Xiuzhe and Lin An lay on the ground, their bodies enveloped in a faint green glow as if offered in sacrifice.

Lin An's lips curled slightly, his face relaxed with ease and joy, though the dark green light and shadows sliced his delicate features into an eerie visage.

Shen Xiuzhe lay beside Lin An, his expressionless face contrasting with Lin An's, both seemingly ensnared by the same illusion.

"Have we arrived?" Lin An sat in the boat, his red eyes curious and anxious, constantly scanning the horizon.

"Almost, you'll see it soon," Shen Xiuzhe reassured him while rowing the boat.

The city of Baize lay on an islet not far from the mainland, and after countless hardships, they were finally returning home.

"I see it, there!" Lin An stood, pointing excitedly at the islet shrouded in mist, ethereal and just visible as if it were a land of fantasy.

They passed through the mist and landed on the isle, which was cloaked in a verdant cover, rich with vegetation and many medicinal herbs that could heal and cure.

Shen Xiuzhe secured the boat and surveyed the quiet isle with a furrowed brow.

Although he never mentioned it to anyone, ever since the apocalypse began, he had been constantly worried about his parents. Initially, he thought that only Xuchi City had undergone a transformation, but later clues indicated a global crisis, with Bai Ze City undoubtedly overrun by zombies.

Despite his urgency to return, it wasn't the right time to travel. The wilderness was subject to erratic weather changes, and he would have encountered extreme cold if he had set out then, so he continued to prepare, waiting until the following spring to leave Xuchi City.

Now, finally back, he had no idea what the situation in Bai Ze City was like.

Lin An next to him seemed to sense Shen Xiuzhe's anxiety and worriedly took his hand.

Shen Xiuzhe looked at Lin An: "Don't worry, I'm fine."

The two walked on from the small island, encountering a few zombies along the way, until they reached the city gates, which resembled the color of seashells, tightly closed. Shen Xiuzhe, holding Lin An's hand, pushed the gates open.

Upon opening the gates, they were greeted by several familiar faces, all adventurers Shen Xiuzhe had known before.

Seeing Shen Xiuzhe's return, expressions of surprise and disbelief appeared on their faces; who would have thought that Shen Xiuzhe, who had left, would return? After the apocalypse, with the wilderness fraught with dangers, they even thought he might have died.

"You're finally back; I guessed you wouldn't die so easily."

"Haha, just a few days ago, you wondered if he had turned into a zombie."

"How could our Shen lao da possibly turn into a zombie?"

As a fellow adventurer, Shen Xiuzhe had a decent relationship with these people. After all, adventurers respected strength, and the powerful were honored, even if he always wore a cold expression.

They noticed Lin An, whose fingers were interlocked with Shen Xiuzhe's, an image of intimacy, and they all widened their eyes in surprise.

"Who is this?"

With a slight blush, Lin An said: "Hello everyone, I'm Lin An, Shen Xiuzhe's... boyfriend."

The others began to tease, who could have imagined the fierce-looking Shen Xiuzhe finding a partner? It was nothing short of a miracle.

Shen Xiuzhe, with his arm around Lin An's shoulder, said: "Stop teasing, he's shy. What's happened in Bai Ze City while I was away?"

The adventurers immediately began to recount the events in Bai Ze City after the apocalypse.

Bai Ze City had not fallen; most of the people inside had survived. After many turned into zombies, the city's inhabitants developed a special gas that lured all the zombies outside, so the city was now safe.

Moreover, Shen Xiuzhe's parents were safe.

His father was also an adventurer, currently clearing zombies on the other side of the island and collecting mature medicinal herbs.

His mother, a Doctor of Medicine, had been collaborating with a group of experts within the city since the apocalypse began, working to research zombies in hopes of developing a vaccine soon.

Significant progress had already been made, still in the experimental phase, but if successful, it would mean no one would have to become a zombie ever again.

Shen Xiuzhe handed over the red meteorites he found during his travels to the researchers, and these meteorites proved to be key in their research, swiftly leading to the development of a zombie vaccine in Bai Ze City.

Lin An became a beneficiary of this technology, successfully reverting from a zombie back to human.

They stayed in Bai Ze City for a lengthy period, working together to eradicate all the zombies on the island, restoring the pre-apocalypse peace and tranquility.

Shen Xiuzhe and Lin An's relationship continued to flourish, eventually culminating in marriage.

Dressed in a sleek black suit, Shen Xiuzhe looked exceptionally handsome, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly curved, exuding warmth and passion instead of his usual fierceness, his smiling face even more striking.

Looking down at his friends and family, laughter filled the air as their faces beamed with blessings for the couple.

Lin An, next to him in a white suit, had a smile on his lips, his clear, contrasting eyes reflecting Shen Xiuzhe’s image. The white suit complemented his fair skin, casting an ethereal beauty under the hall's sunlight.

Perhaps due to the sheer beauty of the moment, Shen Xiuzhe couldn’t help but feel it all seemed surreal.

Holding the microphone passed from friends and family, Shen Xiuzhe looked around; the familiar setting and loved ones grounded him back to reality—it wasn't a dream; he was truly getting married.

"It feels a bit like a dream," he said into the microphone, eliciting hearty laughter and playful teasing from the crowd below.

With intertwined fingers holding Lin An's hand, the affection and tenderness in Shen Xiuzhe's eyes seemed to overflow, prompting yet another round of good-natured ribbing from everyone who had never seen this side of him.

"I am grateful to have become an adventurer; otherwise, I wouldn't have met the person I want to spend my life with. From Xuchi City to Bai Ze City, nearly half a planet's distance, we encountered many dangers and met many people…" Shen Xiuzhe paused, fleeting shadows of memory crossing his mind, familiar yet elusive, but this was not the time to wander in thought. He continued with heartfelt sincerity until he was done and then passed the microphone to Lin An.

Casually stroking his hair, Shen Xiuzhe whispered, "Don't be afraid, just say a few words."

The attendees were all their close friends and family. Although not many, these folks loved to cause a stir, shamelessly so. Lin An, after all, had social anxiety. Just maintaining composure in such an environment was commendable. Social anxiety requires gradual adjustment and change; it can't be overcome instantly.

Although he hoped Lin An would no longer be troubled by social anxiety and germophobia, those were things for the future, and he would be there to help Lin An change.

Shen Xiuzhe watched Lin An, ready to take control if he encountered any issues or became too nervous to speak. While no one would mind, he knew Lin An would feel terrible.

Lin An took the microphone in his left hand, his eyes sparkling, a faint blush still on his face: "Thank you all for attending mine and Shen Xiuzhe's wedding. Although I've been through some tough times, with Shen Xiuzhe's help, I was able to gradually overcome them..."

The smile on Shen Xiuzhe's lips gradually softened, and the excitement from the wedding began to settle into a serene calm.

Lin An, speaking eloquently, seemed to radiate light, his demeanor confident and gracious, his speech smooth, prompting smiles from everyone present.

Lin An, why don't you seem to have social anxiety at all?

When did he overcome his social anxiety? Shen Xiuzhe pondered, recalling the numerous encounters along the way, combined with his guidance and Lin An's own efforts, which gradually led to his improvement.

Has his germophobia improved as well?

Why can't he clearly remember many of the events that happened along the way?

They left Xuchi City, passed through Mechanical City and Wood Spirit City, encountered the Zombie Tree, and accompanied Lin An to Mou City to find his parents, and then...

What happened after that?

Shen Xiuzhe kept trying to recall, but no matter how hard he tried, those memories seemed to be veiled, indistinct and elusive.

After Lin An finished speaking, friends and relatives below stood up and applauded.

"What's wrong?" Lin An asked, turning to look at Shen Xiuzhe, who seemed lost in thought.

Realizing that his memory was failing him, Shen Xiuzhe did not tell Lin An but instead praised him warmly: "Nothing, you were great today, completely unfazed by the crowd."

Lin An bashfully lowered his head: "It's mainly because everyone is so nice, and I know them all. I would definitely still be nervous around strangers."

Is that so?

Shen Xiuzhe watched Lin An, who was shyly looking away, and it dawned on him that since arriving on the island, Lin An's germophobia and social anxiety had not manifested.

After the wedding, Shen Xiuzhe and Lin An went to their new house, and their parents and friends had all gone back.

This house was purchased by Shen Xiuzhe before the apocalypse when he was an adventurer, now serving as their marital home, decorated with various wedding paraphernalia and streamers they had arranged themselves a few days prior.

Lin An went straight to the bathroom upon returning to the bedroom: "I've held out all day, and now it's over. I still have to clean the house later; so many people came, the floor needs to be mopped again."

Muttering about what to wash and where to wipe, Lin An headed towards the bathroom.

Shen Xiuzhe sat on the sofa, fingers tapping the armrest, his previously unexpressed germophobia emerging only today, or rather, it was only now that Lin An remembered he had it.

When they were decorating the house together the other day, Lin An had not mentioned it at all.

When Lin An emerged from the bathroom, his hair was still dripping wet, dressed in a red pajama set that accentuated his fair skin against the dark hair, with strands sticking to his cheeks and droplets falling onto his slender shoulders, dampening the silk pajamas.

Shen Xiuzhe's gaze darkened slightly, forced to admit that Lin An, radiant before him, was exceptionally alluring. Despite the many questions in his heart, the sight stirred his emotions profoundly.

Lin An approached in slippers, his lips a delicate pink that deepened to rose from the steam of the bathroom.

Sitting beside Shen Xiuzhe, their arms touching tightly, he asked, "We're finally married, aren't you happy?"

Noting Shen Xiuzhe's uncharacteristically cold demeanor since the wedding's end, Lin An inquired with concern.

"No, I am happy, but..." Shen Xiuzhe turned, his daytime tenderness replaced by a scrutinizing chill, "Who are you, really?"

Lin An paused, then smiled again: "I am Lin An, who else could I be?"

He seemed to find Shen Xiuzhe's question amusing, leaning affectionately on his shoulder, arms encircling his: "We've just married today; surely you aren't having second thoughts?"

Lin An's cozy nuzzling, his attachment and fondness apparent, left small, inconspicuous water stains on the black suit from the droplets falling from his hair.

Shen Xiuzhe flipped the person beside him, pinning one hand down, and said with authority, "You are not Lin An."

The recent actions had confirmed his suspicion that this person was not Lin An.

Lin An had severe germophobia, not just towards himself but also careful not to mess up or soil others' belongings, let alone emerge dripping from the bathroom and wetting their clothes as now.

Moreover, Lin An would typically use his ability to dry himself off after a shower.

Staring at the man identical to Lin An, his eyes, softened by marriage, regained a frosty edge: "Why didn't you use your power to dry your hair, hmm? Because I didn't remember it?"

The fact that he hadn't remembered Lin An's germophobia and social anxiety meant that this Lin An hadn't exhibited them either, until he recalled it, and then the other seemed to sense his thoughts, mentioning cleaning for the first time.

No wonder everything seemed too smooth: the peaceful return to Bai Ze City, the successful eradication of zombies, the discovery of the zombie virus, Lin An's return to humanity, and their impending marriage.

Every step seemed to manifest his innermost desires into reality.

He wished for Lin An to be free from social anxiety and germophobia, to socialize and travel normally, to be confident in any setting, so this Lin An showed the most perfect side.

But it was the perfection that rendered it unreal.

Whether Lin An was socially anxious or germophobic didn't matter to him; he cherished the person, and if Lin An sought change, he would support him in becoming better; if not, he would find the best way for them to be together.

If it wasn't truly him, no matter how perfect, it was meaningless.

Lin An lay beneath him, gazing up silently, his tousled black hair spread on the ivory sofa, eyes as clear and pure as his own, yet his rose-colored lips were enticingly beguiling.

Due to Shen Xiuzhe's recent actions, the collar of the red pajamas lay wide open, the stark contrast between white and red heightening the allure.

He reached out with his free hand, caressing Shen Xiuzhe's chest, whispering, "Wouldn't it be nice to stay here? Here, you can have anything you want, do anything you like—no zombies, no death, parents safe, and I'll always be by your side."

Shen Xiuzhe looked at him coldly; he finally remembered.

They were in the deepest pyramid of the Mous underground city, where everything was an illusion, all conjured by his imagination.

Fingers trailed from his chest to Shen Xiuzhe's icy cheek, tempting him, "We're married today, don't you want to continue what comes next? Everything you desire can come true here, if you're willing, this can be the real world."

Shen Xiuzhe leaned back to avoid the other's wandering hand, then stood up, knowing this was an illusion, he had to find a way out.

Only then did he notice that everything in the room was a replica from his memory, while the view outside the window was a blur. It was all so obviously wrong, why hadn't he seen it before?

"Because you also wish this was reality. The real Lin An outside is slow and troublesome, he never understands what you're thinking. I am the true Lin An in your heart," the man on the sofa stood, pleading, "Stay, stay here with me, don't abandon me."

The pitiful look was hard for anyone to resist, but once Shen Xiuzhe knew this was an illusion, he didn't glance at him again.

"You are not Lin An, so whatever you do is meaningless," Shen Xiuzhe walked out of the bridal room, he had to find the real Lin An, not knowing what had happened outside since falling into the illusion.

"Don't go! Don't leave me alone here," Lin An cried, rushing towards Shen Xiuzhe, trying to embrace him from behind, to make him stay.

He looked exactly like Lin An, but ever since he knew it was all an illusion, Shen Xiuzhe's heart remained unstirred, even dodging when the other lunged at him.

But Lin An was persistent, attempting to rush into his arms again, only to be restrained by Shen Xiuzhe.

"It seems the illusion isn't entirely under my control, even the Lin An of my imagination would never do these things," Shen Xiuzhe sneered, these actions clearly meant to keep him trapped in the illusion.

He pushed the hands away and stood up, retreating backward: "If you dare come at me again, I'll break your hands, and since it's an illusion, it probably won't hurt."

Whether it was the threat that worked, or that he had fully seen through the illusion and no longer believed it, Lin An sat on the ground in disarray, not coming at him again, only crying out in a tearful voice, begging him not to leave.

He opened the door adorned with the character for 'happiness' and walked out without hesitation.

In the dark corridor, Shen Xiuzhe's eyes snapped open.