Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Agh—" The pain seared through him like a blade, and Qi Mo wrenched upright.

In the darkness, his hand brushed against something soft—not cold.

Thirsty.

Qi Mo felt as though he had touched his baby. Warm, smooth as jade, soothing to stroke, with a faint milky scent.

He had touched his baby—how was that possible?

He had clearly died, and so had his baby. Yet the pain still felt vivid.

Half a year into the apocalypse, they had fled to the capital. With bullets and food gone, Qi Mo’s family—his aunt, uncle, and even his ex-boyfriend—had tied him up while he was in labor and devoured his eldest child.

Not even a day later, a group of fanged savages ripped open his abdomen. Only in his dying moments did Qi Mo realize he had been carrying twins this time.

But it was too late. Those monsters wouldn’t spare his corpse, nor would they spare his unborn children.

Something flickered in front of him, and Qi Mo grabbed it.

A phone—his phone.

The date read: June 1st, 119 New Era, 1:00 AM.

His baby is still alive—plump, sweet-smelling, heart-meltingly perfect.

He could forget that bastard, but never his baby. His own damn kid.

He remembered clearly: in ten days, on June 11th, electricity would vanish. Anything that needed power would become junk.

Cars, planes, trains, cruise ships—all would break down completely.

People would be stuck with their legs, horses, ox carts, mules, and donkeys to get around.

Only bicycles and pedal-powered tricycles would still work.

Then the drought hit. Water dried up, though at first no one caught on.

But as taps ran dry and drinking became a struggle, people finally realized hell had truly begun. Crops failed, food vanished, and life got more desperate every damn day...

Society imploded overnight.

Hunger would turn people into animals.

He turned on the bedside lamp. Under the warm glow, his nine-month-old baby slept beside him—creamy-skinned, chubby, sweet-smelling.

A fat little hand tucked into its mouth, making tiny suckling noises now and then. The corners of its lips curled—baby was smiling. Off in baby dreamland!

His Yan Yan was still alive.

No sunken cheeks yet, no cracked lips.

His baby was still a chubby, adorable one.

The night pressed down, thick and suffocating. Qi Mo closed his eyes—what the hell was he supposed to do?

How could he keep his little one alive in such a nightmare? And then, Qi Mo touched his belly. There, two little beans already grew. In seven months, they’d come screaming into this mess.

But in his past life, he had been vivisected by those monsters who tore open his belly and took his twin children.

He died shortly after, and those people would never spare the twins.

Hiding the hatred in his gaze, now he had to plan—he needed plenty of water, food, and supplies to raise his child.

Where to go? Huo Family Village.

The village was close-knit, and he was the Huo family’s daughter-in-law. His child was listed in the Huo clan genealogy. He had visited during Qingming Festival—the elders recognized him, as did the neighbors.

Huo Liangzhou, that cold, detached man who married him because of an accidental pregnancy, was unlikely to visit Huo Family Village soon after the apocalypse.

After all, it was just a small mountain village with nothing worth looting.

He needed to stockpile water, food, formula, and diapers there.

If only he could bring his space with him. A week before his death, he had awakened a space—huge and barren—but by then, there were no supplies left to store.

At the thought of the space, Qi Mo’s face shifted. In his mind, the space from his past life was still there.

Qi Mo looked surprised. *Did I not just reincarnate but also bring back my space?*

“Store.” As Qi Mo spoke, the phone in his hand vanished, materializing inside the space larger than a football field.

*This is my space. I didn’t just get reborn—I brought my space back too.*

*Perfect. Now I wouldn’t have to worry about where to store supplies. I can carry them with me.*

The feeling of having no food or water was terrifying.

It was enough to drive you insane.

Qi Mo grabbed a milk carton from the snack shelf and drank it. He wanted to eat.

When had the world started changing? Nineteen years ago.

That year, according to his mother, a giant’s corpse fell from the sky into the sea, its body shimmering with multicolored light.

His mother had been on a distant ship with him at the time.

Countless nations tried to salvage the corpse, but it melted and vanished after sinking into the ocean.

In the following years, oddities began appearing—some men became "Chosen Ones," capable of giving birth.

And Qi Mo was one of those who could give birth.

From then on, a new gender emerged—people who could marry women or men and give birth with either.

Thinking back to 18 months ago, Qi Mo frowned deeply. He had liked Chen Feng from the Chen family—they had grown up together.

But then, at a Huo family banquet, Huo Liangzhou had been drugged. Qi Mo entered the wrong room, got pregnant, and was pushed into marriage for the sake of the child.

He had originally wanted to abort the baby—after all, he didn’t love Huo Liangzhou.

But his grandfather pressured him into it. The Qi family company was teetering on financial ruin after his parents died in a car accident two years earlier.

To save his parents’ company, Qi Mo ultimately married.

Afterward, Huo Liangzhou barely paid him any attention, always busy, only good at throwing cash his way.

This guy even flirts with his cousin Qi Huai, always hanging out together like a pair—so annoying.

To survive this time, Qi Mo is ready to cut all ties.

Wait, no—what ties do I have with that jerk Huo? No feelings, no strings. Just an annoying guy.

Big deal if he’s rich? Thinks he can buy me off with money? No way.

The little one’s so cute, gotta give him a kiss.

*Mwah*—so soft and sweet, *smoooch*…

Now Qi Mo doesn’t regret having the baby at all. With both parents gone, this baby’s his angel.

The chubby little munchkin is sleeping soundly when his daddy interrupts. The tiny one protests by stretching out his plump, lotus-root-like arm and pats his annoying dad right on the face.

Qi Mo grabs the baby’s hand and gives him a kiss on the soft, pudgy fingers.

So yummy—can’t help it, takes a little nibble.

So soft and perfect!

He grabs a pen and paper, biting the cap.

First, hoard water—lots and lots of water.

At least a thousand cases of bottled water, plus water tanks. Two hundred 10-ton tanks—fill them all up.

Seven months into the apocalypse, according to rumors, the rainy season is coming. So two hundred 10-ton tanks—plenty of water to last him and the baby for ages.

Next, medicine—adult antibiotics, cold meds, fever reducers, diarrhea pills, amino acids, calcium tablets, vitamins, and more.

And baby meds—gotta get it all.

Then adult supplies—must stock up. The first kid was a surprise, the second too—why do I keep having surprises? Qi Mo wants to yell at the sky—is this the only life you’re picking on?

Sky, I’m not taking the blame.

It’s clearly that damn Huo Liangzhou who’s been after you—what does it have to do with me?

Food next—rice, flour, veggies, fruit, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, formula, diapers.

Clothes, daily stuff…

Right, most importantly—meat! Gotta have meat—mouth’s watering.

He rushes to the snack shelf, grabs some beef jerky, eyes it hungrily. Then sees the baby and remembers the two little beans in his belly. No, can’t eat this now.

Have to wait until the little beans are born.

Qi Mo, control yourself.

Throws on his slippers, walks out of the room, and heads straight to the kitchen.

Auntie Zhang’s asleep—guess I’ll cook.

Opens the double-door fridge, eyes the milk, eggs, and sirloin steak inside—drooling again.

Takes out the steak to thaw.

Get the eggs and broccoli ready.

Cut up some broccoli, wash it, and throw it in the pot to cook.

Grab the frying pan and throw the thawed steak on to fry.

Before the apocalypse he’d never cooked, but after it, you couldn’t be fussy. If Huo Liangzhou left him behind, he had no choice but to fend for himself.

Still, compared to the Qi family and Chen Feng, Huo Liangzhou wasn’t so bad.

At least he left him some food rather than making a meal out of him.

He didn’t know why Huo Liangzhou had vanished, leaving him and the baby behind—had something happened, or was he dead?

Qi Mo didn’t know.

But he did know that if Huo Liangzhou were here, he would never harm the baby.

Maybe Huo didn’t like him much, but he knew how much Huo loved the little one.

After all, Qi Huai wasn’t one of the Chosen with a Twinned Body—he couldn’t get pregnant or give birth, so the Huo family would never take Qi Dong into their home.

Once the steak and eggs were done, along with a few boiled broccoli florets, the aroma was incredible. Qi Mo took a deep breath—so good.

Bringing the plate back to the bedroom, Qi Mo checked on the baby first, making sure the child was still fast asleep, then sat at the tea table to eat.

The first bite of steak made him nearly cry from how good it tasted.

Pulling up his phone, Qi Mo started searching for water tanks.

Nothing from other provinces—too far away.

Jiangcheng, suburban.

This could work.

Quickly, he commented on the factory’s listing.

He needed two hundred ten-ton water tanks.

Contact at nine tomorrow.

For filling them up, Qi Mo thought about going to the waterfall at Longpan Mountain—it was spring water there, and it gushed nonstop. He’d go at night.

Then he looked up the farm market wholesalers.

Not too far—just fifty kilometers away at the Delta Trade Hub in Liang Province.

Tomorrow he’d rent a warehouse and buy grains, vegetables, fruits, meat—that's the plan.

Thinking about going out tomorrow, Qi Mo got a little antsy.

The agricultural wholesale market would probably be swarming with people.

The thought alone was terrifying.

But, to put food on the table for the baby, Qi Mo was ready to face it.

Good sleep tonight, recharge, gear up for tomorrow. He only had nine days left—every minute mattered.