Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"......"

Jiang Nian’s hand froze mid-motion as he was about to open his camera. Geez, he could practically hear the teeth-grinding behind those plain, unremarkable words.

He sent Cheng Jing a string of ellipses to show how ridiculous this was, then added:

"But I want to see you."

Cheng Jing didn’t reply again, nor did he send a photo. No matter what cheesy pickup lines Jiang Nian tried after that, the other man stayed silent—his messages vanishing without a trace.

Jiang Nian felt like he’d been transported back to the days when he was chasing Cheng Jing like a simp. In the early days, before they were close, Cheng Jing had always acted like this—cold and distant, replying with just an occasional “oh” to every ten messages Jiang Nian sent.

That infuriating tsundere act could drive anyone up the wall, yet somehow Jiang Nian had enjoyed fawning over him.

......

The next day, August 14th, at 1:30 p.m., Jiang Nian arrived at Qingyun Station.

Cheng Jing wasn’t waiting at the exit. He’d only sent a pin location for where to park.

The relentless heatwave made the air heavy with tension.

Five minutes outside and already soaked in sweat, by the time Jiang Nian dragged his suitcase to the parking spot, his head was swimming from the heatstroke.

Inside the car, Cheng Jing caught sight of the approaching figure in the rearview mirror and felt his heart do a funny little flip.

White T-shirt, casual pants, flat shoes—still that low-key, thrown-together look that somehow made his face even more endearing. No matter where or when, Cheng Jing could always pick Jiang Nian out of a crowd instantly.

Two years apart, and the ungrateful little shit hadn’t changed much—except he’d gotten even thinner. It made Cheng Jing’s fingers itch to grab him.

Still, no denying it—he was angry. But when Jiang Nian called, he'd been more thrilled than shocked.

The first time, pride made him hang up, only to regret it immediately. The next few times, he played hard to get, secretly worried Jiang Nian wouldn’t call again.

Even without the tragedy of Jiang Nian’s mother passing away—even if something about this felt off—he couldn’t say no to Jiang Nian. He could fool everyone but himself. He just couldn’t let go of this bastard!

Finally reaching a black Hummer, Jiang Nian was sweat-soaked and cranky. Staring at the glossy paint job, two clickbait headlines suddenly popped into his head:

SHOCKING! MY EX FLOURISHED AFTER DUMPING ME!

HUMBLE, DISCARDED HUSBAND GETS DUMPED, THEN RISES TO THE TOP!

"......"

Pulling himself together slightly, he wiped the sweat off, stepped forward, and knocked on the window with a smile.

After a long pause, Cheng Jing finally opened the door and got out.

A rush of cold air blasted his face, cutting through his heat haze. Putting on a brave face, he greeted:

"Brother Jing, long time no see."

"......"

Cheng Jing gave him a frosty once-over—like a metaphorical frostbite blast—before grabbing his suitcase and heading toward the trunk.

It was awkward, sure, but Jiang Nian doubled down on the shamelessness, openly drinking in the sight of the man he hadn’t seen in so long:

It was undeniable that Cheng Jing was taller and more handsome than him—otherwise, he wouldn’t have turned into such a simp back then.

His tousled hair was swept back, paired with a black shirt and matching dress pants. No tie, two buttons undone at the collar—a business-casual look. Compared to two years ago, he seemed more mature, his 190cm height and military-trained bearing giving him an air of bad-boy military aura. In a suit, he looked downright lethal!

Those legs alone were longer than his life expectancy.

And without clothes? Cheng Jing’s physique was jaw-dropping. Plainly put, he was insanely envious. Sure, he worked out too—had abs and a V-line—but a gym-built physique just couldn’t compare to Cheng Jing’s.

So to think he had it so good and still chose to break up unilaterally—what an ungrateful idiot.

Cheng Jing could feel the other’s gaze on him. From before, Jiang Nian always looked at him like this—with heart-eyes, as if he adored him to death. And yet, in the end, he was the one who dumped him!

*Bang!*

The trunk slammed shut, snapping Jiang Nian out of his daze. Clearly, his ex had done it on purpose.

Cheng Jing returned to the driver’s seat while Jiang Nian slid obediently into the passenger seat, buckling up and fanning himself with his collar.

“This hellish weather—so freaking hot!”

Cheng Jing’s expression was grim. Despite the car’s automatic climate control, he still reached over and lowered the AC temperature, his voice frosty.

“Almost two. Let’s grab lunch first. What do you want to eat?”

“Anything’s fine. Ex-Brother Jing can decide.”

Jiang Nian’s tone was cheerful, playing up his good-boy act. As long as he behaved, Cheng Jing couldn’t blow up at him—and if he didn’t, he could test his limits a little further!

Cheng Jing gave him a sidelong glance, lips pressed tight, then started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Mellow music filled the cabin, slightly easing the tension.

They both knew Qingyun City well, and when it came to food and fun, Yingbin Road was the obvious choice.

Cheng Jing smoothly drove to a boutique restaurant.

Parking, heading upstairs, ordering—Jiang Nian didn’t ask questions, Cheng Jing didn’t offer explanations. But the dishes ordered were all favorites of his. It wasn’t intentional—just his fingers moving on their own.

Jiang Nian secretly rejoiced, warmth blooming in his chest, his grin harder to fight than an AK’s kickback.

And so, the two began their first lunch together after the reunion—an encounter charged with tension.

Jiang Nian tried several times to speak, but each time he met Cheng Jing’s gaze, he swallowed his words along with his food. The mood wasn’t right, and some things just didn’t need to be said.

Cheng Jing had planned to politely ask how the food tasted, but seeing how Jiang Nian was wolfing it down, he held back. He looked starved—taste probably wasn’t the priority.

Afterward, Cheng Jing paid the bill while Jiang Nian hit the restroom before returning to the parking lot.

He’d assumed Cheng Jing would take him home. Instead, his ex drove straight to a hotel—one where a room had already been booked for him.

Once the bellboy left with his luggage, Jiang Nian’s face fell.

Staying at a hotel meant no chance to mooch off his ex. Plus, hotels were prime targets in the apocalypse.

But thinking about it, it made sense. Cheng Jing had only agreed to let him come—not to take him in. Booking a five-star hotel room for his ex was being downright charitable.

Seeing his dejected expression, Cheng Jing frowned and asked:

"What's your problem?"

Was he already getting snippy before they even cleared up the old issues?

Jiang Nian asked earnestly in return:

"Hey, Brother Jing, I don’t want to stay at a hotel. Can I stay with you instead?"

If you're gonna latch onto someone, the closer the better.

"......"

Cheng Jing fixed him with a stare, recalling why he had come looking for him in the first place. He suppressed his irritation and softened his tone:

"You came here to unwind. The environment here is great, and the hotel’s security is handled by our company—it's safe."

Jiang Nian pouted:

"Well, technically I’m here to relax, but mostly I came to see you, so I’d rather stay with you. Besides, I don’t have much money left, and since Mom passed away, I’ve been having terrible nightmares. I’m a nervous wreck—I can’t stand being alone at night..."

"......"

Cheng Jing’s chest tightened. Was he hinting at sharing a bed?

Jiang Nian caught the look in his eyes and blushed, quickly backtracking:

"No, no—I don’t mean like that. I just feel safer and less anxious when I’m near you."

Not that he wasn’t still into his ex—but he wasn’t the type to hop into bed without things being clear.

Every catastrophe gives warnings, and dreams are the most common. After the apocalypse struck in his past life, many survivors said they'd dreamed of the disaster before it happened.

He was setting this up now to justify his later explanation about stockpiling supplies. If he just came out and said the apocalypse was coming, any sane person would think he’d lost it.