Chapter 11

Chapter 11

On the evening of August 24, Cheng Jing returned to Qingyun City. By the time he finished handling some work at the company, it was almost midnight.

Jiang Nian had driven over to pick him up. Instead of going up to the office, he waited in the visitor area on the first floor, ordering late-night snacks and even inviting the building’s security guard on duty to join him for a bite.

The apocalypse was coming soon, so he wanted to make the most of eating and drinking while he still could. Pre-packaged foods like crayfish were great for occasional cravings—he bought extra to stockpile just in case.

Huang Qian, stuck working overtime, stepped out of the elevator with Cheng Jing and couldn’t help but tease:

"Your hamster’s turned the lobby into his personal snack bar. Always buying or eating—pretty impressive."

Over the past few days, she’d watched Jiang Nian stockpile supplies during the day and order takeout nonstop at night. She was convinced he was a hamster in human form.

Yet Cheng Jing indulged him completely. Not only did he not stop Jiang Nian from hoarding things, he even joined in. Ah, even the smartest men turn ridiculous when love-struck.

"A good appetite’s a blessing. Besides, he doesn’t have body image issues," Cheng Jing said with obvious fondness. He didn’t mind Jiang Nian’s hoarding or eating habits one bit.

They walked over, and after the security guard grabbed a cup of milk tea and a few skewers of barbecue, he politely excused himself.

Cheng Jing took the opportunity to introduce Jiang Nian and Huang Qian.

"Hello, Sister Qian! Here, this is for you."

Charming and polite, Jiang Nian had specially ordered a low-sugar floral tea for Huang Qian upon learning she was working late with Cheng Jing. He handed it over with a smile, and she lit up instantly.

"Thank you, that’s so thoughtful… Mm, it’s delicious."

"Brother Jing, this is yours."

After tending to her, Jiang Nian handed Cheng Jing a cup of herbal tea to cool the heat from all their hard work and checked in about how their job was going.

The polished executive sipped her tea and nibbled on barbecue, thinking that this hamster was sweet, considerate, and well-mannered—quite the charmer. No wonder the usually stoic Cheng Jing was wrapped around his finger.

The three enjoyed their late-night snacks in the building’s visitor area. When they were done, they didn’t even have to clean up—having eaten his fill, the security guard eagerly offered to handle everything so they could head straight home.

Huang Qian drove herself, so no escort was needed. Jiang Nian took Cheng Jing back to the hotel, chattering a mile a minute the whole ride.

Cheng Jing listened intently, chiming in with real interest. He especially loved the way Jiang Nian’s eyes lit up when he talked.

One of Jiang Nian’s most captivating traits was his gentle appearance paired with a bold, unrestrained personality—calm yet lively, with just a hint of rebelliousness. He could be well-behaved, but also someone who acted decisively.

Those bedroom eyes could drown a man, and Cheng Jing wasn’t coming up for air.

…

"Hey Jing, I’m coming in~"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bathroom door swung open.

Around Cheng Jing, Jiang Nian threw restraint out the window. He clung to him endlessly in the bathroom, still buzzing from their reunion after such a short separation. Formalities were long gone between them.

Cheng Jing indulged him as always, and they burned through the night before finally falling asleep.

After a week of good food and rest, Cheng Jing noticed the guy’d filled out a bit—worth every penny.

With their big project wrapped up, they were free to relax. So the next day, they slept till noon.

"Ugh, my back’s killing me... Can’t even move."

Jiang Nian held his waist as he got up to wash his face and brush his teeth.

He’d just gotten back from a trip, but still had energy to spare—he’d gone way overboard, though of course, he was happy about it.

"Ahem..."

Cheng Jing looked a little flustered. After setting out breakfast, he walked over:

"Eat breakfast first, then we’ll head to your safe house. After that, you can rest there..."

"Nope."

Jiang Nian shook his head with the toothbrush still in his mouth:

"I still have packages to pick up and shopping to do..."

Cheng Jing replied naturally:

"I’ll go buy them. You stay home and unpack the deliveries."

"Hehe! Thanks, Brother Jing~"

That sounded like a good deal. Jiang Nian happily accepted the suggestion—playing dead today sounded perfect.

He loved how Brother Jing dropped his cool-guy act and went back to being a total dad.

The longer they were together, the more he realized how great a partner like Cheng Jing really was.

On the way to the safe house, Jiang Nian kept talking about how much he’d stockpiled over the past few days.

But even prepared as he was, Cheng Jing was still stunned when he saw the upgraded doors and windows, and the three-bedroom apartment jam-packed with supplies:

Every curtain in the entire suite was drawn, and despite it being broad daylight, the lights were on while the air conditioning blasted at full chill. It had everything a supermarket did—plus stuff you’d never find there, including plenty of agricultural seeds.

The spacious front balcony was piled high with water—mostly purified, both bottled and in large containers, with fewer drinks—stacked two or three layers high.

In the living room sat a fabric sofa, two yoga mats, a small table with two stools, and near the dining area stood a huge freezer packed with fresh meat.

The remaining space was filled with batteries, flashlights, self-defense gear, and a mountain of unopened packages.

The kitchen and utility balcony had several propane tanks on the floor, while the cabinets overflowed with enough condiments to stock a grocery store.

The small study was stacked with medical supplies—meds, masks, disinfectant, tissues—and big bags of salt, sugar, and vacuum-sealed plant seeds.

The guest room was all food—staples, snacks, packaged goods, everything from meat to veggies, raw, cooked, or ready-to-cook. There were even several boxes of powdered milk—enough to make anyone blurt, "Damn!"

The two-meter-wide bed in the bedroom was buried under blankets and quilts, while the closet and every other corner overflowed with clothes, shoes, socks, hats, scarves, and even PPE suits—it was enough to break a sweat just seeing it all.

Even the bathroom was stuffed with an insane amount of toiletries and skincare products...

Everything was neatly organized, so it could fit a lot. But none of the rooms were completely full yet—there was still plenty of space left to hoard more.

If fully stocked and ignoring expiration dates, based on Jiang Nian’s appetite, this stash could keep them locked down for two or three years.

This was next-level crazy!

"Bro... Brother Jing?"

Seeing Cheng Jing's stunned expression, Jiang Nian felt uneasy—after all, this was all cold hard cash!

Though he hadn’t calculated the exact amount (since deduction alerts went to Cheng Jing’s phone, and he made sure to destroy every receipt), he hadn’t had time to tally it up anyway. He just kept swiping.

"Damn, that’s a lot. Impressive you managed to stockpile so much in just a week."

Snapping out of his daze, Cheng Jing looked at the cautious man before him and couldn’t help but chuckle, recalling Huang Qian’s remark about him being a "hoarding hamster." All this would’ve worn out his hamster.

His laughter eased Jiang Nian’s nerves, who scratched his head self-deprecatingly:

"Pretty ridiculous, huh? Looks like I look mentally ill or something?"

Having a steady boyfriend was truly a blessing.

Cheng Jing patted him reassuringly:

"I said I’d trust you, and I meant it. Worst case, if we don’t end up needing it, the company can use some supplies. Alright, you stay home today. I’ll go shopping—just give me a list of what you need."

This was clearly planned out. Even if he hadn’t lent Jiang Nian money or supported him, the guy would’ve found a way to pull it off—maybe even resorting to begging pathetically. No sense causing trouble.

Jiang Nian said while thinking aloud:

"Today, focus on buying more clothes and shoes for yourself. I didn’t get much earlier, worried you might not like them. We need both winter and summer gear because after the toxic rain, there’ll be extreme cold and blistering heat..."

Noticing Cheng Jing’s gaze, he quickly added, defensively:

"I, uh... had a dream about it a couple of nights ago..."

In his past life, after the blackout, the weather had turned freezing—hence why he’d stocked up on a freezer full of meat, knowing it wouldn’t spoil.

Cheng Jing’s face twitched slightly before he nodded:

"Mm."

Who’d believe such an excuse?

Well, he did. After all, loving someone meant loving their crazy talk too.

Clearing his throat, Jiang Nian continued:

"As for the rest, just wing it. You’re in security—you probably have your own ideas about emergency supplies and survival strategies."

"Got it."

After a quick look around, Cheng Jing already had a mental checklist.

The door opened and closed twice as Cheng Jing headed out to shop. Meanwhile, Jiang Nian, enjoying the AC, busied himself unpacking deliveries, sorting them, and browsing the latest weird news and paranormal stories.

It was the 25th already. Early warning signs should’ve started appearing. Barring any surprises, the evening weather forecast and mainstream news would warn of heavy rainfall in the next day or two.

Sure enough, after some scrolling, he found several clickbait stories about people suddenly developing superpowers—some with photos, others just text descriptions.

Had he not lived through the apocalypse and met superpowered individuals, knowing there were signs beforehand, Jiang Nian wouldn’t have believed it either.

If strange phenomena became frequent, the government’s classified departments would handle it—far beyond the reach of small fry like him. He’d heard rumors in his past life, but that was it.

At his level of unusual behavior, as long as he kept it discreet, it wouldn’t draw attention from those agencies anytime soon. And once the apocalypse hit, everyone would be too busy surviving to care.

He saved the news pages, planning to show Cheng Jing later.

Stockpiling supplies was weirdly satisfying. Even knowing the brutality of the impending disaster, organizing everything still brought him joy.

The catastrophe was unavoidable—watching their own backs was what mattered most.

Most items were covered, but he still wanted more medical supplies. Unfortunately, the ones he needed were prescription-only, unavailable at regular pharmacies or online.

He’d have to wait until the apocalypse hit and raid the hospitals before others caught on. With Cheng Jing around, it shouldn’t be a problem.