Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When Cheng Jing got back, Jiang Nian had already taken a nap on the couch. It was 3 to 4 PM—the hottest and quietest time in the neighborhood—when everyone stayed indoors. It was perfect for hauling their stuff.

Jiang Nian was called downstairs to help and was surprised to find that Cheng Jing had brought a small truck.

Holy crap! One trip like this equals his whole day’s work. That’s our Brother Jing for you!

The truck was packed full of all sorts of random things. The real surprises were the items Jiang Nian couldn’t even find in supermarkets:

non-commercial self-defense tools, unbranded cans and compressed biscuits, powdered supplements, and little pills.

No fancy packaging here—some even had labels marked for special distribution.

Jiang Nian knew better than to ask too many questions.

After sorting everything out, throwing away the packaging waste, and calling to have the rental truck picked up, Cheng Jing grabbed an e-bike share and headed to the courier station outside the neighborhood to collect Jiang Nian’s last three big online orders:

One huge box of encyclopedias and two massive boxes of various maps—national, provincial, city-level. In addition to regular maps, there were ultra-detailed ones for every county and town—basically paper GPS.

For slightly famous or unique urban spots and buildings (excluding military zones), there were detailed descriptions, along with exterior photos and floor plans. This was next-level!

The encyclopedias made sense, but Cheng Jing eyed the two giant boxes of maps thoughtfully and just let it slide.

By the time they finished setting up the safe house and doing everything possible, night had already fallen, and every spare inch of space was filled.

“No more shopping tomorrow, right?”

Looking at the room, now with only a skinny path left, Cheng Jing let out a tired sigh.

If anyone else tried this nonsense, he’d drag them straight to the hospital. But for Jiang Nian? He had to indulge—and even play along.

“Nope, no more! Thanks, Brother Jing~”

Jiang Nian was so giddy he could dance, sealing it with a loud kiss on the man’s cheek.

Prepping solo was one thing—but doing it together? Double the fun!

Taking the chance, Cheng Jing asked,

“Do you want to stay here tonight?”

Jiang Nian paused, then shook his head.

“Let’s keep staying at the hotel. Who knows how long hotels will still be an option.”

Before, he’d been too nervous and cautious to act up. Now? Might as well go all out while they could!

“Alright, then the hotel it is.”

Once decided, the two slipped out of the neighborhood under the cover of night, getting dinner and wandering around before heading back to the hotel.

Freshly rekindled lovers practically oozed sweetness—enough to make passing dogs gag on their affection. So yeah, they were stuck in lovey-dovey mode.

Jiang Nian was curled up on the couch playing games while Cheng Jing shot back a few texts from Huang Qian before stepping into the bathroom.

At the first sound of running water, someone dropped his phone and bolted over.

"Wanna shower together, Brother Jing?"

Damn, it's downright rude for a boyfriend to take a shower without inviting him—makes them seem like strangers.

"Suit yourself."

Cheng Jing's voice carried through the steam, sounding strangely alluring. It had that sexy timbre to it.

"Brother Jing, you always act so reluctant... I end up feeling awkward."

Jiang Nian whined about awkwardness but was already inside in a flash.

Seeing the mischievous grin on his face, Cheng Jing reached out with his long arm, yanking him close and caging him against the wall:

"If I take charge, you say I’m bullying you. If I go too far, you call me a mad dog… Damned if I do, damned if I don’t."

You little shit!

"Hehe..."

Jiang Nian just grinned up at him, his hands getting way too handsy. No need for pretense—he loved how Cheng Jing, normally so straight-laced, would unravel into wildness under his teasing.

Fucking electric!

The bathroom had always been the perfect place for things to heat up, and this time was no exception.

Their fooling around didn't settle down until well past ten.

Freshly showered and lounging on the couch, Jiang Nian felt like jelly. He pulled out his phone to show Cheng Jing some weird news stories about people awakening superpowers, then casually switched the TV to the nightly weather report channel, waiting.

Normally, Cheng Jing would dismiss such things as fake news even kids wouldn’t believe. But faced with Jiang Nian’s earnestness, he gave a reserved agreement, nodding in acknowledgment.

Jiang Nian didn’t push for full belief—after all, it all sounded fantastical. That Cheng Jing didn’t outright dismiss it was already good enough.

At 10:45 PM, the weather report began on schedule.

Just like in his past life, the meteorologist brightly reported the coming heavy rainfall. The last flicker of hope died, and Jiang Nian’s uneasy heart finally settled into dreaded certainty.

Cheng Jing unconsciously tightened his grip on Jiang Nian’s hand, his expression turning serious. When he heard that rain would cover the entire country starting the afternoon of the 27th, his heart skipped a beat—

It matched exactly what Jiang Nian had dreamed! So the nightmare wasn’t just a dream—it was a warning. A prophecy.

"......"

Jiang Nian stayed silent in his arms, only changing the channel once the forecast ended. Yet every late-night program had begun airing the same weather alert.

"Nian Nian, do you know how long the toxic rain will last?" Cheng Jing asked quietly. He needed to rethink—no, completely replan—for the coming end of the world.

Jiang Nian answered truthfully:

"It rains from the 27th to the 31st. I don’t know the exact details, but by the 1st, zombies appeared, and everything went to hell from there..."

In his past life, he came down with a fever the second day of the rain. By the time he woke up with his power, the apocalypse had already begun.

Later, he heard that deaths started on the 28th. As more people were caught in the rain, hospitals were overrun. Those who died during the rains weren’t immediately cremated, so when the storm passed, they... got back up.

He added darkly.

Seeing Cheng Jing's serious expression, Jiang Nian weighed his words carefully:

"Brother Jing, although I'm certain my dreams will come true and you believe me, others won't... So, some things we can only look out for ourselves."

Even if they knew, it wouldn't change anything—who'd believe us anyway?

They could only wait for it to happen.

Cheng Jing nodded:

"I understand. Don't worry, just between us. Speaking out would only bring trouble, whether it happens or not."

He trusted Jiang Nian because everything Jiang Nian did was under his control. Whether the apocalypse came or not, those things could be handled discreetly, and no one else would know.

But if they started broadcasting this, we'd be arrested before doomsday even hit.

Even if it did happen, Jiang Nian's foresight would look suspicious—either way, it'd backfire.

Whatever. When disaster strikes, every man for himself. They could only focus on protecting themselves and those close to them before considering helping others.

For example, getting their people ready.

His parents were with his younger brother in the military housing—if anything happened, that would likely be the safest place.

He just needed to remind them not to go out in the rain after the long drought, in case it was contaminated, and call his mother, who loved stockpiling, to stock up for the brief rainy season. The rest could wait until things got weird—the military’s response would be swift.

He’d call his parents and brother tomorrow.

Aside from family, he also needed an excuse to have his trusted subordinates gather supplies.

Their security company worked with the government, which meant special rules. For two months before and after cooperating with the authorities, they couldn’t take other assignments, and no more than 10 personnel were stationed in one location.

In Qingyun City, including him, there were only eight people—a small team:

He was the captain, Huang Qian was the assistant, and the other six, split into pairs, were caretakers for three safe houses. One of them was deputy captain in name only—all personally chosen and trustworthy.

Most of the team members had complicated family situations—some were from orphanages, others had no living relatives, and Huang Qian had run away from home to escape son preference and a forced marriage she refused to return to.

So most of the time, the team stayed with him. If the apocalypse came, they’d stay together.

Apart from these eight, the rest of the company’s security personnel were on rotation, assigned by headquarters based on mission needs.

They’d just finished a job, so the eight of them needed to keep a low profile for two months before resuming normal operations. The other security personnel had already returned to headquarters.

Given this, Cheng Jing thought he could find a reason for the others to stockpile supplies in the other safe houses.

Huang Qian didn’t oversee a safe house alone, so he’d have her manage the place he was currently renting. If the apocalypse really came, he’d be with Jiang Nian anyway.

"……"

Cheng Jing’s mind raced, working out a rough plan. It was always good to have extra preparations. Just as he was about to ask something else, the person in his arms had fallen asleep.

He sent a message in the team group chat: *"All teams, stock up on supplies in your safe houses ASAP for training purposes—the more, the faster, the better."* Then he turned off the TV and carried Jiang Nian back to the bedroom.

……

The next morning, when Jiang Nian woke up, Cheng Jing was no longer at the hotel. He’d left a message saying he’d taken Huang Qian and the others to gather supplies, using training for a new assignment as the excuse.

Jiang Nian knew his Brother Jing was reliable, so he didn’t ask further. He didn’t mind Huang Qian staying in their "love pad" either—they had a better place now.

On August 26th, Cheng Jing spent the whole day out while Jiang Nian hung out at the hotel, eating and drinking. It wasn’t until evening that Cheng Jing texted him to come to the apartment and grab some takeout.