Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Jing, after staying home for a while, I feel completely worn out..."

The room was warmed by two heaters. Jiang Nian curled up under a thick down comforter, watching in admiration as Cheng Jing tidied up bare-chested in weather cold enough to be minus fifty degrees. He was the reckless one, yet he was also the one suffering—go figure!

"..."

This guy! Cheng Jing’s ears turned red as he walked over and asked in a low voice:

"Should I sleep in the living room for a few days starting tomorrow...?"

Jiang Nian was too unrestrained, and his self-control around Cheng had practically vanished. Ugh.

"No, I'm afraid of the cold!"

The voice from under the blanket was muffled yet stubborn, then came a smacking sound as he added:

"Besides, I’m hungry for you. If I can’t have you, I won’t be able to sleep."

Okay, okay, he was kidding. A guy with superpowers like him wouldn’t get drained so easily.

Cheng Jing was used to his antics and didn’t respond further, simply climbing into bed to act as a personal space heater.

"Stay still and behave. If you don’t listen, I won’t come tomorrow."

"..."

Jiang Nian looked up at the serious face above him and pulled his hand back with a pout. Fine, he’d be more reserved.

He could still tell the difference between overdoing it and enjoying regular, fulfilling meals.

...

By December, three months after the apocalypse began, temperatures across the country stabilized between -66 and -70 degrees Celsius, exactly as Jiang Nian had said. Now, it was all about surviving.

Minus seventy degrees—though some places on Earth naturally experienced such extremes—was a death sentence for most people. It could split skin open from the cold, and without proper protection, even breathing would produce the sound of ice forming.

Beyond that, slowed heart rates, drowsiness, loss of appetite, and dropping body temperatures—any of these could be fatal.

Supplies were running low, but as long as they kept people alive, that was all that mattered. This was everyone's mindset after the deep freeze set in. Endure, and it would pass. Survive, and there was hope.

Though many had died since the temperature drop, district lockdowns overall had proven effective.

After the extreme cold, the base would be completed and up and running. Once military aid arrived, most people would survive by relocating there.

Adapting to the cold required time—a week or two before things became slightly more bearable.

Even without zombies, deaths occurred daily since the freeze began. After the undead threat, chilling fear loomed over everyone’s minds.

This was the reality. No one could help. Close your eyes at night, and no one knew if they'd wake up the next day.

Jiang Nian had been through this once already. Yet even though conditions were far better now—with heaters, hot water, and his enhanced constitution—he still couldn't keep up with his teammates’ adaptation pace.

The reason was simple: he’d never suffered from the start. Unlike others, he hadn’t gradually adjusted to worsening conditions.

So every day, all he wanted to do was eat and sleep. If not for his fear of losing his abs and V-line, he’d have canceled his workout routine entirely and become one with the bed.

His boyfriend was already more handsome than him. If he grew a little belly, people would definitely assume Brother Jing was the one mooching off him.

No way he’d allow that!

Two heaters—one space heater and one quartz heater—flanked a small treadmill. Jiang Nian ran on the treadmill while Cheng Jing did push-ups on a yoga mat nearby.

As he ran, Jiang Nian suddenly turned his head and said to the man working out in light workout clothes:

“Since Brother Jing isn’t cold anyway, why not strip while doing push-ups? I want to watch.”

Him stripping would totally boost my running motivation.

“Nope.”

Cheng Jing didn’t hesitate to shoot down his mischievous suggestion.

But someone whined shamelessly:

“C’mon, Jing-ge~ Off with them…”

Cheng Jing kept counting reps, ignoring him.

“Ugh…”

Jiang Nian stared at his boyfriend’s flawless push-up form—so hot he just shut off the treadmill. He caught his breath and walked over.

With a slick move, he slid right beneath Cheng Jing.

“You—”

Cheng Jing stalled mid-push from the surprise ambush:

“Quit it. Get outta here.”

“No way, heh…”

Jiang Nian grinned defiantly, then leaned up to kiss him as Cheng Jing lowered himself:

“Keep going just like this.”

“Jiang Nian!”

Jing’s breath stuttered—his attention completely hijacked by the troublemaker.

Teasing him like this at a time like this—was he begging for it?

“What’s wrong, Brother Jing? Can’t hold on anymore?”

Jiang Nian played dumb with a smile, kissing him again before slipping his icy hands under his shirt, loving the way his muscles moved during the workout. So damn good!

Boyfriends are for messing with—what’s wrong with that?

……

Cheng Jing’s breathing grew heavy, his face burning. He wanted nothing more than to haul his ass to the bedroom and teach him a lesson, but under that provoking stare, he held firm—letting him get his way before finally stopping.

He dropped down fully, pinning Jiang Nian tightly beneath him:

“You’ve got zero stamina but still love to play. Tell me, aren’t you asking for it?”

“Not asking—it’s called being hungry, is all.”

He said it offhandedly with a shameless grin.

Cheng Jing gritted his teeth in frustration:

"When have I ever let you go hungry?"

Pestering him nonstop all day, his head stuffed with nothing but X-rated fantasies!

"Ahh…"

Jiang Nian, worried he might take it seriously, quickly pushed him away:

"Just kidding! I just wanted to touch you for a quick energy boost. Now that my batteries are full, I’ll get back to my workout. Thanks, Brother Jing~"

He'd had his fun—touching and teasing—and now he was re-energized.

"…"

Cheng Jing stared at him gloomily for a moment before suddenly breaking into a smile. How could such a little brat be so infuriating yet so damn likable?

……

Over half a month later, people gradually began to adapt to the extreme cold. Their basic survival instincts took over, allowing their bodies to slowly adjust to the harsh climate brought on by the apocalypse.

As the adaptation period passed, the frozen world showed signs of life again, slowly regaining vitality. Rescue stations started seeing new survivors arrive once more.

Another ten days or so later, more and more people braved the snow and ice to reach the shelters—not just Superpowered individuals, but ordinary civilians too, arriving in groups, families in tow.

Now that the weather was freezing, slower-moving zombies were more easily immobilized by the cold. Having somewhat acclimated to the brutal conditions, humans found it easier to venture out for help or to scavenge beyond the safe zones.

The shelter administrators began making plans.

After the apocalypse, most people struggled to survive. As more and more survivors were taken in, resource distribution across different zones became increasingly strained.

Thus, once the extreme cold adaptation period ended, the authorities began encouraging capable individuals to form teams and explore outside. Those who found resources could choose to keep them entirely or donate half in return for continued official supply allocations.

Those who chose to contribute half would still receive allocated provisions from the authorities.

Those who chose not to contribute would receive only basic shelter—nothing else. However, people could still trade amongst themselves.

Soon, Superpowered teams began venturing out to scavenge. Though the journey was tough, the rewards proved worthwhile.