Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The emergence of various superpower factions and guilds changed the game for survival in the apocalyptic world.

Beneath the surface, tensions simmered while a delicate balance was maintained.

In the face of disaster, people naturally gravitated toward strength.

Ordinary folks or those who awakened support-type abilities either continued to accept official protection and follow orders, or sought ways to latch onto powerful supers to secure more resources.

It was a give-and-take arrangement—even if some choices appeared unseemly or downright sordid, they were seen as necessary under the circumstances.

As a result, strong supers became highly desirable, with some even living like warlords, enjoying the company of multiple partners.

As they put it: *you grab happiness where you can—who knows if tomorrow will come?*

"Cheng Jing."

One day, while Huang Qian and Xiao Ya were at home, Cheng Jing returned with his crew from outside and entered the building’s lobby. As he turned a corner, a woman cut him off.

She was tall and slender, dressed in a thick down jacket and wearing a transparent windproof helmet. Her demeanor was elegant, and she looked to be in her early twenties—striking features, full red lips, and flawless teeth—gorgeous by any standard.

Lately, they’d been approached constantly by all sorts of people—men, women, young, old—all trying to join or recruit them.

"What do you want?"

Cheng Jing stood still. The others stepped back a few paces, settling in to watch the show. They’d long grown used to this kind of thing. Jiang Nian even pulled out a bag of candy and handed one to each of them.

Hearing the crinkle of wrappers behind him, Cheng Jing shot a glare over his shoulder at the culprit.

Jiang Nian: "?"

*The hell? His boyfriend’s getting hit on and he gets glared at instead?!*

Messing with him—how could he resist?

Jiang Nian’s inner troublemaker kicked into gear. Smiling, he strolled over with the candy bag:

"Candy sweetens the deal," he said playfully, offering the bag.

He pressed two candies into Cheng Jing’s hand before cheerfully handing two to the woman.

Then, under the group’s equal parts shocked and impressed looks, he calmly walked back to his spot, immediately receiving several chat messages:

Lu Ningzhou: "Brother Nian, impressive."

Jian Cheng: "Savage…"

Zhao Lei: "Respect."

Liao Yu: "Dad’s being gracious—total first wife energy."

Tang Yi and Zhou Rongbin gave him simultaneous thumbs-ups.

Cheng Jing saw red, fingers itching to wring his neck. Counting to ten, he turned back to the woman, who had popped the candy under her visor into her mouth, and asked again:

"What do you want?"

"My name is Jiang Wenwen. My ability is water manipulation. I want to join your crew."

The woman didn’t mince words with a candy in her mouth, smiling as she got straight to the point.

"A water-attribute superpowered would be welcomed in any team, but we’re not taking new members. Sorry."

Cheng Jing nodded and walked off without another word.

"…"

Jiang Wenwen clearly hadn’t expected such a cold shoulder. After a beat, she chased after him:

"Can we at least be friends, then...?"

Cheng Jing was about to say it wasn’t necessary when Jiang Wenwen had already smiled and introduced herself to the others.

You don’t slap a smiling face—especially when it’s a girl.

His teammates just nodded politely and gave their names.

Not joining the team was whatever—no harm in getting to know each other. It’s not like anyone’s gonna get pregnant or lose a limb.

Just when they thought the episode was over, Jiang Wenwen suddenly called out to Jiang Nian alone as they turned to leave:

"Hey, Brother Nian, got a girlfriend?"

"…"

Cheng Jing’s face went icy: *Seriously? Can’t join, so she tries to steal him?*

"Whoa..."

Liao Yu gasped softly, backing up fast to redirect their gossip radar.

"…"

Jiang Nian was momentarily stunned. He’d meant to joke around, but seeing Cheng Jing’s dark expression, he quickly dropped his death wish. He tugged off half his left glove, revealing the ring:

"No girlfriend—married. Thanks."

"Cough!"

Cheng Jing’s mood did a 180. He stepped forward, grabbing Jiang Nian’s hand:

"Put your glove on; don’t freeze."

The onlookers couldn’t resist whistling and whooping. No wonder they called Brother Nian smooth—look how happy it made their captain.

At that moment, Cheng Jing felt buying the ring was the best decision ever!

What’s a deadlier rejection than “married”?

"Well, I only wanted in to hit on you, anyway. If it’s a no-go, forget it."

Jiang Wenwen looked disappointed, smacking her lips a few times. The candy was sweet, but now it tasted kinda bitter.

Jiang Nian just laughed awkwardly, then pointed at the spectating teammates:

"They’re all single—way better options than me."

"…"

The suddenly singled-out few froze their gossiping expressions, then backed away strategically while shaking their heads in unison.

Since her main target was Jiang Nian, there was absolutely no way she could join their team.

Besides, who even thinks about dating in the apocalypse!

Unless the love interest is someone like Brother Nian—a walking cheat code who could let them coast by.

Jiang Wenwen also shook her head:

"They're not my type. I prefer a well-behaved boyfriend, and you seem just like that."

Jiang Nian smirked:

"You're too naive. There's a saying: appearances can be deceiving."

Come on, he was only obedient around Yifu. Aside from his looks, he had nothing to do with the word "obedient."

Jiang Wenwen wasn't having any of it and waved dismissively:

"I'll keep looking then. Bye~"

She walked a few steps before turning back to Cheng Jing:

"Captain Cheng, times are difficult in the apocalypse. Let’s collaborate if the opportunity arises. If you ever need more comrades, please keep me in mind. Rest assured, I won’t pry into your personal relationships."

With that, she strutted off. Seeing Cheng Jing’s stormy look, the others kept their mouths shut.

Jiang Nian kind of liked Jiang Wenwen and couldn’t help commenting as they went upstairs:

"Water-based abilities are super useful in the apocalypse."

After all, extreme cold would soon give way to blistering heat.

"Just shrugged," Cheng Jing replied, glancing at Liao Yu, who immediately pounded his chest:

"Exactly, Yifu! My ice-attribute ability ensures our team never runs out of water. When it gets hot, we can even enjoy icy drinks."

Perfect—completely eliminating any chance of Jiang Wenwen joining the team.

Jiang Nian didn’t say anything else, lest a certain control freak get jealous.

After enjoying some free entertainment, the group half-jokingly tried to score a free meal, only to be shot down by Cheng Jing. They ended up raiding their snack stash before heading home.

Once the others left, Cheng Jing started cooking, throwing together some veggies and pre-packaged meals into an instant hotpot. The rice was also self-heating—simple and convenient.

While waiting, Cheng Jing pinned Jiang Nian to the couch to address that little earlier incident:

"Don't stir up trouble in public anymore."

With those pretty-boy looks and his tendency to provoke danger, he was practically begging for trouble.

Jiang Nian looped his arms over Cheng Jing’s shoulders and retorted:

"When was I showing off?"

"Drawing attention is showing off."

Cheng Jing replied, sounding completely unreasonable.

Jiang Nian thought he was using his good looks to get away with anything. He held back for a moment but couldn’t help but laugh:

"Fine then, why don’t you just stuff me in your pocket?"

Then, seeing his annoyed expression, he reached out and touched his face:

"Brother Jing, getting jealous over every little thing will just make you a grumpy husband… Be a good boy now, don’t fuss."

Cheng Jing: "..."