Chapter 52

Chapter 52

The exhaustion accumulated from nearly a month of arduous travel couldn't be ignored.

With their minds and bodies finally relaxed, almost everyone slept in until noon the next day.

When Jiang Nian woke up, Cheng Jing had already gotten up. His sleep-fogged brain was slow to boot up, and he stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling for a while before remembering—they had safely arrived at the Southern City base.

Since his rebirth, he'd successfully avoided all the toxic traps, toxic people, and toxic situations of his past life!

The only uncertainty was whether Chen Yue would still get bitten by a zombie now that his choices had changed.

He hoped Chen Yue would still get bitten—preferably followed by his stepmother being too soft-hearted to act, ultimately dragging the whole family down with him!

Otherwise, according to Murphy's Law, they were bound to meet again.

The thin curtains made the room uncomfortably bright. Jiang Nian pulled his thoughts back and glanced sideways—seemed like they'd need blackout curtains if they wanted to sleep in peacefully...

With that in mind, he yawned and grabbed his phone from beside the pillow. Almost 11:30.

Their teammates had already exchanged messages, agreeing to meet for lunch before heading to the management office at any base entrance to collect their point cards, then check out the base afterward.

Thanks to Li Cheng's connections yesterday, they'd settled in directly, but today they needed to complete their identity registration.

The messages had been replied to an hour ago—while he was still dreaming—by Cheng Jing using his phone.

"Brother Jing."

Jiang Nian called out habitually while scrolling through his phone, only realizing afterward that he sounded like a kid waking up and immediately looking for his mom...

Ah, whatever. His boyfriend had such a fatherly vibe anyway—no one would laugh at him for this.

A moment later, with a soft *click*, Cheng Jing pushed the door open.

"Awake?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Nian stretched and sat up, rubbing his face before looking over—then his eyes instantly brightened.

Wow!

His Brother Jing was wearing black casual workwear today—simple yet sharp, a stark contrast to the restrained, buttoned-up vibe of a suit. This outfit showcased his tall, solid build, with a hint of ruggedness.

Especially the soft, fitted t-shirt beneath the unbuttoned jacket, clinging to his skin and highlighting the definition of his muscles—just looking at it made Jiang Nian want to reach out and touch.

Truly a natural clothes hanger. Jiang Nian was convinced his boyfriend would look good even in a potato sack!

"What's wrong?"

Cheng Jing instinctively glanced down at himself but found nothing amiss.

Besides, Jiang Nian had bought him this outfit—they had matching versions, perfect as couple wear.

Acting on impulse, Jiang Nian slid his legs off the bed and into his slippers, grinning while beckoning to the man at the door.

"Brother Jing, come here for a sec..."

With a hottie right in front of him, not taking a good look would be a sin!

Cheng Jing did as told and stepped closer, about to ask what was going on when Jiang Nian pulled him to the bedside, pressed his head against his abdomen, wrapped his arms around his waist, and started feeling him up.

Like a cat addict going through withdrawal, his words were shameless too:

"Too much sleep makes me drowsy. Give me a recharge."

This guy must’ve been sneaking in workouts again—his muscles felt even better than before. Unbelievable! This was the source of his happiness, after all!

"......"

Cheng Jing had no words. Such a shameless excuse left him with no comeback.

Jiang Nian’s way of showing affection in private was blunt—sometimes so blunt it made him flush.

"......"

As those hands wandered freely over him, Cheng Jing raised a hand to stroke the fluffy head before him, suddenly hit with the urge to push down.

But the thought of seizing the moment vanished as quickly as it came.

He preferred it when Jiang Nian took the initiative in these things. Otherwise, he worried this guy might bottle up discomfort just to avoid refusing him, which could strain their relationship over time.

Mindful of the time, Jiang Nian pulled back his wandering hands, reluctant, burying his face in those abs for a deep breath.

Some people get their high from cats—he gets his from abs. The joys of life truly vary from person to person.

But after the apocalypse, many lost their cats to cuddle, while he still had abs to worship. Total happiness!

Cheng Jing’s gaze softened as he patted him lightly.

"Satisfied? Get up, wash your face, brush your teeth, and eat something."

"Thanks, Brother Jing."

Jiang Nian looked up, his mood instantly skyrocketed. After fixing Cheng Jing’s clothes, he got up and headed to the bathroom to clean up.

By the time he finished washing up and was about to change, Cheng Jing had already prepared a matching outfit for him.

"......"

Jiang Nian wasn’t used to showing off their relationship around teammates. Clutching the clothes, he wavered.

"Brother Jing, maybe I should wear something else?"

They could wear matching outfits when going out alone, but in front of too many people, he always felt weirdly embarrassed.

The man tidying the wardrobe gave him a sharp look.

"Reason?"

"Uh......"

Jiang Nian suddenly faltered. There wasn’t really a reason—just that his face wasn’t thick enough.

Cheng Jing crossed his arms and stared at him.

"Today, it’s this or nothing."

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

He's really spoiled him rotten! He deliberately picked matching outfits, the ungrateful little punk!

He wears my ring but won't even match outfits with me?

"..."

After being told off like that, Jiang Nian didn't dare talk back. He obediently stripped off his pajamas and changed lightning-fast.

While he was changing, Cheng Jing turned and left the room, afraid he'd change his mind about letting him wear it—then they wouldn't need to go out at all today.

Once dressed, Jiang Nian headed straight to the dining table.

For brunch, Cheng Jing had him first drink half a small bowl of millet porridge with pickles to get his stomach ready before starting the main meal.

A spicy vinegar-braised cabbage and stir-fried pork with tofu skin—nothing fancy but it hit the spot.

After eating so much instant food and noodles along the way, a real home-cooked meal tasted amazing.

When the deep freeze hit, stir-frying was rare, so their propane tanks had barely been used, which was why they brought them all along.

Kept in their storage ring, it could last ages just for cooking.

"Early this morning, Li Cheng left a pack of supplies in front of every dorm with notes saying we should familiarize ourselves with the base for a few days while waiting for further notice."

Over the meal, Cheng Jing shared what had happened in the morning.

The military-style rules were tough but fair.

Jiang Nian nodded.

"That's good. Then these next few days, we'll fix up and organize our place, distribute some supplies to the others... and play the rest by ear."

Given the current situation, sharing some necessities with their teammates—while ensuring they kept enough for themselves—and trading supplies for points to gain more base resources was the smart move.

"Alright, you take care of it."

Cheng Jing smiled and tossed some meat in his bowl.

"Eat more. You've slimmed down on this trip."

"I don't think so..."

Jiang Nian ate the meat, feeling that his condition was excellent, both physically and mentally.

"Of course you wouldn't notice. I could feel it as soon as I put my hands on you."

Cheng Jing kept serving him more food. Last night, holding him again after all this time, he'd noticed the slight loss of weight.

"Ha..." Jiang Nian couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. His Brother Jing was really good at saying such things deadpan. Every now and then, it made his heart flutter like they were still in the honeymoon phase.