Chapter 78

Chapter 78

"Hah..."

Cheng Jing burst out laughing at his sheepish look:

"Honestly, I never thought about it. Because I planned to wait until you graduated before confronting you, so I just worked my ass off to save up."

"..."

Jiang Nian had a dumb thought:

"Were you planning to bury me in cash?"

"Possibly."

Cheng Jing chuckled, then paused before continuing:

"I had it all figured out. If you were still alone after graduation, I wouldn't let us break up. If you were with someone else by then, we should at least talk it out face to face. I loved you so much—even if we weren’t meant to be, I wanted a clean break. An ugly breakup would’ve been too regrettable."

Waiting until Jiang Nian graduated—that was the reason he forced himself not to seek him out. As for anything else, he didn’t dare think too much.

He knew he could be pathologically stubborn, bordering on obsession. But so what? He was just being true to himself.

In a way, Jiang Nian was both his burden and his drive. Combined with the support from his comrades and business partners, he channeled all that into pushing himself to become someone others admired.

To outsiders, he was a young success story, even impossibly impressive. But only he knew the truth:

It was mostly a mix of "right timing, right place, and the right people," or as some might say, "the stars aligned," blended with his own obsessive beliefs.

"..."

The smile faded from Jiang Nian’s face. His nose suddenly stung, and his vision blurred. He hurriedly lowered his head to eat, but a fat tear rolled into his bowl.

He had only meant to mess with his boyfriend, but Brother Jing’s straight talk had broken him.

Cheng Jing reached over and gently wiped the corner of his eye:

"It’s okay now. The outcome is good—you came back to me. Even if you hadn’t, whatever happened to the world, I would’ve found a way to reach you... It was just too late in our previous life."

Even during their breakup, he refused to believe he would ever leave Jiang Nian behind when the apocalypse came.

There must have been some reason he couldn’t find Jiang Nian in their previous life, leading to that fatal delay.

He didn’t even dare imagine how agonizing it would be to watch this person die in his arms. After learning the truth, he often woke up in the middle of the night, terrified that the love of his life would vanish again.

Had he made it through alone until the end of the apocalypse in their previous life? Knowing himself, probably not.

Maybe Jiang Nian’s rebirth was a form of compensation for that regret.

"Mm."

Jiang Nian nodded vigorously, taking a careful breath to avoid choking.

After getting back together, remembering their previous life, he grew more certain that Brother Jing had tried to find him.

Most likely, his messages had been purposely kept from him, so by the time Brother Jing showed up, it was already too late.

...

Still feeling emotionally charged, they ate their fill. As Cheng Jing cleaned up, he urged Jiang Nian to take a shower:

"You've been out all day and must be tired. No messing around tonight—just wash up."

"Got it, Dad. Mwah~"

Over-the-top, he blew him an air kiss, rubbing his belly as he headed to the bathroom. He’d overeaten by accident—maybe he should take some digestive pills later.

At such a bratty gesture, Cheng Jing, who was washing dishes, shook his head helplessly but couldn’t suppress a laugh. Eh, let him have his fun—as long as he’s happy and healthy.

But despite agreeing to sleep quietly, Jiang Nian always loved going back on that promise in bed.

Especially after emotional highs and lows, his cravings grew sharper.

Cheng Jing hooked up the fan to the battery to ensure they wouldn’t overheat during a power outage, then tossed in a little globe nightlight into the corner for soft lighting, keeping the room dim enough for sleep.

As soon as he lay down, someone clung to him:

"Jing-ge, I need you."

As he spoke, a wandering hand crept over his stomach.

"......"

Cheng Jing tried to keep his cool and make the troublemaker rest, but when those hands traveled lower, his body reacted faster than his reason.

By the time he heard that brat’s smug laugh, he’d already flipped him over and pinned him down:

"You’re just asking for it!"

His hot breath fanned Jiang Nian’s neck, his heart pounding as he panted unevenly, fingers unconsciously gripping the firm arms above him:

"Brother Jing..."

"Stop scratching. I have training tomorrow—can’t have marks."

Cheng Jing gave him no room to resist, firmly pinning his wrists above his head.

"Mmph!"

Jiang Nian loved Brother Jing like this—short on words, a bit wild, but entirely his. Even if the movements weren’t gentle, they soothed him perfectly.

He’d always thought his preferences were a bit odd.

In the end, as he wished, after a day of missions, they pushed late into the night.

"......"

By the time Cheng Jing finished cleaning up, Jiang Nian was already asleep: curled on his side under a small blanket in the dim light, tear streaks still glistening on his cheeks, pale skin blotchy with love bites.

"Not again..."

Sitting by the bed, Cheng Jing covered his face, recalling the scene just moments ago.

Honestly, he hated when Jiang Nian was this emotionally raw—because then, swept up in feeling and touch, he’d cry, spilling emotions he usually locked away.

That vulnerable look twisted Cheng Jing’s heart—and weirdly, turned him on. He’d meant to soothe, but instead, he’d left him... wrecked.

Every time he felt guilty, yet he couldn't control himself. Reflecting afterward, he always thought he was pretty messed up.

Lying back down and pulling the person into his arms, Cheng Jing reminded himself yet again to be gentler next time when the other cried.

...

After all the commotion, Jiang Nian didn’t go to check the shop’s renovation progress the next day. Fortunately, Li Liang, who happened to be on duty there, kept tabs on it and called to inform him everything was going smoothly.

The workers knew he was a rescue team member’s family, and since the pay was fair, they worked diligently.

Thus, the one who stayed in got up, had breakfast, and took a nap before finally regaining his energy.

By the time he tended to the vegetable seedlings in the balcony flower box, it was already noon.

Cheng Jing didn’t return on time as promised the day before, sending a message telling him to eat by himself and not go out.

After being together for so long, they had developed a subtle sixth sense. Though the reminder was offhand, Jiang Nian still felt something was off.

He immediately sent a message asking:

“Jing, everything okay?”

It took a while before Cheng Jing replied:

“It’s fine. I’ll tell you when I get back. Eat up.”

“...”

Jiang Nian pushed around the self-heating beef and potato boxed meal in front of him, eating absentmindedly in small bites.

He guessed that his Jing must’ve had a rough talk with Yang Kai and Zhou Li—maybe even a blowup.

It wasn’t until past two in the afternoon that Cheng Jing returned with a dark look, bringing unexpected news:

Apart from Zhou Li, two others had come with Yang Kai this time. One was Jing’s comrade and security company partner, Liang Yunhao.

The other was his sworn enemy, Xia Weiwei.

And Xia Weiwei already knew he was Chen Yue and Chen Lin’s half-brother. She even said that once she confirmed it upon meeting him, she would send someone to fetch his boyfriend’s family over so they could reunite.