Chapter 111

Chapter 111

The weather was fine, and the street lamps were particularly bright.

With the lights from the night market stalls, it was bustling, much noisier than before, as everyone was striving hard to live their lives.

Zhao Lei walked slightly behind Liao Yu, looking at the night market stalls, where there were few food vendors, mostly a mix of miscellaneous items.

Liao Yu bought several decks of playing cards and some board game cards, saying they could play with everyone when they had time.

It was too oppressive; emotional relief was especially important.

"..."

"Sir, we should probably head back now, the shops ahead are closed."

After nearly an hour of browsing, noticing the lights growing dimmer, Zhao Lei stopped to remind him.

Liao Yu, who was crouching in front of a shoe stall, looked up and responded:

"Oh, right..."

Then he held up two pairs of men's slippers and asked:

"Brother Zhao, what size do you wear? Do you prefer blue or black? I noticed your pair has some cracks, let's buy a new one together."

Zhao Lei thought for a moment and replied:

"Blue, size 45, but 44 is fine if they don't have it. Slipper sizes can be a bit flexible."

"Alright!"

Liao Yu made a gesture, picked out a few more items, and then paid using his points.

After wishing the grizzled vendor "Wishing you good business!", he tossed two pairs of slippers and a few plastic bags filled with purchases over his shoulder, chatting with Zhao Lei as they walked back.

Suddenly passing a couple on the street, the rich boy's foot-in-mouth tendency struck again:

"Brother Zhao, how about we be a couple?"

"..."

Zhao Lei glared at him with a look that said, 'Are you freaking serious?'

Liao Yu raised his free hand and declared:

"I'm dead serious."

"Don't date friends casually for short-term flings—didn't you hear Sister Qian’s advice?"

Zhao Lei ignored him.

Liao Yu seized the key point:

"So a long-term relationship is fine?"

Zhao Lei retorted.

"What counts as 'long-term' to you?"

Liao Yu answered without hesitation:

"Whatever you say, I'm fine with it."

"Heh..."

Again with the 'I'm fine with anything.' Zhao Lei gritted his teeth:

"Wow, you’re *real* generous, huh?"

With that, he stopped talking and strode ahead. He *knew* this guy was full of hot air!

"Hey..."

Liao Yu felt a pang of frustration—what was his offense? If Zhao Lei didn’t want to agree, fine, but why the attitude?

"..."

By the time they returned to the dorm, the rich kid dumped his stuff haphazardly, changed his shoes, and headed straight for the shower.

When he emerged, refreshed and in a better mood, he still felt a little off seeing Zhao Lei’s brick-wall attitude.

Nobody told him that dating this close to home would be this tough!

Zhao Lei had already neatly arranged everything and was tidying up the living room and chip bags on the table. Noticing Liao Yu’s bitch face, he said bluntly:

"You’re not doing shit, and now *you’re* giving *me* attitude?"

"..."

Liao Yu snagged a soda from the mini-fridge, took a couple of gulps, and let out a carbonated belch before replying:

"I’m not giving you attitude. I just feel... pissed off. I wanna date you for real, but you treat me like an idiot..."

Zhao Lei barked a laugh:

"And you have the nerve to call yourself serious with that 'I’m fine with anything' nonsense?"

"Yeah, I *am* serious. What I mean is, let’s try it out. If you’re not feeling it, we can end it anytime—I won’t make a scene."

Liao Yu’s gaze was earnest, his tone sincere. He genuinely didn’t see anything wrong with saying 'I’m fine with anything.'

"You... fine..."

The raw honesty threw Zhao Lei. The words he’d prepared to scold Liao Yu for being irresponsible and unreasonable died on his tongue.

Liao Yu blinked:

"So, we good, bro?"

After some thought, he still felt Zhao Lei was the one. He couldn’t imagine vibing this easy with anyone else 24/7.

"..."

Zhao Lei suddenly let out a snort, turned to chuck the chip bags into the trash, wiped the table clean, then crossed his arms and stood across from him on the other side of the living room table. Looming over Liao Yu, he said:

"If you put it that way, we’re basically dating already."

Liao Yu: "Wait, what?"

He scratched his head thoughtfully—it made sense, but something still felt missing.

Zhao Lei counted off for him:

"Eating together, living together, I do your laundry, I clean, I check on you, I cook whatever you want… Except for sleeping with you, I’ve handled everything a boyfriend should or shouldn’t do. What more could you possibly be unsatisfied with?"

"You’re so ungrateful," Zhao Lei thought, "always making a fuss over nothing."

They knew each other too well. If they were to start dating, they’d skip straight to acting like an old married couple—no novelty, no excitement.

There was another issue: Before the apocalypse, during the young master’s rebellious phase, Zhao Lei had genuinely beaten him up—bad enough he nearly got written up and docked pay.

In his eyes, Liao Yu had always been that hotheaded kid. If he suddenly became his partner, Zhao Lei wouldn’t even know how to act around him.

Liao Yu crossed his legs, swirling his soda can as if it were a wine glass, and said:

"You said it yourself—‘except for sleeping with me.’ That’s the fundamental difference between a bodyguard and a boyfriend. Sleep with me, and we’ll call it even on all debts. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?"

This was it—Zhao Lei, the grass right by his doorstep, was as good as his!

If only his lovesick ass had awakened before the apocalypse—he’d have just bought his way into his pants!

"..."

It made sense, but after a moment of serious thought, Zhao Lei smirked. "You’re overthinking it. It’s the apocalypse—I never planned on paying you back anyway."

Paying debts with his body, or more accurately, getting the guy and the cash—either way, he came out on top!

"Holy shit—"

Liao Yu choked on his breath, nearly coughing, and hurled the half-finished Sprite at him.

Zhao Lei caught it effortlessly and took a sip:

"Someone’s touchy..."

Then he walked over shamelessly and demanded:

"Warm already. Ice it up for me."

A bodyguard thirsting over his boss? Now that’s unprofessional. But the other way around? That was just love.

If someone handed themselves over on a silver platter, it’d be a shame not to mess with him a bit—especially when this guy was usually so quick with comebacks.

"You—"

Liao Yu’s face burned red. He willed an ice spike into existence to stab him, but the moment a warm touch brushed his cheek, all his anger fizzled out.

Zhao Lei leaned in, dropped a kiss to his flushed face before saying seriously:

"If you’re really willing to be with me, then let’s do it. But I’ll make this clear upfront—my view on relationships is the same as Cheng’s. There’s no breaking up, only death. This is a lifetime deal, Liao Yu. Everything else can be a game—but not this."

He wasn’t the type to chase after dramatic romance anyway. He was more than ready to settle down.

At least until the apocalypse ended, he’d stay by Liao Yu’s side without distraction.

Even if the young master could fully protect himself now, Zhao Lei wouldn’t let a damn thing happen to him.

He would regret it for the rest of his life.

Back then, he had planned to abandon those gambling-addicted parents, prepared to carry the guilt of their upbringing for a lifetime.

But when Liao Yu learned of his situation, he volunteered to lend him money and strongly urged him to bring them back, convincing him that even the lowest could find redemption.

So when the apocalypse arrived and he learned his parents had turned into the first wave of zombies after going out in the rain to gamble, he didn’t grieve much.

It wasn’t that he had no other thoughts about Liao Yu—it was just that before the apocalypse, the young master was "out of his league" in terms of class, someone he couldn’t possibly reach and couldn’t bring himself to taint.