Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Huang Qian looked down at the unconscious Jiang Nian, then softened her voice after a moment:

"He probably sees himself in our situation. People who value bonds are always like this."

The 'hamster's' gentleness wasn't deliberate, yet everyone around him could feel it.

Sometimes, when thinking about his background and family, it made people wonder what kind of upbringing Jiang Nian’s mother had given him to raise such an endearing person.

After a pause, she turned to Cheng Jing and said seriously:

"Cheng, you should guide him more. Don’t let him obsess over responsibility. He just needs to do what feels right and do his best while staying happy. There’s no need to push himself too hard..."

Honestly, she was really afraid Jiang Nian would be guilt-tripped—because blackmailing him alone would mean blackmailing their entire team.

"I understand."

Cheng Jing nodded. In truth, Jiang Nian was clear-headed; kind but not blindly stubborn, just too concerned about those around him.

Huang Qian thought for a while, then she added with a slight pout:

"It’s not like he chose this superpower himself. If he could, he’d definitely pick something more suited for fighting, to spare himself the emotional strain."

"Yeah..."

Cheng Jing hummed noncommittally, but her words suddenly gave him an idea:

The Purification superpower wasn’t something Jiang Nian had chosen to obtain, but... he could choose to give it up!

A superpower-core transplant surgery could achieve that!

"..."

Once the idea took hold, he couldn’t shake it. The more Cheng Jing considered it, the more feasible it seemed:

If Nian Nian replaced his superpower core, he wouldn’t have to worry about all these heavy moral questions anymore. He could just be a happy-go-lucky guy, waiting safely for the apocalypse to end.

Jiang Nian had suffered too much. He shouldn’t have to bear the responsibilities of the apocalypse. If they could ensure his safety, handing over his Purification ability... wouldn’t that be for the best?

"..."

"Cheng..."

"Big brother..."

"Cheng Jing!"

Huang Qian nudged the man who’d spaced out staring at Jiang Nian, waving her other hand in front of his eyes:

"You okay, bro? Your expression is really unsettling..."

It felt like he wanted to devour Jiang Nian any second.

"Ahem... I’m fine..."

Cheng Jing came back to himself, wiping his face. After closing and reopening his eyes, he asked Qian-jie seriously, seeing her worried expression:

"Qian-jie, tell me—if he could choose his superpower again, do you think Jiang Nian would agree if I asked him to give up his Purification ability?"

"..."

Huang Qian had initially wanted to tease him with, 'What kind of joke is that? If superpowers could be swapped, I’d trade mine in for a stronger one.'

But seeing his unusually serious expression, she had no choice but to drop the teasing. After a long silence, she finally answered:

"I think he would. Who told him to love you? Love makes people blind."

"..."

Cheng Jing pressed his lips together, at a loss for words. This woman was brutally honest.

Huang Qian wasn’t having it, cutting straight to the point:

"What’s there to be speechless about? With his personality, if he didn’t love you, you wouldn’t even have the right to bring it up. The same goes the other way around—if he seriously asked you to give up your current superpower, what would you do?"

Without hesitation, Cheng Jing replied, "Of course I would—"

"No need to say it!"

Huang Qian cut him off promptly:

"Not just your superpower—you’d give him your life if he asked. I get it. You’re both hopeless romantics."

They were old friends by now; she knew how to grab her own dog food.

"Ahem... yeah."

Cheng Jing covered his mouth with a fist lightly, masking his embarrassment. It was true—if Jiang Nian said, '*Brother Jing*, I can only live well if you die,' he’d do it in a heartbeat.

"See?"

Huang Qian spread her hands:

"If it really were possible to choose, you said it, he’d definitely agree. Heck, he’d choose whatever you told him to pick... unless the choice was bad for you."

This was probably what they meant by 'outsiders see clearer.' She’d just played relationship coach to a lovestruck pair.

"..."

Cheng Jing fell silent. It was true—Jiang Nian’s priority with his Superpower Core was protecting him and their teammates. Everyone else came second. As long as their safety was guaranteed, he’d surely agree.

"Alright, *Brother Jing*, don’t overthink it. Just know that neither of you could live without the other. Everything else is no big deal."

With that, Huang Qian got up and left the tent. Though she didn’t know why *Brother Jing* had suddenly asked such a question, her answers had been nothing but honest.

Still, the idea of 'choosing a superpower again' was pretty far-fetched.

"..."

After Huang Qian left, Cheng Jing’s thoughts once again spiraled into deep thought:

If he wanted to swap out his little troublemaker’s Superpower Core, he’d need to accelerate the research on core transfer—from energy transfer through a medium to complete core transfer. That required detailed, painstaking research.

He’d have to contact his brother and hurry to bring over that expert with the cerebral-enhancement ability.

The key discovery in Medium Crystal Core research would surely get those experts excited, those obsessed with studying apocalyptic mutations.

Right now, they were out here gathering data on zombie evolution and the changes in Superpower Cores. If they could get ahead of the curve, it’d save them a lot of time.

With these thoughts in mind, Cheng Jing took out his phone and texted his little brother. However, he didn’t type directly but used a series of symbols instead.

Of course, these weren’t internationally recognized symbols but their own secret code they had developed since childhood while playing games—a language only the two of them could understand.

Originally, it was just a little trick they used as kids to secretly talk about adults behind their backs. Who would have thought it would still come in handy now? Talk about a lucky break.

After sending several lines of seemingly random "gibberish," Cheng Jing quickly deleted the chat history and put away his phone.

Suddenly, another method to protect his lover came to mind, lifting some of his frustration and helplessness. He leaned down and kissed the peacefully sleeping man, whispering to himself:

"I'll get you cleaned up and change your clothes. Just relax."

With that, he picked up a bucket and went out to find Liao Yu.

Truth be told, in a safe environment, having Nian Nian unconscious and entirely at his mercy had its perks.

……

Jiang Nian was out cold until the next day.

Yawning as he opened his eyes, he saw Cheng Jing sitting beside him looking serious but concerned.

His body felt clean and comfortable, no weird smells, and his clothes had been changed. Having a doting boyfriend really paid off at this moment.

"Cough… Brother Jing."

Jiang Nian worked some moisture into his dry throat.

"You're awake…"

Cheng Jing worriedly helped him sit up and handed him a bottle of water.

Jiang Nian took a sip to wet his whistle before setting it aside.

"Thanks, Brother Jing."

"How do you feel? Any discomfort?"

As he asked, Cheng Jing drew him into a hug, checking his forehead and face. This brat had him tossing and turning all night.

Perhaps his mind had been racing before bed; he even dreamed of locking Jiang Nian in a cage, binding him with chains, and hiding him away. Kinda messed up, but damn if it wasn't satisfying.

"……"

Jiang Nian cracked his neck and tested his limbs, making sure everything checked out before answering:

"I’m good. I feel fine."

Cheng Jing let out a relieved breath, then immediately grilled him:

"You been pulling this shit often when you were alone at home before?"

"……"