Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The flour-coated spicy crab, numbing and fiery, was incredibly addictive. The grouper was tender and flavorful, and the stir-fried octopus was so delicious it was impossible to stop eating.

But what truly satisfied them was the steamed giant crab. Its legs were almost as thick as a human arm. After cracking it open and dipping the meat into the sauce Cheng Zhiyu had prepared, one bite was pure bliss.

The giant crab also boasted a generous amount of crab roe, though Cheng Zhiyu planned to use it for crab roe noodles the next day. Even half of the crab meat was enough to fill them to the brim.

In the past, eating crab meant a long struggle for a tiny morsel, but this giant crab was different. It was like eating regular pork—hardly any effort for a huge, satisfying bite.

"Mmm, so good!" Zhou Min was overcome with emotion. "For a taste like this, getting hurt was worth it!"

His arm had been cut by the giant crab earlier, and he had been complaining loudly, but now he could utter such words—a classic case of forgetting the pain once the wound healed.

Surprisingly, everyone agreed with him. After all, who could resist the redemptive deliciousness of such a magnificent crab?

After a satisfying meal, darkness had already fallen. Everyone enjoyed the sea breeze for a while before Cheng Zhiyu released Big Strong.

Big Strong was now at Level 2. Compared to before, it looked much sturdier and more robust, with the most noticeable change being the increased interior space.

On the first floor, in addition to Cheng Zhiyu's master bedroom, there was now an extra room, which Zhou Min had already moved into. The second floor also gained a room. Originally, Tian Qiao and Tian Manman shared a room, but now they each had their own.

Similarly, an additional bathroom was added, which was a thoughtful touch.

However, these changes weren’t what made Cheng Zhiyu the happiest.

What delighted him most was Big Strong’s treehouse’s new function: stealth mode.

As the name suggests, unlike before when the treehouse would attract attention from afar, Big Strong could now transform its exterior into an ordinary-looking tree, completely concealing its treehouse form and making it impossible to guess that people lived inside.

While this function might not fool zombies, it would certainly deter humans.

Cheng Zhiyu chose a spot that blended in seamlessly. After everyone entered, he activated the stealth function, making it appear like a common seaside tree.

Even seabirds were fooled, landing on it and chirping away.

Inside, Cheng Zhiyu took a shower and returned to his room feeling refreshed, only to find Little Black sprawled sideways on the bed, occupying most of the 1.8-meter mattress.

Cheng Zhiyu paused: Perhaps it was time for a bigger bed.

Seeing him enter, Little Black’s tail began to wag.

Cheng Zhiyu smiled and got into bed. As soon as he lay down, Little Black rested his head on Cheng Zhiyu’s chest.

Cheng Zhiyu: "…I can’t breathe."

He tried to get Little Black to move his head: "Little Black, is that comfortable for you, lying like this?"

Little Black, pleased by Cheng Zhiyu’s concern, replied: "Very comfortable."

Cheng Zhiyu smelled wonderful.

Cheng Zhiyu: "…"

He hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest: "You’re not as small as you used to be. You’re crushing my chest… Big Black."

Big Black looked up at him: "?"

From his furry face, Cheng Zhiyu could discern what seemed like a wounded expression.

"Ahem, I really shouldn’t call you Little Black anymore." Cheng Zhiyu felt a pang of guilt, but he truly couldn’t bear the weight. He was afraid he might be suffocated.

Big Black slowly moved his head off Cheng Zhiyu’s chest, looking devastated: "You’re tired of me."

Cheng Zhiyu quickly explained: "That’s not true."

Big Black: "…"

"Really, it’s not." Cheng Zhiyu hurriedly comforted him, hugging and kissing him: "Sweetie, how could I be tired of you? Even if you don’t lie on my chest, I can still hold you while we sleep."

Big Black’s mood improved slightly, and he grumbled: "Growing bigger is no fun!"

Cheng Zhiyu chuckled, finding him adorable. He hugged Big Black’s head and gave him a big kiss: "What’s wrong with it? When you were tiny, I couldn’t even hold you properly. Now, holding you is so satisfying." It was like hugging a giant stuffed animal.

Big Black’s tail curled around Cheng Zhiyu’s waist, his eyes hinting: Hold me.

Cheng Zhiyu laughed and hugged Big Black tightly, burying his face in Big Black’s fur. He took a deep breath and found the scent pleasant.

Big Black was very clean and often groomed his fur, which carried the scent of sunshine.

Cheng Zhiyu closed his eyes: "Big Black, are you going to keep growing?"

Big Black answered honestly: "Yes. Don’t you dare be tired of me."

Cheng Zhiyu smiled: "Silly, how could I be tired of you? I love you too much to ever be tired of you."

Big Black felt his heart swell. Who was this blissful Winged Tribe member? Oh, right—it was him.

Cheng Zhiyu’s breathing soon became steady, as if he had fallen asleep, but Big Black couldn’t sleep. That familiar sensation of his whole body heating up had returned.

It must be because Cheng Zhiyu was holding him.

Big Black gently licked Cheng Zhiyu’s ear tip. The latter, probably feeling ticklish, nuzzled deeper into Big Black’s fur and muttered drowsily: "So loud…"

What was so loud? Big Black thought, Oh, it’s my heart.

So strange, why is it beating so fast? It’s all Cheng Zhiyu’s fault. Thinking this, Big Black held Cheng Zhiyu even tighter.

—

The next day, when Cheng Zhiyu woke up, he saw that Zhou Min and the others were already outside.

Cheng Zhiyu gently pushed away Big Black, who was clinging to him unwillingly, and stepped out of the treehouse: "What are you all doing?"

Zhou Min was especially excited: "Beachcombing! Let’s catch more seafood and store it in your space. That way, we won’t have to worry about food later, hehe."

Before the apocalypse, Cheng Zhiyu had watched videos about beachcombing. He had been itching to try it for a long time, and now that he finally had the chance, he wasn’t going to miss it.

He immediately rolled up his sleeves: "I’m joining too!"

Perhaps because no one had visited the beach for so long, they easily gathered a lot of seafood. Nobody ate any of it, storing everything in Cheng Zhiyu’s space instead.

For breakfast, they had crab roe noodles. The noodles were hand-pulled and very chewy, paired with fresh and fragrant crab roe. Each person ate a whole bowl.

After that, they spent their time catching seafood, but they didn’t encounter any powerful mutated creatures like the giant crab again. This was understandable—mutated creatures were limited in number, and ones like the giant crab, which was nearly Level 4, were even rarer and harder to come across.

They did run into some Level 2 and ordinary Level 3 mutated creatures, all of which were dealt with.

They also encountered a Level 3 zombie that attacked them. This zombie was quite clever, hiding behind and letting the Level 1 and Level 2 zombies take the lead.

Hiding far away himself, in the end, Cheng Zhiyu finished it off with a single shot.

Soon, they decided to leave the seaside. Their spatial storage was almost full of seafood, and it was time to go.

——

Tian Qiao drove the car, humming a tune: "We've covered more than half the trip, right?"

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at the map and nodded: "Yeah, more than half."

They were, of course, talking about the way home.

If there were no delays on the road, they would be home in at most two months.

Beside him, Big Black kept fidgeting, as if uncomfortable.

Cheng Zhiyu put away the map and stroked him: "What's wrong? Not feeling well?"

Big Black felt somewhat agitated: "It's stifling in the car. I’ll get out and run alongside it."

Cheng Zhiyu agreed: "Alright, go ahead and run a bit."

After all, the car was cramped, and dogs do need daily exercise, right? It was nighttime, not too hot outside, and with his fur, Big Black didn’t mind the cold.

Big Black nodded, got out of the car, and started running alongside it.

Cheng Zhiyu leaned his head against the window: "Can you keep up?"

Big Black felt Cheng Zhiyu was underestimating him: "I can keep up."

Seeing him run with ease, Cheng Zhiyu was reassured: "Okay, good."

"Brother Cheng, look at Little Roll." Zhou Min pointed at Little Roll, who kept poking him nonstop, and complained to Cheng Zhiyu.

Not only was it poking him, but it was also deliberately tickling him. Zhou Min laughed until his stomach hurt.

Little Roll would have liked to bother others, but if it bothered Cheng Zhiyu, it would get a stern scolding. Tian Qiao was driving, so he couldn’t be disturbed. As for Tian Manman, he had no ticklish spots at all and showed no reaction, so Little Roll eventually lost interest.

As for Big Black, needless to say, Little Roll didn’t dare.

Cheng Zhiyu sighed, feeling like a kindergarten teacher managing kids’ squabbles: "Little Roll, stop bothering Zhou Min."

Little Roll was reluctant—it was bored.

Cheng Zhiyu: "Behave. Stop it."

Little Roll wrapped itself around Cheng Zhiyu’s wrist, trying to sweet-talk him. Cheng Zhiyu was both amused and exasperated: "Sweet-talking me won’t work. You still can’t bother others."

Annoyed, Little Roll whipped away a clueless zombie that had approached the car with a vine.

Cheng Zhiyu shook his head: "Quite the temper."

Outside the car, noticing Cheng Zhiyu’s attention had been elsewhere for a while, Big Black’s previously good mood grew agitated again.

Stupid vine, why does it have to be so dramatic?

Big Black: "Cheng Zhiyu."

Hearing his full name called so suddenly, Cheng Zhiyu immediately turned to Big Black outside the car: "What’s wrong?"

Big Black asked: "Do you want to ride on my back?"

Uh… that sounded weird. Cheng Zhiyu cleared his throat, reminding himself not to overthink it—Big Black was just a big dog.

"Probably not," Cheng Zhiyu politely declined, worried he might weigh Big Black down.

After all, he was a grown man, weighing over a hundred pounds.

Big Black was heartbroken: "Why? Don’t you like me?"

Cheng Zhiyu didn’t know how they had gotten here. Afraid of hurting the dog’s feelings, he quickly explained: "I do like you. Of course I do."

Big Black: "Then why won’t you ride on my back? Is the car more comfortable than riding me?"

Cheng Zhiyu thought, how would I know? I’ve never ridden you before. But he still explained: "I’m afraid I’ll weigh you down."

Hearing this, Big Black felt better: "I’m not afraid. You’re not heavy at all. Come on up."

Cheng Zhiyu: "…" Alright, since he insisted.

So, after letting Tian Qiao know, the car stopped. The large black dog crouched slightly, elegant and powerful—well, if you ignored the tail wagging behind him.

Cheng Zhiyu carefully straddled Big Black’s back and asked: "Am I heavy?"

Big Black sounded cheerful: "You’re light."

Cheng Zhiyu raised an eyebrow. The dog beneath him stood up and started running. He quickly grabbed Big Black’s fur, afraid of hurting him, then bent down to hug him, pressing close to his back.

It felt completely different from riding in a car—thrilling.

After a moment, Cheng Zhiyu tentatively straightened up. Big Black’s speed was about the same as the off-road vehicle, and Cheng Zhiyu could tell he was holding back—he could probably run even faster.

Cheng Zhiyu thought it and said it aloud.

Big Black preened like a peacock: "Of course. This speed is slow."

Cheng Zhiyu’s heart raced with excitement: "Then can you run faster?"

His eyes sparkled.

Big Black hesitated: "You might get hurt."

Cheng Zhiyu immediately lay flat, hugging Big Black: "Then I won’t."

Big Black: "Hold on tight."

Cheng Zhiyu: "Yeah!" He held on tightly.

Instantly, the wind whistled sharply past his ears. He faintly heard Zhou Min shout something, but it was unclear, scattered by the wind.

Everything around them blurred into streaks, rushing backward. Honestly, it wasn’t comfortable—his exposed cheeks and ears stung from the wind, and Cheng Zhiyu didn’t dare open his mouth, afraid the wind would rush into his lungs.

But it was so thrilling. His adrenaline surged; his body felt somewhat uncomfortable, but his spirit was exceptionally satisfied.

After who knows how long, Big Black slowed down and finally stopped. Cheng Zhiyu sat up and noticed a cluster of unknown flowers by the roadside, beautiful and fragrant.

The night air was cold, but since Cheng Zhiyu had eaten the plants grown by Little Two, he didn’t feel cold. The outdoor air was especially fresh, with few people around and no zombies in sight. It felt wonderful.

Cheng Zhiyu tried to get off Big Black, but the dog wouldn’t let him. He gave up and glanced back, concerned: "Will Tian Qiao and the others be able to find us?"

Big Black: "I kept going straight."

Cheng Zhiyu felt relieved, but Big Black's speed earlier was too fast, and he wasn’t sure how long it would take Tian Qiao and the others to catch up.

He glanced around and released Big Strong’s treehouse. After traveling all day, it was time to rest.

Cheng Zhiyu didn’t feel like cooking today, so he took some pre-made meals from his inventory, and he and Big Black ate first.

Since Big Black grew up, his appetite had increased again. Before, it was about the same as Cheng Zhiyu’s, but now it was three times larger.

Cheng Zhiyu had stored plenty of reusable meal containers. After eating, they could be washed and reused.

He had originally thought Tian Qiao and the others would catch up quickly, but after finishing the meal and even taking a shower, they still hadn’t arrived.

Cheng Zhiyu began to worry, afraid they might have gotten lost or run into danger.

The latter shouldn’t have happened, though, since there were no mutated beasts or zombies along the way. Besides, Tian Qiao and the others could handle anything below Level 4.

As Cheng Zhiyu worried, he turned and saw Big Black rolling on the ground, which amused him: "Why are you rolling around?"

Big Black didn’t know either. He felt overheated again, a sensation he’d been having frequently lately. And this time, Cheng Zhiyu hadn’t even touched him. Could it be… he was about to turn human?

He used to be able to take human form, but after getting injured, he couldn’t anymore.

Now that he had recovered somewhat, it wasn’t impossible.

But Big Black didn’t know how to explain it to Cheng Zhiyu, so he just gave a vague response.

Fortunately, just then, a voice came from outside the treehouse. Zhou Min exclaimed: "Oh my god, you guys were so fast! All I saw was a blur—whoosh—and you were gone."

Cheng Zhiyu opened the door: "Come on in."

He hadn’t felt it too clearly himself, since he was lying on Big Black’s back and the sensation wasn’t as obvious.

Still, the fact that the off-road vehicle had driven so fast and still taken this long to catch up was proof enough of just how fast Big Black was.

As soon as someone entered, Big Black immediately sat up straight. He would never roll around in front of anyone other than Cheng Zhiyu; even if he felt uncomfortable, he would endure it.

Seeing that Big Black had stopped rolling, Cheng Zhiyu assumed he had just been playing earlier and didn’t think much of it.

"Cheng Zhiyu, you have no idea—I floored the accelerator and still didn’t even catch a glimpse of Brother Black’s backside," Tian Qiao said, plopping down on the sofa.

As soon as he finished, Big Black glared at him: What’s with looking at my butt?

Tian Qiao: It’s just a figure of speech.

"I didn’t see it either," Tian Manman added foolishly from the side.

Big Black: "…"

Zhou Min gazed eagerly at Big Black: "Brother Black! You’re so handsome, so cool, the most unbelievably handsome in the entire universe!"

Big Black showed no reaction. No matter how much Zhou Min praised him, it couldn’t compare to a single "You’re amazing" from Cheng Zhiyu.

He lazily lay down, letting Zhou Min praise him endlessly.

Zhou Min felt he had praised enough and made an audacious request: "So, Brother Black, can I ride you?"

Cheng Zhiyu looked at Big Black, who, despite having fur, seemed to have a gloomy expression: "Tell him to get lost."

Only Cheng Zhiyu could communicate with Big Black. He turned to the hopeful Zhou Min and said tactfully, "Big Black doesn’t like people getting too close."

Zhou Min was disappointed: "No way! Brother Black, Brother Black! I’ll do anything for you—be your servant!"

Big Black narrowed his eyes. Did he expect a proud member of the Winged Tribe to serve as his mount? Immediately, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bowl appeared above Zhou Min’s head.

Sensing danger, Zhou Min: "…" His scalp tingled.

He quickly forced a laugh: "Haha, just kidding! Actually, I meant you could ride me—must’ve slipped up, haha…"

Big Black slowly retracted the lightning and said disdainfully, "I don’t need a mount."

Cheng Zhiyu held back a laugh and didn’t translate for Zhou Min, afraid it would break his heart.

Zhou Min recoiled, still shaken. Tian Qiao gave him a thumbs-up: "You actually dared to say you wanted to ride Brother Black? You’re something else."

Zhou Min scratched his head: "Well, you gotta have dreams, right? What if they come true?"

Tian Qiao had to admire his audacity. That was just how Zhou Min was—fearlessly bold.

Cheng Zhiyu handed them their meals and then went back to the room with Big Black. Once alone, he said, "Big Black, do you not like others riding you? I’ve already experienced it today, and it was great. If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself in the future."

Big Black: "…" When did I force myself?

As soon as Cheng Zhiyu finished speaking, Big Black wrapped his tail around him, lifted him onto his back, and scratched the ground with his paw: "You’re different. I like it when you ride me."

Cheng Zhiyu was taken aback. Who wouldn’t appreciate such unique special treatment? He bent down and gave Big Black an affectionate kiss: "I understand. Big Black sees me as his master, but you don’t have to do that. You’re not an ordinary dog—we’re equals."

Big Black: "…" What? Master? He was too frustrated to speak.

Seeing Big Black fall silent, Cheng Zhiyu assumed he had taken the advice to heart. He got down: "If you’re tired, get some rest early. I’m going to the system space."

Big Black nodded dismissively, pondering where things had gone wrong. Master? He wasn’t actually a dog, damn it!

Why would Cheng Zhiyu think that? His brain must be fried.

How annoying.

In the system space, Cheng Zhiyu had no idea Big Black was sulking. As usual, he made his rounds to check on the plants.

The second batch of watermelons was ripe. Cheng Zhiyu tapped them, cut the vines, and stored them away. Two were fully ripe, with a few more still unripe.

Each watermelon weighed around twenty jin (about 22 pounds). They’d have watermelon to eat tomorrow.

The chili peppers had started bearing fruit, and the lettuce was already edible—they’d been eating it regularly lately.

As for the eggplants, pumpkins, lettuce, and green beans—they were planted earlier than the chili peppers and lettuce, so they ripened daily, requiring Cheng Zhiyu to harvest them every day.

After gathering these, Cheng Zhiyu hurried over to check the wheat near Big Strong. The wheat near Little Yellow had already turned yellow and would be ready to harvest in a couple of days. But the wheat near Big Strong was still green.

However, these wheat plants were completely different from what Cheng Zhiyu remembered. They stood as tall as a person, and each grain on the ear was half the size of Cheng Zhiyu’s palm.

Originally, he thought planting wheat in such a small plot was pointless—a small patch wouldn’t yield enough flour to matter.

But now, with the mutated wheat near Big Strong mutated like this, his earlier concerns were completely unnecessary.

After all, a single mutated wheat plant could produce a small bag of flour.

Cheng Zhiyu smiled and gently stroked the mutated wheat, his gaze full of affection. Grow well.

He’d heard back at Chaoyang Base that plants that had mutated like this could adapt to the current weather. He’d been mulling over the idea that he could plant them once he returned home, but he’d have to see how things were then. He had already started consciously saving seeds for that purpose.

After tidying up the space, Cheng Zhiyu stretched with a lazy yawn and returned to the room.

Big Black’s eyes were closed, and Cheng Zhiyu thought he was asleep, so he softened his footsteps. However, as soon as he appeared, Big Black's ears twitched, and he opened his eyes.

Cheng Zhiyu quickly washed up and walked over. "Sorry, did I disturb you?"

Big Black: "I wasn’t asleep."

He couldn’t sleep at all, agitated from the heat all over. At the same time, he was also in a bit of a mood. Before he became human last time, he had felt exactly like this, so he was almost certain that he was going to turn human again soon.

He felt a little uneasy, not sure how Cheng Zhiyu would take it once he transformed. Cheng Zhiyu had always thought of him as a dog, and even if he considered the possibility of him turning human, he probably didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

This unpredictability made Big Black even more anxious, his tail lashing restlessly.

Cheng Zhiyu lay down on the bed, burying his face in Big Black’s fur and sighing softly. "What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

Big Black mumbled listlessly, "It’s nothing…"

Cheng Zhiyu worriedly scratched the dog’s head. "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Big Black: "No, let’s just go to sleep."

Seeing that Big Black didn’t want to talk, Cheng Zhiyu was left wondering what was wrong. Full of concern, he closed his eyes. If Big Black wasn’t willing to speak, there was nothing he could do—he couldn’t force him.

He would find a chance to ask again tomorrow.

Big Black opened his eyes to look at Cheng Zhiyu, whose breathing was steady, likely already asleep. He gently pressed a big paw against Cheng Zhiyu’s cheek and muttered, "You’re not allowed to dislike me."

Obviously, Cheng Zhiyu didn’t respond. Big Black continued on his own, "If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as agreement…"

The next moment, Cheng Zhiyu frowned slightly and mumbled, "Big Black, stop messing around…"

Big Black’s expression darkened. "That one doesn’t count."

He tried again, "If you don’t say anything now, it means you agree."

Perfect—this time, Cheng Zhiyu stayed silent. Satisfied, Big Black swayed his tail gently, wrapping it around the waist of the person in his arms. The tip of his tail brushed against smooth skin, making his whole body burn even hotter.

He couldn’t sleep, not at all.

Cheng Zhiyu was drifting in and out of sleep when he heard birds chirping outside. He guessed it was just dawn and that he could still sleep a little longer.

Wait—the texture he was holding felt wrong. It wasn’t furry; it felt more like human skin?

And where was his face buried? Why did it feel like it was rising and falling?

Cheng Zhiyu snapped his eyes open and saw a pair of large pectoral muscles extremely close to him—he had just buried his face there.

"Ah!!!" Cheng Zhiyu screamed and kicked them right off the bed.