Chapter 3: You’re Still a Virgin

Chapter 3: Still a Virgin

The next day, Shu Hanqing picked up his points at the mission hall. The thin card felt weightless in his hand. He went to the cafeteria, cashed in his points for a standard ration, packed it in a lunchbox, and headed toward the residential area.

There weren't many people on the road.

Near his quarters, a modified off-road vehicle—its body still bearing fresh scrapes—slowed down beside him. The window rolled down, revealing Sang Mai's face with that mischievous grin of his.

"Brother Shu! Where are you headed? Free tonight? North Street No. 10—let's go have some fun?"

Shu Hanqing couldn't even be bothered to look up. He didn't stop walking. "Not going."

Sang Mai drove alongside him at a leisurely pace, not giving up, adding another line: "Come on, Brother Mu's going too. It's been a while since we all hung out together. Don't leave us hanging, yeah?"

Shu Hanqing's steps faltered for a moment. He turned his head, looked at Sang Mai in the car, raised an eyebrow, and said with a sly grin: "Fine then. But you'd better bring Rong Hua along too. If he's not coming, I'm not either."

Plot Master: "I think you could just choose not to go."

Shu Hanqing: "Why wouldn't I go? The more the merrier. Aren't you the one telling me to play cupid for the leads? I deliberately invited Rong Hua."

Shu Hanqing mentally patted himself on the back for being so obedient.

Sang Mai said "deal" and drove off.

The base was divided into four relatively sealed safe zones—east, south, west, and north—layered with high walls and electric fences, barely carving out a space to breathe.

Things weren't like they were before the apocalypse. Supplies were scarce, and entertainment was even scarcer. Besides staying alive, the only thought was how to keep surviving.

North Street No. 10, that underground bar, had become one of the few places where many superpowered individuals who walked the razor's edge, and people with pull, could briefly escape.

For ten points, you could get through that iron door. Inside, the lighting was dim and smoky, the air thick and stale—there was cheap booze that had been watered down God knows how many times, and men and women in skimpy outfits, looking for a good time.

For many, this was where people spent their points on cheap thrills and a chance to forget.

That evening, Shu Hanqing changed, cut through a few alleys that smelled like God knows what, and found the entrance.

After paying his points, the moment he stepped inside, deafening music and stale air hit him like a wall.

He squinted through the dim, shifting lights and the sea of bodies, scanning the room for a while before he spotted Sang Mai's table.

Sang Mai, Yun Ying, and two other familiar team members were sitting around a table, with three or four young guys laughing and chatting nearby.

Shu Hanqing walked over, not sparing the guys a glance, and tapped the table with his knuckles.

Sang Mai looked up, saw him, and his eyes lit up. He immediately waved for one of the boys beside him to scoot over: "Brother Shu! You're here! Have a seat!"

Yun Ying poured him a drink and pushed it in front of him, shouting over the music: "Brother Shu, why haven't you been picking up any missions lately? You're never around. What are you doing holed up in your room all day?"

Shu Hanqing picked up the drink, sniffed it, then set it back down without taking a sip. He leaned back against the stiff seat, the lights sweeping across his blank face, his voice sounding distant over the noise: "...Thinking about life."

He was telling the truth, not that anyone would believe him.

Shu Hanqing really hadn't done anything useful lately. He slept in until late morning before slowly dragging himself out of bed, then splurged his saved-up points on an old television that could only pick up a few static-filled channels, and an even more ancient gaming system.

The console came with a built-in game called "Apocalypse Garden"—crude graphics, simple gameplay.

Every day, Shu Hanqing holed up in his room, staring at the flickering screen, controlling a pixel character, relentlessly beating back waves of pixel zombies, collecting the sunlight and seeds they dropped, then tending his garden—planting radishes, harvesting cabbages—watching his little virtual plot slowly grow.

If it weren't for that annoying Plot Master chiming in his head from time to time, he felt he could stay holed up like this for days, or even longer.

That useless Plot Master still hadn't figured out a way to remove the Thunder Mark from his mind.

"Didn't you say Mu Ye was gonna come?" Shu Hanqing scanned the noisy booth but didn't see the familiar face. He turned to Sang Mai. "Where is he?"

A mischievous grin spread across Sang Mai's face. He winked at Shu Hanqing and drew out his words: "Brother Shu, don't be so impatient. The guy you've been waiting for—here he comes!"

Just as the words left his mouth, the shadows at the booth's entrance shifted, and two figures walked in, one right after the other.

Leading the way was Mu Ye. He was wearing a light casual jacket, looking a lot better than he had a few days ago. A warm, easy smile was on his face, like a spring breeze. His gaze swept over the group before landing on Shu Hanqing's face.

Half a step behind him was Rong Hua. His style was still... unique.

A black tight-fitting T-shirt, ripped jeans, and the most eye-catching thing, though, was his hair—the sides were streaked with a few strands of bright wine-red, like two little flames dancing in the dim light.

Standing there, Rong Hua was the very picture of a terminal-stage edgelord, dressed like he was trying way too hard to look cool, pre-apocalypse style.

Mu Ye stopped at the edge of the booth, his voice warm, with a hint of apology: "Sorry, had to deal with something. I'm late."

Sang Mai immediately jumped up and eagerly waved Mu Ye over to the empty seat next to Shu Hanqing: "Not late at all, Brother Mu! Sit here—there's a spot right next to Brother Shu!"

He then pointed to the seat in the farthest corner, the one furthest from Shu Hanqing, and said casually to Rong Hua: "Hey Rong, you take that spot."

Mu Ye sat right down. As he moved, his jacket sleeve rode up slightly, revealing a string of dark, shiny Buddhist prayer beads around his wrist.

The beads were made of red sandalwood, each one round and smooth, wrapped several times around his wrist, casting a deep, dull gleam in the dim light. Clearly they'd been worn and rubbed smooth by their owner over the years—definitely not cheap.

Shu Hanqing had seen Mu Ye wearing those beads ever since he'd known him. He never took them off.

Mu Ye had mentioned that his family used to be Buddhist—something of a family of Buddhist scholars. When the apocalypse hit, faith crumbled faster than the skyscrapers. Human life became as cheap as weeds, and even the gods and Buddhas looked away.

When Mu Ye killed zombies, those beads would swing gently on his wrist with every movement. He never took them off. In his eyes, zombies were already dead things—eliminating them didn't go against his beliefs, nor did it trouble his conscience.

Shu Hanqing remembered that in that damned book, it was described how Mu Ye, for Rong Hua's sake, had gotten into a massive brawl with Lei Zheng at some chaotic event. At that time, Mu Ye had ripped the beads off his own wrist.

Now those beads sat quietly around Mu Ye's lean wrist, looking completely out of place in the bar's chaos. Shu Hanqing glanced at them once, then looked away, picked up his drink, and took a sip.

It tasted even worse than he'd expected.

In his past life, he'd climbed pretty high before he died, and Lei Zheng had always given him the best of everything. It had been a long time since he'd had booze this cheap.

Just as Mu Ye settled into the seat right next to him, Shu Hanqing suddenly stood up. Without so much as a glance at anyone, he walked straight around the low table to where Rong Hua sat at the very edge of the booth, fiddling with an empty glass in his hand.

The light was dim. Rong Hua looked up, his dark eyes showing a flicker of annoyance and wariness at being bothered.

Shu Hanqing loomed over him and said flatly: "Scoot over."

For a second, everyone froze.

Sang Mai, Yun Ying, and the other two team members all looked over, their eyes darting between Shu Hanqing, Mu Ye, and Rong Hua.

Rong Hua frowned, his lips pressed into a thin line. But he didn't say anything—just scooted further into the corner, making just enough room for Shu Hanqing to squeeze in.

Seeing this, Sang Mai quickly jumped in to smooth things over, leaning toward Mu Ye and speaking just loud enough for those nearby to hear: "Brother Mu, it really was Brother Shu who wanted you here. I don't know why he..."

He seemed a bit flustered, trying to explain for Shu Hanqing.

Mu Ye said it was fine. He still had that gentle smile on his face, though under the shifting lights, it didn't quite reach his eyes. He sounded resigned: "It's fine. He's probably still mad at me. No big deal."

Shu Hanqing sat down in the cramped corner Rong Hua had made for him, grabbed an open beer from the table, tilted his head back, and took a long swig.

Rong Hua, sitting nearby, probably bored and caught up in the boisterous atmosphere around him, licked the liquor from his own glass.

Shu Hanqing noticed the move and thought, this small-time attitude and he wants to be edgy?

Yun Ying couldn't sit still anymore. Hearing the increasingly frantic rhythm from the dance floor, she tugged at Shu Hanqing's arm and shook it: "Hey Shu, come dance with me, it's suffocating in here!"

Shu Hanqing glanced at the crowded, writhing figures on the dance floor, worried some drunk, handsy creep might take advantage of a girl like Yun Ying. He set down his bottle, nodded, and got up to follow her.

Rong Hua kept watching from the sidelines.

The dance floor lights were even more chaotic, shadows shifting everywhere—you couldn't tell who was who.

But Rong Hua could still spot that tall figure in the T-shirt, pulled by Yun Ying into the center of the crowd. Yun Ying smiled, her palm resting naturally on Shu Hanqing's shoulder as she swayed to the beat.

Shu Hanqing seemed to get caught up in the vibe too, loosening up quickly, his movements had a casual, effortless grace. To the music, he and Yun Ying swayed, spun, and laughed along.

That cold, aloof, handsome face, under the blurry lights and glistening sweat, somehow took on a lazy, unrestrained, almost seductive quality—utterly different from his usual self.

Sang Mai quickly pushed his way over and joined them.

At the booth, only Mu Ye and Rong Hua remained.

Mu Ye held his glass, leaning back slightly, his gaze, tinged with a smile, fixed on the lively figure at the center of the dance floor. He suddenly turned to Rong Hua, who had been silent but whose gaze kept drifting toward the dance floor: "Xiao Rong, aren't you going over to join them? You're still young, you should be more lively."

Rong Hua immediately looked away and shook his head: "I can't."

Mu Ye smiled: "You can ask Hanqing to teach you. He's always been good to you—he was the first one to discover you and insisted on bringing you back."

"Hanqing was in the dance club in university. He was really good at Latin dancing back then, even won awards. He's outgoing and everyone likes him."

Rong Hua felt that Mu Ye seemed to be bragging about how well he knew Shu Hanqing.

Rong Hua kept his eyes lowered, his long lashes hiding the expression beneath them, his fingers picking at the edge of a hole in his jeans. He said nothing, lost in thought.

Shu Hanqing was tired from dancing, sweat on his forehead. He gestured for Yun Ying and Sang Mai to keep going, then squeezed his way out of the crowded dance floor and walked over to the quieter bar counter.

The bartender was a man with makeup on, his pinky raised. Seeing Shu Hanqing approach, he greeted him warmly. Shu Hanqing casually ordered a drink, but his gaze kept drifting toward the booth.

Mu Ye and Rong Hua were sitting close together, seemingly in conversation.

Mu Ye had his face turned to the side, his expression gentle, while Rong Hua kept his head down.

Shu Hanqing watched expressionlessly, thinking flatly: Isn't this nice? Things are progressing smoothly.

Still, it pissed him off a little to watch.

The drink Shu Hanqing ordered was soon pushed in front of him—a soft pink drink that looked harmless, with a thin slice of peach perched on the rim of the glass.

The bartender raised his pinky, blinked, and went on about this signature drink called Peach Kiss. Shu Hanqing took a sip—it was sweet and refreshing, tasted like peaches. He muttered under his breath that it was pretty good, then chugged it like it was juice.

Shu Hanqing said, "Another one."

The sweetness masked the alcohol. It didn't hit while drinking, but after a few glasses down, the buzz crept up on him slowly. He started feeling hot, and his head began to spin.

Shu Hanqing lowered his head, pressing the back of his hand against his hot forehead. The bartender behind the counter looked at him with concern, pinky raised, speaking in a squeaky voice: "Sir, I told you this drink has a strong kick. Are you alright?"

Shu Hanqing propped up his head, trying to keep his eyes open. He was slurring his words, but his tone was still defiant: "...I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy right now, everything else is... normal. Don't believe me? I can still walk a straight line to show you."

With that, he started to climb down from the stool.

The bartender quickly waved his hands: "Sir, just sit and take a breather!"

But Shu Hanqing didn't listen. He shook his head, pointed back to their booth, and mumbled: "I'm going back over there."

Mu Ye had left—gone to the restroom. Before leaving, he'd told Rong Hua to keep an eye on Shu Hanqing, saying he couldn't hold his liquor...

Rong Hua sat at the edge of the booth, watching Shu Hanqing stagger toward their table.

Then, right in front of Rong Hua, Shu Hanqing stumbled and missed their table entirely—plopping down onto an empty seat at the neighboring booth instead.

That booth had a few people already—a group of young men who looked shifty and sleazy, with shifty eyes. They were gathered around someone dressed provocatively with a dazed look, also there for a good time, groping him all over while he let out incoherent moans and giggles.

Shu Hanqing's sudden arrival killed the vibe over there.

One of them, a man with a buzz cut and a tattoo on his neck, was annoyed at the interruption. He looked up, and seeing that Shu Hanqing's eyes were a bit unfocused but his features were clean and handsome, dressed plainly and neatly, didn't look like anyone important, a lewd smile spread across his face. His gaze swept over Shu Hanqing's face and body, and he said with a leer: "What's up? Pretty boy, all alone? Want to join us for some fun?"

It was the end of the world—most people didn't care about gender.

As he spoke, he deliberately leaned closer to Shu Hanqing, the stench of smoke and booze hitting him in the face, his hand reaching toward Shu Hanqing's collar.

Shu Hanqing didn't struggle. He squinted, staring at the man in front of him, and after a few long seconds, confirmed this person was a stranger.

"...You've already stretched my collar out. Can't you be a little gentler?" Shu Hanqing said, sounding helpless.

The man was taken aback, then grinned widely, revealing a mouthful of uneven teeth: "You're a funny one. I promise I'll be gentle as can be—I'll only make you scream with pleasure."

Rong Hua gripped his glass so hard his knuckles went white.

F*ck.

Shu Hanqing was actually flirting with such an ugly man right in front of him. What a shameless bastard.

Just as the man was about to put his hand on Shu Hanqing's thigh, someone was faster than Shu Hanqing.

Rong Hua threw the man down, and that pudgy hand was nearly crushed.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know who I am? Careful, I'll make you—ah! Stop! You—ahhh—"

The man's voice twisted and distorted with agony as he struggled desperately to break free, but Rong Hua didn't budge: "I'll f*cking—ahhhh—"

That string of crude, continuous curses snapped Shu Hanqing out of his daze. He shot to his feet: "Rong Hua! Rong Hua! Let him go first! You're going to cripple him!"

But the only response was the man's increasingly pained cries.

Shu Hanqing watched helplessly as more and more people were drawn over by the commotion. Rong Hua was beating someone—if this continued, something was bound to happen tonight. He gritted his teeth, grabbed Rong Hua's arm, said "Let's go," and pulled him as he ran out.

They ran for who knows how long. By the time Shu Hanqing had run off the alcohol, he finally let go of Rong Hua.

Shu Hanqing gasped for air, leaning against the wall as he slowly slid down to sit. Only then did he have a chance to properly look at Rong Hua, who was equally out of breath beside him.

Shu Hanqing looked at him, a mix of emotions churning inside: "...Let's rest for a bit."

Rong Hua sat down silently beside him. Neither of them spoke.

The air was thick with an awkward, subtle tension.

Shu Hanqing hadn't expected this wannabe rebel to have a sense of justice. He was just about to thank him.

Just then, not far away, a strange sound suddenly came—a series of rising and falling noises, moans and groans, accompanied by a man's crude shouting.

Shu Hanqing frowned and looked toward the source of the sound, feeling a sense of disgust. He thought to himself, who would do such a thing in a place like this? How trashy.

Rong Hua seemed to have heard it too and asked in confusion, "What's that sound?"

Shu Hanqing blinked. It wasn't that he was embarrassed—he genuinely saw innocence in Rong Hua's eyes. What was Rong Hua playing at? There's no way he didn't recognize that sound.

"...They're probably busy. Let's have some decency and get out of here."

But Shu Hanqing forgot that Rong Hua never did what he was told. Rong Hua stood up, followed the sound, and headed straight in that direction.

Then Shu Hanqing watched as Rong Hua pushed aside the messy greenery, stuck his head right in, and then his head froze there like it was glued to the spot.

Shu Hanqing: "..."

After a moment, Rong Hua pulled his head back out. Shu Hanqing looked at him with a complicated expression and asked, "Did you see clearly?"

Rong Hua looked at Shu Hanqing, his face flushing deeper and deeper, hesitating as if he wanted to say something but couldn't: "...Men... how can men be with men..."

Shu Hanqing was laughing his ass off inside and couldn't resist teasing Rong Hua: "What? Never done it with anyone before? Still a virgin, huh? Want big bro to show you how it's done..."

Plot God: "!! Warning, serious warning!! You're strictly forbidden from crossing the line with the protagonist in your dialogue."

Shu Hanqing said matter-of-factly, "What's the big deal? I'm just teaching him. What if he's homophobic? Then your world would fall apart even more."

Plot God's voice was stiff: "That's still not your job."

Rong Hua saw Shu Hanqing suddenly drop the goofy act and pressed, "...Teach me what?"

Shu Hanqing shrugged: "Nothing."

Rong Hua was like he'd just discovered a whole new world. On the way back, his expression kept changing, and his gaze couldn't help but fixate on Shu Hanqing's ass and waist ahead of him.

Shu Hanqing was completely unaware and even told Rong Hua to walk faster, telling him to stop dragging his feet.

When Shu Hanqing and Rong Hua returned, they walked one after the other. When they got back to their place, Sang Mai saw them and hurried over: "Thank God, you're finally back. The captain's been looking all over for you."

Then they spotted Mu Ye walking in from outside.

Shu Hanqing wanted to go back, but he didn't want to give Mu Ye and Rong Hua any chance to get close, so he said to Rong Hua with an attitude, "Where are my clothes? Hurry up and give them back to me."

"...I haven't washed them yet."

Shu Hanqing thought this kid was really rude—he'd kindly lent him clothes and the kid didn't even have basic manners: "I don't care. I want them right now."

Rong Hua shot him a look and left.

Mu Ye came over, looked Shu Hanqing up and down, then glanced at the departing Rong Hua: "Are you two okay? What the hell happened? I came back and everything was a mess, and I couldn't find you anywhere."

Shu Hanqing knew he mainly wanted to ask about Rong Hua: "Just a little run-in with someone. Don't worry, we didn't come out on the losing end."

Sang Mai tactfully gave the two of them some space.

Mu Ye said, "Good to hear. By the way, Hanqing, can we talk? I feel like you've been acting weird lately."

Shu Hanqing said, "Sure. Let's go to my room and talk."

Plot God: "...Why would you let him into your room?"

Shu Hanqing was puzzled: "It's not like my room's some secret lair. Don't worry, I'll cut him off clean and never get involved in his business again."

Shu Hanqing opened the door, took off his shoes, and stepped onto the floor barefoot: "Sorry, no chairs. Just have a seat on the bed."

Mu Ye looked at the room, which was noticeably messier now that he'd moved out, took off his shoes, took out his own slippers from the cabinet, and then placed Shu Hanqing's pair on the floor: "Walking around barefoot all the time isn't good for your health."

Shu Hanqing seemed to freeze for a second, then said, "I think barefoot feels comfortable."

He'd forgotten to throw out Mu Ye's shoes. Mu Ye better not think he was keeping them because he couldn't let go.

Mu Ye seemed a bit at a loss. He sat on his old bed, a tall guy who looked like a big dog that had messed up, his shoulders drooping. He watched Shu Hanqing pull open the curtains, then sit across from him with his head down, turning on his game console. He harvested his cabbages and radishes, plowed a new plot of land, and checked out his new TV.

"Hanqing, you've been spending a lot of points lately. How many do you have left?"

Shu Hanqing didn't even look up: "If I run out, I'll earn more on my own. I won't bother you."

"That's not what I meant. Hanqing, are you still mad at me? You never talked to me like this before."

"I'm not mad."

Mu Ye said, "I'm sorry. Moving out wasn't because I have a problem with you—it was for my own reasons. I don't know if you understand, but it really has nothing to do with you..."

Shu Hanqing tossed the game console aside and said seriously, "I understand."

Mu Ye's body seemed to freeze: "...You really understand?"

Shu Hanqing gave a small "mm" in acknowledgment and said earnestly, "Go ahead, do what you need to do. I get you, and I'm not mad. As an old friend, I've got your back. So don't worry about me."

Shu Hanqing thought, hurry up and get together with Rong Hua already. I won't get in your way anymore.

Plot God: "...Well done. That's exactly how it should be."

Then Plot God's breath caught in his throat.

Mu Ye suddenly stood up, reached out, and pulled Shu Hanqing into a tight hug, murmuring thanks. Shu Hanqing blinked: "...Mu Ye, what the hell is this reaction?"

Plot God: "..."

Shu Hanqing tried to push Mu Ye off, but it was no use.

In this book, he was the only normal person, right? Even Rong Hua was stronger than him.

Rong Hua happened to walk in right then, holding the clothes. Since Shu Hanqing wanted to show he had nothing to hide, he'd left all the windows open.

Shu Hanqing watched Rong Hua press his lips together and turn to leave: "...Plot God, did Rong Hua misunderstand something?"

Plot God: "...Don't worry about that right now. Push Mu Ye off."

Back in his room, Rong Hua stared at the clothes in his hands and replayed the scene he'd seen in the bushes earlier. He'd seen a tall guy and a short guy, the tall one bouncing up and down like a seesaw on top of the short one.

His handsome face started to flush pink, and then he thought of Shu Hanqing and Mu Ye hugging, and his mood soured. He ducked his head, buried his face in the clothes, and took a deep whiff of the scent.

It smelled just like the detergent Shu Hanqing used. Rong Hua had spent days hunting for that scent.