RIACMET chapter 32

 

“…”

Jiang Nian paused for a moment before speaking.

“After today’s commotion, that killer will probably lie low for a while. “Tomorrow, we’ll deploy every force we can muster to investigate and question the residents, and see if we can spot anything suspicious…”

Cheng Jing nodded.

“I think so too. I’ll head to the command room later. You should stay home for the next few days.”

Jiang Nian pursed his lips in frustration.

“Brother Jing, it’d be much more efficient if you took me with you. What if the other party is a psychic? It’d be safer with my purification ability.”

His concern wasn’t unfounded — most of those caught off guard and unable to fight back ended up as targets for mental attacks. They didn’t even know how they died once their minds were controlled.

Cheng Jing shook his head.

“Just listen for once! Zhou Rongbin has psychic abilities. I’ll bring him along.”

It was far too dangerous. He couldn’t let this person take the risk.

“Let’s see if I listen to you!”

Jiang Nian’s rebellious streak flared up. With those harsh words, he stormed back to his room and started rummaging through his drawers, looking for new outdoor gear.

“Niannian…”

Cheng Jing followed him and grabbed the man.

“…”

Jiang Nian bit the tip of his tongue against his canine tooth and stared at Cheng Jing steadily.

“Cheng Jing, I’m not old, weak, sickly, or fragile. I’m a healthy, energetic 21-year-old man—tall, long-legged, muscular, and superpowered! I can fight! Physically, I’m much stronger than my peers. I really don’t need your over-the-top protection.”

He was willing to be Cheng Jing’s partner, but Cheng Jing treated him like a fool, which was infuriating. His special ability might not have offensive power, but it was certainly stronger than that of an ordinary person. He didn’t see why he shouldn’t do what any normal person would do.

“I just don’t want you to take any unnecessary risks. I can handle this. This isn’t overprotection.”

Cheng Jing’s expression was full of helplessness. He didn’t want to argue about this.

Jiang Nian shook his head.

“Look, this is only the beginning of the apocalypse. As time goes on, things like this will become common. There will be crimes far worse than this. What will you do then? Keep me locked up at home forever?”

Cheng Jing’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah. What’s wrong with that? I can only work in peace if I know you’re safe.”

That was exactly what he’d been aiming for.

“You—”

Jiang Nian was amused by his sanctimonious attitude.

“The situation now is special, and we’re together all the time. You think you can keep an eye on me, but after the extreme cold hits and the waves of zombies appear, not to mention all the natural and man-made disasters, if I can’t keep up with you, I’ll just end up dragging you down!”

“I don’t mind. I’ll handle it!”

Cheng Jing cut him off.

Jiang Nian raised his voice, furious.

“You don’t mind, but I do!”

He began pacing the room, muttering under his breath.

“Don’t fight! Domestic violence is unacceptable! What a waste if that handsome face gets ruined. We need to get along… We can’t fight!”

“…”

Cheng Jing was stunned by Jiang Nian’s sudden outburst. Realizing that Jiang Nian was truly angry, Cheng Jing didn’t dare say anything for a while.

After a moment, Jiang Nian got his emotions under control and calmed down a little. His voice softened, and he spoke earnestly.

“Brother Jing, I’ve died once before. I know what it’s like. In the apocalypse, the weak don’t even have the right to choose how they die. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just want to cherish this chance to start over and do better. If you really want to protect me, then our goals are the same.”

Cheng Jing’s stubbornness sometimes really got on his nerves. They worked well together on everything else. What was so wrong about fighting side by side?

“Niannian…”

Cha Cheng Jing tried to persuade him, but Jiang Nian waved him off.

“I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it! If you insist on treating me like I’m useless, then we’re done.”

He wouldn’t allow himself to become useless trash. He didn’t want to die!

“Jiang Nian!”

Cheng Jing suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Couples fight—that’s normal! Why bring up breaking up?”

Those two words were like a switch, igniting his emotions in an instant. Jiang Nian had used that exact tone when he broke up with him before!

“Hiss…”

Jiang Nian sucked in a breath from the pain and lifted his head to glare at him with red eyes.

“I told you…don’t you know you’ve gotten way stronger since your powers awakened? Are you trying to break my arm or what?”

He was a high-level superpowered user, far superior to other powered users or ordinary people in every way, yet he had no self-awareness!

Any harder, and his shoulder would’ve been dislocated for sure!

If it were anyone else, this would have turned into a fight for sure. Damn, it hurt like hell!

“I…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…”

Cheng Jing apologized and quickly let go of him.

Worry muddles people’s heads. When he was rational, he knew that Jiang Nian had special abilities and experience from a past life. Even if he wasn’t well-trained, there wasn’t any reason to worry so much. But when something happened, he couldn’t help but want to shield Jiang Nian.

It had almost become instinct.

Those words—”break up”—were the sorest spot in his heart!

“So annoying…”

Jiang Nian pinched him in irritation, leaning his head against his chest. His tone softened.

“I don’t want your apology. You’re not in the wrong, and neither am I, it’s just that if we keep doing things your way, there really will be a problem. I’ll end up dying without you.”

How annoying—why did they have to argue over something so dumb?

“No, don’t talk nonsense like that.”

Cheng Jing calmed down, too, weighed down by guilt.

Jiang Nian continued.

“I just want to be with you. I’m not talking about ‘live and die together’ stuff, but I hope that, when something happens, we can face it together. I have experience from my past life, and we can work well as a team. But the way you’re handling things makes me feel useless.”

Being a gigolo for a while was fine, but being useless forever wasn’t!

Any relationship where the strength gap between two people was too big would eventually lose balance from sheer exhaustion.

Cheng Jing patted his back and nodded.

“Okay, I get it”.

“Three times. That’s the limit. You have to promise me—no more getting mad at me over this kind of thing. We’re acting like idiots, even grade-schoolers wouldn’t argue like this!”

With that, Jiang Nian let go of him and went back to gathering his gear. There’s no need for two grown men to be so dramatic about love.

“All right. But you have to promise me that no matter how we argue, you’ll never say ‘break up’ again.”

Cheng Jing watched him from the side. He no longer tried to stop him and genuinely admitted his fault.

Jiang Nian looked up.

“I don’t want to break up with you. I was just making a point.”

His shoulder still ached. Had he been too harsh earlier?

“Making a point isn’t enough! I’ll give in on everything else, but on this, you have to agree!”

Cheng Jing didn’t want to argue about it anymore.

“Okay, okay…”

Jiang Nian raised his hands in surrender.

“My bad, hubby.”

Hmph! He might as well sweet-talk him to death!

“Mn.”

Cheng Jing held back a smile and stepped forward to help him search.