RIACMET chapter 241

 

Jiang Nian was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

The doctor explained that prolonged darkness combined with the grim apocalyptic atmosphere made people more prone to anxiety; it was a normal reaction.

There were many similar cases in the base. It was considered temporary, and everything would be fine once dawn arrived. It wasn’t a big deal. In fact, there were many more severe cases.

However, Cheng Jing knew that his lover’s situation was different from everyone else’s.

Inside the clinic, Jiang Nian wore black-and-white bear pajamas and sat quietly before the doctor. He pursed his lips and stared down at his fingers, picking at his nails. There were dark circles under his eyes, and strands of hair hung over his forehead. A small tuft of hair stood up on top of his head as if he’d just gotten out of bed.

He looked like a well-behaved patient. From time to time, he’d sneak glances at his boyfriend, who was having a serious conversation with the doctor. Then, he’d sigh inwardly.

He never messed up when it came to big things, but he always fell short on the small stuff.

Cheng Jing sat beside him, frowning with a solemn expression.

“Just go back and rest for a while. Don’t overthink it. If it really gets too much, reduce your workload. Try to stay in brighter places. You’ll adapt soon.”

The doctor gave these simple instructions with a smile and didn’t prescribe any medication; Jiang Nian had already been secretly taking the appropriate medication.

Knowing who they were, the doctor tactfully asked if they had more of the medicine.

Cheng Jing declined and took him away.

Back in the car, Jiang Nian said, “I told you it wasn’t a big deal. You were so nervous.”

Cheng Jing smiled, turned to the side, and kissed him.

“Let’s go home.”

——

Back at the dorm, Cheng Jing cooked a small bowl of noodles and mixed in some stew sauce his mother had sent the day before. It smelled amazing.

Since Jiang Nian was already awake, he decided to eat something before going back to sleep. His appetite had dropped sharply lately, and he hadn’t been snacking at all.

At first, Jiang Nian didn’t want to eat, but Cheng Jing fed him one bite at a time.

After they finished the noodles and shared an apple, Cheng Jing went to wash the dishes. Jiang Nian sat cross-legged on the sofa, staring blankly out the dark window.

“Niannian.”

Cheng Jing wiped his hands, walked over, knelt down beside Jiang Nian, held his hands, and looked up at him with eyes full of heartache.

Jiang Nian pursed his lips. “Yeah.”

“If you’re feeling unwell, physically or mentally, or if you’re just feeling emotional or unhappy, you have to tell me. We’re partners. There’s nothing we can’t talk about. You don’t need to act strong in front of me.”

When Cheng Jing finished speaking, he gently and warmly kissed the back of Jiang Nian’s hand.

Jiang Nian shook his head. “I really don’t feel unwell. I’m just a little upset. I know myself. It’s not a big deal. You don’t need to worry…”

“To me, nothing about you is unimportant.”

Cheng Jing gently interrupted and revealed the concern that Jiang Nian had tried to hide:

“You’re anxious because of the extended polar night. You think it’s the result of a butterfly effect from your rebirth.”

“No, I’m just worried the polar night will go on too long, and there’ll be a zombie wave. If the sun doesn’t rise soon, a lot of people will die. That’s what’s upsetting me.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t hide the worry and impatience on his face as he denied it. He unconsciously tried to move his fingers, but Cheng Jing held them tightly. He could only surrender and lower his head.

Yes, his mood had really been unstable lately.

Cheng Jing’s voice grew serious.

“You’ve saved so many people. But it’s impossible to save everyone. Since your rebirth, you haven’t done anything wrong. You’ve done great. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

“Even weather forecasts can be inaccurate, let alone the murky memories of your past life. Maybe I just got the timeline wrong. After all, you’ve triggered more than one butterfly effect.”

The shift started when Jiang Nian realized the polar night was longer than in his past life.

A normal person wouldn’t be caught in such a spiral, but Jiang Nian, having suffered and been reborn, wasn’t normal—mentally or emotionally.

There were some burdens only he knew about, things he had been carrying since the beginning. That was one reason he never wanted his partner to carry too much—he didn’t want him to collapse mentally.

He had found relief, but not recovery.

“I know…”

Jiang Nian’s shoulders drooped. Then he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Cheng Jing’s neck.

“I’m sick. Don’t you hate it, Brother Jing?”

It was a bit childish. He had gotten through his rebirth “smoothly” enough, but now his resolve was cracking.

Cheng Jing whispered, “It’s not sick. I’m just too worried. Take a few days off. I’ll stay home with you. Didn’t you want to know how much gold we have? We’ll bring it out and weigh it tomorrow.”

Now wasn’t the time for lectures. What Jiang Nian needed was company and something simple to help him relax and slowly adjust.

They say counting gold makes people happy.

Jiang Nian rubbed his face and said, “Okay. Just don’t tell our parents about this. They’ll worry and blame you for not taking care of me when they don’t even know what’s really going on.”

This kind of emotional reassurance was something only his partner could give him.

——

Even when not working with his teammates, Cheng Jing handled a lot from home.

Aside from counting gold with Jiang Nian, he coordinated plans with Minister Wang and Zhou Li over the phone to deal with the zombie wave.

To cheer Jiang Nian up, Li Shuhui asked Cheng Jing to bring Xiao Qi over to play for a few days.

When Cheng Jing was busy, Jiang Nian spent his time counting gold and playing with Xiao Qi, dressing the dog up to look like a “noble lord.”

When Cheng Jing wasn’t busy, the two counted gold together and debated whether Xiao Qi would look better wearing a thick gold chain or a classy gold necklace.

Sometimes, after finishing a call, Cheng Jing would come out to find his partner and their dog asleep together on the floor. Jiang Nian didn’t need medication; he showed no signs of insomnia.

“…”

Several days passed like this. Fortunately, things didn’t take a turn for the worse. Just when everyone thought the city would be overrun by zombies during the polar night, the sky slowly began to lighten.

On January 18, after more than a month of darkness, the sun finally rose again.

Just as the light returned, a large-scale zombie outbreak erupted across the nation.

Thanks to the advance warning, the weaker bases and shelters had already begun evacuating with help from major bases and the military, minimizing casualties.

There were two strategies for dealing with the zombie wave. One strategy involved reinforcement with troops and heavy weapons, which was suitable for large bases.

The second strategy involved complete dispersal and evacuation of the base, meant for smaller bases and private shelters.

The military would assess the situation and determine whether large-scale cleanup operations were needed.

In this timeline, S Base did not have the same strength or resources as in the previous one. On top of that, internal conflict had broken out during the polar night, and S Base could barely take care of itself—much less the smaller bases it had once absorbed and controlled.

Ultimately, after a “reasonable reassignment,” the evacuation mission for Z Base was handed over to Cheng Jing.