“…”
Jiang Nian composed himself, wiped the sweat from his forehead, walked over to the car, and knocked on the window with a smile.
After waiting a long time, Cheng Jing finally opened the door and stepped out of the car.
A cold breeze from inside the car hit Jiang Nian’s face, making his dizziness worse. He tried to remain calm and greeted Cheng Jing:
“Brother Jing, long time no see.”
“…”
Cheng Jing glanced at him with cold eyes, as if he wanted to chill him to the bone. Then, he grabbed his suitcase and walked toward the trunk.
There was a hint of awkwardness, but Jiang Nian had to be brave. He looked at the person he hadn’t seen in a long time fearlessly.
There was no doubt that Cheng Jing was taller and more handsome than him, otherwise, he wouldn’t have turned into a sycophant back then.
His hair was slicked back, and he wore a black shirt with matching trousers. He wasn’t wearing a tie and had the top two buttons of his shirt undone. His casual business style made him look more mature and composed than he did two years ago. It was a bit hot, but then again, he rarely leaves the air conditioning, so it’s not a big deal.
Cheng Jing was a handsome man with sharp, defined features and well-spaced eyes. He had a slight military bearing. At 190 cm tall with a well-trained body, he looked perfect in a suit!
His legs seemed like they could outlast his entire life.
Moreover, Cheng Jing’s body was so impressive when he took off his clothes that it could make anyone drool. Honestly, Jiang Nian was always jealous. Although Jiang Nian also worked out and had abs and a “mermaid line,” his physique was different from Cheng Jing’s.
He was so ungrateful—he had eaten well back then, yet he still chose to break up first.
Cheng Jing could feel someone’s gaze on him. Jiang Nian always stared at him like that, with affection in his eyes, as if he liked him to the point of obsession. But in the end, Jiang Nian turned around and left.
“Bang!”
The sound of the trunk closing snapped Jiang Nian out of his daydream. Clearly, his ex had deliberately made a fuss.
Cheng Jing got back in the driver’s seat while Jiang Nian wisely got in the passenger seat. He buckled his seatbelt and pulled at his collar to fan himself.
“Damn weather! It’s so hot!”
Cheng Jing looked awful. Even though the car was set to automatic climate control, he raised his hand to lower the temperature on the AC, saying coldly,
“It’s almost two o’clock. Let’s eat first. What do you want to eat?”
“I’m fine. Brother Jing is the boss.”
Jiang Nian spoke quickly, making it clear that he was being kind and obedient. As long as he behaved, Cheng Jing wouldn’t get angry around him. If only Cheng Jing didn’t get mad around him, he could keep being reckless!
Cheng Jing glanced sideways with restrained patience, pursed his lips, started the car, and left the parking lot.
Melodious music played softly, easing the awkward atmosphere a bit.
They both knew Qingyun City well. When it came to food, drinks, and entertainment, Yingbin Street was the best choice.
Cheng Jing drove effortlessly to a private restaurant.
They parked, went upstairs, and ordered food. Neither Jiang Nian nor Cheng Jing said much, but what they ordered were someone’s favorites. It wasn’t intentional, but their fingers kept reaching for those dishes.
Jiang Nian silently rejoiced. His heart warmed. The corners of his mouth hardened. They were harder to suppress than an AK-47.
They began their first “ex-reunion” lunch in such a subtle atmosphere.
Jiang Nian wanted to say something several times, but whenever their eyes met, he swallowed his words with his food. The timing wasn’t right, and there was no need to speak.
Cheng Jing had wanted to ask Jiang Nian how the food tasted, but he held back when he saw him eating with a guilty look. He looked very hungry, so the taste probably didn’t matter.
After eating and drinking, Cheng Jing went to pay the bill while Jiang Nian went to the restroom. Then, Jiang Nian returned to the parking lot.
Jiang Nian had thought that Cheng Jing would take him home. Instead, though, the other guy drove him straight to a hotel and had already booked a room for him.
After the waiter who helped carry the luggage left, Jiang Nian’s expression changed.
How could he be sycophantic to others while staying at a hotel? Especially since the apocalypse was coming, hotels would be among the places most affected.
Cheng Jing had only agreed to let him come, not to accept him. So, booking a room for his ex at a five-star hotel was the best he could do.
Seeing his gloomy expression, Cheng Jing frowned and asked:
“What’s making you unhappy?”
Was he going to be cold even before settling old debts?
Jiang Nian asked back honestly:
“All right, Brother Jing, I don’t want to stay at a hotel. Can I stay at your place?”
If you want to suck up to someone, the closer, the better.
“…”
Cheng Jing stared at him sharply, recalling why he had come looking for him. He held back his anger, not wanting to speak too harshly.
“You’re here to relax. The environment here is good, and our company contracts the hotel’s security, so it’s safe.”
Jiang Nian pursed his lips.
“You said you went out to relax, but I actually came mainly to find you. I want to stay with you. I don’t have much money right now, and I’ve been having terrible nightmares since my mom passed away. I suffer from severe neurasthenia[mfn]A condition where someone feels very tired, weak, and anxious, often with headaches or trouble sleeping.[/mfn], and I’m afraid to stay alone at night…”
“…”
Cheng Jing’s heart stirred slightly. Did that mean he wanted to sleep with him?
Jiang Nian noticed the look in his eyes and quickly tried to explain with a blushing face:
“Well, I don’t want to sleep with you. I just want to be closer to you so that I can feel safer and less anxious.”
Although he was quite greedy with his ex, jumping into bed without knowing the truth wasn’t his style.
Every major disaster had signs, and the most common were dreams. After the last apocalypse, many survivors reported dreaming about the approaching disaster.
He mentioned this now to pave the way for explaining his hoarding behavior later. If he had announced that the apocalypse was coming, any normal person would have thought he was crazy.
“… ”
Cheng Jing’s expression turned cold again. This guy didn’t mean to sleep with him or get back together. Was he just here to use him?
Was he relying on the fact that Cheng Jing would pamper him and let him do whatever he wanted?
“You’re too upset about Auntie’s problem. You wouldn’t be so upset if you changed your sleeping environment. Just relax and adjust for the time being. Don’t worry about money. Stay here in peace.”
After taking several deep breaths to calm down, Cheng Jing comforted him in a somewhat stiff tone.
“It’s not comfortable for you to stay at my place right now.”
“… ”
Jiang Nian’s expression froze. He was about to ask something when his phone rang.
Cheng Jing took out his phone, looked at it for a moment, and frowned. He looked at Jiang Nian with a confused expression and said:
“I still have something to do. You just rest for now.”
After that, he answered the call and left.
“Why?”
Jiang Nian fell onto the sofa in frustration. There was less than half a month left until the world ended. He stared blankly while holding his knees.
Cheng Jing said it wasn’t comfortable for him to be there. Judging by his expression, it seemed as if there were someone else at the house
But as far as he knew, Cheng Jing’s family was all in the northern province city, because his younger brother was studying at a military school there, and his parents stayed with the brother, so they were not family members.
The possibility that it was a friend or subordinate was also very low. He had a strong sense of personal territory, so it was most likely a partner.