Chapter 77—Didn’t you want me?

by Bocchan13

Autumn had set in the mountains and Wang Cheng’s group was coming back today. Song Yu prepared a large dinner, sparing no expense much to Lan Zhou’s chagrin. Song Yu and Xiao Zi got to working making delicious foods. Song Yu wanted a big hot pot, so delved into the gardens and took out ingredients fit for king. He also got a variety of mushrooms and even took out frozen bamboo shoots from last year.

They spent the entire day cooking, filling the house with delicious smells and spices. Song Yu and Xiao Zi chatted happily and got ready for the groups arrival. Right on cue, at 5 pm, they heard the sounds of the car. Lu Jingxiu went outside to open the gates and let them in.

Squinty euphorically ran straight through walls before pouncing on Song Yu.

I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here!

Song Yu hugged Derpy tightly, his happy laughter lifting the mood of the house.

“I missed you! How are you?”

Miss! You! Too!

Song Yu let Squinty roll around and playfully nip while looking outside the door to see Derpy outside. Song Yu gently patted Squinty on the head and went outside to embrace Derpy. Derpy was a little dirty but was energetic. He snorted in happiness as Song Yu pet his head.

“Awww! Big baby hasn’t had his coat brushed. I’ll do it!”

Derpy happily trotted around Song Yu, neighing loudly.

At this time, the car had parked inside the garage and the three people came out. Wang Cheng looked to be slightly happier, whilst Yu Ci and Wu Ding had an awkward atmosphere surrounding them.

“Hey guys! Long time no see! How you’ve been?” Wang Cheng was dirt ridden and sweaty but his overall mood was exuberant.

Lan Zhou came out as well and hugged Wang Cheng, “We’ve been good. The harvest finished and we are just planning for the winter. How about you? The messages were so brief; we didn’t have much to go on.”

“It was so fun! We followed the map and each pit had around 5 zombies. It was kinda fun setting them on fire. And…” Wang Cheng happily jaunted their escapades making their return much sweeter.

Yu Ci was a little tired, but was not worse for wear, and Wu Ding had fattened even more whilst they were away. Wu Ding who was almost as talkative as Wang Cheng was surprisingly quiet.

However, the mood of their return was still light hearted. Song Yu let the group take a rest and prepared to finish the dinner cooking.

The newly cleaned trio came outside and was astonished at the vast amount of food for their return. Wang Cheng saw the familiar chocolate bar and pinched his cheeks.

“Am I dreaming? Is it my birthday?”

Yu Ci rolled his eyes.

“Your birthdays in April dude.”

“Apocalypse weather is wonky. Who know, it might snow in July!”

Everyone laughed and got down to shoveling food. Song Yu had really outdone himself. The hot pot ingredients were fresh and lightly damp, the side dishes filled with flavor. No one talked as they inhaled the food. There were some scrimmage battles between chopsticks, but otherwise the dinner was complete.

“Man, I’m stuffed!” Wu Ding stretched his arms up in the air, his t-shirt lifting up and exposing his navel. Unexpectedly, Yu Ci took the shirt and dragged it down, covering it.

“Don’t show your body,” Yu Ci went back to getting seconds, making everyone blink. But Wu Ding touched the place Yu Ci’s hand had touched and promptly frowned.

“I’m not a baby.”

Yu Ci ignored the provocation and continued to eat. The situation became a little awkward, but the dinner concluded successfully. Song Yu had given Wang Cheng another box of chocolate bars, making him extremely happy. Afterwards, they wanted to have a little drink, so Lu Jingxiu took out a high alcohol concentration vodka.

They reconvened to the living room and sat down, talking about their experiences outside. Wang Cheng seemed to like these outside adventures, and babbled here and there about what they did outside.

“And then, and then, we fought the level 4 zombie! Wu Ding was extremely helpful; he made the ground so slippery, it was like they were wearing ice skates! It was hilarious! We just watched as it skedaddled here and there.”

Wang Cheng talked some more, while everyone listened in rapture. Lu Jingxiu sighed cause he wanted to do the 2 week trip as well. Could it be considered a honeymoon with just him and Xiao Zi?

Song Yu grinned brilliantly. Now the group will probably fight who gets to go out. Song Yu wasn’t too interested in the outside, rather living his hermit life in his home with the animals and plants. It was hard to transform soldiers into newbie farmers, and they still needed the thrill of the fight.

Song Yu was glad that they enjoyed themselves and vowed to stretch out the perimeter if the surrounding people were gone. The Sun Base that was closest to Song Yu, whilst the three bases sharing no man’s land was a bit away.

If Song Yu wanted, he could expand. But that was too much work for the seven of them. Song Yu gently leaned on Lan Zhou, deep in thought. He felt Lan Zhou’s hand rub his head carefully, so Song Yu closed his eyes.

“Somewhere in the middle though, Yu Ci and Wu Ding got into a scrimmage with a small zombie hoard while I went on patrol, we were separated for a few hours. They managed to hide in the trees! I couldn’t find them as well!”

Yu Ci coughed up his cup of vodka and Lu Jingxiu had to pat his back, “You okay?”

“Yeah. No problem.”

Wang Cheng rubbed his chin, “When I finally found them, they were stuck like glue on ONE branch! It was hilarious! The zombies probably snapped the branches around them. I had a hard time not laughing.”

Yu Ci and Wu Ding both ignored each other, but their faces were tinted with red. Everyone gave them crap for it, and continued on with Wang Cheng’s stories.

Yu Ci briefly glanced at Wu Ding who took another shot of vodka. The adams apple bobbing up and down with each gulp. Wu Ding had also tanned a bit during this time, so although his face had a healthy tan, underneath the clothes…

Yu Ci internally smacked his forehead!

Was he such a scum that he would move on to someone else so soon after getting his heart broken? Yu Ci looked at the beautiful scenery between Song Yu and Lan Zhou, how they cuddled in each other’s embrace and their peaceful smiles.

The ache he used to have watching this scene was somehow muted. Yu Ci was indeed a scum. He had immediately fallen in love with Song Yu, and immediately fallen out of love with him. Was loving him so shallow that he could instantly stop?

Yu Ci had to look deep into his heart. In his previous life, he had not fallen in love with anyone. Even his wife, he had cared for her, protected her, and given her anything she wanted.

But that was not love.

The quick beating of his heart when he followed behind Song Yu those two days, that nervous feeling of being left behind, and the warmth of his smile when he finally let them in…it wasn’t fake.

Yu Ci didn’t understand. Now, he was feeling these feelings towards someone else. Someone not Song Yu. Did that mean that this ‘love’ was just an infatuation? An amalgamation of chemicals in his body making him this way?

Yu Ci once again stared at the couple: how they were so close to each other. How they were so in tune. Maybe…just maybe…Yu Ci was in love with the Song Yu that was in love with Lan Zhou.

Glittering smiles, happy tears, hopeful eyes…all things he wanted aimed at himself but could never have. Yu Ci was in love with love.

…

The rest of the night tapered off to a movie playing in the living room. Squinty didn’t choose the film this time; rather it was Wu Ding who gushed over the K-drama’s. Song Yu happily obliged and they watched the first episode together.

All of a sudden, Song Yu felt goosebumps on his skin, his back tingling as wave of nausea hit him. He immediately moved the hand on his waist and gasped for air. Squinty barked crazily, his eyes glowing a light red. In an instant, Derpy was neighing outside angrily, and the animals were also frightened by this powerful aura, instinctively moving into their paddocks.

It was not only Song Yu who felt it. Lan Zhou felt it just as quickly.

“Someone’s here.”

Song Yu could feel the protection layer he set up move. Not break, but like a gap opened and closed. Everyone vigilantly got weapons and set out to the front gate. The closer they were, the closer the feeling of dread hit them.

“Is it a person or zombie?”

Song Yu didn’t know and just shook his head.

“There shouldn’t be any zombies around, you guys just finished perimeter checking remember?”

“One could have slipped through the cracks,”

That was possible. Song Yu could feel cold water dousing his insides. A threat had entered his home. HIS HOME. For the first time in 2 years, someone had arrived.

Song Yu was scared.

Lan Zhou could feel his anxiety and rubbed his back.

“Don’t worry. We’ll help you.”

Song Yu only felt a little bit reassured, but kept his body close to Lan Zhou. Song Yu’s eyes glowed a brilliant blue as two large spatial blades emerged into his palms. Lan Zhou already had his brilliant blue sword at the ready. Both Wu Ding and Lu Jingxiu were sporting icy blades.

Yu Ci had hardened a large axe, and Wang Cheng and Xiao Zi had two guns each. They silently walked to the gate where they felt the presence. It then started to rain. Small drips here and there, before they was a downpour.

In an instant, everyone was drenched, inhibiting their sight slightly. Song Yu breathed deeply in…

Inhale.

His beating heart slowed down, the calmness ensues. His body ready…

Exhale.

They reached the large gates.

On the other side…they saw a person.

A large man with pale white skin stood there. He didn’t move as they approached the gate, but his head lifted up, showing amber eyes. Long dark red hair stuck to his face like a demon. He was wearing absolutely nothing, only covered by the waist length hair, looking like a Greek god chiseled by stone. Those amber eyes glowed brighter in the darkness, the rain pelting everyone.

Everyone tensed as the man scanned everyone before zoning in on one person.

Too quick for everyone to react, the man was no longer on the other side of the gate. Instantly, the man was right in front of them. His presence so sinister, it made everyone tremble. Song Yu and Lan Zhou was the quickest to react.

Song Yu immediately slashed towards the man’s neck but was thwarted by something…behind him. His back was jerked and Song Yu flew backwards, landing embarrassingly on his butt. Lan Zhou was able to dodge whatever had hit Song Yu and parried his sword. The blue flames did not die out by the rain, and its large flashing arc scraped the man’s cheek.

Everyone witnessed the stranger’s cheek as it closed and healed by itself. Lan Zhou was ready for another hit, when the man seemingly disappeared and appeared right next to Wang Cheng.

“Uwaahhh!”

Wang Cheng was going to teleport himself when he was suddenly embraced by this man. Large arms enveloped him carefully, as if afraid to hurt him.

“Move Wang Cheng!” Lan Zhou was going to make the Blue Sun. Wang Cheng tried to teleport, but it was as if his ability was blocked.

Song Yu had gotten up from his fall to see dark green vines silently retreat. These vines were what had jerked him. A dizzying revelation emerged. Those vines were all too familiar.

Wang Cheng was panicking in the man’s embrace and wanted to escape. He took out his gun and fired straight at the man’s head. The entire half of his head had been blown off.

Yet slowly, the brains, the tissues, the muscles all came back like he was liquid. The man’s amber eyes only stared at Wang Cheng, holding no malice.

The man opened his mouth, trying to speak but nothing came out. But to Wang Cheng, his eyes widened as he smelled the familiar scent of his rose.

“Lan Zhou! Wait!”

Wang Cheng dropped the gun and clutched the face of the man. The amber eyes were what caught a person’s attention, but they didn’t see that the skin was a greenish pallor and the lips a rosy red.

Wang Cheng hesitantly asked, the pouring rain muffling his voice;

“Rose?”

Like an aggrieved child, the man’s face crumbled from its scariness into one of heartache. The man touched the part that had just been blown off and tried his hardest to muffle his tears,

“Wang Cheng, didn’t you want me? Why did you hurt me? Uwaaaah!!!!”

 Everyone: …