A Man's Face Is Off-Limits

Cheng Jing understood what Jiang Nian meant, and he knew the stakes. After thinking it over, he nodded.

"I understand, don't worry. It's enough for us to know. If we tell anyone, we'll be in trouble whether it turns out to be true or not."

He believed Jiang Nian because everything Jiang Nian had done was within his control. Whether the apocalypse came or not, those things could all be dealt with properly, and no one but him would know.

But if they went around telling people, they'd be arrested before the apocalypse even arrived.

And even if it did happen, Jiang Nian's foreknowledge would arouse suspicion. Nothing good would come of it either way.

Forget it. When disaster struck, everyone had their own fate. They could only consider helping others after taking care of themselves.

For instance, they could have their families make some preparations.

His parents lived with his younger brother in the military district's family compound. If it really happened, that would most likely be the safest place.

He only needed to remind them not to get caught in the rain that came after a long drought, in case it wasn't clean.

Then he could call his mother, who loved stocking up, and tell her to stock up for a short rainy season or something. As for the rest, once anything unusual was noticed, the military district would respond quickly, so there was no need to worry.

He would call his parents and younger brother tomorrow.

Besides his family, he also needed to find a pretext to get the people he trusted under him to gather some supplies.

Their security company had internal ties to the authorities, so it was somewhat unusual. For two months before and after working with the authorities, they couldn't take on other assignments, and no more than ten people could be permanently stationed in any one place.

In Qingyun City, there were only eight people including him, enough for a small team:

He was the captain, Huang Qian was his assistant, and the other six worked in pairs, each pair looking after one of three safe houses. One of them held the title of vice-captain. He had personally chosen them all, and they could be trusted.

The team members' family situations were also unusual. Some had grown up in orphanages, while others had no immediate family left alive. Huang Qian, meanwhile, had run away after her family, who favored sons over daughters, had nearly forced her into marriage, and she refused to go back.

So most of the time, the team members stayed with him. They could stay together during the apocalypse too.

Apart from the eight of them, the company's other security personnel moved around, and headquarters assigned them according to the needs of each job.

They had just finished a job, and it was normal for the eight of them to keep a low profile for two months before resuming their usual activities. The other security personnel who had taken part had all returned to headquarters.

With that in mind, Cheng Jing thought he could find a reason to have the others stock the other safe houses with supplies.

Huang Qian didn't have a safe house of her own to look after, so he would put her in charge of the place he was currently renting. If the apocalypse really came, he would be with Jiang Nian anyway.

"..."

Thoughts raced through Cheng Jing's mind, and he had already formed a basic plan. It was good to have an extra precaution for everything. Just as he was about to ask something else, the person in his arms had already fallen asleep.

He sent a message in the team group chat: "Each group, stock your safe house with supplies in preparation for a training assignment. As much and as fast as possible." Then he turned off the television and carried Jiang Nian back to the bedroom.

The next morning, Cheng Jing was already gone from the hotel when Jiang Nian woke up. He had left Jiang Nian a message saying that he had taken Huang Qian and the others to gather supplies, on the pretext of training for a new assignment.

Jiang Nian knew his Brother Jing was reliable, so he didn't ask any more questions. He didn't mind Huang Qian living in their "love nest" either. They had a better place now, anyway.

On August 26, Cheng Jing spent the entire day out and about, while Jiang Nian ate and drank at the hotel. It wasn't until evening that Cheng Jing messaged him to come over to the residential complex and bring some food.

Huang Qian was a little suspicious of Cheng Jing's actions. After all, even when they'd had training assignments before, it had never fallen to her, an assistant in the logistics department, to stock a safe house.

Her instincts told her it had something to do with Jiang Nian, that "Hamster."

But the reason her boss gave was too reasonable. He said things like she should take the training opportunity to improve her professional skills, leaving her no grounds to question him.

When Jiang Nian arrived with the food, the two were hard at work.

Apart from the doors and windows, which had been specially modified and reinforced for security work, most of the furnishings and layout were unchanged. It looked much as it had when he and Cheng Jing had lived together, except for a smell of cigarette smoke left by Yang Kai, his fake love rival.

Jiang Nian laid out the food and called the two busy workers over to fill their stomachs first.

The air conditioning was set very low, cold enough that Jiang Nian and Huang Qian would at least get goosebumps if they got wet and stood in the airflow. Yet Cheng Jing's skin was burning hot, and he was drenched in sweat.

Jiang Nian handed him a glass of iced soda.

"Brother Jing, are you all right? You're sweating so much, and your skin is really hot..."

Cheng Jing took it, gulped down two mouthfuls, and shook his head.

"I don't know why, but I've felt especially hot today. I've been sweating nonstop under the air conditioner since noon, and I feel like I'm getting hotter."

Jiang Nian frowned.

"Could it be a summer cold? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

The apocalypse was almost here. He couldn't afford to get sick.

Cheng Jing shook his head.

"I don't feel unwell anywhere. I'm just hot."

Huang Qian started talking nonsense from the sidelines.

"I bet making up with you got him all fired up. After all, he's been alone and pent up, living like a widower for two years. It hasn't been easy."

"..."

Jiang Nian paused before realizing she was making a dirty joke about them, and he immediately felt a little embarrassed.

He could only be shameless in front of Cheng Jing. He really couldn't bring himself to be that thick-skinned around other people.

She really was a woman capable of being Brother Jing's assistant. She was bold and fierce!

Cheng Jing rolled his eyes at her.

"If you really can't keep your mouth shut, I'll sew it shut!"

The beautiful Huang Qian pursed her lips, unconcerned. Seeing Jiang Nian wipe Cheng Jing's sweat, she clicked her tongue twice.

"Working overtime is hard enough these days, and now I have to watch you two flaunt your love in my face..."

Jiang Nian wouldn't make dirty jokes in front of outsiders, but he could still trade barbs, so he asked casually,

"Do you have a boyfriend, Sister Huang Qian? It was so late last time, but I didn't see anyone come pick you up..."

He was curious what kind of person could handle such an extraordinary woman.

"Shut up!"

Beautiful Huang flicked a slender finger.

"I'm going to be beautiful on my own. I don't need a man!"

By the end, she was gritting her teeth. Just as Jiang Nian was about to flatter her by saying it was good to be beautiful on her own, Cheng Jing promptly undermined her from the side.

"Your Sister Qian's love life begins with her looks and ends with her perversions. Her ex is still in the hospital's physical therapy ward because he overworked his waist."

"Cheng Jing! You're spreading lies and twisting the truth!"

The great beauty Huang finally lost her composure, and one delicate hand turned into a Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

Just as Jiang Nian worried that his boyfriend's divinely handsome face would suffer, Cheng Jing deftly grabbed her wrist.

"How many times have I told you? Don't hit the face when you fight, especially a man's face. You don't have a partner, but I do. If I get dumped again, it'll be on you."

"With a mouth like yours, you deserve to get dumped..."

Huang Qian couldn't stand the smug look on his face. She had just raised her other hand when Jiang Nian promptly offered her an iced floral tea to placate her.

"Sister Qian, don't be angry, don't be angry. It's good to be beautiful on your own. An outstanding woman is well suited to being beautiful on her own."

She was so fierce that he felt inferior by comparison. In any case, he couldn't make Cheng Jing overwork his waist and land in the hospital. It was more likely that he himself would end up in the hospital from being overworked.

"All right, we're even now..."

The delicate hand he held was still struggling, unwilling to give up, so Cheng Jing instinctively used a little force to push it away.

He thought he had controlled his strength well, but Huang Qian suddenly screamed. She dropped the floral tea she was holding in her other hand, then fell backward off her chair with a pained expression.

"..."