No Second Spring

"..."

Cheng Jing was used to the nickname Huang Qian had given Jiang Nian. He rolled his eyes at her and didn't answer.

If not for his concern about the zombies, Jiang Nian would have beaten the crap out of the two idiots outside the door long ago. Cheng Jing knew his man all too well.

Jiang Nian was only well-behaved in front of him. When it came to unorthodox fighting, he was far better at it than Cheng Jing.

After all, he had been one of the school tyrants at Affiliated No. 1 High back then, a big brother who stood up for his juniors. Behind that refined face was someone who could beat people into kneeling and singing "Conquest." He had only retracted his claws to seduce Cheng Jing.

Once Huang Qian spoke up, the other teammates took the opportunity to start asking questions.

"Brother Cheng, when are you going to introduce our new sister-in-law to us?"

"Yeah, but why does Sister Qian call him Hamster?"

"Brother Cheng changed his status to married a while ago. He's finally gotten over the pain of losing his spouse. Congratulations on finding a second spring and remarrying, big brother..."

"Has Brother Cheng really moved on?"

"Of course he has. He's even wearing a ring, right, Brother Cheng?"

"..."

The atmosphere had been subdued by exhaustion, but the fire of gossip brought it to life in an instant.

Cheng Jing didn't want to answer, so he simply closed his eyes to rest. The people in the car were among the few who could see his Moments, and every last one of them had been led astray by that woman Huang Qian.

"Haha, you're all too naive. Your Brother Cheng is famously single-minded. There's no way he could find a second spring!"

Seeing how curious everyone was, then looking at Cheng Jing, who was utterly unbothered, Huang Qian picked up the conversation.

"Tell us more, Sister Qian..."

"Goddess Sister Qian, give us the inside scoop..."

"..."

With everyone talking over one another to butter her up, Huang Qian didn't waste time and revealed the truth.

"There's no second spring and no remarriage. Hamster is the spouse your Brother Cheng lost, back from the dead."

Everyone froze, then whistled when they caught on.

"Whoa... that can happen?"

"So a good horse does go back to graze on old grass..."

"I believe in love again!"

"Brother Cheng is so devoted he deserves a place in the ancestral temple..."

"..."

After a turn, they stopped in an inconspicuous old residential neighborhood and arrived at a safe house. Cheng Jing said with his eyes closed:

"Get out of the car! You lot talk too much!"

"Hehe~ Brother Cheng, let us visit our sister-in-law next time. Someone with skills that profound deserves our worship!"

"Agreed, agreed~"

Two people got out, but not before letting their mouths run one last time. They were genuinely curious what kind of person could have their Brother Cheng so wrapped around his finger!

If they could learn even a little, they wouldn't still be single.

The car door closed, and the gossip continued until they had dropped everyone else off at their safe houses. Only then did Cheng Jing and Huang Qian return together to Taihe Famous City, the residential complex where they both lived.

After parking, the two picked up their guns and switched on their headlamps. Once they had checked the area, Cheng Jing escorted Huang Qian upstairs.

As they walked carefully, Huang Qian remembered something and asked:

"What happened when Jiang Nian called you just now?"

"Some idiots knocked on the door looking for trouble. It's nothing serious."

He had examined the reinforced door carefully. It would take at least a rocket launcher to blast it open. Someone who had lived through the apocalypse really knew what he was doing. That was also why Cheng Jing had felt comfortable going out.

The fifth floor wasn't very high. After seeing Huang Qian safely inside, Cheng Jing left quickly.

Their safe houses were two buildings apart. Cheng Jing took care of a few more zombies on the way, then began patrolling upward from the first floor. He had to be more thorough around the place where he lived.

He paid particular attention to the eighth floor. Every apartment door was closed. Cheng Jing tried the young couple's front door and found that the lock wasn't broken at all. There were just quite a few dried bloodstains on the handle and the floor.

There were some sounds coming from inside. It seemed the young couple had come back after Jiang Nian turned them away.

He went straight back to the tenth floor. Sure enough, there was no one outside the door, but they had left a pool of dark red blood that gave off a putrid smell, different from the bloody smell of a normal person's blood.

After entering the outer door, Cheng Jing picked up the disinfectant spray beside him in the passageway and disinfected himself. Then he took off his outdoor combat gear, including the hood, and set it aside along with his guns and tools. Wearing his own clean clothes, he knocked on the door.

"Nian Nian, I'm back."

The door quickly opened, and Jiang Nian poked his head out.

"Brother Jing."

Only after seeing that Cheng Jing had stripped off all his "outer skin" did Jiang Nian nod in satisfaction and let him inside. Afterward, he didn't forget to use his ability to purify the things Cheng Jing had taken off, disinfecting them a second time.

Though it might not do much, it was excellent for peace of mind and for practicing his ability at the same time.

It had been over half a month since his ability awakened. Its range had expanded to five meters in diameter, and he no longer felt too tired after using it. His teammates were all improving, so he couldn't hold them back.

After closing the door again, Jiang Nian went into the kitchen to cook a late-night meal for the man who had come home late.

After some thought, Cheng Jing got a trash bag and some tissues and cleaned up the blood outside the door before taking a shower.

Not many people could still shower every day at a time like this. Fortunately, his Hamster had prepared thoroughly.

By the time he came out of the shower, Jiang Nian had his late-night meal ready: a bowl of rice noodles, a fried egg, a meat sausage, and a few green vegetable leaves. The vegetables were a reward Cheng Jing had received for a mission.

They had also stockpiled vegetables, keeping them in the ring's storage space. They didn't need to use those yet.

As Cheng Jing ate, Jiang Nian kept him company and ate snacks, taking the opportunity to recount in detail how the neighbors had come knocking and flown into a rage when they couldn't get in. Finally, he said coldly:

"They came up asking for help with tools to break down the door. They were up to no good."

"The door on the eighth floor was locked. They were probably attacked by zombies and infected through their wounds. I'll go check again tomorrow and take care of it."

Cheng Jing also told him what he had found and about the blood outside the door.

"They were hurt but hadn't completely lost their minds, so they came knocking..."

Although Jiang Nian firmly believed he would never have let them in, he was still a little shaken when he thought about it.

They had known perfectly well there was no saving them once they were infected, yet they had still come looking for him. He didn't know whether they wanted to eat him or drag him down with them, but either way, it was vicious!

Cheng Jing's expression darkened.

"There are all kinds of people in the world, but hardship and disaster bring out the worst in them. So let's look after ourselves and ignore that moral blackmail. The rescue team risks their lives on the front lines. It wouldn't be right if we couldn't even take care of our own families. If it came to that, I'd rather stay home and protect you. It's not like we're short of food or supplies."

Jiang Nian nodded with a spicy strip between his lips.

"Exactly, exactly."

Anyone who morally blackmails people on the front lines must have a huge, dark hole in their brain! After thinking for a moment, he added:

"You'll be home tomorrow. Let's seal up all the apartments in this building that don't have any normal people living in them. That way, zombies won't be able to hide, and patrolling will be easier."

The temporary rescue teams had done the same in his previous life. When they designated a residential complex as a temporary base, they sealed off every room they didn't need. That way, even if zombies broke in, it was easy to spot the traces.