Where's Your Boyfriend?

"..."

After crying his heart out and calming down, Jiang Nian went into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.

Seeing his normal appearance in the bathroom mirror for the first time in so long, he couldn't help freezing in place:

He was a twenty-one-year-old young man. Though illness and the pain of losing his mother had left him somewhat listless, his complexion was healthy, and his naturally smiling peach blossom eyes shone freely.

He was good-looking, standing 183 centimeters tall, with gentle features and a scholarly air. Even when he was angry, he couldn't look fierce.

He wasn't devastatingly handsome, but he was tall, long-legged and dashing, the sort both the elderly and children liked to approach. Ever since puberty, he'd had plenty of romantic attention from both men and women.

Perhaps that was why Jiang Nian looked down on anyone who threw themselves at him, preferring instead to flirt shamelessly with unattainable beauties:

Cheng Jing was someone he had gone to great lengths to win over. Two years older than him, he had met Jiang Nian at an interschool athletics league in high school.

Jiang Nian had been young, hot-blooded and somewhat chuunibyou back then. Hearing that Cheng Jing was aloof, hard to pursue, and immune to both soft and hard approaches had successfully caught his attention.

Later, like Cheng Jing, he got into a university in Qingyun City, and they became a couple as he was preparing to enroll.

Cheng Jing, who was preparing to enter his junior year, moved out of school and rented a place between their two universities.

But once Jiang Nian had won him over, Cheng Jing's aloof male-god persona fell apart.

His reserved, ascetic demeanor turned into clinginess like an adhesive plaster, with a somewhat domineering, fatherly streak. He had to manage everything Jiang Nian did:

No smoking or drinking, home before ten every night, advance notice of anything happening at school, and reports whenever he went out on weekends or holidays. Bars, clubs and other places of indulgence were completely out of the question. He was even more outrageous than Jiang Nian's mother.

But aside from controlling him, Cheng Jing really did treat him well, indulging his every wish and looking after him in every way.

Unfortunately, not long afterward, his mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Upset and distracted, he wanted to tell Cheng Jing, but Cheng Jing told him first that he had decided to take a leave of absence and join the army in the second semester of his junior year.

The words on the tip of his tongue went unsaid.

So, the first time Cheng Jing called after entering the army, Jiang Nian unilaterally announced their breakup. Cheng Jing refused to agree; even thousands of miles away on the phone, he sounded ready to skin him alive.

But Jiang Nian changed his number and disappeared, leaving Cheng Jing helpless in the army. His first love ended without a resolution.

His mother's condition grew worse and worse. With no one to help at home, they hired a caregiver, and Jiang Nian began looking for all kinds of part-time work to earn money.

Every day, he did nothing but attend school, work and call his mother. He had no time for anything else, and everything he heard about Cheng Jing was secondhand:

He heard that after Cheng Jing left the army, he continued his studies while starting a security company with comrades who had connections and resources. The company had a wide range of business and made a lot of money.

Young and successful, he was thriving, becoming someone many of his peers could only look up to.

In his previous life, they had never seen each other again after the breakup.

Although Cheng Jing had been the first person Jiang Nian thought of when his mother died, and he had wanted to tell him and go find him, he had held back in the end.

He hadn't expected their reunion in the apocalypse to become their final farewell.

When he died in his previous life, he had been twenty-three and Cheng Jing had been twenty-five. Cheng Jing had seemed to be doing very well even in the apocalypse.

Now he was twenty-one and about to enter his senior year. Worn out in body and mind by his mother's situation, he no longer had the unrestrained spirit he'd had in high school.

Cheng Jing was twenty-three and had already become one of the positive examples their school promoted in the high school alumni group chat.

Splash...

Cool water hit his face, bringing his memories to an end. Jiang Nian forced himself out of his melancholy over his previous life.

Since heaven had given him a chance to start over, he had to cherish it. He couldn't waste the advantage he had gained at the cost of his life.

His mother was gone, and he had nothing holding him back. Since the apocalypse was coming anyway, he would go find Cheng Jing.

Whatever happened was fine. He would try first.

He washed his face, brushed his teeth and cooked breakfast. A simple bowl of egg noodles was enough to fill him with happiness at being reborn, but Jiang Nian was still deeply saddened that he hadn't been able to see his mother one more time.

After eating and drinking his fill and preparing himself mentally, Jiang Nian picked up his phone again and dialed a number.

Although he had changed his number and phone after unilaterally announcing their breakup two years ago, he couldn't change his memory.

Besides, people who accomplished great things rarely changed their contact information. After all, their circles of friends and acquaintances were also circles of potential clients.

So he was betting that Cheng Jing still used the same number.

The call was answered after three rings.

A voice both familiar and unfamiliar came through:

"Hello, who's this?"

"Hello, is this Cheng Jing?"

Jiang Nian unconsciously lowered his voice as he asked, excited and nervous.

"..."

The person on the phone seemed to think for a moment before answering:

"It's me. Who's this?"

"It's me... Jiang Nian."

He wanted to sound natural, but his trembling voice betrayed his attempt at composure, and his grip on the phone grew tighter and tighter.

"..."

A long silence followed. Cheng Jing said nothing, and just as Jiang Nian was about to speak again, the call ended.

"Ah..."

Getting back together with an ex really wasn't that easy. Jiang Nian sighed and shamelessly called again. There was no shame in coaxing an ex-boyfriend.

It took four calls before the other end picked up again, but Cheng Jing still said nothing.

Jiang Nian took a gentle breath and spoke first, a little awkwardly:

"Um... long time no see."

It was a pointless thing to say, but he was inexplicably happy.

"Do you need something?"

Cheng Jing's voice was several degrees colder than before, a textbook reaction from an ex.

"..."

That's direct. For a moment, Jiang Nian didn't know how to respond. But on second thought, they didn't have much to make small talk about. Their last conversation hadn't been pleasant, after all, so he could only get straight to the point:

"Yeah, I want to come find you."

It was shameless and to the point. After saying it, his cheeks grew hot enough to fry an egg.

Cheng Jing spoke through faintly gritted teeth:

"What, did you lose at truth or dare?"

"No, no... I'm serious."

Jiang Nian hurriedly explained. He had unilaterally broken up with Cheng Jing and disappeared, only to say something startling the moment he contacted him. He understood how Cheng Jing felt. Before Cheng Jing could speak, he explained further:

"My mom passed away. I just finished taking care of her funeral, and I'm not doing very well right now... Would that be okay?"

His chest ached terribly, but he had to say it. He was betting that Cheng Jing still cared about their past, and he couldn't worry about seeming abrupt and presumptuous, or like he was playing the victim and acting like a green tea.

Besides, it wasn't a lie. He had died a miserable death, been reborn, and lost his mother. Even if the apocalypse weren't imminent, he would still want something to support his emotions on the verge of collapse.

He only had to stay with Cheng Jing until the apocalypse arrived, and he would have latched onto that thigh.

Although he wouldn't let himself end up as miserable in this life as he had in the last, the ability he had awakened was special and lacked combat power. If someone set their sights on him, he would become a lab rat.

So he needed a sturdy thigh to lean on. Only by staying alive would anything be possible.

And the thigh he trusted most was none other than Cheng Jing.

The tragedy between them had been caused by his own unilateral failure to appreciate what he had.

Remembering how Cheng Jing had held him and screamed his name hoarsely just before he died in his previous life, he couldn't help feeling a sting in his nose. Even if he had to be shameless, he would stay by Cheng Jing's side.

"...My condolences."

Cheng Jing's tone had softened considerably. He wanted to comfort him but didn't know what to say, so he could only ask quietly:

"What about the other people around you?"

"..."

Jiang Nian clenched his other hand tightly, quietly drew a breath and considered his answer before replying:

"I told you before, my relationship with my dad isn't good. I don't want to go to him..."

He would never go back to that home in this life! He would do his best to stay alive, then find a chance to take revenge!

He knew he wasn't strong enough, so this would be a long-term plan. Perhaps he might not get what he wanted.

"..."

Cheng Jing was silent for a moment, but then he asked:

"Where's your boyfriend?"