Chapter Summaries

Jiang Nian died after his stepsister Chen Lin abandoned him to the zombies, but woke up in his pre-apocalypse life on August 13, 2036. He realized he had returned to the past, leaving him with a chance to change what happened.

• Chen Lin told the doctor to stop treating Jiang Nian and secretly gave him nutrient solution containing an anesthetic to keep him alive until the zombies arrived.
• Chen Lin revealed that her brother had received Jiang Nian’s purification ability crystal core and left Jiang Nian chained in the basement as Base Z was evacuated.
• Zombies broke into the basement and mauled Jiang Nian, but Cheng Jing arrived and tried to save him.
• As he died, Jiang Nian regretted not seeking out Cheng Jing after his mother’s death and wished they could have reconciled.
• Jiang Nian woke in his old bedroom, answered a loan-service call, and saw the date was August 13, 2036.

Jiang Nian woke up reborn half a month before the poisonous rain that would bring about the apocalypse, retaining memories of the disaster and his brutal fate. He resolved to use this chance to change his future, though the chapter ended with him recalling how his family had exploited his Purification Ability and left him to die.

• Jiang Nian realized he had returned to the time before the apocalypse and remembered that poisonous rain would arrive on August 27, 2036.
• He recalled how his mother’s illness had left him in debt, and how he sold their apartment after her funeral to repay the people who had lent them money.
• Jiang Nian broke down in tears as he remembered surviving for more than two years before being abandoned in a basement at Base Z.
• He remembered staying with his father after his mother died and becoming trapped with his father’s new family when the apocalypse began.
• After Jiang Nian awakened a Purification Ability, he used it to slow the zombie infection in Chen Yue’s wound, then became Chen Yue’s protector and secret test subject.
• The Xia Family and Jiang Nian’s relatives enabled experiments on him, and his ability crystal core was eventually removed and given to Chen Yue.

After remembering his past with Cheng Jing, Jiang Nian decided to seek him out after being reborn and losing his mother. Cheng Jing softened when Jiang Nian explained his situation, then asked about his boyfriend.

• Jiang Nian recalled how he and Cheng Jing had started dating, how he had ended their relationship after Cheng Jing joined the army, and how they had never reunited in his previous life until the apocalypse.
• Jiang Nian resolved to find Cheng Jing, called his old number, and identified himself after Cheng Jing answered.
• After Cheng Jing ended the first call, Jiang Nian called again and said he wanted to come find him.
• Jiang Nian told Cheng Jing that his mother had died and that he was struggling, and Cheng Jing offered his condolences.
• Jiang Nian said he did not want to go to his estranged father, and Cheng Jing asked where his boyfriend was.

Jiang Nian reconciled with Cheng Jing enough to arrange a meeting in Qingyun City, while cutting ties with his father after a bitter argument. He arrived at Qingyun Station the next day and found Cheng Jing waiting in a black Hummer.

• Jiang Nian assured Cheng Jing that he had stayed single since their breakup, and Cheng Jing agreed to pick him up at Qingyun Station.
• Jiang Nian gathered money, moved his belongings to a hotel, and refused his father's offer to stay with him.
• After Chen Shanmin criticized him over selling the house, Jiang Nian denounced him, repaid 20,000 yuan, and blocked him.
• Jiang Nian bought a ticket to Qingyun City and exchanged messages with Cheng Jing, who said he would recognize him even if he turned to ash.
• On August 14, Jiang Nian reached Qingyun Station and walked to Cheng Jing's black Hummer, while Cheng Jing watched him approach.

Jiang Nian reunited with Cheng Jing in Qingyun City and hoped to stay with him as the apocalypse drew near. Cheng Jing booked him a hotel room instead, and Jiang Nian suspected someone else was staying at Cheng Jing’s place.

• Jiang Nian greeted Cheng Jing at the car and admired how handsome and fit his ex had become.
• Cheng Jing took Jiang Nian to lunch, ordering dishes Jiang Nian liked, while both struggled to make conversation.
• Cheng Jing drove Jiang Nian to a hotel where he had booked a room, disappointing Jiang Nian, who wanted to stay with him.
• Jiang Nian said he had come mainly to see Cheng Jing and claimed nightmares and anxiety made him afraid to be alone, but Cheng Jing told him staying at his home was inconvenient.
• Cheng Jing left after receiving a phone call, and Jiang Nian guessed that a romantic partner was staying at his place.

Jiang Nian tried to stay close to Cheng Jing after realizing he might no longer be welcome in his life, while Cheng Jing arranged a work trip and asked the hotel to watch over him. Cheng Jing left to meet Yang Kai, whose feelings for him had become a source of teasing from Huang Qian.

• Jiang Nian apologized to Cheng Jing and asked him to help find an apartment nearby, then sent more messages when Cheng Jing did not reply.
• Jiang Nian ordered sour pickled fish, cried while eating, and decided to find a place himself after Cheng Jing told him to eat on his own.
• Cheng Jing told Huang Qian that their security assignment was complete and chose to return to North City with Yang Kai in two days.
• Huang Qian teased Cheng Jing about Yang Kai liking him, and Cheng Jing denied the rumors before sending Jiang Nian a message that he would be away for about a week.
• Cheng Jing asked the hotel to keep an eye on Jiang Nian, then left his office to meet Yang Kai downstairs.

Jiang Nian moved into an old residential complex and began preparing an apartment as a shelter for the approaching apocalypse. After paying for rent and security upgrades, he had little money left and called Cheng Jing to ask about borrowing funds.

• Cheng Jing learned Jiang Nian had checked out of the hotel and was furious when Jiang Nian avoided his calls.
• Cheng Jing and Yang Kai encountered Jiang Nian as he arrived to view an apartment in their former residential complex; Yang Kai introduced himself as Cheng Jing's boyfriend.
• Jiang Nian rented a mostly empty three-bedroom apartment, chosen for its quiet location and suitability as an apocalypse shelter.
• Jiang Nian hired a cleaner and arranged for workers to reinforce the apartment's windows and install a heavy steel door, agreeing to pay a deposit.
• With most of his money spent on rent and renovations, Jiang Nian called Cheng Jing to discuss borrowing money.

Jiang Nian asked Cheng Jing to lend him money, and the two met at a hotel to talk. Jiang Nian explained that he had hidden his mother's illness and ended their relationship because he thought the distance and his hardships would wear them both down, leaving Cheng Jing to reconsider his resentment.

• Jiang Nian called Cheng Jing and asked to borrow as much money as he could, and Cheng Jing told him to meet in person at their old hotel room.
• Jiang Nian returned to the hotel, bathed, and shared a meal with Cheng Jing, who refused to let him drink before they discussed their business.
• Jiang Nian told Cheng Jing that he had sold his house to pay his mother's debts and had no money left for rent and other needs.
• Cheng Jing asked whether Jiang Nian's mother had been ill while they were together, and Jiang Nian admitted that he had known but kept it from him.
• Jiang Nian explained that he had broken up with Cheng Jing to focus on caring for his mother and avoid the strain of a long-distance relationship, and Cheng Jing's resentment began to fade.

Jiang Nian apologized to Cheng Jing for how their relationship had ended, and Cheng Jing revealed that Yang Kai had only been a cover for a mission, then asked Jiang Nian to start over with him. After reconciling, Jiang Nian borrowed Cheng Jing’s bank card to buy supplies for the coming apocalypse and planned to explain his preparations after Cheng Jing returned from a business trip.

• Jiang Nian apologized to Cheng Jing and said he would not bother him or interfere with his boyfriend.
• Cheng Jing explained that he and Yang Kai had only pretended to be a couple for a mission, then said he still did not agree to breaking up.
• Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing embraced, apologized to each other, and agreed to start over.
• Jiang Nian asked Cheng Jing for money, and Cheng Jing gave him a bank card with a little over 900,000 in it.
• Cheng Jing suggested Jiang Nian move in after the semester began, while Jiang Nian said he needed to stay for a few days and planned to spend the money on supplies.
• Jiang Nian decided he would explain his preparations for the apocalypse after Cheng Jing returned from his business trip.

Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing reunited and spent the night together, while Cheng Jing refused to stay until Yang Kai had been sent away. Back at home, Cheng Jing confirmed to Yang Kai that Jiang Nian was his partner and rejected Yang Kai’s romantic interest.

• Jiang Nian asked Cheng Jing whether he had rented their old apartment, and Cheng Jing admitted he had.
• Jiang Nian urged Cheng Jing to stay and comfort him, and they kissed and reconciled before Cheng Jing left him asleep.
• Cheng Jing returned home after two and found Yang Kai waiting for him.
• Yang Kai deduced that Cheng Jing had visited Jiang Nian and asked whether Jiang Nian was his lover.
• Cheng Jing said Jiang Nian was his official partner and revealed that the person he had lost had come back to life.
• Yang Kai confessed that he liked Cheng Jing, and Cheng Jing told him he could love only Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian secretly prepared a fortified safe house and stockpiled supplies while Cheng Jing was away on business, prompting Cheng Jing to investigate and worry that Jiang Nian was in danger. The chapter ended with Cheng Jing asking Jiang Nian whether he was still having nightmares.

• Cheng Jing accepted that he and Jiang Nian were back together and congratulated him, then reread their chat history after going to bed.
• Jiang Nian ordered supplies, scouted nearby stores, gathered survival information, and arranged renovations to turn a rental into a safe house.
• On August 19, Jiang Nian began buying large quantities of supplies with Cheng Jing's money and Hummer, while Cheng Jing tracked his spending and travels from North City.
• On August 22, Cheng Jing asked Huang Qian to discreetly investigate Jiang Nian, and she sent photos of the fortified rental and Jiang Nian shopping in disguises.
• Cheng Jing concluded Jiang Nian seemed deeply insecure and might be facing a threat alone, so he video-called him and asked whether he was still having nightmares.

Jiang Nian told Cheng Jing that his increasingly vivid nightmares predicted a poisonous rain and the zombie apocalypse, and Cheng Jing believed him and agreed to prepare together. After Cheng Jing returned to Qingyun City, Jiang Nian welcomed him with food and met his assistant, Huang Qian.

• Jiang Nian told Cheng Jing about his nightmares, which foretold that poisonous rain would arrive around August 27 and trigger an outbreak of zombies and supernatural abilities.
• Jiang Nian confessed that he had turned his rental into a safe house and stocked it with supplies, and he described dreaming that he had been bitten by zombies while Cheng Jing failed to reach him in time.
• Cheng Jing promised to stay by Jiang Nian's side and agreed to believe him, while warning him not to tell anyone else about the prediction.
• After their call, Jiang Nian continued buying supplies and ordering food, with Cheng Jing's support.
• On August 24, Cheng Jing returned to Qingyun City, and Jiang Nian waited for him at the company with late-night food.
• Cheng Jing introduced Jiang Nian to Huang Qian, and Jiang Nian gave her flower tea and Cheng Jing herbal tea.

After reuniting, Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing spent the night together and then inspected Jiang Nian’s heavily stocked safe house. Cheng Jing accepted Jiang Nian’s explanation about the coming disasters and went shopping, while Jiang Nian searched the news for signs of the apocalypse.

• Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing returned to the hotel, spent the night together, and slept late the next morning.
• Jiang Nian told Cheng Jing to shop for clothes and supplies while he stayed home to rest and unpack deliveries.
• Cheng Jing saw the safe house packed with food, water, equipment, medicine, clothing, and other supplies, and reassured Jiang Nian that the stockpile was acceptable.
• Jiang Nian warned Cheng Jing to prepare for poisonous rain, extreme cold, and extreme heat, explaining that he had dreamed about them.
• Cheng Jing left to shop, while Jiang Nian organized deliveries and found reports of people suddenly developing special abilities.

Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing finished stockpiling supplies and spent the evening together at a hotel. After the weather forecast confirmed the coming nationwide rain, Cheng Jing accepted that Jiang Nian’s dream had predicted the apocalypse, and Jiang Nian explained the timeline and warned that they could only protect themselves.

• Cheng Jing brought a truckload of supplies, including self-defense equipment, canned food, and compressed biscuits, to the safe house, while Jiang Nian collected boxes of encyclopedias and detailed maps.
• After organizing the safe house, Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing returned to the hotel, where Jiang Nian showed Cheng Jing reports about people awakening abilities.
• Jiang Nian waited with Cheng Jing for the evening weather forecast, which announced heavy rain nationwide beginning on the afternoon of the twenty-seventh.
• Cheng Jing realized the forecast matched Jiang Nian’s dream, and Jiang Nian told him the poisonous rain would last through the thirty-first, zombies would appear on the first, and people would begin dying during the rain.
• Jiang Nian told Cheng Jing that others would not believe them, so they could only look after themselves.

Cheng Jing secretly organized his trusted team to stock their safe houses while Jiang Nian waited for the apocalypse. When Jiang Nian joined him and Huang Qian at the residential complex, Cheng Jing was inexplicably sweating and burning hot, and their playful argument ended when Huang Qian fell from her chair in pain.

• Cheng Jing planned to warn his family and quietly prepare his trusted security team, then ordered each group to stock its safe house for a supposed training assignment.
• The next day, Jiang Nian learned Cheng Jing had taken Huang Qian and the others to gather supplies, and later brought food to the residential complex.
• Huang Qian suspected Cheng Jing's preparations had something to do with Jiang Nian, but accepted his explanation that she was improving her skills.
• Jiang Nian noticed Cheng Jing was sweating heavily despite the cold air conditioning, but Cheng Jing said he only felt unusually hot.
• Huang Qian teased Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing about their relationship, and Cheng Jing traded insults with her before stopping her from striking his face.
• When Cheng Jing pushed Huang Qian's wrist away, she screamed, dropped her tea, and fell backward from her chair in pain.

Cheng Jing began awakening an ability that surrounded him with electricity and flames, while Jiang Nian explained the danger and the approaching apocalypse to Huang Qian. The three agreed to keep Jiang Nian’s dreams and their preparations secret as Cheng Jing tried to control his new power in the bathroom.

• Huang Qian and Jiang Nian were shocked when they touched Cheng Jing, who realized electricity was running through his body.
• Jiang Nian recognized that Cheng Jing might be awakening an ability and told him to let the energy fuse with his body.
• Cheng Jing’s skin reddened as lightning and flames appeared together, and Jiang Nian sent him to the bathroom to contain the dangerous dual-attribute power.
• Jiang Nian and Huang Qian waited outside the bathroom while Jiang Nian explained ability awakenings, his apocalyptic dreams, and the approaching disaster.
• Huang Qian understood why Cheng Jing had ordered them to stockpile supplies and agreed to keep their preparations and Jiang Nian’s dreams secret.

Cheng Jing completed his first ability awakening, gaining fire and lightning powers, and he and Jiang Nian returned to the hotel to rest. Cheng Jing revealed that his altered rings could store and retrieve objects, leaving them with a newly discovered ability.

• While Cheng Jing’s awakening stabilized, Jiang Nian told him about the disasters he had experienced in his previous life.
• At dawn, Cheng Jing emerged with sharper senses and demonstrated that he could wield both fire and lightning.
• Cheng Jing instructed Huang Qian to gather supplies and warm clothing before the rain began.
• On the drive back to the hotel, Cheng Jing asked Jiang Nian whether objects could mutate when abilities awakened.
• Cheng Jing gave Jiang Nian their matching rings, which had changed color during his awakening.
• Cheng Jing used the rings to make the car keys disappear and reappear.

Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing discovered that their rings had become storage spaces and used the remaining time before the apocalypse to prepare supplies. As poisonous rain and fierce winds began, they returned to their safe house and ordered their allies to stay indoors and await instructions.

• Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing tested the mutated rings and found that each held a large space that preserved stored supplies but could not hold living things.
• Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing agreed to gather more supplies on the eve of the apocalypse, and they celebrated the discovery together.
• Cheng Jing and Huang Qian had vehicles modified and stocked up on fuel, tools, medicines, and equipment, while Jiang Nian bought food, freezers, seeds, scooters, and batteries for the ring spaces.
• Cheng Jing and Jiang Nian returned to their safe house as dark clouds and strong winds gathered, then Cheng Jing told Huang Qian and the others to stay inside and avoid the rain.
• Cheng Jing called his family to warn them and tell them he and Jiang Nian had reconciled, then refused Huang Qian's request to come over for dinner.

As the poison rain killed those exposed to it and chaos spread, Jiang Nian stayed calm while Cheng Jing watched the news and cared for him. Jiang Nian developed a severe fever that may signal an ability awakening, leaving Cheng Jing terrified that he might not recover or remember him.

• Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing stayed indoors as the rain began, charging devices and preparing for the power to go out while Jiang Nian explained that those caught in the rain would soon die.
• The next morning, Jiang Nian and Huang Qian discussed the deaths, and Jiang Nian reassured Cheng Jing that he had forgiven their past breakup.
• Cheng Jing checked reports of an unknown virus and warned his family and group to avoid the rain and use protective suits if they had to go outside.
• Jiang Nian and Cheng Jing spent August 28 indoors, and Jiang Nian developed a high fever that he suggested might mean his ability was awakening.
• As deaths and hospital chaos increased on August 29, Cheng Jing stayed up caring for Jiang Nian and feared the fever might leave him mentally damaged or unable to remember him.

Jiang Nian awakened his Purification Ability and secretly practiced it while Cheng Jing reported to the authorities. After the apocalypse began and zombies appeared, Cheng Jing confronted Jiang Nian about how he knew what was coming, leaving Jiang Nian afraid to answer.

• After recovering from his fever, Jiang Nian awakened Purification and asked Cheng Jing to keep the ability secret.
• Cheng Jing and Huang Qian reported to the authorities, while Jiang Nian tested his ability and found its range was about three meters.
• Cheng Jing returned near dawn after the rain stopped, and the pair woke to news that the dead had become zombies and were attacking people.
• Jiang Nian described the coming disasters and rescue plans, revealing his knowledge of future events.
• Cheng Jing asked Jiang Nian to tell him the truth about how he knew the future, and Jiang Nian lowered his eyes in fear.