Chapter 18 The Apocalypse 17

Lu Xuejin's embrace was like a cool breeze, refreshing and gentle on the face, yet it concealed a chilling coldness.

Luo Mingchuan's body was stiffer than a corpse, and he stood there blankly as the other person hugged him. Lu Xuejin was half a head shorter than him, and the way she hugged him was just enough for her chin to rest on her shoulder. Her soft hair brushed against his hard, rock-hard shoulder and neck muscles, and every touch felt like it was seeping into his body through his pores, spreading a subtle itch and soreness.

Luo Mingchuan stood with his hands hanging at his sides, his Adam's apple bobbing, his jaw clenched, his mind blank, unsure of how to react.

After a long while, he finally found his voice and said in a low, muffled voice, "...Let go."

He thought Lu Xuejin would ignore him as usual and continue to pester and tease him, but to his surprise, the arm around his waist loosened as soon as he finished speaking. That little bit of warmth instantly disappeared, and a chill ran up his spine.

Lu Xuejin turned her back to the hunting team, raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.

"..." Luo Mingchuan's pupils suddenly darkened.

The onlookers were completely unaware of the undercurrents between the two "brothers" and were still deeply moved by their "sincere" brotherhood.

Seeing that the shepherd boy's expression was off, Yun Hongli pressed his shoulder and reminded him, "Xiao Lu is his older brother."

The team members burst into laughter: "Captain, you can't be jealous like that! Who knows, he might be your brother-in-law in the future, you have to find a way to win him over!"

"Tsk tsk." The short, fat Liu Gao shook his head and muttered to himself, "It's not good to be jealous. Be careful that you don't end up having your wife run off with someone else. If your brother-in-law says a few words to Brother Lu, it'll be enough to give you a hard time, Mu Dui."

The team members had long noticed the shepherd boy's subtle and awkward affection for Lu Xuejin, and, with the intention of watching the spectacle unfold, spoke without restraint. Even those who were usually timid and hesitant to speak in front of the shepherd boy were caught up in the atmosphere and mustered their courage to rub their whiskers.

The shepherd boy completely ignored them, his eyes fixed on the commotion opposite him. Because Lu Xuejin had her back to him, he couldn't see the young man's expression, but the intimate and warm embrace and interaction between the brothers stung his eyes.

A surge of anger welled up in his chest. The shepherd knew he could only endure it for now, yet he couldn't help but doubt the relationship between the two of them—

In terms of appearance and physique, Lu Xuejin and Luo Mingchuan have no resemblance whatsoever, and there is no trace of blood relation between them.

Are they really brothers?

He squinted, his expression inscrutable, making it unclear whether he believed or not.

After a moment, having reached his limit of patience, and under the winking gazes of his teammates, the shepherd boy called Lu Xuejin back to his side. The tall young man was once again alone. The shepherd boy stood on the slope looking down at him. Their eyes met briefly before looking away, both with the same underlying indifference.

...

A day later, the hunting party arrived at the Sky Base.

This cluster of buildings, which suddenly appeared after the apocalypse, looks like a small city to the naked eye. The city walls are tall and sturdy, heavily guarded, and the buildings seem to be made of special materials, gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the sunlight.

The hunting team kept some of the crystal cores for themselves, and handed over the rest as mission items. Afterwards, they took Lu Xuejin and the other person to get a medical examination.

As an outsider to this small world, Lu Xuejin had the system to cheat at any time, so she passed smoothly, but her supernatural abilities were not detected as the shepherd boy had guessed.

During the journey to the base, Luo Mingchuan's abilities continued to evolve, and the scenario that Lu Xuejin had predicted—being exposed and killed on the spot by the base—did not occur. He could now freely switch between the appearance of an ordinary human and the appearance of a zombie.

The hognose snake hidden in the luggage remained undetected despite Lu Xuejin's seemingly affectionate intimidation.

After registering their information and receiving the "Check-in Handbook," the shepherd boy extended an invitation: "You've just arrived and are penniless, so you can only be assigned the worst low-rent housing, rent-free for ten days. After that, you must work or complete tasks to earn points. You don't seem like someone who can do much work, so why don't you join my team and help us with logistics?"

Perhaps because it was the first time he had taken the initiative to invite someone, the shepherd boy's tone was stiff, which made the team members cover their faces and sigh. But he was unmoved and continued, "In the entire base, my team has the best treatment. Not only do we have high-class apartments and regular supplies, but we will never push you to be cannon fodder when we go on missions. You have no better choice than here."

After finishing his sentence in one breath, the shepherd boy pursed his lips and stared intently at Lu Xuejin.

In his view, Lu Xuejin had already agreed to his invitation, and now that their relationship had improved, it was even less likely that she would suddenly refuse. Therefore, the closer he got to the base, the better his mood became.

The thought of Lu Xuejin waiting for him when he returned from killing zombies swept away the restlessness that had been lingering in his heart.

But Lu Xuejin kept her head down and didn't say a word, and the rare smile on the shepherd boy's face gradually froze.

"I'm really sorry..." After a long silence, Lu Xuejin finally raised her head, and her words made the shepherd boy's expression change slightly. "I want to observe with Mingchuan for a while. Besides, our abilities are low and we will only hold you back, so we won't trouble Captain Mu."

The refusal was swift and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.

The shepherd boy's face immediately turned cold, and his expression became terrifying. His eyebrows twitched, and he was about to say something when Yun Hongli pulled him away. The team members also surrounded him, fearing that the shepherd boy might speak recklessly or do something rash if he lost his composure.

"Xiao Lu, we'll be going now! Haha... The captain might not be feeling well, don't worry about him! Get settled first, and come find me anytime if you need anything."

You can faintly hear the team members earnestly advising you: "Hey, Shepherd, don't you understand the importance of taking things one step at a time? This isn't like killing zombies, it's not something that can be done quickly. You have to take it slow!"

The shepherd boy tried to turn back, but the team members blocked him and dragged him away from the testing hall.

"You don't want him anymore?" Luo Mingchuan couldn't help but ask.

"..." Lu Xuejin didn't answer directly, but said with a smile, "Don't you think his expression just now was quite interesting?"

Luo Mingchuan realized once again that Lu Xuejin's true nature was even worse than that of a demon.

Following the instructions in the "Check-in Handbook," the two found the low-rent housing area and received the key from the administrator.

The manager explained, "For the first ten days, rent, hot water, and electricity are free. You can get free meals at the first six windows on the first floor of the nearest canteen. But starting from the eleventh day, you'll have to redeem these things with points. You two should hurry up and find some decent jobs."

The allocated apartment was better than the old, dilapidated one I had before. It had two bedrooms and a living room, and looked like it had just been built; there was a faint, pungent smell in the air. The decor was simple and clean, and the basic furniture was complete.

It was almost lunchtime, so Luo Mingchuan put down his luggage and said, "I'm going to the cafeteria to get my food."

Lu Xuejin paused slightly: "Let's go together."

Luo Mingchuan blocked his way, saying, "Don't go out for the time being."

He made up an excuse: "The shepherd boy seems to be a high-profile, powerful figure in the base. It would be too conspicuous if you just rejected him."

But the irritation on his face clearly conveyed the message that "letting you out will definitely cause trouble."

Lu Xuejin sank into the sofa, looking up at Luo Mingchuan's distinct features. Upon hearing this, she blinked, her smile instantly vanishing, and weakly replied, "Okay, thank you."

He reverted to his old, weak and easily bullied demeanor, deliberately trying to disgust Luo Mingchuan.

Luo Mingchuan's eyes darkened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he took a big step back, grabbed his meal card, and quickly left.

Lu Xuejin buried her face halfway in the back of the sofa, her chest heaving a few times before she let out a muffled laugh.

This smile, with tears in her eyes, seemed more genuine than her previous fake smiles.

Dongyao asked, puzzled: "Baby, what are you laughing at?"

Lu Xuejin wiped away her tears and said dismissively, "It's nothing."

Dong Yao: [……]

After laughing, he finally decided to focus his energy back on his work—according to the original plot, once he arrived at the base, he needed to work hard to earn points to support Luo Mingchuan, and at the same time, he had to go to great lengths to obtain a special medicine to help Luo Mingchuan escape the danger of becoming a zombie.

But as he traveled with the hunting party, he subtly inquired, but no one mentioned any special medicine or related information.

"What is the origin of this medicine?" Lu Xuejin stood up, gently stroking the side of her neck, and pondered, "Logically speaking, this kind of thing should be under strict control by the higher authorities and would not circulate openly."

"That's right," Dong Yao said. "However, Bao has already made contact with a key figure. The hunting team leader, Mu Tong, is the cousin of Mu Huai, the chief researcher of the special medicine. The Mu family has considerable influence in the Sky Base, and Bao can obtain the special medicine through Mu Tong's channels. He shouldn't have refused him earlier."

Lu Xuejin tilted her head: "Then why didn't you remind me just now?"

Dongyao said angrily, "But the shepherd boy has such a foul mouth! He's a bad person! Baby, you're right to stay away from him."

It flew to Lu Xuejin, its angry little expression flashing incessantly, clearly showing how furious it was.

[Besides, with me here, we'll definitely get the special medicine. We won't let the shepherd bully us!]

Lu Xuejin smiled and teased gently, "Is your system proper or not? Other systems never interfere with their hosts or offer help except for major matters. Why do you always try to help me? Won't you break the rules and get criticized by the main system?"

A golden exclamation mark appeared warily on the metal ball's head: [Baby, you actually had another system without my knowledge?!]

The tone was one of utter agony.

Lu Xuejin couldn't help but laugh, pulling Dong Yao into her arms and gently comforting her: "How could that be? I was just teasing you. What other system do I have besides our Xiao Yao? It's just that Xiao Yao saw how pitiful I was after losing my husband and took the initiative to help me. I'm so touched."

A metal ball pops out an egg-shaped opening: [Baby...]

The weather was sunny during this period, and the low-rise buildings offered a view of the vast sky through the windows. Lu Xuejin leaned against the windowsill with one hand, casually asking for more details about the plot, while her gaze lightly swept over the streets, crowds, and military facilities in the distance.

Dong Yao proposed several routes to obtain the potion, which, in summary, were nothing more than building a reputation and establishing a status, so that one could naturally gain access to the secrets of the special potion.

[The base has its eye on rare and special ability users. I can fake abilities for my baby, and with the male lead's help, that's enough to get us into the center of power!]

As it spoke, it eagerly proposed several solutions for using superpowers.

She's really proactive; it's obvious she really wants to help him revive his husband. Unfortunately, the helpful little system is unaware of the truth.

Thinking of this, Lu Xuejin's lips curled slightly, revealing a shallow dimple.

A passerby happened to look up and inadvertently caught a glimpse of this scene, then froze on the spot.

...Is this a new member?

They live in low-rent housing.

For a moment, passersby were filled with all sorts of thoughts.

When he came to his senses, he suddenly felt a thorn in his back, as if someone was watching him intently. He turned around abruptly and, in the sparse crowd, suddenly came face to face with a man standing in the shadow of the low-rent apartment.

The man carefully held the lunchbox, his somber expression starkly contrasting with his family-oriented demeanor. In the interplay of light and shadow, his features were sharply defined, almost angular. At first glance, one might mistake him for a living, breathing wild beast.

The passersby stood frozen in place.

An indescribable, powerful sense of oppression swept over him like an invisible wave, turning his face deathly pale and causing him to stop breathing.

"I'm back."

The latch clicked, and Luo Mingchuan put down his lunchbox. In less than twenty minutes, he had finished eating in the cafeteria and then got another meal for Lu Xuejin to bring back. His movements were remarkably swift.

The rice was steaming hot, but the dishes were unremarkable. Lu Xuejin ate a few bites and then put down her chopsticks.

That makes sense; with resources scarce these days, the food provided for free is naturally not very good.

Luo Mingchuan suddenly spoke up: "I signed up for another hunting team. We meet tomorrow morning, and I might not be back by tonight. If you want to eat, you'll have to hunt for yourself."

He originally wanted Lu Xuejin to stay in the low-rent housing, but firstly, since she had just joined the base, she would easily attract attention. If people found out that she was not eating the free meals, they would definitely be noticed by those with ulterior motives. Secondly, he knew that Lu Xuejin was used to three meals a day and could eat well at home, but she couldn't even get a hot meal at the base, which was too hard for her.

He said he would take good care of Lu Xuejin.

Therefore, the most urgent task is to earn points quickly.

"You're quick on your feet, no wonder you're my brother." Lu Xuejin looked at him calmly, praised him, and then said, "I'll go out and look for a job tomorrow too."

“No,” Luo Mingchuan shook his head and said, “You stay at home.”

His tone left no room for doubt, as if in just a few days he had elevated his position from "the younger brother being taken care of by Lu Xuejin" to "the head of the family".

As for the reasons, Luo Mingchuan was well-prepared.

“You’ve always taken care of me. Now it’s the apocalypse, and there are not only zombies outside, but also humans who have suddenly gained power and become arrogant. You’re so frail—” Luo Mingchuan said against his will, “I think you’ll definitely be bullied at work.”

"I can work on my own, that's enough."

This is, of course, just a superficial reason.

Luo Mingchuan's true thoughts were: You're my brother, so I should be the one supporting you. Besides, if you were allowed to go out and work, who knows how many fools would suffer.

"You don't want me to harm others, do you?" Lu Xuejin saw right through his thoughts. "It's all written in your eyes."

Luo Mingchuan did not refute his accusations.

Lu Xuejin stared at him, then suddenly let out a cold sneer.

[Dedication Points +1]

Dongyao jumped out, completely bewildered: [This increase in dedication points is truly mysterious... I must say, my husband's thought process is vastly different from ordinary people.]

"Then I'll wait and see, little brother. I'm sure you can take good care of me." The handsome young man's expression was indifferent, with a hint of mockery on his lips. "I want to eat chicken, duck, fish, meat, fresh vegetables, and delicious fruit—can you provide all of that?"

[Dedication Points +1]

What's going on here? Did you get a good feeling about what you said?

Author's Note:

Both the shepherd boy and the shepherd boy took their mother's surname.