Chapter 112: Lu Jun
The abandoned world after the experiment looked like no living soul had set foot here for a long time.
The surroundings were desolate with accumulated dust. The chaos on the ground suggested that after the apocalypse broke out, this place had experienced massacre and flight.
Li Dong and Lu Jun fell silent at the same time, stunned by what they saw.
If every blade of grass and every tree in this world had been made by the man walking behind them, just how powerful was he?
That kind of perverse ability was already beyond anything they could imagine…
“Tsk. Tsk.” World after world filled with killing and terror, definitely a freak. That was Lu Jun’s verdict, and he had nothing but contempt for the young, handsome, not-quite-human guy behind them.
“How long has this been abandoned?” Li Dong couldn’t help glancing back. He wasn’t like Lu Jun; he was wary of Yu Jiqing and kept his guard up.
“Judging by this world’s time flow, about fifty years.” Yu Jiqing lifted his head to look at him, sunglasses hiding the admiration and goodwill in his eyes.
“So there are still zombies?” Li Dong scanned the area, on alert. His black leather shoes crunched over a floor littered with shattered dishes, making unavoidable noise.
“There should be.” Yu Jiqing shrugged. “But there’s no need to be afraid. We won’t stay long. This is just a transfer station.” He stepped forward. “As long as we find this world’s control center and open the door that links to the real world, we can leave the virtual.”
Li Dong’s heart sank. On reflex, he gripped Lu Jun’s hand.
Yu Jiqing caught it in his peripheral vision. He said nothing, only stated calmly, “You can’t take him with you.”
“Motherfer!” Lu Jun glared at the sashaying little b*tch up ahead. With a gun on his shoulder, he was blazing with temper. “I’ve got blood and flesh and feelings. How come just because you say I’m a virtual character, that makes me one?”
He really wanted to pop the man in the head.
F**k!
“Baby, don’t waste your breath on him.” Li Dong pinched Lu Jun’s chin and gave him a warm kiss. “No matter what he spouts, I’m not leaving you.”
That thought had never once crossed his mind.
“Mm.” Lu Jun embraced the handsome man and kissed him thoroughly. “You better not dare.”
Any man who dared abandon Lu Jun was either already a zombie, or hadn’t been born yet.
Standing on the wrecked street, Yu Jiqing glanced back. “Pardon my bluntness, but if you two keep dawdling, I don’t mind spawning a few zombies to greet you.”
“We’re coming,” Li Dong said.
“Mind your own business,” Lu Jun sneered as he walked. He leaned in at a wicked angle to whisper to his man, “Is he jealous we’re together? Hm?”
It was just a joke.
Li Dong chuckled too. “Maybe.” Still, he ruffled the little mad dog’s hair. “We don’t know his depths. It’s better not to tease blindly.”
“I know.” Truth be told, that head-pat made Lu Jun want to wag his tail.
And maybe go pee on this man’s leg.
“Mr. Yu, where are we going now?” Li Dong caught up, keeping half an arm’s length behind him.
They’d been too shaken in the elevator to look closely.
Up close now, he saw the other man was tall, fair-skinned. From the part of his face not covered by the sunglasses, it wasn’t hard to tell that if he took them off, he’d be a very good-looking guy.
Sensitive to it, Yu Jiqing felt No. 1’s gaze running over him. He pressed his lips together. “It’s getting late. We’ll find a safe place to spend the night, then look for transportation tomorrow.”
“Got it.” Li Dong nodded, no objections.
At close range, Yu Jiqing finally felt it clearly the No. 1’s easy, comforting presence.
He found himself saying more. “This world isn’t in your experimental block. I didn’t build a full control center here; otherwise we’d leave quickly. What we’re looking for now is—”
He broke off. Lu Jun was watching him with open mockery. Face icing over, he decided not to talk to No. 1 anymore.
“What is it?” Li Dong looked back, saw Lu Jun too. “It’s getting dark. We need a safe place to sleep.”
“Great.” Lu Jun moved to his boyfriend’s side, eyes guarding him like a tiger, mouth curved in a fierce grin.
“Little vinegar jar,” Li Dong said with a low laugh.
The undercurrent between Lu Jun and Yu Jiqing, no way an old hand like him hadn’t noticed.
He just didn’t believe Yu Jiqing could threaten Lu Jun emotionally.
After half an hour searching nearby, they found a supermarket.
Inside was a mess, nothing edible left.
Heavy-hearted, Li Dong took a turn through the place, found some rags that could be used to clean, and returned to the spot they meant to hole up.
He found Yu Jiqing and Lu Jun keeping far apart. Shaking his head, he said, “For safety, someone needs to keep watch at night. Let’s move closer and not split up.”
Both men looked at Li Dong at the same time, brows lifting, as if waiting to see which side he’d choose.
“…,” Li Dong went to neither Lu Jun nor Yu Jiqing. He took the middle ground with a sigh and resigned himself to cleaning.
“Tsk…” Lu Jun was a bit angry but also found this man so adorable that he wanted to bully him a bit.
“I’ll help,” Yu Jiqing said, taking off his coat and coming over.
“Thanks.” Li Dong split the rags with him and felt a little lighter. At least if someone stepped up to work, he probably wasn’t a completely rotten person.
Though those things weren’t necessarily connected.
Seeing this, Lu Jun curled his lip.
He lowered his head and checked his gun. How many rounds left?
“I’m interested in everything you’ve said,” Li Dong admitted, self-mocking. “But I doubt you can explain it all to me clearly, right?”
Yu Jiqing glanced sideways at him, nodded, and kept working.
“You’re incredible.”
Hard not to feel something when No. 1 looked at you with that kind of admiration.
“So are you.” Yu Jiqing cleared a space big enough to move, sat down, and shut his eyes, not in the mood to talk.
“Xiao Jun, come here.” Li Dong crooked a finger at his little cutie, no, little mad dog.
“You tell me to come and I’ll come?” Lu Jun gave a cold laugh, clicking the gun in his hands in a very dangerous way.
“You coming or not?” Li Dong winked at him, then blew him a kiss. “It’s safe over here.” The line was full of innuendo, but with a third person around, he was only teasing.
“Tsk tsk.” What a seducer.
Lu Jun couldn’t resist. Neat and brisk, he stood and swaggered over.
That was something Li Dong admired, the way so much could happen and Lu Jun’s mood still wouldn’t sink.
Was it enough just to stay by his side?
Yes.
Because of that answer, Li Dong’s heart ached for Lu Jun.
He wrapped the young man who was ravaging his face with kisses, and they slipped into a deep, lingering kiss.
It was already dark, but this close-range display still painted a vivid picture.
Heat rising in his cheeks, Yu Jiqing turned his face away and fixed his eyes on some irrelevant spot.
He could hear every subtle sound. Sound stitched sharp pictures in his mind in an instant.
“Ahem.”
At this obvious clearing of throat, Li Dong let Lu Jun go and ended the ill-timed kiss.
“Sleep,” he said, still holding Lu Jun and letting him lean against his chest. “I’ll take the second half of the night. I’ll wake you at three.”
“You’re kidding. It’s way too early.” Lu Jun wriggled out of his arms. “How am I supposed to sleep so soon? Better kill me.” He yanked Li Dong’s hand and pressed it against his tent. “Also, what about what you promised me?”
They’d agreed during the morning’s getaway, once they found a safe spot, he’d get railed to death.
He wanted to die now. Please and thank you.
Li Dong’s mouth twitched. Seriously? After all this, this was still top of mind…
“If you’re not sleeping, then I will first?” He played dumb and lay down.
“Hey?” Lu Jun fumed and kicked him. “Get up.” They did it several times a night. If they skipped tonight, he’d never fall asleep.
“I’m wiped. Night.” Li Dong yawned and turned over, back to Lu Jun.
Lu Jun pressed close, bit his ear, and breathed wickedly, “Wiped, my a**. Get up and pay the grain tax.”
Having that conversation in front of someone else was… beyond embarrassing.
Face burning, Li Dong sat up. “Mr. Yu, we’re going to the restroom. Be careful,” he said, leaving Lu Jun’s gun behind.
“You’re so kind,” Lu Jun ground out. Still, since he was being scooped up and carried to a battlefield, he had no time to quibble over feathers.
The ground was filthy. Li Dong didn’t want Lu Jun setting a foot down.
He found a room, braced him against a wall, and got to work.
A special environment and an untraditional position made for a very high-quality exchange.
Lu Jun rewarded his man with several tooth marks because it was just so f***ing good.
“Xiao Junjun.” Li Dong kissed him everywhere. “Say ‘husband.’ Husband loves you.”
“Love your a**…” Who invented that shameful honorific? Just hearing it did things to him!
“Pfft…”
Apparently “husband” was Lu Jun’s ticklish spot. Scratch it and surprises popped out.
“You’re bad to the bone…” Lu Jun cracked. But he liked it so much, so much, so much that he didn’t dare grab his man by the throat and warn him: Don’t leave. I’ll break your legs.
He didn’t dare.
He was afraid of being hated.
“Xiao Jun, don’t panic.” Li Dong kissed the wet corners of Lu Jun’s eyes.
When you weren’t satisfied, you couldn’t sleep.
After a few rounds away from that annoying person, he quickly fell into deep sleep.
“Good night.” Li Dong’s voice was low and gentle in the dark.
Yu Jiqing watched coolly and kept his mouth shut.
Unless he was asked first.
“Mr. Yu.” Li Dong lifted his head. The profile he saw was a little cold. “You said time flows differently here than outside, right?”
“And then?” Yu Jiqing asked.
“I want to stay and spend a lifetime with Xiao Jun,” Li Dong said, the same way he had in each world. “Only then can I leave in peace.” Otherwise, even back in the real world, he wouldn’t live at ease.
“That’s a willful ask,” Yu Jiqing said icily.
“I know.” Li Dong smiled in the dark. “But it’s not completely non-negotiable, is it?”
Do you know the real world is in crisis?
The words circled on Yu Jiqing’s tongue but he swallowed them.
Telling Li Dong would do no good. It would only add to his burden.
“Looks like you really like him,” he said lightly, his thoughts hard to read.
Li Dong had lived hundreds of years across worlds and met more people than he could count.
Of them all, Yu Jiqing was the one he understood the least.
He was blatantly outside Li Dong’s experience, no motives, no patterns Li Dong could pin down.
“What do the people in your past mean to you?” Yu Jiqing turned his face and met No. 1’s eyes.
This man, so capable and so kind.
He’d crashed into a life filled with experiments like an accident.
“People in my past? Let’s say you mean the partners who were with me in each world.” Li Dong chuckled quietly. “They’re lovers. You cherish the past and treasure the present, and make yourself and the people at your side happy every day.” He’d always thought it was that simple. His heart had never changed.
“…” Yu Jiqing was at a loss for words.
Sometimes this man seemed simple; on closer inspection, he was rich and layered.
“So?” Li Dong coaxed with a smile. “This is actually easy for you.” After all, he was the guy who made worlds.
Easy, huh. If it were really easy, Yu Jiqing thought, he wouldn’t have made worlds in search of a way out.
“Mr. Yu,” Li Dong said, “you went to great lengths to find me and bring me out. That must mean I matter in the real world, that you need me… I hope you won’t take offense at me saying this. Why not grant my small request, and I’ll throw myself into helping with yours?” He smiled. “Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”
It was a threat, but he made it sound pretty.
Yu Jiqing raised a brow. Truth be told, his mind went blank. One thought only: No 1. is so f***ing cute. I want him too.
“Alright. I’ll grant your small request.” Even if that small request might get them all killed.
“Thank you.” Li Dong was sincere. “If you ever need anything, I’ll give it everything I’ve got.” He held out a hand into the dark to the mysterious man.
“Let’s hope so.” Yu Jiqing flicked a look at Li Dong’s hand, then at sleeping Lu Jun, and finally clasped hands with Li Dong.
That a hyper-alert killer could sleep soundly, untouched by the world, after knowing this man only a short while, how staggering was that?
“But I have one condition.” Yu Jiqing fixed his eyes on Lu Jun. “You’ll see me to the door. If anything happens to him later, you can come out to find me.”
Li Dong didn’t quibble. He believed Yu Jiqing wasn’t the type to go back on his word.
“Deal.”
At three in the morning, Lu Jun woke.
He saw Yu Jiqing asleep too and felt a sting for his man. “Sleep well. I love you.”
“Mm.” Li Dong held a good secret close and planned to surprise his little mad dog tomorrow.
By eight the next morning, it was bright.
A breezy season, comfortably warm.
This place had been left alone for fifty years, so there were basically no usable vehicles.
But with Yu Jiqing there, finding materials and recombining a working ride was child’s play.
“I’m hungry. Go see what you can find to eat,” Yu Jiqing told Li Dong, head down over a rusty engine.
“Okay.” Li Dong put down the parts he’d gathered at Yu Jiqing’s request. “Xiao Jun, I’m going to look for food. Stay here with Mr. Yu.”
Since Yu Jiqing was useful to them, Lu Jun nodded. Crouching with his gun, he asked, “Can that thing even run?” Heavy skepticism colored his tone.
“In your hands, no. In mine, maybe,” Yu Jiqing said after a glance.
“Tsk tsk.” Lu Jun felt the nerd had just looked down on him. “You like my boyfriend?” He lifted his chin to glance at his own man’s athletic, swaggering back.
Yu Jiqing looked too, said nothing, and buried himself in the engine.
“I really can’t leave, can I?” Lu Jun didn’t expect any answer but shook his head anyway. “If that’s true, do me a favor and take care of him. Don’t let him feel guilty.”
“…,” Even though this guy was a shard of his own personality, Yu Jiqing was still surprised. He’d figured, given Lu Jun’s selfish streak, he’d cling to Li Dong to the death.
“Answer yes or no, will you? Sh*t.” Lu Jun hated this mysterious posing. It made his skin itch.
“Alright,” Yu Jiqing said, rolling his eyes inside. Li Dong was the kind of person who made your emotions seesaw. When Lu Jun learned the truth later, would he bawl from happiness and love Li Dong even more?
And meanwhile, every split of his own personality was hopelessly in love with Li Dong.
Think about it for a second, what a dark future.
Before long, Li Dong returned with food: some wild peanuts and tomatoes.
Nothing to be done; it was all raw.
Lu Jun had no patience for shelling peanuts. He took one of the few tomatoes and bit in.
“Peanuts are nutritious, dummy.” Li Dong shelled them one by one and fed him.
“Last supper, huh?” Lu Jun listened to the engine’s about-to-start sound and let out a self-mocking laugh. “Gotta hand it to the high-IQ freak. He can get anything running.”
Seriously.
In less than half an hour, the wreck limped along the road.
In the car, Yu Jiqing ate wild tomatoes. The re-upholstered seat under his butt was a little uncomfortable.
The door to this world lay on a mountain. At the foot, they abandoned the car and hiked up.
A plain iron door covered in rust, that was Li Dong and Lu Jun’s first impression.
“This dumba** door?” Lu Jun went up and kicked it, panting. “…” Why the hell can’t I go through. F**k!
“Xiao Jun, don’t do that,” Li Dong said.
Lu Jun yanked his hand free. “OK.” He switched to English. “Go back to your world. I don’t even like you that much, got it?”
Yu Jiqing curled his lip, stepped up, and opened the door in his special way. “If you want to leave, you can come find me anytime,” he said to Li Dong before stepping through.
One line made Lu Jun’s eyes fly wide.
What did they just say?
“Okay. Thank you.” Li Dong hugged his stunned little mad dog and raised a hand in a wave. “See you.”
“See you…” Yu Jiqing smiled, turned, and left cleanly.
He had no idea what awaited him, but starting today, he could strike the word “regret” from his dictionary.
The virtual feed pulled from his nerves, blanking his brain for a few seconds.
Then his consciousness rebooted and everything ran normally.
The long-limbed youth woke in the nutrient pod. A chorus of chirps greeted his ears. “Sir, welcome back. Sir, your metrics are normal. Sir, current time is XX. Sir—”
“Shut up.” Yu Jiqing popped the pod, climbed out naked, and went straight to the shower.
“Sir, where is No. 1?” If it remembered right, the doctor had gone into the collapsing world personally to bring No. 1 back to reality.
“How is it outside?” Yu Jiqing came out with dripping hair. “Prepare a Set A meal before you brief me.”
“Yes, sir.” The AI reported, “They have begun breaching the security system, attempting to open Lab 103. The executor is the scientific maverick Dr. Ouruiji. Estimated time to crack the system: ten days.”
“That good, huh?” Yu Jiqing glanced at No. 1’s nutrient pod. “Then let’s see which is faster, him cracking it or my people getting back.”
Author’s Note:
【Good morning, I’m so excited. Two chapters left~】
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