Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was already 9:30 p.m.
The rain outside showed no sign of stopping, and the bodyguards had still not arrived. Cheng Lin sat on the sofa, a creeping sense of unease settling in her chest. Jiang Feng had said they would come in the evening, and now it was nearly ten o’clock. Why was there still no word?
Could it be that something had really gone wrong?
After all, these were people sent by Father Jiang. If anything had happened, Jiang Yi, caught in the middle, would be in a difficult position. Cheng Lin frowned and took out her phone, intending to call Jiang Feng to check. Her finger hovered over the screen, yet she hesitated to press.
At that moment, the television she had left on suddenly interrupted with an emergency news broadcast.
The formally dressed anchor appeared on screen, his expression grave as he reported: “Urgent notice: this afternoon, multiple areas in the city experienced unexplained violent incidents, with some victims exhibiting aggressive behavior. After review by relevant authorities, all outdoor venues and public service locations in the city will be temporarily closed, and citizens are strictly prohibited from gathering. Dedicated delivery teams will provide essential supplies to community residents. Citizens are advised not to panic and to follow the instructions of community staff.”
Cheng Lin’s hand holding the phone froze slightly. Then, a sense of inevitability washed over her.
It had come.
The apocalypse had arrived, just as predicted.
She steadied herself, took a deep breath, and dialed Jiang Yi’s number. The phone rang for a long time before being answered, but the voice on the other end was unfamiliar.
“Hello, dear, the news said there are monsters. I’m so scared, I miss you.” Cheng Lin deliberately softened her voice, but after she spoke, a brief silence followed on the line.
After a moment, a deep, magnetic, middle-aged male voice came through, tinged with subtle exhaustion: “Hello, Miss Cheng. I am Jiang Yi’s father.”
Cheng Lin’s heart sank sharply.
Father Jiang continued: “This morning, he suddenly developed a fever. The doctors tried all kinds of cooling measures, but nothing worked. By the afternoon, he was already delirious from the heat and is now unconscious. The doctors said if the high temperature persists too long, it may damage his brain…” His voice faltered, carrying a fragile tone. “Before he lost consciousness, he was mumbling your name. Miss Cheng, could I trouble you to video call him and say a few words? Perhaps hearing your voice will wake him.”
Cheng Lin felt her heart skip a beat. A fever that wouldn’t subside, unconsciousness… this was clearly a precursor to Jiang Yi awakening his ability!
And he hadn’t mentioned a single word of it when they spoke at noon!
Suppressing her shock, she quickly responded, “Of course, I can. Thank you, Uncle.”
Soon, the call switched to video mode. On the screen, Jiang Yi lay in bed, his face frighteningly flushed. An ice pack rested on his forehead, his lips were chapped, and his entire body looked like a cooked, braised prawn, making her chest tighten with worry.
Cheng Lin panicked instantly. Her golden thigh—could it really fail so soon?
“Jiang Yi! Jiang Yi, wake up!” she raised her voice toward the screen, deliberately amplifying her panic. “I’m your beloved Lin Lin! Wake up now!”
“Jiang Yi, everything outside is chaotic, I’m so scared! Wuwuwu…” She called out while raising a hand to wipe her eyes, forcing a few tears out, crying openly. “Jiang Yi, if you leave me, what am I going to do alone!”
If her golden thigh were gone, life in the apocalypse would be a hundred times more miserable. The thought drove her panic to the surface, and her sobs became increasingly genuine.
Meanwhile, lying in bed, Jiang Yi felt as though he had been thrown into a celestial alchemist’s furnace. His body burned fiercely, his mind hazy, but the sound of Cheng Lin’s heart-wrenching crying pierced through his muddled consciousness.
The sound struck him like a needle, jabbing violently into his confused awareness.
Jiang Yi’s heart flared with urgency; he wanted nothing more than to rush to her side, hug her, and tell her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” Summoning every ounce of strength, he struggled, slowly forcing his heavy eyelids open.
What met his eyes was the screen of the phone, showing his tear-streaked little girlfriend.
“Lin Lin…” His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping over wood. “Don’t cry… don’t cry… I can’t reach you…”
Hearing his voice, Cheng Lin immediately stopped her wailing, her eyes lighting up. “Jiang Yi! You’re awake?”
Father Jiang, standing nearby, could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. This future daughter-in-law, the way she cried, was like a mourning ritual. He even worried that if she continued, she might actually push his son over the edge. Seeing his son finally open his eyes, Father Jiang froze briefly, then immediately pressed the bedside call button to summon the doctor. In his haste, he didn’t notice the brief flash of purple light across Jiang Yi’s forehead, nor did Cheng Lin, rubbing her red, swollen eyes, notice it.
The doctor arrived quickly. After checking Jiang Yi, he showed a relieved expression. “His temperature is gradually dropping. It should be nothing serious. Continue observation for a while, and he’ll be fine.”
Upon hearing this, everyone exhaled in relief.
Cheng Lin continued to dote on Jiang Yi over the video call, speaking sweetly for a long time. Only when the doctor repeatedly urged her that the patient needed rest did she reluctantly hang up.
After hanging up, the living room returned to silence. Cheng Lin leaned against the sofa, listening to the rain pelting against the windows, her emotions complex and mixed.
The first night of the apocalypse might be the safest night among countless nights to come.
She stood up and went to the window, checking all the villa’s doors and windows, locking the security bolts, drawing the thick curtains, and activating the home security system. Only then did she pick up Mo Yang and curl back into the lazy sofa.
She pulled out her phone and opened an online forum. The forum had already exploded, filled with posts about violent incidents. People claimed to have seen biting “crazies,” hospitals were overflowing with injured, and speculation and panic ran rampant, chilling anyone who read them.
Cheng Lin scrolled through the posts while keeping an ear on her phone, still waiting for the bodyguards who had yet to arrive.
The wind and rain outside continued to howl. The disaster that would sweep across the world had just begun.
Curled up with Mo Yang on the lazy sofa, Cheng Lin gradually fell asleep, their breathing blending together, echoing clearly through the silent villa.
The deep night’s tranquility was suddenly shattered by a rapid ringing of her phone.
Cheng Lin awoke with a start, reaching for her phone. The screen’s bright light made her squint. The incoming call displayed the residential community gatehouse.
Her heart leapt, and she instantly became alert. She quickly pressed the answer button, her voice hoarse from sleep: “Hello?”
“Miss Cheng, this is Old Wang from the gatehouse,” came the familiar voice of a security guard, cautious yet steady. “Three people are at the entrance claiming to be your friends. The one leading them calls himself Jiang Feng and says he’s here to protect you. Should I let them in?”