For two men out on a date, wandering around a shopping mall felt less than ideal, so Xiao Yan charted a different course and took Mu Li to the flower and bird market. He figured that a sweet, soft boy like Mu Li would probably appreciate brightly colored, delicate flowers since a local floral exhibition happened to be opening there today.
The two of them walked side by side, hands intertwined, completely ignoring the curious glances of passersby. Xiao Yan was an avid plant lover, so he spent the walk explaining the language and traits of various flowers to Mu Li. Though Mu Li only understood a fraction of it, he still smiled brightly and nodded along cooperatively. The flowers were indeed lovely, and if Xiao Yan were to gift him some, he would certainly be thrilled. However, seeing them displayed in a flower shop didn’t really spark much of his interest. Every few flower shops apart, there would be a pet store with a whole bunch of hamsters and rabbits inside. Whenever they walked past one, Mu Li’s eyes would light up, though he hesitated to speak up, unsure if Xiao Yan would appreciate such pets given that they tended to have a rather noticeable odor.
Xiao Yan could hardly miss the fact that his little companion had been distracted the entire way. Selling his suspense, he pulled Mu Li to a stop in front of a flower shop right next door to a pet store. The pet store had wire cages displayed at the entrance, half filled with hamsters and the other half with rabbits, while the flower shop front was lined with rows of succulents, complemented by lilies, roses, and baby’s breath inside. Picking up a bouquet of roses, Xiao Yan brought them to his nose to inhale their fragrance before asking Mu Li, “Do you like them, baby?”
“I like them.” Mu Li’s eyes were practically glued to the hamsters. Specifically, there was a snow-white fluffy ball of fur with a tiny tuft of yellow hair on top of its head, rolling around in a bath of scented sand and looking utterly adorable. Hearing Xiao Yan’s question, Mu Li answered out of reflex, only to panic slightly a second later when he realized what pet name Xiao Yan had just used, quickly scanning his surroundings in relief to see no one paying attention.
“If you like them, Big Brother will buy them for you.” Xiao Yan smiled. Spotting the roses in Xiao Yan’s hands, Mu Li assumed he had misunderstood, but he didn’t refuse since receiving flowers sounded nice enough. The next second, however, Xiao Yan turned to the pet store owner and said, “Box up that hamster taking a bath for me, and also the rabbit next to it, yes, the lop-eared one.”
Looking at Xiao Yan in surprise, Mu Li’s expression quickly shifted to joy as he immediately wrapped his arms around Xiao Yan’s arm. “How did you know I liked it?”
Of course I knew, you’ve been staring at them the entire way. How could a boyfriend lack that much basic awareness? Inwardly amused, Xiao Yan maintained a straight face on the outside as he coaxed the young man: “Of course it’s because our hearts are linked. I know whatever you want.”
A naive college student was truly easy to trick, instantly swallowing such nonsense. Letting go of Xiao Yan, Mu Li eagerly took the furry ball fished out by the owner, finding it even softer when held in his palms.
One hamster, one lop-eared rabbit, plus a variety of pet supplies, Xiao Yan paid a little over six hundred yuan in total. The owner generously threw in a common wild hare as well. It was a large, white one, and since it was free, the two of them didn’t turn it down.
Taking the bags full of supplies from the owner and carefully reviewing the feeding manual, Xiao Yan turned around to find Mu Li holding a massive bouquet of roses. Peering out from behind the fiery red blooms, Mu Li smiled at him and said, “Here, for you.”
A dense wave of warmth bloomed deep within Xiao Yan’s heart, filling it to the absolute brim. The anxiety and restlessness he had carried back from the apocalypse seemed to be completely soothed in this exact moment. Smiling as he looked at the youth, Xiao Yan replied, “Alright, thank you for the flowers, baby. But since your husband’s hands are full right now, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to carry them.”
Xiao Yan’s words caused a light blush to dust Mu Li’s cheeks. With both of their hands occupied and having seen everything they wanted to see, they discussed the matter and decided to head to the market to buy groceries. They planned to cook dinner at home, and besides, Xiao Yan intended to find a suitable moment to reveal the truth about the upcoming apocalypse to Mu Li.
However, a minor episode occurred as the two of them were leaving the flower and bird market. Near the entrance sat a small flower shop that Xiao Yan hadn’t noticed when they arrived. On their way out, he spotted a pot of green roses displayed at the doorway. It was still alive, though its leaves looked a bit sparse, but he happened to like this particular variety, and since the young man beside him also favored green, he figured their small courtyard could use a bit more lush color. Without hesitation, he decided to buy it, only to be told that the potted plant was merely a complimentary gift provided upon purchasing other flowers. Buying an assortment of other flowers, Xiao Yan had the potted plant along with the rest tossed straight into the trunk. The two of them climbed into the car, entirely unaware that inside the sealed trunk, the green rose was swaying side to side, its petals twitching.
Xiao Yan took Mu Li to the market to purchase a large quantity of food and daily necessities, including personal items for Mu Li. By the end, the car couldn’t hold any more, forcing them to hire a delivery service to transport the rest back. Though Mu Li found it a bit strange, he figured that since their house was located far out in the suburbs and grocery runs were inconvenient, Xiao Yan had simply developed a habit of buying things in bulk.
Without asking any further questions, Mu Li obediently trailed behind Xiao Yan and eventually returned with him to the small courtyard. Once the delivery workers departed, Xiao Yan took Mu Li’s hand and offered a gentle smile: “I know you must have a lot of questions. Come inside, finish your meal, and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Okay.” Mu Li nodded heavily. Since his boyfriend was willing to share, he was naturally more than willing to listen.
While Xiao Yan cooked, Mu Li amused himself by teasing the rabbits and hamster in the yard. Xiao Yan had hastily constructed a temporary enclosure for them in the courtyard and transplanted the newly purchased flowers into the corners. Once everything was tidied up, he slipped into the kitchen. Mu Li desperately wanted to lend a hand, but given his clumsy nature and complete lack of cooking skills, he decided it was better to stay out of the way and leave the kitchen to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan cooked with impressive speed. In just over an hour, he prepared a pot of braised pork rib soup, a steamed fish, and a plate of stir-fried wood ear mushrooms, two dishes and one soup, which was just right for a dinner for two. Aside from the mandatory broccoli florets Xiao Yan made him eat, Mu Li found every single bite exceptionally fragrant and delicious.
Following dinner, Mu Li sat obediently on the sofa, waiting for Xiao Yan to speak. Pouring a freshly squeezed glass of fruit juice and watching Mu Li finish it, Xiao Yan finally began: “Baby, what I’m about to tell you might come as a shock, but it is the absolute truth. The reality is that I am reborn, reborn from the apocalypse.”
As expected, Mu Li’s eyes widened in astonishment as he stared unblinkingly at Xiao Yan. Continuing his explanation, Xiao Yan said, “Before long, our world will plunge into the end times, just like what you see in zombie movies. Because I lived through the apocalypse and was reborn from it, I know that this disaster is a natural calamity that cannot be altered. The only thing we can do is make thorough preparations in advance.”
The moment Xiao Yan’s voice faded, Mu Li rushed straight into his arms, gazing up at him with a tense expression. “Why did you get reborn? Did you die?”
Xiao Yan felt his heart ache, pulling Mu Li even tighter against his chest. Look, this is my precious treasure. Upon hearing such an incredible claim, his first reaction wasn’t skepticism, but genuine concern for his safety. How utterly blind he must have been in his past life to miss out on someone so precious? Closing his eyes, he told a fabricated lie: “Yes, I committed suicide. In my past life, after the apocalypse began, we happened to run into each other by chance, killing zombies together and eventually becoming a couple. But during a mission, we were accidentally surrounded by zombies, and you were infected while trying to save me. I had no desire to go on living alone, so I chose to detonate myself. The moment I opened my eyes again, I was back in the present.”
Xiao Yan used a single lie to gloss over everything from his past life and simultaneously explain why his sudden shift in affection toward Mu Li occurred. As for the hatred tied to his previous life, he would carry those burdens entirely on his own shoulders.
Hearing this, Mu Li harbored not a single shred of doubt, and the tiny bit of lingering anxiety in his heart slowly melted away. After all, it was naturally unsettling when someone he had unrequitedly crushed on and who had previously ignored him suddenly turned around and showered him with affection, always fearing it might just be a dream that would vanish upon waking. Now, however, everything made sense. It turned out Xiao Yan loved him so deeply that he was willing to die for him. Left with nothing but overwhelming emotion, Mu Li didn’t find the tale the least bit absurd for a normal person to hear, choosing to believe it unconditionally simply because it came from Xiao Yan’s lips.
After holding each other for a little while longer, Xiao Yan demonstrated his abilities to Mu Li. Mu Li’s eyes rounded in amazement like a curious little cat, continuously clutching Xiao Yan’s hands to inspect them in fascination. So cool!
Xiao Yan shared all his upcoming preparations and survival plans with Mu Li, advising him to take an extended leave of absence from university immediately. Since the apocalypse was arriving imminently, continuing his studies held little practical meaning. Mimicking a little hamster, Mu Li nodded along to everything Xiao Yan suggested. Finally, with their heads pressed close together, the two of them mapped out their survival strategy for the end of the world.
Even so, learning that the world was about to end inevitably left Mu Li with lingering melancholy, prompting him to call his family. Without specifying the exact reason, he claimed he had experienced a terrible nightmare about the world ending and felt genuinely terrified, urging them to stock up on supplies. If anyone else made such a claim, their family would have dismissed it as a child’s mischievous rambling. However, the Mu family had always doted on this little ancestor boundlessly. No matter how unreasonable his requests seemed, as long as they didn’t violate moral boundaries, the family was accustomed to humoring him. Later on, because Mu Li kept calling every day to reiterate his warning, the Mu family couldn’t help but exercise some caution. Convinced that their little ancestor wouldn’t make such a fuss without a valid reason, they went ahead and gathered a substantial arsenal of weapons alongside everyday essentials and food supplies. It was precisely these preparations that ultimately allowed them to carve out an independent stronghold of their own in the post-apocalyptic world, though those events were a story for another day.