He was lying on her bed, one arm wrapped securely around her waist, his chin resting lightly on the top of her head as he breathed in slow, even rhythms. Morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, falling across his face and accentuating every sharp contour. His brows were sculpted like they had been carved with a knife, his nose high and straight, his thin lips gently pressed together. Even in sleep, there was the slightest crease between his brows, as if his mind never truly rested.
Shen Niannian didn’t move.
She simply stayed nestled in his embrace, quietly studying his sleeping face for a long time.
It reminded her of her previous life.
Back then, she had never looked at him like this. She had always avoided his gaze, avoided his closeness, avoided everything about him. She had never known that he frowned in his sleep, that his eyelashes were so long, or that his lips looked different beneath the morning light—not the cool pale pink she usually saw, but carrying the faint warmth of a rosy hue, as though softened by the sunrise.
She slowly reached out and gently brushed the crease between his brows, hoping to smooth it away.
The instant her fingertips touched his skin, his eyes opened.
Those deep brown eyes sharpened from sleepiness to perfect clarity in an instant, settling on her face. His first reaction wasn’t to let go.
Instead, his arm tightened instinctively, pulling her closer into his embrace, as though afraid she might disappear.
“…Awake?” His voice was low and husky from sleep, rich like the deep notes of a cello.
Shen Niannian’s cheeks flushed.
“Mhm.”
“What time is it?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Your arm…”
Lu Chenzhou glanced down at the arm still wrapped around her waist.
He didn’t release her immediately.
His gaze traveled slowly from her face to her eyes, lingering there before he finally withdrew his arm.
Shen Niannian’s ears turned bright red.
Lu Chenzhou sat up. His hair was slightly messy, his loungewear wrinkled, but the calm, composed expression he always wore had already returned. He glanced at her before the corners of his lips lifted into the faintest smile.
“I’ll make breakfast.”
With that, he got out of bed and left the room.
Shen Niannian buried her burning face into her pillow.
Lu Chenzhou’s breakfasts never disappointed.
After washing up, Shen Niannian came downstairs to find the dining table already covered with an extravagant spread.
A pot of thick, fragrant sea cucumber congee simmered to perfection. Crystal-clear bird’s nest soup gleamed delicately in its bowl. Truffle scrambled eggs released an irresistible aroma. Pan-seared silver cod was perfectly golden on the outside, accompanied by asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Beside it sat a plate of handmade shrimp dumplings, their translucent wrappers so thin that the pink shrimp filling inside was visible. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice shimmered like liquid rubies inside crystal glasses.
The butler was arranging the dishes.
Seeing Shen Niannian come downstairs, he smiled warmly.
“Good morning, Miss. Young Master specifically instructed us last night to prepare an especially nourishing breakfast today. You had quite a fright yesterday, so you need to eat plenty.”
Shen Niannian looked toward the kitchen.
Lu Chenzhou had changed into a fresh set of home clothes. His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing the old scar on his left wrist along with the lean muscles beneath. His movements were practiced and efficient as he prepared a fruit platter—dicing mangoes into neat cubes, arranging blueberries into flower patterns, halving strawberries after removing their stems, then carefully placing everything onto a pristine white porcelain plate.
He carried the fruit over.
When he noticed her standing at the staircase, his gaze rested briefly on her face.
“Come eat.”
Shen Niannian walked over and sat down.
She scooped up a spoonful of sea cucumber congee.
The rice had been simmered until it had completely broken down, absorbing every bit of the sea cucumber’s rich umami. It was so delicious that her eyes curved happily into crescents.
Lu Chenzhou sat across from her.
Watching her contented expression, the corners of his lips lifted again.
He didn’t touch his own food.
He simply watched her eat.
“Why aren’t you eating?” Shen Niannian asked, looking up.
“Watching you eat is enough.”
Her face instantly turned red again.
She scooped up another spoonful of congee and stretched her arm across the table.
“Open.”
Lu Chenzhou looked at her before obediently opening his mouth.
As his lips brushed the spoon, his eyes never left her face.
Shen Niannian’s hand trembled ever so slightly.
Halfway through breakfast, Shen Niannian set down her spoon and took a deep breath.
“Brother… let me tell you about that dream.”
“Everything.”
Lu Chenzhou put down his glass and looked at her without interrupting.
“In my dream…” Shen Niannian said calmly, “the apocalypse begins on December 15, 2030.”
“Countless colorful meteorites fall from the sky.”
“They trigger every kind of catastrophe—earthquakes, extreme heat, freezing cold, acid rain. At the same time, they release a virus. The dead come back to life as zombies.”
Lu Chenzhou frowned slightly but remained silent.
“In that dream, we were separated. You kept getting hurt. Not long after we reunited…” She paused, deliberately skipping the most painful memories. “…I was captured and used to threaten you.”
“The ending was terrible.”
“Very terrible.”
Taking another deep breath, she looked straight into his eyes.
“But in that dream… we never got to be together until the very end.”
“There were so many things I never had the chance to tell you.”
Lu Chenzhou’s hand tightened around hers.
“So you’re telling me now.”
It wasn’t a question.
She nodded.
“Yes.”
Shen Niannian reached out.
With a single thought, the fruit platter on the table vanished into thin air.
A heartbeat later, it reappeared in exactly the same spot, untouched.
“This is my spatial ability.”
“In the dream, after you gave me your blood, my space evolved into what it is now.”
“It’s infinitely large. It can store anything, grow crops, maintain a constant temperature…”
“…it can even hold living people.”
Lu Chenzhou stared at the perfectly restored fruit platter in silence for several seconds.
“So…”
“The apocalypse will arrive in eight months.”
Shen Niannian nodded.
Lu Chenzhou stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
He stood with his back to her for a long while.
From behind, his broad shoulders and straight posture still projected absolute confidence, as though everything remained firmly under his control.
Only his tightly clenched hand betrayed otherwise.
A moment later, he turned around.
His expression had already returned to its usual calm, even carrying a reassuring smile.
“Eight months.”
“That’s enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“Enough time to prepare.”
He walked back and crouched before her so their eyes were level.
“In your dream, we suffered because we weren’t prepared.”
“This time, we have eight months.”
“We’ll prepare for everything we can think of.”
He raised a hand and counted them off one by one.
“Supplies.”
“Medicine.”
“Weapons.”
“A secure shelter.”
“Transportation.”
“Escape routes.”
“We’ll tackle them one at a time.”
Shen Niannian couldn’t help smiling as she watched his serious expression.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid of what?”
“The apocalypse.”
“Zombies.”
“The end of the world.”
Lu Chenzhou gazed at her, his eyes gentle yet unwavering.
He lifted a hand, threading his fingers through her hair before cupping the back of her head and drawing her closer.
His forehead rested against hers.
Their noses touched.
“As long as you’re with me…”
“…it’s not the end of the world.”
His lips hovered only two centimeters from hers.
She could see her own reflection in his eyes.
She could feel his warm breath brushing across her lips, carrying the cool, clean scent that was uniquely his.
But he didn’t kiss her.
He was waiting.
Waiting for her to take the first step.
Waiting for her confirmation.
Waiting for her silent permission.
Shen Niannian lifted both hands and gently cupped his face.
Then she leaned forward…
…and kissed him first.