There was no earth-shattering passion, no dramatic vows, not even a formal “We’re together now.” That morning, she had simply said, “I like you.” He had kissed her, and from that moment on, everything fell naturally into place.
Like a tree whose roots had been buried underground for fifteen years, finally breaking through the soil.
But Lu Chenzhou had changed.
Not that he had become distant.
If anything, he had become even more careful, more restrained, more afraid of making the slightest mistake.
Every evening, he came to have dinner with her. Whenever they accidentally brushed against each other, his body would stiffen for the briefest moment. Yet his eyes clearly wanted more. Desire lingered in his gaze, tempered by restraint and an almost painful caution—as though he feared moving too quickly would frighten her away.
Shen Niannian knew exactly what he was afraid of.
He was afraid that she’d confessed on impulse.
Afraid that one day she’d regret it.
Afraid she’d once again tell him those four words—
“Stay away from me.”
She didn’t know how to convince him that she never would.
So she could only prove it through her actions.
That night, after telling him everything about her dream, Shen Niannian never went back to her own place.
Instead, she sprawled across Lu Chenzhou’s sofa beneath his blanket, her legs comfortably draped over his lap while he sat beside her reviewing documents.
His posture remained perfectly straight, his back erect as always. The soft rustling of turning pages filled the quiet room. Under the warm glow of the desk lamp, his profile looked impossibly handsome—the shadow cast by his high nose bridge falling across the corner of his lips like a charcoal sketch.
She watched him for a while.
Then deliberately nudged her legs a little farther into his lap.
Lu Chenzhou’s hand paused.
He lowered his eyes to her bare ankle, his gaze lingering for a heartbeat before continuing to flip through the papers.
But his free hand drifted down and rested gently over the top of her foot.
His thumb stroked it lightly once.
The corners of Shen Niannian’s lips curved upward.
“Brother.”
“Hm?”
“You’re my boyfriend now.”
Lu Chenzhou’s fingers froze briefly.
He looked up at her.
The lamplight illuminated her face. Her bright eyes sparkled with equal parts pride, shyness, and unmistakable dependence.
“…Mm.”
His voice came out lower than usual.
“Then you’re not allowed to call me ‘little sister’ anymore.”
One of his brows lifted slightly.
“What should I call you then?”
“Niannian.”
“Or Baby.”
“Or…” She thought for a second before her cheeks turned crimson. “…Never mind. Just call me whatever you like.”
Watching the blush spread across her cheeks, Lu Chenzhou slowly smiled.
He set the documents aside and turned toward her.
One hand braced itself against the back of the sofa behind her while the other gently lifted her chin.
“Niannian.”
He spoke her name softly, his deep voice resonating like the slow pull of a cello string.
Her breathing caught.
“Baby.”
He called her again, his thumb lightly caressing her chin.
Her ears turned scarlet.
“My wife.”
Shen Niannian’s entire face instantly burst into flames.
She hurriedly covered his mouth.
“Y-You… don’t call me that so casually!”
His lips curved against her palm.
Smiling, he took her hand away and placed it over his heart.
“It’s only a matter of time.”
She immediately pulled her hand back and buried her burning face beneath the blanket.
Seeing her curled up into a tiny bundle, Lu Chenzhou’s gaze darkened.
He reached over and tugged the blanket down slightly, revealing her flushed little face.
“Don’t hide under there.”
Only her eyes peeked out from beneath the blanket.
“Brother.”
“Hm?”
“Will there ever come a day when you think I’m annoying?”
Her voice was tiny.
“I’m so clingy… You still have work to do, and we have to prepare for the apocalypse. I can’t even help you with any of it…”
Before she could finish—
Lu Chenzhou leaned down and kissed her.
The kiss wasn’t long.
But it was firm.
One hand cradled the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair as his lips pressed against hers with unwavering certainty.
When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against hers.
His breathing had become uneven.
“If you ever say something like that again…” His voice was rough and low. “…I’ll lock you in your room and never let you leave.”
Shen Niannian blinked.
Then she laughed.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face against his shoulder.
“Then lock me up.”
Her muffled voice carried a smile.
“I don’t want to leave anyway.”
Lu Chenzhou tightened his embrace until she was completely enclosed in his arms.
His chin rested atop her head while his fingers gently stroked her back.
“Niannian.”
His voice was almost a whisper.
“Mhm.”
“In that dream you told me about…”
“We were separated.”
“…Yes.”
“You were captured.”
“…Yes.”
He fell silent.
His fingers tightened against her back until his knuckles whitened.
“That won’t happen again.”
His voice was quiet.
“But this lifetime…”
“…you’re not going anywhere.”
“Wherever I go, you’re coming with me.”
Shen Niannian rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
It was racing.
Far faster than normal.
She placed her palm over his chest.
“Your heart is beating so fast.”
“…Mm.”
“Why?”
“Because of you.”
Lu Chenzhou took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it.
“When you told me those things…”
“I imagined it.”
“You being captured.”
“And me not being by your side.”
His voice sank even lower.
“Just imagining it…”
“…was unbearable.”
Her heart ached.
She looked up into his eyes.
There was light in those deep brown irises.
Not the gentle warmth she was used to seeing.
Something darker.
Deeper.
More dangerous.
“So…”
His thumb brushed lightly across her cheekbone.
“Starting today…”
“You stay with me.”
“Wherever I go.”
“You go.”
Shen Niannian obediently nodded.
“Okay.”
“I’ve already made a stockpiling list.”
Lu Chenzhou picked up the notebook from the coffee table and opened it for her.
“Food.”
“Medicine.”
“Weapons.”
“Tools.”
“Energy supplies.”
“Clothing.”
“Daily necessities.”
“I calculated everything based on enough supplies for two people to survive a hundred years.”
Shen Niannian stared at the densely packed numbers, inhaling sharply.
“A hundred years?”
“How long did it take civilization to recover in your dream?”
She thought for a moment.
“Until the day I died…”
“It still hadn’t.”
“Then a hundred years.”
His tone remained as casual as if he were commenting on the weather.
“We’ll also need transportation.”
“An RV.”
“Off-road vehicles.”
“Motorcycles.”
“Helicopters.”
“Speedboats.”
“Roads may become impassable after the apocalypse. We need options for land, air, and water.”
She blinked.
“…You know how to fly a helicopter?”
“I’ve started learning.”
His expression didn’t change.
“The same night I made the list, I hired an instructor.”
“It’ll be enough.”
Looking at his composed profile, Shen Niannian suddenly felt like crying.
This man treated every single thing with absolute seriousness.
“And the safe houses.”
He turned another page.
“I’ve selected three locations.”
“The main shelter will be deep in the southwestern mountains.”
“Surrounded by mountains, with only one access road.”
“A backup shelter will be on the northern grasslands.”
“The third will be in the coastal hills.”
“Each location will need reinforced walls, fortified doors and windows, an underground bunker, and an independent water and power system.”
Listening to him calmly arrange everything one item after another…
She suddenly realized that with him beside her—
the apocalypse didn’t seem so frightening anymore.
“Brother.”
She interrupted him.
“Hm?”
“I have a plan too.”
He stopped writing and looked at her.
“My space can grow things.”
“I want to plant vegetables, fruit trees, and crops inside.”
“The space has a constant temperature, and I can control time inside it. Whatever goes in comes out exactly the same unless I choose otherwise.”
“After the apocalypse, we won’t just have stored supplies.”
“We’ll have fresh food too.”
Watching her bright, sparkling eyes, Lu Chenzhou smiled.
“What else?”
“I want to learn things.”
She counted on her fingers.
“First aid.”
“Farming.”
“Basic repairs.”
“After the apocalypse, I can’t depend on you for everything.”
“I want to be useful too.”
Lu Chenzhou set the notebook aside and pulled her into his arms.
Resting his chin atop her head, he gently patted her back.
“You don’t have to learn any of that.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“But—”
“No ‘buts.'”
His voice remained soft, but utterly resolute.
“Having you beside me…”
“…is all the motivation I need.”
Shen Niannian buried her face against his chest, her nose stinging with emotion.
“Brother…”
“Why are you so good to me?”
Lu Chenzhou didn’t answer.
He simply held her even tighter.
That night, Shen Niannian curled up in Lu Chenzhou’s embrace while listening to him explain the finer details of their preparations.
How many tons of grain they would need.
Which medicines to stock.
Where to obtain weapons.
How to oversee construction of the safe houses.
His voice was calm and steady.
Her eyelids gradually grew heavier.
“Niannian.”
“…Mm…”
Her reply was already thick with sleep.
“If you’re tired…”
“Go to sleep.”
“I don’t want to…”
She snuggled deeper into his chest.
“You haven’t finished yet…”
Looking down at her stubbornly fighting sleep, Lu Chenzhou smiled.
He pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
“I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow.”
“…Then will you sleep with me?”
His hand paused.
“…Okay.”
His answer came quietly.
Shen Niannian smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
She closed them and soon drifted into a peaceful sleep in his arms.
Lu Chenzhou, however, remained awake.
He lowered his gaze to the woman sleeping against his chest.
Her eyelashes were long and gently curled.
The tip of her nose was faintly pink.
Her lips were slightly pouted.
Her breathing was slow and even.
Very carefully, he reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
As his fingertips brushed her ear, she unconsciously snuggled closer, tightening her arms around his waist.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
She had said she didn’t want to leave.
She had said she was clingy.
She had worried that one day he’d find her annoying.
She had no idea.
Every time she leaned into him…
he wanted to melt her into his very bones.
Every time she called him “Brother,”
his heart skipped a beat.
Every time she fell asleep in his arms…
he had to exhaust every ounce of self-control just to stop himself from kissing her.
Having her by his side…
was both bliss…
and torment.
Bliss because—
after waiting eleven long years—
he had finally reached her.
Torment because—
he wanted more.
He wanted to kiss her.
To hold her.
To make her completely his.
But he didn’t dare.
He feared moving too fast would frighten her.
He feared being too eager would remind her of those cruel words she’d once used to describe him—
“A pervert.”
He could wait.
He had already waited eleven years.
A few more days meant nothing.
Lowering his head, he placed the lightest kiss upon her forehead.
“Niannian…”
His lips moved soundlessly.
“You’re mine.”
Outside, the night stretched deep and silent.
Inside the villa, the lights still glowed warmly.
On the coffee table lay the notebook filled with meticulous plans, every page covered in dense handwriting.
Every single line…
was another road he was paving for her future.
Eight months.
That was enough time for him to prepare everything.
As for her…
All she needed to do…
was stay by his side.