The End of the World Base Master (3): 

Gu Juntian knew that Father Gu was somewhat suspicious of him.

The original owner of this body had been very fond of Zhen Jiayun, always accommodating him in every way.

Now that he suddenly turned hostile and drove Zhen Jiayun out, Father Gu was bound to think something was wrong.

“Dad! You’re awake!” Gu Juntian looked at Father Gu, his eyes immediately turning red. “Dad…”

The suspicion in Father Gu’s eyes lessened, and he asked, “I just woke up and heard you two arguing. What happened?”

Gu Juntian said, “Dad, a few days ago I discovered that Zhen Jiayun secretly went to meet another man, and he even smiled so happily at him! It’s been four years, and he’s never let me touch him. I thought he was straight, but it turns out he’s so close with another man…”

Gu Juntian looked heartbroken. Mother Gu, hearing this, was also surprised. “Juntian, why didn’t you say this earlier?”

Gu Juntian replied, “Mom, I just found out.”

“I don’t mean that. I mean the fact that he never let you touch him. How could he treat you like that? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“At that time I thought I could change him… Mom, let’s not talk about this anymore. Dad, how are you feeling?” Gu Juntian looked at Father Gu with concern.

Father Gu had always treated the original owner well. After Gu Juntian inherited the original owner’s memories, he too felt close to Father Gu.

“I’m fine, I just don’t have powers anymore.” Father Gu comforted him. Before he fell unconscious, he already knew that his ability core had been shattered.

The fact that he hadn’t turned into a zombie was already lucky. Without abilities, so be it. With his skills, he could probably still find a clerical job within the base.

Wait… it seemed his powers were still there?

Father Gu’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly composed himself.

The next second, though, he couldn’t keep a straight face.

Gu Juntian said, “Dad, didn’t I already heal your ability core? You didn’t lose your powers.”

Father Gu’s face changed drastically. “You healed me? How did you do it? Have you awakened powers?”

“I haven’t awakened powers, but I have a unique energy in my body.” Gu Juntian looked innocently at Father Gu. “Before, I didn’t know what it could do, but just now, I discovered it could heal your injury.”

Gu Juntian didn’t plan to hide his ability.

If he were just an ordinary person, in front of Father Gu he would have no say in anything, nor the right to take part in many matters.

Father Gu was injured, but upon realizing that his powers were still there, he no longer cared about his wounds.

For someone who still had abilities, such injuries were nothing—he would recover soon enough.

Now, what Father Gu cared about most was his son’s special ability.

He grabbed Gu Juntian’s hand to check, and after confirming that there was no ability core inside his son, he was baffled, unable to figure out what exactly this special power was.

In the end, he could only instruct Gu Juntian, “Juntian, don’t tell anyone about your special ability.”

Gu Juntian replied, “Don’t worry, Dad, I won’t tell anyone.”

Only then did Father Gu relax. He also reminded Mother Gu, “Xiao Lu, don’t tell anyone about our son’s ability. Keep it buried in your heart! Also, since I’m still injured, let’s all stay home for now and not go out.”

Mother Gu was ten years younger than Father Gu and had been an employee at his company before marriage.

When Father Gu first met her, he had called her “Xiao Lu,” and after so many years, it had become a habit.

Mother Gu immediately nodded.

She had been at home for so long that she struggled to adapt to society outside, but she was very smart.

Both Father Gu and Gu Juntian knew she wouldn’t blurt things out.

Father Gu then said, “Go pack up Zhen Jiayun’s things and throw them out. Don’t let him come back here again. I already knew he wasn’t sincere toward Juntian. Someone like him, it’s best he’s gone.”

That Zhen Jiayun didn’t truly like his son—Father Gu had seen that long ago.

He thought Zhen Jiayun only stayed with his son for a better life, and since Zhen Jiayun didn’t like men, he had tolerated it, thinking Zhen Jiayun had made sacrifices.

But upon learning that Zhen Jiayun had never even had a relationship with his son, Father Gu could no longer accept him.

In the base, ordinary people had a hard time finding easy work.

Zhen Jiayun had no special talents. He studied foreign languages in college, which were useless in the apocalypse, so he could only find exhausting labor jobs.

After a whole day of such work, he’d only get a few hard-to-swallow pancakes in return.

His son couldn’t bear to let Zhen Jiayun suffer like that, and Father Gu felt they didn’t lack a few pancakes anyway, so he let Zhen Jiayun stay home.

Zhen Jiayun had eaten and lived in their house for free for four years, and even forced his son to sleep on the sofa. How shameless!

Father Gu thought his character was bad and had decided not to let him back.

Mother Gu hesitated. “Really not let him come back? If he suffers outside, maybe he’ll change his mind.”

Father Gu said, “His character is no good, we’d better stay away. He accepted Juntian’s confession, moved into our home, yet wouldn’t let Juntian touch him—what’s that about? He even flirts with other men outside! Our son is handsome and capable, what kind of man couldn’t he find? There’s no need to hang himself on one tree.”

Mother Gu was quickly persuaded.

Father Gu, afraid his wife and son might waver, added, “My powers are still here. Our family won’t lack food in the future. We’ll help Juntian find someone better.”

Before Mother Gu could respond, Gu Juntian said, “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll definitely find someone better.”

Hearing this, Father Gu felt motivated, and he immediately took out a crystal core to cultivate.

Although he was nearly sixty, he had always cared for his health before the apocalypse. As an ability user, his body had become stronger. He believed he could work for another twenty or thirty years.

Before the apocalypse, he had already planned to learn from wealthy people who worked well into their eighties or nineties, and that hadn’t changed.

Seeing Father Gu injured but still rushing to cultivate, Gu Juntian admired him deeply.

He’s way too hardworking! No wonder he succeeded!

But he stopped him. “Dad, wait a moment!”

“What is it?” Father Gu asked.

Gu Juntian pointed at the crystal core in his hand. “Dad, I feel like there’s something bad inside it.”

Father Gu said, “Of course there’s something bad. These cores are dug out of zombies’ heads; they contain the zombie virus. Ability users can cultivate with them, but if they absorb too much without restraint, they’ll get infected and turn into zombies.”

Not only that, but ordinary people who came into contact with crystal cores for too long could also turn into zombies. That’s why Father Gu had never let Gu Juntian touch them before.

Gu Juntian looked at the core and said, “Dad, I think I can use my special ability to remove the zombie virus inside.”

Father Gu was shocked, then immediately handed him the core. “Try it.”

Gu Juntian didn’t refuse and started right away.

His spiritual power was very strong, and the core before him was only a small level-one core.

Soon, he had cleared out the zombie virus inside.

Father Gu took the core, absorbed it, and realized it no longer had the usual resistance.

Although he was back to being a level-one ability user, his inner core was a fragmented level-five.

He didn’t need to slowly refine and improve it from scratch. As long as he replenished enough energy to strengthen the core, he could return to level five.

Normally, a person couldn’t absorb too much energy at once, so he thought it would take months to recover.

But now, with his son’s special ability!

Father Gu was overjoyed, struggling to climb up. “I have lots of cores in the safe, help me clear them all!”

Since his wife and son were ordinary, Father Gu had always feared something would happen to him, so he worked hard to stockpile resources.

At H City base, he had once been the strongest ability user. Later, Zhou Qinghao surpassed him, but he still ranked second.

Compared to young ability users, an old fox like him was better at winning people over.

People at H City base loved going out with Father Gu to kill zombies.

As a result, their villa was stocked with plenty of food and crystal cores.

Unfortunately, in the original plot, all these were stolen.

Gu Juntian sighed. “Dad, don’t rush. Eat something first, recover from your injuries, then cultivate.”

He cleared a few cores of zombie virus and placed them by Father Gu’s bed for him to absorb slowly, then asked Mother Gu to cook.

As for himself, he went to throw out Zhen Jiayun’s belongings.

Before the apocalypse, Mother Gu hadn’t cooked for years, as the servants did it. But after the apocalypse, with no servants, she had to cook again.

Her skills were excellent, and she had already learned how to make the most abundant meals with the least ingredients.

Seeing her busy, Gu Juntian went into the original owner’s room to pack up Zhen Jiayun’s things.

The original owner had treated Zhen Jiayun very well, so he had accumulated many possessions. His clothes alone filled the entire walk-in closet.

Gu Juntian brought woven sacks from the basement, which Father Gu usually used for supplies, and stuffed all the clothes and accessories inside. He didn’t leave anything of Zhen Jiayun’s behind.

Once a sack was full, he carried it to the villa’s entrance.

He packed several sacks in one go, and just as he was about to throw them away, someone knocked on the door.

It was a worker from the base. He brought food for the Gu family, as well as surveillance footage from when Father Gu was injured.

Gu Juntian watched the video, accepted the supplies, and smiled at the man. “I have some things I’d like to donate to the wounded soldiers’ camp. Could you help take them over?”

He pointed at Zhen Jiayun’s belongings.

When Zhen Jiayun had first moved in, he brought nothing. All these things had been bought for him over the years. Now, naturally, Gu Juntian could deal with them as he pleased.

Before the apocalypse, many people wouldn’t wear second-hand clothes. But in this age of scarcity, clothes from the dead were often stripped and reused.

So of course, someone would want Zhen Jiayun’s clothes.

The worker glanced at the pile, saw clothes, sheets, and quilts, and laughed. “I’ll take them right now!”

He carried the sack away.

Gu Juntian felt relieved as the things left the house.

At that moment, Mother Gu had finished cooking. “Juntian, your father’s injured, it’s not good for him to go downstairs. Let’s eat in his room.”

Mother Gu had always lived with refinement, so she prepared three dishes.

Scrambled eggs, boiled cowpeas, and pickled gourd soup.

Now that farmland was being reclaimed at the base, vegetables were still expensive, and eggs even more so.

So each dish was in small portions, but the main dish was a big pot of potatoes, with a bowl of soybean paste on the side.

The three of them gathered around Father Gu’s bed and ate together.

After the meal, Gu Juntian said, “Dad, Mom, let’s switch rooms.”

The villa had three floors, but the third was unoccupied. They all lived on the second floor in two big bedrooms. Gu Juntian’s room was even larger than Father and Mother Gu’s.

“Why switch rooms for no reason?” Father Gu asked, puzzled.

Gu Juntian replied, “If I find a partner in the future, I can’t let him stay in Zhen Jiayun’s old room.”

Father Gu looked at him. “Do you already like someone?”

Gu Juntian coughed lightly. “Yes.”

Father Gu asked, “You rarely go out. Where did you meet him? Who is it?”

Gu Juntian said, “I met him at home today. Dad, I think Zhou Qinghao is really handsome.”

Father Gu: “…” His son sure dared to dream!

Who was Zhou Qinghao? He was the strongest person in the base!

Father Gu had cooperated with Zhou Qinghao before, but he didn’t fully trust him. “It’s fine if you like him, but don’t tell him that I still have powers or that you have a special ability.”

Gu Juntian said, “Dad, if I don’t tell him anything, why would Zhou Qinghao ever look at me?”

Zhou Qinghao was so powerful—if he didn’t have some ability, Zhou Qinghao would never be interested.

Father Gu brushed it off. “If he really likes you, he won’t care whether you’re capable or not.”

He just didn’t want his son to say anything, worried Zhou Qinghao might deceive him.

His son was a bit of a hopeless romantic, and he feared Zhou Qinghao would trick him until he had nothing left.

Gu Juntian could guess what Father Gu was thinking, but he didn’t plan to argue.

He picked up a potato, dipped it in soybean paste, and ate it with the skin.

Beside him, Mother Gu carefully peeled a potato and fed it to Father Gu.

The Gu family was happy and harmonious, enjoying their meal.

Meanwhile, Zhen Jiayun was gnawing on the base’s hard currency—coarse grain pancakes.

These pancakes were palm-sized, their ingredients varying depending on what grains were available each day.

Inside, they not only put all kinds of grains but also added bone meal, vitamin powder, and such, so the nutrition was fairly balanced.

But the taste… it was indescribable.

When the base first “invented” this type of flatbread, Zhen Jiayun was already living in the Gu household, so he had never eaten it before.

Before, he was curious about how it tasted, but now that he actually had a bite, he realized just how awful it was.

The meals Mother Gu cooked were a thousand times better than this flatbread.

Zhen Jiayun ate a few bites but really couldn’t eat anymore, so he asked the person in front of him, “Ji Jianghai, isn’t there anything else to eat?”

The person opposite him looked full of impatience. “Zhen Jiayun, do you not know how expensive food is right now? If you want something else, go buy it yourself.”

Zhen Jiayun really couldn’t swallow the flatbread in his hand.

Seeing his expression, Ji Jianghai grew angry. He snatched the flatbread from Zhen Jiayun’s hand and took a bite. “If you won’t eat, I will. I haven’t had enough yet!”

Ji Jianghai was Zhen Jiayun’s cousin. Before Zhen Jiayun went to the Gu family, they lived together. After Zhen moved into the Gu household, they still kept in touch.

This time, after leaving the Gu family, Zhen Jiayun came to stay with him.

Ji Jianghai finished the flatbread that Zhen had despised in just a few bites and said, “I’m going to work. You should hurry back to the Gu family.”

“I will never go back,” Zhen Jiayun said.

Ji Jianghai snapped, “You won’t go back? Are you out of your mind?!”

Back when Zhen Jiayun had first gone to the Gu family, Ji Jianghai had been worried about him, afraid he would be mistreated, and went several times to check on him.

But Zhen Jiayun had never been mistreated. He actually lived very well in the Gu household.

Once Ji Jianghai was sure of that, he stopped visiting. He was afraid that if he went too often, seeing Zhen living so comfortably, he would grow jealous.

Now it was already the fourth year of the apocalypse. Ordinary people in the base were generally haggard and emaciated, and even low-level ability users weren’t living well.

Yet Zhen Jiayun still had rosy lips and white teeth, looking no different from before the apocalypse, clearly never having suffered.

Such a good life in the Gu household, and he didn’t even treasure it! Ji Jianghai couldn’t understand.

Zhen Jiayun said, “I never liked Gu Juntian, and now that he’s thrown me out, I won’t go back.”

“Do whatever you want,” Ji Jianghai said, then left for work.

Outside the city, there were lots of zombie corpses now.

He went to help move the corpses and dig out crystal nuclei, which earned more work points than his usual job, so he wanted to do as much as possible.

After Ji Jianghai left, Zhen Jiayun took a deep breath, feeling the outside air was so fresh.

He had finally gotten rid of Gu Juntian and could now be with the one he truly liked!

Zhen Jiayun had never liked Gu Juntian, thinking he was useless and only relied on his father.

Even before the apocalypse, Zhen had already had someone he liked, someone very capable.

Before the world ended, that person had been diligent and hardworking. Despite growing up in a terrible family environment, he still managed to get into a prestigious university, far more impressive than Gu Juntian.

After the apocalypse began, that person continued to be outstanding. He awakened the same fire ability as Father Gu and was now already a level-four ability user.

At the start of the apocalypse, Zhen had thought that person had died, which was why he agreed to Gu Juntian’s confession and followed him to the Gu household.

But that person hadn’t died.

Zhen had thought about breaking up with Gu Juntian, but since he had received the Gu family’s help, he felt too embarrassed to leave, so he just stayed.

Now that Gu Juntian had kicked him out, he was actually relieved.

He could go find the person he truly liked.

It was just that the person was busy, and when Zhen went to his house, no one was there, so he came to stay with Ji Jianghai instead.

Gu Juntian didn’t know anything about Zhen Jiayun’s situation. After eating, he started helping Father Gu clean the zombie virus from the crystal nuclei.

The original Gu Juntian had been someone lazy, but he wasn’t. Since he had time, he decided to finish all the tasks he should do.

Once he finished, he could go pursue Zhou Qinghao!

Now, outside the safe base, there weren’t only zombies but also mutated plants and animals.

They kept evolving, growing stronger and stronger.

What had shattered Father Gu’s ability core was a level-six zombie.

The H City safe base was in a densely populated coastal area, so there were many zombies, and Father Gu had also collected many ability cores.

Gu Juntian busied himself until nightfall.

Of course, he wasn’t only cleaning the viruses from the crystal nuclei but also helping Father Gu with cultivation.

Once Father Gu confirmed that absorbing more energy from the nuclei wouldn’t infect him with the zombie virus, he absorbed nonstop.

The result was over-absorption, leaving his whole body burning hot.

It wasn’t serious—he could endure it—but seeing him nearly steaming, Gu Juntian couldn’t stand it and helped channel the energy in his meridians.

That was it—Father Gu set his sights on him, making Gu Juntian help him channel energy. “Juntian, I originally thought it would take at least a month to recover my ability, but with your help, I can recover in just ten days! If I push harder, I might even reach level six! Right now, the strongest ability users in the country are only level six…”

Father Gu’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Gu Juntian suddenly thought of something. “Isn’t Zhou Qinghao already level six?”

Father Gu immediately looked displeased. “Why bring him up?!”

His son constantly thinking about Zhou Qinghao annoyed him.

Mainly because of Zhen Jiayun—clearly weaker than his son, yet Zhou Qinghao was different.

Zhou Qinghao killed zombies like slicing melons and chopping vegetables, his body packed with muscle.

Even if his son now had some special abilities, with Zhou Qinghao, he would always be the weaker one!

The thought of it frustrated Father Gu.

Gu Juntian made a zipping-his-lips gesture and stopped talking.

It was already late, so he didn’t go find Zhou Qinghao that night. He decided to go tomorrow.

By then, he could cook something delicious to bring to Zhou Qinghao.

After the apocalypse started, the original Gu Juntian had been so bored staying at home every day that he learned cooking from Mother Gu.

And he himself should know how to cook, probably even better than the original.

He thought the original’s cooking still had much room for improvement.

Decision made—tomorrow, he would bring Zhou Qinghao a meal!

While Gu Juntian was thinking of Zhou Qinghao, Zhou Qinghao, who was just about to rest, was also thinking of Gu Juntian.

His beliefs were the same as Father Gu’s: that ability users should not completely lord over ordinary people.

Whether ability users or ordinary people, they were all human. In such a dangerous apocalyptic world, everyone should watch over and help each other.

Moreover, if ability users could kill ordinary people without punishment just because they were stronger, then since high-level ability users were many times stronger than low-level ones, would they also be allowed to kill low-level users with impunity?

If it really went that way, how many people would be left on this planet?

Still, though Zhou Qinghao shared Father Gu’s beliefs, their relationship was ordinary, and they had almost no contact.

Zhou Qinghao had only seen Gu Juntian from afar once before.

At that time, he just thought Gu looked good and had no other thoughts.

Today, though, he had come into close contact with Gu Juntian.

And after that… once he had a moment to himself, his head was filled with Gu Juntian’s face.

Now, lying in bed, he couldn’t help but think of him.

Zhou Qinghao realized—he had fallen for Gu Juntian.

If this were before the apocalypse, liking someone would mean taking time to pursue them. But this was the apocalypse.

From what he had heard, Gu Juntian was lazy, useless, and only relied on his father. Even now, with the world fallen apart, he still lived like a pampered young master.

Now that Father Gu was in trouble, no one was supporting Gu Juntian anymore. Life would surely be difficult for him. If Zhou was willing to take care of him, Gu would probably agree to be with him.

Tomorrow, he would go talk to Gu Juntian.

He was stronger than Gu’s father, and if Gu followed him, not only would Gu’s living conditions not worsen, but even Father and Mother Gu’s standard of living wouldn’t fall.

With that thought, Zhou Qinghao soon fell asleep.

The next morning, Zhou Qinghao got up early and went to the base cafeteria.

This cafeteria sold all kinds of food, purchasable with work points.

For ordinary people, earning work points was difficult, but for ability users, it was simple.

As a level-six water ability user, Zhou Qinghao only needed to supply the base with a portion of water daily to earn as many points as an ordinary person would in a month. He also earned points through missions and killing zombies.

Being alone before, he had saved quite a lot of work points.

That day, the cafeteria had big meat buns. Zhou bought ten at once and sat down to eat.

“Captain Zhou, what are your plans next?” someone sat across from him.

“I’m planning to go check on Gu Chengming,” Zhou Qinghao replied.

The man across from him was confused. “What?”

“What’s wrong?” Zhou asked.

The man said, “Captain Zhou, I wasn’t asking what you’re doing today… Now that Gu Chengming is crippled, I meant, are you planning to take over the base?”

Zhou thought about it and said, “I will take over the base.”

“Captain Zhou, then I’ll go contact Gu Chengming’s men later. You just go meet Gu Chengming and talk it over.”

“I will,” Zhou said.

The man sitting across from him was one of Zhou’s subordinates.

He was clever and capable, though he had a flaw—he loved gossip.

Now that business was finished, he started gossiping. “Captain Zhou, did you know? Something happened to the Gu family yesterday.”

“What?” Zhou frowned.

“The Gu family kicked out Gu Juntian’s boyfriend.”

Zhou was startled. “Gu Juntian has a boyfriend?”

“Yes, he’d been kept in the Gu household all this time. But not many people knew, since Gu Chengming never mentioned it, and Gu Juntian was very low-key. Many people even thought his boyfriend was a relative of the Gu family.”

Zhou didn’t know whether to be happy or angry.

Happy, because Gu Juntian liked men, and since he had kicked his boyfriend out, that meant Zhou had a chance.

Angry, because just knowing Gu Juntian had once had a boyfriend made him furious.

“Tell me what happened yesterday,” Zhou said.

His subordinate, excited that their boss was actually interested in gossip, started explaining eagerly. “Yesterday, after you sent Gu Chengming back, the Gu family kicked out Gu Juntian’s boyfriend without letting him take anything. Probably because with Gu Chengming down, they couldn’t afford to feed someone useless. After kicking him out, Gu Juntian even donated all his belongings… Gu Chengming is a decent person, but his son really isn’t dependable. A guy in his twenties, completely living off his father…”

“Gu Chengming can afford it,” Zhou Qinghao said.

The person speaking with Zhou Qinghao was slightly stunned.

But what Zhou Qinghao said was true, Gu Chengming could indeed afford it.

Many ability users had family members working outside because those ability users couldn’t provide for them.

“Gu Juntian never causes trouble, he’s very well-behaved,” Zhou Qinghao added.

Compared to those who relied on their powers to harm others, Gu Juntian staying home all day without going out was actually pretty good.

He felt that having such a boyfriend wouldn’t be bad.

The person sitting across from Zhou Qinghao didn’t know how to respond: “Haha, true enough…”

Zhou Qinghao then said, “I’m leaving.”

It was still early, and he planned to visit the Gu family.

At that time, Gu Juntian had also gotten up and was having breakfast.

Mother Gu had made multigrain porridge, with pickled cowpeas and fried peanuts as side dishes, while Father Gu had two extra boiled eggs.

Normally, when their family ate porridge, each person would get one boiled egg. But now that Father Gu was injured, and their household might have no income for a while, Mother Gu was being more frugal.

As they were eating, the doorbell rang.

Gu Juntian looked up and saw that it was Zhou Qinghao, so he quickly opened the door: “Captain Zhou, you’re here!”

As soon as Zhou Qinghao entered, he noticed the multigrain porridge and pickled cowpeas on the table.

The Gu family’s meals really weren’t great, which gave him even more confidence about persuading Gu Juntian to be his lover.

“I brought some steamed buns,” Zhou Qinghao said. He had eaten two large buns himself, and brought the remaining eight with him.

“Captain Zhou, thank you so much,” Gu Juntian said, his eyes landing on Zhou Qinghao’s face.

Zhou Qinghao was really handsome!

Mother Gu was also looking at Zhou Qinghao. After all, her son had clearly told her yesterday that he liked Zhou Qinghao now.

In terms of looks, Zhou Qinghao was indeed better than Zhen Jiayun.

In terms of ability, even a thousand Zhen Jiayuns couldn’t compare to one Zhou Qinghao.

Her son had good taste, but Zhou Qinghao didn’t seem like someone easy to approach, and might not be willing to be with her son.

Being stared at by mother and son, Zhou Qinghao felt a little uncomfortable.

With Mother Gu present, he naturally wouldn’t directly bring up the “arrangement.” He planned to find a chance to talk privately with Gu Juntian, and let him think about it carefully.

While he was considering a reason to speak alone with Gu Juntian, the latter suddenly said, “Captain Zhou, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?” Zhou Qinghao asked.

Gu Juntian said, “Captain Zhou, as you know, a few years ago my father offended some people. Now that he’s lost his powers, I’m worried those people will cause us trouble… Could you move in with us and protect us?”

If Zhou Qinghao moved into his house, he could stay close and gain an advantage!

“Captain Zhou, our third floor is empty, you can stay there. We can share meals too, I’m really good at cooking.”

Now Zhou Qinghao understood why mother and son had been looking at him so strangely.

So they wanted him to live there, providing food for them in the process.

With the Gu family’s situation, if he really stayed and shared meals with them, the food would certainly come from him, and the Gu family could conveniently eat along.

Not a bad plan at all.

Zhou Qinghao agreed without hesitation: “Alright.”

If he moved in, it was only a matter of time before he won over Gu Juntian.

Gu Juntian smiled brightly: “Captain Zhou, you’re such a good person!”

Now that Zhou Qinghao was moving in, it was only a matter of time before he won over Zhou Qinghao.

Thinking this, Gu Juntian began introducing the third floor: “No one has ever lived on the third floor, it’s very clean. Captain Zhou, when will you move in? I’ll help you with moving.”

Gu Juntian was being a little too enthusiastic.

Meanwhile, Mother Gu busied herself with a cloth, wiping here and there around them.

Zhou Qinghao found it even stranger, and still couldn’t find a chance to speak privately with Gu Juntian.

But since he was already going to live there, there was no rush to bring up the matter of keeping Gu Juntian.

Zhou Qinghao still had things to do, so he told Gu Juntian he’d move in that evening and then left.

After leaving, the more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

The way Gu Juntian looked at him, it was like he really liked him.

Wait, was Gu Juntian’s unusual warmth today… him trying to seduce him?

He had even driven away his own boyfriend and invited him to move in…

Now that Father Gu had an accident, was Gu Juntian trying to find someone else to support him, and had set his sights on him?

The more Zhou Qinghao thought about it, the more it seemed true. Thinking of Father Gu, another thought crossed his mind.

Father Gu had suffered an accident, yet there wasn’t a trace of sadness on Gu Juntian’s face.

Even after he got to the Gu house, Gu Juntian didn’t suggest he visit Father Gu.

That behavior was rather cold.

But strangely enough, he still really liked Gu Juntian.

After Zhou Qinghao left, Gu Juntian felt even better.

Then he heard his workaholic father shouting upstairs: “Juntian!”

Gu Juntian hurried upstairs and saw his father’s body steaming hot, red like a cooked shrimp, yet his expression remained stern and dignified.

Gu Juntian was helpless: “Dad, can’t you stop cultivating in such a rush? Your injury hasn’t healed yet. If you keep pushing like this, be careful you don’t cook your wounds.”

Gu Mingyuan scolded him: “Don’t talk nonsense!” If he didn’t recover his strength quickly, Zhou Qinghao would snatch away the leadership of the base!

This base had been built by him from scratch. Zhou Qinghao was someone the military sent later. He was unwilling to hand over the base, and even more unwilling to become Zhou Qinghao’s subordinate.

Gu Juntian used his spiritual power to help smooth his father’s internal energy, then told him the good news: “Dad, just now Zhou Qinghao came to see you. I talked with him and invited him to move in with us, and he agreed!”

Gu Mingyuan frowned: “What were you thinking, actually inviting him to live here!”

Gu Juntian said, “I want to pursue him.”

Gu Mingyuan added, “He came here without even visiting me, yet he’s moving in. He must have ulterior motives!”

Their villa was located at the center of the safe zone, the best house in the whole area.

Zhou Qinghao had only come after the base was already established, and by then all the villas were already taken, so he lived in a small apartment nearby instead.

Now that Zhou Qinghao wanted to move in with them, was he trying to seize their villa?

No, he had to train hard and strive to break through to level six as soon as possible, so Zhou Qinghao couldn’t take the house!

Gu Juntian said, “Dad, I also think he has ulterior motives. But today when I talked with him, I felt he had a good impression of me. Do you think he likes me?”

Gu Mingyuan: “…” His son was a little too confident. Zhou Qinghao didn’t know his son had special abilities—he’d have to be blind to fall for him!

The End of the World Base Master (6): 

The Gu family’s villa had three floors plus a basement, and it was very spacious.

Their family had already lived here before the apocalypse.

This place wasn’t in the city center of H City but in the suburbs. However, the surroundings were nice, and it was close to the Gu family’s factory. After Gu Juntian started boarding at high school, Father Gu and Mother Gu moved here.

When the apocalypse came, Gu Chengming, while discussing the location of the safe zone with the leaders of H City, deliberately included the neighborhood where they lived, so the family didn’t have to move.

The Gu family had few members, only three in total. Later, with Zhen Jiayun added, it became four.

But the villa had a large floor area, more than two hundred square meters per floor.

Therefore, they only used the first and second floors, and the third floor was unoccupied.

If not for the apocalypse, Father and Mother Gu had planned for Gu Juntian to move to the third floor after he got married, but when the apocalypse came, they let that plan go.

Now, the third floor had become Zhou Qinghao’s residence.

“Qinghao, no one lived on the third floor before, so there isn’t much furniture, but don’t worry, in a few days I’ll have it all set up,” said Gu Juntian.

Zhou Qinghao replied, “It’s already very good here.”

It really was very good.

The H City safe base was built in the suburbs, covering the entire economic development zone.

There were many factories here, so even after the apocalypse, the base could still produce many things. But housing was scarce, so most people’s living conditions weren’t great.

Zhou Qinghao had been living in the talent apartments that the city government built in the economic development zone before the apocalypse.

Those apartments couldn’t compare at all to the Gu family’s villa.

Especially since this villa complex had actually been built by a real estate company funded by Father Gu. Their own house naturally used the best materials.

“As long as you like it here, Qinghao, that’s what matters!” Gu Juntian said with a smile. Then he added, “Qinghao, my dad had an accident, I’m a little scared. Tonight, can I sleep on the floor in your room?”

This was obvious—everyone could see his intentions.

Zhou Qinghao asked, “Do you like me?”

“Of course! I liked you the first time I saw you yesterday,” said Gu Juntian.

Zhou Qinghao smiled. “Stay then, no need to sleep on the floor. You can sleep with me.”

After speaking, he leaned closer, studied Gu Juntian’s face, and then kissed his lips lightly. “I can protect you and your family, as long as you behave.”

Gu Juntian felt a little uncomfortable.

He always felt that he should be the one taking such actions and saying such words.

But he really liked Zhou Qinghao, so such small things could be ignored.

“I’ll definitely behave!” said Gu Juntian.

Zhou Qinghao was very satisfied with this answer, kissed him again, and then Gu Juntian pulled him into a deeper kiss.

Kissing and kissing, they ended up on the bed.

Gu Juntian thought things were moving a bit fast, but quickly came to terms with it.

It was the apocalypse. Most people lived for the moment. After liking each other, countless pairs got together the same day.

Cases like the original host and Zhen Jiayun, who had been together for years without anything happening, were rare.

After driving Zhen Jiayun away, Gu Juntian had originally wanted to clarify at the base that he had nothing to do with him.

But Father Gu said it wasn’t necessary.

Gu Juntian then realized that Father Gu had never told anyone about the relationship between the original host and Zhen Jiayun. Mother Gu only told others that Zhen Jiayun was the son of her close friend.

So, people in H City’s safe base didn’t know Zhen Jiayun’s identity. Since that was the case, he didn’t need to bother clarifying.

Gu Juntian quickly forgot about Zhen Jiayun and focused on being intimate with Zhou Qinghao.

Zhou Qinghao’s body had many scars, and some of them made it clear how severe his injuries had once been.

If only he had come to this world earlier! If that were the case, he would have definitely protected Zhou Qinghao from ever being hurt.

Thinking this, Gu Juntian carefully kissed Zhou Qinghao’s scars.

From start to finish, his movements were extremely gentle, which felt good for Zhou Qinghao.

But Gu Juntian was clearly very skilled and experienced, and that displeased him.

If only he had met him earlier.

Even if at that time Gu Juntian had Gu Chengming as a backer and didn’t need him, he could have still used his own strength to make a deal with Gu Chengming and found a way to get Gu Juntian.

He believed that compared to Zhen Jiayun, Gu Chengming would definitely like him more.

No need to think about unnecessary things—the night was long, better to rest well.

Downstairs, after absorbing some energy from crystal cores, Gu Chengming felt a kind of “indigestion” and had to stop.

He cultivated for a while and felt hungry, so he ate peeled potatoes with a fork.

He had only asked his wife to make him some potatoes, but she, caring for him, also prepared a plate of minced meat sauce with lots of scallions—it was especially fragrant.

The potatoes dipped in meat sauce were very delicious, and Gu Chengming ate a lot in one go.

It was only 9 p.m. Mother Gu hadn’t gone to sleep yet. After eating, Gu Chengming asked, “Where’s Juntian?”

“He hasn’t come down since he went upstairs to the third floor,” said Mother Gu.

“He never came down?”

“No.”

Hearing this, Father Gu felt uneasy. He took out his laptop and checked the home surveillance cameras, discovering that after his son went into Zhou Qinghao’s room, he never came out.

Father Gu: “!!!” Zhou Qinghao living in his house was one thing, but now he was sleeping with his son?

He almost wanted to rush upstairs and separate them!

But his son liked Zhou Qinghao. If he really went up, his son might even resent him for it.

Feeling restless, Father Gu was instead comforted by Mother Gu: “Didn’t you say Zhou Qinghao has a good character? If he’s with Juntian, what’s there to worry about?”

Father Gu said, “I’m worried Juntian might suffer a loss.”

Mother Gu replied, “What loss? Just treat it like you have a daughter.”

Father Gu: “……”

He cultivated all night, watching the surveillance at the same time.

A little after 5 a.m., when the door to Zhou Qinghao’s third-floor room opened, he instantly perked up.

It had to be Zhou Qinghao! He was always an early riser.

As for his son, he often slept in, never waking up this early.

But the one who couldn’t possibly be up early, Gu Juntian, came out of the room.

He looked cheerful, and with a few quick steps, hopped down the stairs.

Father Gu quickly went to him. “Why are you hopping around like that? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Of course not. Why would I feel unwell?” said Gu Juntian.

Father Gu cautiously asked, “You and Zhou Qinghao… nothing happened, right?”

Realizing what he meant, Gu Juntian coughed lightly. “He was a bit tired, so I went to the kitchen to make some porridge for him.”

After looking into what men did with men when his son came out, Father Gu was shocked by this response.

He hadn’t expected Zhou Qinghao to actually be the one on the bottom…

Father Gu immediately said, “Go quickly and make the porridge. I’ll get a chicken from the ice cellar—you can stew it for him to replenish.”

One of the reasons he had always hoarded supplies was because his son wasn’t very reliable.

If he didn’t save more, then if something happened to him, his son would definitely starve.

But now things were different.

His son not only had a special ability but had also gotten together with Zhou Qinghao.

Now, their family had three powerful people. Getting supplies would be easy, and from now on they could eat whatever they wanted without holding back.

Thinking this, Father Gu took a chicken, a duck, and a piece of pork out of the ice cellar. “We’ll eat the duck and pork at lunch and dinner. For breakfast, eat the chicken. I’ll defrost it for you.”

As he spoke, he used his fire ability to defrost the chicken, then handed it over for his son to stew.

Gu Juntian didn’t refuse and put the chicken straight into the pressure cooker.

Father Gu then said, “Help me sort out the energy in my body.”

With the porridge and chicken cooking, Gu Juntian had time, so he helped his father sort out his internal energy.

Satisfied, Father Gu said, “I didn’t sleep all night. When you’re eating breakfast, don’t wake me. I’ll sleep for a bit.”

He grabbed two eggs from the kitchen, roasted them with his ability, and ate them directly.

He wanted to go upstairs to absorb more energy and then sleep.

When he woke up, the energy would be mostly digested, and he could continue absorbing crystal core energy.

Zhou Qinghao had indeed been tired last night. When he woke up, it was already past 7 a.m.

He thought he would feel terrible today, but surprisingly he didn’t.

He didn’t feel any discomfort at all. Even his old wounds had healed, and he felt completely refreshed.

Was this the joy of happiness boosting one’s spirit?

Ability users’ bodies did recover quickly. Zhou Qinghao didn’t overthink it and headed downstairs.

As soon as he reached the bottom, he saw Gu Juntian come out of the kitchen. “Qinghao, perfect timing. Breakfast is ready!”

Breakfast was plentiful.

There was porridge, chicken, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, fried peanuts, and pickles made by Mother Gu.

“Qinghao, eat more!” Mother Gu picked up both drumsticks and put them in his bowl.

Zhou Qinghao asked, “Where’s… Uncle Gu?” Since Gu Chengming was sick, shouldn’t he get a drumstick?

Mother Gu replied, “He already ate, don’t worry about him. You eat more. I know ability users eat a lot.”

Gu Juntian also said, “You must be hungry, eat more.” Before going out that morning, he had used his spiritual power to help Zhou Qinghao smooth out his energy and even heal some wounds.

That too consumed energy, so Zhou Qinghao must be very hungry now.

Without realizing it, Zhou Qinghao ate both drumsticks and a lot of chicken.

A chicken didn’t have much meat. He ate more than half by himself, and the rest was finished off by Gu Juntian and Mother Gu.

Gu Chengming ended up with nothing.

Zhou Qinghao felt a little embarrassed, thinking he should later go to the cafeteria and have someone buy some meat buns for Gu Chengming.

He respected Gu Chengming a lot. Since Gu Juntian wasn’t looking after his father, he had to.

Just as he finished eating, Gu Juntian brewed him a cup of tea.

Tea was a rare luxury in the apocalypse. Zhou Qinghao took a sip, and just then, there was a knock at the door.

Was it his subordinates coming to find him? Zhou Qinghao was about to open the door, but Gu Juntian had already rushed ahead and opened it.

The Primitive Tribe is about to rise (3): Beat up the scumbag

Two days later, Chu Feng came to find Si Qi to go hunting together.  

He was a little worried about Si Qi, who had been sleeping for two or three days straight. “I heard that snake tribes choose to hibernate when food is scarce. Are you sleeping to stave off hunger because you don’t have enough to eat?”  

He had been bringing food to Si Qi for several days, but each time, Si Qi never ate it. Thinking that Si Qi might dislike accepting his offerings, he explained, “I don’t have any ulterior motives. I’m giving you food simply because I’m the tribe chief… You don’t have to reject me like this.”  

Si Qi found this amusing and said to Chu Feng, “Why would I reject you? I’d be happy to receive food from you.”  

Chu Feng’s initially aggrieved mood instantly took on a strange nuance because of these words.  

That ticklish feeling in his heart resurfaced, and Chu Feng slowly nodded, putting on a serious expression as if he hadn’t read too much into it.  

Yet, in his mind, he couldn’t help but imagine himself giving food to Si Qi, and the other accepting it with a smile…  

Chu Feng turned his head away, slightly embarrassed, and said to Si Qi, “I specifically told Elvin not to join the hunt tomorrow, so you won’t run into him in the group today.”  

Si Qi smiled—a smile as pure and gentle as the freshest morning dew at dawn, so clear and warm that Chu Feng couldn’t tear his eyes away.  

“Thank you, you’re so thoughtful.”  

Chu Feng stared blankly at Si Qi, momentarily at a loss for words. He dumbly nodded, and even after looking away, Si Qi’s smile lingered in his mind.  

This hunting party with Chu Feng consisted of over a dozen warriors, a few of whom had been present for the gossip a few days prior. When they saw Si Qi, they greeted him warmly.  

One of them even said outright, “Si Qi, why are you here? Aren’t your injuries still healing? If you’re willing, I can trade meat for your salt blocks—then you wouldn’t have to join this hunt.”  

Another, seeing how slender and delicate Si Qi looked—handsome enough to have previously sought a warrior rather than a sub-beastman as a partner—couldn’t help but treat him like a gentle sub-beastman, speaking kindly: “Si Qi, if we run into prey later, just hide behind me. I’ll hunt for you! I’ll give you half the meat!”

Chu Feng stood to the side, watching as a group of warriors fawned over Si Qi, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable. He stepped forward and said, “Alright, enough talking. It’s time to hunt. I’ll take care of Si Qi myself.”  

Si Qi nodded in agreement. “Yes, I’d like Chu Feng to look after me.”  

Chu Feng: “…”  

Ahem.  

The warriors, straightforward as they were, didn’t overthink it and replied, “That works. The chief is the strongest—you’ll definitely be safest with him.”  

As the day wore on, the group, armed with stone spears and axes, left the tribe and ventured into the dense, thriving forest—the very forest their settlement was built within.  

Being beastmen, they were naturally sharp-eyed and keen-eared. Clad in rough fur garments, they strode confidently across the rocky, overgrown terrain, showing none of the fear a modern human might feel lost in the wilderness. They moved like born hunters—brave and formidable.  

This made Chu Feng unable to resist glancing repeatedly at Si Qi, the delicate-looking snake beastman beside him. He knew snake tribes were different from lion tribes—they excelled at hunting prey smaller than themselves, using sharp fangs and supple, powerful bodies to strangle their enemies.  

Back when he had fought against the snake tribe, he had managed to take on multiple opponents at once precisely because lion beastmen were stronger. The cost had just been a few gaping wounds and a couple of broken bones from being constricted… 

At the time, he’d been proud of how much stronger he was than the snake tribe, thinking they were nothing compared to lions, the true kings of beasts.  

But now, remembering that Si Qi was also a snake—and one who had been bullied by those very same snake warriors to the brink of death—he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.  

Si Qi was a beastman with no family in the tribe; he had to fend for himself. But how could someone so delicate manage alone?  

It was really worrying…  

Just then, his ears twitched, and his body tensed like a predator’s, his gaze sharpening as he focused on something ahead.  

Without a word, the other warriors, having also caught the faint sounds, moved in perfect sync—lightening their footsteps like a pride of lions encircling prey, spreading out to surround the target.  

Chu Feng stayed close to Si Qi, but Si Qi showed no intention of hiding behind him for protection. Instead, he stood openly at Chu Feng’s side, poised as effortlessly as a pine tree in the forest—more like a spirit who had wandered into the hunt than a beast ready to strike.  

Chu Feng didn’t urge Si Qi to take cover. If he could take down the prey first, Si Qi wouldn’t be in any danger.  

With a fierce, commanding roar, the warriors burst from the underbrush like a sudden gale, charging toward the now-alerted leopards ahead.

Si Qi stood to the side, observing the battle between the beastmen and the wild animals. He couldn’t help but think that if not for their human-like appearances, the way they fought was almost indistinguishable from wild beasts—brimming with raw, powerful beauty.  

His gaze lingered openly on his lover’s body, tracing the smooth, rippling muscles with blatant appreciation. The sheer masculine allure was downright tantalizing, and he had the strongest urge to reach out and touch.  

Lost in thought, Si Qi’s mind briefly wandered—until he snapped back to reality at the sound of Chu Feng shouting his name.  

Startled, he turned just in time to see a leopard, easily twice his size, lunging for his throat with jaws wide open.  

Instinctively, his hand shot out—swift and precise as a snake’s strike—  

Hours later, the hunting party returned to the tribe laden with their haul, the prey collectively weighing over a ton. Some went to the designated area to butcher the meat, while Si Qi carried three intact carcasses to a familiar hut.  

Seeing him burdened with so much, Chu Feng shouldered two of the animals himself and walked alongside him.  

No matter how much of a scoundrel this world’s protagonist was in matters of the heart, he had at least saved the original owner’s life once—which already put him above most protagonists Si Qi had encountered.  

Wanting to sever ties cleanly, Si Qi intended to repay the debt on the original owner’s behalf.  

Returning meat seemed the simplest way.  

Knock knock.  

Footsteps sounded inside, quickening as if the person had caught Si Qi’s scent. The door swung open to reveal Elvin, his face lighting up at the sight of his former lover.  

“Si Qi, you came!”  

Elvin beamed, but his excitement surged into outright delight when he noticed the prey slung over Si Qi’s shoulder. Reaching for Si Qi’s hand, he gushed, “You brought me meat? I knew you still loved me—”  

Then he finally registered Chu Feng standing nearby. His expression shifted, wariness flashing as he instinctively tried to pull Si Qi closer, away from the chief.  

Frowning, Si Qi sidestepped the grasping hand. “Bringing meat doesn’t mean what you think. Don’t read into it.”  

He dumped the leopard carcass on the ground, then glanced back at Chu Feng.

Chu Feng placed the animals he was carrying beside the leopard and silently stood to the side, not saying a word.  

Si Qi said, “I stayed with you for several months and ate a lot of your food. These animals are compensation for that. Don’t ever say again that I took advantage of you or owe you anything.”  

Elvin hadn’t known Si Qi went hunting today, and even if he had, seeing so much prey—more than even he could catch—he couldn’t help but glance at Chu Feng again, his expression darkening.  

“Where did you get all this meat…?” Who gave it to you? Chu Feng?  

He cut himself off, unwilling to voice the question outright, afraid Si Qi might say something he couldn’t bear to hear. Desperately changing the subject, he said, “You don’t have to do this… If you give everything to me, what will you eat?”  

Si Qi couldn’t be bothered to explain and replied dismissively, “The chief said he’d take care of me for a while—why do you care so much?”  

Somehow, those words struck a nerve. Elvin’s face twisted with fury, and he slammed a fist against the doorframe. “What are you saying?! You’re just going to accept him after leaving me?!”  

Si Qi blinked, baffled by the outburst.  

He hadn’t shown any particular affection toward Chu Feng—how had Elvin even come to that conclusion?  

…Probably just looking for another excuse to flip the script, like when he accused the original owner of using him.  

Annoyed, Si Qi said, “Don’t put words in my mouth. Just because you cheated doesn’t mean everyone else does.”  

“Then where did you get all this prey?! It’s all from Chu Feng, isn’t it?!” Elvin was livid, his gaze sharp with resentment as he glared at Chu Feng. The secret he couldn’t voice made him hypersensitive to anything involving the chief. He roared at Si Qi, “Look at you! What kind of prey could you possibly catch? You’re just relying on someone else to survive!”  

“You left me and immediately ran to Chu Feng—someone stronger than me—and you dare say you didn’t cheat?!”  

“The proof is right here!!” Elvin grabbed for Si Qi’s arm, his shouting drawing the attention of nearby beastmen.  

Many wondered why Si Qi and Elvin were arguing again, casting curious glances their way.  

Then they saw the pile of prey on the ground—each carcass perfectly intact, without a single claw mark or wound—and couldn’t hide their shock. Whoever had hunted these had done so effortlessly, without leaving a trace of struggle.

Si Qi was thoroughly annoyed by the protagonist’s attitude—putting on an act of devotion while actually being unfaithful, constantly doubting and interrogating the original owner. Where did this guy get the nerve?  

Not only was he irritated, but the lingering emotions of the original owner also surged with indescribable fury. Old grievances and new grudges combined, making Si Qi itch to tear this scumbag apart with his bare hands.  

He didn’t hold back. If the protagonist wanted a fight, then so be it! Seizing the moment Elvin tried to grab his wrist, Si Qi twisted the man’s arm, intending to pin him down.  

Elvin, a seasoned fighter, wasn’t so easily subdued and barely managed to wrench free.  

But then Si Qi followed up with a lightning-fast flying kick—so swift it reminded onlookers of a striking snake, lashing through the air like a whip.  

Precise. Ruthless. Devastating.  

Elvin hadn’t expected Si Qi to actually attack him. After dodging, he let out an enraged roar and swung a fist.  

“You’re hitting me for Chu Feng?! You’ve gone too far!”  

Chu Feng, who had been standing quietly to the side: …?  

What did this have to do with me??  

Even now, Elvin was still trying to shift blame. Si Qi nearly laughed in disbelief and immediately ramped up the intensity, unleashing combat techniques honed across countless worlds—holding absolutely nothing back.  

The surrounding beastmen watched the fight, utterly mesmerized. Accustomed to instinct-driven brawls, they had never seen such a refined fighting style. Their eyes were glued to the spectacle as they murmured in awe:  

“I never realized Si Qi wasn’t just good-looking—his fighting is beautiful too!”  

“Yeah! It’s like watching a dance!”  

Meanwhile, Elvin, who was taking a one-sided beating, looked anything but graceful, stumbling backward under the relentless assault.  

He frantically blocked the barrage of strikes, baffled and frustrated. How was he losing? This made no sense!  

And Si Qi’s attacks hurt—each blow landing with brutal precision, as if Si Qi felt nothing for him.  

The fight lasted just over a minute. Elvin, thick-skinned and sturdy, could endure it—but then the rabbit beastman, hearing that Si Qi had confronted Elvin again, rushed over in a fury to “mediate.”  

The moment he arrived, he saw Elvin—supposedly the stronger warrior—being overpowered by the “frail” Si Qi. Outraged, he shouted, “Elvin, what are you holding back for?! Si Qi doesn’t love you—you don’t have to go easy on him!”

“Fight back! Beat him up, and he’ll learn his lesson!!”  

“You care about him, but he doesn’t give a damn about you!”  

Hearing this, the surrounding beastmen suddenly “understood.”  

Like the rabbit beastman, they assumed Elvin was holding back out of consideration for Si Qi—unwilling to retaliate, hence the one-sided beating.  

After all, just by appearances alone, one was slender and delicate, his wrists as thin as twigs, his strikes seemingly weaker than a child’s; the other was tall and brawny, his arms thicker than Si Qi’s thighs—capable of felling a tree with a single punch. Who was stronger? Wasn’t it obvious?  

Not to mention, Elvin had defeated every other warrior in last year’s chief competition, losing only to Chu Feng. He was the tribe’s second-strongest fighter.  

By all logic, there was no way he could lose to Si Qi—someone who hadn’t even fully recovered from his injuries, who spent most of his time at home like a sub-beastman, only occasionally venturing out to gather fruit.  

Even Elvin, dazed from the beating, started to believe it too. He was convinced that if he really fought back, Si Qi wouldn’t stand a chance.  

As the rabbit beastman kept shouting—”Si Qi, you’ve gone too far!”, “Elvin, stop holding back for Si Qi’s sake—he doesn’t deserve it!”—Elvin thought of all the “injustice” he’d suffered, Si Qi’s “fickleness,” and the humiliation of being publicly overpowered. With a roar, he bellowed, “Si Qi, that’s enough!”  

Si Qi’s response was a cold, merciless uppercut—crushing straight into Elvin’s jaw. The impact sent the man’s head snapping back, his entire body lifting off the ground before crashing down hard.  

Sprawled on the ground, Elvin saw stars.  

The sheer absurdity of the scene drew scattered laughter from the crowd. The rabbit beastman rushed over in a panic, while Elvin, face burning with shame, pushed himself up. Glaring at Si Qi’s icy, disdainful gaze looming above him, his fury boiled over.  

With a deafening, earth-shaking roar—pure lion’s wrath—Elvin dropped to all fours. His body swelled, human skin erupting into thick, tawny fur as he transformed into a two-meter-tall beast. Muscles rippling, he charged, massive claws slashing toward Si Qi with lethal force.  

“STOP—!”  

Only then did the beastmen realize things had gone too far, scrambling to intervene.  

Some sub-beastmen even turned away, unable to watch—certain that in the next second, Si Qi would be torn apart, his wounds reopening in a gruesome spray of blood.

The rabbit beastman’s round eyes widened with excitement, fists clenched, nearly bursting with glee—  

Si Qi watched the massive beast coldly. Just like with the leopard earlier, he pivoted smoothly, evading the wind-ripping claws. One hand locked onto the lion’s forelimb joint, the other gripped the thick mane beneath its jaw. Harnessing the momentum of the beast’s own charge, he twisted his torso—and with a single explosive motion—heaved the multi-ton lion clean off its feet, slamming it into the ground with a thunderous CRACK.  

The lion howled in pain. Si Qi didn’t pause. He stepped forward, bent low, one hand pinning the dazed beast’s skull while the other—  

Thud. Thud. THUD.  

—hammered down with methodical fury, each strike carrying the original owner’s betrayal, each impact a release of long-suppressed rage. The lion whimpered, thrashing, but Si Qi’s grip was iron. Its attempts to rise only earned it another brutal smash face-first into the dirt.  

The surrounding beastmen gaped. The sight of slender, delicate Si Qi manhandling a fully transformed elite warrior was so absurd it short-circuited their brains.  

Si Qi’s usually calm voice now carried an icy edge:  

“I cheated? I went too far?”  

“You think I need a filthy stray cat to feed me?”  

“You drank my blood to enhance your strength—stole my power—and still had the gall to play victim!”  

“A few measly prey animals? You think I’d need help?!”  

The lion lay wheezing, barely conscious. The rabbit beastman finally snapped out of his shock, tears of outrage spilling as he threw himself over Elvin’s battered form:  

“Si Qi, you monster! How dare you treat Elvin like this!”  

“He was so good to you! This is how you repay him?!”  

“So what if he’s with me now? You had no right to beat him! A warrior as strong as him was never meant to be owned by just one person! You’re patheticly jealous—”  

Si Qi’s next punch stalled mid-air—he couldn’t hit a sub-beastman. His phoenix-like eyes rolled so hard they nearly vanished. This delusional idiot wasn’t worth the breath.  

The watching warriors exchanged glances. Even they understood:  

Elvin had betrayed Si Qi after practically being engaged. But even if they’d just been cohabiting—no one brings a lover home while their partner still lives there! What kind of insult was that?!  

And now it was blatantly clear—Si Qi was the stronger one. How could anyone claim he was unworthy? That he should share?  

Elvin wasn’t even in his league.

The tribal shaman, having arrived midway through the spectacle, observed everything quietly beside Chu Feng. Like the chief, he showed no intention of intervening—but his gaze as he studied Si Qi grew increasingly intrigued, as if discovering something previously hidden. His eyes brightened like an explorer stumbling upon treasure.  

Chu Feng watched from a distance as Si Qi—usually pale as snow—now glowed with a rare flush of anger, his beauty blazing fiercer than ever. His heart pounded wildly, erratic in his chest.  

Then suddenly, Si Qi’s voice cut through the noise:  

“If you hadn’t saved my life back then, making me fall for you, I’d never have been with someone like you in the first place!”  

Chu Feng stiffened as if struck. A sharp, unfamiliar pang twisted in his chest.  

Elvin, bruised and battered, slowly shifted back to human form. His once-handsome face was now a mess of swelling and cuts, leaning heavily on the rabbit beastman as he glared at Si Qi with bitter resentment:  

“You only care that I saved you! Wasn’t everything I did afterward enough to make you love me?! Your heart’s harder than stone!”  

Something about those words felt off to Si Qi, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. He ignored Elvin, leaving him to cling pathetically to his new lover.  

The crowd of warriors swarmed around Si Qi, buzzing with excitement:  

“Si Qi, you were amazing!”  

“You beat Elvin in his beast form while staying human! Are you even stronger than our chief?!”  

The hunters from earlier, having finished butchering their haul, pushed through with boisterous laughter: “Of course he is! During the hunt, he snapped a leopard’s neck with one arm and kicked a bull’s spine in half—we nearly lost our minds watching!”  

Gasps erupted. “So Si Qi was holding back just now?!”  

“No wonder Elvin lasted more than two hits—he’d be unconscious otherwise!”  

Warriors revered strength above all. Now they stared at Si Qi like he was the sun itself, voices brimming with awe:  

“Si Qi, teach us how you fight like that!”  

“I want to be as strong as you!”  

Si Qi paused, glancing toward Chu Feng in the distance. His peripheral vision caught the shaman’s smile—warm, knowing, layered with unspoken meaning. It gave him pause.  

After a beat, he turned back to the eager crowd:  

“Of course. There’s much I can teach you.”

Heart of the Ocean (2): Immortal jellyfish

Tan Xiao led Xiao Bai back and forth through the aquarium twice, carefully observing every animal inside.  

According to the instance’s introduction, the marine life had undergone mutations, but he couldn’t spot any differences in the aquarium’s creatures.  

The residents of this seaside town seemed simple and honest, living off the ocean’s bounty. They didn’t mistreat the aquarium animals. Though there were animal performances, the animals participated willingly. Each of them appeared glossy and well-fed, clearly in excellent condition.  

Tan Xiao let out a sigh of relief: the animals weren’t being abused by the aquarium staff, so the instance probably didn’t involve supernatural elements.  

Although the instance’s description mentioned a capsized ship causing the marine life to mutate, the system’s introduction didn’t reveal everything. Many forum posts accused the system of toying with players, hiding crucial details to trap them.  

Still unable to find Wen Yi, he left the aquarium with a tinge of disappointment.  

By then, it was already dusk on the second day. The seaside town’s sunset was breathtaking—the sky awash with vibrant hues, pure white seagulls gliding over the ocean, waves lapping against the fine white sand. Residents and tourists alike combed the beach at low tide, searching for treasures.  

This was a tranquility rarely found in big cities. The pristine scenery and the rhythmic sound of waves seemed to soothe the soul.  

The beautiful view lifted Tan Xiao’s melancholy mood slightly, but then a sudden commotion erupted outside the town: “A ship has capsized!”  

“Hurry, go save people!”  

Sirens wailed through the town, and the atmosphere grew chaotic as onlookers gathered. Remembering the instance’s introduction, Tan Xiao’s heart sank. Still, he held onto Xiao Bai and followed the crowd.  

After a moment’s thought, he put on a pair of sunglasses and a dust mask.  

Though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, anything capable of mutating marine life likely meant environmental contamination. Better to be prepared—just in case.  

The shipwreck caused a major uproar. The once-clear seawater quickly turned pitch black, startling nearby surfers.  

“It’s an oil tanker! Get away—this much crude oil could easily trigger an explosion!”  

The panicked tourists were rescued in time, but they were drenched in thick, black oil, their bodies sticky and filthy—a miserable sight.

The black seawater refracted the sunlight, shimmering with a kaleidoscope of colors.  

Soon, the police set up barricades along the shore and began evacuating the surrounding tourists.  

Tan Xiao overheard the fishermen sighing in dismay: “A huge stretch of the ocean is polluted—our catches are going to shrink again.”  

“The black water is still spreading. Who knows how long it’ll take to clean up?”  

The sea was fluid, with a powerful self-purifying ability, but the capsized oil tanker was a massive vessel with an enormous capacity. This “black gold” dredged from the depths of the earth wouldn’t be so easily broken down by the ocean.  

Crude oil spread across the water’s surface, and countless fish floated belly-up, their pale bodies littering the sea in a dense, eerie mass.  

Realizing something, Tan Xiao didn’t linger by the shore. Instead, he quickly led Xiao Bai into the seafood market and picked the largest seafood stall. “I’ll take everything in your shop.”  

The shop owner double-checked: “You’re not joking, right, buddy? We’ve got a lot of stock left—worth several hundred thousand.”  

Seafood was much cheaper near the coast, but this was a big store with plenty of high-end offerings, like lobsters that cost thousands each. Even though it was late, the remaining inventory was still worth at least half a million.  

Tan Xiao nodded firmly. “I’m sure. Do you accept card payments? If not, it’s a no-go.” He held up a sleek black card, gleaming under the light.  

Since he rarely visited the seaside, he had wanted to indulge in fresh seafood. But now, with the shipwreck, the game zone around the town would surely suffer severe consequences. Unscrupulous vendors might even try selling mutated fish contaminated by the black water.  

The seafood currently in the market had been caught earlier—still safe to eat.  

However, his storage space for live seafood was limited. Tan Xiao eyed the large tanks and oxygen equipment. “Can I buy these fish-keeping systems too? Do you have any recommended aquarium suppliers? I’ll pay. I only want live seafood—no dead ones.”  

This was a massive order, and the shop owner was overjoyed. “No problem! The store next door sells tanks. If you’re serious, I’ll give you a great deal and even throw in free delivery!”  

The neighboring shop specialized in aquariums, stocked with all kinds of ornamental fish. The two businesses were run by relatives. Tan Xiao first went next door to order the tanks, then returned to the seafood shop to swipe his card.

Because of the large purchase, the shop owner kindly threw in some small oxygen supply equipment. While browsing the neighboring store, Tan Xiao spotted some exceptionally beautiful ornamental fish.  

The shopkeeper enthusiastically promoted his fish to this big-spending young customer: “Our fish are raised with top care, and we offer after-sales service—plus free fish food!”  

Tan Xiao watched the tropical fish swimming leisurely, envying their carefree existence.  

He was tempted but shook his head. “No need, I’ve already bought plenty of fish.”  

Aside from lobsters, most of the seafood shop’s stock consisted of edible fish—not as pretty as ornamental ones, but delicious.  

He was only staying here for a month, so there was no point wasting money on flashy but impractical things.  

But as he passed a small fish tank, Tan Xiao suddenly stopped. “What’s this? It’s beautiful.”  

It was a palm-sized tank, usually marketed to tourists—just big enough for some water plants, a few pebbles, and a couple of short-lived goldfish.  

But this particular tank was empty except for a bit of clear water and a single jellyfish, no bigger than Tan Xiao’s fingernail, drifting lazily in the water.  

When Tan Xiao approached, the jellyfish pressed itself against the smooth glass, motionless, as if staring back at him.  

It was a stunning jellyfish. Suddenly, Tan Xiao felt an overwhelming urge to own it.  

The aquarium shop owner glanced over. “Oh, that? It’s a jellyfish—a Turritopsis dohrnii.”

Goldfish were small, but the Turritopsis was even tinier, only about 4 to 5 millimeters in size.  

“A friend gave it to me, so I just kept it here.”  

Since this cheap little thing wasn’t selling well, he’d casually tossed it into a spare tank.  

Tan Xiao looked up. “Can I buy this jellyfish?”  

An intense desire burned in his chest—he had to have it. If the shopkeeper refused to sell, he’d even consider stealing it.  

But since Tan Xiao had already bought so many tanks and oxygen equipment—and was referred to by the neighboring relative—the shop owner waved magnanimously. “No charge. This thing’s only worth a few dozen bucks anyway. If you want it, it’s yours.”  

He grabbed a transparent plastic bag, scooped the jellyfish into it, and kept the small tank for himself.  

Tan Xiao asked, “Any special care instructions? What does it eat?”  

The shopkeeper replied, “This kind of jellyfish probably eats plankton. We sell feed here—tiny fish larvae work well.”  

Eager to push more sales, he added, “Jellyfish themselves aren’t expensive, but they need high-end tanks—around 10,000 bucks—or they’ll die fast.”  

Though Turritopsis dohrnii was famously immortal, under poor conditions, it would “rejuvenate”—reverting to a cyst-like state, essentially disappearing.  

That was why the shopkeeper was happy to offload it. A lone, worthless jellyfish wasn’t worth a 10,000-yuan tank.  

Tan Xiao’s earlier purchases were all commercial-grade glass tanks for seafood—cheap, ugly, and functional. Combined, they hadn’t cost much.  

After a quick online search (which matched the shopkeeper’s claims), Tan Xiao did something unexpected: he bought zero ornamental fish—but splurged on an expensive jellyfish tank for that single, lonely Turritopsis.  

The shopkeeper grinned ear to ear. The more “suckers” like this, the better.  

Generously, he tossed in extra fish food. “These baby brine shrimp are perfect for Turritopsis. Feed it a little every day.”  

Afraid the customer might change his mind, the owner hurriedly sealed the deal. “I’ll deliver the tank right away!”  

In no time, Tan Xiao’s three-story house was filled with fish tanks and lively seafood.  

But Tan Xiao ignored the delicious haul. Instead, he pressed his face against the glass, mesmerized by the one-of-a-kind jellyfish.  

In the seawater, it swam joyfully—its bell-shaped body pulsing gently, delicate tentacles swaying like threads of silk.  

“One, two…”  

Most Turritopsis had 80 to 120 tentacles. Tan Xiao counted carefully, over and over. This one had exactly 99.  

The number 99 felt familiar. After all, during his time with Wen Yi, the other had always emphasized eternity¹.  

But this jellyfish couldn’t be Wen Yi… could it? It was so small—even fully grown, it’d only be thumb-sized.  

In Tan Xiao’s mind, even if Wen Yi weren’t human, he’d at least be human-sized.  

Still, whether it was Wen Yi or not, Tan Xiao would take good care of it.  

He sprinkled plankton into the tank. Instantly, those adorable tentacles shot out, ensnaring the tiny prey with paralyzing precision before delivering them to its central mouth.  

Feed the jellyfish. Watch it eat. Repeat.  

Tan Xiao cycled through these actions obsessively for hours.  

Only when the sun fully set did Xiao Bai finally bark: “Master, eat! Starving to death here!”  

Snapping out of it, Tan Xiao headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner for himself and the dog.  

The moment he disappeared, the jellyfish in the tank expanded.  

A translucent tentacle lashed out—snatching a large fish from another tank.

Notes

1. In Chinese culture, the number 99 (九九, jiǔjiǔ) symbolizes “long time” or “eternally”. This meaning is derived from the homophone of “99” (jiǔjiǔ) and the phrase “久久” (jiǔjiǔ), which translates to “a long time”. ↩︎

Scheming White lotus (17): Gu Juntian began to look forward to the gift Zhou Qinghao would give him.

Cheng Mingyan stood at the door of the Gu family’s house, trying hard to recall Zhou Qinghao’s face. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Zhou Qinghao must have been wronged in the Gu family.

Zhou Qinghao today was very different from before.

In the past, Zhou Qinghao would definitely have pinched his voice to fan the flames and ridicule him, but today Zhou Qinghao did nothing and just kept smiling fakely.

Zhou Qinghao’s eyes were still a little red and swollen.

Old man  Gu was confused today, so he didn’t do anything to Zhou Qinghao. When he was sober, he would definitely dislike Zhou Qinghao.

Zhou Qinghao’s behavior of living in someone else’s house before getting married was really uncultured!

After thinking about it this way, Cheng Mingyan finally felt a little better, and then he shared with his friends that Zhou Qinghao’s red and swollen eyes might be a sign that he was not having a good time in the Gu family.

He also said that he had broken off the engagement with Gu Juntian, and he did not say a word about the accusations Gu Juntian made against him.

Then, Gu Juntian received messages from several fake friends: “Gu Juntian, have you really broken off your engagement with Cheng Mingyan? Then I’m going to chase him!”

“Gu Juntian, Cheng Mingyan likes you so much, you will regret it if you give up on him.”

“Gu Juntian, isn’t it not nice of you to treat Cheng Mingyan like this?”

……

Gu Juntian: “…” These people are sick!

Their train of thought was as incomprehensible as Cheng Mingyan’s!

Gu Juntian was too lazy to bother with these people and blocked them all.

These fake friends of his were all in their twenties and thirties. Although their families has business dealings with Gu’s, it was these people’s parents who negotiated business with him. Without their contact information, it would have no impact on him at all.

Even if he had free time, there was no need to waste it on these people. It would be better for him to take Zhou Qinghao to do strength training.

Gu Juntian hoped that Zhou Qinghao’s health would recover soon so that he could teach Zhou Qinghao to exercise again.

Just… inexplicably looking forward to it.

Little did he know that the people he blocked were secretly complaining about him and thought he would definitely regret it.

“That Zhou Qinghao came here just for his money. Gu Juntian must have lost his mind to bring such a person back to the Gu family!”

“Old man Gu definitely doesn’t like Zhou Qinghao. Gu Juntian’s parents have come back, and I heard they don’t like Zhou Qinghao either.”

“Of course he doesn’t like it! Gu Juntian gave up Cheng Mingyan, who is a good match for him, and chose someone who is only interested in making money. The elders must be upset.”

“That Zhou Qinghao really likes to put on airs. I don’t know why Gu Juntian likes him…”

“Aren’t there a lot of people like him? Gu Juntian treats him like a treasure!”

……

Zhou Qinghao arrived at Gu’s house on Friday night, and on Saturday night, Gu Juntian took him to do his first strength training.

On Sunday, his muscles were extremely sore and he just lay there and didn’t want to move… He was hoping that he would feel better on Monday, but when he woke up on Monday morning, he felt even more sore than on Sunday.

Fortunately, apart from muscle soreness, he had no other discomforts and had a great appetite.

The exercise that Gu Juntian arranged for Zhou Qinghao this morning was still climbing uphill on the treadmill.

After walking for 40 minutes, Zhou Qinghao felt refreshed all over, and then he ate the nutritious meal prepared by the chef in one gulp.

Seeing this, Gu Juntian handed over a cup of hot milk and said, “Drink it slowly. After you finish, we’ll go to work together.”

Zhou Qinghao held the hot milk in his hand and felt dazed when he thought about going to work.

This weekend was so full that he felt like it was a long time ago that he last worked…

At eight o’clock, Zhou Qinghao set out from Gu’s house and arrived at Gu’s company at half past eight.

Gu’s office started at nine o’clock, but at this time, there were already some people who arrived early.

Some of them were eating breakfast, some were making coffee, and some were chatting.

Seeing Zhou Qinghao, they all greeted him: “Zhou Qinghao, good morning!”

Zhou Qinghao also greeted them with a smile, then slowly moved to his seat and sat down.

In the past two years, he had really lacked exercise, so much so that when he did exercise, his muscles became so sore.

Zhou Qinghao didn’t want to walk the whole morning. After all, he felt uncomfortable when he walked.

When the people in the company saw this, they all smiled meaningfully.

Zhou Qinghao came to the company today in President Gu’s car, and many people saw it.

In other words, Zhou Qinghao was with Mr. Gu last night.

He looked like he had trouble walking, which must have been because he had done something with Mr. Gu last night.

Thinking of this, someone who was close to Zhou Qinghao secretly asked him, “Zhou Qinghao, is President Gu very good in that aspect?”

Zhou Qinghao: “…” He didn’t know either!

Gu Juntian was very tolerant and loving towards him, he must like him, but for some reason, Gu Juntian, a grown man, played double-talk all day long and was not straightforward at all.

But in this situation, others would definitely think that he had slept with him… Zhou Qinghao sighed and worked seriously.

In the afternoon he was going to meet with his lawyer and also go to his rental house with his bodyguards to bring his books and some other things to his home.

He was very busy and had to continue working despite his disability.

While Zhou Qinghao was busy, Huo Pinghai looked at him hatefully.

Huo Pinghai had a very difficult time during this period.

Today, he received a layoff notice.

Gu’s job was pretty good, the work was easy and the salary was high, but now, he was going to be laid off!

An ordinary jewelry designer like him was not valued at all and it was difficult for him to find a good job. After leaving Gu’s, he may never find such a good job again.

And the reason he was like this was all Zhou Qinghao’s fault!

And Mr. Gu, he was a love-brained person!

If he knew what Huo Pinghai was thinking, Gu Juntian would definitely cry out that he was wronged.

He was really not a love-brained person! After he learned that someone had said something nonsense in front of Zhou Qinghao, he did have some opinions about Huo Pinghai, but he was different from the original owner. He abided by the rules and would not abuse his rights.

If Huo Pinghai worked hard and contributed to the company, he would at most be transferred to Old Town Gold and would not be laid off. After all, the culprit of the previous incident was Cheng Mingyan, and Huo Pinghai only said a few words in the office.

But Huo Pinghai was perfunctory at work and his performance was not good… Who else should be fired if not him?

But even so, Gu Juntian followed the formal procedures. Unlike the original to Zhou Qinghao, who not only kicked the person out that day but also framed him with a crime.

Huo Pinghai certainly didn’t know this.

At this moment, he was complaining to Cheng Mingyan angrily about the injustice of Gu’s company, saying that Zhou Qinghao had no skills but could get a high salary in the company, while he was very outstanding but was squeezed out.

He also said: “Zhou Qinghao couldn’t even straighten his arms today. I suspect he was beaten!”

His colleagues thought that Zhou Qinghao was like this because he was “loved” by President Gu, but he didn’t think so.

Zhou Qinghao’s arms were not moving smoothly, he might get beaten!

Cheng Mingyan immediately started chatting with Huo Pingchuan…

Zhou Qinghao didn’t know all this. The process of meeting with the lawyer went smoothly, and moving things to the rental house was even easier.

When Zhou Qinghao was packing his things, he met the couple who shared the house with him. When they helped him pack his things, the girl said, “The rent of this house is not expensive, why don’t you stay? If you have a place to stay, you will have a place to go if you encounter problems.”

Zhou Qinghao saw the worry in the girl’s eyes and knew what she meant.

Gu Juntian was too rich, he and Gu Juntian were not a good match.

This girl was afraid that if his relationship with Gu Juntian had problems, he would be kicked out of the house and would not even have a place to stay.

But he himself had no home, and the only thing he owned now was Gu Juntian.

If Gu Juntian no longer wanted him one day, it wouldn’t matter to him whether he hada place to stay or not.

He didn’t even know how he would survive when that time really came.

Of course, he believed that Gu Juntian would not treat him like this.

After Gu Juntian brought him home, he kept an eye on him every day, made him exercise and go to bed early, and also arranged nutritious meals for him.

Given his level of concern, Gu Juntian would definitely not be willing to kick him out.

Moreover, his parents and grandpa Gu all liked him very much, and they would not let him wander the streets.

Speaking of the rest of the Gu family…he had already agreed with Gu’s parents that he would accompany them in the evening and push Grandpa Gu to see the art exhibition.

Gu’s parents hadn’t been back for a long time and were a little unfamiliar with this city. Grandpa Gu was busy with work and had no chance to go out and play, so Gu’s parents wanted to take Grandpa Gu for a walk.

Then he must follow, so that he could develop feelings with them!

Zhou Qinghao packed up his things, went back home to have a nutritious meal, and then went out with his father, mother, and grandfather.

Gu Juntian: “…” These people were too much. They actually left him alone at home!

Zhou Qinghao rested for four days before his muscles finally stopped aching.

Then, Gu Juntian took him to the gym again and asked him to do strength training.

Zhou Qinghao was a little excited.

Working out was definitely tiring, but when he thought about the physical contact he would have with Gu Juntian when he used the equipment, he didn’t care whether he was tired or not!

As soon as he entered the gym, Zhou Qinghao said, “Brother Juntian, I don’t know how to use these machines. Can you teach me?”

Gu Juntian knew that Zhou Qinghao was lying.

Zhou Qinghao was very smart, and he taught him so carefully last time, there was no way Zhou Qinghao would not know how to use these instruments.

This person just wanted to take advantage of him, so he deliberately said no.

This little thought was quite cute… Gu Juntian taught Zhou Qinghao seriously again.

When he was working out, Zhou Qinghao always looked at him, and he would actually look at Zhou Qinghao as well.

After practicing for a long time, Zhou Qinghao was sweating and his face was red, which made him look particularly cute.

It was just a little too weak.

He still preferred the strong Zhou Qinghao.

He hoped Zhou Qinghao was healthy.

Thinking of this, Gu Juntian’s gaze unconsciously fell on Zhou Qinghao’s face again.

“Brother Juntian, am I good-looking?” Zhou Qinghao asked, panting.

Gu Juntian was very honest: “It is very beautiful.”

Zhou Qinghao asked: “Do you want a kiss?”

Gu Juntian said: “Don’t always think about these things…”

Before he could finish his words, Zhou Qinghao suddenly put his arms around his neck and kissed him.

Gu Juntian: “…” They’ve already kissed, so keep on kissing.

But there was really something wrong with Zhou Qinghao. As they were kissing, Zhou Qinghao’s hands began to reach into his clothes!

Zhou Qinghao looked sweet and gentle, but he acted like a pervert. He was really two-faced!

Gu Juntian stopped immediately and pulled Zhou Qinghao’s hand out of his clothes: “Continue exercising!”

If he continued like this, he would become a pervert.

Zhou Qinghao: “…”

He took back what he had said before about Gu Juntian being incapable.

When the two of them hugged each other just now, he could feel that Gu Juntian was capable of doing it.

But it was not available.

“I can’t practice anymore.” Zhou Qinghao lay down and slumped.

“You only have a little bit of training left, just hold on.” Gu Juntian encouraged him.

Zhou Qinghao said: “I need someone to give me a kiss and encourage me, so that I can persevere.”

What else could Gu Juntian do? Of course he could only kiss him!

Zhou Qinghao had enough and continued to exercise in high spirits.

He wasn’t actually in a hurry to sleep with Gu Juntian.

This was their first love, so some things still needed to be done with a sense of ceremony.

In a few days, it would be Gu Juntian’s birthday. Then, he would give Gu Juntian the gift he had prepared for a long time, and then they could do something!

Zhou Qinghao attached great importance to Gu Juntian’s birthday.

Gu Juntian, however, had already forgotten about this matter.

He was really busy. Today he took time out from his busy schedule to take advantage of Zhou Qinghao, no, to accompany Zhou Qinghao in exercising.

According to the original plot, after Cheng Mingyan gave up on the original owner, he went on a blind date and then met the man who acquired the original owner’s company.

In the original plot, the person who acquired the original owner’s company was named Chu Zhan. The Chu family also ran a jewelry company, and the scale of the company was similar to that of the Gu family.

Chu Zhan was disgusted with the original owner’s entanglement with Cheng Mingyan. He warned the original owner several times, but the original owner did not listen, so he started to take action against the Gu family and eventually bought out the Gu family.

After Gu Juntian traveled to this world, he wanted to avoid this incident. To this end, he did a lot of things and paid a lot of attention to Chu Zhan.

And just yesterday, Chu Zhan and Cheng Mingyan went on a blind date.

In the original plot, Chu Zhan particularly liked Cheng Mingyan, and this should be no exception now.

He ridiculed Cheng Mingyan, who must have hated him and would definitely complain to Chu Zhan.

Under such circumstances, Chu Zhan might take action against the Gu family for the benefit of Cheng Mingyan and the Chu family, just like in the original plot.

He was not afraid of Chu Zhan, but he still had to be fully prepared.

Gu Juntian accompanied Zhou Qinghao to finish the exercise and said to him, “Qinghao, after this exercise, your muscles will probably be sore for a few days. You should rest well for the next few days. We will do strength training next Monday.”

Next Monday? That day happened to be Gu Juntian’s birthday!

By then he would have had a good rest and could spend a wonderful night with Gu Juntian.

Zhou Qinghao thought of this and agreed with a smile.

And the next day, he felt the pain again!

He came to the company with soreness all over his body, and his colleagues asked him, “Qinghao, didn’t President Gu let you take a few more days off? You just got well, and he tortured you again?”

Young people just didn’t know how to control themselves! However, Zhou Qinghao’s condition also showed that Mr. Gu had a healthy waist.

Zhou Qinghao smiled shyly: “He calculated the time and refused to let me relax for a few more days!”

He knew his colleague had misunderstood.

It was a misunderstanding, but he would sleep with Gu Juntian sooner or later anyway!

In the blink of an eye, it was Gu Juntian’s birthday.

Zhou Qinghao had already received the tie clip he had made in advance.

During this period, whenever he went out, Gu Juntian would ask the driver to take him there and have bodyguards follow him.

This left him with no time to pick up the tie clip in person, but fortunately it could be mailed.

The craftsman had excellent craftsmanship, and the tie clip he made was exactly as he had imagined, very nice looking. However, the value of his tie clip was not as great as those that Gu Juntian already had.

After all, his family ran a jewelry company, and all the decorations that Gu Juntian used on a daily basis were very valuable.

Luckily he had other gifts!

Zhou Qinghao bought sexy pajamas online and planned to give himself to Gu Juntian as a gift.

At six o’clock in the morning, Zhou Qinghao woke up automatically.

He now went to bed at ten o’clock on time and woke up at six in the morning on time. His sleep and rest schedule was incredibly good.

The muscle soreness had completely disappeared. Zhou Qinghao went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, and looked at himself in the mirror for a while.

He didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he felt that his skin was too good now.

His current life was too good for him.

This was a day he had never dared to imagine before.

“Qinghao, are you awake?” Gu Juntian’s voice rang out outside.

Zhou Qinghao opened the door with a smile: “Already awake!”

The smile on Zhou Qinghao’s face was very bright.

Gu Juntian felt that this smiling face had directly struck his heart, making his heart beat violently.

The corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

He liked the healthy and carefree look of Zhou Qinghao.

“Let’s go running today for half an hour.” said Gu Juntian.

“Okay,” Zhou Qinghao smiled and said, “Happy birthday, Gu Juntian!”

Gu Juntian was stunned for a moment before he realized that today was his birthday: “If you hadn’t told me, I would have forgotten that today is my birthday.”

“You even forgot your own birthday?” Zhou Qinghao was a little surprised.

It was normal for older people to celebrate their lunar birthday¹ and not remember their Gregorian birthday, but these young people had to fill in their Gregorian birthday when filling out information, so it was rare for them to forget it.

Gu Juntian said: “I’ve been too busy recently.”

This was the original owner’s birthday, so he didn’t take it seriously.

Speaking of which, on this day in the original plot, the original owner was kept at home by Old man Gu, and then Cheng Mingyan held a grand birthday party for the original owner.

The original owner didn’t like noisy scenes, and Cheng Mingyan gave him a very ugly scarf and insisted that he wear it… His face looked very ugly the whole time.

Cheng Mingyan felt that the original owner was giving him a bad face, so he got angry with the original owner…

The original owner was so unhappy that when Zhou Qinghao gave him a gift the next day, he didn’t give Zhou Qinghao a good look.

Oh, and the gift!

Zhou Qinghao will give him a gift!

In the original plot, the gift Zhou Qinghao gave to the original owner was not opened on the spot, and after taking it home, the original owner didn’t know where he put it… and no one knew what Zhou Qinghao gave to the original owner!

Gu Juntian began to look forward to the gift Zhou Qinghao would give him.

Notes

1. In China, two calendric systems are being used. One is the common calendar that is used around the world, the Gregorian Calendar, and the other is the traditional Chinese calendar, also known as the Lunar Calendar . The Lunar Calendar records years, months and days according to astronomical phenomenon. More info  ↩︎