Chapter 112: Settling Down
Silence returned to the villa, leaving behind only the unavoidable metallic stench of blood and the broken debris of the aftermath.
“Pack up quickly. It’s time for us to leave,” Jiang Jue’s steady voice broke the quiet.
Everyone washed the bloodstains from their skin, grabbed their essential gear, and walked out into the open air.
Wang Qiang headed toward where they had parked, but his brow instantly furrowed. “Brother Jiang, the survivor vehicle that was trailing behind us… it’s gone.”
Wang Li, who had been keeping watch outside while holding Niu Niu, walked over. A complicated look flickered across her face as she explained, “Li Wang and the others… pretty much all those survivors decided to follow the military back to City A once the soldiers arrived.”
She remembered how Li Wang and the others had tried to convince her to join them before leaving, insisting that the City A base was much larger and far safer. But after thinking it through, she had refused. She was no fool. Traveling with this group, she had seen firsthand that although Jiang Jue’s team was small, they were exceptionally powerful, organized, and—most importantly—still held onto a moral baseline whenever they could.
By contrast, who could really predict what awaited them inside the unknown, crowded City A base?
Hearing this, Jiang Jue merely let out a quiet “Mm” and said nothing more. He had never cared about the comings and goings of casual followers; in this apocalypse, everyone had to take responsibility for their own choices.
Chu Yang and the others didn’t comment either, quietly continuing to load their gear into the vehicles. Everyone had their own path in life, and there was no point in forcing it.
The three vehicles roared to life once more, heading down the open road toward City N.
By late afternoon, the setting sun had painted the horizon in a hazy golden glow. The small convoy rolled into an abandoned town, finally pulling to a stop in front of a hotel that appeared relatively intact.
“We’ll rest here tonight,” Jiang Jue said as he stepped out, his sharp gaze sweeping across the quiet streets and nearby buildings.
Everyone nodded in agreement. A solid hotel was the ideal shelter; having separate rooms with lockable doors provided privacy and security, allowing them to get some proper rest.
They stepped cautiously into the lobby. It was dim and messy inside, but fortunately, there was no sign of zombie activity.
Just as they prepared to head upstairs, faint noises echoed from above—the soft crunch of footsteps paired with hushed voices.
Jiang Jue instantly raised a hand, signaling everyone to stay silent and on guard, his eyes locking onto the stairwell.
A moment later, a few familiar figures emerged from the corner of the stairs—Lin Xiaoyu, Lin Weiwei, and three or four other members of their group.
Meeting in the dim stairwell, both sides paused in surprise.
“It’s you?” Lin Xiaoyu was the first to recognize Jiang Jue’s group, genuine shock showing on her face.
Beside her, Lin Weiwei’s eyes widened as her gaze locked straight onto Lin Xiao.
“What a coincidence,” Chu Yang said with a nod, offering a casual greeting.
“We only got here a little while ago. We cleared out a few clean rooms on the second floor and plan to spend the night,” Lin Xiaoyu explained with a faint smile, glancing at their backpacks. “Are you staying here as well?”
Chu Yang answered easily, “Yeah, we just arrived. Since you guys have the second floor, we’ll take the third. Looks like this hotel has plenty of space.”
“Sure, no problem,” Lin Xiaoyu said, stepping aside to clear the stairs.
Jiang Jue’s group headed up to the third floor, each picking a relatively clean room with a decent view of the street outside.
Chu Yang pushed open a bedroom door, and a wave of stifling heat hit him square in the face. Even though the sun had gone down, the midsummer heat lingered heavily, making the enclosed room feel like a steamer.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he couldn’t help but grumble, “This crazy weather… it’s still baking even at night.”
Jiang Jue stepped in behind him, glancing at the aged but intact wall-mounted air conditioner in the corner. “Yangyang, bring out the small generator.”
Chu Yang blinked, then grinned as the idea clicked. “Right! How did I forget about that?”
Focusing his mind, he pulled the portable fuel generator from his spatial dimension.
Jiang Jue took it and set it up in a well-ventilated corner by the window, connecting the wiring before plugging the air conditioner into the generator’s power strip. Flicking the switch, the generator hummed to life with a low, steady rumble. Moments later, the air conditioner’s indicator light flicked on, the vents slowly swung open, and a refreshing stream of cool air began to flow into the room.
“Brother Jiang is the smartest!” Chu Yang sighed in absolute relief as the cool breeze washed over him. “And here I was just sweating for nothing like an idiot.”
Watching his childlike reaction, the corner of Jiang Jue’s mouth curved upward almost imperceptibly. Without a word, he reached out and affectionately ruffled Chu Yang’s damp hair. “You’re drenched in sweat. Go get washed up.”
“Right, right, this shirt is sticking to me,” Chu Yang agreed. Feeling the uncomfortable cling of his damp clothes, he headed for the bathroom. “I’ll go take a shower first, Brother Jiang.”
The attached bathroom was compact, equipped only with a basic showerhead and no tub.
Chu Yang didn’t mind. He pulled the large bathtub he usually shared with Jiang Jue out of his spatial storage, filled it with warm water, quickly washed up, and changed into a pair of fresh, comfortable pajamas.
By the time he stepped out while toweling his damp hair dry, the bedroom was pleasantly cool and crisp.
Throwing himself onto the large bed, he let out a contented groan. “Ah… that feels amazing! This is the life!” He rolled over onto his side, looking at Jiang Jue, who had just finished checking the window locks. “Brother Jiang, I already prepared the bathwater for you. Go ahead and wash up.”
Watching him sprawl across the bed, a soft glint of amusement flashed in Jiang Jue’s eyes. He gave a quiet “Mm” and stepped into the bathroom.
Sure enough, the tub was filled with clean water at the perfect temperature. Stripping off his clothes, which were covered in dust and the faint scent of blood, he sank into the warmth. The tight tension he had carried all day finally began to ease.
Knock, knock, knock.
A light, rhythmic tapping sounded at the bedroom door, accompanied by Little Yu’s clear, hushed voice. “Brother Jiang, Brother Chu, dinner is ready! Sister Li Yu told me to call you down to the first-floor dining room!”
Chu Yang sat straight up. “Coming, coming!” Slipping on his sandals, he walked over and pulled the door open, flashing a bright grin at the boy. “Thanks, Little Yu. We’ll be right down.”
Hearing the knock, Jiang Jue quickly finished rinsing off, dried himself, and pulled on a set of clean clothes.
After tidying up, the two walked down the stairs together toward the first-floor dining area.
The dining room was fairly spacious. A few long tables had been pushed together and covered with a relatively clean tablecloth. Wang Qiang and Li Yu were busy setting out bowls and chopsticks, while Wang Li stood in the corner stirring a savory minced meat sauce over a portable camping stove.
A mouthwatering aroma, rich with seasoned sauce and a hint of rice vinegar, drifted through the dining hall.
“Boss, you’re here! Perfect timing for dinner!” Wang Qiang wiped his hands on a towel and greeted them with a wide grin.
Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse
