Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse – CH113

Chapter 113: Drinking

The main dish for dinner was cold minced meat noodles.

The boiled rice noodles had been rinsed in cool water; when scooped into large ceramic bowls, each translucent strand glistened, looking fresh and appetizing. Topped with a generous ladle of savory, glossy meat sauce, the rich aroma of seasoned pork instantly filled the room. A sprinkle of chopped pickled vegetables added a tangy, crunchy bite to every mouthful.

Beside the noodles sat a few side dishes: a bowl of sweet, golden canned corn kernels and a plate of crispy, deep-fried peanuts.

“Everyone worked hard today. Sit down and eat while it’s nice and cool,” Wang Li called out gently as she finished tossing a smaller, lightly seasoned bowl of noodles for Niu Niu.

The group gathered around the long table. The lighting was dim, yet it softly illuminated each weary, relaxed face.

At first, the only sounds were the quiet clinking of chopsticks and satisfied chewing, occasionally punctuated by someone murmuring praise: “Sister Li’s cooking really is amazing.”

Chu Yang ate quickly, shoveling the noodles into his mouth. The cold, smooth strands slid easily down his throat, washing away the lingering heat from a long day on the road.

Lin Xiao, however, had no appetite at all. He mindlessly stirred his bowl with his chopsticks, smearing the meat sauce across the ceramic rim. His gaze drifted aimlessly—one second staring into the pitch-black night outside the window, the next dropping back down to the tabletop. His brow remained knit in a deep, brooding frown.

Finally, his eyes landed on Su Mubai beside him.

Su Mubai ate quietly, his movements calm and unhurried. Noticing a tiny dab of sauce at the corner of his mouth, he lightly brushed his fair fingertips across his soft lips to wipe it away.

Lin Xiao’s gaze locked onto those pale fingers for two long seconds. His heart skipped a frantic beat, and he jerked his eyes away, his Adam’s apple bobbing hard as he swallowed back the words caught in his throat.

Turning his head across the cluttered table, he looked straight at Chu Yang. His voice came out deeper than usual, rough and strained. “Third, grab a couple of bottles of liquor from your space, will you? Tonight… I want a drink.”

The table fell quiet.

Chu Yang paused mid-bite, glancing up at Lin Xiao before shooting a quick look toward Jiang Jue at the head of the table. Old Lin had been acting strange all day, wearing a tense, restless expression that made him seem completely on edge.

Chu Yang weighed the risks in his head: the zombies in the area had been cleared out earlier, the hotel entrance was heavily reinforced, and the night watch was already set. A few drinks wouldn’t hurt. Besides, he was craving a drink himself; opportunities like this were practically nonexistent in the apocalypse.

“Sure,” Chu Yang agreed with a nod. With a brief wave of his hand, several bottles of strong liquor and glass tumblers materialized on the table. “Drinking alone is no fun, though. Mind if I join you?”

Hearing that, Lin Xiao subconsciously glanced across the table at Jiang Jue.

Jiang Jue was methodically picking up corn kernels with his chopsticks, not even bothering to look up, his expression neutral without a trace of disapproval. Lin Xiao let out a quiet breath of relief and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s drink.”

“Count me in too!” Wang Qiang set his chopsticks down with a loud slap against his thigh. “It’s been so long since I had a decent drink, my mouth feels totally tasteless!”

Chu Yang turned back to Jiang Jue, his tone asking for permission. “Brother Jiang, what about you? Have a little with us. Just a sip won’t hurt.”

Jiang Jue looked at Chu Yang, catching the faint glint of hope in his bright eyes. He finally nodded. “Alright. But don’t get drunk.”

“Don’t worry, just a little buzz, definitely not drunk!” Chu Yang promised with a wide grin.

He popped the caps off the bottles, pouring the clear, potent liquor into the glasses. A heavy, rich aroma of alcohol instantly filled the room.

Lifting his glass first, Chu Yang said, “Come on, brothers, here’s to the first round. I won’t give a long speech—I just hope that in this damned apocalypse, things keep getting better for us. At least tonight, we have a solid roof over our heads, good food on the table, and liquor in our cups!”

“Well said!” Wang Qiang bellowed, raising his glass high.

Lin Xiao didn’t say a word. He silently raised his glass and downed the fiery liquid in a single gulp. The searing burn tore down his throat straight into his stomach, momentarily dulling the restless irritation trapped in his chest.

Jiang Jue took a measured sip as promised, then quietly set his glass back down.

The alcohol quickly worked its magic, and the quiet dining room grew lively.

At first, they traded stories about the day’s skirmishes—who had cleared out zombies the fastest, and who had nearly caught a scratch.

Gradually, the conversation drifted back to the world before the fall. Wang Qiang reminisced about the late-night barbecue stalls down his street; Chu Yang smacked his lips, longing for an ice-cold can of soda; and Lin Xiao unexpectedly chimed in, admitting that while he used to find his mother’s nagging annoying, he would give anything to hear it again now.

Eventually, they talked about the future, their words laced with uncertainty, yet carrying a quiet hope of reaching a truly safe sanctuary.

Flushed with warmth, everyone grew talkative, the rigid tension they carried daily finally melting away.

Lin Xiao and Wang Qiang began challenging Chu Yang to drinking contests, shouting, “If we’re real brothers, you’re draining that glass!”

The color in Chu Yang’s cheeks deepened, but his eyes were bright with laughter as he met every challenge head-on.

Su Mubai had initially just listened in silence, but swept up by the cheerful mood, he ended up finishing a few glasses himself. A soft blush dusted his pale cheeks, and a gentle smile curved his lips whenever a funny joke made the rounds.

Throughout it all, Jiang Jue remained the most sober. He mostly listened in silence, his eyes drifting affectionately toward Chu Yang beside him.

After three rounds, the night had grown very late.

Lin Xiao was thoroughly wasted; his head bobbed loosely, his speech was completely slurred, and his gaze was unfocused. Yet his hand stayed glued to his glass, stubbornly demanding another round, completely unaware that he had spilled half of it down his shirt.

Wang Qiang was in no better shape, his face bright red and his eyelids drooping as he raised an empty cup. “Drink! Keep going! Tonight… tonight we don’t quit until we’re on the floor!”

Glancing at the deep darkness outside the window, Jiang Jue stood up. “That’s enough. We have a long drive tomorrow.”

He stepped over to Chu Yang.

Chu Yang was half-asleep and tipsy, his reactions slow as he looked up with heavy, hazy eyes.

Without a word, Jiang Jue bent down, slid one arm behind Chu Yang’s shoulders and the other beneath his knees, and lifted him up in a steady bridal carry.

“Yangyang, time for bed,” Jiang Jue murmured softly against his ear.

Chu Yang let out a soft, sleepy hum. The alcohol had turned his limbs completely limp. Instinctively searching for comfort, he leaned his burning cheek against Jiang Jue’s warm, solid neck, letting the other man carry him up the stairs.

Behind them, Lin Xiao called out with a thick, heavy tongue, “Don’t… don’t go yet, Boss… It’s early… Third… get back here and drink with me…”

Su Mubai glanced across the room. Li Yu was struggling to haul up Wang Qiang, who had practically passed out on his feet, his limp body slipping like dead weight. Wang Qiang continued to mumble drunken nonsense, completely dead to the world.

Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse