Daily Life of Being Turned Gay by the Male Lead After Transmigrating into an Apocalypse – CH118

Chapter 118: He Should Have Known

Chu Yang finished taking a head count and realized that Su Mubai was the only one who hadn’t come down yet.

He walked over to Little Yu and asked, “Little Yu, when you came downstairs, did you see Brother Little Bai? Is he still in his room, or did he already head down?”

Little Yu looked up. “Brother Little Bai is still upstairs, but… he looked a little unwell. He told me he’d be down in a minute. Should I go check on him?”

Just as he spoke, faint footsteps sounded from the stairwell.

Su Mubai stepped into view.

He carried a black backpack over one shoulder. His complexion was even paler than it had been earlier that morning, with faint dark circles under his eyes, and his lips were completely devoid of color.

“Little Bai, what’s wrong? Did you catch a cold?” Chu Yang immediately went up to him, his voice laced with concern. “I’ve got medicine in my space. Do you want me to grab some for you?”

Su Mubai shook his head, his voice slightly rough and hoarse. “I’m fine.”

His calm gaze swept over the small crowd in the clearing—from Wang Qiang and Li Yu inspecting the vehicles, to Jiang Lin whispering nearby, and finally, inevitably, resting on the striking pair nearby. Lin Weiwei was practically leaning against Lin Xiao’s side, their fingers still intertwined.

With only a single glance, Su Mubai looked away as if nothing had happened, treating them like any other companions in the group.

Yet only he knew that beneath the frozen surface he had forced over his heart, a tiny fissure had cracked open, letting a quiet, biting chill bleed through.

He should have known all along.

The kind of girl Lin Xiao liked had always been someone like Lin Weiwei.

Delicate, pretty, vulnerable enough to show weakness, and capable of stirring a man’s protective instincts.

Not someone like him—quiet, aloof, and another man.

Those unthinking acts of kindness, that easy physical intimacy… in the end, it was never anything more than brotherly affection.

He was the fool who had lost his head, nurtured delusional hopes, and landed himself in this painful mess.

Su Mubai lowered his eyes, burying the turbulent emotions deep into the darkest corners of his heart.

Looking up, his gaze shifted from Chu Yang and Jiang Jue’s large RV over to Wang Qiang’s off-road vehicle. That car was already completely packed: Wang Qiang was in the driver’s seat, Li Yu sat in front, and Jiang Lin, Wang Li, and her daughter took up the entire back row. There was simply no room left.

“Third Brother,” Su Mubai began, his tone so flat and level that no emotion could be heard. “Can I ride in your car today?”

Chu Yang paused, taken by surprise by the unexpected request.

He instinctively glanced at Jiang Jue, who was leaning against the RV’s side door, silently seeking his reaction.

Jiang Jue stood by the car frame, an unlit cigarette resting between his fingers. Hearing the question, he looked up at Su Mubai. He didn’t answer immediately, quietly studying the young man’s pale face and the quiet resolve in his eyes.

A few seconds later, Jiang Jue gave a subtle nod. “Sure.”

Chu Yang instantly broke into a grin. “Of course! Our RV has plenty of space. Sit wherever you like, Little Bai!”

Beside them, Lin Xiao’s brow furrowed tightly.

Watching Su Mubai’s pale face, the knot of unease in his chest only tightened. Seeing Su Mubai actually turn toward Chu Yang’s vehicle, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but step forward, trying to stop him. “Little Bai, you… why don’t you ride in my car like usual? There’s still plenty of room—”

“No need,” Su Mubai cut in, his voice quiet yet carrying an unmistakable chill. “The seat in your car is already spoken for.”

His eyes brushed past Lin Weiwei before quickly looking away.

Lin Xiao opened his mouth, desperate to say something, but felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he met Lin Weiwei’s eyes, which were filled with hurt and quiet dependence. The words caught in his throat, leaving his chest tight and suffocated.

“Alright, alright! It’s settled, then!” Chu Yang quickly broke in, using a bright, cheerful tone to dispel the thick awkwardness in the air. “Little Bai is riding with us! Everyone, let’s get moving! We need to make good time today. We don’t know what kind of road conditions we’ll run into ahead, so let’s cover as much ground as we can. At this pace, we should reach City N in two or three days!”

With that settled, everyone acknowledged the call and headed toward their respective vehicles.

Chu Yang climbed into the front passenger seat and clicked his seatbelt into place. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he saw that Su Mubai had already taken a seat by the small dining table in the back of the RV.

He sat with his back to the cab, his profile turned toward the window as he watched the scenery blur past outside, wrapped in a quiet, heavy loneliness.

Chu Yang opened his mouth several times, wanting to ask what was wrong or if he was feeling sick, but seeing Su Mubai’s closed-off posture, he swallowed the questions back down.

He turned toward Jiang Jue, who was starting the engine.

The vehicle eased smoothly onto the road, the low, steady hum of the engine filling the cabin.

Chu Yang held his tongue for a while, but his curiosity finally got the better of him. Leaning closer to Jiang Jue, he whispered in a voice meant only for the two of them, “Brother Jiang, why does Little Bai feel so off today? Even though he’s usually quiet, he’s never been this… distant.”

He paused, glancing back into the rearview mirror before continuing in a low murmur. “And Old Lin… the way he was acting around Lin Weiwei just now looked completely unnatural. His eyes were darting everywhere. Does that look like someone who just got together with the person he likes? Brother Jiang, do you think… does he really like her? Why does this whole thing feel so weird?”

“Yangyang,” Jiang Jue said calmly, keeping his eyes fixed on the open road.

“Yeah?” Chu Yang blinked, waiting for him to continue.

Jiang Jue’s profile appeared sharp and steady in the sunlight streaming through the windshield. Without taking his eyes off the road, he said indifferently, “Only the person in the water knows how warm or cold it truly is. No matter how clearly outsiders see things, they cannot make choices for them. They have to walk their own path, step by step. Right or wrong, it’s a lesson they must learn on their own.”

His tone was quiet and even, yet it carried an unmistakable finality.

“…Oh.” Chu Yang pursed his lips, obediently dropping the subject, though his eyes still drifted toward the rearview mirror.

Jiang Jue kept his hands steady on the steering wheel, his fingers tapping lightly against the leather.

The small convoy rolled along the cracked, bumpy highway, kicking up clouds of dust behind them.

The midday sun beat down relentlessly on the asphalt, making the distant horizon ripple and distort in the rising heat waves.

Suddenly, Wang Qiang’s lead vehicle slowed down without warning, coming to a complete stop by the shoulder.

Behind him, Jiang Jue and Lin Xiao tapped their brakes, bringing their cars to a halt in sequence.

“What’s going on?” Chu Yang rolled down his window, leaning out to call toward the front.

Wang Qiang had already hopped out of the driver’s seat, jogging quickly toward the side of the road to inspect something.

Li Yu and Jiang Lin climbed out right behind him.

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