Chapter 85: Heat
Three or four days passed.
Time slipped away quietly amidst the bumpy journey and the occasional minor zombie skirmishes that needed to be dealt with.
The shift in the weather was just as drastic and extreme as the novels had predicted. A few days ago, people were shivering so violently their teeth chattered, feeling the bitter chill even while wrapped in heavy padded jackets. Yet, in just a few short days, the temperature had skyrocketed like a rocket.
The scorching sun baked the earth. The air was thick with a heavy, burnt scent, and even the passing breeze carried a scalding heat. The snow along the roadside had long since melted without a trace, and the exposed asphalt was baked soft enough to peel a layer off the soles of their shoes. Sunlight spilled across the road, reflecting a blinding white glare that made it hard for people to even keep their eyes open.
The survivors, who had been bundled in thick cotton clothes just days earlier, had stripped down to short sleeves, yet they were still sweating profusely. The air felt like a pool of sticky glue clinging to their skin, so stifling it was genuinely hard to breathe.
The RV’s air conditioner was humming steadily, but the air it pushed out was only slightly cool, barely enough to provide a sliver of relief. Once they stopped to rest and turned off the engine, the temperature inside the cabin would climb at a terrifying speed, turning the vehicle into a suffocating steamer within minutes.
It was currently midday, the time when the sun was at its most vicious.
The convoy had pulled over under the shadow of an overpass to take a temporary break.
Chu Yang lay sprawled on the small bed in the back of the RV. Even though he was only wearing a set of thermal-regulating clothes, beads of sweat continued to roll down his forehead and cheeks.
He sighed in frustration. Weren’t these thermal clothes supposed to be amazing at regulating temperature? Why were they only good for keeping warm, but completely useless for cooling down?
This wouldn’t do; it was far too uncomfortable.
He propped himself up into a sitting position, rummaged through his spatial storage for a moment, and took out two basins of ice he had prepared in advance, placing them on the floor. After letting the ambient air cool down slightly, he pulled out a pair of light, quick-drying shorts and a loose T-shirt.
He quickly stripped off the thermal clothes that were plastered to his body with sweat and tossed them aside. The moment the cool air brushed against his bare skin, Chu Yang let out a comfortable sigh.
Just as he bent over, ready to pick up his shorts and step into them, the door behind him was gently pushed open.
Jiang Jue had just finished inspecting the condition of the convoy’s vehicles and patrolling the perimeter of the overpass to ensure there were no zombies. He pushed open the RV door, originally intending to step inside and grab a bottle of water. But the moment he looked up, his footsteps came to a dead halt.
His gaze landed squarely on Chu Yang’s exposed back.
The young man was bending over slightly. His waist was narrow and firm, following the elegant curve of his spine downward to outline a soft, smooth arc. His long, straight legs were completely exposed to the air, his skin so dazzlingly fair it resembled flawless white jade. Beads of sweat slid slowly down the groove of his spine, disappearing past the edge of his dark underwear and leaving a glistening, damp trail in their wake.
The sweltering heatwave from outside seemed to surge directly into the cabin at that moment. Jiang Jue’s Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably, and his throat went entirely dry.
His gaze jerked away as if he had been burned, yet it uncontrollably snapped back, locking onto that narrow waistline. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs, beating so fast it felt like it might burst from his chest.
Hearing the movement, Chu Yang subconsciously straightened up and turned around.
Seeing that it was Jiang Jue standing in the doorway, he let out a relaxed breath, a bright smile breaking across his face. As he casually pulled on his shorts, he asked, “Brother Jiang? You’re back. It’s way too hot today, these thermal clothes have no effect at all. Do you want to change into something cooler too?”
As he spoke, his eyes fell on the short-sleeved shirt resting on the bed that he hadn’t put on yet. He pondered for a second. It was just him and Jiang Jue in the RV anyway, with no outsiders around, so he might as well stay shirtless for a while. Being cool was better than nothing.
He bent down and rummaged through a storage compartment, pulling out a large-sized set of quick-drying clothes. He had specifically kept these aside for Jiang Jue, knowing the size would be a perfect fit.
Carrying the clothes, he walked toward Jiang Jue with light steps. “Brother Jiang, here you go. This set will definitely fit you. The material breathes well, so it won’t stick to your body when you sweat…”
Before he could even finish his sentence, he had closed the distance between them.
With the gap suddenly gone, Jiang Jue’s gaze had nowhere left to hide. He could clearly see the faint, healthy pink flush blooming across Chu Yang’s chest from his recent movements. Against his fair skin, it was exceptionally striking, rising and falling gently with his breathing. Fine beads of sweat clung to the hollow of his collarbone, trailing down the firm, toned lines of his chest and abdomen.
Jiang Jue felt a violent surge of heat rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head. A certain urge that had long been kept in check by his strict self-discipline and calm demeanor was suddenly showing distinct signs of awakening.
His pupils contracted sharply, a flash of caught-off-guard panic darting through the depths of his dark eyes.
Almost purely on reflex, he jerked a half-step backward, his back bumping against the doorframe with a soft thud.
When he spoke, his voice was much deeper than usual, laced with an imperceptible hoarseness and tension. Even he didn’t realize how frantic he sounded. “Just… leave it there for now. I… I’m going to take a shower.”
Without daring to steal another glance at Chu Yang, he spun around as if fleeing in defeat. He ducked into the small bathroom behind him and shut the door with a rather forceful bang.
“Huh? Brother Jiang?” Chu Yang stood frozen, his hand still holding the clothes out in mid-air. Watching Jiang Jue’s hasty retreat and staring at the tightly shut bathroom door, his face was a picture of absolute confusion.
What’s wrong with him?
Why was Brother Jiang acting so strangely today? Didn’t he just take a shower before they hit the road this morning?
In this sweltering heat, water was an incredibly precious resource. If it weren’t for Li Yu—their Water Ability user who could consistently condense purified water for them—they would never dare to be so extravagant.
Chu Yang scratched his head, unable to make sense of it no matter how hard he tried.
He looked down at his bare upper body, then recalled Jiang Jue’s stiff expression and flustered escape. An absurd thought suddenly popped into his mind: Could it be… he thinks it’s indecent for me to walk around without a shirt?
But I’m a guy too!
Even though Brother Jiang was usually a bit stoic and old-fashioned, he couldn’t possibly be that much of a prude, could he?
Chu Yang shook his head, tossing the ridiculous thought to the back of his mind. It was probably just the suffocating weather. The heat was likely making even the usually composed Brother Jiang feel irritable, prompting him to take a cold shower to cool off.
With a shrug, Chu Yang tossed the fresh clothes onto a nearby chair. Turning around, he picked up a cup from the table and gulped down a few mouthfuls of ice water.
The frigid liquid slid down his throat, slightly quelling the stifling heat. He lay back down on the bed, letting the weak breeze from the AC vent wash over him, and temporarily cast Jiang Jue’s odd behavior out of his thoughts.
Meanwhile, in the cramped bathroom, the rush of the showerhead drowned out all other sounds.
Freezing water cascaded over his burning skin, but it did absolutely nothing to extinguish the fire that had just been ignited in Jiang Jue’s heart.
He tilted his head back, letting the icy spray beat against his face, and squeezed his eyes shut. Yet, his mind was entirely out of his control. It kept flashing back to the scene he had just witnessed on a continuous, tormenting loop—that narrow waistline, that expanse of flawless white skin, that striking pink…
