Chapter 326
Seeing his parents and younger sister, Tang Yu’an finally remembered that he had just called them over through the message board to come see the furniture sprite.
Faced with his father’s sharp glare, Tang Yu’an instinctively let go of Zhou Qi’s arm, shifting his gaze away with a vague sense of guilt.
“Dad… Mom…”
Tang Sheng stared at him, while Tang Xueyun’s eyes scanned over the two boys. Only Tang Yuxin…
She looked at her two big brothers, then up at their parents. She didn’t really understand what was going on, but she had a feeling that her brother was about to get scolded.
She quickly said, “Brother, where’s the sprite? I want to see the sprite!”
“Oh! Oh! The sprite’s in the warehouse. I’ll take you.”
Tang Yu’an hurried over to take his little sister’s hand and led her toward the warehouse. He tried to pull Zhou Qi along too, but unfortunately, the general store was too small, and now that they were both tall and broad, there was simply no room for the three of them to squeeze through together.
Still in a daze, Zhou Qi finally snapped out of it.
He sighed and gently patted Tang Yu’an’s hand in reassurance, gesturing for him to go ahead and take his sister to see the sprite.
What must come, will come. No day like today.
If a storm was coming, then let him face it first.
Tang Sheng noticed their little gestures, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. What used to seem like ordinary behavior now struck him with an indescribable force.
“You two—”
Tang Sheng had just opened his mouth when Tang Xueyun stopped him.
“You two talk. I’ll go look at the sprite too.”
With calm composure, Tang Xueyun brushed past Zhou Qi and urged the siblings to head to the warehouse.
Tang Yu’an opened his mouth, about to say something, but shut it quickly under a sharp look from his mom. Obediently, he led them to the warehouse.
As they left, Zhou Qi withdrew his gaze and looked back at Tang Sheng.
“Uncle Tang…”
Tang Sheng took a deep breath and beckoned him. “Let’s talk outside.”
He suddenly felt like the general store was too cramped—it was suffocating. He needed to go out and get some air.
Zhou Qi quietly followed him out.
When they reached the RV, Zhou Qi thought for a moment and said, “How about we go to the grassland?”
If they needed air, the grassland was fresher. The vast sky and open plains might also help with the difficult conversation ahead.
“You two even opened a branch on the grassland?” This was the first time Tang Sheng had heard about it.
“Mm, we built a ranch there.”
“Then take me to see it.”
So they activated the teleportation array and arrived at the grassland ranch.
It was afternoon. The sky hung low over the steppe, and the usually fierce winds had softened. Clouds drifted lazily across the vast blue sky.
Tang Sheng couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
Not to mention post-apocalypse—even before the end of the world, he had never seen such a wide, boundless plain.
He unconsciously walked away from the lakeside cabin, strolling with Zhou Qi across the pasture. Looking at the lush grasses and thriving livestock, what came to his mind wasn’t the beauty—but the hardships and danger behind it all.
Especially when he saw on the map how far this place was from Wasteland City—it hit home even more.
“How did you two even get here?” Tang Sheng asked.
Seeing his expression, Zhou Qi hesitated briefly, but chose not to hide anything. He explained everything: how they met Mo Ke, how they crossed the grasslands to Lanhu Town, how they built the branch store here, transformed the lake, and started the ranch.
Tang Sheng listened carefully, and in the end, couldn’t help nodding.
“You really did take good care of An’an. He’s only alive in this world and achieved what he has… because you were there.”
Zhou Qi shook his head.
“Uncle Tang,” he said seriously, “without An’an, I wouldn’t have survived either.”
A hint of conflict and pain crossed Tang Sheng’s face.
“You’re both boys…” he tried to correct him. “You’re still so young—what you think is love is just the emotional dependence from surviving together…”
Zhou Qi didn’t rush to refute him.
He looked at Tang Sheng and said, “It’s true. When I first realized how I felt, I questioned it too. But—”
Just as Tang Sheng started to breathe a little easier, he heard Zhou Qi continue:
“Uncle Tang, I’m about to turn 21.”
Tang Sheng froze.
He looked at Zhou Qi—the boy he had watched grow from a baby—now fully grown.
Zhou Qi was half a head taller than him. The handsome face had long shed its youthfulness, and when he grew serious, even Tang Sheng could feel a pressure from him.
He had no choice but to admit—Zhou Qi was no longer the child who needed protection.
He had grown into a man. But…
Tang Sheng wiped his face hard and continued trying to persuade him. “You two really aren’t suitable!”
One was his biological son, the other he had raised like a son—how could they be together?
Did they hear themselves just now?
Once An’an turned eighteen, Xiao Qi could kiss him?
What? What kind of talk was that?
Tang Sheng felt like his worldview had shattered—his soul had left his body.
Was he supposed to feel relieved that the boys had at least shown restraint and waited for adulthood?
Relieved, his ass!
“When did this start?” Tang Sheng asked, barely holding back his heartache.
His feelings for An’an had changed a long time ago. But as for when the two of them actually started…
“A little over a year ago—almost two years. It was when I returned here from the original world,” Zhou Qi said.
To Tang Sheng, that was just over a month ago…
Tang Sheng sighed again.
If the apocalypse hadn’t happened, those two kids would have grown up normally—one in high school, the other in junior high. They’d barely see each other for more than an hour or two a day.
By the time Zhou Qi got into college, he would’ve had to leave town for school. They wouldn’t have had the time to develop feelings like this at all…
It’s all this damn apocalypse’s fault!
Tang Sheng tried hard to stay calm. If there had been no end-of-the-world, no life-and-death experiences, if he hadn’t almost lost them…
If they had just come home from school one day and suddenly said this to him, there was no way he would have stayed calm. What would’ve greeted those two brats was a good old-fashioned beating with a rattan stick.
But now, standing here looking at the grassland ranch, remembering everything these two kids—and their whole family—had been through…
Tang Sheng couldn’t bring himself to do it.
The only reason his son was back by their side was because Zhou Qi risked his life and sent a message across the stars in a drifting bottle to find them again.
They were able to drive back the mutated monsters, establish a real safe haven, and even begin reclaiming lost land—all thanks to these two boys.
An’an and Xiao Qi were true heroes.
Tang Sheng was proud of them. So naturally, he couldn’t bring himself to strike Zhou Qi or even speak harshly to him.
After a long silence, he finally asked again, “If I opposed your relationship, would you give it up?”
Zhou Qi shook his head. “I’d try to earn your approval first—and then be with An’an.”
Tang Sheng looked at him, feeling like he was about to mentally shut down.
He knew Zhou Qi’s personality too well. Not only was he smart, but deep down he was also stubborn and determined—whatever he decided to do, he’d see it through to the end, and do it well.
If An’an were his daughter, he’d be thrilled to have Zhou Qi as a son-in-law. But the problem was—
They were both boys!
How could they be together?!
In Tang Sheng’s worldview, his entire life experience—this kind of relationship just had no reference point.
He opened his mouth, then closed it. After repeating that a few times, he finally said, “Just… just give me a moment to calm down…”
Zhou Qi nodded, saying nothing more.
In truth, Uncle Tang’s reaction was far gentler than he had expected.
After thinking for a moment, he took out a batch of wheat beer brewed in another dimension. “Would you like a drink? It’s freshly made.”
Not only was this batch brewed in a parallel plane, even the ingredients were grown there. According to Teacher Gu, this beer contained spiritual energy and could improve health.
Tang Sheng didn’t know any of that—but right now, he did want a drink.
“Pour me a glass!”
*
Meanwhile, back at the Peace Grocery Store…
Tang Yuxin was completely captivated by the little sprite Bobo, refusing to leave the warehouse. Tang Yu’an and his mother, however, had returned to the dining table.
Tang Yu’an had calmed down by now. Facing Tang Xueyun’s scrutiny, he met her gaze openly.
“Mom, do you want some sweet soup? There’s still some in the fridge.”
Tang Xueyun let out a breath of exasperated laughter. “Is that really all you have to say?”
“Uh… didn’t you and Dad already hear it just now?” He looked a little shy as he spoke.
After all, the conversation between him and Zhou Qi had been pretty private.
But Tang Yu’an concealed it well. He’d been through way more embarrassing situations before—he was used to this.
“So you don’t think you did anything wrong?”
Tang Yu’an looked at his mom and answered confidently, “I like Brother Qi, and Brother Qi likes me. Us being together is perfectly reasonable. What’s wrong with that?”
“Early romance is wrong,” Tang Xueyun replied. “How far have you two gone?”
“Uh… just holding hands, hugging sometimes, and… I’ve stolen a few kisses from Brother Qi…”
His voice grew softer as he spoke, and his cheeks turned red.
Then he defended Zhou Qi again, “Brother Qi keeps saying we should wait until I’m of age. He wants me to think it through properly. You heard him just now—he still won’t kiss me!”
At that, the teen looked a bit grumpy.
Tang Xueyun felt a headache coming on.
“So you were the one making the moves?”
“Yep.”
Tang Xueyun’s hand, resting on the table, gradually clenched. Finally, with a crack, the old table—which had already been upgraded once—split down the middle.
Even though she had tried to restrain herself, Tang Yu’an’s eyes widened, and he gulped.
“Mom, I was wrong.” He sat upright and lowered his head obediently.
“What were you wrong about?”
“I shouldn’t have stolen kisses from Brother Qi. I shouldn’t have started dating early. I should wait until I’m an adult and get your and Dad’s approval before being with him…”
Just a minute ago, he had been so self-assured. Now he kneeled so fast it left even the system speechless.
“What if your dad and I don’t approve?” Tang Xueyun asked.
Tang Yu’an instinctively looked up but lowered his head again the moment he met her gaze.
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“You’re both boys! Boys are supposed to be with girls. Why do you think we wouldn’t approve?”
“But I like Brother Qi. I want to be with him. I don’t want anyone else!”
“What do you like about him?”
“Oh, so many things!” Tang Yu’an said enthusiastically. “Brother Qi is super smart—he’s helped me get out of so many dangerous situations. His thinking is just brilliant! I keep wondering how someone can even be that clever!”
He started listing all of Zhou Qi’s “god-tier” moments—like how “silence can be a kind of statement,” or how he used the system to detect lies…
The system eavesdropping: Huh? I can do that?
Even Tang Xueyun couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Brother Qi’s taught me so much. I used to hate studying and school, but he told me learning can train my thinking, help me understand the world better…”
“He’s super brave and incredibly persistent. When I’m studying in the cabin, he’s out there fighting giant insects and beasts. Even when he’s covered in wounds, he never complains…”
“He’s also really good at cooking… and really good-looking…”
“Even when he doesn’t talk much, he listens to everything I say seriously. He always gives me a response. Even when he’s quiet, he looks amazing…”
Tang Xueyun had only asked one question—and Tang Yu’an went on and on.
Looking at the bright sparkle in the boy’s eyes, full of admiration, longing, and love, Tang Xueyun knew—
It was over. There was no turning this child back.
And right then, she noticed something else: on the grocery store’s map, two new glowing dots had appeared—Tang Sheng and Zhou Qi.
So… how long had they been standing at the door listening?
