Chapter 76
Here it came again.
To be honest, Jiang Qingyu did not like hearing Fu Jingqiu constantly say thank you to him.
When they had first met, it had not mattered, but now it did.
He leaned back a little and deliberately pulled a stern face as he stared at Fu Jingqiu. They had been together for so long that they had long since developed tacit understanding. The moment Fu Jingqiu saw his puffed-cheek, obviously unhappy expression, he immediately smiled and rubbed his face with his rough palm. “I said the wrong thing.”
Jiang Qingyu was pretending to be angry on the surface, but in reality, he did not even slap Fu Jingqiu’s hand away. With that face that had just been kissed, his eyes damp and his lips slightly red, he glared at him while not forgetting to order him around. “Drink it. You only told me to try it, then sat there sulking without saying anything and made me guess.”
If Jiang Qingyu had not been smart, this man probably would have planned to act as if nothing had happened, then after they left Baihaba, calmly let the matter pass, as if he had never encountered the relatives who had once abandoned him.
Putting aside the fact that he had hidden it from Jiang Qingyu, there was actually nothing wrong with doing this. At least he had not let pity, reluctance, or other emotions influence his behavior and judgment, making him do things like helping them, giving them money, or simply finding some way to move his mother somewhere more comfortable.
If he had really done that, Jiang Qingyu would not only have spat three liters of blood, he probably would also have had to think about whether he wanted to maintain his current relationship with Fu Jingqiu.
Jiang Qingyu understood best what consequences softheartedness could bring. In any case, it was always good people who suffered.
Whoever wanted to be a good person could go be one.
Fu Jingqiu apologized with a good attitude. “Actually, I don’t want to mention them. After all, we have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
Jiang Qingyu’s eyes were round and clear, his pupils bright. Although he was glaring at Fu Jingqiu, there was not much lethality to it. Instead, it made the smile on Fu Jingqiu’s face deepen as he watched Jiang Qingyu’s lips open and close. “Even then, you have to tell me!”
Fu Jingqiu smiled and said, “So domineering.”
Jiang Qingyu made a show of waving his fist at him. “I am. So what?”
His fist was not even half the size of Fu Jingqiu’s.
Fu Jingqiu’s palm completely wrapped around his fist. “It’s my fault. From now on, no matter what happens, I’ll tell you.”
Jiang Qingyu was slightly more satisfied. “That’s more like it.”
But the matter was not over on his side. She might barely have raised Fu Jingqiu, but she had done nothing for him. What was wrong with figuring things out and asking around clearly?
So he did not choose to leave Baihaba immediately. He parked the RV nearby, cooked and ate as usual, and pretended as though nothing had happened. He lay on the sofa petting the cat and playing with Tangyuan. Then he took the lead and searched for muscular men doing striptease dances on a video app, watched a few, liked and unliked them, and repeated the process several times. When Fu Jingqiu finished his work and came over to hold him, Jiang Qingyu opened the app again, and it was now full of videos of shirtless men dancing.
Honestly, these guys were actually pretty good at making content. The lighting, music, and sets were all extremely meticulous and quite decent. Jiang Qingyu really did find a few that matched his aesthetic, and he could not resist watching them two more times.
Fu Jingqiu was sitting beside him. Jiang Qingyu did not deliberately avoid him, so the content on the screen was naturally perfectly clear.
A few minutes later, Fu Jingqiu silently got up and went to the gym.
Jiang Qingyu very cautiously observed outside the gym door for several minutes. Seeing that the other man was not acting on a sudden impulse, but was seriously and orderly going through set after set of the exercises he had once demonstrated for him, Jiang Qingyu immediately and decisively put on his clothes, left the RV, and ran wildly toward that coffee shop.
Thank heavens, the coffee shop was still open at this hour. There were even two young people sitting inside drinking coffee and chatting, laptops placed in front of them as they worked on who-knew-what.
The owner clearly still remembered him when she saw him come in, smiling as she greeted him. “You’re here. Was the one you bought during the day good?”
Jiang Qingyu looked around and did not see Fu Jingqiu’s mother. Only then did his heart settle slightly. He smiled and answered, “Yes, it was good, so I came to buy more to go. I want to try other flavors.”
The owner said, “Young man, don’t drink so much coffee in one day! It’s bad for your health. You won’t be able to sleep later.”
Jiang Qingyu accepted the advice readily. “I’m bringing some for friends. I’ll just taste a sip.”
“All right, all right,” the owner said. “Then look at the board and see what you want. I happen to have two orders here, so wait a bit.”
Jiang Qingyu smiled. “No rush, no rush.” He leaned in front of the small bar counter and pretended to seriously look at the drinks on the menu, casually saying, “Business is pretty good here. When I came to buy coffee this afternoon, I saw an auntie, didn’t I? She’s not someone from your shop?”
“No way.” The owner rather liked having someone chat with her. To be honest, under the current circumstances, plenty of people were going stir-crazy at home. Having a customer willing to chat made her quite happy. “She’s not local. She came from out of town to travel. She was originally staying in Kanas, but you know how it is over there. The cost of living is a little higher, so later she came here.”
Jiang Qingyu pretended not to know. “Huh? Isn’t there a safe station? Why doesn’t she go? Didn’t they say vehicles can be sent to pick people up?”
The owner snorted. “Our place is so far away. Even if they send a vehicle, it takes time. Besides, she herself doesn’t want to go. She has a son, too. He saw online that the environment at the safe station was too poor or something, so neither of them was willing to go.”
As she spoke, she suddenly lowered her voice. “But I heard she once made trouble up there, saying that her status deserved preferential treatment. She couldn’t just be allowed to live in a safe station like that. They had to arrange somewhere good for her.”
Jiang Qingyu’s eyelid twitched. “That impressive? What status?”
The owner said in a breathy voice, “She said she’s the family member of a martyr. Her son supposedly made major contributions, the kind with meritorious service.”
She had been shocked when she first heard it too.
What family member of a martyr! The muscles by Jiang Qingyu’s cheek twitched. By conditioned reflex, he nearly cursed, but facing the owner’s smiling face, he barely held it back and gritted out, “Hehe, that impressive? Then didn’t the department arrange something for her? Why is she still staying here?”
The owner leaned closer and whispered, “You think this kind of thing can be settled just by moving your lips? They have to investigate clearly before making arrangements. Her son did indeed receive merits, that’s true. But he isn’t dead. At most, they can consider prioritizing arrangements as appropriate, but it absolutely doesn’t reach the level she demanded, like sending a helicopter to take her back to wherever, or giving her a special residence in Urumqi. Isn’t that just wishful thinking?”
The veins on Jiang Qingyu’s forehead jumped—she really dared to ask! On what basis!
“When the government people replied like this, she didn’t believe it. She insisted her son was dead, saying he had disappeared and couldn’t be found. Unless they helped her find her son, they had to arrange things for her that way.”
“But when they checked again, what disappearance, what missing person? Her son was alive and well. He had reported his whereabouts months ago and voluntarily explained to the higher-ups that she had taken him and her younger son traveling, then abandoned the soldier son in no-man’s land. They said highway cameras and surveillance had caught it all. When they left, the person in the driver’s seat had changed. After checking again and again, they indeed hadn’t taken her own son with them.”
At this point, the owner’s tone carried some disdain. “Even a tiger won’t eat its cubs. Back then, some villagers in Kanas took her to the safe station to demand an explanation. They hadn’t expected the other side to answer her like that and even lay out the evidence.”
“If we’re talking about breaking the law, the boundary is hard to say. On top of that, her son didn’t intend to pursue it. He only reported and registered with the higher-ups that if his mother looked for him, they shouldn’t contact him. If there was anything, she could use formal channels and contact him through some mage—no, not mage, a judge or lawyer.”
For a few seconds, the owner’s face showed a flash of satisfaction. “She still didn’t believe it. She yelled and screamed over there, insisting her son was dead. Unless they helped her contact him, she wouldn’t acknowledge it. You know how busy they are right now, handsome. Who has time to argue with her? Originally, they were even willing to provide her a place to stay in the safe station, but after she caused such a scene, that was canceled too.”
“In my opinion, some people shouldn’t offend others randomly. They can casually find some reason, saying she’s suspected of something or other, and cancel it perfectly legitimately. There’s nowhere she can make trouble where it’ll work.”
“I only recently found out about her situation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken her in.” The owner said, “I just saw that she looked pitiful, so I rented her a room at home cheaply. She even said she wanted to work here and asked me to pay her wages. But you’ve seen it. I can handle these things alone. Even when it gets busy, it’s only for a short while. Why would I need her?”
The owner was clearly enjoying the chat and continued on her own. “Once she spends all her pension money, won’t she still have to go to a safe station somewhere else? I just don’t know whether their systems are connected. If she’s willing to make trouble, maybe they’ll still take her in, but there definitely won’t be any special treatment.”
She had actually been able to say, without blushing or her heart skipping, that she was a martyr’s family member. Her mental fortitude was something else.
Jiang Qingyu was more concerned about one question. “Then what about her younger son? He doesn’t care about her?”
The owner said disdainfully, “How could he? He came asking her for money just yesterday. Says he’s looking for work outside, but he comes back every few days to slack off and sleep. And to be honest, what kind of work do we have here that needs hiring? Everyone just sees that they’re pitiful. At most, they’ll cover a meal. Everyone has it hard. How can anyone help to the end with everything?”
“Let me tell you something.” The owner lowered her voice again. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the place isn’t big to begin with. It’s normal that I heard it, right?”
Jiang Qingyu could tell she had been holding in gossip and complaints for too long with no one to talk to. His curiosity had also been successfully raised, so he went along with her. “Yes, you’re right.”
The owner looked around and made sure Fu Jingqiu’s mother was not outside before saying, “I heard she seems to still want to contact her eldest son. She wants him to come pick her and her younger son up.”
Jiang Qingyu was shocked. “On what basis?!”
The owner said, “Exactly! But she insists her eldest son is filial and definitely wouldn’t bear to let her suffer. My goodness. If her son was that filial, why was she so biased back then? What a sin.”
Jiang Qingyu was successfully amused by her tone, and the breath of anger that had been trapped in his chest since encountering Fu Jingqiu’s mother finally smoothed out a little.
Good. This was how it should be.
If she could do something that terrible and still enjoy preferential treatment, living comfortably in the apocalypse as if nothing had happened, that would be unfair.
She still wanted Fu Jingqiu to pity her? To wipe away everything from before and hope her son would take her away and protect her? She could keep dreaming!
The corners of Jiang Qingyu’s lips curved slightly. “Boss, after you finish the orders in your hands, make me more. Give me ten cups of every signature drink on your menu. I’ll take them away.”
The owner was dazed. “Huh? Do you have that many friends? Or are you going to save them for yourself? They’ll definitely spoil if you put them in the fridge.”
They would in the fridge, but not in the space.
Jiang Qingyu smiled with curved eyes. “I won’t put them in the fridge. I’ll treat people to them. Can you make them? If you can, I’ll pay now.”
When business came to the door, how could she not do it? Since he said that, the owner immediately agreed without another word. “Yes, yes, yes. I’ll be quick! Handsome, you’re really… aiya.” She was so delighted she could not close her mouth, unable to find a suitable description. “You’re really too good! Thank you for the support, thank you! I’ll definitely make them properly for you!”
If she wanted to thank someone, she should thank her own eloquence. Jiang Qingyu had thoroughly enjoyed listening. This result was not the most extreme, but for Jiang Qingyu, it was enough.
As for whether to tell Fu Jingqiu… he would see.
Jiang Qingyu happily returned to the RV with a big bag of packed coffee in various flavors. He set the route to leave Baihaba, intending to leave overnight and not stay here a moment longer.
When Fu Jingqiu came out of the gym, the vehicle had just started. Noticing this subtle change, he subconsciously said, “Didn’t you say we would stay one night before leaving?”
Jiang Qingyu’s face did not change. “I changed my mind. I plan to go straight to Kanas and stay there for a day. I don’t know if the Three Bays are frozen. We’ll go take a look first. When we pass Hemu, we won’t stop. We’ll go straight to Altay.”
Fu Jingqiu did not ask further either. “All right.”
When it came to self-discipline, he was truly beyond criticism. Since he was going to work out, he worked out properly. Even though he had just seen long-absent “family,” it still did not affect his state. At this moment, he had trained until his head was covered in sweat, and his chest and abdomen were almost completely wet. “I’ll go shower first.”
What exactly was the principle behind wearing tight clothing when exercising? Jiang Qingyu was not someone who went to the gym, so he did not understand. His gaze subtly paused on the places he liked. “Okay, go ahead.”
After Fu Jingqiu went in, the sound of water in the bathroom followed. The flow was loud, making the living room seem extraordinarily quiet by contrast. Jiang Qingyu stroked Meimei for a while, yet his thoughts began to wander.
Was he a little lustful like this?
But… after last time, it seemed they had only used their hands and had not really gone all the way again.
It was obvious that Fu Jingqiu actually wanted to. But considering Jiang Qingyu’s body, since it had been the first time after all, he had not immediately done it again. Every night before sleeping, when he held and kissed Jiang Qingyu, he would press against him for a long time.
After hesitating for a few minutes, Jiang Qingyu still walked toward the bathroom. Outside the door, he first removed all his clothes before pushing the door open and entering.
Low voices and laughter sounded in the bathroom, but very quickly, other sounds came out as well.
The other man’s style was very meticulous and very slow. Because he was considerate, the battle line instead stretched very long, extremely tormenting.
But standing was too convenient. Jiang Qingyu stood on the inside, the wall being warmed by hot water, as if he were about to be embedded into it.
The sound of water was chaotic. Jiang Qingyu could barely open his eyes.
Really too bad.
He was indeed someone who could coax but would not stop. Jiang Qingyu wanted to protest, but when he turned his face, he could only bite Fu Jingqiu’s arm, which instead stimulated the other man into swelling again. In the end, the one who suffered was still himself.
His legs trembled, almost unable to stand. If he had not been held, he could have fallen at any time. Such a thin waist, controlled with one hand. The water gathered in the groove of his spine swayed again and again, and time was stretched infinitely long.
Facts proved that Jiang Qingyu still preferred being in the room, whether it was the living room sofa or the bedroom. At least it would be on a bed.
Pressed tightly together, without even the slightest gap, grinding in circles, stimulating him until he almost screamed. The water rushed loudly, covering all sound.
When Jiang Qingyu was carried out of the bathroom, his whole body was soft and limp. He really had no strength left at all. He did not even have the energy to protest why Fu Jingqiu was princess-carrying him. He was so tired he only wanted to lie on the bed without moving and sleep straight through until the next afternoon.
There was no time to put on pajamas. His whole body was stuffed under the blanket. This time, the lights were not turned off. Tangyuan and Meimei had both been left in the living room. After the bedroom door closed, only the two of them remained in this small space.
Jiang Qingyu narrowed his eyes and glanced at Fu Jingqiu. The other man happened to be looking at him as well. The moment their gazes met, he suddenly felt danger. The hairs on his body almost stood up, yet there was nowhere to hide.
Under this kind of light, everything could be seen clearly.
Entering the alley again, it was wet but tight. Jiang Qingyu lay on the pillow, the bed pillows finding another use. The overhead light made his eyes ache, and tears kept flowing. His whole body was nearly pushed all the way to the bedside table, but there was nothing for him to grab.
Even with a pillow under him, his waist was still so sore. He felt that he had really become a fish, served onto the dining table and carefully tasted.
The eating was very serious, not willing to let go of even the slightest bit.
During the first time, there had still been darkness to conceal him. This time, everything was laid bare. Even if he buried his face into the crook of his arm, it was still useless.
Fu Jingqiu pressed his lips tightly together. Not only at his temples, but the veins on his arms and neck bulged one by one. His mind was full of the way Jiang Qingyu had held his face that afternoon, kissing and comforting him. He was truly so painfully lovable.
This child was usually very mischievous, but when acting spoiled, he held nothing back. Toward his lover, he could throw a temper, clingily express affection, and also… give and take as asked.
Just like now.
Fu Jingqiu knew that Jiang Qingyu wanted the lights turned off more, so he could hide himself away. That way, even if he was treated a little excessively, it would be fine.
But Fu Jingqiu wanted to see clearly. The wicked part in him stirred restlessly. He only felt unsatisfied, wanting to fully control everything and not miss a single moment that belonged to Jiang Qingyu.
Jiang Qingyu had gone into the bathroom to find him partly for his own reasons, but Fu Jingqiu could sense that the other man did not want him to be alone and overthink. So he had come smiling to comfort him, putting himself in as well.
In the bathroom, he had been willing too, obediently opening up. Even when his legs were so weak he could barely stand, he had not called a stop.
Occasionally, there were a few indistinct words mixed in, unclear whether they were complaints or coy scolding. Instead, they made Fu Jingqiu react even more.
Under the warm lighting, his skin glowed like jade, delicate to the touch. Fu Jingqiu carefully played with him. Occasionally, when Jiang Qingyu could not bear it anymore, he would grab his wrist and accuse him a few times, but it was neither painful nor fierce, and he could not even speak clearly.
Yet he still did not push Fu Jingqiu away.
This made it very easy for Fu Jingqiu to go one step further, making him collapse on the other man’s territory.
Jiang Qingyu covered his lower abdomen, his vision blurred. Such clear changes beneath his own palm.
The snowy road was difficult to travel. Although they did not have to drive cautiously, it was still not easy to move along. The RV jolted slightly, and it was transmitted to him in sync.
Like a little boat, rising and falling on river waves, pushed away and then pulled back.
After night fell, heaven and earth grew quiet. The small village sank into sleep. Only the snow glowing blue still had some visibility. Many shallow ditches on both sides of the road had frozen over. If the tires slipped, a vehicle could easily rush into one, unable to be dragged out.
They had no such worries. On the vehicle, they could also be unrestrained, without worrying about changing the RV’s direction or angle because of it.
Jiang Qingyu did not know how many pounds Fu Jingqiu could lift at most when exercising. Most of the time, he hid from him, afraid of being called over to exercise together. But now, he was like some piece of equipment he had seen before, his ankles like handles, pulled open to the widest point.
The curve of those bulging muscles was so exaggerated. Usually, when Fu Jingqiu wore clothes, it could not be seen at all. Now, once he exerted force, it looked even more exaggerated than the male influencers Jiang Qingyu had seen in videos, shining brightly as if coated in a watery glow.
The fish was about to be cut open and eaten carefully, the softest, juiciest parts eaten first. Occasionally, the diner grew impatient and moved a little faster, making juices flow out and instead covering the diner’s body.
But Fu Jingqiu did not mind. He even felt that the more, the better.
Suddenly realizing this flawed part of his personality, it was truly so wicked it was outrageous. Not gentle at all. It could even be called forceful.
He wondered if there were little fish plushies, preferably the kind so exaggeratedly large that it could be held on crossed legs, soft and limp, with no strength to use, constantly jostled.
On the way to Kanas, the snow on both sides of some roads was almost taller than ordinary small cars. If a person fell in, they would probably be buried entirely.
Unbelievably deep.
Jiang Qingyu lay down and used both hands and feet to try crawling downward. To make it convenient for Meimei to come over and stick to him, there were stairs at one side of the bed. They were covered in carpet, soft and fluffy, just right for making his knees a little more comfortable.
But how could he escape those claws? Like a little cat being dragged back by the legs, he soon returned to his owner’s arms and was thoroughly absorbed.
He lay on his side, thoughtfully stuffed with a pillow. For the first time, he did not fall asleep the moment his head touched the pillow. In the past, they had spent countless warm and ordinary nights like this. Fu Jingqiu had held him from behind, his embrace building Jiang Qingyu a safe harbor from the wind. He had felt very at ease.
But now, this safe harbor had cultivated itself into a spirit, growing claws and fangs, wrapping around its prey like a monster from behind, fixing him in place and making escape difficult.
Ever since last time, the wardrobe had been stocked in advance with bedding that could be changed. When he woke the next day, the dryer would already have finished working. The changed bedding would be warm and fragrant from drying, folded neatly and placed back into the wardrobe to wait for the next use.
In a little while—no, perhaps in a few hours?—the old scene might repeat itself.
Jiang Qingyu thought he had been truly unwise today.
Actually, he could have chosen a warmer method. The two of them could have curled up under the blanket and spoken little whispers, gentle and soft, holding Fu Jingqiu’s hand and comforting him very purely.
Instead of like this.
The bedding was all wet.
It was like when Jiang Qingyu had gone to play by a pool of water in childhood and seen two water snakes beneath a little waterfall, entangled together exaggeratedly, twisted into one. It was hard to tell whether neither was willing to let go, or whether one of them was chasing the other and determined to coil tightly around it.
They churned in the pool water, crashing wildly.
Little Jiang Qingyu had been very afraid, yet could not help being curious, standing by the pool for a long time unwilling to leave.
He had always had strong empathy. Standing there, he held his breath, feeling as if he too had become one of the snakes, turning wetly out of the water, his tail tightly entangled and unable to break free no matter what.
Bitten at the nape, twisted into a ball in the water.
Fu Jingqiu held him from behind, whispering some gentle words of love. Clearly, he too had remembered Jiang Qingyu’s comforting actions during the day, and now began to thank him for his thoughtfulness. His nose rubbed against Jiang Qingyu’s cheek from time to time, accompanied by several shallow kisses.
Jiang Qingyu wanted to cry but had no tears.
The journey to Kanas was truly long. It would take a very long time to drive.
Fu Jingqiu’s energy was endless. He could guard until the moment they arrived, sitting or lying down, or standing by the bed.
He was a clever student, always with many solutions.
Jiang Qingyu felt that he had returned to the lake, becoming a fish, or a drop of water, obediently melting into it.
Northern Xinjiang’s winter nights were always incomparably long.
The Apocalypse of Natural Disasters Descends During an RV Trip
