Chapter 79
As if guessing what Jiang Qingyu was thinking, Duan Cheng took the initiative to clear up his confusion. “When the zombies first broke out, wasn’t it right when crabs were at their fattest? Those bosses are all sharp-minded. Seeing that order didn’t collapse immediately, they quickly moved all the crabs at home indoors after the temperature dropped and started contacting buyers everywhere.
“For crab farmers, keeping crabs alive is child’s play. The roads are hard to travel, but not completely impassable. It’s just a matter of how much money you spend.”
It was not that they had specially gone out of their way to get these. Fish and meat were not rare goods. If they wanted to welcome guests, there were plenty of ingredients to choose from. It just so happened that someone had contacted Duan Yu, and the price was acceptable to her, so she bought all the other party’s stock.
When they were taking apart the crabs, Duan Cheng even secretly ate one. It was indeed fresh and sweet.
Jiang Qingyu said, “Our luck is way too good. We get to eat this on our very first meal.”
Duan Yu smiled. “It’s fine. Aside from what was used for today’s dishes, there’s still some left. If you like it, we can steam some for you tomorrow.”
Jiang Qingyu smiled cheerfully. “Then thank you in advance.”
He actually liked eating crab quite a lot. If he were not afraid of getting a stomachache, he could eat more than ten by himself. And when he ate, he was very patient. He would not recklessly chew it like an ox chewing peonies, spit out the shell, and leave most of the meat and roe wasted. He liked crab roe too. Eaten plain, it was a little rich, but dipped in vinegar, it was especially delicious—fresh and incredibly savory.
This pot of crab roe rice was extremely generous with ingredients: large chunks of crab roe and crab meat, crab legs clearly visible one by one, mixed evenly with a little ginger vinegar. It tasted so good that Jiang Qingyu’s eyes turned into sunny-side-up eggs.
When he had first started stocking supplies, crabs had not yet come into season. Later, after entering Xinjiang, he had not seen crabs much again. Not being able to stock up on them was truly a pity. He wondered whether there would still be a chance in the future.
After not seeing them for so long, this meal was deeply satisfying. Duan Yu brought out good wine and invited them to taste it, also introducing the staff who had stayed behind at the homestay.
Although they might not come to Altay several times in a year, they were not merely hands-off owners. They still cared about the staff here at the homestay.
Profit was hard to say. For them, no matter how high it was, it would not exceed their expectations. In any case, this was an asset they had acquired. When they had time, they would still check in on it.
Duan Yu placed great importance on the personal character of her employees. Whether business was good or not was one thing, but knowing how inconvenient winter was here, she paid them well. Their year-end bonuses were generous too, and paid annual leave was properly arranged. She had only one requirement for her staff: upright character.
Those words sounded simple, but in practice, they were not that easy.
The homestay had been operating for several years. Everything ran smoothly and maturely in all aspects. The staff were all people whose backgrounds were known. During this period, Duan Yu had arranged both money and supplies very thoroughly.
They knew the world was no longer peaceful now, and being here allowed them to hide from trouble instead, so they were all very grateful.
The atmosphere at the table was very good. This meal lasted until almost midnight before finally ending. Near the end, Duan Yu took the initiative to mention that before they came to Altay, they had transported some fireworks here. Her younger brother had repeatedly begged them to spend New Year here, so they could set them off together then.
By now, Jiang Qingyu was already a little drunk. The fruit wine they had brought was especially tasty, clear and sweet, with almost no alcoholic taste, but the aftereffect was strong. At first, he had felt fine in the restaurant, but now his head had started to grow heavy, and warmth kept rushing to his face, making him look like a fuzzy peach.
Fu Jingqiu had an arm around his shoulders. Jiang Qingyu nodded at Duan Yu like a chick pecking rice and mumbled indistinctly, “Yes… yes, we’ll spend New Year here.”
Duan Yu knew he was drunk, so she did not say more. She led them to a nearby little wooden house. The one she chose was the kind that would normally cost more than 5,000 a night. The house was large. Now that the heating had been renovated, it had a good view and beautiful scenery. The facilities inside were all complete. It was just right for them.
The moment Jiang Qingyu entered the wooden house, the wraparound sofa in the living room and the carpet covering the floor made him instinctively let out a “wow.” Clearly, he was very satisfied with the environment. He took off his shoes and pounced onto the sofa, hugging one throw pillow on each side, with another under his head. He had obviously found a comfortable position. After lying down and closing his eyes, he stopped moving, falling asleep instantly.
Duan Yu turned to look at Fu Jingqiu. He had drunk quite a lot today too, but alcohol did not show on his face, so it was hard to tell how he was. His posture was still fairly straight, unlike Jiang Qingyu, who had become boneless over such a short distance, practically wishing he could hang off Fu Jingqiu. If there had not been other people beside them, Fu Jingqiu would probably have carried him back.
Duan Yu said, “Then he…?”
Fu Jingqiu instantly understood what she meant. “Mm. I’ll take good care of him.”
His tone was as usual, as if he had not been affected by alcohol. Duan Yu immediately felt reassured. After all, Fu Jingqiu was usually very reliable, and Jiang Qingyu’s condition did not seem that exaggerated either. So she felt at ease and left first with Duan Cheng, also telling them to call at once if they needed anything.
Fu Jingqiu agreed and politely saw them off. He let Tangyuan stay in the wooden house to guard Jiang Qingyu, then went back to the RV to pick up Meimei. He also pulled over a suitcase and a large bag filled with the children’s food and daily necessities, a few simple sets of clothes, towels, underwear, and similar things.
At this hour, not everyone was asleep. Night owls might even stay up later in the apocalypse.
However, he was the only one going out at this time. Altay’s night always seemed to carry a rich blue tone. It was not so dark that one could not see a hand in front of one’s face. The lights outside the little wooden house fell onto the snow, revealing a fine, glittering glow. It was very beautiful.
If Jiang Qingyu were outside right now, he would probably bend down, stick his butt out, scoop up a handful of snow, study it, then come over with sparkling eyes to share it with him.
Unfortunately, he was asleep now, so those images could only be realized through imagination. Even so, Fu Jingqiu still let out a low laugh in the night.
After returning to the wooden house, Fu Jingqiu settled Meimei and Tangyuan in. The puppy, usually full of endless energy, was tired now. It flopped onto the carpet under the sofa and immediately went to sleep.
Meimei, on the other hand, began strolling around and inspecting the territory. It stepped onto the backrest of the sofa and looked around, its tail held very high.
Fu Jingqiu went to the bathroom, wrung out a towel with hot water, and came back to wipe Jiang Qingyu’s face. Jiang Qingyu was muddled, clearly not yet in deep sleep. When Fu Jingqiu moved the throw pillow away and revealed his face, he still hummed and mumbled. His arm had already habitually wrapped around Fu Jingqiu’s waist, and he muttered a few unclear words. They were too muffled to understand.
Fu Jingqiu wiped him very carefully.
His scattered hair was brushed upward, revealing his entire fair and delicate face. His brows were relaxed, clearly in a very good mood before falling asleep. His lips were soft and moist, their faint pink color looking extremely kissable.
Fu Jingqiu gazed at him for a moment, then lowered his head.
Jiang Qingyu was in a half-awake, half-asleep state. He truly had not fully fallen asleep. When he was held and kissed, he was conscious of it. The warm towel on his face was comfortable, and the kiss was comfortable too.
He was a comfort-first person, so he immediately wrapped his arms around Fu Jingqiu’s neck and began responding lightly.
It was just that his response was not sincere. At one point, he even lost consciousness midway. When a little of his awareness was pulled back again, he realized he was still being kissed. Fu Jingqiu was holding him and kissing him very seriously.
Jiang Qingyu half-lidded his eyes. His vision was hazy, and the scene before him seemed to sway too. Fu Jingqiu’s features were magnified in front of him. Thick brows, dense lashes—they actually softened some of his sharpness, lending him a touch of tenderness.
There was a faint fruit-wine taste. Their breathing gradually deepened, intimately entangling together.
Jiang Qingyu got tired of kissing and began pushing him.
Fu Jingqiu did not insist on continuing. Following the movement, he let go, kissed Jiang Qingyu’s cheek, and folded the now-cool towel before placing it aside.
Before Jiang Qingyu could lie back down, Fu Jingqiu hugged him again.
These kisses and embraces carried no hint of leading toward desire. Instead, they were very tender. Fu Jingqiu said nothing. He only held Jiang Qingyu and gently rubbed his cheek against his, again and again.
Jiang Qingyu was tickled by the rubbing and wanted to laugh. A thought surfaced in his muddled mind: he was definitely drunk right now. He had self-awareness. But what about Fu Jingqiu? He had drunk quite a lot too. Before this, he probably had not had many chances to train his alcohol tolerance either. There was no reason for him to still be this clear-headed.
Thinking of this, Jiang Qingyu forced his eyes open. He cupped Fu Jingqiu’s face with both hands, wanting to see his current expression clearly.
Against the light, Fu Jingqiu’s expression was not clear. Jiang Qingyu tried hard to distinguish it, but could only make out slightly blurred lines. Before he could move closer and get a good look, Fu Jingqiu lowered his head again, and that dense kiwi head started rubbing against him in an extremely mushy way.
Huh? Something was really wrong.
Jiang Qingyu sobered up quite a bit instantly. Some mischievous impulse stirring in his heart overcame his sleepiness and drunkenness. He propped himself up. “Brother, are you drunk?”
Fu Jingqiu pondered for two seconds, his hand still resting on Jiang Qingyu’s waist. “Mm… a little.”
Jiang Qingyu asked, “Only a little? What do you feel right now?”
Fu Jingqiu lowered his eyes and looked at him. He answered truthfully, “My body feels a little hot.”
Jiang Qingyu excitedly rolled up his sleeves. “Come, come, say it all at once and there’s a reward. Please describe your symptoms in detail.”
The word “reward” struck Fu Jingqiu. He instinctively licked his lips, staring at Jiang Qingyu’s already slightly swollen lips. “What reward?”
Jiang Qingyu said, “A blind box, a blind box. No asking.”
Fu Jingqiu now understood what a blind box meant. After thinking slightly, he said, “When I was outside just now, I was still all right. Once I came indoors, the heating was high, and my head got a little heavy too. A little dizzy. I want to lie down. I want to kiss you, and I want to hold you.”
Jiang Qingyu asked, “That’s it?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Mm. That’s it.”
Jiang Qingyu asked, “You’re not lying, right?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “I don’t lie.”
Very good. Very good. Jiang Qingyu did what he promised. He leaned forward, cupped Fu Jingqiu’s face, and gave him what he considered a very well-learned wet kiss. It was his first time being this proactive. His tongue clumsily went to press against Fu Jingqiu’s, awkwardly tangling with him.
Originally, he had planned to kiss symbolically, but since it was a reward, he felt it should not be too perfunctory, so he tilted his face up and kissed very hard.
Fu Jingqiu probably sensed this and did not give Jiang Qingyu any chance to withdraw. He entangled him very tightly. Clearly, Jiang Qingyu looked like the proactive one, but the person controlling the rhythm and whether he stayed or left was Fu Jingqiu.
When the kiss ended, their breathing was unsteady. Jiang Qingyu’s eyes were wet, and a silver thread stretched from the corner of his lips. Fu Jingqiu leaned in again, rubbing against the little fish’s cheek like a large dog. Then he drew back, stared into his eyes, and said, “I really like you.”
Jiang Qingyu had just been kissed until his mind was dizzy. Hearing this plain and sincere confession so suddenly, a smile first appeared on his face, looking a little silly. “…I know. But didn’t you say before—no, didn’t you not know whether you liked men before? Are you clear now?”
“Mm,” Fu Jingqiu said. “I’m clear now.” He looked at Jiang Qingyu’s face. “Actually, I’ve always been thinking. I still owe you a relatively formal confession.”
Jiang Qingyu: ? How formal?
Fu Jingqiu said, “Under normal circumstances, I should propose to you.”
Jiang Qingyu: ??? Wait, that was a bit too much.
Fu Jingqiu said, “Before, I also wasn’t clear whether I liked men or women. When you said those things to me, I reacted too slowly and made you sad. I’m sorry.”
Jiang Qingyu’s drunkenness was forcefully scared away by Fu Jingqiu’s heartfelt confession. He sobered up quite a bit and thought that Fu Jingqiu really was drunk. Otherwise, he would not usually say these things. And face-to-face too. It was too formal.
However, there was nothing bad about being formal.
Jiang Qingyu crossed his legs, his eyes clear and bright as he stared closely at him. “And then?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “My sexual orientation, I’m not clear about. But I know I really like you.”
Jiang Qingyu could not help laughing. He did not know whether his cheeks were hot because of warmth or alcohol, but they felt very hot. He was a little embarrassed, shy about meeting Fu Jingqiu’s gaze, yet he did not want to miss a single expression on his face at this moment. His heart thumped loudly.
This was his first time dating too.
A moment of helplessness appeared on Fu Jingqiu’s face. “I… what else should I say?”
Jiang Qingyu held his stomach laughing. “I thought you had prepared lots of things to tell me. Turns out it was only these few lines?”
Fu Jingqiu anxiously moved forward a little and reached out to grab Jiang Qingyu’s wrist. “Are these not enough? Then wait, I’ll think of more…”
No, this was too fun. Jiang Qingyu laughed by himself for a long while, only feeling that the two of them were so adorably foolish right now. Then he learned from Fu Jingqiu and became serious too. “If you’re done, then now it’s my turn.”
“I admit, at first, it was because you were a good person with a great body, and you were nice to me too, that I started having thoughts.” Jiang Qingyu said, “Although my motive wasn’t pure, I think that also counts as human nature. Of course, I also have to say that things are different now.”
Fu Jingqiu’s reaction was half a beat slow. “…What?”
Jiang Qingyu narrowed his eyes and smiled. “After all, we’ve spent a long time together and know each other very well. It counts as feelings growing over time, right? This is also pretty good. At least right now, we’ve adjusted to each other very well.”
When it came to the lesson of being someone’s lover, he was not exactly a good student. It could even be said he was a beginner. He did not understand what people relied on when they liked each other, or whether they needed some reason to like someone, but at present, he was very satisfied with his relationship with Fu Jingqiu.
Just like how Fu Jingqiu had not wanted their relationship to fall back into ordinary friendship at the beginning, Jiang Qingyu understood all of that. His own liking had also needed an adjustment period.
They had given each other a chance, and after adjusting until now, it was just right.
They looked at each other for a moment. Because of alcohol, Fu Jingqiu was a little slow, but finally, he understood what Jiang Qingyu meant. His heart warmed. He lowered his eyes to look at their clasped hands and could not help bringing Jiang Qingyu’s hand to his lips to kiss it.
But Jiang Qingyu had no intention of letting the topic stop there. He suddenly leaned forward, smiling wickedly. “But there’s something I’m really curious about. You, in that area, did you secretly do homework online?”
He had wanted to ask this question for a long time.
In any case, he himself was not that skilled. Even with those tube and bottle products—water-based this and that—he was too lazy to study them. Usually, it was Fu Jingqiu who looked at them.
As two beginners, Fu Jingqiu’s performance was actually not bad. Aside from his natural issue making Jiang Qingyu feel terribly swollen and sore at first, his other details were surprisingly thorough. Even if one was innately gifted, there was no way to be like that.
“…” Fu Jingqiu answered honestly, “Yes.”
He said, “I looked up information and consulted customer service at online stores, but I didn’t watch videos. I was afraid you would be too uncomfortable. After you fell asleep, I even carried you to the medical cabin before.”
Jiang Qingyu: ??!!!
When was that? Why didn’t he know?!
Oh. He had been asleep.
But why did he not feel anything at all? This was too embarrassing! Had it reached that kind of level?
Fu Jingqiu continued honestly, “I was afraid of hurting you. You’re also afraid of pain.”
Jiang Qingyu was silent for a moment. He buried his face in his palms and screamed soundlessly for a while. Then he pretended nothing had happened and lifted his face expressionlessly. “What did the medical cabin say after examining me?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “The situation was all right. It only said that next time, the preparation should be more careful. We have to make sure you’re ready before inserting—”
He did not get to finish the rest before Jiang Qingyu pounced over and covered his mouth.
The slender and beautiful young man was above him, eyes round and black like gems, threatening him fiercely. “You’re not allowed to say any more!”
How could he be like this! Too shameless!
Fu Jingqiu held him tightly and buried his face into Jiang Qingyu’s shoulder. He said softly, “I really want to do it with you.”
“…” Jiang Qingyu said, “Not now.”
So this was what the honeymoon phase was like? How terrifying.
Fu Jingqiu said in a low voice, “I like doing it with you.”
Jiang Qingyu: I’m begging you.
Fu Jingqiu had no sense of shame and continued describing, “It’s very comfortable inside your body. I…”
Aaaaaahhhhhh!!
Jiang Qingyu truly regretted chatting with a drunk Fu Jingqiu!!
But in the end, they did not do anything.
Even drunk, Fu Jingqiu was not sleepy. He simply let Jiang Qingyu lie on top of him, tirelessly kissing and nuzzling him.
During this period, Fu Jingqiu’s hair had grown slightly longer. The front looked rather handsome with a little styling. Thankfully, they had not started dating as soon as they met. Otherwise, Fu Jingqiu’s close-cropped hair back then would have stabbed him to death.
Fu Jingqiu had plenty of energy, going back and forth with kisses, mumbling confessions that made Jiang Qingyu’s toes curl.
Jiang Qingyu did not know what other people’s relationships were like. When his roommate had called his partner “baby” in a pinched voice over the phone in the dorm, he had rubbed the goosebumps on his arms like crazy. Now that it was his turn, aside from his heartbeat speeding up and his whole body heating, he actually did not really want Fu Jingqiu to stop.
Of course, topics with color were the exception.
Neither of them knew when they fell asleep. The warm yellow light of the wall lamp shone on their cheeks. Jiang Qingyu had actually fallen asleep half-sprawled on top of Fu Jingqiu. Beside him on the sofa were Tangyuan, pillowed on a throw pillow, and Meimei, who had curled up beside it at some unknown time. The relationship between the two children had obviously improved quite a bit.
The fireplace burned quietly. The room was fully heated, and the scene was incomparably warm.
When they had spoken in adulthood about their hopes for their future other half, neither of their younger selves had imagined there would be such a day.
For once, Fu Jingqiu woke up later than Jiang Qingyu.
The last time something like this happened was when Jiang Qingyu had angrily clarified his “feelings,” causing Fu Jingqiu to toss and turn all night and wake up late. This time…
Fu Jingqiu sat up from the sofa and stared blankly for a moment. Scenes from last night replayed in his mind, and his face slowly heated.
When he had gone out to get Meimei, he had still been fine. He had thought that the cold wind made him more sober. Who knew that after returning to the little wooden house, the alcohol would instead surge up?
He… how could he say those things to Jiang Qingyu?
It was too… too… It made him seem too improper, as if he often thought with his lower body.
Heaven knew he and Jiang Qingyu had not even done it many times!
So where had his little fish gone after waking up so early?
Jiang Qingyu climbed up step by step very slowly. The snow had been packed down and turned into ice. His spiked shoes did prevent slipping, but he was wearing quite a lot, and climbing uphill was tiring. This stretch of road took him nearly twenty minutes.
He had seen this place yesterday while lying by the car window. The snow up here was very deep, with only some tire tracks. Under the fir trees beside him, the snow was thick like a cotton quilt. Jiang Qingyu cleared a little of it, moved over a stone, and sat down.
From this position, one could overlook the entire village. The scenery was the best. In the distance, the snow mountains revealed their full appearance, stretching endlessly.
Although the sun had not come out today, the weather was very good. There was not much fog, and it was very bright. The sky overhead was blue without a single impurity. Everything was pure and beautiful.
Jiang Qingyu took out the family photo he had carried in his arms the whole way and placed it beside him. Hugging his knees, he said softly, “Grandpa, Grandma, look. This is Altay. We finally arrived.”
“Your grandson’s luck is pretty good. Heaven finally favored me once, but I didn’t become some great hero. Sorry.”
At this point, Jiang Qingyu laughed softly. “Speaking of which, you might blame me. A while ago, I tricked Eldest Uncle and the others pretty badly.”
Back then, they had broken the old couple’s hearts. Jiang Qingyu had played them exactly the same way. On one side, he dangled hope in front of his cousin, instigating him to sever ties with the family, saying that he would provide him with a good living environment and money. On the other side, he quietly leaked the news to his eldest uncle, stirring up chaos in their family.
Wasn’t it just giving hope first, then disappointing someone? It was not only his eldest uncle who knew how to do that. He could too.
Later, his cousin even shouted that he would call the police to arrest him. Jiang Qingyu had laughed about it for several days, showing off his “wealth” to him in various ways every day, angering him half to death.
They knew each other inside and out. Did he not know where to stab to hurt the most?
The old couple had been kind, always feeling that less trouble was better than more trouble, that some things should not be fussed over, or one would live unhappily.
But Jiang Qingyu did not think that way. Since they were no longer here, he simply let loose and played a big one.
“If you don’t blame me, then listen to me talk about… my boyfriend.” Speaking of Fu Jingqiu, Jiang Qingyu could not help scratching his head, instinctively a little shy. “This, to say something very cliché, is fate.”
Thinking back now, he had been a little reckless at the time. He had thought that it was someone else’s family matter and whether to call the police should be Fu Jingqiu’s own choice, lest he somehow acquire a responsibility to help and have to accompany him to the end. He had also thought of letting Fu Jingqiu stay in the RV for a couple of days to calm down, then dropping him off in a relatively prosperous city, at least somewhere he could go to the airport and fly home.
Later, somehow, things became like this.
“We both like each other quite a lot, and our relationship is very good. He’s a very good person. Of course, I know you probably wouldn’t understand two men dating. But think of it from another angle. If I were your granddaughter, and I found a grandson-in-law like this, you would definitely be satisfied.”
“If you can’t wrap your head around it, just imagine it like that.” Jiang Qingyu smiled and said, “You can also appear in my dreams and scold me. I… miss you very much.”
The pain of losing family was always incomparably long. As long as there were memories, as long as there was longing, as long as one lived in this world, one would think of them again.
But it was all right.
One day, they would meet again.
Only, before that, Jiang Qingyu still had several decades to live properly.
He rambled and told his grandparents many things before finally putting away the photo, still reluctant to stop, and getting up to walk back. Judging by the time, Fu Jingqiu might already be awake. He wondered whether Fu Jingqiu still remembered last night’s events—
Jiang Qingyu had only walked for a few minutes when he saw Fu Jingqiu coming up to look for him with Tangyuan. Fu Jingqiu’s brows were slightly furrowed, and there was a barely detectable anxiety in his eyes. But the moment he saw Jiang Qingyu, all those emotions scattered instantly. His pace quickened until he was almost jogging over.
Jiang Qingyu thought for a moment, then very generously opened his arms toward Fu Jingqiu. “Come here, give me a hug!”
The Apocalypse of Natural Disasters Descends During an RV Trip
