Because time was tight, they could only organize this concert on the vast fountain square below the Holiday Hotel.
It was probably a rare leisure activity after the apocalypse, so almost everyone in Luozhou City came, standing in twos and threes in the middle of the square. Due to the vigilance that came with the end times, no one crowded together like they used to; instead, they kept some distance between them.
The Li Family had sent people early to keep a constant watch on any unrest in the crowd.
To let the singing carry far, they built the stage very high.
There were no flowers, no colored lights, no waving support sticks. On stage was a shy high school girl, and below were the somewhat numb residents.
On a clear afternoon with blue skies stretching endlessly, Bai Tao gripped the microphone tightly, looking at the dense crowd in the square like ants, her palms full of cold sweat.
In her panic, she looked around and caught sight of Sister Zhuohua and Tang Zhao cheering her on from the side of the stage. The bit of unease in her heart was scattered by the late spring breeze.
—
When the first note carried out of the square on the wind, Bai Chen Zhu by the seaside sensed that familiar mental power.
He did not go to the scene. Bai Tao’s singing was not only effective against zombies but also against ability users, and he was especially sensitive to mental power—so sensitive that going to listen to her concert would be self-torture.
Come to think of it, even in his previous life, he had always fantasized about saving up money to travel, to escape his boring, dull, and hated job, to run far away and enjoy the wind and freedom.
But amusingly, right up to the moment of his death, he had never realized that dream.
Now that he was here, with the apocalypse arrived, every day was filled with worries about basic survival needs like eating, drinking, and excreting. Just staying alive was a luxury—where would there be leisure for travel?
Unexpectedly, this time he had stumbled right into Luozhou City, a famous tourist destination.
Because everyone had gone to the concert under the Li Family’s promotion, the seaside was almost deserted, leaving only the holiday scenery of the past. The dolphin statue bathed in sunlight, coconut trees swaying gently in the wind, colorful graffiti on the water gear…
He took off his shoes and walked on the beach, childishly stepping on the white foam of the waves at the water’s edge.
One after another.
Occasionally, some clueless mutated fish chased over, only to be kicked back into the sea by him. He shaded his eyes and gazed into the distance; mutated seabirds circled overhead, staring intently at him and calling out from time to time.
Ignoring their ugly appearances, it was decent scenery. Bai Chen Zhu thought to himself, amusing himself.
He was a landlubber who couldn’t swim. Looking around, there didn’t seem to be much he could play with anyway, so after dipping his feet in the water, he found a large rock, sat cross-legged on it, and zoned out.
The wind lifted the black half-long hair at his neck, the golden earring at his ear, and the hem of his white clothes. Bai Chen Zhu gathered the stray hair from his forehead with one hand and looked into the distance.
A bunch of trivial things flashed through his mind. Suddenly, he wondered how Bai Tao’s concert was going—were there any new zombies, any new ability users? But he didn’t want to endure the discomfort to go see.
“Hey!”
A voice came from behind.
Bai Chen Zhu’s lowered eyelashes trembled. Without turning around, he knew who it was. “How did you get here?”
“That’s weird. You didn’t go to the concert, yet you’re asking why I didn’t?” Jiang Ye sidled up familiarly. Of all the places, he had to squeeze onto Bai Chen Zhu’s rock, leaning obliquely against the big stone.
He crossed his arms and gazed at the sea. “I noticed you really like looking at the ocean. Ever since we arrived in Luozhou City, every time we pass by the seaside, you stare at the sea for a good while.”
Bai Chen Zhu responded softly. “I’ve seen plenty of mountains, but rarely the sea.”
“Is that so? Then you definitely haven’t tried any water activities, huh?”
Bai Chen Zhu undid one button and replied casually. “Yeah, whereas Young Master Jiang must have come to play plenty of times.”
“Of course.” Jiang Ye grinned smugly. He kicked a small stone on the beach into his pocket and pulled Bai Chen Zhu. “Come down. Today, this young master will take you to have some fun.”
“Where to?” Bai Chen Zhu followed the pull on his arm and got down from the big rock. Jiang Ye ran fast, dragging him into a stumble. “Where exactly?”
Jiang Ye brought him to a pier where all sorts of boats were docked. Bai Chen Zhu glanced over them; he didn’t recognize any and couldn’t name them.
Jiang Ye let go of his hand and fiddled around on the pier, pressing here and there.
Who had the mind for water activities these days? Perhaps the shop owner was long gone. Some boats had glue coming loose from the sun, others covered in dust.
Jiang Ye picked a red-and-black motorboat, found two old life jackets, and tossed them to Bai Chen Zhu. “Put these on. I’ll take you for a spin.”
“…Not dangerous, right?” Bai Chen Zhu was tempted, but his fear of the ocean weighed him down.
“Tch, who am I? Would I trick you? Zero danger. It’s just like riding a motorcycle for a joyride to see the sights. We won’t go too far and will be back soon.” Jiang Ye pounded his chest confidently and grinned.
Bai Chen Zhu put on the life jacket, swallowed, and walked over to Jiang Ye. “Where do I sit?”
Jiang Ye pushed hard to get the motorboat into the water, then straddled it. “Come, sit in front of me. I’ll hold you so you won’t fall into the sea.”
Bai Chen Zhu still cared about his pride. “I’ll sit in the back.”
“You sure?” Jiang Ye’s expression was a bit odd.
Bai Chen Zhu affirmed. “What’s wrong? I’m taller; it wouldn’t fit with you holding me. Can’t I sit in the back?”
“Sure, of course. But you gotta hold on tight. Don’t blame me if you fall off.” The equally tall Jiang Ye chuckled.
Jiang Ye’s words made Bai Chen Zhu regret a bit, but having him say he’d sit in front now was impossible.
The boat was close to the pier. Jiang Ye waved him over. “Come on.”
Bai Chen Zhu eyed the distance, took two steps back, accelerated, and landed steadily behind Jiang Ye. He hugged Jiang Ye’s waist tightly. The scent of another person hit him full force unexpectedly. The motorboat bobbed up and down on the sea surface, and his heart rate shot up.
Jiang Ye started the engine, and the motorboat moved slowly on the water, rising and falling with the waves.
It was indeed leisurely, not thrilling, and seemed safe. Bai Chen Zhu’s heart gradually settled.
Jiang Ye explained to him. “It’s been too long since it was started. Let it idle a bit to warm up.”
“Mm.”
The sun warmed his body pleasantly. Bai Chen Zhu narrowed his eyes, feeling drowsy.
Jiang Ye gunned the throttle, and the motorboat shot forward like an arrow. Bai Chen Zhu’s soul nearly didn’t keep up.
“Woo-hoo~” Jiang Ye let out an excited yell, twisting the throttle to the max. The boat kicked up circle after circle of white waves behind, rocking and swerving left and right on the sea, jolting as if it would fly off the next second.
Bai Chen Zhu was terrified and immediately hugged him tight.
“Jiang Ye!” Bai Chen Zhu shouted.
Jiang Ye cheerfully turned on the stereo, and upbeat music blasted out, drowning the faint sound of Bai Tao’s singing from afar.
Bai Chen Zhu’s soul flew away.
Jiang Ye showed off his skills, circling round and round, tracing a snail-shell pattern on the sea. The speed was so fast that the wind made Bai Chen Zhu squint, unable to see ahead clearly—only the dazzling sun in the sky and the rippling sea.
Several times, Bai Chen Zhu felt he was about to be flung off. The thumping music was practically the external version of his heartbeat.
In an even wilder moment, the whole motorboat launched off the water like an arrow from a bow. For those brief seconds, Bai Chen Zhu’s breathing stopped in fright. It looked like they would flip and crash into the sea boat and all, but the next second, it slammed steadily back onto the surface.
“Jiang Ye!” Bai Chen Zhu yelled several times. Jiang Ye responded, but he couldn’t hear what Jiang Ye said—only saw the veins bulging on the hand twisting the throttle and heard his somewhat heavy breathing. The heart pressed against his beat powerfully and steadily.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye stood up. Bai Chen Zhu jolted in fright and quickly stood with him. The two swayed on the speeding motorboat, standing like they were riding horses. The sound of waves and blasting music filled their ears; white foam on both sides turned to white mist trailing behind like a pair of snowy wings.
The boat’s bow kept lifting, wind howling. Every time Bai Chen Zhu thought they would flip, Jiang Ye controlled it like taming a wild beast, forcing it back down.
When his heart raced to a certain point, Bai Chen Zhu went numb all over. His hands ached from gripping too hard. He began to get used to the sea wind, sun, music, and the carefree surfing Jiang Ye—adapting to the rhythm without realizing when.
Even if he fell into the sea, he’d accept it. Who let him board this pirate ship.
The moment the motorboat reached shore, Bai Chen Zhu swore he’d never go out to sea with Jiang Ye again in this lifetime.
“Wasn’t that awesome!” Jiang Ye turned back, still smug. He unbuckled the key on his life jacket and stepped off the boat. Bai Chen Zhu’s arms were numb from hugging so long and didn’t retract in time, so he was pulled off with him, stumbling forward about to face-plant.
Jiang Ye caught him hurriedly, holding his shoulders. Bai Chen Zhu ended up collapsing into him, turning into a tight, seamless embrace.
“You okay?” Jiang Ye, having had his fun, belatedly felt a bit guilty. “My skills are great. Guaranteed no falling into the sea.”
Bai Chen Zhu had no energy to banter with him. He said weakly, “I can tell.”
Jiang Ye thought he was praising him and was over the moon.
Bai Chen Zhu was exhausted. He buried himself in Jiang Ye’s arms, too lazy to move. “Let me lean for a bit.”
Jiang Ye agreed twice and held his shoulders as they sat on a nearby long bench. Bai Chen Zhu blew on his reddened fingers. Jiang Ye curiously looked down at the life jacket on himself.
Good grief—the waist part was nearly clawed apart by Bai Chen Zhu.
Jiang Ye’s scalp tingled for a moment. He tried to recall the ride, figuring Bai Chen Zhu must have enjoyed it a lot to hug so tightly, right? Overcome with excitement.
“Jiang Ye.” Bai Chen Zhu called out faintly.
“Here!” Jiang Ye straightened up like a student called by the teacher.
Bai Chen Zhu opened his mouth, wanting to get angry but not knowing where to start. In the end, full of helplessness, he laughed at himself in exasperation. He paused, then said tactfully, “You haven’t taken anyone else before?”
Has no one told you your skills suck? They’re good in a show-off way, but awful for the passenger.
Jiang Ye lifted his chin. “Hmph, they don’t deserve to ride my boat.”
Bai Chen Zhu: …
What an honor.
Jiang Ye glanced at Bai Chen Zhu again and blinked. “I just wanted to take you for a spin. Wasn’t it fun enough?”
With his good intentions, Bai Chen Zhu could only wipe his face and say against his conscience, “No, it was… pretty fun.”
His heart was still pounding, making his hands shake. He felt like he might need an ambulance.
—
After a while, rested enough, Jiang Ye stood and stretched lazily. He yawned and pointed at the golden sunset on the sea. “A’Zhu, now’s the best time to watch the sea. Let’s walk back along the shore.”
It was nearly evening; the fountain square concert was probably wrapping up soon. Bai Chen Zhu gauged the time; it was indeed time to head back.
Jiang Ye tilted his head at him and teased suddenly, “Feeling better now? Want me to carry you back?”
Bai Chen Zhu smiled and gave his calf a light kick as his answer.
Jiang Ye shrugged. “Then let’s go.”
Bai Chen Zhu took off the life jacket; his back was soaked in cold sweat. A gust of wind made him sneeze. Jiang Ye draped the life jacket back over him. “Take it slow before removing it, or you’ll catch a chill.”
They both knew how troublesome getting sick was now.
Bai Chen Zhu nodded.
Jiang Ye walked ahead to lead the way, going slowly. Bai Chen Zhu followed languidly, seeing his hands-in-pockets, carefree slouch compared to his own played-out exhaustion. The contrast was stark.
So eye-catching. Bai Chen Zhu paused, looking at the salted egg yolk of a sun on the sea. Facing the light, he squinted; golden rays jumped into his eyes, warming him through. A spring breeze blew, and he perked up again.
Bai Chen Zhu looked ahead. Jiang Ye hadn’t gone far but had turned back to watch him, hands in pockets, leaning obliquely.
Bai Chen Zhu could clearly see his neat short hair and chiseled features.
This guy always wore bright colors, saying that in the late apocalypse, clothes were hard to dye, all black, white, and gray.
So he loved the vibrant patterns now and enjoyed this time before everything fully collapsed.
After learning the reason, Bai Chen Zhu never mocked his taste again.
Now, in his orange beach outfit standing there, Jiang Ye exuded a cocky, domineering vibe. Under the sun, he looked like a supermodel on a shoot—tall, long-legged, scenery wherever he stood.
Jiang Ye smirked provocatively. “What? Tired from walking? Call me ‘bro,’ and I’ll carry you back.”
If only the supermodel didn’t talk, it’d be perfect. Bai Chen Zhu thought.
Little did he know that in Jiang Ye’s eyes, he was also a beautiful sight.
Bai Chen Zhu walked over unhurriedly, and Jiang Ye walked side by side with him, leaving two long strings of footprints on the beach. Their elongated shadows under the setting sun fell onto the white sand beach, almost overlapping.
