Jun Yan's blade gleamed cold beneath the flickering emergency lights. He stood with one arm raised, sword pointed directly at Si Qin's chest, his lips twisted in cruel satisfaction. Beside him, Lu Ningfei stood still, his pale face unreadable though the dark glimmer in his eyes gave away his weariness.
Si Qin trembled, fists clenched at his sides, but he did not back away. His chin tilted defiantly upward, arrogant even as his bare feet curled against the freezing tiles.
"Move," Jun Yan ordered, voice taut with rage. "Or I'll cut you down."
The tension snapped with a sound sharper than steel.
A boot connected with the flat of Jun Yan's sword, sending it clattering across the floor.
Jun Yan staggered back, stunned, as a tall figure stepped between him and his would-be victims. Shen Zhiling's shadow loomed like a fortress wall, his cold eyes flashing with fury.
"Dare raise your sword against him again," Shen Zhiling said, his tone like ice, "and you'll lose the hand that holds it."
Jun Yan's face darkened, but the chill in Shen Zhiling's gaze froze the words in his throat.
Lu Ningfei blinked, his heart stumbling in his chest. "Zhiling…"
The rage in Shen Zhiling's face softened instantly when he turned to him. His hand rose, fingers brushing aside strands of Ningfei's ink-black hair as his eyes scanned him for injuries. "Are you hurt?"
"No," Ningfei whispered, but his throat tightened. For a moment, the endless loneliness of his past life surged up...the years of hunger, of walking streets with no one waiting at home, of never once hearing someone worry for him. Yet here stood Shen Zhiling, looking at him with unshakable concern, as though Ningfei's well-being was worth more than anything else.
His eyes stung. He lowered his head quickly, afraid of what might spill out.
"Where were you?" Ningfei asked hoarsely, his voice small, vulnerable. "Last night… you didn't come back. 1501 was silent. I thought…"
Shen Zhiling's cold features melted at the tremor in Ningfei's words. He leaned down, pressing a kiss at the corner of his reddening eyes. His voice was steady, reassuring. "We went out to clean the nearby area. It wasn't safe to leave the zombies gathering. I didn't want them reaching you."
The kiss, the words, the quiet certainty..it broke something in Ningfei. He swallowed hard, blinking furiously. "Idiot," he muttered, but his hand trembled as it clutched Shen Zhiling's sleeve, refusing to let go.
Behind them, another tall figure appeared, his presence just as commanding but his smile wicked, lips curved in careless charm. Shen Zhiwei--Zhiling's younger brother, notorious playboy even in the apocalypse.
And his eyes instantly locked onto Si Qin.
"Ah, little beauty," Zhiwei drawled as he strode forward, scooping Si Qin into his arms before the boy could react. "What are you doing down here without shoes? Do you want to freeze those delicate white feet of yours?"
"Put me down!" Si Qin flailed furiously, kicking at him. "I told you not to call me that! And I'm not delicate!"
Zhiwei chuckled, holding him tighter. "But you are. Look at you--pale little toes, trembling from the cold. Do you want me to massage them warm later?"
"You--shameless!" Si Qin's face burned crimson as he squirmed, nearly wild with indignation. "Let me go right now or I'll--I'll bite you!"
"Then I'll offer you my neck," Zhiwei teased, leaning in closer, voice low and playful.
Si Qin nearly exploded. "You…! You're insufferable!"
Ningfei, watching this from the corner of his eye, sighed deeply. "These two…"
Zhiling, by contrast, ignored his brother entirely, focusing only on Ningfei's trembling hand still clutching him.
On the other side of the corridor, the scene was far less warm.
Xie Sheng's gaze lingered on the pairs before him. Zhiling's protective stance over Ningfei, Zhiwei's shameless teasing of Si Qin… bonds, emotions, warmth. He looked at Jun Yan, whose jaw was tight, face twisted with anger.
Jun Yan's attention wasn't on him...it never truly was.
"Jun Yan," Xie Sheng said quietly, stepping forward, "are you alright?"
"Alright?" Jun Yan spat, shoving him back with a glare. "Don't touch me."
Xie Sheng froze, stunned.
"Why didn't you do what I asked?" Jun Yan snarled, grabbing the sword Shen Zhiling had kicked away. His knuckles turned white as he raised it. "You couldn't even teach that brat a lesson for me. What use are you?!"
"Jun Yan…" Xie Sheng's voice broke.
The blade slashed through the air.
Xie Sheng flinched...but before the steel reached him, another figure darted forward.
"Stop!"
The sword bit deep.
Blood sprayed across the corridor as Gu Yu'an stumbled back, clutching his side. His face was pale, twisted in pain, but his eyes remained clear as he steadied himself between Jun Yan and Xie Sheng.
"Yu'an--!" Xie Sheng caught him before he fell, shock flooding his chest.
Gu Yu'an coughed, blood staining his lips. "You… idiot," he rasped, looking at him. "Always standing there, taking blows without a word. Someone has to protect you for once."
Xie Sheng's throat locked, his arms tightening around his friend's trembling frame. "Why… why would you---"
"Because you matter," Yu'an whispered, his breath shallow.
Jun Yan's eyes widened briefly, but instead of guilt, fury twisted deeper across his face. "Useless, all of you," he hissed, shaking with rage, his grip on the bloodied sword trembling.
The corridor went silent, every heartbeat echoing against the walls.
Ningfei, held close against Shen Zhiling's steady chest, looked at the scene with cold, sharp eyes. His lips curved faintly...mockery, but also resignation. The story really was breaking apart. Xie Sheng's loyalty was cracking. The script that once bound them all was unraveling thread by thread.
.
.
Lu Ningfei's body felt light, almost unreal, as Shen Zhiling carried him upstairs without a word.
The man's steps were steady, his grip firm. Ningfei could hear his heartbeat, strong and unwavering beneath the cool facade. It should have been embarrassing--being carried bridal-style like some fragile doll---but instead Ningfei felt a heat curl in his chest that had nothing to do with shame.
At his door, Shen Zhiling shifted him effortlessly to one arm and twisted the handle.
The door swung open.
But before either of them could step inside, two shadows appeared right behind--Si Qin, still barefoot and fuming, and Shen Zhiwei, his grin as shameless as ever.
"Wait!" Si Qin snapped, tugging at Zhiwei's sleeve. "Why are you carrying him in there like that? He's mine to--"
Before he could finish, Shen Zhiling gave them both one icy glance, stepped inside, and with a resounding bang, slammed the door in their faces. The metallic click of the lock echoed a moment later, final and absolute.
The silence on the landing was heavy.
Si Qin stared at the door, face blank with shock. Then slowly, very slowly, his expression twisted with outrage. "Did he just--did he just slam the door on me?"
"Looks that way," Shen Zhiwei said cheerfully.
"He locked it!" Si Qin rattled the handle furiously. "He really locked it! That bastard...open the door right now! Ningfei! Don't let him abduct you! I'll kick this door down if I have to!"
Zhiwei chuckled, slipping an arm under Si Qin's knees before the boy could follow through. With effortless strength, he lifted him clean off the ground.
"Put me down!" Si Qin shouted, flailing. "I'm serious! He can't just--he can't just-"
"Relax," Zhiwei drawled, carrying him down the hall toward 1501. "Eldest brother doesn't slam doors for nothing. Besides…" His lips curved in a wolfish grin as he glanced at Si Qin's furious, flushed face. "He's just announcing his claim. Sooner or later, we'll be doing the same."
"What claim?!" Si Qin sputtered. "You're insane! Put me down before I--"
"Before you what? Kick me?" Zhiwei teased, tightening his grip. "Try it. I'll still carry you home."
"Argh!" Si Qin covered his face with his hands, nearly shrieking in frustration.
When the door to 1501 opened, Shen Zhilan nearly dropped the teacup he was holding.
"Second Brother? Why are you carrying Si Qin like--" His gentle eyes blinked, confusion settling over his face.
"Eldest locked himself up with Lu Ningfei," Zhiwei announced with far too much satisfaction as he deposited Si Qin onto the sofa like a package. "So we'll probably have a sister-in-law soon."
Zhilan froze. "...What?"
Si Qin sprang up, red-faced, pointing furiously at Zhiwei. "Don't talk nonsense! Ningfei's not--he's not--! He's my brother, not your sister-in-law!"
Zhiwei sat down leisurely, stretching out his long legs. "Give it a few hours."
"You--!" Si Qin nearly leapt at him, but Zhilan stepped in quickly, setting down the teacup. His calm voice smoothed over the rising sparks.
"Don't fight," Zhilan said gently. "Here, sit. I'll make tea."
"I don't want tea!" Si Qin snapped, still sulking. His face burned hotter the more he thought about 1504's locked door. "I want milk."
Zhilan blinked again, clearly bewildered, but after a pause he nodded. "...Alright. Milk it is."
As he moved to the kitchen, Si Qin folded his arms and sank back against the cushions, glaring at nothing. Zhiwei watched him, lips quirking, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Inside 1504, the world was quieter.
Shen Zhiling set Ningfei gently down, as if he were the most precious thing in existence. For a moment, they simply stood there, the locked door behind them shutting out all others.
Ningfei's lips parted, his voice soft. "You didn't have to… carry me like that."
"Didn't I?" Zhiling's voice was low, steady. "You looked like you might slip away if I didn't hold you close."
The words struck something deep in Ningfei's chest. He lowered his gaze quickly, trying to hide the heat rising in his cheeks.
Silence stretched, filled only by the faint hum of the broken building around them. Then Shen Zhiling stepped closer, his shadow falling across Ningfei's pale form.
"Ningfei." His voice was firm now, steady and certain. "I need you to hear me."
Ningfei's lashes lifted slowly. He met Zhiling's eyes..and the intensity there made his breath catch.
"I love you."
The words were simple, but they landed like a hammer against Ningfei's heart. His chest tightened painfully. For a moment, all he could do was stare, frozen, as memories of his past life clawed at him: endless days of bad luck, of being alone, of no one ever saying those words to him...not truly.
"I don't want to wait," Zhiling continued, his voice low but unshakable. "It's the apocalypse. Anything can happen tomorrow, or even tonight. I don't want to waste time pretending. I love you, and I want to marry you--today."
Ningfei's lips trembled. He turned his face away, tears threatening to blur his vision. "You…" His voice was faint. "You don't know what you're saying. I...I've never had anyone--"
"Then let me be the first," Zhiling interrupted, stepping closer until his warmth pressed against him. He cupped Ningfei's face, tilting it gently back to him. His thumb brushed away the tears before they could fall. "Let me be the last."
The dam broke. Ningfei's breath hitched, and he pressed his hands against Zhiling's chest as if to push him away, but instead he gripped his shirt tightly.
"Idiot," Ningfei whispered, his cheeks burning. "How can I not love you back when you say it like that?"
Zhiling's gaze softened. "Then say yes."
Ningfei squeezed his eyes shut, nodding once, small but firm. "Yes."
Relief swept through Zhiling's features, sharp edges melting away. He bent down and kissed Ningfei's trembling lips, gentle at first, then deeper as Ningfei yielded against him. The taste of salt lingered between them, tears and warmth mingling.
When they broke apart, Ningfei's face was flushed, his breath uneven. "You're Shameless."
"I love you," Zhiling murmured, kissing the corner of his lips again, then the soft curve of his jaw, then lower, down the pale line of his throat.
Ningfei shivered, heat curling low in his belly. His hands fumbled at Zhiling's shoulders, both resisting and clinging, until at last he gave in completely.
The bedroom door shut softly behind them. Clothes fell, discarded in the quiet glow of the room.