Ch70 Oh No, I'm Totally Screwed
"Stop!"
Shen Que tried to push Meng Ci off him, but the slightest movement of his hand made Meng Ci moan unconsciously.
The arms wrapped around his neck tightened, and long strands of hair tickled his skin.
He couldn't wake him up, and he couldn't get him off.
Meng Ci clearly heard Shen Que sigh before releasing the hand that had been pushing him away.
Meng Ci was satisfied.
Seems he had quite the talent for seduction!
Keep at it, and once he had Shen Que under his spell, life in the apocalypse would be pure bliss.
Still, survival was paramount. Every extra day lived was a day gained.
It was December 6th now. Thirteen days remained until the downpour ceased.
Yet other nightmares would soon follow.
On December 19th, acid rain began falling intermittently.
Many in the book assumed the downpour had ended and took to rubber boats to celebrate.
But suddenly, acid rain fell, corroding people's skin and destroying the boats.
Some exposed to the acid rain for too long suffer breathing difficulties.
In this apocalypse, hospitals and clinics are non-operational. These people can only lie at home, waiting to die.
Many houses are corroded and eventually collapse.
Fortunately, the buildings in Jinshang Jiayuan are sturdy and remain largely intact.
This was a major reason Meng Ci chose to stay here from the start, weathering the initial phase of the downpour.
Meng Ci rested his head on Shen Que's chest for a while, then unconsciously turned his face away.
This chest made for a perfect pillow.
Too bad there were so many layers of clothes between them.
He wondered how Shen Que would react if he pretended to be drunk and slipped his hand Inside Shen Que's clothes.
Forget it.
Better to take things step by step first, lest he scare the guy off. That would be counterproductive.
He wondered if Shen Que even liked guys. But judging by his lack of reaction to the Duan Yan and Cheng Yu situation, he probably isn't homophobic.
Considering how Shen Que usually looks out for him, maybe he's just deeply closeted.
Then he regretted not downloading instructional videos when he still had internet access. What if Shen Que knew nothing at all?
Was he supposed to make the first move?
Forget it. If it came down to it, being on top wasn't out of the question.
As for lubricants and other necessities, Meng Ci assured himself his storage space was stocked to the brim.
Everything had been looted from the old pharmaceutical factory. He guaranteed Shen Que wouldn't get hurt.
Meng Ci's thoughts spiraled into increasingly wild scenarios before he drifted off to sleep, though he couldn't recall when.
When he finally woke, Shen Que was nowhere to be found on the bed.
Meng Ci lay sprawled across the mattress, covered by the quilt.
He curled up beneath the covers and took a deep breath.
Mmm, Shen Que's scent permeated everything.
It smelled pretty good.
A sudden rustling sound made Meng Ci's eyes widen in fright.
Holy shit!
Realizing something was off, Meng Ci quickly pulled back the covers and sat up.
He grabbed the military coat from the nearby stool and threw it on, intending to make a quick escape while Shen Que wasn't around.
He quietly opened the bedroom door and peeked out. No one was there he could leave.
"Are you awake?"
Just as he closed the bedroom door, Meng Ci heard Shen Que's voice.
Meng Ci nodded. "Mhm."
"Um... how did I end up here? Did I get drunk?"
"Well, thanks for letting me stay. I'll head back now."
After speaking, Meng Ci gathered his coat and started toward the door.
Shen Que said, "I've finished cooking. Stay for a meal before you go."
Saying this, he carried a plate of shredded potatoes out and placed it on the dining table.
Seeing Shen Que showed no unusual signs, and feeling hungry himself, Meng Ci suppressed his discomfort, cleared his throat, and agreed.
"Alright."
Sitting at the table, Meng Ci looked at the dish and frowned.
Were these shredded potatoes or potato sticks?
How could anyone's knife skills be this terrible?
Immediately after, Shen Que brought out two bowls of noodles from the kitchen.
These noodles were prepared earlier using the pasta machine Meng Ci had lent Shen Que, so they were perfectly fine.
They split the shredded potatoes evenly.
After mixing them, Meng Ci found the taste passable-the key was that the potatoes were cooked through.
"How is it?" Shen Que suddenly asked.
"I used the seasonings you added when stir-frying before."
Meng Ci nodded. "It's fine."
"Much better than my first attempt at cooking." Meng Ci offered genuine praise.
Meng Ci had other things on his mind and wasn't in the mood for conversation. After finishing his meal, he hurried back home.
The moment he closed the security door, Meng Ci entered the space.
He rushed into the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, and took a shower.
But this time, while washing, his eyes kept stealing glances at the clothes laid out nearby.
What had he done yesterday? His pants were soaked.
And he'd slept lying on top of Shen Que.
Could Shen Que have sensed something? Might he think this was a declaration of intent?
How could he possibly face him now?
The thought made Meng Ci cover his face.
He was utterly mortified.
But!
Meng Ci's eyes lit up. Shen Que's expression today showed no signs of abnormality, meaning Shen Que probably didn't know about this.
Maybe Shen Que slept too soundly and didn't realize what he'd done.
Or perhaps... Shen Que had feelings for him too.
Either way, Shen Que's current reaction still worked in Meng Ci's favor.
It seemed catching up to Shen Que was within reach.
Before exiting the space, Meng Ci made his usual trip to the rooftop to check if the words on the wall had changed.
This time, as he approached the wall, the inscription suddenly shifted.
A new line appeared: "Requires massive acid rain input to enable Infinite water within the space."
Meng Ci's eyes lit up!
Acid rain would be coming soon. He had even stashed two glass tanks in the space specifically for collecting it. With tap water now readily available, that meant unlimited water usage. No more scrimping and saving, no more hesitating to let the water run while showering.
Meng Ci cheerfully exited the space, carrying a plastic bag in his hand. He sneaked down to the fifth floor and tossed it out.
Alright, now that the embarrassing evidence was gone, there was nothing left to fear.
Alright, now that the embarrassing evidence was gone, there was nothing left to fear.
During his recovery, residents began trickling back from the refugee settlement, and the military started patrolling the area by boat.
It seemed more people were leaving the settlement, prompting the military to maintain order.
Regardless, with these soldiers protecting them, they felt safer than before-at least large-scale bandit raids were unlikely now.
Under Meng Ci's careful tending, the little rabbit had grown a soft coat. It wouldn't be long before it was ready for slaughter.
The greens they'd planted earlier were nearly gone. Meng Ci turned the soil and scattered fresh seeds.
He picked out several packets of vegetable seeds for Yun Jingcen and the others. After all, they'd eaten and stayed for free, and they'd done most of the work cleaning up the battlefield.