Chapter 174: Tremors, the Earthquake is Finally Here
"Awoo!"
The eggplant, which had been obediently licking an ice cube, suddenly rose from the ground and began to pace anxiously inside the tent.
Sometimes it would whine and tug at Meng Ci's clothes, as if trying to pull both of them out.
It had been said that animals could sense things humans couldn't, especially natural disasters.
Meng Ci and Shen Que exchanged a glance, realizing that an earthquake was about to strike.
Meng Ci clasped Shen Que's hand again and pulled the anxious eggplant over.
"Eggplant, don't be afraid," Meng Ci comforted.
In case the ground beneath them cracked open due to the earthquake, Meng Ci could promptly take the man and the wolf into his spatial dimension.
Feeling his master's grip, eggplant willingly placed its head on Meng Ci's leg.
Meng Ci reached out, stroking eggplant's head to soothe its fear.
Ten minutes passed, and the residents outside spoke again.
"Hey, am I feeling it wrong, or is the ground moving?"
"You're probably just hallucinating from hunger."
"Could it be an earthquake coming?"
...
Inside the tent, Meng Ci and Shen Que's eyes were fixed on the basin that had once held ice cubes but had long since melted into water.
The previously calm water surface began to ripple.
"It's here!"
Shen Que said, his eyes locked on Meng Ci, as if trying to etch him into his heart.
Feeling embarrassed by his intense gaze, Meng Ci unconsciously grabbed eggplant's ears and rubbed them hard.
What's with him? It's just an earthquake, why does he look like we're about to face some life-and-death separation.
Feeling even more embarrassed, Meng Ci intended to glare fiercely at Shen Que, to tell him off and demand he stop staring.
But before Meng Ci could even lift his head, Shen Que pulled him into his arms and deeply kissed him.
Meng Ci was kissed senseless, his mind going blank.
As the ground shook more violently during their kiss, someone outside shouted, "Run, the earthquake is here!"
"Forget your things, is your life or your stuff more important?"
...
"Everyone, stay calm. This is an open space; it's relatively safer here."
"Yes, yes, everyone, crouch down and cover your heads."
...
Soon, some people who had regained their senses began to shout instructions.
With a backbone of guidance, the crowd quickly calmed down and crouched on the ground as instructed.
"Damn it, when will this apocalypse end?"
"God, are you even letting us live?"
...
Inside the tent, Meng Ci was kissed by Shen Que for five or six minutes, from the lips to the forehead, then the nose.
Meng Ci was kissed until his limbs felt weak, and he could only stay in Shen Que's arms, too soft to resist.
The ground shook more violently, and once Meng Ci somewhat recovered, he pushed Shen Que away with all his strength.
"Are you crazy!" Meng Ci said, though his voice was soft and lacked any real ferocity despite the harsh words.
"What are you thinking about? This isn't the time for this."
"Yes, I'm crazy!" Shen Que replied, his eyes falling on Meng Ci's wrist, which had turned red from where he had been gripping it tightly.
Only this confirmed that Meng Ci was still by his side and hadn't disappeared.
Shen Que pressed his lips together and gently rubbed Meng Ci's wrist.
"Let's go out," Meng Ci suggested.
Although it was hot outside, with the shaking this intense, if the tent collapsed and buried them, it would be bad.
Not to mention, there were several large flower beds nearby.
Meng Ci stored the fan and the basin into his spatial dimension, then opened the tent and stepped out.
The ground shook violently, and the two of them could barely stand steadily.
Meng Ci grabbed the flower bed to barely stabilize himself and looked around.
A hastily built makeshift shed had collapsed due to the earthquake, and the owner was crying miserably beside it.
Some had their legs injured by the tent and were crying while holding their feet.
There were also people cursing the heavens, the government, and the injustice of fate.
"Be careful."
Shen Que stood behind Meng Ci and, seeing that the flower bed was about to topple due to the earthquake, pulled Meng Ci away from the flower pot.
The flower pot only wobbled a couple of times and did not fall over.
Thinking it over, Shen Que felt the place was too dangerous. He untied the rope and led Meng Ci to an open space.
The eggplant followed closely behind the two masters, its body pressed tightly against them.
Awoo.
Even if dying, it would die together with its masters.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud sound of a giant building collapsing came from not far away. The few people looked over and saw an office building near the park collapse.
Some said there were still people inside the building, and they were probably dead.
There were also those who were relieved, thinking that since the building had collapsed, they could collect more bricks to exchange for points, which could help them survive a little longer.
Meng Ci and Shen Que held each other's hands tightly, squatting on the ground, trying their best to maintain stability.
Shen Que extended another hand to hold the eggplant.
Boom, rumble.
The earthquake lasted only about ten minutes, and several buildings had already collapsed nearby.
Fortunately, no one in the park was injured.
The eggplant relaxed its body against Meng Ci, who guessed that the earthquake was about to end.
Sure enough, two minutes later, the ground stopped shaking.
The two of them sighed in relief.
Shen Que let go of the eggplant and then held Meng Ci by the waist, placing him on his lap.
Shen Que's hands ran up and down Meng Ci's body as his eyes checked around to ensure Meng Ci was unharmed.
Although Meng Ci knew Shen Que was making sure he wasn't injured, his actions seemed like he was behaving indecently.
Moreover, with so many people around, Meng Ci felt embarrassed.
But after the ground stopped shaking, people around them wiped their sweat and returned to their shelters.
They then tried to figure out how to rebuild the collapsed makeshift sheds and had no time to pay attention to them.
Even if someone saw, they would just assume the two were close.
After all, having just experienced a life-and-death moment, it was understandable to be a little intimate.
Perhaps at a time like this, even if they were gay, how could it matter? How fortunate it was to have a loved one by your side.
After making sure Meng Ci was okay, Shen Que tightly held him in his arms.
Meng Ci, feeling too hot, pushed him away.
"Enough, enough, aren't you hot!"
"Stop hugging."
Shen Que obediently let go of Meng Ci and then led him back to his tent.
Fortunately, although the flower bed had rolled earlier, it did not affect their tent. Shen Que used the rope to tie the bedsheet again, blocking the view.
Then the two and the eggplant entered the tent.
Meng Ci went into the space to fetch two basins of water. The fan and the basin filled with ice were still there. The two of them casually wiped their bodies with handkerchiefs, finally feeling refreshed as they lay down.
"Xiao Ci, if this earthquake is just a one-time event, should we leave this place?" Shen Que's arm was tightly pressed against Meng Ci.
Meng Ci sat up, thought about it, and agreed it was possible.
They had initially chosen this place because it was open. Now that the earthquake was over, it was indeed not suitable to stay here anymore, and it was inconvenient as well.
Without further delay, they exited the tent and began packing their things.