The Absolute Favorite in the Apocalyptic Rebirth

The villa had been unoccupied for several years. Not only was it empty, but it was also covered in dust. The two didn't plan to stay long, merely tidying up a room and setting out some necessities—a bed and blankets would suffice.

After their meal, Lou Dian retrieved a wooden tub from his spatial storage, filled it with hot water, and then had Lou Ling take a bath.

Besides the comfort of a hot bath in the cold weather, she had also started her monthly period. Her heavy flow resulted in a faint, lingering metallic scent that was extremely irritating to an esper with heightened senses like Lou Dian. It even made him feel his blood boil. Not to mention, it was a veritable magnet for zombies.

Lou Ling had become so accustomed to this that she could calmly accept sanitary pads from him, even casually complaining about which brands were good and which weren't. Of course, it was just a complaint. Knowing how many women couldn't even use such things now, she naturally wouldn't be wasteful.

When she emerged, wrapped in a thick bathrobe, Lou Dian had almost finished arranging the room. An electric heater warmed the room, chasing away the chill. He was spreading a down comforter on the bed. Seeing her, he took a thermos from his spatial storage. Inside was red date milk he had made a few days ago. Preserved within the spatial storage, it remained fresh, steaming when poured.

"Drink this and go to sleep!" He handed her the cup, his tone gentle yet undeniably firm.

Lou Ling nodded casually. During her period, even with her enhanced physique, she wasn't as strong as usual, especially in this freezing weather. Her hands and feet were cold, and she felt quite uncomfortable. The red date milk was specially made for her, meant to nourish her during this time.

Thinking of this, she felt a little embarrassed. They had been together for over three years. Although Lou Dian appeared gentle and tolerant of her, in their relationship, he held a position of absolute dominance, leading and carefully cultivating their bond, gradually consuming her resolve. He didn't allow her the slightest retreat, blocking all other paths, leaving her with only him.

She wasn't heartless. Perhaps initially, she felt uneasy, somewhat unable to accept it, even depressed by his dominance. But he held her weaknesses firmly in his grasp, knowing that although she couldn't accept his distorted familial affection, she wouldn't easily abandon him in this terrifying world. Thus, he bound her tightly to him.

If it weren't for the apocalypse, she didn't think they would be together. Lou Dian's dominance made her uneasy and resistant. After graduation, she would have left the Lou family, returned to her father's hometown, and found a truly gentle and honest man to spend her life with. If Lou Dian couldn't accept this, the result would simply be a clash of wills.

However, life was like that. Unexpected events often occurred, causing everything to deviate from its original trajectory. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing…

In a daze, she drifted off to sleep, hugging the blanket.

Lou Dian emerged from the bathroom, drying his dripping hair with a towel. He found her half-lying on the comforter, already asleep. Sighing in resignation, he scooped her up, pulled out the comforter from beneath her, and covered her with it. Then, he sat beside her, gazing at her sleeping face in the lamplight.

Asleep, her features were delicate and lovely, exuding a childlike innocence, all the more endearing and warm, like the girl next door, softening his heart.

He gently stroked her face. The events of his past life seemed distant now, the yearning and unattainable feelings gone, replaced by the image of her sleeping peacefully beside him, etched into his heart.

The next morning, they awoke to the sound of the north wind rattling the windows.

Having been constantly on the move, she finally had a good night's sleep, leaving her refreshed and full of energy. Her good mood remained unaffected even as she breathed against the windowpane, looking out at the desolate landscape.

Although the apocalypse was despairing, it also held hope. She would never let despair dominate her heart, facing each day with pessimism. Moreover, she believed that the apocalypse would eventually end, and humanity would usher in a new era.

"Xiao Ling, breakfast is ready." Lou Dian's esper abilities sensed she was awake, and he came in to call her.

Seeing him casually dressed in beige leisurewear, Lou Ling felt a pang of envy. In this freezing weather, he could wear so little and not feel cold. No wonder high-ranking espers were so fervently worshipped, with people resorting to any means to reach such heights.

Since Lou Ling was on her period, she bundled herself up in layers, rolling out of the room.

Lou Dian cooked in the living room, still using an alcohol stove. For breakfast, besides noodle soup, there were various hot pot ingredients. Such a rich and greasy meal would be too much for ordinary people, but for espers, it was a feast. Even Lou Dian, who appeared to be an otherworldly nobleman, ate meat with surprising gusto, shattering his usual image.

"Someone is living in the villa next door," Lou Dian said. "We'll stay here for a few days."

The reason for their stay was naturally to cater to her period. Lou Ling felt no guilt, as they weren't in a hurry anyway. She was more interested in the people next door. "Are they espers? Are they here on a mission? How many are there?"

"Thirteen, all espers." Lou Dian placed a piece of lamb into her bowl, not mentioning that there were two acquaintances among them.

Hearing this, she lost interest. To her, strangers were of no concern. If they were acquaintances, her reaction would depend on the level of familiarity. While she would be happy, she wouldn't rashly approach them. Having traveled through the apocalypse for several years, she had developed a certain wariness towards people.

During their two days at the villa, Lou Ling, out of boredom, cultivated many kinds of fruit, sensing that her abilities were about to break through again. She was overjoyed. After this winter, she estimated she could advance to a Level Three Wood Esper. Although her abilities were weak compared to Lou Dian's, she was indeed growing stronger, little by little.

Early on the third day, Lou Dian received a call from the Northwest Base.

The communicator Lou Yan had given them was still working. Communication was indeed unaffected by the Earth's chaotic magnetic field, but it was limited to voice calls, and sometimes the sound was muffled. This time, Lou Yan had managed to connect with them after much effort.

"Brother! Winter's here, when are you and Sister Ling coming back? Mom, Dad, and Big Brother are all talking about you…" Having finally connected, Lou Yan chattered non-stop. Lou Dian, too lazy to listen to her rambling, handed the communicator to Lou Ling.

After discussing their travel plans, Lou Yan told them about the situation at the Northwest Base. Everything was fine; nothing major had happened. Although there had been a zombie siege recently, the number of zombies was small, easily dealt with by a few espers. The most formidable among them was Tan Mo, who was like a mobile weapon. Zombies never avoided him; one swing of his blade would take down a swathe of them.

Lou Ling laughed. The girl's exaggerations were amusing.

"Oh, right, Sister Ling, remember Gan Jingcheng? He's amazing! He actually managed to lower the production cost and create a more refined zombie virus antidote, more effective and faster-acting than the one originally developed by the scientists, and requiring fewer materials. Also, he can even find toxins in some mutated plants that counteract the zombie virus. He's a true genius. If he hadn't treated Second Brother so cruelly, I would have wanted to find a way to prolong his life, let him live longer and contribute more to humanity… Also, I heard that the Capital Base's research institute has also developed a zombie virus antidote. Unfortunately, theirs isn't as potent as ours, but it's still better than those of other bases. Let me tell you, I overheard Dad and Big Brother talking. The Capital Base has a powerful esper, called Young Master Feng or something. He's incredibly strong. In just a year, he's almost completely consolidated the Capital Base. Many people in the military support him. He's the undisputed number one in the Capital Base…"

As Lou Ling listened, stunned, the communicator was suddenly snatched from her hand.

Lou Dian's face darkened slightly as he asked, "Xiao Yan, what did your father and brother say?"

"Say about what?" Lou Yan, with her sharp ears, was momentarily confused by the sudden change of speaker.

"The news about the Capital Base. We're currently in the eastern coastal area, very close to the Capital Base."

Lou Yan immediately understood, thinking he wanted to gather information about the Capital Base to make plans. She quickly recounted everything she knew in detail.

"Dad said that Young Master Feng is very powerful, supposedly a recognized powerhouse in the Capital Base. They suspect his esper level has already reached Level Five or above. Oh, right, he's a Wind Esper, apparently from the West Branch of the Feng family in the Capital Base's research institute. He's incredibly formidable now. In less than a year, he's practically taken control of the entire Capital Base. Many people in the military support him. He's the undisputed number one in the Capital Base…"

Lou Dian lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions within. From Lou Ling's perspective, she could only see his long eyelashes trembling slightly, like butterfly wings, stirring her heart, making her want to reach out and gently touch them.

After Lou Yan finished sharing what she knew, Lou Ling's first thought was that this "Young Master Feng" must be the one she knew. Thinking the worst, she wondered if Feng Shaohuang, now so powerful, would hold a grudge about their night-time battle and seek revenge. Moreover, Lou Dian had kicked him in a certain area back then. Had he not crippled him?

Lou Ling keenly sensed that Lou Dian didn't like her mentioning Feng Shaohuang, even preventing her from learning about him. So she pretended not to know, though she was aware of some basic information. She knew that Feng Shaohuang and Lou Dian were roommates and friends in college but didn't know why they became enemies and broke off their relationship. As for Feng Shaohuang's character, she didn't really know, having only met him a few times. Because of Dr. Feng's human experiments and the Qin family, she had a very negative impression of him.

After Lou Dian turned off the communicator, he sat silently for a while. When he came back to his senses, he noticed the person beside him had been quietly observing him. He instinctively gave her a gentle smile.

"Xiao Ling, do you want to go to the beach tomorrow?" Lou Dian asked, stroking the back of her head.

Lou Ling didn't know why he suddenly changed the subject so abruptly, but she also knew he wouldn't talk to her about Feng Shaohuang. She casually replied, "Sure!"

He smiled again, leaning in to kiss the corner of her lips.

It was wonderful. In this life, she belonged to him! As for Feng Shaohuang, in this life, he was too late.

Author's Note:

Today's goals:

Lou Ling's goal: Accompany the moody deviant!

Lou Dian's goal: To be together forever!

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