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!
nc-apocalyptic-ending-2
https://novelbun.com/novels/the-absolute-favorite-in-the-apocalyptic-rebirth/chapters/apocalyptic-ending-2/
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