Chapter 26: 022 Sweet Night
Time rewound slightly, and while the aliens and Earth's VIPs were fretting over which nation or even planet to focus their concern on, Bai Zhongqi was still completely unaware of what position he held in this staggering upheaval.
He was just a somewhat clever person, even with certain psychological obstacles, an ordinary individual like most people on Earth, hoping to survive through the crisis. As for other, greater matters, Bai Zhongqi couldn't manage, nor did he believe it was his responsibility to do so. Now, apart from himself and his parents far away in China, the only other person he cared about was the junior sister who was temporarily staying at his house.
Han Jiaxue watched as Bai Zhongqi unearthed box after box of compressed biscuits and various canned meats from the storage room in his house, her mouth agape with surprise.
"Senior, why do you have so many compressed biscuits and canned foods at home?"
Bai Zhongqi, a bit embarrassed, stuffed a pack of water purifier back into the box and said, "Uh, actually I'm a bit of a doomsday prepper, what people usually call survivalists."
Ordinary people tend to view survivalists as complete idiots, and ancient peoples had created phrases like "a man who worries about the sky falling" to aptly describe such individuals. However, Han Jiaxue didn't exhibit any contempt towards Bai Zhongqi; instead, she bent down to help him with the items, smiling as she said to him, "At least we don't have to worry about food for a while now."
Bai Zhongqi, encouraged, also smiled back at his junior. If the end really did come, the various supplies he held would become hard currency in the aftermath. After all, in many online novels about the apocalypse, there were countless girls willing to sleep with others for a bit of food.
"Let's finish the fresh food at home first; those things are difficult to keep. Although I have stored vitamins, we will still need to replenish with some fresh food later on," Bai Zhongqi said.
Han Jiaxue was rather worried; chaos still erupted outside from time to time, and many supermarkets had already ceased operations. A large supermarket near Bai Zhongqi's home had even been looted after it closed down by nearby citizens. Everyone was wise enough to know that if aliens really attacked Earth, it would be the end times, and everyone hoped to store as much supplies as possible. And in the United States, where gun ownership is legal, people were driving to the supermarkets with guns, steadfastly igniting a gun battle in the parking lot. Laws, order, and morality were completely useless at this moment; even so-called high-quality citizens, when security and hope for the future were lost, could reveal the most ferocious side of humanity.
Yesterday, there were even dubious-looking characters knocking on the door of Bai Zhongqi's apartment asking for help. Bai Zhongqi told the folks outside, very sternly, to leave immediately or he would shoot them.
At this time, staying at home wasn't necessarily absolutely safe, let alone venturing out for food.
Bai Zhongqi also recognized the risks, saying, "Let's wait and see for now, at least we have a decent stockpile."
Han Jiaxue couldn't help but feel a deep gratitude towards Bai Zhongqi. She looked at him with eyes full of warmth, saying, "Senior, I owe you so much for rescuing me from the ruins and taking such good care of me. I really don't know how to thank you."
Bai Zhongqi shook his head, a bit embarrassed: "It's all what I should do."
Han Jiaxue naturally knew that what Bai Zhongqi had done had already gone beyond the bounds of helping a friend. Her gaze towards him also carried a hint of sweetness, yet she too felt shy and unsure of how to express herself. And so the two, with mutual affection for each other, lapsed into silence once more, an awkward atmosphere enveloping them.
"That—" They both happened to say at the same time.
Where their gazes met, even the dullest of people could sense the other's feelings.
In the end, it was the junior, Han Jiaxue, who was a bit braver. In a very soft voice, she asked, "Senior, do you like me?"
This time, Bai Zhongqi didn't stutter or avoid the question. Though he averted his gaze slightly, he still admitted in a deep voice, "Mhm."
Han Jiaxue wasn't surprised by the answer, yet her cheeks still flushed with a rosy hue.
"I like you too."
Bai Zhongqi felt as if his heart was about to leap out. Despite the many terrible things that had happened in the past few days, hearing the junior's confession made him feel as though those troubles didn't matter anymore.
What was originally an apocalyptic scene had given Bai Zhongqi, who might never have confessed his love, an excellent opportunity. From the first moment he saw Han Jiaxue, he had fallen madly in love with this beautiful, gentle girl with an orchid's grace and purity. But standing before the radiant Han Jiaxue, the ordinary him couldn't even utter a complete sentence. He felt that such a remarkable girl deserved someone better than himself.
At the very least, someone more handsome, someone who could provide her with a better material life. She should live like a princess, happily and joyfully, and all he needed was to watch her happiness from afar. That would have been enough.
People from two different worlds aren't meant to be together, Bai Zhongqi thought.
But Earth was facing an alien invasion, and the end was near; nobody knew if there would be a tomorrow. These deep feelings had to be poured out today, without any regrets.
And the girl's direct confession made Bai Zhongqi's joy surge like a tidal flood, endlessly rushing through his body.
He couldn't discern whether Han Jiaxue liked him because he gave her a sense of security, was thankful for what he had done, or really just liked him for who he was.
"Forget everything else!" Bai Zhongqi shoved the messy thoughts from his mind, his eyes now filled only with Han Jiaxue.
In Han Jiaxue's sparkling eyes, too, there was only this man. The slight fondness had now transformed into affectionate approval. Han Jiaxue felt that the man before her was the one worth entrusting her happiness for a lifetime.
The two embraced, exchanging sweet nothings they never had the chance to say before, ignoring the chaos outside. At least in this cramped little house, they enjoyed a rare moment of peace and warmth. But something always seems to disturb a young couple just beginning their journey together, and at that moment, an intensely bright light flashed across the sky, turning night into day.
Bai Zhongqi hastily comforted Han Jiaxue in his arms, gently pulling back the curtain to look out into the sky. A massive light source lit up the night sky like a sun, even more intense than the sun itself. A strong sense of unease surged in Bai Zhongqi's heart; he almost immediately guessed—it was the bloom of a nuclear explosion unfolding in space.