Ch. 13

Jiang Rong opened his eyes and sat up at once, his body releasing a sinister and eerie aura which engulfed him and the room making the room looked ghostly and chilly. His red eyes were cold with uncertainty as he inspected his surroundings. He was sure that he was still in the hotel room but Ye Xuan wasn't around and his mind blank. He had no memories of how he ended up on the bed, all he could remember was that he was watching the meteorshower with Ye Xuan and there was a sudden flash on the balcony, everything from there was blank.

"Axuan" he called out but his voice was hoarse from just waking up, he quickly got down from the bed looking anxious and irritated not seeing Ye Xuan. He felt tight in his chest and his thoughts run wild, the sinister air around him intensified. He looked around and his mind went blank, Jiang Rong didn't know what he'll do if something was to happen to Ye Xuan. He was terrified of his own thoughts loosing his cool "Axuan! Axuan!Axuan!" he stood in place and kept muttering in daze. The door of the bathroom was pushed opened as a youth walked out with a bowl of water and a clean cloth in the water. Ye Xuan was about to call out to him when he noticed Jiang Rong awaked and standing, he stopped abruptly as chill run down his spine. The icy cold silence around Jiang Rong petrified him to the extent of not able to take a step to move forward or reverse backwards.

He stood in place staring wide eyed with his heart ponding loudly into his ears, cold sweat ran down his pale face. Ye Xuan felt the dangerous and terrifying chillness from Jiang Rong, he knew he had to escape from the danger, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Jiang Rong alone in such a state and also he couldn't move freely even if he wanted to. The bowl of water was dropped when Jiang Rong turned sharply to him, their gazes met making Ye Xuan's heart almost leaped out of his mouth in fright. "Brother Rong" he whispered silently staring appalled, Jiang Rong's cold red eyes which looked like a void deprived of emotions stared back at him. Jiang Rong became active seeing Ye Xuan, he took a step forward and stopped.

He saw Ye Xuan trembling with his gaze fixated on his every action, Jiang Rong was baffled and pained seeing that Ye Xuan was terrified of him. He continued towards Ye Xuan without a word, Ye Xuan felt as if a predator was approaching him. He closed his eyes and held himself tight when Jiang Rong came to stand in front of him, Ye Xuan stood still not breathing like a statue in wait of the pain and his end. But all what he was thinking didn't happen instead he was brought into a hug as Jiang Rong's huge arms supported his waist and his head rested on Jiang Rong's masculine chest. "Axuan" Jiang Rong's hot breath sprayed on his ear as Jiang Rong whispered into his ear. Ye Xuan opened up his eyes which had turned red and misty and puffed, he was sentimental and leaned into Jiang Rong more.

His sobbing voice sounded and he sniffed feeling emotional with the thought of losing Jiang Rong terrified him. "Wuuuuuuuuu~ brother Rong i was so scared. I thought you turned in a complete zombie and couldn't recognize me anymore" he confided in Jiang Rong whilst sobbing. Jiang Rong regained his composure and withdrew his eerie aura from the atmosphere as his eyes turned back to their usual color, he hugged Ye Xuan more feeling Ye Xuan's terrified emotions and anxiousness. It galled him to have Ye Xuan wronged again because of him, Jiang Rong was depressed and so was Ye Xuan. "Axuan I'm sorry, i worried you. Don't cry anymore I'm fine now and everything's going to be alright" he coaxed Ye Xuan who was sniffling on his chest. Jiang Rong slowly led him to take a seat on the bed with him kneeling on a knee by his side, Ye Xuan had a very wronged and aggrieved look. "Axuan please don't cry anymore hm, brother Rong, I'm sorry. I scared Axuan for sleeping the whole day." he apologized.

"What are you talking about, brother Rong slept for 7 days!" Ye Xuan stated with puffed and red eyes. Jiang Rong was shocked by his words "i slept for 7 day?! What do you mean wasn't it just last night we were watching the meteorshower?" he said confused full of doubts, Ye Xuan shook his head denying his statement. "Brother Rong slept for 7 days and I slept for give days" Jiang Rong quickly took his phone and checked. "that night after the sudden flash brother Rong fainted on the floor, i was very scared seeing you on the floor to i dragged you to the bed. I also lost consciousness just as i was able to barely get you on the bed, when i woke up again it was five days after. Brother Rong the apocalypse...it had already started and it scared me thinking you might never wake up again and..and... and turn into a zombie completely and not remember Axuan again, i was so terrified i didn't know what to do and I couldn't get into the space or get in contact with Mao Qui...wuuuuuuuuu"

Ye Xuan informed as he started bawling again pouring out his heart's grievance, Jiang Rong was depressed and distressful, hearing about the zombies was no shock to him because he could already feeling the eerieness in the atmosphere. He pulled Ye Xuan into a hug again and pat his back trying to sooth him, "Axuan I'm sorry, i don't know what happened back then. Everything went completely dark after the flash, and I don't even know what caused the sudden flash. You couldn't even enter into the space, Axuan i don't know what I'll do if something were to happen to you whilst I was out cold." Jiang Rong was afflicted sensing Ye Xuan's trembling body in his arms, he didn't know of what to make out of all the informations gotten.

There was too many changes in the timeline which didn't happen in his past life, he knew he could no longer depend on his past memories in the apocalypse. He decided to think of it as this was his first time in the apocalypse and the past life in the apocalypse had never happened. "Did something happen to you when you woke up, any changes, don't hide anything. Tell me, are you feeling okay, or" he pulled Axuan who had stopped bawling and rained down on him with questions anxiously. "Let's go into the space and soak into the hotspring, we don't know what happened..." "Brother Rong I'm fine, nothing bad happened. Instead take a look at this" Ye Xuan wiped his tears with the back of his hands and motioned Jiang Rong to look, he brought both hands to Jiang Rong's sights and closed his eyes. Ye Xuan breathed slowly calming down his tensed nerves, in his hands appeared a small puddle of water about the size of an infant's fist in one hand and the other a round ice ball of the same size.

Ye Xuan opened his eyes and smiled brightly to Jiang Rong who looked somehow shocked. "you've awakened as a dual ability user of ice and water?" he asked with doubts, Ye Xuan nodded excitedly like a lizard. In the last life Ye Xuan had awakened ice ability but now he awakened double abilities, Jiang Rong had a little shock but since he had come to know that many things had changed from his past life he no longer put too much thoughts into it. Ye Xuan withdrew his abilities feeling light headed, sweat beads formed on his forehead. He leaned in to Jiang Rong and rested his head on Jiang Rong's shoulder panting heavily. "That's all I could do for now, i would feel very tired after doing so" he informed honestly, it was no surprise to Jiang Rong that he would ran out of energy.

"I know, you've just awakened and haven't yet practiced with it. Let's first go into the space and have you soak in the hotspring" Ye Xuan left himself being carried by Jiang Rong, he really had no more energy to even lift a finger. They both soaked in the hotspring for about half an hour before getting out, Ye Xuan felt himself full of energy and was no longer feeling light headed. "We should start training you how to harness your abilities to their fullest, make sure to regular drink from the spring pool now and replenish your energy everytime you ran out" Ye Xuan nodded listening to Jiang Rong's instructions. "Brother Rong I'm going to the kitchen to cook" Ye Xuan informed, Jiang Rong felt pained. "I left Axuan in hunger not being able to enter the space for supplies." he apologized.

"Brother Rong i eat well, there were some fruits in the room so i wasn't hungry. I just thought to prepare dishes and packed them in containers since we'll be leaving on the way soon. It would be convenient to have already cooked food available and food always stays hot in the space." "Do whatever you want, you don't have to inform me about such trival matters" Jiang Rong was moved by his thoughtfulness, how could he have chosen Pang Shao over Ye Xuan in his last life he thought. Ye Xuan was too good and very hard working, he made the right decision this time around. As soon as Jiang Rong walked out of the bamboo house wanting to inspect the space being out for so many days, he felt his pants being tugged and pulled.

He bend his head to see Mao Qui pulling on his pants looking as if in a hurry, he was bewildered by its actions. " Mao Qui what's wrong" he asked in doubt. "Hurry let's go! It's about to wake up." It let go of his pants and said urging, Jiang Rong frowned full of doubts not knowing what Mao Qui was talking about. What was about to wake up, Jiang Rong didn't know but all the same he followed Mao Qui who was urging in haste. Mao Qui brought him to the spring pool, Jiang Rong looked around not knowing what exactly he was brought there for. "Mao Qui..." "Hurry drip a few drops of blood on it" it ordered excited pointing to the bladderwort as it sat on its hind legs looking with anticipations.

Jiang Rong "...."

Question marks appeared on his head not getting where it was going with this. "Mao Qui tell me what's going on first" Jiang Rong stated doubtful, Mao Qui ignored his words. "Hurry up before it's too late" it instructed again as Jiang Rong sensed it's haste and also the fluctuations in the space. Jiang Rong decided to comply although he was full of doubts, he bit down on his finger and walked to the bladderwort dripping a few drops of blood on it's flowers. He watched in astonishment as the blood melted into the bladderwort, he was about to bend over to check on the bladderwort when he was suddenly engulfed in light. The space shook a few times for a couple of minutes before subsiding and the light was no more, Jiang Rong squinted his eyes a few times from the irritation of the light.

He looked where the bladderwort was, but instead of finding the plant a little girl about three or four sat naked covered with leaves and drenched in it's place. She stared at him curiously with a peculiar green coloured pupils and he stared flabbergasted, she suddenly became excited with sparkling eyes. "Father!" she called out.

Jiang Rong "....."

He was dumbstruck and stood dazed. "F...father?!" a youthful voice sounded behind bringing him out of being dazed. Jiang Rong frowned and was confused looking at the child who was struggling and wobbling on her feet trying to come to him, he turned to Mao Qui who's excitements amplified. "Mao Qui are you not going to tell me what's going on?" he asked with impatience. "I already told you it's just like me, it already had a spiritual sense and was cultivating. It'll be a waste to just leave it be there, it's pure spiritual energy would've been corrupted by now because of the awakening of the corpses." Mao Qui explained not entirely truthful but Jiang Rong wasn't paying attention to everything it said when something else caught it's attention.

"Like you...as in you can take a human form too?" Jiang Rong was dumbfounded getting stared by Mao Qui disdainfully. He frowned "why didn't you tell me?". A beautiful white looking boy around the age of 7 stood in place of Mao Qui when he asked. " You didn't ask in the first place" the boy answered, both Jiang Rong and Ye Xuan had bewildered looks staring at the boy utterly shocked.

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