Rebirth of MC Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Encountering another old friend

After leaving X City's military district, the four of them continues their journey towards A City for several days. When the sun sets on their fourth day on the road, the dust-covered off-road vehicle arrives at the fringe of S City.

"Wah, S City! We're finally going to be in S City." Li Qing gazes out at the city he can't be any more familiar with, a blinding beam on his face before turning to Huo Zaiyuan. "Little Yuan, are we going to head to the urban district tonight?"

He understands that due to a variety of reasons, his childhood friend doesn't like S City. Or else, he wouldn't have disappeared without a word during that time.

"We've been on the road for so many days. Since we've already reached, might as well enter the urban district tonight and rest." Pale, slender fingers deftly fold another crane from a piece of yellow paper as Huo Zaiyuan answers.

He truly dislikes S City, whether it be his previous life or the current one, he certainly doesn't have a drop of goodwill remaining towards this place.  Nevertheless, he is not one to purposely repress himself because of personal problems. For the past few days, everyone was cooped up inside the car. Don't say the others, even he himself is feeling smothered and irritable, so they should find a suitable place to rest tonight.

Cheering happily after hearing Huo Zaiyuan's decision, Li Qing urges Qin Jun to drive a little quicker. He is just about to go crazy from staying in this confined space for so long.

Looking at the person still serenely folding paper cranes, Long Zhanye stretches an arm out to draw him into a hug, planting a gentle kiss on his hair.

"I'm here." There's no need for further words between them. Just these two is enough to encompass everything.

"Un." The corners of Huo Zaiyuan's lips curl upwards in a faint smile. Placing the folded crane into his waist pouch, he turns his body around slightly in order to snuggle deeper into the older man's hold.

Gaze fixed on the youth leaning contentedly against his chest, Long Zhanye shifts a hand to rest on the slim waist, encasing him in a more secure embrace. Tilting his head down, he leaves a trail of small pecks across an exposed cheek, taking pleasure in the faint blush that spreads across his (HZY) pale face.

The kid's shy expression is very adorable. If it wasn't for the two 'spectators' in the front seats, he will not hesitate to tease his beloved further.

Similar to the other cities and towns the small party came across during their journey, S City's streets are filled with abandoned vehicles scattered haphazardly here and there, large cracks and holes marring the asphalt roads. Zombies meander up and down, the clothes on their bodies now worn and shabby - in some cases, tattered and torn - after being exposed to the elements for more than a month.

"Woah, look at that zombie over there wearing such a thin nightgown, you can even see its underwear below." Li Qing exclaims, once again staving away boredom by taking in the scenery as the off-road vehicle continues forth. He points a finger towards a female undead with a large bite wound on its right shoulder, dark red bloodstains coating the entire arm and some of its clothes. True to Li Qing's words, it is wearing a dirty, semi-transparent lace nightgown.

Drawn by his shout, the other three glances in the direction he points in. Qin Jun's face is instantly filled with black lines while a mirthful snort escapes Long Zhanye and a light grin pulls at Huo Zaiyuan's mouth.

"Little Qing, I really didn't expect your taste to be so…heavy ah." Huo Zaiyuan teases.

Before the apocalypse, a beautiful female clad in such an attire would be a gorgeous sight for some. A pity said beautiful woman is now an undead with cracked greyish-purple skin. But if one ignores that aspect and focuses only on the still-killer figure, it may be able to leave one thinking they would totally tap that.

"Qin Jun, it seems you are unable to satisfy little Qing. If not why would he be so excited after seeing a beautiful female zombie?!" Long Zhanye drawls with a mischevious grin on his face.

"Oi - !!" Li Qing shrieks. "Older brother Long, don't speak drivel!"

Narrowing his eyes at Li Qing, Qin Jun steps on the accelerator, causing the vehicle to put on a sudden burst of speed.

Li Qing blanches. He has made his lover angry ah!!

After the small episode with that beautiful zombie, Li Qing doesn't dare look here and there, pointing out random things that caught his interest, instead he remains obediently seated. He is afraid if he continues stirring up trouble with Qin Jun by carelessly ogling this and that, he wouldn't be able to finish his meal before being hauled off to the bedroom.

"That's…a school."

It is Huo Zaiyuan who speaks this time, seeing as Li Qing is trying his best to stay silent. Craning his neck from the backseat, he sweeps his eyes up and down the approaching building.

When he rebirthed, he was still in his second last year of high school. Afterwards, being wholeheartedly focused on preparing for the apocalypse, he completely forgot about anything regarding his schooling. Now, looking at the familiar campus ahead, a strange feeling surfaces in his heart.

"That's right, little Yuan, you haven't graduated from senior high yet. When you disappeared, the form-room teacher and our classmates were rather distraught when none of them managed to find even a trace of your shadow. A lot of people believed that woman did something to you." Li Qing eventually opens his mouth as he turns his head back.

"Tsk, what can that woman do to me." Huo Zaiyuan scoffs lowly. "Qin Jun, stop the car at the entrance gates. We will spend the night in this school."

"All right." Qin Jun answers, manoeuvring the vehicle towards S City's elite private high school for the wealthy.

The school's gates are shut tight and the campus eerily silent. Although there are bits and pieces of junk littering the ground, as far as they can see, there are no corpses amongst the wreckage. At a glance, it would seem there aren't any major dangers here.

"The students who are eligible to attend this school are the children of parents of high-birth or wealthy families. Every day, the street outside this campus is filled with cars sending their children to school or picking them up after the day is over as very few choose to board here. The apocalypse began at night, so maybe there wouldn't be a lot of people in there." Lifting a hand to push the gates lightly, Huo Zaiyuan looks up at Long Zhanye. "Older brother Long, we'll leave opening the gates to you."

The lock on this school gate is rather special. It is not the typical key-and-lock combination but rather, one had to lift an approximately 20kg steel latch from the other side in order to push the gates open.

"No problem." Extending a hand to rub the top of Huo Zaiyuan's head, he slings his firearm on his back and proceeds to flip over the gates.

A couple of light and nimble movements coupled with superb climbing skills, Long Zhanye easily succeeds in crossing over the several meters high steel gates. From the other side, he lifts the latch and pulls the doors open.

"Older brother Long is really remarkable."  Li Qing loops an arm around Huo Zaiyuan's shoulder and enters their high school's grounds while Qin Jun drives the car pass the open gates, parking it on a clean patch of grass.

Once everyone has entered, Long Zhanye shuts the entrance gates once more as a few zombies in the vicinity are already drawn by the noise of the car's engine and are presently shambling in their direction.

As soon as the latch is slotted back in place, Huo Zaiyuan sticks a talisman on the gate and injects a tiny bit of spiritual power into a few paper cranes. Following the trickle of energy spreading through the paper crane in his palm, it slowly shifts its 'feet' apart and flaps its wings several times before taking off. Circling a few times above its creator's head, it eventually flies away.

"These few cranes will be sufficient for keeping watch at night. Today, every one of us can rest soundly." Huo Zaiyuan announces.

"Er…little Yuan you…are just going to let these tiny things keep night vigil? Anyway, aren't they merely something you folded on the road to stave off boredom?" Li Qing wonders aloud.

"Relieve boredom?" Huo Zaiyuan's eyebrows rise, annoyance filling his eyes. Ignoring Li Qing, he speaks directly to Qin Jun. "Qin Jun, exactly where did you find such an idiotic wife?"

"Said wife is your childhood friend and classmate ah." Qin Jun draws Li Qing into his arms as a mirthful smile breaks out. He can't hide the pleasure blatantly displayed on his face when Huo Zaiyuan dubbed his lover "wife".

"You are the wife! Your whole family is a wife! Your entire neighbourhood is a wife!!" Li Qing fumes. "I am clearly the husband! Qin Jun is the wife!"

"Okay, we know. We know." Embracing Huo Zaiyuan from behind, Long Zhanye also joins in teasing Li Qing.

Just as the four men talk and laugh amongst themselves while making their way towards the school, a lone figure immediately charges out from the building, yelling. "Halt! Who are you people?"

All conversation instantly ceases in the small party as they stop walking, heads lifting to regard the cautious youngster gripping a Type 54 pistol in hand.

The youngster is clad in a stained and dusty school uniform which both Li Qing and Huo Zaiyuan recognises at a glance. Seeing as he is no more than sixteen or seventeen, this person should be their junior in school.

"We are students at this school and harbour no ill intentions. We just happen to pass by this place and wish to spend the night inside. Didn't expect there will be people here." Li Qing raises his hands in the universal gesture of surrender, showing that they don't intend to fight even as he speaks placatingly with a bright smile on his face.

Faced with Li Qing's bright and innocent smile, the youngster relaxes a little, but the pistol doesn't lower. "Are any of you injured? Or bitten or scratched?"

"No." Long Zhanye raised his own hands, showing the person his uninjured state.

The student's eyes sweep over the four multiple times, confirming that none were concealing wounds. From their appearance, they don't seem like bad guys. In the end, he slowly lowers the gun.

"Wen Bin, what's the matter?" A clear and sharp male voice cuts through the silence before another man emerges and steps up to Wen Bin's side.

"Senior Zhou." Wen Bin's face reddens slightly as he glances at the older male next to him. "Eh…these few people burst through the entrance and said they are students of this school. So…"

"Students of our school?" The one called Senior Zhou turns his head, expression stiffening as soon as his eyes land on Huo Zaiyuan's party, analysing look turning into amazement.

"Hey, long time no see." Seeing Senior Zhou's astonished expression, Huo Zaiyuan offers a faint smile, proving that he is familiar with the second student.

Senior Zhou's mouth opens and closes a few times, words stuck in his throat. After a few seconds, he gives up, instead throwing himself at Huo Zaiyuan, wrapping the other in a bear hug. "Wife!"

Chapter end