Ji Qingyan lowered his eyes, his lashes trembling slightly. His voice was soft and delicate. “You...you shouldn't call me A-Yan.”
Gu Jinfeng was slightly startled, then raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“We're not close,” Ji Qingyan said bluntly, though his ears were still red. The deliberate indifference in his voice seemed to lack confidence. “You can call me Dr. Ji or Ji Qingyan. I don't mind.”
Gu Jinfeng did not answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the man's flushed earlobe for several seconds before he slowly withdrew his hand, leaned against the stone pillar, and chuckled softly. “No way.”
Ji Qingyan suddenly looked up. “Why...?”
Gu Jinfeng tilted his head to look at him and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Our souls are bound together. Calling each other by our full names is too formal, and calling you Dr. Ji is too distant. A-Yan is enough.”
Ji Qingyan opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but found that this man's logic was just as absurd as his contract.
“You—” He paused, his brows drawing together slightly. “You're being unreasonable.”
“Yes,” Gu Jinfeng admitted at once. The curve of his lips was not wide, yet somehow it sent a chill through people. “But I didn't say anything wrong.”
Ji Qingyan took a deep breath, decided not to argue with this man anymore, and said curtly, “Whatever.”
He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth, because there was a faint smile in Gu Jinfeng's eyes—not much, but like warm light piercing through ice, calm and clear.
“All right.” Gu Jinfeng agreed immediately. “A-Yan.”
Ji Qingyan: “...”
He felt like he had been tricked, but he had no proof.
After a moment of silence, Ji Qingyan gazed at his blurry reflection in the spiritual spring and muttered softly, “You're really friendly and easy to get along with.”
Gu Jinfeng heard him but did not deny it. He only looked at him calmly.
Actually, I'm not the type of person who's easy to get along with.
He had understood one thing sooner than Ji Qingyan: in the apocalypse, it was no coincidence that the two people bound by the Soul Contract had met. It was fate.
He did not hate his fate. In fact, he felt a little lucky because of it.
But he did not say that, because he could sense that the young doctor beside him was still uneasy, observing and testing him.
A soul bond was a fact, but building trust took time.
It could not be rushed.
After a long silence, Gu Jinfeng suddenly spoke, reminding them, “We should change out of our wet clothes.”
He looked at his half-dry clothes, then at Ji Qingyan's shirt, which clung to his body, soaked through.
Then he remembered that Ji Qingyan had been wearing those wet clothes since leaving the hospital and had not changed them at all.
“I must have left my backpack outside,” Gu Jinfeng said in a low voice. “I wonder if there's anything I can change into in the Dao villa.”
Ji Qingyan glanced down. His white shirt was soaked through and nearly transparent, clinging tightly to his body and accentuating his slim waist. Water dripped from the hem of his shirt, leaving a small puddle on the ground.
Without realizing it, he pulled his collar tighter, and his ears flushed uncontrollably again.
Gu Jinfeng's eyes darkened slightly. He tactfully shifted his gaze away and rose, walking toward the villa first. “Let's go inside and see if there are any spare supplies.”
Ji Qingyan immediately followed.
The villa had a simple, elegant exterior and was fully furnished with a living room, bedrooms, a kitchen, and bathrooms. The furniture was still new, and everything was neatly arranged.
Ji Qingyan discovered that the cooktop could still be used even without a gas stove, and hot water could be produced even without a water heater or faucet, which was truly astounding.
The two of them searched from floor to floor, and finally looked at each other helplessly.
The villa had everything except a single daily necessity. The closets were empty, there were no blankets or sheets on the bed frames, there were no towels or toiletries in the bathrooms, and there was not even a single basic piece of clothing to change into.
“Looks like I have to go outside.” Ji Qingyan rubbed his temple. “Sheets, a change of clothes, towels, blankets...we need to buy more supplies.”
“It's too risky to go out right now,” Gu Jinfeng objected immediately, his brows drawing together slightly as a trace of wariness appeared in his eyes. “The outside is filled with zombies, and we don't know where the exit is. Going out recklessly could easily lead to a direct confrontation.”
Ji Qingyan realized this as well and could not help feeling somewhat helpless.
He leaned against the window and stared outside absentmindedly, but inwardly he thought, If only I could see what's happening outside from inside this space. Then I could understand what's happening out there without exposing myself.
The instant that thought crossed his mind, the scene before him suddenly changed.
The next second, the greenery and light inside the window vanished completely, replaced by a dim, cramped scene—the antique shop where they had previously faced danger.
Dust filled the air. The light was faint, and a horrifying zombie clung to the “window,” growling softly.
Its rotting, blackened skin hung loosely, and one red eyeball dangled outside its socket, murky blood vessels covering the white of the eye. Saliva dripped continuously from the corners of its split mouth.
The thing was practically right in front of him, so close that it felt as though their faces were touching as they stared into each other's eyes.
The sudden, horrifying sight shocked Ji Qingyan. He cried out and staggered backward in panic.
A warm, powerful arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him into a broad, solid embrace.
He was enveloped by familiar, clean breath, and a deep, soothing voice came from above his head. “Don't be afraid.”
Ji Qingyan was still in shock, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. Without thinking, he gripped Gu Jinfeng's clothes tightly.
Gu Jinfeng also saw the dramatic change outside the window. His eyes darkened, and without the slightest hesitation, he reached around to cradle the back of Ji Qingyan's head with his other hand and pressed his face against his chest, blocking the horrifying view.
He lowered his head and gently patted Ji Qingyan's back, but his gaze was cold as he looked at the “window” that had suddenly appeared.
Strangely, the zombie so close to the window did not react at all. It continued swaying weakly, its cloudy eyes staring blankly ahead, completely unaware of any sound or breath.
It was as though the space they were in was a completely isolated dimension.
A glint appeared in Gu Jinfeng's eyes as he immediately understood the key point—they could see and hear the outside world, but the outside world could not sense anything inside this space, not even the slightest thing.
Hidden, safe, and completely isolated.
He lowered his gaze and gently stroked the top of the person in his arms' head, then said inwardly: Turn it off.
Almost at the same time, the terrifying “window” disappeared. The shadowy figures outside faded along with the darkness, and the room returned to its warm, gentle light, lush green grass, and spiritual atmosphere.
After calming down slightly, Ji Qingyan buried his face against the man's neck and murmured, “...Is it gone?”
Gu Jinfeng murmured a soft “Hmm” and once again moved his thoughts—to open it.
The window reappeared, still showing the antique shop, with zombies continuing to wander inside, completely unaware of the two of them.
The two exchanged a glance, each seeing the unspoken understanding in the other's eyes.
This space could be manipulated at will by both of them. It could be used to spy on the outside world, isolate themselves from danger, open and close at will, and come and go freely.
Gu Jinfeng's eyes darkened, and the arm around Ji Qingyan's waist tightened slightly, pulling him deeper into his embrace. He spoke in a heavy voice:
“A-Yan, this place must not be revealed to outsiders—not in the slightest.”
Ji Qingyan's heart pounded, and he immediately understood the implication.
This space allowed people to enter, grow spiritual plants, access a spiritual spring, and spy on the outside world. It was practically the most powerful heaven-defying trump card in the apocalypse. Once exposed, it would definitely attract countless people who would desire and fight over it.
“This space is too extraordinary. If word gets out, it will drive everyone in the post-apocalyptic world insane.” Gu Jinfeng's expression was cold, and his voice was extremely low.
“With our current strength, there's no way we can protect a trump card like this. Once we become targets, let alone making it back to Dawn Base, the two of us will have a hard time surviving.”
He paused, his gaze settling on Ji Qingyan before he spoke slowly and carefully:
“Remember, no one can be trusted except you and me.”