Thanks to Shen Yifei's disturbing things, I wanted to drink something to stay alert, and headed for the coffee machine.
The earthy scent of the machine filled the small kitchen attached to my living room the moment I flipped the switch, creating a low hum and bubbling noise.
It smells good...
When I checked the couch, Mu Qinglan wasn't sleeping there anymore; there wasn't even an outline of a person... which was strange.
I wondered where she might have gone, while the milk frothed from the tubes and filled my coffee mug. While I was focused, a noise shifted behind me, but I ignored it and focused on the machine as the last drips of coffee hissed.
It could have been my last coffee for all I knew, so I tried to savour it: the sharp scent, the heat and the process.
With a yawn, the stress and exhaustion started to hit me, and I worried about surviving in the future. Would everything work out right?
The thought of a world without power, electricity, or my smartphone sounded like hell.
"Well, let's enjoy every moment."
I swiped the half-empty bottle of my favourite John's whiskey and sat on the veranda just outside my living room with an old pack of black star cigarettes.
[Tutorial Hint: The host is immune to most diseases, so enjoy your last moment of peace!]
It wasn't like I loved smoking, but when things got too harsh or I felt alone... It's not like I have anything else but gaming to help calm myself. I struggled to deal with new people who came into my life, always wondering what they wanted from me.
'Today was fine, but what about tomorrow?'
When leaving the house, I would play the part of "John Wang," the corporate slave willing to do anything to gain recognition and a promotion.
However, when left to my own devices... I was just a shy neighbourhood boy who didn't have a family or any close friends.
Click!
With a flick, the flint scraped along my thumb and lit the cigarette.
"Huh?"
For a moment, I thought something appeared in the reflection of the glass, but I shook my head. I brought the black cigarette to my lips, took a slow drag, and savoured the warmth that filled my lungs.
"A nostalgic scent."
The smoke tickled my chest as I exhaled, forming small circles in the air.
My mind became clearer, but I felt like I lost by resorting to smoking to calm down.
Behind me, I could hear someone shifting around, but knowing it was probably Mu Qinglan, I trusted that she wouldn't cause any issues. She couldn't betray or hurt me, and I trusted the woman who guided me for years...
'I want to become strong.'
I couldn't deny the jealousy I felt at her inhuman abilities, sucking on the cigarette harder as the tip burned brightly, I watched the early morning sky light up.
A slight jealousy towards her abilities made me suck on the cigarette harder, the tip brightly burning as it illuminated the early morning sky.
There wasn't much to do but watch zombies roaming around as I enjoyed drinking and smoking until the door sounded.
"Who is it...?"
A slight tinge of anger grew in my stomach because the zombies gazed towards my apartment due to the loud noise. I hated the way they groaned; it made me feel unsettled and nervous.
But at least they didn't come closer.
I turned and opened the door to find a surprising woman standing in the gap, wearing light clothing with dark rings under her eyes.
It was Jiang Roulan.
"Mm... oh, it's you. H-have you seen Yifei?"
Though she came to my room earlier, that was more than an hour ago, so I had no clue. Maybe she returned to her room because she was tired. I didn't know these people well, so I couldn't guess what actions they might take.
"I haven't seen her, Miss Jiang."
Jiang Roulan's shoulders shook, and that's when I noticed the cold temperature. Because I improved my physique, the hot and cold affected me less.
"You look quite cold. Why not join me? There's a small heater here."
"I don't want to intrude on you, where's everyone else?"
Though she rejected me, I didn't care much; she put her foot on the door and with a slight push, I could probably get her to join me.
"It's not intruding, come inside. I can't leave a woman in the cold, my mother's ghost would beat me with a stick."
"Haha."
Jiang Roulan laughed for the first time as I pushed past her and entered the living room, and grabbed another cup to make a second coffee.
"Eh?"
It was at that moment that he noticed that Shen Yifei was sleeping on the couch, causing his face to twitch. He turned back to Jiang Roulan, who just smiled after seeing the blonde wrapped in a thin quilt with her clothes tossed across the room.
"When did she sneak in?"
"Who knows, this girl is like a cat, she snuck out of our room then vanished twice."
Jiang Roulan stepped beside me, a soothing scent flowing from her body, a smell that was calming, unlike Mu Qinglan's.
Maybe it was Yifei who reflected in the glass?
"Can I get a cup too?"
Jiang Roulan tapped the mug of coffee.
"Then, will you join me on the balcony watching the sunrise?"
With both mugs in my hand, she looked a little surprised at the makeshift Irish coffee and nodded.
"Don't mind if I do, haha."
Maybe it's because of how tired I was, but Jiang Roulan was easy to get along with.
Not long after sitting down, she began to speak about the days leading up to the apocalypse, and I mentioned getting fired, which she seemed to find hilarious.
Honestly, this is nice...
"Hm?"
"What's wrong?"
Roulan asked me as I turned back for a moment.
"N-Nothing..."
But I could swear a pair of red eyes glared at me in the glass. However, when I turned around, there was nothing...