Chapter 54: You Have Me

Chu Xihen’s words hit Lou Su hard. For the rest of the day, he found himself looking at the little white tiger with much more fondness.

However, this tolerance only lasted a day. As night fell and temperatures dropped, Lou Su began to feel irritated again watching Chu Xihen hold the tiger close.

“Do you think it might not change back?” Lou Su reached out to pet the little white tiger.

Already accustomed to Chu Xihen’s scent, the tiger pushed away Lou Su’s unfamiliar hand with its tiny paws.

“Ling Yao! Have you regained consciousness? Change back right now, or I’ll shave all your fur off tomorrow!” Lou Su threatened.

Sensing Lou Su’s hostility, the little tiger raised its head and let out a fierce “meow.”

“Childish,” Chu Xihen said, protecting the tiger while giving Lou Su a disapproving look.

Lou Su couldn’t help it. Knowing the tiger was actually Ling Yao made him uncomfortable.

He secretly checked the trading mall, finding various skill cards but none that could turn people into small animals.

“It’s getting cold. Let’s walk a bit further and see if we can find a house. Once we do, I’ll put him down,” Chu Xihen suggested.

Holding the little tiger at night was indeed very warm, and he was reluctant to let go.

“Alright, let’s go find one!” Lou Su led the way with a flashlight.

He had wanted to hold Chu Xihen’s hand, but now Chu Xihen had the tiger to keep his hands warm.

After killing a few mutants along the way, they finally found a cluster of houses. In the moonlight, they looked like crouching beasts from afar.

“Since leaving the instance, there seem to be fewer mutants around,” Chu Xihen remarked as they safely entered a house.

Lou Su nodded, “It’s like the calm before a storm. Following the pattern of the poisonous amorphophallus, we should encounter large golden beasts soon.”

Perhaps those beasts had scared away the smaller mutants, making things easier for them.

They entered a two-story house, checking both floors and clearing out any infected hiding inside. Lou Su and Chu Xihen decided to stay in the ground floor living room for the night.

The living room had iron doors at both ends, which they secured and barricaded with a TV cabinet. Fearing something might come down from upstairs, Lou Su also blocked the stairway entrance.

After securing the area, Lou Su gathered some wood and set up a fire in an iron basin from the kitchen.

Aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in an enclosed space, he used his wind blade to create a ventilation hole above the iron door.

Once the fire was going, he produced a cardboard box from somewhere. “Put it in here. I’ve lined it with a blanket and placed it near the fire. It won’t be cold.”

Chu Xihen looked pitiful as he said, “But I’m cold.”

“You have me,” Lou Su said, promptly picking up the little white tiger and placing it in the box. He warned it, “Stay put. If you try to escape, I’ll roast you.”

Whether the tiger understood or not, it settled comfortably in the box after Lou Su’s warning.

Lou Su returned to the sofa and, feeling Chu Xihen’s cold hands, quickly held them in his own to warm them up.

He wondered about Chu Xihen’s strange constitution—sensitive to both cold and heat.

“This fire basin is useless,” Chu Xihen complained, taking off his shoes and snuggling closer to Lou Su.

Unfortunately, unlike the little tiger, Chu Xihen was too big for Lou Su to fully embrace.

“It’s okay, you’ll warm up soon,” Lou Su said, gently pushing Chu Xihen down on the sofa and starting to unbutton his clothes.

Understanding Lou Su’s intentions, Chu Xihen didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around Lou Su’s lean waist and helped remove his tank top.

Lou Su had already taken off his down jacket earlier, feeling hot from all the activity.

Chu Xihen’s cool hands traced Lou Su’s abdominal muscles, igniting a fire within him despite their coldness.

Lou Su loved this side of Chu Xihen in bed—a side he never saw elsewhere.

After spending half the night together, Chu Xihen finally warmed up and fell asleep in Lou Su’s arms.

When he woke up, it was already daylight. Chu Xihen found himself covered with a thin blanket, the room no longer cold, and a large bucket of hot water beside the sofa.

After taking a bath and changing into a fresh white shirt and trousers, Chu Xihen glanced at the cardboard box by the fire basin. The little white tiger was gone. As he was about to open the door, he heard Lou Su talking to someone outside.

Lou Su seemed to be outside the house’s courtyard, some distance away, speaking in a lowered voice to avoid disturbing Chu Xihen’s sleep. Chu Xihen couldn’t make out what was being said.

He opened the door, the sound drawing the attention of four people outside the courtyard.

A tall, slightly chubby man saw Chu Xihen and his eyes widened. He approached without hesitation.

“Hello, sir. I’m Liu Ping, thirty years old, single, never been in a relationship. My ability is sun-based. Before the apocalypse, I ran a small company. May I date you?” The man extended his hand to Chu Xihen.

Chu Xihen: “?”

Lou Su approached, holding the little white tiger by the scruff of its neck, his face full of murderous intent. “Didn’t you just say you were from an animal protection society?”

Liu Ping glanced at him before turning back to Chu Xihen with a fawning smile. “I lied to him. We were passing by and saw him abusing a small animal. You two aren’t a couple, are you? If so, you should dump him immediately. Anyone who would harm such an adorable little cat can’t be a good person!”

Chu Xihen replied expressionlessly, “Don’t worry, I’m not a good person either.”

Seeing Liu Ping at a loss for words, the man and woman behind him couldn’t help but laugh.

The tall, thin man then introduced himself, “I’m Liu Xurun, Liu Ping’s cousin. Whatever he says, just ignore it. The sudden apocalypse might have affected his mind a bit.”

“Hasn’t he always been this funny?” The beautiful woman beside Liu Xurun spoke up confidently, “Hello, I’m Yang Linger, Liu Xurun’s fiancée.”

Lou Su politely replied, “I’m Lou Su, and this is Chu Xihen,” then, staring at Liu Ping, he emphasized, “My boyfriend!”

Liu Ping clutched his chest dramatically, “Oh heavens! Why do all the handsome men get snatched up by wild boars, while I, such a handsome, gentle, and kind-hearted man, remain single?”

“Cousin, to be fair, compared to Lou Su, you look more like the wild boar,” Liu Xurun remarked.

Liu Ping glared at him, “Whose side are you on, you traitor!”

Ignoring him, Liu Xurun turned to Lou Su and Chu Xihen with a serious expression, “Are you also heading to Guangcheng for the Ability Exchange Conference after seeing the announcement in the trading mall?”

“Ability Exchange Conference? What’s that?” Lou Su and Chu Xihen had never heard of such a thing.