Chapter 1 Unusual Heavy Rain

[Author’s note: Dual male protagonists, post-apocalyptic, no female protagonist, coming-of-age, don’t expect the male protagonists to immediately become powerful, not mindless excitement! But they are the strongest!!]

*
[Until June 23rd, the eastern part of the southwestern region, the western and northern parts of Yichang City… and other areas are still experiencing heavy rain… and the rainfall will continue, as announced by the meteorological department…]

“Boom!”

The sound of thunder came from the distant sky, breaking through the clouds and mist, one after another, pounding heavily on people’s hearts.

At the end of June, the television was repeatedly broadcasting the weather forecast, with the signal being disrupted by heavy rain, intermittently.

On the second-floor corridor stood a young man, wearing a white shirt, his figure slightly slender, his clean and cool eyes looking into the distance through the rapidly falling rain curtain.

It was already dusk, and even in the middle of summer, the rainy weather made the night come faster.

The distant mountains were covered in a layer of dark gray, torn apart by lightning, creating a bright flash that was quickly enveloped by darkness, making it difficult to see clearly.

“This is unusual…”

Lin Mu frowned. This thought had been lingering in his mind for several days, reminding him more and more that everything that had happened during this period was very unusual.
It had been raining for nearly ten days, without a break. Normally, summer thunderstorms came and went quickly. But this thunderstorm showed no sign of stopping.

And it’s not just Yichang City where he is located, the whole world seems to be engulfed by this rain.

Floods are pouring in various places, embankments are being breached, and the news is still trying to portray a peaceful picture.

But Lin Mu has always been sensitive to things happening around him, and there is something mixed in this rain that makes him alert, like a fine prick on his body that makes him uncomfortable.

On the computer screen in the room, there is a weather distribution map from the past few days.

The rain has spread from the coast to the inland areas, and the map shows the orange-red color of heavy rain, extending its claws from the sea, devouring this continent.

The whole world is like this.

*

“Xiao Mu, come down quickly, wow, this rain is really heavy.”

A familiar voice sounded from downstairs.

Lin Mu looked down and saw Uncle Zhang from the town parked his small truck at the gate.
Uncle Zhang got out of the driver’s seat, with the rain making his large black umbrella twist and turn.
He simply closed the umbrella and threw it back into the driver’s seat, braving the rain to move things from the truck.

“Uncle Zhang, why did you come? The rain is so heavy. Didn’t I say you don’t have to come this week?”

Lin Mu quickly walked a few steps down the stairs and entered the rain, instantly getting soaked.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t come over. I’ll move the things for you.”

Uncle Zhang didn’t stop his hands and hurriedly tried to send Lin Mu back when he saw him coming to get wet in the rain.

Lin Mu didn’t listen and said, “It’s fine,” rolled up his sleeves, and helped to carry things together.

This place is called Jiaoshan, quite remote. It was a piece of land that his parents bought years ago when they were still alive, on the mountainside of a mountain at the edge of Yichang.

Lin’s father and mother were botanists. They built a two-story house with a courtyard here, and in the courtyard, there was a glass greenhouse where they grew various exotic flowers and plants collected from all over the world, many of which Lin Mu couldn’t even name.

In the past, Lin Mu rarely came to this area. Apart from a small town two kilometers away, there were hardly any people all the way to the city center, and it was inconvenient to live here.

When his parents were too busy with work, they would hire Uncle Zhang from the town to take care of the flowers and plants.

Until a few years ago, when they were no longer here, Lin Mu started coming here for a period of time every year.

He couldn’t persuade Uncle Zhang, who frequently came to deliver food, so he hired him to help with purchasing some food and essentials every half month.

But for this half month, the heavy rain didn’t stop, even though Lin Mu had called in advance to tell him that he didn’t need to come anymore.

“Hey, today I happen to have something to do, I didn’t come specifically to bring you food,” Uncle Zhang chuckled, modestly lying and then putting on a serious expression. “But I really need to hurry back. On my way here, the bridge below was almost flooded. Luckily, I arrived early.”

While speaking, both of them moved the things into the kitchen on the first floor. Lin Mu heard this and no longer insisted on keeping Uncle Zhang.

“Lin Mu, I brought you some extra things. We don’t know when this rain will stop, so make sure to store everything properly, don’t let anything get damaged.”

Uncle Zhang kept nagging as he climbed back into his car and left in the rain.

Lin Mu returned to the kitchen, helplessly looking at the things on the floor. Did Uncle Zhang… bring him a month’s worth of food?

His clothes were completely soaked, so he decided to brave the rain and close the courtyard gate.

The lights in the courtyard were already on, but in the pitch-black rainy night, they only revealed a faint halo.

Lin Mu lowered his head to lock the gate, and rainwater dripped down from his hair, causing his shirt to cling wetly to his body, revealing the attractive collarbone beneath the neckline.

“Creak—”

With the gate locked, Lin Mu quickly walked back, but as soon as he stepped onto the porch, a flash of lightning and a loud thunderclap sounded behind him. He furrowed his brow and returned to his room.

It was already half an hour later when Lin Mu finished showering and changed into his pajamas. He usually lived on the second floor, while the first floor consisted of the living room and kitchen. He went downstairs to tidy up the things Uncle Zhang had brought.

First, he moved the two bags of rice into the bottom of the cupboard, then placed the meat and fish in the freezer area of the refrigerator. There was even a chicken, but fortunately, the refrigerator at home was spacious.

He carefully packed the different vegetables in food storage containers, putting the ones that needed refrigeration into the fridge and neatly arranging the extra potatoes and sweet potatoes against the wall.

Once the kitchen was in order, Lin Mu returned to the second floor and threw himself onto the bed. He felt an indescribable uneasiness in his heart.

Occasionally, the lightning outside illuminated the ceiling through the curtains. After a while, he rubbed his slightly throbbing head, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.