Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 2

Yao Ziqing was the last one to return to school. After two months away, his roommates had tanned and darkened from the summer sun, while he still looked as pale as ever.

Yao Ziqing had always been well-liked. As the youngest in the dorm, everyone took good care of him and liked him a lot. Cheng Tao was the closest to Yao Ziqing. He had only one older brother, who was often away with the military, so Cheng Tao would stay at school during most holidays.

Yao Ziqing, on the other hand, rarely went home during the holidays, claiming the journey was too far and inconvenient. He would only return once a year to save on travel expenses. Thus, during holidays, he and Cheng Tao would keep each other company, making their relationship closer than with the other two roommates.

Seeing Yao Ziqing after the summer, Cheng Tao was not only concerned about how much thinner and paler he had become but was also quite angry:

"Did you work yourself to death over the summer? You look like a ghost! Can't you take better care of yourself? If you're short on tuition, we can help you out. Just pay us back slowly in the future."

Yao Ziqing touched his face. After experiencing a period of extreme hunger and deprivation in his rebirth, he no longer lived on just two buns a day to save money. Now, he made sure to eat well and never deprived himself. He wasn't sure if it was due to stress, but he seemed to have trouble gaining weight.

"No, I didn't work over the summer. I had enough for tuition and living expenses. You guys don't need to worry. I even traveled to a lot of places and got quite a bit of sun," Yao Ziqing explained.

Su Li rolled his eyes. "That's what you call getting tanned? Have you looked in the mirror? Come, let's compare you to Cheng Ge and see what being tanned really looks like."

Su Li had a sharp tongue and was a bit of a clean freak. He couldn't stand people who didn't bathe or had greasy hair, and he even distanced himself from those who dressed poorly.

At first, the other dorm members didn't like Su Li much. They found him overly particular and somewhat pretentious. Despite Su Li's good looks, he seemed like a rich kid when he didn't speak. Perhaps his initial impression was poor, so they avoided him. Su Li noticed this but was too proud to care. As a result, relations became even more strained.

However, there was a turning point. One night, Yao Ziqing developed a high fever, and Su Li was the only one left in the dorm. He went out to buy medicine for Yao Ziqing and, seeing the fever didn't subside, carried Yao Ziqing to the hospital in the middle of the night in the freezing winter.

Su Li wasn't initially disdainful; it was more of an automatic reaction. Having grown up in the city, he was used to being around people from similar backgrounds and rarely interacted with those from different circles. While Wu Wenqing and Yao Ziqing came from rural areas, Yao Ziqing, despite not wearing expensive clothes, looked neat and refined in a simple white shirt and jeans. Su Li had a good impression of him. On the other hand, Wu Wenqing, who had a rural background, was big and strong but seemed rough and sweaty when moving in. This made Su Li instinctively avoid him.

This behavior hurt Wu Wenqing's feelings, and Cheng Tao, who wasn't very familiar with Su Li, found him to be pretentious. Cheng Tao disliked people who thought too highly of themselves, leading to a poor initial impression. However, after Su Li helped Yao Ziqing, the dorm members' opinions of him improved somewhat. They began to see that despite his poor attitude, Su Li was loyal and would stand up for his friends.

Initially, Yao Ziqing approached Su Li out of gratitude for his help. Given Yao Ziqing's good looks, he easily won people over, and his efforts to be friendly helped build better relations with Su Li and Wu Wenqing. The more they interacted, the more they realized Su Li was a soft-hearted but abrasive person. Despite his sharp tongue, he was very supportive and loyal to his friends.

Wu Wenqing was the oldest in the dorm, big and strong. He handled most of the physical work, carrying four water bottles up and down four floors without breaking a sweat. With younger siblings at home, he was used to taking care of people and was straightforward and dependable, making him a dorm "big brother."

When Su Li mentioned Yao Ziqing, Wu Wenqing smiled and said, "He can't be compared to me. Xiao Qing's skin is delicate and fair, unlike my rough and tanned skin. If he gets too much sun, it might ruin his skin. I'll go get the books and pick up yours too so you don't have to make another trip."

Since they were all in the same class, one person could collect the materials for everyone. Su Li waved him off, urging him to hurry.

"Thanks, Cheng Ge. If you can't carry them all, call me," Yao Ziqing said with a smile.

"It's just a few books. Just wait," Wu Wenqing replied.

After Wu Wenqing left, Cheng Tao pulled Yao Ziqing aside, preparing to tidy up his bed. "Seriously, what have you been up to these past two months? You look like a refugee, just skin and bones."

Cheng Tao had always seen Yao Ziqing as a younger brother and was understandably upset seeing him in such a state. If Yao Ziqing had worked himself to this condition, Cheng Tao wouldn't let it slide.

Yao Ziqing looked at himself and said, "It's not as exaggerated as you say. I really didn't work; I ate well every day, I swear! It's just that I can't seem to put on weight."

Cheng Tao stared at him skeptically for a while but, seeing Yao Ziqing's earnest eyes, reluctantly believed him half-heartedly.

Su Li put the cleaned grapes on the table and said with a disdainful tone, "Cheng Tao's like your mom, worrying about everything from your daily needs to your well-being. But Xiao Qing, if you don't take care of yourself, don't expect me to spare a glance if you end up dead in the dorm. Enjoy your youth while you can."

Yao Ziqing quietly sat to the side and ate the grapes. Su Li shot him an irritated look before returning to his computer to play games. Cheng Tao poked Yao Ziqing's forehead and helped him arrange his bed. Yao Ziqing smiled at him, earning another eye roll from Cheng Tao.

After graduation in his previous life, they all went their separate ways. They stayed in touch at first, but as the world descended into chaos, communication was cut off, and Yao Ziqing lost track of them. Cheng Tao had called him one last time, urging him to stock up on food and prepare for the coming chaos. Yao Ziqing had promised to do so and intended to finish the last month of work before handing in his resignation. But plans changed quickly, and he never managed to return. Since Cheng Tao was able to send him a warning, he must have been prepared, and with an older brother in the military, Cheng Tao's situation probably wasn't too bad.

Seeing old friends from his past life felt surreal, almost like a dream, making him feel a pang of nostalgia. Since he was given the chance to relive his life and had a miraculous space, he was ahead of many others. He wondered if he should spend this peaceful time gathering supplies instead of enjoying it.

Supplies are essential, but as Yao Ziqing looked at Cheng Tao making his bed, Su Li engaged in a heated game, and Wu Wenqing braving the hot weather to collect their books, he suddenly felt that coming back from the apocalypse to relive the peaceful days that had only existed in his memories was the greatest blessing he could receive. Those who haven't experienced that dark period can't truly understand the indescribable feeling of returning to a civilized society.

During the time he was busy converting funds, he was surrounded by strangers and always kept on high alert. He felt that returning to life, using his foreknowledge to prepare supplies, was his chance to have an edge in the coming disaster. Even in the bustling city, he was still haunted by the fears of the apocalypse. It wasn't until he returned to familiar places and saw familiar faces that he truly felt he had been reborn.

Cheng Tao finished arranging his bed and turned to see Yao Ziqing holding a grape, staring blankly at it. He reached out and ruffled Yao Ziqing's hair. "What are you thinking? Do you expect to see a flower in that grape?"

Yao Ziqing snapped out of his reverie and gave a gentle smile. "Yes, I did see something."

Cheng Tao was momentarily taken aback, reminded of the phrase "a smile that blooms like a flower." That smile seemed to carry a depth he couldn't quite understand. He felt that something had subtly changed in a way he couldn't fully grasp.