Should Neo-Divinity Be Supernatural?

Chapter 2: The Cities of Tomorrow (Continued)

Zhuang Xiaojun, Li Hao's roommate, came from a family of soldiers. His father, a decorated major general, had earned numerous commendations, and Zhuang had grown up in a household governed by discipline and rules. But Zhuang Xiaojun had inherited none of his family's strict demeanor. Compared to his family's rigorous standards and military-style way of life, Zhuang was far more relaxed and carefree—some might even call him lazy. He rejected the constraints of his family's demands, preferring a laid-back, easygoing lifestyle. This stark contrast often made him stand out within his family.

At the moment, Zhuang Xiaojun was lounging on a recliner in the living room, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, engrossed in a Three Kingdoms-style card game on his phone. His eyes followed the flickering screen intently, his eyebrows occasionally raising or his lips curling into a faint smirk. He seemed completely oblivious to the empty drink cans scattered at his feet or the pile of takeout containers stacked haphazardly on the dining table.

The leftover takeout containers on the dining table were from a meal Li Hao, Zhuang Xiaojun, and their other roommate, Zhou Tianyi, had ordered together a few days ago. Now greasy and glistening under the light, none of them had shown the slightest inclination to clean up. If the mess wasn't dealt with soon, they would likely have to resort to eating their meals in their own rooms.

"What happened to you—went into the mountains to hunt rabbits?" Zhuang Xiaojun teased, glancing at Li Hao, who was clearly worse for wear after trudging through the snowstorm. Still lounging in his recliner, he barely lifted his eyelids, his fingers continuing to swipe across his phone screen. "Is it still snowing outside? I've got a delivery shift tonight, and if it's snowing heavily, that's going to suck."

"Why don't you open the curtains and see for yourself?" Li Hao retorted without even looking up as he took off his heavy parka and started organizing the items from his shopping bag. He was obviously too exhausted to entertain Zhuang's banter, his fatigue written all over his face.

Zhuang continued playing his game leisurely until the word "Victory" flashed across the screen. Only then did he set his phone down, stretched lazily, and sauntered over to the window. Pulling back the curtains, he saw that the snowfall outside remained steady, though it wasn't as heavy as when Li Hao had returned. Still, the roads were slick, and visibility wasn't great—hardly ideal conditions for driving.

"Damn..." Zhuang groaned as he stretched again, complaining, "What am I supposed to do? This weather makes me not want to go out for deliveries."

"Then don't go," Li Hao suggested casually as he finished tidying up and flopped onto the sofa. He opened a food delivery app on his phone, scrolling through options for dinner. "Take a sick day, say you've got a fever, or just tell them your car's busted and you can't deliver."

"I'd love to take a day off," Zhuang muttered absently. Then, noticing that Li Hao was staring intently at his phone, he wandered over to the sofa and pointed at the screen. "What are you ordering?"

"Rice noodles? Mala tang? Haven't decided yet," Li Hao replied. "How about I pick something, and then you go pick it up for me? Consider it a warm-up for your shift."

Zhuang blinked in surprise before shaking his head with a resigned smile. "Nah, not doing that. It's not work time yet—I'm still resting." He waved off the idea lazily, but after a moment's thought, his gaze drifted back to the swirling snow outside the window. He stood up and stared at the falling snowflakes, seeming to waver. "Then again... on nights like this, there'll probably be a lot of lazy people like you ordering delivery. I could probably get a ton of orders tonight and make some good money... Ugh, so conflicted."