He couldn’t quite stand the looks from the others.

Deep down, he truly didn’t like men, nor did he want to be tied together with another man in other people’s eyes. That irritation flared up all at once.

Su Mu wasn’t the type to talk much. When he got angry, he didn’t lose his temper, didn’t curse, didn’t hit anyone—he was used to cold violence instead. The angrier he was, the colder and more distant his attitude became.

Luo Beiyao wasn’t stupid. After spending so long with the amnesiac Su Mu, he knew precisely what Su Mu looked like when he was angry. Realizing that he really had been indulging in wishful thinking earlier, Luo Beiyao’s heart suddenly went cold.

The heart that had been beating so fast a moment ago felt as though it dropped straight into empty space—then smashed hard into the ground.

In the past, Luo Beiyao had relied on a face lavishly favored by heaven, along with excellent grades and strong competence. He’d always been someone girls flocked to; even boys had shown interest in him. He had never once experienced heartbreak.

Yet here, with Su Mu—

He was living through it every single day.

What Luo Beiyao didn’t know was that Su Mu had been born and raised in the apocalypse. In that world, it was rare to see genuinely loving couples. What he’d seen most were exchanges—trading supplies for survival, or bodies as bargaining chips.

On top of that, he’d grown up in the military. Every comrade around him had been a big, rough man, single to the last one.

So Su Mu naturally didn’t understand what interlocking fingers truly meant. To him, it was just holding hands. That was why he hadn’t pushed Luo Beiyao away immediately.

So where, exactly, had things gone wrong?

Two men leaning together, holding hands—what was the problem? When it was cold in winter, he and his comrades had even slept hugging each other for warmth, and no one had ever said anything about it…

Was it because the way Luo Beiyao looked at him was too bare and vulnerable?

[The real juice is @ https://www.lemonsociety.gay ♡]

The sooner they reached the survivor base, the safer they’d be. The group pressed on without stopping—pulling over only to gnaw on dry rations when hungry, then getting back on the road once their stomachs were filled.

By dusk, they stopped on a national highway closest to the city.

The vegetation on both sides of the road had withered away, leaving the scene bleak and desolate. The wind howled, and darkened bloodstains and scattered skeletons nearby added an eerie, horrifying atmosphere.

Everyone took out their rations and ate in silence.

Then, from a patch of grass not far away, came the cries of wild chickens—and from the sound of it, there was more than one.

In the apocalypse, everyone had grown extremely cautious. Even if it was just the cry of wild chickens, no one dared let their guard down.

What if they were mutated beasts?

Spiritual perception spread outward. Several ice spikes shot swiftly into the grass.

The cries stopped abruptly.

Su Mu moved cleanly and efficiently as he got out of the vehicle. From the grass, he emerged carrying three large, plump wild chickens with brightly colored feathers.

Without exception, each one had its head severed by a single ice spike. Blood dripped steadily from the broken necks.

Su Mu tossed the chickens—whose bodies were still twitching—onto the ground and called out to the people in the truck, some staring in shock, others with eyes lit up:

“Extra food tonight. Roast chicken.”

After saying that, he turned and went off to gather firewood without another glance back.

The others eagerly helped process the chickens. Lu Shuangshuang had wanted to go collect firewood with Su Mu, hoping to create more chances to be alone with him, but as a water-type ability user, cleaning the chickens depended heavily on her powers. In the end, she had no choice but to give up the idea.

Luo Beiyao silently followed behind Su Mu.

Neither of them spoke.

Holding the bundle of firewood he’d gathered, Luo Beiyao quietly watched the young man with his clean, cool features snapping dry branches from the trees. His lips pressed together slightly.

What was he supposed to do about Su Mu?

Being gentle couldn’t hold him.

Being forceful… He couldn’t bear to do it.