ISWTDB Ch153

Chapter 153: The End of the World (5,6)

He finally woke up. Situ Ran lowered his head slightly, and the first thing he saw was the top of Ying Zhao’s head.

He could see the other’s soft black hair and the cute swirl at the crown.

Was this little guy the one who had been by his side all along? Who exactly was he?

Was it him who had been taking care of him and saying encouraging words?

Thinking of this, Situ Ran’s gaze softened.

He struggled to lift himself slightly, wanting to see what this person who had been encouraging him in his dream looked like.

However, when he finally saw the other’s face clearly, his pupils shrank in shock, for it was a face he would never forget.

The person beside the bed was the very demon who had performed experiments on him day and night and had even cut off his only remaining arm.

Ying Heng! Why was it Ying Heng?

Why was the voice in his dream so beautiful?

So, in the end, was everything just a fantasy?

How could such a terrifying demon possibly speak so gently to him?

How could he possibly truly take care of him?

To this person, wasn’t he always just an experiment?

Suddenly, all hope left Situ Ran once again.

He fell back onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Indeed, how could there really be an angel in this world who would save him?

“You’re awake!” A voice, filled with surprise, came through—just as soft as in the dream—making Situ Ran instinctively turn his head.

The other’s eyes were filled with genuine joy, and in those clear eyes, he could see himself fully reflected, leaving him momentarily confused.

Why was this happening? Was the fact that he had woken up making him happy?

Didn’t Ying Heng always look at him as if he were an object?

Why was he suddenly looking at him with such joy and intense emotion? What was this person up to?

Catching his lover awake suddenly, Ying Zhao’s joy was impossible to hide.

For a moment, his expression slipped, leaving the man in the sickbed baffled.

But after realizing his current identity, Ying Zhao pursed his lips and quickly withdrew his gaze.

This only made Situ Ran more certain that what he had just seen was an illusion.

Afterward, the person across from him silently began handling the nearby medications.

Situ Ran thought to himself, of course, he was awake now, so what drug would they experiment with on him this time?

But it didn’t matter anymore. After all, he was just a puppet for others to manipulate.

Whether he lived or died, he no longer cared.

Soon enough, the man opposite him picked up a syringe and pierced his skin.

But the expected pain didn’t come. Instead, after that injection, the pain in his body eased significantly.

So, was it a painkiller?

He looked toward the other man with some suspicion, only to find that although his face remained expressionless, a closer look revealed a hint of fear and nervousness in his eyes.

Why? Why would this person feel anxious and tense in front of him?

After all the terrible things he had done to him, how could he possibly care about his emotions?

After a while, with no signs of discomfort from the medication, Situ Ran finally let out a sigh of relief.

But then he realized that the person by the bed had already left at some point.

Suddenly, the enticing aroma of food filled his nostrils—it was the smell of a meal.

Situ Ran couldn’t help but swallow. Ever since being confined to the lab, how long had it been since he last ate?

All this time, Ying Heng had been maintaining his life by directly injecting him with nutrient solutions.

Food was scarce in the post-apocalyptic world, so more often than not, people survived on fast food and mutated beasts.

Even though he had once been the leader of the Northern Base, it wasn’t as if he could indulge in lavish meals.

Now, smelling the fragrance of food, Situ Ran found himself yearning for the taste of a real meal.

Not long after, Ying Zhao entered with a bowl of porridge.

He had just gone to the small room inside that served as both a kitchen and storage space, where some food was stored.

Although the original owner didn’t need to eat daily, Situ Shuyao, the female lead, had sent quite a bit of food to appease him.

However, the original owner didn’t care much for it and would sometimes let the ingredients pile up until they spoiled.

But Ying Zhao would never waste food like that. He knew how precious food was in the apocalypse.

He even saw a small handful of fresh vegetables in the kitchen, so he cooked a small pot of vegetable porridge with rice and brought it out.

His lover, who had just woken up, must have been hungry. Ying Zhao knew that Situ Ran hadn’t eaten in a long time, so he deliberately made the porridge extra soft.

Holding the bowl, he placed it on the low table beside Situ Ran and then carefully adjusted the hospital bed.

At this moment, Ying Zhao felt incredibly grateful that the previous owner had been obsessed with research.

Although Ying Heng didn’t care about his quality of life, he had high demands for medical equipment.

So, the equipment and medicines in this house were top-notch, including Situ Ran’s hospital bed.

Ying Zhao easily pressed a button to adjust the bed, and the head of the bed slowly rose, allowing Situ Ran to comfortably sit up.

Once the bed was adjusted to a comfortable height, Ying Zhao sat down beside the man.

He picked up the porridge bowl from the low table, stirred it a couple of times, blew on it to cool it, and carefully held it up to Situ Ran’s mouth.

Situ Ran had already been watching Ying Zhao’s actions with suspicion.

Even when the spoon was brought to his face, he still found it hard to believe that the person across from him was actually trying to feed him.

Situ Ran felt that everything happening, both in his dream and now in reality, was too strange.

But the fragrant food in front of him made his stomach spasm with hunger.

So, he stopped questioning why the person in front of him was acting so differently from before.

Since the other was willing to offer him such rare fresh food, even something hard to find in the base, Situ Ran wouldn’t refuse.

Even if he were to die, he’d rather die with a full stomach.

He opened his mouth and swallowed the fresh vegetable porridge.

The warm porridge seemed to melt in his mouth, the enticing rice aroma tingling his taste buds, and he was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to cry.

How long had it been since he had eaten something like this?

Situ Ran felt that this spoonful of porridge had brought him back to life, and with just one bite, his mouth began to water uncontrollably.

Hungry! So hungry!

His body was crying out in desperation—he needed more food.

So when Ying Zhao brought another spoonful to him, Situ Ran eagerly opened his mouth again.

He gulped it down, and soon, the bowl was empty.

Seeing how much the man was enjoying the food, Ying Zhao sighed with relief.

He had been genuinely worried that Situ Ran might refuse to eat out of some sense of pride or stubbornness.

At this thought, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly into a smile.

He then stood up and went back to the kitchen to get the remaining porridge.

Ying Zhao continued dutifully, feeding Situ Ran spoonful after spoonful.

With one bowl of porridge already in his stomach, Situ Ran’s hunger had eased a bit.

As he drank the porridge, he quietly observed Ying Zhao.

The man’s movements were careful and cautious, blowing on each spoonful before feeding it to him, as if feeding someone he cherished.

Cherished? Situ Ran sneered inwardly. He found it ironic that he would even think of such a comparison.

Yet, he couldn’t help but notice that the other seemed genuinely happy because he had accepted the food.

The usually expressionless corners of the man’s mouth had slightly lifted, making him unexpectedly look somewhat… attractive.

Attractive? He actually thought this demon looked attractive!

Situ Ran’s heart jolted suddenly, and he felt as if he had lost his mind.

What was wrong with him? Could just a simple smile confuse him so much?

The more Situ Ran thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He quickly turned his head away, refusing to eat the porridge Ying Zhao was offering.

Ying Zhao blinked, assuming that his lover had simply eaten enough.

He thought to himself that after being unconscious for so long, it wouldn’t be good for him to eat too much all at once—it could be hard to digest.

He decided to give the man some medication and nutrient injections later to help regulate his body more gradually.

So, Ying Zhao didn’t push any more porridge on Situ Ran.

Instead, he naturally picked up the bowl and finished off the remaining vegetable porridge himself, one spoonful at a time.

Situ Ran was shocked by Ying Zhao’s actions. The behavior was too intimate.

He hadn’t expected Ying Zhao to eat his leftovers, and with such satisfaction, without a hint of disgust.

Frowning, Situ Ran stared at Ying Zhao, utterly unable to understand what the man was thinking.

But after a while, Situ Ran found he couldn’t continue watching.

Because he realized that Ying Zhao’s expression as he ate was unusually tender.

How could this usually expressionless person suddenly become so… alive?

Was it because he had never truly paid attention to him before?

More importantly, when he saw the man’s bright red tongue touch the white porcelain spoon, his heart began to race uncontrollably.

Insane, he was definitely going insane!

Situ Ran repeated this in his mind.

He closed his eyes tightly, no longer willing to look at this person who was disturbing his thoughts.

If he looked at him for even a moment longer, he feared his hatred would begin to waver.

After finishing the porridge, Ying Zhao prepared the nutrient solution and medication, setting up an IV drip for Situ Ran.

Thinking that his lover might not rest well with him around, Ying Zhao left the room after finishing his tasks.

After all, his lover needed peace and quiet to recuperate.

Even though Situ Ran had been in a coma, the prolonged torment of pain had drained much of his vitality.

In the following days, Ying Zhao’s behavior left Situ Ran even more perplexed.

Since his arm had been amputated by the other, although he was still injected with various medications daily, none of them seemed to be for experimental purposes.

He could feel his body getting better day by day.

Situ Ran couldn’t understand what Ying Zhao was trying to do. The man remained as silent as ever.

He didn’t speak a word, but his care for Situ Ran was meticulous.

He even prepared different kinds of tasty, easy-to-digest foods for him.

This left Situ Ran more and more confused about the man’s true intentions.

Although this current life was helping him recover his strength, the better Ying Zhao treated him, the more unsure Situ Ran became about how to face him, and the more restless his mind grew.

Finally, one day, after Ying Zhao fed him another meal and was about to leave, Situ Ran called out to him.

With a cold, hard tone, he said to Ying Zhao, “What exactly do you want?”

Ying Zhao, hearing this, looked a bit stunned as he raised his head. It seemed he hadn’t expected Situ Ran to initiate a conversation.

Seeing Ying Zhao’s slightly innocent and confused expression, Situ Ran felt even more distressed inside.

Unable to hold back, he shouted at Ying Zhao, “You take care of me every day like this, feed me, clean me, but you’re not doing any experiments on me. Ying Heng, what the hell do you want?!”

Ying Zhao, seeing the man’s furious outburst, opened his mouth but said nothing. After a while, he bit his lip, a flicker of frustration crossing his eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally took a deep breath and said to Situ Ran, “I want you.”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s answer, Situ Ran was momentarily stunned, unsure of what Ying Zhao meant.

But the next second, he saw Ying Zhao, as if determined, say again, “Situ Ran, I like you!”

Situ Ran’s pupils shrank at those words, feeling as though he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.

What was Ying Heng talking about? After torturing him like that and even cutting off his arm, now he suddenly said he liked him?

Situ Ran didn’t believe a single word from Ying Zhao, nor could he possibly turn his hatred into love in just a few days.

His mind was in complete turmoil, and in frustration, he shouted at Ying Zhao, “Get out! Get out of here!”

But despite Situ Ran’s angry shouts, Ying Zhao just stared at him, stubbornness etched in his eyes.

Suddenly, Ying Zhao stood up, grabbed Situ Ran’s chin, and fiercely bit his lips.

Before the man could react, Ying Zhao swiftly retreated and left the room.

All that was left was the man lying dumbfounded on the bed, with turbulent emotions raging inside him.

After a long time, he muttered to himself, “What is this? What the hell is this?”

He couldn’t understand why this madman had suddenly confessed to him or why he had kissed him so abruptly.

Staring blankly ahead, Situ Ran suddenly wished that he hadn’t woken up after his arm had been amputated.

It would have been better than this—better than having his heart feel as though it was being repeatedly scorched over an open fire.

He was supposed to hate him, yet he found himself, shamefully, hating Ying Zhao less and less.

He had even started to feel confused about his own feelings.

On the other side, Ying Zhao naturally didn’t want his lover to feel distressed or conflicted.

He wasn’t naïve enough to think that a simple confession could erase the torment the original Ying Heng had inflicted on the man. However, this was a necessary step in his plan.

Even though he had left the room, Ying Zhao hadn’t gone far.

Over the past few days, while he had been taking care of Situ Ran in the laboratory, he had noticed that the female protagonist had been sneaking around the area.

He knew that Situ Shuyao was waiting for an opportunity to contact Situ Ran.

As expected, not long after he left, Situ Shuyao found her chance and slipped into the room.

Seeing Situ Ran sitting by the bed in a daze, she immediately called out, “Brother.”

Situ Ran, lost in his chaotic thoughts, hadn’t noticed the female protagonist’s approach.

It wasn’t until he heard her voice that he snapped out of it and, upon seeing who it was, anxiously looked around.

He whispered to Situ Shuyao, “Shuyao, why are you here? It’s too dangerous here—you need to leave quickly!”

Situ Shuyao, having finally seized her chance to sneak in, wasn’t about to leave so easily.

Upon hearing Situ Ran’s words, she immediately put on a deeply emotional expression.

With a heartfelt look, she said to him, “Brother, it’s all my fault. I couldn’t find a way to save you!”

“The last time, Ying Heng came back too soon, and I didn’t have time to explain everything to you. Do you know why all of this is happening to you? It’s partly my fault!”

Situ Ran, hearing Situ Shuyao speak like this, looked at her in confusion and asked, “What do you mean? Shuyao, what does any of this have to do with you?”

Situ Shuyao’s face took on a guilty expression as she cried to him, “Brother, it’s all because of Ying Heng! He likes me and confessed to me, but I rejected him. So, he’s been holding a grudge ever since.”

“When you had that accident during your mission and came back heavily injured, you hadn’t mutated. Ying Heng took advantage of that, claiming that your body was different from others and that the key to the zombie virus cure might be in you. That’s why he kept you in the lab.”

“He even used you to threaten me, forcing me to be with him. But even though I agreed, he still went on to harm you!”

“Ying Heng is nothing but a demon!” Situ Shuyao sobbed pitifully as she spoke.

Situ Ran watched her cry, her face full of sorrow, but his brows furrowed deeply.

Ying Heng had just confessed to him moments ago, and now Shuyao was telling him that Ying Heng liked her instead.

What on earth was going on?

Situ Shuyao saw Situ Ran’s grim expression but only thought she had convinced him and was feeling pleased with herself.

Not far away, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Ying Zhao, holding some potions in his hands, opened the door. Upon seeing Situ Shuyao, he furrowed his brows and said to her sternly, “Miss Situ, I’ve already told you before not to come into my laboratory without permission. Have you forgotten?”

Situ Shuyao was startled by the sound of the door opening. She hadn’t expected Ying Zhao to return so quickly.

However, it seemed that he hadn’t overheard her just now while she was stirring up trouble.

So, she immediately put on a flattering expression and said to Ying Zhao, “A-Heng, you’re back! I just wanted to come see you, but I didn’t expect you not to be here!”

But before she could finish speaking, Ying Zhao unceremoniously interrupted, “Please don’t call me A-Heng, Miss Situ. I don’t think we’re close enough for that. You can call me by my name, or like everyone else, you can call me Professor Ying.”

“I’ll say it again—I don’t like people coming into my lab. If there’s nothing else, please leave, Miss Situ.”

“After all, the items in my lab are very valuable. If something were accidentally damaged, I don’t think you could bear the responsibility.”

Ying Zhao’s tone was full of disdain, making Situ Shuyao’s face turn red and pale.

She thought that although Ying Heng had always been a bit cold, he had generally treated her with some warmth in the past.

She had already taken the antidote that was in the early stages of development and claimed it as her own work. Ying Heng hadn’t said anything publicly about it.

Situ Shuyao always believed that Ying Heng had a favorable impression of her, which was why he tacitly allowed her actions.

But now, seeing his obviously indifferent attitude, she wasn’t so sure of his thoughts anymore.

She wanted to teach this arrogant man in front of her a lesson, but she also knew that the antidote for the virus depended on him to be successfully developed.

So, faced with Ying Zhao’s order to leave, Situ Shuyao had no choice but to leave, dejected.

Situ Ran silently watched everything unfold in front of him, doubting his sister for the first time.

Ying Heng’s attitude had been clear just now—he had absolutely no interest in Situ Shuyao and was even quite distant.

But why did Situ Shuyao tell him that Ying Heng liked her? Why did she even frame him because of this and use him to threaten her?

Situ Ran couldn’t understand, but he inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

Though even he didn’t understand why he felt relieved.

However, before he could fully gather his thoughts, the man in front of him suddenly came over.

He stared at him intently, saying viciously, “Why did you meet with her? Do you like Situ Shuyao?”

“What?” Situ Ran was a bit stunned, not understanding why the other man suddenly said something so nonsensical.

Then, he saw Ying Zhao’s face full of resentment as he said, “You like Situ Shuyao! I’ve known for a long time. You and she aren’t even related by blood; you’re just an adopted son of the Situ family.”

As he spoke, Ying Zhao’s eyes turned red as he glared at him. The madness and obsession in his gaze sent a chill down Situ Ran’s spine.

So, does Ying Heng really love me?

If he truly loves me, why would he hurt me like this?

In an instant, Situ Ran’s heart was filled with confusion and hesitation, but before he could think any further, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his neck.

At some point, the man in front of him had taken out a syringe and quickly pierced his skin with it.

Shortly after, Situ Ran’s consciousness began to blur.

He only knew that just before he lost complete awareness, he heard Ying Zhao’s crazed voice, “Since you love her so much, I’ll make you completely forget her! You’re mine! You’re mine! I’ll make sure you only have me!”

It seemed like he said more after that, but Situ Ran could no longer hear it.

Because soon, he fell into darkness.

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, flooding the entire room.

On the bed, the cold and stern-faced man seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.

Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings in front of him, the man felt his mind go blank.

Feeling a bit confused, he tried to sit up, but due to his weakness, even that seemed difficult.

He wanted to raise his arm to shield his eyes from the glaring light, but then he realized he couldn’t feel his arms.

He immediately lowered his head, only to see two empty sleeves.

His eyes widened in shock, and just as he was about to struggle to get up, the door to the room opened.

A handsome man walked in with a bowl in his hands. Seeing him awake, the man’s face immediately lit up with joy, and he exclaimed, “Darling, you’re finally awake!”

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Author’s Note:

His memory will return soon; it’s all part of Xiao Zhao’s scheme.