“How many people are you bringing?” Yi Boqin asked, looking at the sheer size of the mostly empty warehouse. All that was in there was Zhao Jiayi’s lab tucked in a corner.

“10? 20? 30? Depends on whose parents are around.” Zhao Jiayi murmured as he worked a forklift to carry a pallet full of boxes into the warehouse.

“Hm? What are those?”

“A bunch of different things. One of them is ammunition, there probably clothes and curtains and stuff in one of the boxes too.” Zhao Jiayi murmured.

“Is the government not checking on you? You’ve bought so much ammo…” Yi Boqin murmured.

“They’re probably too busy to care.”  Zhao Jiayi chuckled as he set down the pallet.

Yi Boqin sighed and Zhao Jiayi sent him a sympathetic look. He knew this was probably crazy for him but he was determined to keep Boqin alive. Yi Boqin turned to Zhao Jiayi and then back at the boxes.

“Are you bringing YanYan?”

Zhao Jiayi almost got whiplash after hearing the nickname. He stared at Yi Boqin for a second before remembering who he was talking about. He had thought he was referring to Yan Xing at first but in reality, he was referring to their friend Wu Yanyu.

“...Probably...We’ll see.” Zhao Jiayi murmured.

He probably wouldn’t bring Wu Yanyu.

Saving Wu Yanyu during the apocalypse was a grave mistake the first time. She led countless people to their deaths because of her selfishness. He had known her for years but after awakening her power of ‘suggestion’ she completely changed.

‘Oh boy…’ Zhao Jiayi thought to himself as he looked at Yi Boqin’s expression. It was no secret that Yi Boqin was in love with Wu Yanyu. He kept quiet about it because Wu Yanyu was obsessed with Zhao Jiayi but Jiayi thought it was obvious.

~Beep Beep~

“Hmm? What’s up?” Yi Boqin asked as he heard Zhao Jiayi’s watch beeping.

“I have to go to work and pick something up. I left some lab materials.” Zhao Jiayi said and smiled, getting off the forklift and tossing Yi Boqin the keys to both the forklift and the warehouse.

“Oh okay. I’ll stay here...I’m guessing I should close up when I leave?” Yi Boqin asked.

Zhao Jiayi nodded and waved, “Keep the keys, I’ll call you when I need them.”

—

‘Hmmm...let’s see, where are you…?’ Zhao Jiayi thought to himself and used an ability to look around the school, searching for Yan Xing’s presence.

“There you are.” He murmured to himself after finding Yan Xing. It was easy to sense Yan Xing’s presence because he had the virus. Of course, it was even easier because Zhao Jiayi had given him some of his own energy.

He entered through the building where his lab was so he could look like he was actually there to get something from his lab and not just looking for a certain student. He hadn’t really thought about what he was going to say he was looking for so he’d have to think of something quickly. There was bound to be at least one useful thing in his lab that would be useful in the apocalypse.

“Oh Professor Zhao, A student was actually just looking for you! I told him you were on leave though…” Another Chemistry professor murmured, looking a bit apologetic.

“Hmm? One of my students?” Zhao Jiayi asked, he had a feeling it was Yan Xing but it wouldn’t be strange if it was a normal student of his instead.

“No, I think he’s in the business course or something else in the east building, I’ve never seen him in this building before. He just left so you might be able to find him.” The Professor said and pointed down the hall with a smile.

“Oh...Great, thanks.” Zhao Jiayi said and smiled before walking down the hall.

‘So the reason why Yan Xing was in this area was that he came to find me?’ Zhao Jiayi found his smile widening a little as he thought that. 

‘I’m definitely going to save him.’

“Yan Xing. Why are you--Ooh Mr.Yan won’t like that at all. Supporting a competitor’s brand?” A female voice could be heard from just around the corner where Zhao Jiayi could sense Yan Xing.

‘Ah, that doesn’t sound good.’ Zhao Jiayi peeked around the corner and found that Yan Xing was talking to a young woman who was just short enough to be hidden by his figure. He noticed the object that the woman had been talking about and winced a little. Yan Xing had been holding the same soda that Zhao Jiayi had bought for himself the day before when they met. The name of the company that Yan Xing’s family owns immediately came to mind when Zhao Jiayi thought of the Soda brand’s competitors.

Zhao Jiayi thought it was cute that Yan Xing remembered the specific soda he chose and bought it for him as a way to pay him back. He felt bad because Yan Xing got in trouble though (and because he didn’t like sugary drinks).

“Xu--”

“Ah Yan Xing, thanks for holding that for me! Can’t have food or drink in the lab...so inconvenient at times.” Zhao Jiayi said, rather loudly, and took the soda from Yan Xing’s hand. He scared both Yan Xing and the woman he was talking to when he came out of nowhere but he just chuckled a little and smiled, casually opened the soda.

“Who is this?” Zhao Jiayi asked Yan Xing who was staring at him in shock. In reality, he knew exactly who it was, he upset about it too.

 He had noticed it was Xu Meihua as he walked over to take the soda and it upset him how she was talking to Yan Xing with such animosity. He gave her the benefit of the doubt though, she was the woman he planned to marry so he didn’t want to think badly of her, though he wasn’t so sure if he still felt the same way about her as he used to. Why was she acting like this?

“Professor Zhao this is Xu Meihua, she’s my--”  Yan Xing started before Xu Meihua interrupted him.

“I’m Xu Meihua, A-Xing and I are childhood friends.” Xu Meihua said and smiled, moving her hair behind her ear shyly and reaching out to shake Zhao Jiayi’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure.” Zhao Jiayi said with a smile.

Xu Meihua seemed like she wanted to say something but her phone rang so she bowed and apologized quietly before going off to answer the call somewhere else. Zhao Jiayi watched her leave and then turned to Yan Xing.

“Thank you for the soda. Is this what you were looking for me for?” Zhao Jiayi asked with a smile.

“Uh yeah…” Yan Xing murmured.

 Yan Xing was confused, Zhao Jiayi saved him from being criticized any further by Xu Meihua but he didn’t ask any questions about it.

“Professor Zhao—“

“You don’t have to call me that, I’m quitting next week. I’m supposed to be using up my Vacation days as we speak.”  Zhao Jiayi laughed.

“...What else can I call y...” Yan Xing mumbled, he caught himself at the end. It wouldn’t really matter what he called him since Zhao Jiayi was quitting and he already repaid his debt.

‘I’m not that much older than you, so Ge?’ Zhao Jiayi was tempted to say that but he knew Yan Xing would say no. 

“What are you going to be doing after you quit?” Yan Xing asked, surprisingly interested.

“Still more Biochemical Engineering, but just more personal experiments. I can't really do all of the experiments I want here because the equipment is not all mine.”  Zhao Jiayi explained and started walking back to his lab. He quickly finished his soda and threw it away in a nearby bin, he wasn’t joking when he said food and drink weren’t allowed in the lab.

“Are you interested?” Zhao Jiayi asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah...I can't change majors though...I’m already a senior...” Yan Xing said and dismissed the idea completely.

“Hmm...do you have a job?” Zhao Jiayi said with a slight sparkle in his eyes, this was perfect!

“No?” Yan Xing murmured and tilted his head a little.

“You could be my lab assistant!”  Zhao Jiayi said and smiled.

Zhao Jiayi didn’t think he’d like the quiet and awkward Yan Xing as much as he liked the Yan Xing he knew back during the apocalypse but he found himself thinking the way Yan Xing acted now was quite cute. Yan Xing was deliberating what he should do. His expression was rather stiff but his eyes were darting around the room and he was tilting his head a little as he thought about it.

“My parents would be against it. They only want me to work at their company.” Yan Xing murmured and bowed his head as an apology.

“Hmm...I guess filial piety is more important to you than I expected.” Zhao Jiayi murmured and patted Yan Xing’s shoulder, trying to get him to stop bowing. Yan Xing was taken aback by the comment, his eyes shrunk a little. Zhao Jiayi immediately realized his mistake in saying that out loud and moved past it. 

“Not really...Things just become messy if I don’t listen to them so I’d rather just do as they say.” Yan Xing murmured, his expression was sad and he sighed. He figured that Zhao Jiayi just mentioned that because of what he had assumed from his Interactions with Xu Meihua.

“Well, I won’t force you.” Zhao Jiayi said and sat down at his desk.

“Just one question though. From a curious person with a degree in psychology...If a Zombie apocalypse happened right now...What would you do?” Zhao Jiayi asked, glancing at Yan Xing. He was curious if Yan Xing knew about the virus that was already inside him. He was also just curious about his answer.

“...I would do whatever I wanted to do. As long as it was my choice I’d do anything I felt like doing.” Yan Xing murmured. He didn’t really react to the odd question or to the word Zombie but something about his answer really solidified Zhao Jiayi’s feelings.

‘What a truthful answer.’ Zhao Jiayi thought and smiled a little, in the Apocalypse it did seem like Yan Xing was doing whatever he wanted to do.

“I think you should do whatever you want to do all the time. Not just during the apocalypse.” Zhao Jiayi said and smiled, sitting down at his desk.

“Professor Zhao. Have you always done whatever you wanted to do in your whole life? In school, at home, at work? Have you never done things just because other people tell you to do them?” Yan Xing said with a furrowed brow, he almost immediately regretted saying that and looked down. He had stared Zhao Jiayi right in the eye as he spoke and Zhao Jiayi looked right back at him, unwavering as if he expected him to say that.

“Sorry-” He started before Zhao Jiayi cut him off.

“My point is that you should devote yourself to what makes you happy. Not to what makes others happy,” Zhao Jiayi’s words were interrupted by an alarm sounding from Yan Xing’s phone but he ignored it and kept talking, “Especially since you’re already an adult.” 

Yan Xing looked at his phone and turned off the alarm and then looked at Zhao Jiayi. “...What would you do during a zombie apocalypse?”

“It’s kind of the same thing you would do. Whatever I wanted to do.  And what I want to do is keep my friends safe.” Zhao Jiayi said and grinned.

Yan Xing had a weird expression on his face before he excused himself to go home. Zhao Jiayi thought about it for a while before deciding to leave the school and go home.