Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]-Chapter 177 - Sneak up

The sun rose up, casting long shadows across the wrecked city as Yunfeng and Muchen made their way back to the warehouse.

They crouched low behind rusted vehicles, dodging broken glass and overturned bins with careful steps. The streets were too quiet now. Too quiet.

And strange.

The zombies—they weren’t lunging, weren’t growling. Some were standing completely still, heads bowed as if... asleep. Others were slumped in corners, motionless, like they’d powered down. The air hung thick with tension, like the whole city was holding its breath.

"What the hell..." Yunfeng whispered, eyes narrowing at one particularly bloated zombie standing upright in the middle of the road, unmoving, its eyes closed as if in hibernation.

"Don’t question it. Just... move," Muchen whispered back, gripping his hand tighter.

They moved like ghosts, step by step, making sure not to breathe too loud, not to disturb whatever trance the undead had fallen into.

The only sound between them was the soft shuffle of feet and the thudding of Yunfeng’s heart.

By the time they reached the back of the warehouse, both of them were slick with sweat, but alive.

Yunfeng reached for the back door handle—but Muchen suddenly caught his wrist.

"No," he said in a low, urgent voice. "We can’t go through here. If that bastard sees us, he might hurt Hana out of panic."

Yunfeng paused. His eyes flicked up to the truck they’d used earlier. The one he’d jumped off when they first arrived.

"The roof," he said. "We go through the roof."

Muchen nodded. "That sounds like a good plan."

With Yunfeng’s help, Muchen climbed onto the back of the truck, careful not to put too much pressure on his legs. Yunfeng followed, steady and strong, and then hoisted Muchen the rest of the way onto the warehouse roof.

"Step slowly," Muchen whispered, his breath warm in the cool evening air. "We don’t want him to hear us."

They moved across the creaking metal roof like shadows, hearts pounding with every step. Yunfeng found the covered hatch they’d noticed before—a square opening used for ventilation or emergency exits—and gently pulled it open, the hinges groaning softly.

He peered down into the warehouse.

There they were.

Most of the group was gathered near a makeshift resting spot—blankets, crates, and broken furniture arranged in a loose circle. And at the center, Jian Hao.

He was sitting with Hana on his lap.

A hand wrapped around her neck.

Yunfeng’s blood surged to his head.

"That fucker..." he hissed. "Who the hell does he think he is? Making my sister sit on his lap like that? Fuck, I wanna beat the shit out of him—"

"Shh!" Muchen clamped a hand over Yunfeng’s mouth, glaring. "Not now. We need to take him by surprise. Don’t get emotional."

Yunfeng’s breathing was sharp against Muchen’s palm, but he nodded. They couldn’t mess this up.

Silently, they descended through the hatch. The dusty metal ladder groaned under their weight, but no one stirred. They crouched behind a large shelf lined with boxes, just a few feet away from Jian Hao.

Muchen glanced at Yunfeng.

Yunfeng gave a short nod, his jaw tight.

In one smooth movement, Yunfeng shot a small, focused flame at the hand gripping Hana’s neck. novelbuddy.cσ๓

It sizzled on contact.

"What the—?!" Jian Hao jerked back in surprise, releasing her instantly.

Before he could recover, Muchen was already there—he dove forward, wrapping his arms around Hana and yanking her out of the bastard’s lap. His body turned like a blur as he kicked Jian Hao to the ground and drove a heavy boot onto his back, pinning him with unrelenting force.

The muzzle of a machine gun clicked against the back of Jian Hao’s skull.

"If you don’t want your head blown off, you better stop resisting," Muchen growled.

His voice wasn’t loud—but it was deadly.

Yunfeng rushed to Hana, dropping to his knees and checking her for wounds. She looked shaken, wide-eyed, but unharmed.

"Ge..." she whispered weakly, clutching at his sleeve.

Yunfeng pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a tight, shaking hug.

"You’re safe now. You’re safe."

Behind them, Jian Hao froze beneath Muchen’s weight.

"I-I wasn’t going to hurt her," he stammered.

Muchen’s foot dug harder into his spine.

"You were holding a girl hostage. What exactly were you going to do? Sing lullabies?"

"I was not going to hurt her....!" Jian Hao snapped. "I swear!"

"Bullshit," Yunfeng spat from where he held Hana. "You had your hand around her neck ready to strangle her."

Jian Hao didn’t reply.

Muchen didn’t move. His grip on the gun didn’t waver.

"Get up." His voice was dangerously low. "And don’t you dare think of doing anything. I’ll shoot you down without hesitation."

Jian Hao slowly pushed himself up off the ground, hands raised, jaw trembling. His eyes were wide, not just with fear—but with something deeper. Regret. Shame.

"...My mom," he said hoarsely, voice cracking. "Is she... is she alive?"

Muchen scoffed, bitter. "I don’t know. Because we didn’t go there."

Jian Hao’s expression twisted, his jaw clenching. "You... You didn’t keep your word," he whispered, his eyes glistening. Tears started rolling down his cheeks, cutting rivers down his dirt-smeared face. "You promised..."

"Oh, cry me a damn river," Muchen spat, stepping back and lowering the gun—just slightly. "What did you expect? For us to wade through hell, through those water-infested tunnels, through those fucking shark-zombies while you sat cushy in this warehouse? Huh? That fair to you?"

Jian Hao’s face contorted, pain and rage tangled in his features. "If I had powers like him," he shouted, voice cracking, "I would have gone! I would have saved her!"

He stomped the ground in frustration, fists clenched, tears pouring freely.

Yunfeng, who had been quiet till now, only frowned, his gaze dark and unreadable.

But Hana—Hana, who had just begun to steady her breath, whose fear had only just begun to ease—was lit ablaze by his words.

"What the fuck do you mean, huh?!" she exploded, her voice loud and sharp in the still warehouse.

Jian Hao turned, startled.

"So what if my brother has powers?" Hana yelled, stepping forward, fire in her eyes. "That doesn’t mean he’s your fucking servant! That doesn’t mean he owes you anything! Even with those powers, every time he uses them, he’s risking his life! You think it’s easy for him?"

She stomped hard, fury spilling from her like a storm. "Who made you entitled to his service?! Who made you think your problems are more important than his life?!"

Jian Hao flinched, but she wasn’t done.

"Fuck you!" she cried, her voice breaking now, loud with pain and betrayal. "And you’re a fucker of a son, too! If you loved your mom so much, you go rescue her yourself! You put yourself in danger! You don’t get to sit here and scream while we nearly died trying to figure out a way!"

Her eyes were red with tears now, voice shaking with fury. "You didn’t even try," she hissed. "You didn’t even try."

Jian Hao didn’t respond. He stood there, eyes downcast, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He looked smaller somehow.

The warehouse was silent again.

Yunfeng walked forward, gently placed a hand on Hana’s shoulder, and pulled her back a little. "That’s enough."

Muchen kept his gun pointed, just in case.

"We’re not your saviors, Jian Hao," Yunfeng said quietly. "We’re just trying to survive."