Rebirth of the Last Days: Double Pets

Since there were many outsiders present, Tang Ruo and Bai Qi only ate some bottled water and biscuits from the convenience store for dinner.

Once everything was settled, around 5 p.m., Zhao Zhiqiang saw his wife trying to put their son to sleep. He then walked to a corner of the store to chat with Bai Qi and the others.

“Where are the three of you planning to go?” he asked directly, sitting down on a toppled shelf.

Almost everything that could be moved out of the convenience store had been taken by the two groups, with Zhao Zhiqiang’s group getting the largest share.

His strength had increased by dozens of times compared to before. Although it was the apocalypse, he was still better off than most, as his wife and son were still with him. Because of this, his expression showed no signs of gloom.

Bai Qi held Tang Ruo’s hand as the three of them sat on another shelf, clearly not intending to get up. He replied, “We plan to head to City A.”

Zhao Zhiqiang thought for a moment, furrowing his brows. “Right now, the city center of H is overrun with zombies. City A is the capital, and it reportedly had a population of 30 million before the apocalypse. Going there is like charging straight into a zombie horde. It’s no different from seeking death, is it?”

Bai Qi replied, “I have relatives in City A. Even if it’s full of zombies, I still have to check it out.”

In the apocalypse, being separated from loved ones and not knowing their fate is indeed one of the most agonizing experiences.

Zhao Zhiqiang wanted to comfort Bai Qi and Tang Ruo but wasn’t sure how. He was a rough guy by nature, a construction contractor, and not very good with words. Figuring it was better not to try comforting them, he decided to change the subject.

Looking at Tian Hai, he said, “You’re a really good younger brother, taking such good care of your sister. You were always right behind her, making sure she was safe. You two siblings have a great bond. Back when my wife and I were planning, we also thought about having another child…”

He could tell that Bai Qi and Tang Ruo didn’t look like siblings. Up close, he saw their matching rings and realized they were a young couple.

Naturally, he thought of Tang Ruo and Tian Hai as siblings.

Tian Hai looked up at Zhao Zhiqiang in surprise, then glanced at Tang Ruo, pursed his lips, and lowered his head. “No… not really…”

He was about to clarify that he and Tang Ruo were not siblings when Tang Ruo said, “Yes, my brother is indeed very good to me.”

She was aware that Tian Hai had been protecting her recently, and she felt that this boy was very considerate and grateful.

Tian Hai quickly looked up at Tang Ruo again, and seeing her smiling warmly at him, he opened his mouth, blushed, and lowered his head once more.

Bai Qi spoke lightly from the side, “It’s only right for a younger brother to protect his older brother’s wife.”

Zhao Zhiqiang: “…”

It felt like a formal reprimand for a ‘mistress.’

He thought he might have been overly influenced by his colleagues’ discussions about early relationships among children, which led him to overthink things. So, he laughed awkwardly, said his goodbyes, and went back to his corner to rest.

Once Zhao Zhiqiang left, Tang Ruo beamed at Bai Qi and said, “Congratulations, Brother Bai, you’ve gained a good younger brother.”

She was considering officially recognizing Tian Hai as her younger brother.

The term “Brother Bai” made Bai Qi feel somewhat pleased. His expression remained calm and unfazed, and he continued to hold Tang Ruo’s delicate hand, saying, “Yes, thank you for helping me with my younger brother.”

Tang Ruo guided Tian Hai to call them “older brother” and “older sister.”

Tian Hai hesitated, blushing, and awkwardly addressed them as “older brother” and “older sister.”

He had lost his mother when he was very young, and his father had left the village to work soon after, leaving him in the care of his uncle and aunt. Although they treated him well, they had no children of their own, so he had never experienced the bond of having siblings.

Children without parents in the village often faced bullying at school, not just physically but also verbally. Seeing other children with older siblings made him wish he had his own to protect him.

In the apocalypse, he had thought that losing his father meant losing everything, but instead, he gained two new family members: an older brother and an older sister.

Every summer vacation, he would come from his hometown to live with his father. His father would often speak with deep emotion about Bai Qi from Building 2 in District C.

According to his father, Bai Qi was a young man who, despite losing his parents, still lived diligently and attentively. His father said that although he had lived in the community for a long time, he had never seen Bai Qi’s parents. It was only from Bai Qi’s long-time caretaker that he learned Bai Qi had lost his parents at a young age. Despite this, Bai Qi remained strong, didn’t grow up wrongly in the extended family, consistently topped his exams, and even earned a spot to study abroad through his own efforts. Later, he learned that Bai Qi’s grandfather had also passed away, and eventually, he heard that Bai Qi had gone abroad as an exchange student.

At that time, Bai Qi was someone he admired greatly. Now, he found himself becoming Bai Qi’s younger brother.

The nights in the apocalypse are very cold, but fortunately, they are not lacking in blankets; they had placed two blankets in the car earlier.

However, there really aren’t any double rooms available.

Everyone just used shelves to block some of the view. The space was so small that Tian Hai had no choice but to sleep on Bai Qi’s left side.

Sleeping next to Bai Qi, Tang Ruo didn’t have any discomfort and quickly fell asleep.

Recently, she had been using a lot of mental energy, so after a strenuous day, her time in the space had decreased significantly, and she usually fell into a dreamless sleep. Fortunately, the plants growing in the space had entered their normal growth phase, so there was no need to guard them daily.

On the other hand, Tian Hai, sitting motionless beside Bai Qi, was affected by Bai Qi’s powerful aura.

His noble face, even when sitting in the corner of the supermarket on a shelf, still exuded an aura reminiscent of the bright moon over the Western Mountains.

He radiated an aura that seemed to say, “Tian Hai, go back to the car and sleep.”

Tian Hai thought for a moment, looked at Tang Ruo, who had curled up in Bai Qi’s arms with only her head visible, and then glanced at Bai Qi, who was still awake. He said, “Brother Bai, I think I’ll go sleep in the car outside.”

Being a third wheel here felt like he was about to be disposed of.

Bai Qi glanced at him and responded with an “Mm.”

In that calm and breezy tone, Tian Hai clearly sensed a hint of satisfaction.

So, Tian Hai quickly grabbed a blanket and left.