Gu Mingyue was trapped in a nightmare.
Gu Jianguo, thin and emaciated, wore ragged clothes as he dug into the earth.
To be more precise, he was reclaiming land.
The surroundings were dark and gloomy, overrun with thorns, resembling a primeval forest.
Among the dark vines, centipedes, cockroaches, and lizards huddled in corners, devouring enormous rats. The crunching sounds of gnawing made one's scalp tingle.
This wasn't the first rat, and every day, Gu Jianguo would throw a mutated rat to feed them, then nonchalantly wave the rusted hoe in his hand, smashing it down on the earth, one strike after another.
There was no daylight here, but the plants grew wildly. When the seeds were first sown, the cleared patches of land were already overrun with ankle-high weeds.
Gu Jianguo didn't turn around to remove the weeds—not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.
He had been bitten by a snake—a blackish-grey patterned snake that had hidden among the centipedes for days. When Gu Jianguo threw the rat, the snake stealthily slithered over and bit his calf.
The wound became infected and festered, and the insects and ants surrounding it began to glow green with hunger.
The rat meat no longer satisfied them; they now longed for Gu Jianguo's larger body.
Gu Jianguo had to use all his strength to fend them off.
With the hoe, he chopped off the snake's sharp head, severed the thick-bodied centipedes, and smashed the palm-sized cockroaches. He carefully protected his body, which was slowly decaying and weakening.
When the pile of corpses formed a small mound, the seeds finally sprouted.
Tiny sprouts, no larger than a fingernail, were so small that they could barely be noticed. He limped around the plot twice, watering them with joy, his numb lips stiffly curving into a smile.
By the time the sprouts reached the size of a little finger, he dug a small hole in the corner where the plants were growing best, using the blood-stained hoe. Trembling, he buried a small wooden box in the hole.
Worried that the hole wasn't deep enough to avoid insect and ant infestations, he dug a bit deeper. When he filled the hole, the hoe also got buried.
The hoe, covered in insect and ant blood, was as black as the endless night. He leaned against the darkness, slowly closing his eyes.
The insects and ants in the shadows swarmed toward him once again, moving at an astonishing speed.
Gu Mingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly opened her eyes.
In the silence, her heart pounded wildly, and her limbs trembled uncontrollably. She was soaked in tears and sweat.
This dream had started half a month ago. The city of Lu City was swept by a typhoon and torrential rain, the apocalypse had arrived, and order collapsed. She hadn't been able to escape the city, and Gu Jianguo had been left mutilated.
The scenes in the dream became clearer with each passing night, as though she were truly there.
She suddenly had a thought and closed her eyes again, focusing her mind. She entered another tranquil space.
This space only appeared after the nightmare started. It was roughly the size of seven or eight apartments, divided by a half-meter-wide creek.
To the left was soil, and on the right, four patches of land separated by shimmering, colorful lights. Each patch grew a sapling, with colors transitioning from green to yellow to nothing—symbolizing the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
The succulents and pothos she had planted in the soil were already thriving, signifying that it was possible to cultivate the land. The right side seemed to function as a storage area—high temperature, normal temperature, low temperature, frozen...
So, would all the disasters come here too?
Was this really the apocalypse?
*Ding~ ding~*
The mechanical doorbell snapped Gu Mingyue out of her thoughts. She hastily wiped the tears from her face, her throat hoarse from crying, and asked, "Who is it?"
"Mingyue, it's me..."
Wu Yibo, her boyfriend.
Gu Mingyue frowned. "Wait a moment."
She changed into comfortable loungewear, walked through the living room, and habitually glanced at the electronic calendar on the dining room wall.
July 20th.
The day she was supposed to meet Wu Yibo's parents.
Wu Yibo was four years younger than her and a game streamer. They had been dating for two years. Last month, on her birthday, he proposed to her and hinted that he wanted to get married by the end of the year.
She had entered the industry early and gained some fame. She wasn't ready to marry and have children just yet, so she had turned him down at the time.
It was only two weeks ago that she had softened.
Lately, the endless health checkups from various hospitals had worn her out, and she had completely forgotten the date.
"Mingyue..." Wu Yibo impatiently urged.
"I'm coming." She pushed aside her emotions and opened the door.
The hallway light hadn't been turned on, but the light from the corridor outside poured in. Wu Yibo furrowed his brow as he took off his shoes, feeling around the shoe rack and opening the door. "What did the doctor say?"
Gu Mingyue had been feeling unwell and had been going to the hospital every day. She had visited several top-tier hospitals in Lu City, all of which said it was nothing serious. She doubted their medical skills and started visiting roadside clinics, acupuncture centers, and massage parlors—anything that could treat her night terrors.
His cousin's aunt had introduced a traditional Chinese medicine doctor from Danyang. Gu Mingyue had driven there early yesterday, but she hadn't told him the result until he asked.
"She said it's liver Qi stagnation, and my spleen and stomach are out of balance..."
Wu Yibo didn't understand traditional Chinese medicine. He took off his mask and tossed it aside, hesitating. "Isn't the smell of disinfectant too strong?"
Pneumonia had swept across the country, spreading rapidly. Gu Mingyue was quite timid, so she would disinfect the house every two days and then fumigate with vinegar. The smell was intense.
He had a hard time tolerating it, and so did she.
"Maybe," Gu Mingyue replied absentmindedly.
Wu Yibo was surprised, unable to believe those words had come from her. After the pandemic ended in Lu City, she would wear a gas mask whenever she went outside, even on days with 40-degree heat. She'd rather suffer from the heat than give the virus a chance. Now she was admitting to using too much disinfectant?
Before he could say anything, he noticed her gaze was on his shoes and mask. He kicked his shoes into place, stuffed the mask into his suit pants pocket, and grinned. "I'll wash my hands first…"
Gu Mingyue stared at his back and suddenly asked, "Did you play cards last night?"
It was only five o'clock. What boyfriend comes over at this hour?
Wu Yibo froze, his body stiffening. Gu Mingyue asked again, "With Liu Duoduo and the others?"
He relaxed. "Yeah, there wasn't a livestream last night. Liu Duoduo's cousin just got a new girlfriend and insisted on celebrating."
With that, he strode into the bathroom.
Gu Mingyue's face was as cold as water.
Not long after, the streamer Vivi announced in her live stream that she was pregnant with his child, even detailing the date they got together. Wu Yibo insisted he had been playing cards that night, but Vivi went wild, cursing in her live stream. Her rant caused her account to be banned, and she came to the apartment to cause a scene, which was later posted online. To quell the public outcry, Wu Yibo lost his game commentary job as well.
After a few days of moping, Gu Mingyue tried to pull herself together. Then, the typhoon hit, the rain flooded the city, and the apartment was occupied. She was dragged into the quarantine building due to potential exposure and never came out.
"It's clean now."
While deep in thought, Wu Yibo wiped his hands and came out, a handsome smile spreading across his face. "Do you want to smell it?"
Gu Mingyue remained silent.
Noticing her mood had soured, Wu Yibo didn't tease her further. He easily picked up the remote control from the coffee table and set it to 16°C. The deflated sound of a ball echoed as he flopped onto the couch, speaking in a lazy tone, "How about we leave at 9?"
Gu Mingyue furrowed her brows, her gaze darkening as it fell on the remote.
In a second, Wu Yibo sat up, placed the remote back into its box with perfect composure.
As he withdrew his hand, his peripheral vision caught a few plastic bottles at the edge of the box, their caps showing signs of being opened.
They were the antidepressant pills prescribed by the doctor. He thought Gu Mingyue wouldn't take them.
After all, she firmly believed that she wasn't depressed.
With that thought, he looked up and finally noticed her eyes were swollen and red, as if she had been crying. He asked, "Did you sleep well last night? Should we go to a big hospital in the capital to have a look?"
Gu Mingyue replied indifferently, "The doctor prescribed me medicine. I'll try it for a few days."
"Okay, if it doesn't work, I'll go with you. We can visit Kankan too."
Gu Mingyue nodded.
The temperature in the living room dropped, and Wu Yibo lay back on the couch, sensing her discomfort. He said kindly, "If you're not feeling well, we can postpone and go to my place another day."
Wu Yibo's family was from a rural area in Lucheng, and it only took fifty minutes by expressway to get there. As a considerate girlfriend, Gu Mingyue would never cancel on a planned visit. But since she didn't intend to stay with him, she agreed, "I'll come when I feel better."
"Okay."
After staying up all night, Wu Yibo's eyelids were already heavy. He pointed to the bedroom door and said, "Can you get me a blanket?"
"Go sleep in your own bed if you're that tired. Don't dirty the couch."
"I'm not smelly..."
Gu Mingyue leaned in, pretending to sniff him.
Before she could get close, Wu Yibo sat up in a panic, shrinking away. "Alright, no teasing. I'll leave now."
The scent of osmanthus shower gel, though faint, was distinctly different from the tobacco and alcohol smell in the tea house.
Gu Mingyue was perfectly aware of it.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward. Wu Yibo forced a smile and ran his fingers through his bangs. "I'm leaving now."
He slipped on his blue slippers and hurried out.
Gu Mingyue called after him.
He turned back, his delicate face marked with a look of helplessness, as though he feared she might ask something.
Gu Mingyue clenched her jaw, "I can't make it to the live broadcast this week. I'll talk to the organizers. You go instead."
Wu Yibo's face lit up. "Okay."
Seeing his brisk step, Gu Mingyue silently clenched her fists, her eyes burning with tears. She held them back. Compared to the hurt Wu Yibo caused her, the fear of the apocalypse seemed more overwhelming.
Being trapped with a group of infected people, unable to get help, she didn't want to experience that suffocating feeling again.
She just wanted to go home.
As though they were in sync, just as she picked up her phone, a message from Gu Jianguo arrived.
A screenshot of the hospital's online appointment system for a specialist at Jiangcheng's most famous hospital, scheduled for next Tuesday.
There was another text message.
"Mingyue, do you have time to come back? We'll see a specialist..."
Just seeing her father's avatar made Gu Mingyue's eyes well up. She sniffed and typed a simple "Okay."
Just as she sent it, Gu Jianguo sent a voice message.
"Mingyue, how come you replied so quickly? Did you not sleep last night? You can't keep doing this, you need to sleep at night. The doctor said that from 11 PM to 1 AM is liver rest time. Not sleeping will lead to liver disease. You see, liver cirrhosis comes from this."
"I consulted online, the doctor said you might be under too much stress. Don't overthink it. Money can't be earned forever. Life is the most important. Without life, no amount of money is worth it. Also, you need to eat on time every day. The doctor said skipping breakfast will cause stomach problems. Stomach problems are hard to treat. Liu Niang from the 9th floor has had stomach problems for three years and hasn't gotten better..."
"Also, you need to exercise. Get up and run a few laps in the community..."
There were several voice messages, each lasting over 40 seconds.
Gu Mingyue hated voice messages, especially those over 30 seconds, but now she listened to each one patiently.
As she listened, tears fell in large droplets.
Her death would be tragic, and her father wasn't any better off. Alone in the wilderness, his body would be devoured by mutated insects, with no one to collect his remains. She wiped the water from the screen and shakily typed, "Dad, I'll come back next Monday."
"Good, good, good. I'll pick you up at the airport on Monday. You need to do a 48-hour blood test for the flight. You need to go to the blood sampling point in advance..."
"Okay."
The apocalypse had its signs: viruses, high temperatures, torrential rain...
There were many discussions, but few took it seriously.
Thinking that her family was still doing well, Gu Mingyue stopped crying.
She asked, "Dad, what should we do if there's a big earthquake?"
The old man didn't understand the apocalypse. Earthquakes were something he had experienced before. With the earthquake as a precursor, they would surely take measures to deal with the upcoming disaster.
Five seconds later, Gu Jianguo sent a 38-second video.
The crystal chandelier on the ceiling swayed non-stop, and the coffee table rattled as it moved. The tall, muscular Gu Jianguo was lounging on the couch with his legs crossed, scrolling through his phone. A woman's voice asked, "Old Gu, there's an earthquake, and you're not running?"
Gu Jianguo looked up calmly, glanced around, then turned his face away and continued scrolling through videos.
The video continued, interspersed with his loud laughter.
Gu Mingyue: "..."
A week ago, there was a 7.0 earthquake in Yiliang City on the outskirts of Jiangcheng. Gu Jianguo had said the tremors were strong, and he nearly jumped out of the window.
"This was secretly filmed by your mom. She had the nerve to laugh at me. The earthquake shook again last night, and when I asked her if she was running, she said she'd come after finishing her novel..."
"..."
Ignorance is bliss.
Gu Mingyue asked, "Did we stock up on food?"
"When have we ever run out of food?"
"..."
Gu Jianguo ran a skewer shop with four or five freezers, so they had more supplies than most people.
Perhaps it was the overly optimistic tone of Gu Jianguo's video, but Gu Mingyue felt much better. "How's business at the shop?"
"In this heat and with power outages, where's the business?" Gu Jianguo said, "I told your mom, we'llopen again in September. Opening now is like giving people free air conditioning. The money we make doesn't even cover the electricity bill."
Not opening in August?
Before Gu Mingyue could finish typing, another voice message came.
"August will definitely be hot. Only when school starts on September 1st and it rains will it cool down a bit. It's always like this. It's almost 6. Eat something and then go to sleep. Even if you're not hungry, eat a little to get your stomach moving."
Gu Jianguo must have been heading downstairs, as she could hear the elevator door opening.
"I'll book your flight for you later. I'm going for a run now, talk to you later..."