The hallway between the bunk rooms was narrow and full of laundry lines. Which meant in another word one thing: hazard.
Yin Yue walked carefully, arms full of dried clothes he had bravely not folded, humming the theme song to a drama no one else remembered.
"I am a domestic icon," he muttered. "A laundry legend. A.. "
His foot caught on a loose board and he tripped. Spectacularly.
There was no scream, just a strangled gasp and the sound of shirts flailing through the air like flags of surrender. Before Liang Yu stepped in from literally out of nowhere and caught him.
One arm around the waist and the other one hand behind his head.
The shirts fluttered to the floor like dramatic confetti.
Yin Yue blinked. "Hi."
Liang Yu stared down at him. "You're incredibly clumsy."
"I'm adorably clumsy."
"You're a liability to gravity."
"I'm dating you. That's your problem now."
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
💘 PHYSICAL PROXIMITY: Max
🫶 ARM WRAP LEVEL: Protective Romantic
📏 Time in Hold: 11 seconds… 12… 13…
Jiang walked by with a bucket of wash water.
Then paused and stared.
"You two need a license," she said.
Yin Yue opened his mouth. "I fell."
"You're still in his arms."
"I'm recovering."
"Emotionally?"
"From impact."
Liang Yu made no move to release him at all.
Yin Yue wiggled slightly. "You gonna put me down?"
"You're not down yet."
"…So this is just our thing now?"
"Apparently."
Jiang walked off, muttering something about "boyfriends and balance issues."
> 💬 SYSTEM 520:
💘 RELATIONSHIP PUBLIC STATUS: Locked In
🧠 Host Embarrassment: 68%
🫠 Secret Satisfaction: 300%
Eventually, Liang Yu let go him gently.
Yin Yue scooped up the laundry with the dignity of a man who had definitely just made out with the floor. Then grinned.
"You missed your chance to kiss me while holding me dramatically."
"I'm patient."
Yin Yue flushed and floated down the hallway like a smug towel ghost.
Chen Zhi had a gift but not in survival skills or not in weaponry. But in just knowing exactly when to appear and ask the most uncomfortable possible question.
Yin Yue was sorting ration packs when it happened. Chen Zhi corners Yin Yue during gear checks and asks the inevitable.
"So," Chen Zhi said, leaning against the crate like a gossiping aunt. "Liang Yu."
Yin Yue blinked. "What about him?"
"You kissed, right?"
Yin Yue paused. "That's… not a state secret."
"You're sleeping in the same room?"
"…Ish."
"Sharing shirts?"
Yin Yue glanced down at the dark long-sleeve he was definitely wearing "accidentally."
"Okay," Chen Zhi said brightly. "So is he your boyfriend or your post-apocalyptic emergency husband?"
Yin Yue short-circuited.
"I..he's my... we don't have to label things just because people cuddle near the fire and kiss on rooftops!"
Chen Zhi blinked. "That's literally the plot of five romantic dramas."
"He's my tactical partner with… benefits."
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
🚨 HESITATION DETECTED
💘 Romance Confidence: Wavering
📉 Host Communication: Flailing
🎯 ML Proximity: Imminent
Chen Zhi's eyebrows shot up.
"So not boyfriend."
"Don't say it like it's a spell."
"Say what?" a voice asked behind them.
Yin Yue turned.
Liang Yu stood at the doorway, arms folded with expression unreadable.
"Say what," he repeated.
Chen Zhi grinned and vanished. Like a ghost. A smug, helpful ghost.
Yin Yue froze. "Nothing."
Liang Yu stepped closer. Yin Yue backed into the crate. Liang Yu leaned in, barely a breath between them.
"Say it," he said softly.
Yin Yue swallowed. "You're my..."
"Say it."
"…boyfriend."
Liang Yu smiled. Just slightly.
"See?" he said. "Didn't kill you."
"I lost six years off my life."
"You're still standing."
Yin Yue poked his chest. "You made me say it!"
"I wanted to hear it."
Yin Yue threw his hands in the air. "Congratulations. You're my boyfriend. Hope you're proud."
Liang Yu leaned forward and kissed his forehead.
"I am."
Yin Yue melted to the floor.
"Unfair," he muttered. "Too powerful."
> 💘 ML Affection: Confirmed (again)
🫶 Boyfriend Status: Now Spoken Aloud
💬 System Note: That counts as emotional growth. And emotional damage.
Yin Yue wears Liang Yu's shirt all day and had absolutely not meant to steal Liang Yu's shirt.
It had simply been: firstly its warm, second its nearby, third smelled vaguely like dried cedar and comfort and lastly, okay, fine.. just the right amount of oversized.
So yes. It was on his body. All day long. He tried to act casual but Jiang, naturally, noticed immediately.
"That shirt's a size too big and exactly one lover's gaze away from being lingerie," she said over breakfast.
Yin Yue choked on his bite of soy brick. "It's laundry rotation. You don't know my life."
"Please. You're glowing. Either you're in love or you ate something radioactive."
Later that afternoon, while folding laundry on the back steps, Yin Yue picked up a familiar black shirt. Clean. Slightly worn. Clearly his.
Tucked neatly inside, it Liang Yu's. Folded with a note pinned in the collar.
"Switch back. It's cold at night."
Yin Yue stared at it for a long time. Then sat down hard on the stairs.
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
💘 Shirt Trade = Boyfriend Love Language #3
🫠 Host Emotional State: Pre-cry
💬 System Note: Brace for Honest Moment
Liang Yu came out a few minutes later, carrying a bundle of blankets.
Stopped beside him. Sat down and said nothing. While Yin Yue folded the last shirt in silence.
Then whispered, "I didn't think anyone would ever choose me like this."
Liang Yu didn't respond right away but his hand settled on Yin Yue's knee. Warm. Still.
And he said, "Then I'll keep doing it until you believe it."
Yin Yue bit his lip. "That's… a lot of effort."
"I have a lot of time."
> 💘 ML Affection: 100 (Still. Always.)
🧠 Host Heart: Sobbing Quietly
🎯 Relationship Depth: Steady, Soft, and Completely Mutual
Yin Yue leaned sideways into his shoulder.
"I'm keeping the shirt."
"I know."
A minor disagreement during patrol spirals into a full-volume domestic scene in front of the entire safe zone. Accusations fly. So do sarcastic jabs. And It started with a map.
A badly drawn, mud-stained map that may or may not have mislabeled the sewer routes.
"You told me to turn left," Yin Yue said, pointing furiously.
Liang Yu, arms folded, calm as ever: "You were holding the map upside down."
"I was distracted by zombies!"
"You walked directly into an alley full of them."
"Because you said this way and I trust you implicitly, which is obviously my mistake!"
The argument escalated fast, they weren't really mad. But that didn't stop the yelling.
"You could've called out!"
"You threw your pan at my head!"
"It was a warning shot!"
"You screamed, 'Duck, dumbass!'"
"And you did, didn't you?!"
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🔊 Volume: 84 decibels
💘 Relationship Stability: Surprisingly High
🫣 Team Morale: Watching Like a Live Drama
Jiang stood by the water barrel, arms crossed.
Scar-Jaw leaned against a wall with a ration bar halfway to his mouth.
Chen Zhi looked deeply entertained.
"Should we be concerned?" Jiang asked mildly.
Chen Zhi: "They're fine. I've seen this exact scene in at least two dating sims."
Scar-Jaw grunted. "I think I heard the word 'love' thrown at one point."
Jiang sighed. "We need a relationship containment protocol."
Ten minutes later silence. The supply shed was quiet.
Yin Yue and Liang Yu sat together in the corner on a folded blanket, heads leaning together, entirely unconscious.
Yin Yue's legs were tangled with Liang Yu's. Liang Yu's hand rested protectively over his. Jiang peeked in.
"Seriously?" she whispered.
Chen Zhi: "See? Drama, sleep and repeat."
Jiang left them alone.
But not before muttering, "They're gonna be the reason I start drinking again."
> 💘 ML Affection: Still Max
🫶 Trust Level: Peak Domestic Chaos
📢 Public Reputation: Extremely In Love, Extremely Loud
💬 System Note: No further adjustments necessary. This is love, yelling included.
A minor disagreement during patrol spirals into a full-volume domestic scene in front of the entire safe zone. Accusations fly. So do sarcastic jabs.
Yin Yue and Liang Yu are assigned to escort a medical supply convoy through zombie-infested territory.
"This is a romantic getaway," Yin Yue declared, perched on a crate of sealed IV bags. "And I will hear no evidence to the contrary."
Jiang rolled her eyes. "You're escorting 300 pounds of antibiotics through a war zone."
"Exactly," Yin Yue said. "It's meaningful. It's intimate. It's literally a journey of survival and emotional co-dependency."
Liang Yu passed behind him carrying a duffel bag full of ammo and ration packs. "It's a three-day mission with no radio."
"Which means more quality time," Yin Yue chirped. "Also, I packed snacks."
"You packed spicy tofu sticks and two melted chocolate bars."
Yin Yue held up a hand. "Emotional support snacks."
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🚚 Convoy Status: Departing
💘 ML Mood: Stoic Boyfriend
🎒 Host Mood: Field Trip With Romantic Potential
They rolled out in three battered trucks, each carrying one passenger, two crates of supplies, and exactly one person who had not emotionally prepared for this dynamic.
Yin Yue rode shotgun in the lead truck.
Liang Yu drove.
The silence lasted twenty seconds.
"Do you want to talk about our feelings," Yin Yue asked brightly, "or argue about non-existent playlist choices?"
Liang Yu: "There is no radio."
Yin Yue: "So we can imagine it. That's how imagination works."
"…Fine."
"Okay. You get one song. What would you play?"
Liang Yu didn't hesitate. "Silence."
Yin Yue gasped. "You're such a criminal."
Liang Yu shifted gears. "What's yours?"
Yin Yue beamed. "Something dramatic and slow and full of unresolved sexual tension."
"So… your personality."
Yin Yue clutched his chest. "You can't flirt and insult me at the same time."
"I've been doing that since we met."
> 💘 ML Affection: +2
📻 Romance Vibe: Imaginary Playlist Mode
💬 Current Song: "Apocalypse Roadtrip (ft. Emotional Damage)"
They passed a burned-out rest stop, trees gnarled black with smoke. Yin Yue's voice softened.
"This feels weird, right? Like we're just… on a road."
"No zombies."
"No screaming."
"Just us."
Liang Yu glanced sideways. "And a thousand vials of morphine."
"Don't ruin it."
They drove for hours. There is no threats, no stops, just clouds and warmth in the car.
And Liang Yu's hand resting near the gear shift, close enough that Yin Yue could reach it if he wanted to. Yet he didn't but he almost did and that was enough, for now.