Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 141: Chapter 141 - Blame game

The warehouse’s air thick with the stench of decay—dust that had settled for years, that clawed at the back of Muchen’s throat and made his stomach churn.

It was the smell of death, of rot, of things that should never have been.

The oppressive atmosphere pressed down on him, closing in.

From their precarious perch atop the rusted metal shelf, Muchen and the others watched the nightmare unfold below.

The horde had grown, a writhing mass of grotesque figures that twisted and jerked in unnatural ways. Their gnarled hands clawed at the air, their hollow moans echoing like a chorus of the damned.

Among them stood a figure that made everyone’s heart seize in his chest.

Huiyan.

Her once-pristine school uniform hung in tatters, the fabric stained with dirt and blood.

Her bright eyes, which had always sparkled with life, were now sunken and bloodshot, devoid of anything human.

A dark, wet stain dripped from her chin, her trembling fingers reaching upward as if she could still grasp the life that had been ripped away from her. She was a shadow of the girl they had known, a cruel mockery of the friend they had lost.

A shaky sob broke through the tense silence, sharp and raw, like the sound of glass shattering.

”Huiyan...”

The cry came from Lina, crouched beside Muchen. Her shoulders shook violently, her hands clenched into fists so tight her knuckles turned white. Tears streamed down her face, carving paths through the grime on her cheeks. Her voice was a fragile whisper, trembling with grief and anger.

”Why...” she choked out, her tear-streaked face turning toward Muchen. ”Why did it have to happen like this?”

Her eyes burned with resentment, a fire that threatened to consume everything in its path.

Muchen couldn’t hold her gaze.

He looked away, his chest tightening with guilt that threatened to strangle him.

He knew the truth—if they hadn’t run to that classroom, they wouldn’t be in this situation. But if the school kids had stayed, the result would’ve been the same.

There was no right choice anymore, no path that led to safety. Only survival, and even that felt like a cruel joke.

A heavy sigh came from their side, breaking the suffocating silence.

”That’s enough,” said Jiang Hao, his voice firm but strained. The tall, broad-shouldered boy had been their anchor, the one who kept them all together when everything else was falling apart. But even his calm facade was cracking, his face pale and drawn, his jaw clenched tight. ”Crying won’t bring her back.”

Lina flinched as if he had struck her. Her hands dug into her sleeves, her nails biting into her skin as if she could physically hold herself together. Her breath came in shallow, uneven gasps, each one a struggle against the weight of her grief.

Muchen exhaled slowly, forcing himself to focus on the present. The metal shelf beneath them creaked ominously, a reminder of how fragile their sanctuary was. One wrong move, and they would be joining the horde below.

A low grumble suddenly pulled at everyone’s attention.

Lu Zhi held his stomach with a small, sheepish smile. ”I... I skipped lunch and... dinner...”

The sound of empty stomachs filled the air, a chorus of gurgling protests that underscored their desperation.

Muchen’s own stomach felt like a hollow pit, aching with a gnawing hunger that made it hard to think. The others were in no better shape—Lina clutched her stomach, her fingers pressing into her ribs as if she could silence the noise. Jiang Hao’s jaw was tight, his face slightly pale, his usual composure fraying at the edges.

A sudden, loud growl from someone’s stomach broke the tense silence.

No one laughed. There was nothing funny about the slow, painful gnawing in their guts, the way hunger clawed at them, relentless and unyielding.

Lina suddenly let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she turned to Muchen. Her voice was a whisper, but it cut through the air like a knife.

”This is all your fault.”

Muchen blinked, his mind sluggish from exhaustion and hunger. ”What?”

Lina’s eyes were bloodshot, swollen from crying. Her face was a mask of grief and anger, her lips trembling as she spoke. ”If we had just stayed in the classroom, Huiyan would still be alive! We wouldn’t be here, starving, stuck on top of some goddamn shelf like rats!” Her voice rose with each word, raw and desperate, each syllable dripping with pain.

Jiang Hao, who had been staring down at the zombies below, stiffened. His hands clenched into fists, his shoulders tense. ”What the hell do you want us to do? Go back in time?” His voice was sharp, edged with irritation, but there was something else beneath it—something brittle, like he was one wrong word away from snapping.

Lina’s hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. ”You don’t get it!” she choked out, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. ”Huiyan was my best friend! And now she’s—” Her voice broke, and she pointed a shaking finger at Muchen. ”She’s one of them! And it’s because of you!”

Muchen stared at her, his mind blank. He didn’t respond because what could he even say? He already knew they were responsible in some way, but thinking about it wouldn’t change anything.

It wouldn’t bring Huiyan back.

It wouldn’t fill their stomachs or get them out of this hellhole.

The air between them felt suffocating, heavy with grief and anger and guilt.

Lina’s breathing was shallow, unsteady. Her shoulders trembled, whether from hunger, anger, or grief, Muchen couldn’t tell. Another loud stomach growl echoed, and Jiang Hao finally snapped.

”Shut up, Lina!” His voice boomed, cutting through the tension like a blade. Lina flinched, her lips parting slightly in shock. Jiang Hao’s dark eyes burned with frustration, his hands curling into fists at his sides. ”We’re all suffering! Do you think you’re the only one who’s lost someone?”

Lina opened her mouth, but Jiang Hao stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. ”If you want to blame someone, blame the world. Blame whatever the hell caused this! But don’t you dare start turning on the people who are still alive!”