Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 46: Chapter 40: Come Home with Me

Qin Ling’s words exploded in Tang Mo’s ears, setting her entire face on fire.

The shock from his words was far, far greater than that of the blue Crystal Stone in her hand.

’What did he just say? *Do you like me?*’

’Even if he was going to confess, shouldn’t he say, ”I like you”? Why is he asking me?’

’Have I been too forward recently, making him think I’m completely infatuated with him?’

’I’m doomed. This is so embarrassing.’

In an instant, countless thoughts flooded Tang Mo’s mind.

This was her first time dealing with matters of the heart, so she had no experience to draw upon to reach a helpful conclusion.

Even though she knew from her past life that she and Qin Ling had feelings for each other, it was never said so clearly. A confession like this had certainly never happened.

”Did you just steal my line? Do you like me?”

Tang Mo decided to seize the initiative and see how Qin Ling would respond.

’What if he’s different in this life? I shouldn’t get my hopes up.’

”Yes, I do,” Qin Ling answered directly without a hint of hesitation. When it came to romance, it seemed men were born pros.

”And you?” Qin Ling wasn’t about to give Tang Mo a chance to evade the question.

He was already crystal clear about his own feelings. Now, he just wanted an answer from Tang Mo, confident that it would be the same as his.

”Yes,” Tang Mo nodded, then wrapped her arms around Qin Ling’s waist.

’This time, she would be brave. She never again wanted to say things she didn’t mean out of stubbornness, hurting both herself and the person she liked.’

Never expecting Tang Mo to take the initiative and hug him, Qin Ling froze on the spot, unsure of what to do.

By the time he snapped out of it, his face lit up with joy, and he wrapped his arms tightly around Tang Mo.

At 170cm, Tang Mo was considered quite tall for a girl, but Qin Ling was even taller. His height of 185cm was perfect for him to rest his head on her shoulder.

If Tang Mo could see Qin Ling’s expression right now, she would surely mock him for grinning like a fool.

”So, this means we’re together now, right?” Qin Ling asked for confirmation after they pulled apart.

”Yes.” Tang Mo nodded again.

”Then once the fog clears, you should come home with me. I’ll protect you from now on! Oh, and your family, too. I’ll take care of all of them!”

Qin Ling excitedly began to fantasize about their wonderful life together.

His family had been sending him messages constantly. He knew the fog would clear soon, and he would be able to go home.

Hearing Qin Ling’s words, Tang Mo, who had been getting a little carried away, slowly calmed down. She took his hand, and they sat down on a nearby rock.

”I want to talk to you about this seriously. After the fog clears, let’s go our separate ways home first. Let’s wait until we’re both strong enough to live comfortably and freely in this apocalypse, and then we can be together. How does that sound?”

Tang Mo had thought about this for a long time. She understood her own feelings; she was certain that she liked Qin Ling.

But this was the apocalypse. It was no longer a time to be casually dating or making romance the center of one’s life.

Qin Ling’s family was powerful, but that was *his* family.

She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, place her Life and her mother’s life in someone else’s hands. No one knew better than her that in this dog-eat-dog world, your own strength was the only thing that truly mattered.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Qin Ling, but his current strength was insufficient to contend with the apocalypse, let alone his own family.

When it came down to it, both of them were too weak right now.

”If I go home with you, are we just going to stay in a survivor base and date? Become ordinary people who need others for protection? Is that what you want?”

Seeing that Qin Ling still looked agitated, Tang Mo explained slowly and gently.

’She knew they were the same kind of person. He would understand.’

Qin Ling gradually calmed down and started to carefully consider Tang Mo’s words.

He had to admit, Tang Mo made a lot of sense. With his family’s power, protecting a few people would certainly be no problem. But did he really want to live that kind of life?

No, he couldn’t do that.

”You want to go out and make your own way?” Qin Ling asked.

”Yes. Only through experience can one truly grow.” Tang Mo sat beside Qin Ling, her head held high, her eyes shining.

For a moment, Qin Ling found himself captivated by this version of Tang Mo.

’That was it. It was this quality, bone-deep within her, that made him fall for her so hopelessly.’

”Okay. One year. We’ll be together in one year. But you have to promise me you’ll protect yourself. If you run into any danger, message me anytime. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

Qin Ling finally relented. One year was also a deadline he was setting for himself. He was confident that he could grow strong enough within that time.

Strong enough to protect the person he loved with his own power.

”Okay, it’s a promise.” Tang Mo looked at Qin Ling’s side profile, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled.

”Let’s both work hard. See you at the top.” After she spoke, she leaned in and gently kissed Qin Ling’s cheek.

’No more running away. They would give each other a chance, face everything together, and grow together.’

The regrets of her past life had finally come to an end in this one.

The dim, yellow afterglow of the setting sun fell upon the two young people, coating them in a golden light called happiness.

Unfortunately, such harmonious moments are always fleeting.

”Qin Ling, are you an idiot? If you cut it like that, the snakeskin will tear! Go easy on it, I have a use for this!”

Tang Mo stood on the giant snake’s body, directing Qin Ling as he worked.

”It’s just that I’m too strong, I can’t hold back!” Qin Ling retorted, rolling up his sleeves to get back to work.

The snake was simply too large. Tang Mo’s Strength wasn’t high enough, so Qin Ling had to do the final processing alone.

An Intermediate Beast was a great find; its entire body was a treasure trove.

The snakeskin could be made into Defense Equipment, and the venom left in its Poison Fangs could be sold to the Alliance for a hefty sum of Crystal Stones.

Then there was the snake meat. It wasn’t easy to get meat nowadays, and what’s more, the meat of an Intermediate Beast was highly beneficial to the human body. Not only did it build up one’s constitution, but it could also increase one’s attribute values.

Although the increase to one’s attribute values was minuscule, it was better than nothing.

”Be careful. If you break my Wind Breaker, you’ll have to pay me back for it.”

”Relax. If this blade can be broken, then there’s no such thing as a sturdy blade in this world,” Qin Ling said, rolling his eyes.

Now that the two of them were really together, that final barrier between them was gone.

Their interactions became more relaxed, but they also bickered more. Every day was filled with endless squabbling, without a single moment of peace.

Sometimes, Tang Mo suspected that the day Qin Ling had confessed was destined to be their one and only sweet, romantic moment.

”Tang Mo, take good care of this blade. I have another one. When you see it, you’ll know that us getting together was fate.” Thinking of the blade he had at home, one from the same origin as the Wind Breaker, Qin Ling couldn’t help but grin.

’A lot of things, it seemed, really were fated to be.’