Chapter 173

Chapter 173: The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Novel Website

Chapter 173

Gu Ning had tiny beads of sweat on her forehead and the tip of her nose, her lips were red from the spiciness, and even her pale complexion looked much rosier. Ji Jiuzhe really liked seeing Gu Ning so full of life, so he decided not to bring up what he originally wanted to say.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, the cold wind hit them, and Gu Ning felt much more refreshed.

Back in the car, Gu Ning pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket: “This is the list of things Zhuang Chen and Yi Shaoqing asked me to get for them.”

Ji Jiuzhe just glanced at it, seeing words like face masks, toner, and lotion, and didn’t bother reading further. In contrast, Yi Shaoqing’s list was much more practical, requesting several different types of guns, various explosives, grenades, and rocket launchers. It was basically a small arsenal.

“Do we have that much firepower in our team?” Gu Ning asked curiously.

“That’s just a small part of our warehouse stock. Our warehouse has been moved to Jinyong. The local manufacturing bureau can only provide a small portion of what’s on his list temporarily,” Ji Jiuzhe explained. “It just so happens that the matters here have been handed over to Qige. How much time do you have left? If there’s enough time, we can head back to Jinyong this afternoon.”

Gu Ning happily replied, “Sure!”

Ji Jiuzhe seemed to be infected by her joy, a hint of a smile in his eyes as he patted her head, “You’re that happy?”

“Yeah. I haven’t been home in over half a month,” she said, giving Ji Jiuzhe a resentful look. It was all thanks to him dragging her around to various places that she had been away from home for so long. Although she called home every couple of days to reassure her parents, she really wanted to go back and see Gu Dad and Gu Mama, especially since her parents in the apocalypse still hadn’t been found.

Ji Jiuzhe nodded, then called Ji Qige. Gu Ning could hear Ji Qige’s surprised voice on the other end, but Ji Jiuzhe hung up before he could respond. As he drove, he said, “After we get back to Jinyong, I’ll go with you to visit your parents.”

“Huh?” Gu Ning was stunned, staring at Ji Jiuzhe in rare panic, “Why do you want to see them?”

Ji Jiuzhe looked puzzled, “Don’t you need to inform your parents when you get married?”

“Married?” Gu Ning nearly bit her tongue.

Ji Jiuzhe said nonchalantly, “I won’t be taking on any missions this year, so I’ll have time during the New Year to hold a wedding.”

Gu Ning was completely speechless, “…Don’t you think it’s a bit too soon to be talking about ‘marriage’?”

Ji Jiuzhe continued driving, as if they were just discussing whether the food they had earlier was good or not, “After we get married, you can move in with me openly. You won’t have to hide your movements when you go there, and you won’t have to worry about your parents worrying. Isn’t that good?”

Gu Ning had a look on her face that said, “You make a good point, I have no retort.” She struggled to regain her composure, “Captain Ji, I need to remind you, we’ve only known each other for less than two months…”

Ji Jiuzhe replied, “Even if two years pass, I won’t like anyone else. The only difference between two months and two years is that I’ll like you even more after two years. But since my feelings for you now are already at the level of wanting to marry you, why waste two years?”

Gu Ning: …

Gu Ning had no defense against Ji Jiuzhe’s emotionless,随时随地表白 mode, and what he said was almost impossible to refute…

Ji Jiuzhe suddenly thought of something, his gaze turning dangerous as he glanced at her, “Or do you have someone else in mind for marriage?”

Gu Ning felt a chill down her spine and reflexively blurted out, “Of course not!”

Ji Jiuzhe raised an eyebrow, his gaze returning to the road ahead.

When they hit a red light, the car stopped.

After a moment of silence, Ji Jiuzhe suddenly leaned over, his deep eyes intently staring at Gu Ning, her reflection clear in his eyes, as if she was the only person in his world. He sighed softly, “Gu Ning, I’m already 29 years old. In the past 29 years, I’ve never liked anyone, but I really like you, and only you. I’m not sure how long I’ll live, but I’m certain that for as long as I’m alive, I’ll always like you, and only you. So you have to believe that I’m confident enough to not let you slip away from me.”

He cupped Gu Ning’s face, gently pecking her lips, then affectionately patted her head before sitting back and continuing to drive.

Gu Ning was stunned for a long time, instinctively pursing her lips, her heart racing as her face slowly heated up—

For the entire afternoon, even after boarding the plane back to Jinyong, Gu Ning remained in an awkward state. Even the natural brush of their fingers when Ji Jiuzhe handed her water made her blush and her heart race. In contrast, Ji Jiuzhe remained completely composed. Gu Ning sighed inwardly, her gaze uncontrollably drifting to Ji Jiuzhe’s perfectly chiseled profile, marveling at how handsome he was. The thought that such a good-looking man was so into her made her inexplicably happy, yet she also felt a bit frustrated at her own lack of backbone.

Ji Jiuzhe flipped a page of the magazine he was holding and said softly, “You don’t have to stare at me like that. After we get married, you’ll see me every day… Doesn’t that make you happy?”

Gu Ning, with great self-control, resisted the urge to nod and decided not to respond, choosing instead to close her eyes and sleep.

When she woke up, her upper body was practically leaning on Ji Jiuzhe. He handed her a tissue, his gaze lingering on the corner of her mouth, signaling her to wipe it. Gu Ning silently wiped away the drool, only to notice a small wet spot on Ji Jiuzhe’s shoulder from her drool… She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The plane landed smoothly at Jinyong Airport.

It was already 10:30 at night.

From a distance, they could see Yi Shaoqing, dressed in a long white down jacket, looking like a penguin as he held up a rough cardboard sign, yawning.

Zhuang Chen stood next to Yi Shaoqing, arms crossed, her striking red hair making her look like a cold, glamorous queen. But the moment she saw Gu Ning, her icy demeanor shattered as she enthusiastically waved, “Gu Ning! Over here!”

She rushed over and gave Gu Ning a big hug, then glanced at Ji Jiuzhe and said, “Why did you follow the captain to the Capital? Weren’t you supposed to come back first? I missed you so much!”

Yi Shaoqing yawned loudly and teased, “Gu Ning, don’t believe her. She just wants you to come back and cook her a big meal. She’s been eating takeout for days and is about to throw up.”

Zhuang Chen rolled her eyes, then affectionately linked arms with Gu Ning, “You probably didn’t eat much on the plane, right? You must be hungry. Come on, sis will treat you to some late-night snacks!”

Hot pot was perfect for a cold winter night, and the hall of the hot pot restaurant was still bustling with many tables occupied.

As soon as the spicy broth started boiling, Zhuang Chen eagerly dumped all sorts of meat, meatballs, and vegetables into the pot.

As they ate, Yi Shaoqing and Zhuang Chen sitting across from them started to notice something was off.

They knew Ji Jiuzhe didn’t like spicy food. Whenever they went to hot pot restaurants before, he would just symbolically take a few bites and then mostly watch. Even if he wasn’t eating, he would never serve them or actively cook food in the pot. But now, what was going on? Ji Jiuzhe kept adding food to the pot, and when it was cooked, he would pick it out and put it directly into Gu Ning’s bowl…

Yi Shaoqing slurped up some noodles and said sourly, “It’s true that a beloved disciple is treated differently. I’ve eaten with you for so many years, and you’ve never once put food in my bowl.”

Zhuang Chen, being a woman, immediately picked up on the unnatural blush on Gu Ning’s face and looked at Ji Jiuzhe with a questioning gaze. They had known each other for years, and with a slight nod from Ji Jiuzhe, Zhuang Chen instantly understood. No wonder the atmosphere between Gu Ning and Ji Jiuzhe had felt a bit off. Now she finally knew why. Instead of being shocked, she somehow felt it was only natural. She couldn’t hold back her smile and was about to tease Gu Ning when a meatball suddenly landed in her bowl. Ji Jiuzhe looked at her calmly, “Eat.”

Zhuang Chen shot him a look that said, “You’re ditching your friends for love,” but her eyes were full of laughter.

Ji Jiuzhe raised an eyebrow.

The two exchanged glances.

Meanwhile, Gu Ning and Yi Shaoqing were busy eating, one pretending not to notice what was happening, and the other completely clueless.