Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]

Chapter 255: Chapter 255 - Awakened

The smell of sizzling vegetables and something warm and brothy pulled Jai out of his thoughts. Hana’s voice floated down the hallway, cheerful and loud.

”Lunch is ready, come eat before it gets cold!”

Jai slowly sat up from the bed, still tangled in the sheets Shao had tucked around him so gently. His body felt too warm, his mind too scattered. The image of Shao leaning over him, fixing his open shirt with those firm, careful hands—it was still burned into his skull. He pressed his palm to his flushed cheek, huffing softly.

When he stepped out into the hallway, Shao was already there, waiting for him.

Their eyes met.

Jai swallowed and walked beside him, keeping a breath of distance. But Shao’s scent still clung to his skin—sharp, earthy, calming. It made his fingers twitch.

They entered the living room together.

Muchen was already seated at the makeshift table, his chopsticks tapping against a bowl as Hana scooped out soup. Zei lounged casually on the sofa nearby, his legs sprawled out, one hand lazily flipping through an old comic book he must’ve found in a corner.

Jai felt the weight of Zei’s eyes before he saw it.

Zei was watching him.

No—watching them.

Jai’s stomach turned over as he nervously lowered himself beside Shao. His shirt collar had been hastily pulled together, but the red marks on his neck itched faintly under the fabric. Did Zei... see those? Did he know?

Zei’s brow lifted slightly, and he tilted his head with a slow, almost curious smile.

”Why are you blushing so hard?” he asked, voice casual. ”Did Shao say something weird to you?”

Jai stiffened.

He blinked, wide-eyed, and looked over at Zei, whose expression was genuinely confused—open, even.

”What?” he asked, trying to sound neutral.

Zei blinked back. ”Your face is all red. Are you feeling sick or something?”

Something about that confused smile made Jai’s blood run cold.

He doesn’t know.

Or he was pretending really, really well.

The moment lunch was served and everyone was distracted, Jai quietly grabbed Zei’s sleeve.

”Come with me,” he whispered sharply.

Zei raised an eyebrow. ”Huh?”

”Just come.” Jai tugged him around the corner, into a quiet hallway where the others wouldn’t hear.

Once there, he let go and folded his arms. ”Okay. Don’t mess around. Just don’t say anything, alright? Please. Don’t tell the others what you saw.”

Zei looked at him, totally blank. ”Saw what?”

”You know...” Jai rubbed his flushed face. ”At the supermarket. Me and Shao.”

Zei tilted his head. ”What about you and Shao?”

Jai’s voice dropped. ”You walked in on us.”

The silence between them stretched.

Zei squinted a little. ”No, I didn’t.”

Jai frowned. ”Yes, you did. We were in the aisle. You saw us. I know you did.”

But Zei just stared, his brow wrinkling, his tone steady.

”I don’t remember seeing anything like that.”

Jai’s heart beat louder. His breath caught.

”Don’t lie.”

”I’m not.” Zei looked genuinely puzzled now. ”I don’t even remember going into the supermarket. I remember... leaving. Then I came back here. That’s it.”

That’s when Jai remembered it.

Shao.

The low whisper, the firm tone. Shao had stepped between them and said something. Something strange, something calm.

”You didn’t see anything. You didn’t hear anything.”

Zei had blinked, just like this. He had walked away like nothing had happened.

It hadn’t felt like a command—it had felt like a spell. Like Shao’s voice had soaked into the air and rewired reality.

Jai’s fingers trembled slightly.

Zei reached up to scratch the back of his neck. ”Did something happen between you two?”

Jai shook his head quickly. ”No. Nothing. Forget it.”

But Zei already had.

Jai stood there in the hall, heart pounding against his ribs. His mouth was dry. When he turned back toward the dining room, he saw Shao seated beside his bowl, silent and calm, his gaze flickering briefly toward Jai.

Jai stared at him.

His heart didn’t calm down.

If Shao could do something like that... then who was he really?

Jai then walked up to Shao and silently whispered that they need to talk alone. Shao left his half eaten lunch and followed behind him while the others just watched this silently.

They once again ended up in their room.

He looked up to find Shao standing silently by the doorframe, arms loosely folded, eyes half-lidded as if waiting for him to speak.

Jai drew in a breath.

”Shao... I need to ask you something.”

Shao’s eyes flicked to his face, unreadable as always. ”Mm.”

”It’s about Zei.”

At the sound of the name, something in Shao shifted. His jaw tensed slightly, and his gaze sharpened like a drawn blade. ”What did you talk to him about?”

That reaction alone sent a chill up Jai’s back. ”I just... I asked him not to tell anyone what he saw.”

There was silence.

Jai continued, voice quieter. ”You know... in the supermarket.”

Stillness. Shao’s fingers curled faintly into his sleeves.

”And?” he asked, his voice low.

”He didn’t even know what I was talking about.” Jai frowned, searching Shao’s face for something—anything. ”He looked at me like I was crazy. Like he really forgot.”

Shao’s eyes didn’t widen or blink. But something behind them flickered.

Jai swallowed.

”He didn’t remember seeing us. Not even going into the store. And I—” He leaned in a little, searching Shao’s expression. ”You told him, didn’t you? Back there. I remember... you said something to him.”

Shao didn’t answer.

”You said ’You didn’t see anything. You didn’t hear anything.’” Jai whispered, mimicking the words. ”And he just left. Just like that. I didn’t think about it then but now... Now I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Shao’s lips were pressed in a thin line. His eyes dropped away for a moment.

Jai’s voice trembled, but he kept speaking. ”Did you... do something to him? With your voice? Did you make him forget?”

Still, Shao said nothing. But Jai could see it—how his hands were clenching now, how a vein ticked at his temple, how his shoulders were held stiff with something like restraint.

”You didn’t even mean to, did you?” Jai said, a little softer now. ”You didn’t realize it. But... I think your powers—” He paused, breathing out shakily. ”I think they’ve awakened.”