The World Ends In 27 Days

Hanchuan looked down at the fingers holding his sleeve.

Zhiyi’s question had carried enough amusement that he knew she wasn’t asking for a weapon to be brought into their bedroom.

She was waiting to see whether he would remember who had kept them alive when he couldn’t stand.

"They started while you were asleep," Hanchuan explained. "Jingwei is helping Zeyu and Shichen become more comfortable with what we have."

"Then I should be there when I’m well enough," Zhiyi replied. "I know what happens when you’re the only person who can do something."

Hanchuan covered her hand with his. He remembered her leaving him with water within reach and a weapon beside the mattress. Sometimes she returned before he finished drinking. Sometimes the light changed twice before he heard her footsteps.

"You should," Hanchuan agreed. "Although I suspect Zeyu thinks he’s going to impress you."

Zhiyi considered that possibility with apparent seriousness. "He fixed the door. I’m already impressed."

Hanchuan laughed and leaned down to kiss her before going to find Qinghe.

By evening, one of the dining chairs had been moved aside to make room for a wheelchair. Qinghe had agreed to a short meal at the table after checking her again, and Hanchuan had helped her into the chair while Qinghe supported her injured leg.

The journey down the corridor took less than a minute. Zhiyi still looked around as though someone had altered the place while she was gone.

A stack of folded blankets occupied the bench outside the medical room. Shichen’s work boots stood beside the service door, and a clean towel had been draped over a chair in the kitchen. Hanchuan had stopped noticing those things until he followed her gaze.

"Whose boots are they?" Zhiyi asked.

"Shichen’s," Hanchuan answered, slowing beside the kitchen entrance.

"They’re in front of a door," Zhiyi continued, furrowing her brows just slightly.

Shichen looked up from the table, followed her glance, and put down the bowls he was carrying. "I’ll move them."

Hanchuan watched her attention settle on the six places laid for dinner. Zeyu was bringing over a covered dish, while Jingwei stood at the counter checking the entrance feed on a tablet.

For the first time in days, nobody was holding a plate intended for another room.

Qinghe adjusted the support beneath her leg once Hanchuan had positioned her at the table. "Tell me when you’ve had enough. We can finish later."

Zhiyi nodded and examined the food. "I want the egg first."

Zeyu uncovered the dish with a small flourish. Steam rose between them, carrying the smell of ginger and warm broth. "Good, because that’s the part I made," he announced proudly.

"You cut the garnish," Shichen corrected him, rolling his eyes, as he returned from moving his boots.

"And placed it carefully," Zeyu added with a nod, setting the spoon beside Zhiyi’s bowl. "You can appreciate both."

Hanchuan sat beside her. She tasted the egg, considered it, and looked at Zeyu.

"The garnish is good," Zhiyi told him.

Zeyu’s grin appeared so quickly that Hanchuan caught himself smiling too. Across the table, Shichen shook his head and reached for the rice.

For several minutes, the conversation concerned dinner.

Jingwei complained that someone had put an empty container back in the refrigerator. Qinghe admitted he had intended to wash it and been otherwise distracted. Zeyu tried to claim the largest piece of chicken until Shichen reminded him he had already eaten one while carrying the plate.

Zhiyi listened while Hanchuan separated a piece of meat in his own bowl.

When he reached toward hers, she moved it closer without interrupting Qinghe’s explanation of what had happened to the missing kitchen scissors.

The small, familiar cooperation caught him harder than he expected. He placed the meat where she wanted it and kept eating.

After a while, Zhiyi looked toward Jingwei. "Hanchuan said you’ve been practicing together."

Jingwei set down his glass. "We have," he agreed.

"I’ll join you when I can," Zhiyi said. "You should practice with him before then."

Hanchuan glanced at her. She was concentrating on lifting another spoonful of egg, apparently unaware that all four men had turned toward him.

"I already asked him," Jingwei replied. "He owes me a morning."

"Tomorrow," Hanchuan agreed. "After breakfast."

Zeyu leaned back slightly. "I thought you’d want to stay with her."

Hanchuan looked at Zhiyi, who raised her eyes from her bowl with an expression that made him reconsider several possible answers.

"I can eat breakfast without watching him afterward," Zhiyi pointed out. "I’ve done it before."

Qinghe lowered his head, but Hanchuan saw the smile before he concealed it behind his glass.

Hanchuan rested his hand beside Zhiyi’s on the table. "Apparently my company has become less essential."

"Your company is very important," Zhiyi replied. Her fingers settled over his. "But I’ll still want it after you practice."

Hanchuan turned his palm upward and held her hand beneath the edge of the table.

Across from him, Zeyu’s smile faded into something quieter. He looked down at his plate and moved a piece of chicken through the remaining sauce without eating it.

The conversation continued around him until Shichen asked about the mobile base. Zeyu answered, describing the work still needed before they could trust it on the road. His voice steadied as he spoke, and Zhiyi asked one question about the repaired door before returning to her food.

Hanchuan was reaching for the water when Zeyu stopped talking.

"The door works," Zeyu said, looking toward the corridor. "Once we finish the remaining checks, the mobile base needs a proper test."

Hanchuan set down the pitcher. "Then we’ll test it."

"Outside," Zeyu clarified. His hand rested beside his plate, fingers spread against the table. "We can keep finding things to check in the garage, but eventually we have to drive it."

Beside Hanchuan, Zhiyi lowered her spoon. "He’s right. You can’t confirm that a vehicle is ready to travel by leaving it parked."

"I wasn’t suggesting we leave it parked," Hanchuan replied.

Zeyu looked at him for several seconds before nodding. "Then I’ll finish the list."

The conversation moved on, but Hanchuan noticed that Zeyu barely touched the rest of his dinner. He answered Shichen’s questions and passed Qinghe a serving dish, yet his attention kept returning to the corridor.

After Qinghe helped Hanchuan take Zhiyi back to their room, Hanchuan returned to collect her water glass. Zeyu was still at the table, turning a spoon between his fingers.

"Is there something wrong with the vehicle?" Hanchuan asked.

Zeyu set the spoon down. "No. There’s something wrong with spending all day fixing a way out and then coming back here to sleep."

Hanchuan pulled out the chair opposite him. Zeyu watched him sit, his usual smile absent.

"I know we’re safer underground," Zeyu continued. "I know exactly why we prepared this place. But when do we get to want something beyond being safe?"