Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]
Chapter 281 - 282 - Passing the message

Chapter 281: Chapter 282 - Passing the message

Yunfeng sat still for a long moment, his fingers still curled around Muchen’s hand. The bag of bugs sat between them on the bed like a quiet threat. He couldn’t stop thinking about it—how many had he missed? Could there be more?

He closed his eyes, trying to focus. With his hearing, he could usually sense electrical disturbances—low frequencies, tiny whirs, the hum of hidden devices. But aside from the faint static that had been nagging at him since they arrived, he couldn’t hear anything else. No extra vibrations. No subtle shifts in sound that would point to a camera’s presence.

But that didn’t mean they were safe.

They didn’t have to plant cameras in the room to watch them. There could be someone posted outside. Someone watching through windows, maybe using scopes. Maybe hiding in another building or even on the roof. The house was old, and it wouldn’t be hard to find cracks to peek through. That was the problem—there were too many possibilities.

And Yunfeng didn’t have enough time to check them all.

He let out a quiet sigh, tension still knotted in his shoulders. Then he reached forward and gently wrapped his arms around Muchen, pulling him close.

Muchen stiffened slightly at first, then relaxed into the embrace. His head rested on Yunfeng’s shoulder. There was a subtle question in the way he leaned against him, silent but there: What do we do now?

Yunfeng tilted his head, lips brushing lightly against Muchen’s ear.

"I have a plan," he whispered. His voice was steady, but soft—careful, just in case there was still something in the room they missed. "But I need your help... and Jai’s too."

He felt Muchen nod against his shoulder. No words. Just quiet agreement.

Yunfeng stayed like that for a few more seconds, just holding him, grounding himself. The warmth of Muchen’s body, the quiet rhythm of his breathing—it helped him think clearly.

They were being manipulated. Watched. Fed something that was clearly affecting him. And now he knew it wasn’t a coincidence. Someone wanted him vulnerable. Someone wanted him blind, dependent, distracted.

He wasn’t going to let that happen anymore.

Now it was time to turn the game around.

****"

Ten minutes later, Muchen stepped out of the room with the now-empty bowl in his hands. In the kitchen, he turned on the tap, letting the water run over the ceramic surface as he scrubbed it clean. He hummed softly under his breath.

Footsteps padded up behind him.

"Muchennn," Jai’s voice whined, soft and pouty, "do you think Shao’s doing okay there...?"

Muchen didn’t turn around right away. He smiled, glancing over his shoulder with a grin. "I’m pretty sure he’s asleep by now," he said lightly, drying the bowl and setting it on the rack.

He noticed Jai’s lips—dry, chapped, a little cracked at the edges. His gaze lingered just a second too long before he reached for a small water bottle from the corner of the counter.

"You have to stay hydrated," he said as casually as he could, handing it over.

Jai blinked and reached for it. But right as his hand brushed the bottle, his eyes flicked up to Muchen’s face—just for a second.

And that was when he caught it.

Muchen’s mouth moved silently. Just one word, clearly formed but without voice:

"We are in danger, read the note,"

Jai’s heart stuttered.

He smiled—forced, light. "Thanks," he said, unscrewing the lid. He took a small sip, just enough to play the part.

Zei, lounging in the hallway with his legs crossed and a smirk on his lips, looked over lazily. "Hey, lover boy."

Jai shot him a half-laugh, already backing away. "Oh—I think I drank too much water," he mumbled quickly, pressing a hand to his stomach. "Gotta—bathroom."

He turned and bolted.

Inside the bathroom, the moment the door was shut and locked, the calm shattered. He dropped the act entirely.

His breathing picked up. His hands shook slightly as he twisted the bottle, feeling around the edge of the label. It peeled up slowly under his fingernail—and there, wedged neatly beneath the plastic, was a thin, folded slip of paper.

Inside was another, even smaller wrapped note.

He clutched it in his palm, flattening the first paper to read. The words were precise, urgent:

We are being spied on. Someone might be watching and listening.

Give the other note to Grandpa Kailun. Secretly.

Jai stared at it, breath caught in his throat.

’Fuck... what the fuck is this....’

Jai stepped out of the bathroom, forcing his expression into something calm, maybe even sleepy, as if he had just been in there for too long. He slipped the note carefully into the inside the plastic lining of the bottle again.

But the second the door clicked softly behind him, his chest tightened.

Zei stood right there, arms crossed loosely and one brow raised, the other crinkling just slightly.

"You’re acting weird," Zei mumbled, not moving from the doorway.

Jai blinked, mouth parting—but his mind was already scrambling. "Am I...? I..." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "I’m just... worried about Shao. He usually gets nightmares when he sleeps too long. I just—hope he’s doing okay."

For a second, Zei didn’t say anything. His eyes stayed on him a moment too long, and Jai’s skin crawled just slightly under the scrutiny. But then Zei’s hand lifted, rough palm patting him on the back.

"Don’t worry," he said, his tone softening a bit. "He’ll be fine."

Jai gave a quick nod. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I hope so."

He didn’t linger. The moment he had the space, he stepped past Zei and walked straight down the hallway toward his grandfather’s room.

He reached the room, knocked twice, and slowly pushed the door open.

Inside, Kailun stood in a steady stance near the corner of the room, one leg slightly bent and arms flowing slowly through the practiced rhythm of Tai Chi. His expression was focused, serene even, though there was a sharp awareness behind his eyes, the kind that never seemed to fade even with age.

Jai stepped inside. "Grandpa," he said softly, making sure to keep his voice light and casual, "you need to stay hydrated."

Kailun straightened his posture slightly, lowering his hands as Jai approached. His eyes flicked to the bottle being offered. "Ah," he said, reaching for it, "thank you."

But as soon as his hand closed around the plastic, his fingers froze.

His eyes didn’t move, but his grip on the bottle subtly tightened.

Jai took a deep breath and casually turned his body to make sure his back was to the window—blocking any potential sightlines from outside. His head barely moved, but his lips parted, and he mouthed each word slowly and clearly:

"Spies. We are being spied on. Read the note."

Kailun didn’t speak but Jai saw it. The smallest shift in his grandfather’s expression. His shoulders dropped just a little, his jaw clenched almost imperceptibly, and his hand wrapped fully around the bottle.