Chapter 2: Raising a Fair, Chubby Hero
1137 Words
Qiao Nian'an opened her eyes. The first thing that came into view was a stark white ceiling and the all-too-familiar scent of antiseptic. It only took a few seconds for her to realize—this was a hospital on Earth.
Memories surged back all at once.
Space had been torn apart. Their powers had run dry. Light had swallowed everything.
Instinctively, she turned her head.
Su Yu lay on the bed beside her, her face pale, her breathing faint, still unconscious.
Qiao Nian'an clenched her hand, her gaze dimming slightly.
She knew very well—in that final outburst of power, Su Yu had suffered far more than she had. She herself had only poured all her energy into the machine, but Su Yu… had used her mental force to forcibly bend space.
That kind of damage—it wasn't just physical.
It was… to the soul.
Fortunately, Su Yu's innate talent was strong enough. Otherwise, with that level of backlash… let alone falling into a coma, she might not have even continued to exist.
After asking the nurse, Qiao Nian'an learned that the two of them had been found unconscious by the roadside, then taken to the hospital by a passerby.
A very… ordinary beginning.
So ordinary that it didn't feel real.
Su Yu remained unconscious for an entire day.
During that time, Qiao Nian'an barely left the room. Aside from watching over her, she took the chance to read the news, look into historical records, and familiarize herself with this world.
The more she learned, the more certain she became of one thing—
Time had truly reversed for them.
More importantly—
Her abilities were still there.
Though weakened, the sensation of controlling metal and ice remained clear within her body.
That meant—
They were not "ordinary" people in this era.
…
"Xiao Yu, you're awake?"
There was a trace of relief in her voice.
Qiao Nian'an quickly helped Su Yu sit up, carefully placing a pillow behind her back.
Su Yu blinked a few times, her gaze still unfocused.
"I'm fine… where is this?"
Qiao Nian'an didn't hide anything. She slowly recounted everything she knew—from being brought to the hospital to the fact that this was Earth before the apocalypse.
As she spoke, she watched Su Yu's expression shift.
From surprise… to shock… and then—
it lit up.
"…?"
Qiao Nian'an let out a laugh and flicked her lightly on the forehead.
"What are you so excited about? We don't have money, no identity, no job. We don't even know how we're going to survive, and you're still smiling?"
Su Yu rubbed her forehead, her eyes shining even brighter.
"It's fine. The apocalypse is coming anyway."
She paused for a beat, the corners of her lips curving mischievously.
"Besides… we risked our lives to get here. Of course we should do something more important."
Qiao Nian'an raised a brow.
"Like what?"
Tilting her head, Su Yu smiled with innocent delight.
"Go find Shen Ci and Pei Heng."
…
Silence hung in the air for a second.
Then both of them burst into laughter.
Back on Planet X, what they loved most was reading historical records about those two heroes. They had even joked before—if they could ever return to the time of the apocalypse, they would definitely protect them to the end.
Who would have thought—
that joke would become reality.
History had recorded:
Shen Ci and Pei Heng, the right and left hands of the Qinglong g**g. Born into the underworld, yet they became heroes in the apocalypse.
When disaster struck, and the g**g leader failed to awaken any ability, it was the two of them who stepped forward—protecting over a hundred members, leading them to gather supplies and establish a base.
Until—
the leader awakened.
And with it… human nature revealed its darkest side.
He struck without hesitation, nearly driving the two of them to their deaths.
Though they survived, Shen Ci and Pei Heng were gravely injured. Yet after recovering, they continued to save others, leading survivors to build new bases, becoming the pillar countless people relied on.
It was just a pity—
the injuries from that time were too severe.
Both body and mind were worn down beyond repair.
Neither of them lived past thirty-five.
History did not write much about them.
But every word carried respect—
and regret.
If not for what had happened back then—
perhaps they would have lived to see the end of the apocalypse.
…
Su Yu didn't need to ask.
Qiao Nian'an… would never refuse.
Because it wasn't just her decision.
It was—
a shared dream.
Despite everything they had endured on Planet X, all the constraints and darkness, at their core they were still just young girls, not yet fully understanding the world, still holding onto a piece of simple, almost naive sincerity.
If you like someone—
you want to protect them.
And if that person is right in front of you—
why hesitate?
"Are you really okay?" Qiao Nian'an asked softly, her tone turning serious.
She was still worried.
Mental damage like Su Yu's… was no small matter.
"I'm fine." Su Yu lifted her hand, rotating her wrist, smiling brightly. "One good sleep and I'm back. I feel great."
She leaned forward, her voice full of excitement.
"Let's go. Join the underworld. Protect my Pei Heng."
Qiao Nian'an looked at her, smiling helplessly.
"Your Pei Heng?"
"Of course!" Su Yu put her hands on her hips, completely serious. "Just hearing the name, you know he's handsome. I'll protect Pei Heng, you protect Shen Ci. One each."
"…"
"We'll see who can raise their hero to be fairer and plumper."
"…You recovered a bit too fast."
Su Yu chuckled, not finding anything wrong with that at all.
After leaving the hospital, the first problem they had to solve—
was money.
Su Yu took out a few pieces of jade from her spatial storage.
They were all ancient artifacts from Earth, brought to Planet X thousands of years ago. In this era… their value was beyond question.
"Use these for now," Su Yu said casually.
With money, and a direction in mind,
the two of them began searching for traces of the Qinglong g**g while quietly stockpiling supplies.
Su Yu's spatial ability was practically an infinite storage—whether in the present or the future, it remained one of the most coveted powers.
Food, medicine, clean water…
Little by little, everything was stored away.
Time… was counting down.
Until one day—
they stood before an old alley, a worn signboard swaying in the wind.
Su Yu narrowed her eyes, a smile slowly forming.
"Finally…"
Qiao Nian'an followed her gaze.
Her eyes gleamed.
"…we found it."
- Writer
