Chapter 314- Cultured Villain vs. Humanoid Weapon (19)
At first, Jian Minghui couldn’t bear to see Mu Jin cooking and wanted him to simply relax and enjoy himself, with Jian tending to his beloved. But seeing Mu Jin so excited, he didn’t want to spoil his mood.
Since there were no strangers nearby, Jian Minghui let Mu Jin sit on his lap, turning the meat and mushrooms on the makeshift grill they had set up with stones and branches. Every so often, Jian would turn to kiss Mu Jin on the cheek or forehead. Their unguarded intimacy made it obvious to everyone around that they were together—even if anyone had doubted it before, it was clear now.
Some had wondered if Mu Jin’s confession to Jian Minghui meant they’d officially be a couple, and the answer was now apparent. No one minded; in the harsh world of the apocalypse, finding someone special and actually being with them was something everyone envied.
The warmth and affection between Mu Jin and Jian Minghui were palpable in the way they looked at each other, and any lingering suspicions dissolved in their open displays of affection.
Among them was Wei Xuezhen, the only woman in the group. Observing their bond, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia. She once had her own dreams of romance and innocent ideals, but life after the apocalypse had forced her to grow stronger.
She sighed inwardly, wondering when this uncertain and chaotic life would finally end, and if she’d ever experience her own love story with the person she admired, Jian Mingyuan.
The barbecue turned out to be a great success, with everyone patting their full stomachs, feeling more content than they had in a long time. Once they were satisfied, the group worked together to clean up, sitting afterward for a cheerful chat that brought back memories of carefree college days.
As the sky began to darken, they decided to head back to camp. Sneaking out for a barbecue wasn’t something they wanted others in the group to know, as maintaining discipline was still important to keep everyone safe. They wanted this little escape to remain a secret.
When they neared the camp, the group moved quietly, carefully avoiding the guards at the entrance as they sneaked over the wall. Fortunately, the wall wasn’t high, so everyone climbed back into camp with ease. However, as they approached a corner, Mu Jin suddenly turned and placed a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to stay silent—someone was nearby.
Everyone stilled, cautious not to make a sound, and soon they heard a woman’s voice on the other side of the corner.
Due to the angle of the wall, the speaker couldn’t see them, but she sounded frustrated and angry. “Are you still unwilling to get rid of that little bastard? If he makes it back to the base, we won’t get another chance! He’s been in our way for so long—how can you stand it? Just think about how he’ll turn things against us with your father. And with all those powerful people backing him now, Mingyuan, listen to your mother. Don’t be too soft-hearted. If we don’t uproot him now, he’ll be a serious problem later!”
Jian Mingyuan tightened his lips, shaking his head at his mother, Chen Shuyun. “Mom, he hasn’t done anything too serious all these years…”
Before he could finish, Chen Shuyun interrupted angrily, “How can you say that? Don’t you remember everything he’s done to upstage you at every turn? Don’t forget, he’s nothing but a bastard your father had with another woman. Are you really going to let him go back to the Pingcheng base and divide up the family’s power?”
Her voice grew colder. “Let me tell you, Mingyuan, we cannot keep Jian Minghui around. Before we get back to Pingcheng, you have to find a way to get rid of him.”
She continued with a chilling calm, “With all the mutant animals and plants around lately—and the zombies getting stronger—there’ll be plenty of chances. Wait until Mu Jin and the others are distracted, then push him into a group of zombies or near some mutant plants. Once he’s dead, there won’t be any evidence against us.”
“Otherwise, once we’re back at the base with Mu Jin and his allies protecting him, we’ll have no way to deal with him.”
Hearing Chen Shuyun’s cold, merciless tone and seeing the malice in her eyes, Jian Mingyuan frowned, feeling as if he were looking at a stranger.
At the corner, Wei Xuezhen and the others overheard Chen Shuyun’s words, and the atmosphere immediately became tense and awkward. They had never imagined that after returning from the picnic, they would find themselves in such a situation. Everyone looked at Jian Minghui, who was lowering his head in silence, feeling uneasy.
Jian Minghui clenched his fists, listening to the conversation between Chen Shuyun and Jian Mingyuan, unsure of how to respond.
In the original storyline, Jian Minghui had heard a similar conversation before, but he had left in anger before hearing the rest.
But now, surrounded by people, not only was he unable to leave without drawing attention, but with Mu Jin standing beside him, Jian Minghui felt as if the curtain had been pulled back, leaving him exposed and ashamed.
To Jian Minghui, Mu Jin had become the most important person in his life. He had always been aware of his awkward position.
Although in the past, ever since he became more aware of things, he had often tried to compete with Jian Mingyuan, not wanting to let the Jian family have an easy time, much of it was driven by the anger from the verbal abuse and mistreatment he suffered from Chen Shuyun.
Yet, deep down, he had always felt that being the child of a mistress was disgraceful.
In the past, he might not have brought it up to others, but if his true identity had been discovered, he would only have found it troublesome, nothing more.
As for the venomous remarks from Chen Shuyun, he had heard them his entire life. Over the years, Jian Minghui had long stopped caring about who his biological father was.
The real issue now was that Mu Jin was by his side—his most cherished and beloved person. Jian Minghui wanted to show only the best side of himself to Mu Jin, hoping to earn his affection.
But now, the carefully crafted image he had worked so hard to build had been shattered, all because of that d*mn woman!
At this moment, Jian Minghui couldn’t help but wonder if Mu Jin now knew about his illegitimate status, would he begin to look down on him? Would Mu Jin still look at him with those loving eyes? Or would this make him distance himself?
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Jian Minghui felt a tightness in his chest. He gritted his teeth, filled with worry and hatred.
For the first time, he felt such resentment toward his own background. If he were just a regular child from an ordinary family, not from the prestigious Jian family, he wouldn’t feel so inferior when facing Mu Jin.
But now, what would Mu Jin think of him?
When someone becomes too invested in another person, they start overthinking, filled with insecurities and anxiety. Right now, Jian Minghui wished he could turn back time. If he had known this would happen, he would never have agreed to Mu Jin’s suggestion of going out for a picnic today—even if it meant missing out on hearing about Chen Shuyun and Jian Mingyuan’s plot against him.
As he listened to the conversation between Chen Shuyun and Jian Mingyuan, Mu Jin kept a close eye on his lover, quietly observing his mood. When he noticed Jian Minghui’s visible distress, he immediately reached out and held his hand.
The warmth of Mu Jin’s palm took Jian Minghui by surprise. Looking up, he met Mu Jin’s caring gaze, and a sense of warmth blossomed in his heart.
The rage that had just surged within him was instantly quelled. His only thought at that moment was, ‘Thank goodness. Xiao Jin is still worried about me.’
Just then, they heard Jian Mingyuan’s voice again. After a moment of restrained silence, he said to Chen Shuyun in a low, firm tone, “Enough!”
“Mom, stop. I can’t hurt Minghui. Even if he isn’t your biological son, he was still raised in our Jian family—he’s still Father’s son.”
“I know, in the past, it was Father who wronged you, which is why you hold resentment toward Minghui. I’m not blaming you. I understand. Even I have struggled with it since finding out about Minghui’s true parentage. But that’s not a reason to take someone’s life.”
“His identity may indeed be complicated, but he never chose to be an illegitimate child. Besides, all along, he’s believed he was your son, my younger brother.”
“So, as long as Minghui doesn’t come after me, I absolutely won’t harm him.”
After Jian Mingyuan finished speaking, he turned and left, ignoring Chen Shuyun’s muffled curses behind him.
Mu Jin noticed Jian Minghui’s body tremble slightly as Jian Mingyuan spoke. A hint of relief appeared in Jian Minghui’s eyes, and Mu Jin knew that now, having understood Jian Mingyuan’s true feelings, his lover wouldn’t hold a grudge against him.
The protagonist of this world truly has a solid character—likely taking after his father.
Chen Shuyun, on the other hand, hadn’t expected that even after saying so much, Jian Mingyuan would still defy her.
“That ungrateful wretch!” she cursed, feeling even more unsettled. Now that even her son refused to side with her, did it mean she’d really have to leave Jian Minghui alone?
She bit her lip in frustration, resenting Jian Mingyuan’s softness. Her son was just too weak-hearted. Left with no other choice, she stormed off, determined to devise another plan.
Once both had left, everyone let out a sigh of relief. After hearing such a shocking secret, they exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to react.
Among them, the most stunned was Wei Xuezhen. Having long harbored a crush on Jian Mingyuan, she had often helped look after Chen Shuyun. No matter what, Jian Minghui was still a man and lacked a woman’s attentiveness. Besides, as a water-wielding ability user, Wei Xuezhen was a useful help in everyday life.