Chapter 2

Sheng Qingquan was stunned. Even more shocked were the other residents nearby.

This guy not only disturbed the peace, but with so many neighbours around, the more they complained, the more he seemed to revel in it. Totally perverted.

In the middle of the night, he was reading smut out loud, and even after being scolded, he didn't tone it down much.

While the start of this apocalypse sounded kind of fresh, and the story had some originality, all the graphic descriptions just made everyone feel like their ears needed a shower.

Unfortunately, after listening for a while, they still couldn’t pinpoint where the voice was coming from, so they couldn’t go confront the guy.

After yelling at him from a distance with no effect, everyone just gave up and went back to bed, annoyed.

It was already past midnight, and even though the guy wasn’t sleeping, everyone else still needed to.

Some put on headphones, others dug out earplugs, but the sound still found its way in.

"Wait, the names of the main couple sound familiar!" Sheng Qingquan suddenly realized.

"The top is named Luo Huanian, and the bottom is Ning Luoxing. Isn’t that the gay couple upstairs?"

"Given that I've been transported into a book, what are the chances of encountering a gay couple with the same names who aren’t the main characters?"

"Especially since they’re the same age and look just like the descriptions."

"So, the main characters are right next to me?"

"What are the odds I can latch onto them to survive?"

"Wait, before the apocalypse hits, I should stock up. It’ll be easier to team up with them if I’ve got supplies." Thinking this, Sheng Qingquan instinctively opened a shopping app and placed an urgent local order.

After blowing a few thousand, Sheng Qingquan finally snapped out of it. He snapped back to reality from the panic of the coming apocalypse.

"No, stopping the apocalypse is more important than hoarding supplies."

"Just knowing the story isn’t enough to dodge all the dangers and make it out alive. After all, this thing doesn’t boost physical strength or intelligence. But the apocalypse hasn’t even started yet!"

"The big thing is, this apocalypse wasn’t caused by some crazy scientist or sudden climate shifts—it was just a fluke."

"It was just a tiny mistake, and it’s totally preventable."

At that thought, Sheng Qingquan shivered and quickly skimmed the book again to double-check the timing. Unlike the vague hint on the cover, the first chapter gave the exact time of the apocalypse, down to the minute.

By now, the main couple should be home, having a romantic candlelit dinner. In an hour, they’d finish their bath and get down to business. Then, since it had been a while, they got carried away, and the bottom’s minor bleeding caused the disaster.

Only an hour left. Sheng Qingquan didn’t waste a second, not even changing clothes, and bolted out the door.

What’s this guy’s deal? Not only is the story getting wilder, but he’s dragging real people into it.

Using real people in smut is bad enough, but reading it out loud in the neighbourhood? If the couple wanted to sue, they’d have a slam dunk case.

Not afraid of a lawsuit.

If it weren’t for asking the kids at home and confirming they hadn’t heard anything, many would have already considered calling the police. Outsiders thought this way, let alone the main characters of the smut.

But the other person was quite dedicated, actually managing to read this stuff aloud, even with full emotion. Just listening to the voice, one might think it was a radio drama, with the tone perfectly capturing the image of someone who just realized they’ve transmigrated into an apocalyptic novel.

While others were complaining, on the sixth floor, the couple who were about to finish their romantic dinner and have a good time looked at each other: surely they weren’t the ones being talked about? The couple's eyes simultaneously focused on the ring on Luo Huanian's hand. After a moment, Luo Huanian carefully took it off.

It wasn't that they were being overly cautious.

At first, the couple didn't take the voice they heard seriously and found it a bit noisy, which made their candlelit dinner more of a late-night snack, less romantic.

But as they listened further, they began to feel something was off.

Many people knew that Luo Huanian wore a ring, and although they didn't know who the speaker was, the voice was so clear that it was likely a neighbour.

Living in the same neighbourhood, coming and going, one could easily notice the ring on Luo Huanian's hand with a bit of attention.

However, knowing about the ring and also knowing that they were having a candlelit dinner today, planning to take a bath and then do something intimate—such private matters had never been shared with anyone else.

The room had thick blackout curtains, so no one outside could see inside, and the faint candlelight from the dinner couldn't penetrate through. Moreover, the candles used were from their stock, not newly purchased.

As for the bath, they didn't usually have the habit of taking baths; it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea during dinner to add some romance.

Half an hour ago, even they themselves didn't know about these plans, yet the other person seemed to know everything.

This made them subconsciously pay more attention.

Only after taking off the ring did Ning Luoxing chuckle, "What is all this? How could the apocalypse be real?"

They had actually taken off the ring. Luo Huanian was also surprised. Just as he was about to put the ring back on, they heard a knock at the door.

Who could be coming at this hour?

Though they wondered, being two grown men at home, both trained and skilled, they weren't afraid. Luo Huanian, though cautious, went to open the door decisively.

Outside, Sheng Qingquan stood nervously, his eyes scanning Luo Huanian's hands repeatedly upon seeing him.

"Nothing? Not on the left hand, not on the right hand. Where's the white jade ring?"

"Luo Huanian isn't wearing a ring, which is different from what's written in the novel, so they're not the main characters, just happen to share the same names as the main couple."

"Everything is just a coincidence. Did I find the wrong people? Or is there no such thing as transmigrating into a novel, and no Doomsday?!"

No Doomsday! At this thought, Sheng Qingquan felt relieved, but the next moment, under his magnifying-glass-like observation, he keenly noticed a faint white mark on Luo Huanian's left ring finger.

It was a mark left from long-term ring wear.

"So where's the ring?"

Sheng Qingquan grew anxious.

"Has the plot already changed before it even started? Has the space ring been activated?"

"Oh no, the novel says that once the space ring is activated, the ancient virus inside will start to leak."

"That's bad enough, but every time it's used, it speeds up the spread of the virus. Who would get such a treasure as a space ring and not use it?"

"Especially when the apocalypse breaks out on a large scale later, surviving won't be easy, and having a space to stockpile goods would significantly reduce the difficulty. Just because they could resist using it before doesn't mean they can later."

"Besides, the main couple doesn't know that the space ring is the root cause of the apocalypse. To survive and live better, they would only use the space ring more frequently, not realizing that this would accelerate the apocalypse, making the crisis erupt faster."

"If I advise the main characters not to use it, will they listen?"

"Wait, if I really say it, instead of worrying about whether the main characters will listen, I should be more concerned about my own life. If an outsider points out a treasure like the space ring, to prevent the information from leaking, would the main characters resort to silencing me?"

As Sheng Qingquan's emotions flared, the voice everyone heard changed from clear speech to loud shouting right next to their ears.

Ning Luoxing and Luo Huanian exchanged glances: Did he just not say anything?

The lights, which had been turned off for the candlelit dinner, were now back on, and the room was brightly lit.

The hallway motion-sensor lights kept flickering on and off because of the neighbours' constant complaints.

So they could see everything clearly.

Sheng Qingquan's mouth was clamped shut. Clearly, he hadn't figured out what to say or how to talk to them.

Yet, his voice rang clearly in their ears.

Before seeing him, the couple had thought the voice sounded familiar but couldn't quite place it.

Now that he was right there, they couldn't miss it.

It was unmistakably him.

His mouth wasn't moving, but they could still hear him.

Noticing his barely hidden anxiety and how his eyes kept darting to their hands.

So, were they actually hearing Sheng Qingquan's inner thoughts?

"Damn, they came out one after the other, gazing at each other so lovingly, but their rings are gone."

"Those were their engagement rings! The novel said they never took them off, always kept them on."

"These two, all dressed up, couldn't have just finished something intense, right?"

"Looking closely, their clothes are neat but easy to take off. They could've thrown them on quickly after the knock and opened the door."

"Plus, their expressions are off, like they were interrupted during some late-night fun. They look pretty frustrated and irritated."

"Damn, I must be too late."

"The world's ending because of a couple's love life."

"Life's not worth it; the apocalypse reason is just ridiculous!"

Sheng Qingquan was freaking out.

Ning Luoxing and Luo Huanian were even more freaked out than Sheng Qingquan.

Could our frustration be from you narrating our private moments, not the interruption or the apocalypse?

Moreover, Ning Luoxing heard someone outside yelling about noise and bad manners.

Clearly, it wasn't just the two of them who could hear Sheng Qingquan's inner thoughts.

In other words, these thoughts were being broadcast publicly.

Who the hell can handle this?!

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