Chapter 180: Hydro Valley

Once upon a time, when Ji Henghua was still studying medicine, he was full of hope for his future.

He had imagined marrying a gentle and understanding woman.

Someone who would enjoy discussing medical theories with him and understand his passion for his work.

Even if they were both busy, they would make time for each other.

Sometimes, they would eat lunch together. He would happily prepare the food himself.

On days when he was exhausted from studying or working, she would bring him a glass of warm milk.

And whenever she was busy, he would make sure she had something to eat.

He had imagined them adopting a puppy and raising it together.

Perhaps, if they were fortunate enough, they would eventually have a little daughter.

A child who would greet him with a smile similar to his wife’s.

Those had been his dreams. They weren’t particularly extravagant.

However, to Ji Henghua, they had once meant everything.

Perhaps he had longed for such a family because his own childhood hadn’t been particularly happy.

Until the age of seven, his life had been relatively peaceful.

However, by the time he turned ten, everything had changed.

The experiences that followed had forced him to mature far earlier than other children.

Gradually, he began craving something he had never truly received. Love.

And without realizing it, he projected all those expectations onto his future partner.

That was why, when he married Ni Mengxue, he had subconsciously hoped to receive her affection.

He wanted her to notice him. To care about his feelings.

To treat him as someone important rather than merely another husband.

Unfortunately, reality had been cruel.

Ni Mengxue had been far more interested in satisfying her desires than understanding his emotions.

She had never shown much concern for what he wanted.

Eventually, Ji Henghua stopped expecting anything from her.

He abandoned his hopes of finding love.

And with time, he even stopped imagining the peaceful family he had once wanted. ‘Perhaps this is simply my fate. Maybe I’m destined to live without love.’

For now, he only wanted to find his younger brother.

Once he accomplished that, he intended to stay far away from Ni Mengxue and everything connected to his previous marriage.

Just as he was thinking this, Ye Jun’s voice interrupted him. “Brother, you shouldn’t say things like that.”

Ji Henghua opened his eyes.

Ye Jun looked at him seriously.

“If you keep believing that you don’t deserve love, you might end up hurting someone who genuinely cares about you.”

Ji Henghua smiled faintly. “Don’t worry.”

His tone was unusually calm. “If I died someday, there probably wouldn’t be anyone who would even come looking for me. That’s how few people I have left in my life.”

Ye Jun fell silent. For some reason, those words made him feel deeply uncomfortable.

Ji Henghua hadn’t sounded angry or resentful. He had spoken as though he were merely stating an ordinary fact.

And that made his loneliness even more apparent.

For a while, neither man said anything. Eventually, Ye Jun cleared his throat.

“Well, if life ever becomes too difficult, there’s somewhere you should visit.”

Ji Henghua turned toward him. “Where?”

“Hydro Valley. Whenever I feel miserable or think about giving up, I go there and spend some time alone. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.”

He smiled faintly. “Whenever I’m there, I somehow manage to forget my problems for a while.”

Ji Henghua became curious. “What makes it so special?”

Ye Jun looked toward the forest.

“Even though most of the world has been devastated by zombies, mutated beasts, and dangerous plants, Hydro Valley is different.”

He continued, “It’s one of the few places where flowers still grow freely.”

Ji Henghua raised his eyebrows. “Flowers?”

“That’s right.”

Ye Jun nodded. “Although their colors aren’t exactly normal anymore.”

He smiled as he recalled the scenery.

“Some have petals with unusual shades that change gradually from one color to another. And at night, those flowers release a faint, beautiful glow.”

He looked toward the moon. “Imagine lying on soft green grass, surrounded by glowing flowers, while the entire valley remains peaceful.”

His voice grew gentle.

“Even if it’s only for a little while, being there makes you feel as though the apocalypse never happened. You can hear the grass rustling around you, almost as if it’s singing a lullaby,” Ye Jun continued.

“And when you lie down on that soft grass, you can look up at the vast sky.”

His voice grew gentler. “The stars and the moon are still the same as they were before the apocalypse. For a moment, it makes you feel as though the world hasn’t changed at all.”

Hearing his description, Ji Henghua suddenly wanted to visit Hydro Valley himself.

“Where exactly is this place?” he asked.

Ye Jun explained its general location and the route he usually took to reach it.

Ji Henghua listened carefully, silently remembering the directions.

The two continued chatting for a little while longer before exhaustion finally caught up with them.

Soon, both men fell asleep inside their suspended sleeping bags.

However, Ji Henghua had a rather strange dream that night.

In his dream, a golden card suddenly appeared before him.

The card was surrounded by a faint golden glow, and its surface displayed the terrifying face of a zombie.

Its sunken eyes, exposed teeth, and twisted expression made it look unusually sinister.

Ji Henghua stared at the card in confusion.

Before he could examine it more closely, a mysterious voice suddenly echoed inside his mind. “Keep it safe when you find it.”

Ji Henghua froze. ‘What?’

He looked around. ‘Since when did dreams start speaking to people?’

He wanted to ask what the voice meant, but before he could do so, he heard a faint murmuring sound.

At first, he ignored it. He was exhausted and had no intention of waking up in the middle of the night.

However, the sound continued. His survival instincts eventually overcame his sleepiness.