Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm

Mei Shi Zhe remained in his position, refusing to move a muscle. He kept his eyes closed, refusing to even look at the shoes of the woman in front of him. 

No, not woman; Goddess. 

There was a deep sigh, and the Messenger shuddered as he felt her breath brushing his ear. She must have crouched down beside him. 

"Do you want to know your happily ever after?" she whispered in his ear, causing goosebumps to appear on his skin.

"I don't," he assured her. Never once had he wanted to know who his fated mate was. He already had someone in his heart, and that was enough to make him happy. Even if she never knew it. 

"She might not know it, but that doesn't mean she isn't thinking it either," came the voice again, startling Mei Shi Zhe enough that he broke his own rules and looked up, his eyes wide.

He found himself staring into the most beautiful blue eyes that he had ever seen. Her long blond hair fell in large waves down to the floor, so close to his fingers that if he moved them a fraction of an inch, he would be able to touch them. 

Swallowing hard, he continued to stare into the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. 

"But nothing will happen if you don't make the first move," she continued, coming to her feet and breaking the spell. Mei Shi Zhe rose to his feet unsteadily, bowing his head.

"Hopefully, my nephew is smarter than you and will not let his one opportunity at happiness pass him by," said the Goddess as she turned around and walked away. Mei Shi Zhe was still frozen in place long after she had left. To say that she was the embodiment of love and beauty was really an understatement. And yet, she married the ugliest of all Gods and lived with him inside a volcano.

"I love him because he is the only man that looks past my looks to who I am inside. And he loves me for the same reason,' said a laughing voice inside of his head. 

Closing his eyes in embarrassment, Mei Shi Zhe let out a sigh. It was more than a little frustrating that the Gods could read your mind whenever they wanted to. Some things should remain private.

"Good luck with that," came the laughing voice again. "If we didn't play with you mortals every so often, we would be very bored beings."

Mei Shi Zhe smirked and shook his head. Opening his eyes, he found himself in the middle of his apartment in City A. Unlike Bin An Sha's, his only held the bare minimum. A bed, a couch, a little bit of food in the cupboards, and only two sets of plates, cups, and cutlery. 

He never knew when the Gods would call him away to deliver a message, so it was better to not become attached to anything.

There was a soft knock on his door, and Mei Shi Zhe couldn't help but smile. Well, almost anything. There was one exception to the rule. 

"Shi Zhe?" came a soft, tentative voice from the other side of the door. "Are you home?"

-----

I looked at the packed club and let out a big sigh. 

Lying in Liu Yu Zeng's arms, my feet on top of Wang Chao's lap, I should have been relaxed, but it was finally the last Friday of the month, and I had yet to meet the recruiter. 

Mao Jing had assured me that he would be coming today and that he would send the recruiter over as soon as possible, but I was still left in knots. 

I didn't know if I wanted to meet the man who had utterly destroyed my life or hide in a deep, dark hole until he was gone. 

At this moment, surrounded by crowds of cheering people, I was leaning more toward the second option. This was the perfect opportunity for zombies to hunt, and I would not lie and say that I hadn't pointed that fact out to Alpha. As long as he did it at the other clubs. 

But densely packed humans, making a loud noise, their concentration focused on the fight in front of them, were perfectly ripe to be picked off and taken. Just like little fishies packed together in a bait ball, the more there was, the easier they were to be taken. 

It was the number one reason why I preferred to go out by myself to find supplies. I stood a better chance at getting away on my own than if a whole team of us went out. 

I moaned as Wang Chao took off my slipper and started to rub one of my feet. 

"You are tense," chuckled Liu Yu Zeng, gently biting the shell of my ear. I tipped my head back until it was resting on his shoulder and moaned at the feeling. It felt like forever since my men had touched me like this. However, to be fair, sex was not a top priority at the end of days. And the worst thing to do was to be pregnant and vulnerable when you were being hunted. 

"You think?" I sneered at him sarcastically. I was willingly sending myself to the seventh circle of Hell. How could I not be tense?

Chen Zi Han let out a soft snort, and I could see his smirk in the dim light of the booth. He and Liu Wei were acting as bodyguards, guarding the booth from any humans. "We are here for you," he said with a shrug of his massive shoulders. "And we will destroy this world to make you happy."

Given who he was, I knew better than to assume he was just boasting. My men would bring Hell to the world if I asked them to. It was nice to be loved like that. 

Just as I was about to open my mouth to reply, I saw my men stiffen, and the smile on my face immediately disappeared. There was only one reason for them to be acting that way. The recruiter had arrived. Wang Chao gently placed my shoe back on and slid to the edge of the booth, ready to get out in an instant if needed. 

"Is the Boss there?" asked Mao Jing, knowing full well that I was. I could feel my body tense, an entirely conditioned response to knowing who was standing on the other side of my men. 

"She is," grunted Chen Zi Han as he took a step forward, making sure that I was out of sight. He knew that I needed this time to pull myself together. I had a plan, and I was not going to fuck it up because I couldn't deal with something that happened to me in a past life. 

"Sha Ling would like to have a word with the Boss if that is possible," continued Mao Jing in a formal manner. He didn't know everything that was going on, but he knew enough to understand the importance of this meeting.

I sat up and moved away from Liu Yu Zeng. Straightening my back, I lifted my head up. I was a badass bitch. I was not some weak, pathetic Cinderella who needed Prince Charming to come and save her. I could do this. I could look into the eyes of my personal boogeyman and not break down.

I hope. 

I was pretty sure.

Fuck, what would happen if I saw him and completely dissolved? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I wasn't ready for this.

Taking in a deep breath, I fought back the panic. 

'Do you trust me?' asked Wang Chao from inside of my head. I let out a snort of laughter at that question.

'I trust you,' I assured him. As soon as I had responded, he slid back over toward me and placed his arm around my shoulders. Pulling me in close to his side, he gestured for Liu Yu Zeng to come in close as well. 

'There is no need to be nervous,' he continued, the low tone in his voice immediately setting me at ease, just like the first time I had heard him on the phone. 'The reason why men in this situation have women all around them is to show off how comfortable they are and how much the other man is not a threat. You are just going to do the same. Use us to make yourself comfortable. Show the recruiter that he is nothing to worry about because you have all the power.'

"And you do have all the power," he assured me out loud. With a sigh, I relaxed into his embrace.

"Let him in," called out Liu Yu Zeng after receiving my nod of approval. 

Liu Wei and Chen Zi Han parted to reveal Mao Jing and the recruiter, and I got my first view of the man who changed the course of my second life… and my third. The first man I ever saw in this world, the one that I thought would be my savior, my one true love, according to the novels. 

Looking at him now, I was utterly stunned.