Pregnant During An Apocalypse [BL]-Chapter 266 - Brave soul

Lin Jinju stopped struggling letting that man’s hand roam over her body.

Her limbs had gone limp. Her mind, somewhere far away. She had gone numb all over.

She was no longer in her body, not really. Her children were somewhere out there, alone. Her husband was gone, buried long before the world ended. There were no laws anymore, no order. Just chaos, filth, and monsters—some dead, some still breathing.

And she... she was completely alone.

A single tear slid down her cheek, heavy and hot, cutting through the grime on her face. It dropped, landing on the man’s filthy hand as he tore at her torn blouse.

Then all of a sudden a loud bang was heard.

It was sharp, deafening followed by the sound of something crashing.

Before she could even register it, the man touching her let out a strangled scream, so loud it split the silence.

His body convulsed and he collapsed to the ground beside her, writhing in agony, clutching his sides as blood poured out between his fingers.

A dark pool spread across the floor, soaking the wooden boards.

Lin Jinju blinked.\

Through her tear filled eyes she saw him, a man burst into her house.

she watched the stranger barrel toward the living room like a storm. The other soldier—the one who had been lounging on the couch like this was his home—barely had time to stand before the man grabbed him by the collar.

With a furious grunt, the rescuer lifted the soldier like he weighed nothing and slammed him over his shoulder. The crash echoed as the man hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. Before he could recover, a fist slammed into his face—once, twice—until he stopped moving.

And then the tall man turned to the one still screaming on the floor.

Lin Jinju tried to sit up, her limbs trembling, vision still swimming. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

The man—her savior—strode over to the writhing attacker, his expression cold and merciless. Without a word, he drove a boot into the man’s ribs. The soldier wailed louder, hands flailing as he tried to crawl away.

But he didn’t get far.

The stranger grabbed him by the back of his collar and rained fists down on his face. Each hit thudded with sickening weight, blood smearing across the floor, across his own knuckles.

Lin Jinju flinched—but didn’t look away.

She watched.

She needed to watch.

The two soldiers, broken and bleeding, finally managed to crawl to their feet. One clutched his jaw, the other his side, and both staggered toward the door. They didn’t even glance back.

They fled, panting and moaning, trailing thick streaks of blood out the front door.

The house fell quiet again, except for Lin Jinju’s shallow breaths and the drip of blood on the floor.

Shinju dropped to his knees beside her.

His coat was off in an instant, and he draped it over her shaking shoulders, trying to cover up the torn fabric of her blouse. "Shit," he muttered, voice low and furious. "Those fuckers... they did a number on you."

He slipped an arm under her back and helped lift her gently onto the sofa. She didn’t resist. Her limbs were loose, unresponsive, her face still streaked with tears. Her eyes were open but distant, staring at nothing.

Shinju’s chest tightened.

She looked straight through him.

He sat beside her, breath caught in his throat, watching the tears silently stream down her face. He didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t know if anything he said could make this right.

Because these weren’t strangers. These weren’t looters.

These were his men.

The soldiers that had followed him into this city.

His hands clenched at his sides. He was losing control of the squads under his command. Discipline was unraveling, and this... this was only the beginning. What had happened to her—it wasn’t just a tragedy.

It was a warning.

"Hey," he said softly, grabbing the glass of water on the small table nearby. "You’re okay now..."

He offered it to her, but her hand trembled as she reached out. Her fingers brushed the glass—but it slipped.

It hit the floor and shattered into pieces.

The sound cut through the room, sharp and sudden.

Lin Jinju flinched, staring at the shards like they meant something more. Her shoulders shook, and then the sobs came. Raw, broken, uncontrollable.

"It’s okay now," Shinju whispered again, gently, kneeling in front of her. "You’re safe now..."

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, rocking slightly. Her voice was small, almost inaudible.

"I... I should’ve fought back..."

Shinju froze.

"I should’ve bit him. Or punched him... something." Her voice cracked, trembling and full of shame. "But I let him... touch me. I let him..."

She couldn’t finish. The words died in her throat, swallowed by a sob so deep it bent her over.

Hearing that broke something in him.

"No," Shinju said, louder than he meant to. He reached forward and gently held her by the arms. "Lin Jinju, look at me."

She slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes wide and glassy, rimmed red with tears.

"You are not at fault," he said clearly, firmly. "You hear me? You were never at fault."

She stared at him, unmoving.

"You were very brave," he said again, softer this time. His voice cracked despite himself. "You’re here. You’re alive. That means everything."

Her lips trembled.

Then she let out a soft, broken sob and crumpled against him, burying her face into his chest. He held her tightly, wrapping his arms around her small, shaking form.

"I... I was brave..." she whispered through her tears. "Because I have to live... I have to live for my children..."

Shinju closed his eyes and held her closer, guilt weighing heavy in his chest. She was fighting so hard just to survive—and he hadn’t been there when she needed him most.

But he was here now.

And he wouldn’t let this happen again.