Jiang Zihui sensed that something was amiss with Ye Qingyi. "What's troubling you? You seem so tense."
"Oh, the rain briefly ceased, only to resume again. I had hoped we could venture out. How disappointing."
"Did the rain actually stop where you are? Here, it hasn't let up at all."
Ye Qingyi simply responded with an "Oh."
Jiang Zihui could perceive that his fiancée had been behaving oddly as of late. She used to be highly reliant on him, yet in recent days, she appeared to be much less so. She hadn't even inquired about how things were on his end, and it was always he who initiated the calls.
"Qingyi, hold on a little longer. My father is preparing to form a team."
Ye Qingyi was startled. "What kind of team?"
"It's about transforming our area into the safest possible zone - complete with security, search teams, medical teams, and so forth."
"Do you have firearms?" After these past few days, Ye Qingyi knew that guns were the key; everything else was secondary.
"My father's company's security department has a few handguns. We'll retrieve them once the rain ceases."
Ye Qingyi nodded and suggested, "If feasible, you should check out the police station's armory."
"What?" Jiang Zihui exclaimed, astonished that his fiancée could so casually propose raiding a police station.
Noticing her fiancé's reaction, Ye Qingyi forced a smile. "Isn't that how it's done in the movies?"
"Foolish girl, that's just fiction. Once the rain stops, the police will head back to the station to get their weapons. What on earth are you considering?"
"But the rain began late at night when everyone was off duty at home. And now, how many are still at home?" Ye Qingyi said calmly, hoping her fiancé would take it into account.
Jiang Zihui barely recognized his fiancée. She used to fret about food, and now she was concerned about firearms.
He wondered if she was merely overly stressed and fatigued.
"No matter what, wait for me. I'll come to get you, I swear."
Ye Qingyi smiled and gave a slight hum in response, but now, looking at her fiancé, she didn't feel the same delight and reliance she once had. What was wrong with her? Was she unwell?
She even found it amusing rather than touching when he made his vow to her.
After hanging up, Ye Qingyi buried her hands in her hair, feeling utterly bewildered.
Just then, her phone rang again. Seeing the caller ID, she immediately answered.
"Yueyue," Ye Qingyi sighed in relief upon seeing the girl on the screen.
The girl on the phone was strikingly beautiful—delicate red lips, lively eyes, and long, glossy black hair that reached her waist. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, and her crescent - shaped eyes seemed to speak volumes.
"Little aunt, I just tried calling my parents, but they didn't pick up. Are they with you?" Xie Mingyue asked, her face filled with worry. Seeing her aunt was fine, she assumed her parents were too.
Ye Qingyi paused, then forced a reassuring smile. "Your dad and mom are at Gangzi's house discussing something. Don't worry, they probably just left their phones at home."
"Oh, that's a relief," Xie Mingyue said, patting her chest and smiling warmly.
"Yueyue, what's been going on with you these past few days? Your phone was off."
"The circuit breaker was malfunctioning. It just got fixed today, but I suspect someone tampered with it on purpose to cut us off from the outside world," Xie Mingyue said, her delicate brows furrowing in a way that was oddly charming.
Ye Qingyi immediately felt a sense of foreboding. "Has anything happened recently? Do you have enough provisions?"
"We've been receiving much less food than before. I've seen some girls going into teachers' rooms, and the next day, those girls are given extra rations."
Ye Qingyi's heart sank. This was the beginning of something terrible. Right now, they were still pretending, but soon, the pretense would drop entirely.
"Little aunt, don't worry. I would never do that—never, even if it kills me. Don't tell my parents, though. I don't want them to worry."
Ye Qingyi nodded, unsure of how to tell Yueyue about her parents' situation.
After the call ended, Ye Qingyi let out a heavy sigh.
"Your niece's place is about to descend into chaos," Sun Ting said coldly. "It always starts with exchanging food. Once women start complying, men's greed grows. Sure, there are decent men out there, but being good doesn't get you far these days."
"And that's a university—full of young, beautiful girls. Once things fall apart, it might get even worse than here."
Ye Qingyi shook her head helplessly. What could she do? She couldn't even get there.
A sense of powerlessness consumed her.
"Didn't the master say he'd take us away?" An Bai suddenly whispered, reigniting a spark of hope in Ye Qingyi.
Sun Ting scoffed. "He wouldn't go out of his way to save someone for you."
Ye Qingyi instinctively replied, "My niece is very beautiful," and even pulled out her phone to show a picture.
"So, she's your niece," Sun Ting said, flipping through the photos. Perhaps out of feminine sympathy, she decided not to mention the pictures to Tang Ze.
Sun Ting chuckled. "You're such a good aunt. Our situation seems safe, but in a way, it's not."
Ye Qingyi looked up at Sun Ting and said firmly, "Better one than many. Staying with him at least means survival. Yueyue can't die."
"You've really come to terms with it," Sun Ting said, taking a sip of water and smiling faintly. Throughout history, women have always had one path—to cling to a powerful man. That's the only way to secure everything.
An Bai, hugging a pillow, asked curiously, "What about your fiancé? Are you going to abandon him?"
The question was piercing.
It was as if she was being asked: Will you fulfill your sister's final wish, or will you choose to go to your fiancé's home?
Ye Qingyi would undoubtedly choose to save her niece and then go to her fiancé's home.
But that was a fantasy—an impossible scenario. If she had to choose, Ye Qingyi would choose the former.
Yueyue was in danger, while her fiancé's side was safe.
Sun Ting suddenly thought of something and smirked. "Won't things be awkward between you two later?"
An Bai: "..."
Ye Qingyi's lip twitched. She hadn't thought about that.
"I'm kind of looking forward to it," Sun Ting said with a sly grin. The scene would surely be explosive. An Bai's big eyes widened, as if she was also intrigued.
Ye Qingyi rolled her eyes. "You two are perverts."
Giggle, giggle. Sun Ting and An Bai both laughed, and the atmosphere suddenly became more relaxed.
That night, the three women didn't sleep. They chatted about old times, skincare, celebrities, and eventually men. By the end, the conversation had become downright risqué, with them discussing which positions were the most comfortable.
As the sky began to lighten, it remained overcast, and the rain continued to pour.
Tang Ze let out a long sigh. Finally, he had maxed out the progress bar. He had thought it would be quick, but the last 10% had taken him all night.
Thankfully, the last bit finally reached 100%.
Unlocked Post - Apocalypse Gift Pack 2.0
Supplies 2.0 – Received.
Advanced Body Enhancement – Received.
Weapons and Equipment 2.0 – Received.
Mind Power Mastery – Activated.
Note: Ability to extract items with mental power.
Extract Post - Apocalypse Gift Pack 3.0 – Requires upgrading the energy gauge.