Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Lashing Out at the Simp

Zhou Peng was busy showering Fang Yuqing with attention. But it was clear that Fang Yuqing wasn't interested in men like Zhou Peng. In terms of financial standing, Zhou Peng was far worse off than Zhang Yi; he even rented his apartment. Still, Fang Yuqing smiled sweetly at him and said, "Thank you, Zhou Peng. But I've already made plans with friends that evening. What a pity!" A look of disappointment instantly flashed across Zhou Peng's face. He had spent an entire month's salary on these two concert tickets! He had hoped to use the concert as an opportunity to confess his feelings to Fang Yuqing. But it seemed like all his efforts were in vain. Zhang Yi saw this and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. He knew that Zhou Peng, this "simp," would never get anything in return for his devotion. Feeling dejected, Zhou Peng caught sight of Zhang Yi's amused expression, and his anger flared. Trying to divert the embarrassment, he walked over to Zhang Yi and said, "Zhang Yi, you're really something!" "A grown man, making a woman help you carry things. Aren't you ashamed?" "Yuqing has been complaining about back pain since she came to work today. Next time, don't trouble her with such things!" Zhang Yi glanced at Fang Yuqing. So, it was her who had spread the news. Fang Yuqing feigned concern and said, "Oh, it's nothing. It's not like my body is in bad shape." "I just can't handle heavy lifting, and I think I might've twisted my back." As she spoke, she even reached out to massage her waist and furrowed her brows in a show of pain. Zhou Peng, eager to show off his manliness in front of Fang Yuqing, puffed out his chest and pointed at Zhang Yi, saying, "Hurry up and give Yuqing 500 yuan for her medical bills." To his surprise, Zhang Yi's eyes turned cold as he glared at Zhou Peng and snapped, "She volunteered to help me carry things. I didn't ask for her help." "And who do you think you are, telling me what to do?" "You think you're somebody important?" Zhang Yi's sharp rebuke caught both Zhou Peng and Fang Yuqing off guard, leaving them stunned. Zhou Peng was just an ordinary clerk in the warehouse, with no power or influence. The only reason he dared to reprimand Zhang Yi was because Zhang Yi usually had a mild temperament and didn't like to argue with people. But now that he saw Zhang Yi really lose his temper, Zhou Peng suddenly became nervous. "Wh-why are you yelling so loud?" he stammered. "I was just trying to talk it over with you." Zhang Yi scoffed, turned around, and walked away. He couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on Zhou Peng. In his eyes, everyone around him now looked like the walking dead. In a month's time, 99% of these people would die in the apocalyptic freezing storm. So why bother talking to the dead? After Zhang Yi left, Zhou Peng ran over to Fang Yuqing and whispered, "Yuqing, I told you Zhang Yi is no good. You should stay away from him from now on." Fang Yuqing frowned, feeling puzzled. Recently, Zhang Yi had been acting like a completely different person. He no longer greeted her when he saw her, and he didn't message her every night like he used to, saying goodnight. "Something strange is definitely going on!" Fang Yuqing thought to herself. ... After work, Zhang Yi drove to a five-star hotel in Tianhai City. It was the very restaurant he had reserved earlier: Hongfu Tianxia. When the manager of Hongfu Tianxia heard that Zhang Yi had arrived, he immediately arranged a room for him with a bright smile. A night in one of the five-star hotel's rooms would cost more than a thousand yuan. But Zhang Yi wasn't the least bit concerned. After all, he still had a few million yuan on hand. If he didn't spend it, *that* would feel like a waste. That night, Fang Yuqing, the "white lotus," unexpectedly sent Zhang Yi a message. Fang Yuqing: "Zhang Yi, I passed by your place today and saw some people doing renovations!" Zhang Yi sneered, "Yeah, that's right." Fang Yuqing: "You've been acting so strange lately. First, you're stocking up on supplies, and now you're renovating your place. Is something going on?" Zhang Yi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. This "white lotus" might be devious, but she wasn't stupid. It seemed his odd behavior had finally caught her attention. But Zhang Yi didn't care. Other people's opinions didn't matter to him anymore. "Nothing's going on," he replied coldly, then tossed his phone aside. On the other end, Fang Yuqing felt quite uneasy as she looked at Zhang Yi's indifferent response. For the past two years, Zhang Yi had always treated her very well. He was always concerned about her, finding excuses to chat with her every night. But recently, he had become like a different person. Not only had his attitude turned cold, but he had also stopped initiating conversations with her. This left Fang Yuqing feeling deeply unsettled. She wasn't interested in Zhang Yi, but she definitely couldn't accept him losing interest in her. In her mind, it was like one of the fish in her pond had escaped. Zhang Yi wasn't a wealthy second-generation heir, but he was a decent middle-class guy. If she couldn't find a rich man to marry in the future, she could always fall back on Zhang Yi. Fang Yuqing picked up her phone and sent another message. "It feels like we haven't been in touch much lately. It's making me feel a little lonely." But after waiting for a long time, there was still no reply. Fang Yuqing bit her lip, feeling increasingly frustrated. "That damned Zhang Yi! Has he gone mad recently? I'm the one reaching out to him, and he dares not respond to me!" Her roommate, Li Caining, overheard Fang Yuqing's grumbling and walked over with a teasing smile. "Yeah, Zhang Yi has been acting strange lately. Who knows why he's stocking up on so much food and drink, or why he's been reserving so many banquets at hotels." "It's almost as if he's preparing for some kind of shortage." Fang Yuqing frowned slightly at this. "Ning Ning, do you think something might actually happen soon? Maybe Zhang Yi got some insider information, and that's why he's stocking up?" Li Caining was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "Yuqing, are you serious? If something big were going to happen, the government would definitely make an announcement." "We can just relax. If we started hoarding supplies, people would laugh at us for being fools." Hearing this, Fang Yuqing also laughed at herself. "You're right." ... Zhang Yi stayed in the five-star hotel suite for several days. He didn't go anywhere. During these days, he was busy ordering banquets from various high-end hotels. At the same time, he stayed in his room, practicing with a compound bow and crossbow. Fortunately, Zhang Yi had always been interested in hunting and had some decent skills. Now, within a fifteen-meter range, his accuracy was impressive. Especially with a professional-grade compound bow in hand, such modern equipment allowed an ordinary person to shoot arrows comparable to those of legendary archers from ancient times. Not to mention dealing with humans—even if he encountered wild boars, wolves, or large dogs, he could inflict serious damage.