In the owner's group chat, Aunt Lin was still incessantly talking:
"Everyone saw the news, right? Our country is powerful and fully capable of handling this snow disaster!"
"Don't worry, all problems will be solved."
"And if anyone's household is in need of supplies, those who can should help out. After all, this snowstorm will pass soon, and there's no need to hoard supplies."
However, very few people responded to her.
Clearly, after two days with no sign of the snowstorm ending, many people had begun to worry.
Fang Yuqing messaged Zhang Yi again.
"Zhang Yi, are you okay?"
Zhang Yi raised his eyebrows, thinking Fang Yuqing probably assumed he had been dealt with by Chen Zhenghao. But he didn't believe she was asking out of goodwill.
"I'm perfectly fine."
"Oh, that's good."
Fang Yuqing felt a bit disappointed. But soon, she continued, "We've run out of food at home. I remember you bought a lot of stuff. Could you give me a little? I'll treat you to dinner sometime. 😊"
Zhang Yi's mouth curled into a cold smile. Of course, this woman had ulterior motives. He recalled that during their last trip to the supermarket, Fang Yuqing and Lin Cainin had bought some things as well. Although they didn't buy as much as he did, it shouldn't be enough to say they were running out after just two days.
"Well, that was a while ago. I didn't leave anything here at home, and honestly, I don't have much myself."
Fang Yuqing was persistent.
"Well, can't you at least give me a few packs of instant noodles? You're in charge of the storage; there's no way you're short on food!"
Zhang Yi responded bluntly, "I really don't have any noodles left. See, I can only manage with this stuff."
He took a picture of the table, showing off the Australian lobster and Wellington steak, and sent it to Fang Yuqing.
On the other side, Fang Yuqing's eyebrows shot up in anger upon seeing the photo.
"Damned Zhang Yi! What do you mean by this? Are you trying to mock me?"
Next to her, her best friend Lin Cainin peeked out from under the blankets. Since it was freezing, the two women had been sharing the same bed for warmth.
When Lin Cainin saw the food in the picture, her eyes lit up with envy.
As girls who usually never cooked, they relied on takeout or men to treat them to meals. With the city now snowed in, they were left starving and had been forced to eat instant noodles and canned food, things they normally disliked.
Seeing Zhang Yi enjoying lobster and steak made both of them feel both angry and envious.
They were upset because Zhang Yi was eating such good food alone, without even thinking of sharing with them!
Lin Cainin immediately chimed in, saying sarcastically, "Wow, that Zhang Yi is too much! He has all that delicious food at home and doesn't even think of you! And he used to say he liked you, huh? What a fake!"
Fang Yuqing also felt irritated. This wasn't the first time Zhang Yi had sent her photos like this. She knew he was deliberately provoking her, but she believed Zhang Yi still liked her and was just trying to use this situation to make her compromise.
"Hmph, foolish! Does he really think a bit of food is enough to make me his girlfriend?"
"Zhang Yi, you're too naïve!"
Fang Yuqing scoffed disdainfully. As a proud woman who always held herself above others, she had to maintain her image. However, staring at the photo of the food, her desire was hard to hide.
Lin Cainin, knowing her well, suggested, "Yuqing, why don't you tell Zhang Yi that he can have dinner with you, but he has to provide the food? That way, you keep your dignity and still get to eat the lobster and steak."
"I bet he'll jump at the chance!"
Fang Yuqing frowned, thinking it over. Zhang Yi had always been nothing more than a backup for her. Although he was handsome and had some money, he still didn't measure up to the high standards she had for a perfect man. Normally, she would never lower herself for him.
But now...
She couldn't bear the thought of eating instant noodles and canned food anymore.
"Fine, I'll give him a chance to have dinner with me," Fang Yuqing said reluctantly.
She picked up her phone and sent Zhang Yi a message:
"Zhang Yi, it's been a while since we hung out. How about coming over to my place tonight for dinner?"
Zhang Yi saw the message and smiled.
"Are you inviting me to dinner? Sure, thanks!"
That one sentence made Fang Yuqing's face turn pale with anger—or maybe from the cold.
She threw her phone aside in frustration, complaining to Lin Cainin, "That Zhang Yi is so ungrateful! I gave him the chance to have dinner with me, and he expects me to cook!"
Lin Cainin was also taken aback. She hadn't expected the once-devoted Zhang Yi to suddenly act so uncooperative.
"Could it be that even a pushover like him has finally wised up?"
Fang Yuqing, still fuming, said, "That's it! I was keeping him as my backup, but now he's dropped down the ranks. I'm really mad now!"
"From now on, I won't say a word to him. Even if he comes crawling back, it won't matter!"
Lin Cainin, despite being tempted by the food, eagerly agreed, saying, "Exactly! Look at him—so stingy! He deserves to be single forever!"
The two of them continued to curse Zhang Yi for a while longer. Throughout, Fang Yuqing kept checking her phone, expecting Zhang Yi to send an apology, but no messages came. This only deepened her frustration.
Meanwhile, Lin Cainin, plotting on the side, secretly sent Zhang Yi a message.
"Zhang Yi, how can you be so foolish? Yuqing is really upset right now. Do you realize how serious this is?"
Zhang Yi glanced at the message out of habit, amused. At this point, reading messages from various group chats had become a form of entertainment for him.
After all, what could be more fascinating than human nature in the face of an apocalypse?
Seeing that Lin Cainin had messaged him, he laughed out loud.
"One plays the bad cop, the other plays the good cop, huh? You two really know how to act!"
He had long since seen through this duo—one a fake sweet talker, the other a scheming manipulator.