Zhang Yi fiercely scolded Fang Yuqing, exposing her true nature as a materialistic, promiscuous, and manipulative woman.
This struck a deep nerve with Fang Yuqing.
Despite her obsession with money, casual relationships, and playing with men's emotions, she still considered herself a "good girl."
Being ridiculed so brutally by Zhang Yi shattered her confidence.
After all, if someone like Zhang Yi, a mere lower-middle-class guy, could look down on her so easily, it meant her charm wasn't enough. She had no real chance of hooking up with a rich second-generation heir and becoming a wealthy wife.
After Zhang Yi hung up, Fang Yuqing quickly sent a long string of voice messages.
No need to listen to them; it was obvious she was cursing Zhang Yi.
But did Zhang Yi care?
Of course not.
In the midst of the apocalypse, this "white lotus" would soon die from the extreme cold and hunger.
Zhang Yi was simply toying with her, enjoying watching her miserable situation.
How could he be angry with someone who was practically a dead person?
On the contrary, seeing her flustered and helpless filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Hahahaha!"
Zhang Yi laughed heartily.
He went into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Romanee-Conti from the fridge.
This bottle of wine was worth 200,000 yuan, and it had been stored in a temperature-controlled wine cabinet at Walmart's warehouse.
Zhang Yi didn't have many of these bottles—just a few dozen cases.
Since he was in a good mood today, he decided to open one and celebrate.
His house never lacked electricity; during the renovation, the electrical system had been upgraded.
It was connected to a backup power supply and a noiseless generator.
Energy was one thing Zhang Yi never had to worry about.
He moved into the living room, setting up a lavish spread of food with great ceremony.
French baked escargots, tomahawk steak, starry-sky salad, Jinling salted duck, all paired with a 200,000 yuan Romanee-Conti.
In this post-apocalyptic world, the societal norms were rapidly disappearing.
Zhang Yi didn't care about rules when it came to food. He ate whatever he wanted, however he wanted, mixing and matching dishes as he pleased.
He could even eat caviar as a main course.
This luxurious lifestyle was probably one of a kind in the world today.
The apocalypse had come suddenly, and even the richest and most powerful people hadn't had enough time to prepare.
Take Xu Hao, for instance. His father was also the head of a well-known conglomerate in Tianhai City.
But in Zhang Yi's memory, his father had died just half a month into the apocalypse.
After all, his wealth had turned to waste paper, and that bloated, overweight old man didn't have the survival skills needed to withstand the apocalypse.
…
Meanwhile, at the house Fang Yuqing shared with Lin Caining.
Fang Yuqing was completely losing her composure, throwing things around and cursing Zhang Yi.
Normally, she wouldn't be this angry.
But it was precisely because she had just seen Zhang Yi's paradise-like home that she was now so enraged.
A warm, comfortable environment, an abundance of high-end food—these were the most precious things in the icy apocalypse.
A paradise so close, yet out of reach—it was something Fang Yuqing simply couldn't accept.
"Zhang Yi, that damn bastard! How dare he scold me!"
"If it weren't for this damn snowstorm, I wouldn't even look at you!"
Fang Yuqing gritted her teeth and cursed.
Lin Caining, sitting on the sofa beside her, watched her with a hint of contempt in her eyes.
"Isn't it because you messed up in the first place? Otherwise, we could be enjoying Zhang Yi's food and the warm fireplace right now!"
Fang Yuqing snorted coldly. "What's so special about him? He just has a house and some savings!"
"I, Fang Yuqing, am going to marry into a wealthy family and become a rich wife!"
Lin Caining furrowed her brows. "But right now, Zhang Yi has so much food, and a fireplace to stay warm. That's even better than a rich second-generation heir."
She glanced out the window at the snow falling heavily, with no sign of stopping.
And according to the news she had gotten on her phone in the last two days, the entire world was covered in snow.
She said worriedly, "Do you think this snowstorm will go on forever?"
On the TV, the few remaining official channels were still encouraging the public.
Experts, bundled up in thick down jackets, were shivering as they said the disaster would pass soon.
The people have strength—perseverance is victory.
But in the reality before her, there was no sign of the disaster ending.
Lin Caining hugged herself tightly. "If this snowstorm doesn't stop, we'll either freeze to death or starve to death in this house!"
Lin Caining's words immediately turned Fang Yuqing's anger into fear.
It had been ten days. They had been stuck in this house for ten days.
These ten days felt longer than ten years. If you haven't experienced this kind of thing, you wouldn't understand how torturous it is.
It could even drive a person to madness.
Even though Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining were both manipulative women, in their twenties, they were still fragile inside.
Facing the unrelenting snowstorm, they had thoughts of death.
Fang Yuqing curled up on the sofa, the image of Zhang Yi's warm and well-stocked home flashing in her mind again.
She said bitterly, "This isn't fair! Why can Zhang Yi live so comfortably, and yet I, so beautiful, have to suffer like this!"
Lin Caining glanced at Fang Yuqing but didn't say anything.
She wrapped herself tightly in a blanket, took out her phone, and found Zhang Yi in her contacts.
Soon, Zhang Yi received a message from Lin Caining.
Zhang Yi was sipping high-end red wine while enjoying his lavish meal.
Seeing the message, he smiled mockingly.
In this apocalypse, watching women like them struggle in pain was even more entertaining than a movie!
Zhang Yi took a look at Lin Caining's message.
"Zhang Yi, I just heard you scold Fang Yuqing, and I'm so happy for you."
"I've known all along that Fang Yuqing is a gold-digger and never really cared about you."
"I've always hoped that one day you would see through her true nature. I'm so glad you've woken up!"
Zhang Yi chuckled.
"Plastic sisters, huh? They're selling out Fang Yuqing so quickly."
But it made sense. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, and people are judged by the company they keep.
Both Lin Caining and Fang Yuqing were far from being good people.
He replied, "Yeah, no big deal."
Lin Caining continued, "I've always felt sad watching you chase after Fang Yuqing."
"Zhang Yi, actually… I've liked you for a long time, you know?"
"Now that you don't want Fang Yuqing anymore, let's be together!"
Zhang Yi almost spit out the red wine he was drinking.
"What the hell! This gold-digger is so straightforward!"
He shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. So realistic! Looks like these ten days have been rough on her."
In the past, Lin Caining had always been cold toward Zhang Yi.
Although her own conditions weren't great, she still saw herself as a "goddess."
Now that she saw Zhang Yi reject Fang Yuqing and noticed how high his living standards were, she immediately wanted to seize the opportunity.