Zhang Yi stepped out of his house, and outside was a scene of peace and harmony, filled with the laughter and joy of ordinary life.
Many parents were playing with their children in the neighborhood square, smiles of happiness lighting up their faces.
But Zhang Yi knew that in just one month, all of this would turn into nothing but an illusion.
He quickened his pace and walked out of the community. Not far away stood a three-star Michelin restaurant.
A single meal there would cost at least five or six thousand yuan, and in the past, Zhang Yi had never been willing to go in.
But now, he no longer cared.
To be reborn after death—he had to celebrate!
After stepping into the restaurant, Zhang Yi chose a table by the window. Without hesitation, he ordered every single one of the most expensive dishes on the menu, along with a bottle of Château Lafite wine.
By the time the order was placed, fifty thousand yuan was already gone.
Even the waiters in the restaurant cast him curious, ambiguous glances, convinced he must be the son of some wealthy family.
Otherwise, how could an ordinary man afford to spend tens of thousands on a single meal?
But Zhang Yi didn't care what others thought. As soon as the lavish dishes were served, he began eating heartily, stuffing food into his mouth without restraint.
Perhaps because he had endured six months in the frozen apocalypse, the taste of such rich, steaming food almost brought him to tears.
His eating was so fierce that the surrounding diners couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
Zhang Yi ignored them.
He knew that after the apocalypse came, people would even kneel and beg for just a single packet of instant noodles.
While he was still eating in the restaurant, a woman happened to pass by outside the window and suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She had long, flowing hair, delicate makeup, wore Gucci high heels, and carried an LV handbag on her arm.
This woman was none other than Fang Yuqing—the one who had betrayed him in his previous life and caused his death.
Beside her stood her close friend, Lin Caining.
As the two of them walked past the Michelin three-star restaurant, they couldn't help but glance inside more than once.
For such a luxurious place, they had always harbored secret longing, but their limited funds never allowed them the indulgence.
Yet that didn't stop them from peeking inside with eyes full of desire.
Perhaps, they thought, they might just spot some wealthy young heir worth clinging to.
And then, at that very moment, Fang Yuqing suddenly froze.
She was shocked to discover that Zhang Yi was inside, sitting before a table piled high with top-class dishes.
"Isn't that Zhang Yi? How on earth does he have money to eat here?" Fang Yuqing exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Caining covered her mouth in astonishment as well. "Zhang Yi… he's actually this rich?" she whispered.
She then cast a meaningful look at Fang Yuqing and laughed softly: "Yuqing, you're really lucky! The guy chasing after you turns out to be a hidden rich second generation."
"Look at that table—just that one meal must cost at least fifty or sixty thousand! What ordinary person could ever afford something so extravagant in one sitting?"
There was a trace of envy in Lin Caining's tone.
She knew well that Zhang Yi had been pursuing Fang Yuqing for over two years.
Fang Yuqing had never accepted him outright, nor had she rejected him—always keeping him dangling like a backup option.
She was, through and through, a materialistic woman who believed she could one day marry into a wealthy family and live as a pampered young lady.
Yet when it came to Zhang Yi, this modest man with a car and an apartment in Tianhai City, she couldn't quite let him go either.
And so, she had always treated Zhang Yi as her spare tire.
Now, seeing Zhang Yi enjoying a lavish meal worth tens of thousands all by himself, Fang Yuqing couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Could it be… that Zhang Yi is actually a hidden rich second generation?"
Resting her chin on her hand, Fang Yuqing began to ponder deeply.
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
"That's right," she murmured to herself, her eyes lighting up. "Don't TV dramas always have characters like that? People who are obviously rich, but disguise themselves as ordinary just to find true love?"
She almost believed it herself. If it turned out to be true, she could save herself a great deal of effort.
After all, Zhang Yi had been pursuing her relentlessly. She felt that if she only nodded once, he would immediately propose to her.
Standing beside her, Lin Caining urged with a playful smile, "Yuqing, let's go in and find Zhang Yi!"
In truth, what she had her eyes on was that entire table full of delicacies.
After all, this was a three-star Michelin restaurant. Ordinary people might never have the chance to taste such a feast in their whole lives.
Fang Yuqing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head gently. "That wouldn't be good… it would make him think I'm just a shallow, gold-digging woman."
She paused, then added slyly, "How about this—we wait outside, and pretend we just happened to run into him by chance."
Fang Yuqing was no fool. She would never lower herself for a single luxurious meal.
Even if Zhang Yi truly was a hidden rich young master, she had to maintain her goddess-like demeanor.
Only then, when the two of them eventually ended up together, would she be able to keep Zhang Yi under her control, making him continue to play the role of her devoted follower.
And so, the two women hid not far from the restaurant, waiting for Zhang Yi to emerge.
After more than an hour, Zhang Yi finally finished eating. He rubbed his now round belly with satisfaction.
In truth, the taste of the Michelin-starred dishes was only average, but for someone who had endured half a year in the frozen apocalypse, such hot, delicious food was enough to move him to tears.
Next, he planned to head to the nearby supermarket to buy some supplies and bring them back.
It was a test of his storage space's capacity, to ensure there would be no problems in the future.
After all, having once starved nearly to death, Tom could not allow himself to risk any accidents.
Feeling refreshed and content, Zhang Yi paid the bill, then walked out of the restaurant under the attentive smiles of the waitstaff.
At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly called out from the side.
"Zhang Yi, what a coincidence!"
Turning his head, Zhang Yi saw that it was indeed Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining.
Fang Yuqing lifted her long hair and tucked it behind her ear, deliberately exposing her fair neck and delicate pink earlobes.
A cold sneer flashed in Zhang Yi's heart. Such little tricks were the classic tactics of a "green tea" woman.
They were meant to stir a man's heart by pretending to be unintentional.
Fang Yuqing, this top-tier "white lotus," naturally mastered such arts.
Unfortunately for her, Zhang Yi was no longer the naïve lapdog he had once been.
Not long ago, this very woman had lured him to open the door, leading to his miserable death.
She had even wanted to break his ribs to make soup!
The thought of it made a chilling hostility flash in Zhang Yi's eyes—pure killing intent.
After all, the end of the world would be here soon. Even if he killed her now, no one would be around to punish him.
Should he just end her here?
Feeling his cold gaze on her, Fang Yuqing shuddered, fear creeping over her face.
"Zhang Yi… wh-what's wrong?" she asked nervously.
But Zhang Yi quickly withdrew his glare, his voice calm and indifferent:
"It's nothing. I mistook you for someone else."
In that instant, he changed his mind.
Killing this woman now would be letting her off too easily.
And besides, if he truly struck her down, he would almost certainly face legal consequences.
He had no intention of spending the coming apocalypse locked away in a detention cell.
No, better to let her taste the despair of the end times first… and then deal with her personally.
Since he was now reborn, he had plenty of time to prepare.
With the memories of his past life, he had a hundred ways to make her die in agony.
Which meant, for now, there was no need to deal with her.
The most important thing at this moment was to build the safest possible shelter,
so that he could survive comfortably in the apocalypse to come.