Whether Xu Xiaoka would actually follow her advice was entirely her own business!
Countdown to the apocalypse: one day.
The weather had started acting unnaturally since yesterday. By this morning, dark clouds blanketed the entire sky, pressing down so suffocatingly that it was hard to breathe. Chen Momo opened the window to see thick, clustered clouds that looked as though they were about to fall right out of the sky. More and more of them gathered, forming an impenetrably dense canopy overhead.
Downstairs in the residential complex, quite a few people were standing around taking photos to post on Moments. One caption read, "Was planning to go to work, but then I saw this." Someone else even posted a half-joking comment: "Could this be the end of the world?"
Chen Momo's nerves were stretched taut. The apocalypse was imminent; she absolutely could not afford to drop her guard! She re-inventoried her supplies and thoroughly inspected every corner of the apartment. Only after confirming that nothing had been overlooked did she finally allow herself to relax.
Opening her door, she happened to see her neighbor, Xu Xiaoka, returning out of breath with an armful of items. Chen Momo looked closer and realized that Xu Xiaoka was actually carrying a pile of thick, cotton-padded winter clothes and several heavy quilts. It seemed the girl had taken her words to heart.
Hearing the door open, Xu Xiaoka poked her head out from behind the massive pile of winter gear. "Sister Momo?" she asked in pleasant surprise.
Chen Momo smiled and nodded. "Where did you manage to buy all of this?"
"Right across the street at Wanji Supermarket!" Xu Xiaoka said. "Sister Momo, thanks for the heads-up. I went to check Wanji Supermarket today, and sure enough, winter clothes and quilts are so much cheaper now than in winter! So I bought a ton of them at once!"
Xu Xiaoka hadn't yet realized Momo's true intention in telling her to prepare winter clothes and quilts. She genuinely believed she was just scoring a great summer discount, which was why she had so obediently gone to stock up. Naturally, Chen Momo didn't explain the real reason to her right then and there. Regardless, the girl had purchased a large amount of cold-weather gear, which should help her survive for a while.
"Sister Momo, I just got back, and the sky outside looks terrifying!" Xu Xiaoka said. "I took a bunch of pictures, take a look." She tried to reach for her phone, but with her arms full of bulky items, she awkwardly fumbled and ultimately failed to pull it out.
Chen Momo said, "I saw some pictures people posted on social media. With this weather, it looks like there'll be a massive downpour, and who knows how long it will last. It's better to stockpile some food in advance, just in case."
Xu Xiaoka nodded repeatedly. "That's exactly what I was thinking! I was planning to drop these winter clothes and quilts inside, then head back out to hoard some more food. Hehe, Sister Momo, do you want to go with me?"
Chen Momo smiled and made up an excuse to decline. "You go ahead. I have a few things to take care of right now; I'll go a bit later."
Chen Momo reasoned that since she had already tipped Xu Xiaoka off about stockpiling food and winter clothes, and the girl had actually listened, she had helped her out as much as she reasonably could. As for whether Xu Xiaoka would successfully survive the apocalypse, that would depend entirely on the girl's own luck.
By the afternoon, the sky grew increasingly dark.
Notifications from the residents' group chat began flashing incessantly. Chen Momo opened her phone and scrolled through the WeChat group:
"This weather is terrifying!"
Accompanying the message was a picture of a sky as thick and black as ink. The photo was so pitch-dark that it was impossible to tell it was still daytime.
Someone else added, "It's freezing outside! It feels like the temperature just plummeted!"
"There was a car accident over at the Guan Shan Kou intersection," another chimed in. "Word is that a flock of birds went on a suicide run, crashing straight into a bus. The driver jerked the steering wheel and ended up colliding with a car traveling along the cross street."
"Tsk tsk, is everyone okay?"
...
Watching the chat blow up, Chen Momo recalled a news article she had scrolled past on her iPad the previous night. A swarm of red crabs had unexpectedly begun to migrate. Forming massive, densely packed droves, they completely swallowed up entire sidewalks. Even bridges and streets were carpeted in a moving sea of red. It was a spectacular sight, though anyone with trypophobia would have felt their hair stand on end.
The prologue to the apocalypse had already begun.
When night fell, the heavy sky grew even blacker, looming like a massive, pitch-dark iron pot suspended precariously overhead. The surroundings were so dark that she couldn't see her fingers in front of her face.
By a little past nine o'clock, fierce gales began to howl outside. The violent winds slammed against the glass like powerful slaps, making the doors and windows rattle with a loud THUMP THUMP.
The building manager, Wang Liping, sent out a warning in the group chat: "Emergency notice: Sudden temperature drop today accompanied by abnormal weather patterns. Heavy rainstorms are expected. Please return home early and keep your doors and windows securely closed. Unless there is an emergency, do not go outside."
She punctuated the message with three large, red exclamation marks before adding a special reminder: "Parents with young children, please keep a close eye on your little ones and do not let them run around!"
By ten o'clock, a torrential downpour, mingled with the gale-force winds, poured down with a deafening CLATTER! The atmosphere instantly grew incredibly tense.
Chen Momo checked her phone and saw news broadcasts reporting the abnormal weather, urging citizens to lock their doors and windows and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary. She looked over at her son. Xiao Bao was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding his iPad and watching it deeply engrossed, as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him. Momo walked over and sat down beside him.
"Xiao Bao, are you scared?" Chen Momo asked her son softly.
To her surprise, Chen Xiaobao calmly shook his head and said something completely out of the blue. "Mommy, Xiao Bao has already seen this once."
Chen Momo was stunned. She wondered if her son had also retained his memories from his past life. She wanted to press him for details but feared digging up bad memories. After all, the memories of their past life were nothing short of a dark horror movie for both of them.
Gently stroking Chen Xiaobao's head, Chen Momo said in a soothing voice, "Don't worry, Xiao Bao. Mommy promised that she would always, always stay by your side. We will definitely be okay."
Hearing her words, Chen Xiaobao looked up and gave her a bright, sunny smile. "Xiao Bao believes you, Mommy. Xiao Bao will always, always stay by your side too!"
Looking at her son, Chen Momo's eyes reddened with emotion.
When she woke up early the next morning, it was still pitch-black outside.
The torrential rain showed no signs of stopping; if anything, it was coming down harder. The temperature indoors had plummeted drastically, prompting every household to turn on their air conditioners' heating modes. Someone who had just dashed inside from the downpour sent a message to the group chat, claiming that it wasn't just raining outside anymore—it was hailing!
At this, the group chat completely blew up.
"Hail in September? Is there something wrong with the sky?"
"I had to turn on the heater in the middle of the night yesterday, it was unbearably cold!"
"Manager, could you please ask around and find out when this god-awful weather will stop?"
This was followed by a frantic string of tags pinging Wang Liping.