After listening to Lin Cainin's insightful advice, Fang Yuqing found it quite reasonable. However, the most crucial reason was her intense hunger at the moment. The thought of the pictures Zhang Yijia had sent her, featuring steaks, Australian lobster, and delectable desserts, made her mouth water uncontrollably. All her reservations, just for the sake of that one delicious bite, were temporarily set aside. She took out her phone, found Zhang Yijia on WeChat, and sent a voice message in the gentlest tone she could muster.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yijia was at home, seated on the sofa, watching a TV program. Although major television stations worldwide had essentially stopped broadcasting, he had already downloaded numerous classic movies and variety shows to pass the time during this prolonged period of boredom.
"Ding dong!" The phone rang. Zhang Yijia picked it up to find a message from Fang Yuqing. A sardonic smile played on his lips. The woman's meager pride had finally given in.
He opened the voice message, immediately hearing Fang Yuqing's quivering tone. "Hmph, Zhang Yijia, you rotten little brother! You haven't chatted with me for so many days; you're truly wicked! I regretted talking to you those few times ago!"
"But, being a girl, I felt too embarrassed to initiate the conversation. You, my rotten little brother, don't know how to cherish me at all!"
As a green tea white lotus, Fang Yuqing was adept at coquettish and cute behavior. Otherwise, in her previous life, she wouldn't have successfully captivated Zhang Yijia with her endearing manner.
Mustering his patience, Zhang Yijia replied, "I haven't been feeling well lately, probably caught a cold, so I've been lazy to check WeChat."
Upon hearing this, Fang Yuqing hastily inquired, "Sick? Did you catch a cold in this weather? You must pay attention to keeping warm."
"No, I have a fever," replied Zhang Yijia.
Staring at Zhang Yijia's message, Fang Yuqing was dumbfounded. A fever? Are you kidding me? Their home temperature had dropped to minus fifty or sixty degrees Celsius. They had to bundle up with blankets every day, huddling together with Lin Cainin for warmth, unable to sleep soundly due to the cold.
"You have a fever? Don't joke, Zhang Yijia! How can you catch a fever in such freezing weather?"
Zhang Yijia sent a "curious" expression.
"Is it cold? Oh, I have a fireplace in my house, so I don't feel anything. It gets uncomfortably hot when it's lit. I probably caught a cold from sleeping near the fire pit the other day!"
With that, Zhang Yijia took a photo of himself by the roaring fireplace. Inadvertently, his bare legs, along with piles of snacks, lamb chops, and chicken legs, made it into the picture. He then sent the photo to Fang Yuqing.
Upon seeing the photo Zhang Yijia sent, Fang Yuqing's envy flared up. If the previous photos had made her a little sour, this one set her eyes on fire.
A fireplace! This was a divine tool for heating! Even in the distant north, having this at home would make it bearable, even in sub-zero temperatures. The heating ability of this thing was even more potent than central heating, as you could warm yourself directly by the fire!
Fang Yuqing had been freezing for the past ten days, nearly losing sensation in her entire body. Now, besides food, the thing she most yearned for was a means of heating!
A few days ago, just for warmth, she and Lin Cainin burned a chair in the room. Although it provided warmth for only about fifteen minutes, the high temperature of the flames moved her to tears on the spot.
Who would have thought that Zhang Yijia, this guy, had a fireplace at home!
Tianhai City was a southern city; normally, people didn't need to wear down jackets in the dead of winter, so who would install a fireplace in their house?
Fang Yuqing didn't have time to think about this question. Her eyes were fixed on the photo, with only one thought in her mind – she wanted to go to Zhang Yijia's house!
Seeing Zhang Yijia's casual and carefree demeanor with his bare legs and a table full of food, he had become Fang Yuqing's greatest hope!
Next to her, Lin Cainin, curled up under a blanket, noticed Fang Yuqing's change in expression. She leaned over to take a look and soon found herself stunned, exclaiming, "My goodness! Could this photo be fake? How is it possible for someone to live such a good life in these times!"
"This is simply heaven!"
Fang Yuqing suddenly realized, "Yes, everyone is suffering from hunger and cold at home. Why does Zhang Yijia get to live so comfortably?"
"Maybe this photo, and even the ones before, are all fabricated by him."
She had a bright idea and decided to make a video call to Zhang Yijia. Whether it was true or not could be easily discerned with just one look.
Lin Cainin also brought her head closer, staring at the screen.
Zhang Yijia, upon receiving the call invitation, wore a somewhat mocking expression. He was curious to see the humble appeal of this white lotus. If he couldn't witness her dying in despair, how could he justify his tragic death in the previous life?
Thus, he accepted the call.
As the call connected, both sides saw each other's situation.
Zhang Yijia had just finished exercising, reclining lazily on the sofa with his bare upper body. The room was brightly lit, and behind him were fitness equipment, and you could vaguely see the kitchen stocked with plenty of ingredients. Occasionally, he would cook some meals for leisure.
So, he casually put several boxes of dried scallops, fish maw, abalone, instant noodles with various toppings, and high-end canned goods such as caviar and truffles in the kitchen. For him, these items were just occasional fast food.
However, for the two women on the other side of the screen, Fang Yuqing and Lin Cainin, they were the most heavenly food imaginable!
Compared to Zhang Yijia's comfortable and carefree life, Fang Yuqing and Lin Cainin on the other side of the camera appeared extremely pitiful.
Wrapped in thick blankets due to the low temperature, many cosmetics were rendered useless because of the extreme cold, making them look somewhat haggard and not as delicate as usual.
Upon seeing Fang Yuqing, Zhang Yijia's eyes revealed a hint of disappointment. The goddess he had once ardently pursued turned out to be no more than a six out of ten without makeup. Thinking about his long obsession with Asian mysticism, he inwardly cursed, "Shake it, Western-style old horse!"
The two women didn't notice Zhang Yijia's expression. At this moment, their eyes were entirely captivated by the things in Zhang Yijia's house.
Bare upper body symbolized that the indoor temperature at Zhang Yijia's home was undoubtedly very comfortable. Bright
lights were something they could only dream of during the limited one-hour electricity time each day, as high-power appliances were not allowed to be used to prevent forced power outages.
Especially in the kitchen, the mountain-like pile of food made the two women who had been eating compressed food for a long time green with envy!