Even without Jing Mo's explanation, Su Nian knew it well; otherwise, she wouldn't have bought so many vacuum-packed roast rabbits.
What intrigued Su Nian even more was how Jing Mo knew about it.
"You've roasted before?" Su Nian asked, her gaze towards Jing Mo growing even more curious.
The roast rabbit had an incredibly fragrant aroma; their rooms were essentially the same, so it was impossible for the scent not to permeate. She lived next door to Jing Mo, so why hadn't she smelled it?
"Roasted before!" Jing Mo replied casually. "Are you wondering why you didn't smell anything?"
As Jing Mo looked at Su Nian, his eyes filled with a smile, Su Nian nodded honestly. "Yes, it's very strange."
"That's because I have a range hood."
"???"
Su Nian looked at Jing Mo skeptically.
She had also used range hoods before!
While range hoods could indeed remove the cooking fumes from a room, they usually vented them outside, making the scent even stronger, didn't they?
Jing Mo blinked at Su Nian. "My range hood is different from others; it digests the fumes it sucks away."
"..."
Su Nian felt like she had never been so speechless in her life, not even when adding up all the times.
"Don't doubt it," Jing Mo said earnestly. "I'll give you one when we get back, and you'll see for yourself."
With that, Jing Mo silently praised his own cleverness.
He had been wondering how to give Su Nian one before, but now the opportunity had presented itself effortlessly.
Feeling pleased with himself, Jing Mo flipped the roast rabbit in his hands.
After roasting for a while, the aroma of the rabbit had spread, tantalizing their senses.
Watching Jing Mo, although unable to see his facial expression, Su Nian could tell from his eyes and eyebrows that he was feeling quite content at the moment.
Just then, Jing Mo suddenly looked up and met Su Nian's eyes.
Their gazes locked, and Jing Mo raised his chin slightly. "Have you changed your taste preferences?"
"Huh?"
Su Nian found it strange and followed Jing Mo's gaze downwards, noticing that her scallion pancakes were almost burnt.
Su Nian quickly withdrew her hand and checked. Although they were slightly burnt, it wasn't a big issue. The crispy texture would still be delicious, albeit a bit tough on the teeth.
After finishing the roast rabbit and scallion pancakes, it was already 11 o'clock.
Jing Mo went out for a while and came back holding a large stone.
Su Nian looked at him curiously. "Why did you bring back a stone?"
Jing Mo closed the door and propped the stone against it. "To block the door. We can both rest assured then; we should be able to start our journey back tomorrow."
Having these stones didn't guarantee complete safety, but at least they provided some cushioning. If someone were to break in forcefully, they would hear it and be able to react immediately.
Time was of the essence, so the two of them settled by the fire and leaned against their backpacks to sleep.
Most of the excitement seemed to have happened in the first half of the night; the latter half of the night at the resort was quiet and serene.
They slept soundly until dawn, feeling refreshed.
After waking up, they boiled water for washing and had breakfast. Jing Mo asked Su Nian to wait there while he went to the lobby alone.
Although Su Nian stayed inside, she stood by the door and looked outside.
The snow had lessened somewhat, with tiny snowflakes falling like ice crumbs.
If they could return today, it would be perfect.
Having been away for two days, Su Nian was already beginning to miss her warm and comfortable bedroom.
Just as Su Nian was about to close the door, she saw someone coming out of the lobby.
Despite the distance, Su Nian could still tell that the person was staring at her with hatred in their eyes.
Seeing this, Su Nian raised an eyebrow.
Judging by the figure and height, it wasn't Guan Hui or Tingting. Who could it be?
The moment of doubt only lasted briefly as Su Nian quickly averted her gaze, closed the door, and went back inside.
Who that person was didn't matter. If they intended harm, they would meet their end.
Not long after, Jing Mo returned briskly and brought back two pieces of news.
"Pack up; we'll be leaving soon. Captain Kong said although this mission wasn't fully accomplished, the losses were severe. It's better to return to the base first."
"And also, Guan Hui died last night."
"Died? What's it got to do with me?"
Restrained by Kong Jianming's presence last night, Su Nian had suppressed her urge to shoot Guan Hui.
How could someone die overnight?
Jing Mo furrowed his brow. "She got scared last night, wet her pants, and her legs and clothes froze together, causing frostbite. Perhaps no one took good care of her last night, so when everyone woke up this morning, they found that she had already turned cold."
So that's what happened!
Understanding dawned on Su Nian, and she nodded. "I see."
Thinking about the person who had been staring at her with hatred outside the lobby, Su Nian's mind stirred. "There are still a few other people living on the fifth floor with her, right?"
"Yes. I inquired, and there are six of them in total, three males and three females. One of them, Zhang Pengfei, seems to have a close relationship with her."
At that, Su Nian understood.
The person who had been standing outside the lobby, staring at her with hatred, must have been Zhang Pengfei.
Su Nian didn't pay much attention to Zhang Pengfei; she simply tidied up the things on the floor. "When are we leaving?"
"They're already packing up; we can set off in 20 minutes."
Taking advantage of this time, the two of them extinguished the fire and loaded the remaining firewood into the car's trunk.
Firewood was also a consumable resource; every bit saved counted, and it couldn't be wasted.
Once they were in the car, Jing Mo started the engine and turned on the air conditioning and heater.
Su Nian took out a hand warmer from her backpack, and they both placed one on themselves.
When they were almost ready, they finally saw Kong Jianming leading people out of the lobby.
When they arrived, most of the cars had been empty, but now, they were all filled to capacity.
There was some friction while boarding; survivors clamored to get on the bus, unwilling to sit in the trucks.
After all, the bus seats were more comfortable, and who knew, they might even have air conditioning, definitely warmer than the trucks' cabins.
But there were only so many seats on the bus. Even if people were crammed into the aisles, there were still those who had to take the trucks.
Some survivors also insisted on riding private cars, but most were refused.
Only those private car owners who had joined Kong Jianming in rescuing survivors allowed them to board their cars.
Some survivors knocked on Su Nian's car window, but she and Jing Mo ignored them.
Seeing that they were about to depart, the people outside who had been knocking on the car window didn't dare linger and left with resentment.