Li Yue's apartment was in a quiet neighborhood near the school district. A stark contrast to the chaos of downtown, it was a place of solace for her.
From her window, she had a modest view of a green park where she usually walks her cat. Its trees gently swaying in the wind, offering a brief reprieve from the concrete jungle.
Honestly, Tang Li Yue felt that Li Yue was like a small-time heiress in her own right. Sure, her parents passed away suddenly, but they had left her well-prepared. Their careful planning ensured that Li Yue could go on living her best life, running a cleaning company that, miraculously, needed next to no supervision. The employees adored her, mostly because they were loyal friends of her parents, treating her like one of their own.
In hindsight, it made certain sense as to why Li Yue might have been driven to despair at the thought of reliving the apocalypse.
Tsk. Can't even blame her. Heck, now I'm even a little jealous, she thought.
Tang Li Yue keyed in the passcode at her door, her face chagrined, when she heard a door creak open behind her. Out stepped a petite woman with a neat bob cut—Wang Ling, if Tang Li Yue recalled correctly from the memories she'd inherited.
She was the kind neighbor who'd found Li Yue and taken her to the hospital after her… unfortunate incident. The nurses had said as much.
Li Yue was slightly introverted. Wang Ling and her weren't really friends but they occasionally chatted together, being neighbors and all.
Wang Ling peered out at her with wide, concerned eyes. "Li Yue? You're back from the hospital already? Are you feeling better?"
Tang Li Yue offered her a smile, genuinely moved by the woman's kindness. It was refreshing to see such unguarded concern. In the Central Plains, kindness wasn't exactly… a survival skill.
Among her clan, no, in the whole of Central Plains, kindness was practically treated as a weakness. It was a family renowned for their efficiency in poisoning and sharp hidden weapons—and those skills were especially effective when aimed at a family member.
After all, Tang Li Yue wouldn't be here if it weren't for that.
Tang vs. Tang. Such a classic.
"Yes, I've recovered. Thank you, Wang Ling," Tang Li Yue said with a bow, feeling genuinely grateful for the rescue that saved both her and Li Yue's fates. In more ways than one, she was their benefactor.
Wang Ling's face softened. "It's nothing. Anyone would have done the same. But, Li Yue… you can always ask for help. Whatever you're going through, you don't have to face it alone."
Tang Li Yue nodded, doing her best to mimic an understanding expression. Inside, she was thinking,
Well, technically this is Li Yue's mess, but now I'm stuck with it.
"I know. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again. I'll go in and rest." Tang Li Yue replied before retreating into the apartment. She saw Wang Ling helplessly nod at her before going back inside her own place as well.
The door clicked shut behind her, and she let out a long sigh. Just as she kicked off her shoes, a small, disapproving meow interrupted her. Tang Li Yue glanced down to find a fluffy tuxedo cat staring up at her, tail twitching with irritation. Those green eyes seemed to say,
Well? Where have you been, human?
Tang Li Yue squatted down to get a better look at the fluffy creature, cradling her chin in her hand.
Pets have always been popular even in the Central Plains. But they were usually… less cuddly. Some patriarchs kept lions, tigers, and even the occasional venomous creature, like snakes and scorpions. The Tang Clan elders preferred those, in particular. Cute and fluffy were not adjectives anyone would have used to describe them.
The little thing in front of her however, touched a soft spot in her. Not only because of Li Yue's lingering affection for it, but also because Tang Li Yue felt that he was quite adorable.
The haughty yet worried glint in its eyes made it awfully spiritual.
"Sir Edmund Pawtipurr?" she muttered, rolling the strange name around in her mouth. It felt a bit ridiculous, though charming in its own way. According to Li Yue's memories, the name was an English pun—a mix of a character from a movie and the surname of some actor she liked.
The cat gave another impatient meow as if to confirm his name. Tang Li Yue couldn't help but smile, scooping him up. Even though Sir Edmund had been left alone for three days, the automatic feeder had kept him well-fed and hydrated. Still, she made a mental note
Right. Apocalypse preparations. I definitely have to hoard cat food and litter. I have to get spares of that automatic feeder too. Hmm, what else?
Without realizing it, Tang Li Yue was already sliding into the role of a responsible poop shoveling officer. Yet at that moment, she was far more focused on Sir Edmund's soft fur against her cheek. His cute paw pads occasionally tapped her arm.
She finally understood why Li Yue thought that having Sir Edmund around was healing.
It was healing indeed.
This is nice, she thought, walking toward the bedroom with Sir Edmund in tow.
"Now then, Sir Edmund Pawtipurr," Tang Li Yue whispered, stroking his fur as she walked towards the bedroom.
"We have an apocalypse to prepare for."
However, when she opened the door to the bedroom, she was greeted with… chaos. Clothes strewn everywhere, papers scattered across the floor, the closet looking as though it had been ransacked.
The bathroom where Li Yue had been found was thankfully spotless now, probably thanks to Wang Ling's efforts to scrub away any reminders of that unfortunate moment.
Tang Li Yue's left eye twitched.
A mess?
Dust had already begun to collect in the corners. Her fingers itched to clean, to restore order. Back in the Tang Clan, she rarely had to do these things herself. The servants were all trained according to her preferences.
But here? Here, in this new world, Tang Li Yue had no choice but to get her hands dirty. And the idea of dirt—literally or metaphorically—was already driving her mad.
With a deep breath, she resigned herself to the task. It would take time, but Tang Li Yue would whip this place back into shape. And then, she'd start preparing for the apocalypse.
But first, she would need to organize the closet.
Sir Edmund, of course, was already perched on the bed, watching her with what she could only describe as judgment in his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that," she muttered. "I didn't make this mess."
The cat blinked its green eyes, unconvinced.