After fusing both her identities like some odd alchemy experiment and resolving the morning's breakfast dilemma, Li Yue brushed Sir Edmund Pawtipurr's fur with all the grace of someone who just realized their cat was living better than them.
Once the little prince was secured in his carrier, she prepped herself for the task ahead: hoarding supplies like a dragon—except instead of gold, it was food and hand sanitizers.
Today was the day. The calm before the storm. The last peaceful moments of Earth before the apocalypse turned everyone into panicked, paranoid hoarders. The world was calm now—no zombies, no blood, no desperate fights over toilet paper. What a time to be alive! As for Li Yue? Well, she planned to be the well-prepared hoarder.
The only downside? No car. After her parents' tragic accident, Li Yue had sworn off driving like it was some sort of curse. Nope, no driving for her. So, despite feeling the massive inconvenience of not having her own vehicle, she was stuck relying on public transport.
Thankfully, Chengdu City's system was still functional, and most stores offered delivery services for her massive purchases. The apocalypse could come later, but for now, modern conveniences were still on her side.
Li Yue spent the day hopping between supermarkets, pushing overloaded carts like a pro in the apocalypse-prep Olympics. Passersby stared, probably wondering if she had started her own convenience store, but she wasn't bothered. She simply smiled to herself, basking in the joy of spending money with abandon.
After all, it wasn't every day she could act like a second-generation young lady. Who knew throwing cash at problems could be so therapeutic? Shopping, it seemed, was a cure for many things.
Except, between the online orders and her in-store buys, Li Yue could practically feel the weight of her bulging bank account... rapidly shrinking. But hey, what were savings for if not for the end of the world?
Food, toiletries, disinfectants, and other essentials filled her carts in alarming quantities. She even swung by pharmacies, stocking up on medicines like she was preparing for her very own medical drama. Of course, she couldn't resist adding her beloved wet wipes and sanitizers to her overflowing carts. Li Yue without wet wipes was like a Tang warrior without daggers.
Then came the agricultural store—because why not go full survivalist mode? Seeds, planting tools, and everything else that might be useful in the future piled into her bags. You could never have too many seeds, right? She mentally noted the need to research machinery next. If she was going to survive the apocalypse, self-sufficiency was the name of the game. Honestly, why did she feel like she was preparing for the end of the world… oh wait, she was.
Her final stop took her to Chengdu's Antique District, which was famous for its traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies. The faint scent of herbs tickled her nose as she stepped into one such shop, momentarily reminding her of the Tang Clan's estate back home.
Ugh, stop it, brain.
She didn't need another trip down memory lane today. She emerged from the shop after a good while, bags full of medicinal herbs and a receipt that made her wince. The total cost? Almost as much as everything else she bought today combined. She felt the pinch and was tempted to cry about it but decided the herbs were worth every penny.
Her mood perked up even more at the knowledge that she would be able to have the body-strengthening medicinal bath later. Thankfully, the herbs she needed were all available.
It's all about the small victories.
Sir Edmund Pawtipurr remained blissfully unaware of their financial doom, lounging contentedly in his backpack carrier as Li Yue strolled toward the bus stop. She was halfway home when she passed an alley and noticed a figure stumbling in the distance.
Oh no, not today.
She was merely passing by a dark alleyway when something caught her eyes. A person was staggering towards her direction. Despite the dimness of the alley, it was pretty obvious that the person wasn't in a good state.
Li Yue sped up, deciding to ignore the poor soul. She wasn't the Holy Mother, and she certainly wasn't about to play hero for some random stranger right now. But then... thud. The sound of the person collapsing made her wince, and a low groan echoed from the alley, followed by a pitiful plea for help.
"Well, I guess one act of charity before the end of the world won't hurt," she muttered to herself, justifying her decision to turn back. "Might as well score some karma points before zombies overrun the planet."
Then she stepped into the alleyway that seemed as if it was cut away from the world. Despite the afternoon sun scorching the land, the alleyway was dark. Her nose was immediately assaulted by a mix of dampness and filth.
Why am I here again?
Her fingers twitched, resisting the urge to douse the entire alley in sanitizer.
Another groan snapped her back to reality. She rushed forward to find a man crumpled against the wall, his face hidden behind a black mask and hat. He didn't look great, but something else caught her attention.
If she missed such obvious case of poisoning, then she wasn't the Sichuan Tang Clan's poison genius.
Sniff!
Li Yue wrinkled her nose at the smell emanating from the man. But despite her obvious distaste, she has already figured out what poison was used in the man.
Her keen sense of smell caught a whiff of something similar to "Spring Garden," a common poison concoction in the Tang Clan that made the victim feel like their insides were being roasted alive.
Spring Garden was a charming little mix of crocus bulbs, lily of the valley, and larkspur buds—flowers that sounded pretty but could kill you faster than you could say "springtime bouquet."
This poison speeds up the heart rhythm to alarming levels which causes difficulty in breathing, then it damages the internal organs which causes dizziness and an unceasing burning in the mouth and throat.
If it wasn't Li Yue here, this man would eventually die even if he was taken into the hospital. And by stroke of luck, she was even on her way home after purchasing medicine.
With a deep sigh, Li Yue set Sir Edmund's pee pad down on the grimy alley floor and laid it down in front of the man. It wasn't exactly the most sanitary setup, but beggars couldn't be choosers, especially when you're trying to save someone's life in an alley. She grabbed a few herbs from her paper bags and wrapped them in her handkerchief, then used the handle of her umbrella—sanitized, of course—to mash the herbs into a pulp.
"Alright, mister," she muttered, donning her gloves. "Don't die on me. I've got plenty of deliveries coming today, and I don't have time to explain a dead body to the police."
This was pretty much the only alternative she can do since there was no way to boil the herbs and neither was there a proper mortar and pestle. After that, she gingerly pried open the man's mouth with her gloved hands, and carefully squeezed the herbal juice down his throat.
The man swallowed, though he probably felt like his throat was being torched. Satisfied that he wasn't going to keel over, Li Yue put down the things unto the pee pad that she used as a temporary working station. Staring at them, Li Yue felt that they were already dirty so she might as well leave them there.
Li Yue then scribbled a note and left it beside him.
The poison has been cured. Refrain from eating solids and strongly-flavored food for a couple of days. You'll be back in shape after a week. Don't fight with people and use that time to stockpile food. The apocalypse is coming.
Li Yue stood up and and momentarily stared at the man whose handsome face was quite promising.
"Really, if you're going to die, might as well do it properly when the world ends," she muttered, shaking her head. With that, she stood up, ready to leave the man to his fate.
As Li Yue walked toward the light at the end of the alley, completely unaware, the man's hazel eyes fluttered open. He stared after her, a glint of interest and curiosity sparking in his gaze as she disappeared into the afternoon sun, humming a little tune with Sir Edmund riding on her back.