Zhang Yi stepped out of his house and was greeted by a peaceful scene filled with joy and contentment. Many parents were playing with their children in the community square, their faces beaming with happiness.
But Zhang Yi knew that in just one month, all of this would turn to dust.
He walked quickly out of the neighborhood. Not far away, there was a Michelin three-star restaurant. A single meal there would cost at least five or six thousand yuan. In the past, Zhang Yi had always felt it was too extravagant to dine there.
But now, he no longer cared.
Having come back from the dead, he had to celebrate properly!
After entering the restaurant, Zhang Yi chose a window seat and ordered every expensive dish on the menu, along with a bottle of Château Lafite wine.
In total, he spent fifty thousand yuan in one go.
Even the restaurant staff looked at him with ambiguous glances, assuming he must be some wealthy heir.
After all, how could an ordinary person afford such an extravagant meal?
Zhang Yi didn't care what others thought. When the table was filled with gourmet dishes, he started devouring them ravenously.
Perhaps it was because he had endured six months in the frozen apocalypse—now, tasting such exquisite food nearly moved him to tears.
His eating was so intense that it drew the attention of the surrounding diners, who began whispering among themselves.
Zhang Yi ignored them.
After all, once the apocalypse arrived, people would kneel and beg just for a single pack of instant noodles.
At that time, civilization and morality would all become meaningless.
Just as Zhang Yi was enjoying his meal, a woman passing by outside suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She had long, flowing hair, exquisite makeup, Gucci high heels, and carried an LV handbag in the crook of her arm.
This woman was none other than Fang Yuqing—the one who had led to Zhang Yi's death in his past life.
Beside her stood her close friend, Lin Caining.
As they passed the Michelin-starred restaurant, both of them couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.
They had always yearned for such luxurious places but lacked the financial means to indulge in them.
Still, that didn't stop them from scanning the restaurant with a scrutinizing gaze—perhaps they could spot a wealthy heir worth latching onto.
And sure enough, Fang Yuqing was shocked to see Zhang Yi inside, sitting in front of a table full of top-tier dishes.
"Isn't that Zhang Yi? How does he have the money to eat here?" she exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Caining covered her mouth in astonishment. "Zhang Yi is actually this rich?"
Her eyes flickered with meaning as she glanced at Fang Yuqing and chuckled, "Yuqing, you're really lucky! That simp who's been chasing after you turns out to be a hidden rich heir."
"Just look at that feast—it must have cost at least fifty or sixty thousand. What kind of ordinary person can afford such an expensive meal?"
There was a hint of envy in Lin Caining's tone.
She knew that Zhang Yi had been pursuing Fang Yuqing for two and a half years.
But Fang Yuqing had always kept him on a leash—never rejecting him, but never accepting him either.
She was a classic gold digger, convinced she was destined to marry a wealthy heir and become a rich wife.
At the same time, she was unwilling to let go of Zhang Yi, a man with a car and an apartment in Tianhai City.
So, she kept him as a backup plan, following her principle: don't initiate, don't reject, don't commit.
Now, seeing Zhang Yi single-handedly enjoying a meal worth tens of thousands, Fang Yuqing began to have second thoughts.
"Could Zhang Yi actually be a hidden rich heir?"
Resting her chin in her hand, she started pondering the possibility.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"Right! Isn't this just like those TV dramas?"
"The rich young master, pretending to be an ordinary person just to find true love!"
The more Fang Yuqing spoke, the more she believed it. Her eyes lit up.
If this was true, she could save herself a lot of effort.
After all, Zhang Yi had been pursuing her for years—if she just nodded her head, he'd probably propose to her on the spot.
Lin Caining chimed in, "Yuqing, let's go talk to Zhang Yi!"
In truth, she had her eyes on that extravagant meal.
This was a Michelin three-star restaurant—most people would never get a chance to taste such fine dining in their lifetime.
Fang Yuqing hesitated for a moment but then shook her head. "That wouldn't be a good idea… He might think I'm a gold digger."
"How about this? Let's wait outside and pretend to run into him by coincidence."
She wasn't stupid—she wouldn't lower herself just for a single meal.
Even if Zhang Yi was truly wealthy, she had to maintain her goddess-like demeanor.
That way, once they were together, she could easily manipulate him and keep him as her devoted simp.
So, the two of them hid not far from the restaurant, waiting for Zhang Yi to come out.
After over an hour, Zhang Yi leaned back contentedly, patting his full stomach.
To be honest, Michelin three-star food was just average.
But for someone who had lived through the apocalypse, it was enough to bring him to tears.
Next, he planned to head to a nearby supermarket to buy some supplies.
This was to test his spatial storage ability and ensure there were no issues in the future.
Although he was confident in his ability to raid Walmart's warehouses, it was always better to be cautious.
Having starved before, he wouldn't allow any room for error.
Zhang Yi settled the bill and walked out of the restaurant, greeted by the staff's polite smiles.
At that moment, a familiar voice called out.
"Zhang Yi! What a coincidence!"
Zhang Yi turned his head and saw Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining.
Fang Yuqing tucked her hair behind her ear, deliberately exposing her fair neck and pink earlobes.
Zhang Yi sneered inwardly—this was a classic green tea maneuver.
A calculated, "unintentional" move designed to make men's hearts race.
As a top-tier green tea manipulator and fake innocent girl, Fang Yuqing was a master of these tricks.
Unfortunately for her, Zhang Yi was no longer the naïve simp he once was.
Not long ago, this woman had led to his tragic death.
She had even planned to break his ribs and boil them into soup!
Thinking of this, Zhang Yi's eyes turned cold, radiating pure killing intent.
After all, the apocalypse was about to arrive. Even if he killed her, no one would care.
Should I just end her now?
Fang Yuqing felt a chill run down her spine under his intense gaze. Nervously, she stammered, "Zhang Yi… w-what's wrong?"
Zhang Yi quickly retracted his killing intent and replied indifferently, "Nothing. I mistook you for someone else."
Suddenly, he changed his mind.
Killing her outright would be too easy.
Besides, acting now would likely get him arrested before the apocalypse even began.
He had no intention of spending doomsday inside a prison cell.
It would be far more satisfying to let her experience the despair of the apocalypse first—and then personally make her suffer.
With a clear plan in mind, Zhang Yi no longer saw the need to deal with her right now.
His priority was building the safest shelter possible, ensuring he could live in comfort once the world collapsed.