Chapter 13

Give Him A Taste of His Own Medicine

At this moment, Chen Rou’er was huddled under two large quilts in her small rented apartment. Even though the air conditioner in the room was set to 40 degrees, the temperature inside was still below freezing.

Trembling, she took her phone and unlocked the screen, revealing a reply from Ye Xingchen. Chen Rou’er was left dumbfounded by what she saw. She couldn’t believe her eyes – in such cold weather, Ye Xingchen was actually wearing such thin sleepwear while enjoying steak and red wine?

Even though they were in the same city, why did it feel like they were living in two different worlds?

She rubbed her eyes and double-checked; it was indeed Ye Xingchen’s home. Chen Rou’er immediately regretted her decision. She was genuinely regretful this time. Chu Yao was right. She should have given Ye Xingchen some benefits. Otherwise, she could have been living in a villa like his, not freezing in this shabby rental apartment.

She scrutinized the image Ye Xingchen had sent again, feeling like her teeth would shatter from grinding them so hard. This steak was undoubtedly authentic and high-grade wagyu beef, and that wine must have cost at least fifty thousand.

Her eyes shifted, and she quickly sent a message back to Ye Xingchen. “You’ve cooked the steak nicely. Were you secretly trying to cook for me? You’re quite considerate. Alright, I’ve decided to give you a chance. Just pack it and send it over. You know my home address.”

Chen Rou’er repeated the message several times to ensure its accuracy. Based on Ye Xingchen’s previous behavior, she believed that upon receiving this message, he would undoubtedly prepare a new steak and even send over other items from his home.

But instead of the response she expected, Ye Xingchen’s reply made him look genuinely pleased. Did he really think so highly of himself?

He cut a piece of steak and chewed it slowly, then casually picked up his phone to type a message. “It’s too cold outside. I’ll send it over when it warms up a bit!”

Chen Rou’er’s expression changed as soon as she saw this message. What did he mean? The temperature was already more than twenty degrees below zero outside. Even if she managed to get out, the deep snow would make it nearly impossible to walk. Moreover, she couldn’t risk driving her Palamela (presumably a vehicle) in this heavy snow; it might get damaged at any moment.

Furthermore, she had hardly any warm clothes in this rental apartment. She glanced at her attractive figure and clenched her teeth in frustration. With such terrible weather, how could a beauty like her venture out to buy groceries?

As for this Ye Xingchen…

She was furious, her fingertips furiously tapping on the screen, but the words she typed out were, “Ye Xingchen, you clueless blockhead! I gave you such a good opportunity, and you don’t know how to cherish it! You should know you’ve angered me! Figure out how to make it up to me!”

Chen Rou’er was undoubtedly angry, but she couldn’t afford to lose her composure or her status. After all, she depended on Ye Xingchen as her ATM for daily expenses.

Ignoring Chen Rou’er’s performance akin to a jumping clown, Ye Xingchen lifted a stemmed glass and, with a relaxed expression, opened another group chat. As he scrolled down, he stopped when he reached the homeowners’ group in the villa area. He couldn’t forget how, in his previous life, Chen Rou’er had opened the gates to his villa and how these people had gruesomely dismembered and devoured him, both literally and metaphorically.

Even more horrific than being dismembered, he remembered vividly being bound in a clear state of consciousness, stripped of his clothes in frigid weather, and having every inch of his skin sliced open.

Among these people were residents of this villa area.

When Ye Xingchen opened the group chat, he saw a message from Zhang Yi, a resident at the center of the villa area, urging everyone not to panic and to stay home.

“Zhang Yi… hmm.”

Ye Xingchen sneered. This Zhang Yi was the one who later got together with Chen Rou’er and, along with others, knocked on Ye Xingchen’s door with Chen Rou’er’s assistance. It was also Zhang Yi who, along with Chen Rou’er, had suggested the dismemberment and sharing of his body.

Ye Xingchen closed his eyes and then opened them again, feeling a chilling coldness in his heart. He had helped this Zhang Yi in his previous life. However, in the apocalyptic world, there was no room for kindness and morals. If he hadn’t softened his heart at that moment, thinking that Zhang Yi was a fellow student from the same school and had seen him share his last bit of food with others, he wouldn’t have brought Zhang Yi back to the villa. And if that hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have discovered that Zhang Yi and Chen Rou’er had already formed an alliance, and their act of sharing food was just a performance put on for him.

Taking a few deep breaths, Ye Xingchen calmed himself down. In this new life, he must seek revenge.

“Don’t worry, everyone. It’s just a sudden drop in temperature. It will pass in two or three days at most. We should trust our officials.”

Zhang Yi’s family had a political background, and his father seemed to hold a significant position. Zhang Yi, on the other hand, was approachable and had some influence in the community.

“Well, how about we all go out together to clear the snow? Otherwise, the snow will keep piling up, and it will become difficult to even get our cars out.”

“Yeah, Xiao Zhang makes a valid point. Today, I wanted to go out to stock up on supplies, but when I opened the door, there was so much snow that it almost flooded my house.”

“But… the weather is so cold. We don’t have warm clothes to wear outside, so we can’t clear the snow.”

“Yes, maybe we should wait a few days and see. The snow hasn’t stopped yet, so it’s not a good time to clear it.”

“That’s true, but if we don’t clear it now, won’t the snow become even thicker and harder to clear in a few days?”

“But if we don’t go out soon, my kids will go hungry. They’re still in primary school and are in the growing stage. We don’t have much food stored at home…”

Ye Xingchen observed with interest, but suddenly, he noticed that someone had mentioned him in the chat. It was Liu Qilong.

Ye Xingchen’s heart sank. This was bad.

As he expected, just after thinking this, he saw a message from Liu Qilong in the group.

“A few days ago, Xiao Ye, you had stocked up on a lot of food. Why didn’t you ask Xiao Ye for some?”

“I passed by the other day and saw Xiao Ye carrying pots of food into his house. I joked that he wouldn’t know when he’d finish eating all that.”

“Oh, and what a coincidence, suddenly the temperature drops, and everyone’s out of food.”

“I wonder if Xiao Ye knew something in advance and kept it a secret from us!”

Ye Xingchen’s expression turned sour. While revenge was on his mind, he hadn’t intended to make enemies so early on, especially since his safehouse was fortified like a fortress. Even if they had weapons, they wouldn’t be able to breach it. Moreover, now that everyone knew he had supplies, they would be watching him closely.

People were starting to mention him in the chat, and some were even messaging him privately, asking if they could buy some food, even at double or triple the supermarket prices.

But how could Ye Xingchen sell anything? He knew better than anyone that money in the days ahead was just a meaningless number.

After a brief moment of discomfort, Ye Xingchen chuckled and redirected the attention back to Liu Qilong.

“Thank you, Uncle Liu, for reminding me to stock up on supplies in advance. Unfortunately… I promised my classmate Chen Rou’er that I’d provide for her. I’m sorry, everyone, but maybe you could ask Uncle Liu if he has what you need. After all, it was Uncle Liu’s reminder that prompted me to prepare early!”