Chapter 8: The Storm Arrives

Back at home, An Nan set the puppy down on the floor, then took a dog bed out from her space.

The little dog watched as its owner conjured a bed out of thin air, eyes wide with caution. It crept over and sniffed at it suspiciously.

Seeing the round, chubby face of the puppy showing a surprisingly human-like look of astonishment, An Nan almost burst out laughing.

“Silly dog, this is your bed. It’s not poisonous.”

The little white dog seemed to understand her, let out a little whimper, and wiggled its bottom as it crawled into the bed.

Wow, this dog is pretty smart!

What should she name it?

An Nan looked at the pup, sprawled lazily in its bed, plump and content.

Let’s call it Fugui.

It sounds prosperous and long-lived.

“Fugui~” An Nan took out a handful of dog food and fed it to the little white ball. “From now on, your name is Fugui.”

Fugui made little piggy grunts, wagging its tail as it devoured the food.

After feeding the dog, An Nan changed into her loungewear and went to the kitchen to make herself a bowl of sour soup noodles.

She scrolled through her social media feed while eating.

Everyone was talking about today’s rain, saying it saved all the workers who’d been toiling in the summer heat.

Someone posted a screenshot of today’s temperature. After a month of 38°C heat, it had suddenly dropped to 28°C.

Someone else said the rain was too light—if only it could rain harder and for a few more days.

An Nan saw that post and thought, Buddy, you have no idea.

This rain really will last a long time, but by then, I doubt you’ll be laughing.

After dinner, An Nan stretched, practiced a set of martial arts, then went to her room to sleep.

Fugui, who had been lying in the living room, immediately got up and followed her in.

An Nan smiled and patted its head. “You’re really clingy, aren’t you?”

She took out a special dog bed from her space and placed it by her own bed.

Then she turned off the lights. “Time to sleep.”

Maybe because the apocalypse was near, An Nan slept restlessly that night.

In her dreams, she seemed to return to her previous life, with Bai Wenbin and Qian Ying’er chasing her with boning knives.

She ran desperately, only to be blocked by a dark figure.

Looking up, she saw An Xingye, who gave her a sinister smile. “Good girl, go on!” Then he shoved her hard, pushing her toward Bai Wenbin.

“No!”

An Nan shouted and woke up with a start.

It was already light out. At some point, Fugui had climbed onto her bed and was now gently licking her palm, as if to comfort her.

An Nan felt a warmth in her heart and hugged the dog.

Everything from her past life was over. This time, she and her loved ones would be just fine.

She opened the curtains. Outside, it was still drizzling. An Nan first mixed some dog food for Fugui, then busied herself in the kitchen.

While there was still water and electricity, An Nan decided to cook as much food as possible and store it in her space, so she could use it whenever needed.

After a simple breakfast, she pulled out all the pots and pans in the house.

Both stove burners were going, the electric stew pot was plugged in, and the oven and air fryer were working at the same time.

An Nan was in her element, and in no time, she’d made six dishes.

Each dish was made in large quantities, portioned into disposable meal boxes she’d bought earlier, and then stored in her space while still hot.

She repeated this process over and over, busy until after eleven, when suddenly the sky went dark.

It was midday, and although it had been drizzling, it was still bright outside.

But now, dark clouds pressed down over the city, plunging everything into darkness. The gentle rain had stopped.

It’s here.

An Nan looked out at the oppressive sky. It was exactly like her previous life.

First, sudden darkness. Then, in an hour, the torrential rain would come, gradually flooding the city.

Inside, the apartment was pitch-black. Fugui’s fur stood on end as he nervously pressed against An Nan.

She turned on the lights, picked up Fugui, and gently soothed him. She found a chew toy for him, then picked up her phone.

Weibo and her social feed were already blowing up.

“Oh my god, how did it suddenly get dark at noon?”

“I’ve never seen anything like this. I thought aliens were invading.”

“Is it going to pour? Those clouds are so low and dark.”

Her phone buzzed with a text alert—it was a yellow rainstorm warning from the meteorological bureau, advising strong rainfall within three hours and urging residents to stay indoors and suspend outdoor activities.

An Nan put down her phone. While the rain hadn’t started yet, she quickly gathered up the kitchen waste and took it out to the dumpster outside her building.

On her way back, just as she entered the elevator, someone shouted:

“Wait! Hold the door!”

It was the guy from the 15th floor and his mother.

The woman was carrying bags of vegetables and seeds, scolding her son as she entered:

“You little brat, always making trouble for me! I’d rather have given birth to a slab of pork than to you!”

“Mom, you’ve got nothing else to do anyway. Growing some plants at home is good for your mood.”

“Pah! You just want to trap me at home as your nanny so you can tinker with your junk.”

“Don’t say it like that! You’re doing logistics work—it’s a contribution to my great research!”

“Zhao Ping’an, you’re full of crap! I’ll—”

As his mom’s language got more and more colorful, Zhao Ping’an turned to An Nan, embarrassed. “Sorry, miss, my mom’s got a bit of a temper. She talks like this.”

An Nan smiled and said it was fine.

The elevator quickly reached the 14th floor.

An Nan stepped out, hearing Zhao Ping’an still trying to calm his mother.

“Look, it’s broad daylight and suddenly it’s dark. Maybe my article will come true after all, so just…”

The 15th floor was the top floor, and only their family lived there—two apartments, just mother and son.

An Nan remembered them well. In her previous life, they were the only ones in the building who made it through relatively unscathed.

They never went hungry or got robbed by looters. Even during the worst of the heat, they left the neighborhood safe and sound—no one knew where they went.

Back home, An Nan turned on her computer and, out of curiosity, searched for Zhao Ping’an’s name. Sure enough, she found an article:

“Twenty Possible Ways the Apocalypse Could Arrive,” by Zhao Ping’an.

It analyzed all sorts of doomsday scenarios—extreme weather, major pandemics, even strategies for escaping a zombie siege.

What an imagination.

The comments were full of people saying he’d read too many novels, but also some enthusiastically discussing survival gear.

So he was a doomsday survival enthusiast.

No wonder he did so well last time—he was a pro!

…

Huai Tree Restaurant, Kuancheng District.

Bai Wenbin had reserved a window seat on the second floor, smugly waiting for An Nan to arrive.

Blocked me? No problem. After this meal, she’ll have to add me back.

He patted the pocket with the drugs—he’d slip them into her drink soon.

Once the deed was done…

Bai Wenbin grinned to himself.

Suddenly, a thick streak of purple lightning split the silent sky, followed by a deafening crash of thunder.

A wild wind swept through, making the leaves outside rustle violently. Then, a torrential downpour slammed down, rain pelting the windows in a relentless drumbeat.

It was as if the sky had been torn open. Rainwater hammered the ground, sending up a mist.

Bai Wenbin jumped in shock. What the…"