That afternoon, Liu Haowen actually brought back a bottle of gas and dragged it to the kitchen. Seeing the house full of supplies gave an inexplicable sense of security.
In the evening, the three of them organized the groceries, stuffing vegetables, meats, and frozen foods into the refrigerator.
The house had been fully furnished when rented, and the fridge was a double-door model. Before, most of the space had been taken up by drinks and the like, so suddenly packing it with fruits and vegetables felt a little unusual.
Song Ya took the deliveries up to her room, unpacked and organized them, and handed Lin Nan Nan a box of bread and a self-heating hotpot. “These were bought during the National Day sale—two boxes at a bargain. I brought one for you.”
Lin Nan Nan didn’t hesitate and accepted it. “Thanks. How much? I’ll transfer it to you on WeChat later.”
After tidying up, Song Ya discussed with Lin Nan Nan the plan to go out for hotpot that night. Leaving Zheng Yiming alone in the room didn’t seem right, so she politely asked him if he wanted to join.
Song Ya expected that, given Zheng Yiming’s cold personality, he might refuse—but to her surprise, he agreed.
In the end, the group of four went out together.
Perhaps because the typhoon was approaching, they could clearly feel the strong wind as they stepped outside. The late-September weather wasn’t hot, just a single layer of clothing, but the gusts made their clothes billow. Fortunately, there was a hotpot restaurant not far from their community.
When they arrived, the restaurant was already crowded. Looking around at the lively scene, Song Ya realized this might be the last time they could freely enjoy hotpot outside.
After dinner, the four returned home and went to bed individually.
The next morning, a heavy rainstorm hit, driven by the typhoon. Rain pelted the windows with a loud pitter-patter.
Song Ya glanced at her phone—it was already past eight in the morning.
She got up, drew the curtains, and looked outside. The sky was pitch-black, as if it were still night. The wind whipped the rain mercilessly against the windows.
The fierce storm had cooled the air somewhat. Standing at the windowsill in her pajamas, she felt a chill.
After a quick wash-up, she went out to find Lin Nan Nan and Liu Haowen already sitting on the sofa watching TV. Seeing her, Lin Nan Nan pointed to the kitchen. “I made some porridge. We have all those side dishes we bought—just eat a little.”
“Mm,” Song Ya nodded, then seemed to realize something. “Did the typhoon come early? The rain outside is pretty heavy.”
“Yes. The meteorological bureau sent a message—it’s already hitting. This isn’t the strongest yet; it’ll probably get worse by noon,” Lin Nan Nan said.
Song Ya went into the kitchen, served herself a bowl of porridge, and sat in the dining area scrolling through her phone.
When she first rented the house, the landlord added her to the property management group chat. As expected, in the morning the group had already posted a warning:
[Attention residents: The typhoon will arrive around noon today. Please stay indoors during this time!]
Song Ya took a spoonful of porridge. Memories from eight years ago were vague—she only vaguely remembered that this typhoon had lasted nearly a month.
Judging by their current food stock, they were more than prepared for a month.
Before she finished eating, Zheng Yiming emerged from his room. He went to the kitchen, skillfully cooked some frozen dumplings, and sat beside her to eat.
Since they sat facing each other, Song Ya could clearly see his refined features at a glance. Compared to his older, more mature self eight years later as the first group leader, Zheng Yiming still carried a touch of youthful innocence. In his early twenties, he wasn’t fully mature yet; his handsome face had a gentle aura, though his cool demeanor suggested others should keep their distance.
“I plan to cook lunch. Want to eat together?” Song Ya asked him.
With him so close, why not take the opportunity? Once Zheng Yiming grew stronger, it would be harder to get close. Now, proximity was an advantage.
Zheng Yiming nodded. “Sure, I’ll leave it to you.”
Their apartment had an open layout connecting the kitchen and living room, so Lin Nan Nan overheard everything.
After Zheng Yiming returned to his room, Lin Nan Nan immediately teased, “Oh? Are you interested in this little guy now? Thinking of taking the initiative?”
“Stop guessing! The weather’s bad; it’s practical to save energy. Eating together is just convenient,” Song Ya explained.
To Lin Nan Nan, it sounded like an excuse, and she still looked at her with a teasing expression. Song Ya gave up.
By noon, the typhoon had indeed arrived. Compared to the morning breeze, the afternoon brought true gale-force winds and torrential rain.
The sky outside was as black as night, without a single glimmer of light. The massive typhoon brought violent rain, and trash bins were blown around, chaos everywhere.
Fortunately, they had already reinforced the windows before the storm.
Using ingredients bought from the supermarket, Song Ya made a lunch of three dishes and one soup: old duck soup, stir-fried cabbage, Kung Pao chicken, and braised pork.
She called Zheng Yiming to eat, and he didn’t hesitate, digging in immediately.
After the meal, he washed the dishes and brought other groceries he had bought from the supermarket into the kitchen.
“If you’re planning to eat together, I’ll leave my stuff in the kitchen. Take whatever you need,” he said. His purchases were practical, including many preserved sausages.
“Thanks,” Song Ya nodded.
Because of the typhoon, they mostly stayed indoors over the next few days. Luckily, their prior purchases meant they wouldn’t go hungry.
Song Ya planted the seeds she had bought earlier; the vegetables and chives had already sprouted.
During the typhoon, online forums exploded with discussions. Initially, the warning said three days, but the storm kept intensifying with no signs of stopping.
[Weren’t we told it would last three days? Those three days are over, yet it’s still this strong.]
[If this keeps up, our hard-earned National Day holiday will be ruined.]
[So annoying… when will this typhoon finally pass?]
Watching the complaints online, Song Ya knew this typhoon would last over a month. And in that time, it wouldn’t just be rain—it would bring hail, and even snow.