Qin Muxue checked the balance on the card her father had given her—there was a full five million yuan on it.
Five million as startup capital was more than enough.
She quickly opened her stock trading app and bought several stocks.
These were stocks that would rise very quickly in the future. In her previous life, she had also traded stocks, coaxed by Yan Xu into buying a few that lost her everything. This time, she knew exactly which stocks would make her a fortune, and she would never again listen to that despicable man’s instigations.
After her family assets had been seized in her previous life, she learned that the house they were living in was registered under her name. She had been tricked into signing a contract in a daze, only later realizing it was a transfer agreement. Now that this villa belonged to her, she intended to make good use of it.
A week later, the five million had successfully doubled to ten million. She withdrew a portion of the money and left the rest in the account to buy other profitable stocks.
It happened to be the weekend, so she called Ding Manman out, saying she wanted to treat her to a big meal.
Ding Manman stood in front of the 888-yuan-per-person buffet, dumbfounded.
Just a few days ago, Qin Muxue didn’t even have money to eat, and now she was treating her to such an expensive buffet?
“I admitted my mistake to my dad—after all, who would hold a grudge against money? Today, your girl here is going to show you the good life.”
It wasn’t just to treat her to a good time—it was also to indulge herself.
The two of them feasted on premium wagyu, white truffles, and matsutake mushrooms, eating to their hearts’ content. Qin Muxue still felt unsatisfied, knowing she would never get to eat such delicacies again.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. She had previously experimented with how long food could be stored in her Space and discovered that food kept for a week remained as fresh as the day it was put in. It seemed she had a lot of food to buy. Once all her money came through, she would go on a crazy shopping spree.
Glancing at the time on her phone, Qin Muxue realized the auction was about to begin.
Her beloved dog, Baozhu, had been adopted through an auction. In her previous life, she had pawned the gold bracelet her mother gave her just to scrape together enough money to bid for him.
“Manman, come with me somewhere.”
The two arrived at the military dog base, where a crowd of onlookers had gathered, and many dog lovers were waiting eagerly for the military dogs to come out.
The first two male military dogs that came out were auctioned off at a high price of 20,000 yuan each. They were sturdy, intelligent, and obedient—the dream dogs of any dog lover.
Qin Muxue had only one goal: Baozhu.
When Baozhu was led out, her eyes grew a little misty. “Baozhu, I’m here…”
Baozhu’s starting bid was 5,000 yuan, with increments of 1,000.
In her previous life, no one had competed with her for Baozhu. She quickly called out, “6,000 yuan.”
But suddenly, a clear male voice came from beside her: “8,000 yuan.”
Who was this? So lacking in sportsmanship—raising the bid by 2,000 at a time.
“I bid 9,000.”
“15,000.” That voice continued.
Qin Muxue was about to explode with anger. Where did this contrarian come from? With so many people around, she couldn’t lose her temper, so she could only shout loudly: “20,000!”
Fortunately, the man didn’t bid again, and she successfully won Baozhu.
The moment Baozhu’s leash was placed in her hand, tears welled up in her eyes. Baozhu had finally come back.
That home didn’t allow her to keep a dog. In her previous life, Baozhu had been boarded at Yan Xu’s house, but this time she wouldn’t hand him over to him.
She stroked Baozhu’s head and said with a bright smile, “I’ll call you Baozhu then!”
Baozhu barked a few times and nuzzled affectionately against her feet. Baozhu was a German Shepherd with brownish-yellow fur, looking majestic and full of spirit.
Ding Manman remarked, “Since when did you start liking dogs?”
Actually, she had always loved them. It was only because Qin Shou didn’t like them that she had never kept one. Now that she planned to move out of that house, she would find a place outside with Baozhu.
Qin Muxue found a place—the first floor of a garden villa with a small courtyard. Since the Apocalypse was coming, there was really no need to buy a house; she rented it instead. She was quite satisfied with the decor and location. After tidying up the courtyard, she prepared some toys for Baozhu and opened a can of venison for him.
After finishing the can, Baozhu licked his fur with lingering satisfaction. He quickly warmed up to Qin Muxue, sensing that this new owner genuinely cared for him.
Because Baozhu was a retired military dog, he still had old injuries. Qin Muxue took him to the pet hospital for a checkup. On the way back, he barked fiercely at a patch of grass, as if something frightening was hiding inside.
Baozhu wouldn’t act like that without reason—his hearing and sense of smell were exceptionally sharp. Qin Muxue carefully parted the grass and found a tiny kitten curled up inside, its fur dirty and its body damp. It raised its head and let out a weak “meow.”
Baozhu barked at Qin Muxue a few times, “Woof woof woof,” as if urging her to save the kitten.
“Baozhu, do you want me to save it?”
Baozhu barked again a few times and even tugged at Qin Muxue’s pant leg, refusing to let her leave. Qin Muxue picked up the kitten and cradled it in her arms. “Since Baozhu wants me to take you in, I’ll save you then.”
Fortunately, the pet hospital wasn’t far from there. Qin Muxue brought the kitten in for a checkup and found that it was simply too weak. She also bought some goat milk powder and cat food, planning to let the kitten keep Baozhu company.
Qin Muxue added a cat tree, a cat bed, and cat toys to her new home. Who would have thought that with six months still to go before the Apocalypse, she would end up with both a cat and a dog.
Having earned fifty million from stocks, Qin Muxue decided to stop and start stockpiling supplies.
She still had classes in the morning. To avoid arousing suspicion, she decided to go to school first and do her shopping in the afternoon.
As for that so-called “guy best friend” Yan Xu, he somehow learned that she was back and latched onto her again…
“Muxue, you’ve got money again, right? I happened to see a game console I like—buy it for me first!” His tone was as presumptuous as ever, but he hadn’t expected that the person before him would no longer play along.
“What nonsense are you talking? If you want a game console, go buy it yourself. Why should I buy it for you? Do you not have hands, feet, or parents?” Her aggressive tone was nothing like the timid, submissive person she used to be.
Yan Xu was just like before—whenever he ran out of money, he’d come to her. Previously, Qin Muxue had often bought him gifts to keep him around. “The game console is only 3000, it’s not even expensive.”
“If it’s not expensive, can’t you buy it yourself? Why do you have to beg me for it?” Qin Muxue was clearly losing patience.
Yan Xu gritted his teeth and said, “You… have you forgotten who carried you to the hospital when you were sick, who saved you from the fire? Don’t you like me? Don’t you want to repay me?”
“Don’t remind me—that person wasn’t you at all! You deceived me for so many years and took advantage of me left and right. I haven’t even settled the score with you yet. What do you say? Want to do the math? Shoes, clothes, bags—that adds up to a hefty sum, doesn’t it? Figure out how you’re going to pay me back.” Qin Muxue had only discovered the truth afterward, which was why she had willingly played the devoted fool for him all this time. Now that she knew the truth, why would she let him push her around so easily?
The person who saved her had shielded her from the flames and been burned on the back. After the Apocalypse, when Qin Muxue accidentally caught sight of Sang Xi and Yan Xu in a compromising position, she noticed that his back bore no scars at all.
She had also overheard their conversation—Sang Xi asking why Qin Muxue was so obedient to Yan Xu, and Yan Xu replying carelessly, “She thinks I’m her savior, so that’s why she treats me this way. But I just see her as a lovesick fool. Don’t worry, my heart only belongs to you.”
At that moment, Qin Muxue had felt so disgusted she nearly vomited, realizing that all her sincere feelings over the years had been wasted on the wrong person.
At the mention of compensation, Yan Xu’s expression instantly darkened. “Muxue, what strange rumors have you heard? How could I ever deceive you?”
No matter how much Yan Xu babbled on beside her trying to explain, Qin Muxue turned a deaf ear.
“Qin Muxue, don’t be ungrateful! If you keep this up, I’ll cut ties with you!”
Qin Muxue calmly turned around. “Fine by me. Nothing I’d want more.”
“You!” Yan Xu shouted furiously behind her. “Then don’t regret this!”
Qin Muxue certainly wouldn’t regret it. She would also expose all the dirty deeds Yan Xu had done—he had long been hooking up with the school beauty Sang Xi, and most of the expensive gifts and bags he’d asked from her had been given to Sang Xi instead.
But how could the scheming Sang Xi have only one lovesick fool at her disposal?
Before going out to stock up on supplies, Qin Muxue had other things to do.
A luxury sedan appeared at the side gate of the school. The spot was naturally secluded with few students around. A middle-aged man around forty, well past his prime, wrapped his arm around Sang Xi and helped her into the car.
The man had a potbelly—Qin Muxue had no idea how Sang Xi could stomach it.
But Qin Muxue knew that Sang Xi was the kind of person who would stop at nothing for wealth and status. She used her alluring figure and pretty face to bewitch countless men into falling head over heels for her—one had to admit that was a skill in itself.
Only her glamorous, picture-perfect life had now come to an end.
Qin Muxue snapped a few photos from the shadows, click-click-click. But this man alone wasn’t enough.
She also hired a private investigator to look into the men around Sang Xi.
The investigator assumed the young girl was just playing around, but to his surprise, Qin Muxue transferred 20,000 yuan to him on the spot. “Is that enough? That’s the deposit. Once the job’s done, I’ll give you another 30,000.”
The investigator was stunned, quickly stammering that it was more than enough. This was a big job—he’d have to do it well.
“Remember, take plenty of intimate photos.” After giving her instructions, Qin Muxue left with a carefree air.
She needed to stock up on supplies, but before doing that, she decided to treat herself to a hearty meal first. Eating alone was too lonely, so Qin Muxue made another call to Ding Manman. “Manman, come out and have something delicious!”
Ding Manman immediately recalled the upscale buffet Qin Muxue had treated her to before—the flavors were exquisite and unforgettable. Still, her sudden change in demeanor left Ding Manman somewhat surprised.
The two met at a barbecue restaurant. Qin Muxue, now well-off, dressed very modestly—just a simple T-shirt, jeans, and a pair of white sneakers, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. Spotting Ding Manman, she immediately waved her over. “Manman, I’m over here!”