Qin Muxue sipped her drink, scanning her surroundings with a blank expression.
She knew exactly what kind of man the one before her was. She had already noticed his sneaky little moves. With a cold snort, she deliberately dropped her phone on the floor. “My phone fell. Could you pick it up for me?”
Yu Cheng said eagerly, “Of course.”
Taking advantage of the moment he bent down to grab her phone, Qin Muxue swiftly swapped the glasses, then sat there playing with her phone as if nothing had happened.
Yu Cheng licked his dry lips. Under the flickering neon lights, the girl’s delicate features grew even more alluring. “Let’s have a drink together!”
“Sure.” The cocktail in the glass emitted a strange blue glow.
Qin Muxue raised the glass and was about to drink when a pair of slender, well-defined hands gripped her wrist. “Don’t drink.”
The boy’s expression was unusually serious. “He put something in it.”
Qin Muxue looked up and saw a pair of deep eyes behind glasses. His sharp brows were slightly furrowed, his nose was chiseled, and his cool demeanor was as pristine as ever. He questioned with a hint of anger, “How can a young lady like you casually accept a drink from a strange man?”
Yu Cheng stood up. The bird in hand was about to be eaten, yet an uninvited guest had appeared. “Who the hell do you think you are? Get the hell out of here and stop meddling.”
Sheng Xingyuan took off his glasses. His originally refined appearance now seemed somewhat dark and brooding. His sharply defined features grew even more imposing, and his deep eyes carried a trace of fury. “A bar is supposed to be a place for people to unwind, yet scum like you turn it into a den of filth.”
In truth, this was his first time at a bar. As the top student, Sheng Xingyuan’s mind was usually filled with data and research findings.
He recognized this girl—she had been a classmate in high school, and the two had clashed a few times. He had no concept of liking or disliking her. He had initially wanted to ignore the situation, but his body had moved before his mind could decide. He simply didn’t want to watch a young woman fall down the wrong path—that was how Sheng Xingyuan comforted himself.
“In that case, there’s nothing more to say.” He loosened his fists and threw a punch straight at Yu Cheng’s face.
Yu Cheng was stocky and had initially thought this young man was nothing to fear. But one punch sent him stumbling back several steps, nearly losing his balance, his mouth nearly knocked askew.
Now he took the opponent before him seriously. The young man had a cool, composed air about him, and his refined features were especially eye-catching. Some of the surrounding patrons couldn’t help but glance over.
Bystander A: “Isn’t that Sheng Xingyuan, our university’s top student? Why is he here drinking too?”
Bystander B: “Seems like he’s fighting over a girl.”
Bystander A: “You mean that girl beside him? She looks familiar.”
Bystander B: “She’s that clingy girl who’s always chasing after Yan Xu. Remember? She made a huge scene at school all the time. It was hilarious. How did she get involved with the top student?”
Bystander A: “But the top student is really handsome. Go Sheng Xingyuan!”
A crowd gathered to watch, cheering and clapping for Sheng Xingyuan on the sidelines.
Sheng Xingyuan said in a stern voice, “If you know what’s good for you, get lost right now. Don’t make me use my fists again!”
Yu Cheng finally managed to stand up, feeling dizzy and disoriented. He never expected that a student like this could have such formidable skills—he wasn’t even a match for him. Fear crept into his heart.
He was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, but his mouth never let up: “I’m picking up a girl, what business is it of yours to meddle?”
Sheng Xingyuan glanced at Qin Muxue. There was a hint of amusement in her eyes, as if she were smiling without really smiling. Watching the burly man get hurt, Qin Muxue actually felt a strange sense of satisfaction—he should have been hit even harder, his dog head bashed in.
But the young man in front of her had really disrupted her plans.
Sheng Xingyuan let out a cold snort: “She’s my girlfriend. If I ever see you bullying her again, you won’t be so lucky next time.”
Unable to beat him in a fight, Yu Cheng had still been thinking of launching a sneak attack. But Sheng Xingyuan had already spotted his move and directly twisted his arm. “I was wrong, I was wrong! I didn’t know she was your girlfriend. I won’t dare bully her again.”
“Not just her—if you bully any other girl, I won’t let you off either. Get lost!” Sheng Xingyuan released his hand, his eyes filled with icy coldness.
Yu Cheng was completely intimidated. He scrambled away in a panic, but before leaving, he still had to shout: “Just you wait! Next time, I won’t let you get away with this!”
Sheng Xingyuan wiped the moisture off his glasses, then put them back on with a proper, serious air: “Fine, I’ll be waiting.”
The crowd seemed to have overheard some incredible gossip—the top student and campus heartthrob actually had a girlfriend!?
Bystander A: “No way, I heard he was completely indifferent to romance, single his whole life, not interested in women at all.”
Bystander B: “The pedestal has crumbled, the pedestal has crumbled! He could have picked anyone, why did he pick such a worthless girl?”
After all, everyone knew about Qin Muxue’s terrible reputation. The two of them—one a slacker, one a top student—seemed like they could never match up no matter how you thought about it.
“Thank you.” She picked up her backpack and was about to leave this filthy place. Her enemy was already gone, so there was no point in staying any longer.
The two of them had been mortal enemies in their previous life, because Yan Xu was always badmouthing Sheng Xingyuan in front of her, and she had targeted him on several occasions. Now it seemed that the “bad person” Yan Xu spoke of was actually a good person.
Sheng Xingyuan grabbed her hand and pulled her into a corner, speaking to her seriously: “You’re a girl. In the future, you need to be careful about your safety in places like this. Don’t get involved with men like that.”
“Don’t worry, I have no interest in him.”
Since her target was gone, she naturally wouldn’t come back here again. Qin Muxue patted herself off and was about to leave, but Sheng Xingyuan reached out, took her phone, and scanned his own QR code.
Qin Muxue: “??”
“I helped you. It’s not too much to ask for your contact info, is it?”
Qin Muxue shook her head. She had originally thought the top student was an unattainable flower on a high peak—after all, he had never paid her any attention before. Even when she targeted him, he only responded with a cold face. And now he was actually adding her contact info. But she didn’t really care about such things—just one more person in her contacts list. “Whatever.”
Sheng Xingyuan, however, watched her retreating figure with a thoughtful expression.
Qin Muxue returned home. By now, she had a considerable stock of raw meat, vegetables, and fruits in her Space, and they could stay fresh without spoiling.
Her spiritual sense entered the Space, intending to explore it thoroughly. This time, upon arriving, she discovered that the Space had undergone some changes.
Besides the supplies she had purchased, she could now clearly see two zones—one was a Storage Zone, and the other was a Cultivation Zone.
The Storage Zone could be used for storing items, keeping them fresh and preventing rot, while the Cultivation Zone could be used to grow various plants.
With that, Qin Muxue placed the potted plants from home into the Cultivation Zone. To her amazement, she could visibly see the plants beginning to grow, meaning the Cultivation Zone could accelerate plant growth.
She first opened JD.com and went on a shopping spree for high-end fruits—cherries, durians, pineapples, and the like. These were fruits she couldn’t buy from farmers, so she wanted to stock up plenty. Not only did she love them, but Ding Manman loved them too.
Then she opened Pinduoduo and started buying plant seeds—flowers, vegetables, and the like—along with some potted plants. Seeing that soil was also available for purchase, she bought several tons of it, so the Cultivation Zone could be planted with all sorts of plants.
She also bought quite a few saplings: orange trees, apple trees, grapes, pomelo trees, and mango trees, which she could try planting in the Space as well—who knew, they might survive.
However, she discovered that whenever she entered the Space, a countdown would begin. Within a 24-hour period, she could only stay in the Space for at most 90 minutes; exceeding that time would result in her being automatically transported out.
Having lived through a lifetime, Qin Muxue now felt that life should be lived freely—eat whatever you want.
So Qin Muxue opened a food delivery app and started ordering all kinds of takeout.
KFC fried chicken and burgers—buy, buy, buy. McDonald’s, Burger King, plus fried skewers, spicy malatang, stinky tofu, and jianbing guozi—all kinds of delicacies were secured. Of course, coffee and milk tea were included, along with indispensable sweets like cakes, bread, and more.
Then she called and reserved a high-end restaurant, booking dozens of tables of delicacies from land and sea. Fine dining was also a must—she wasn’t short on money anyway.
Then she started another round of shopping. She bought several hundred packs of sanitary pads online, both daytime and nighttime versions. And since the Apocalypse wouldn’t allow for laundry everywhere, she bought plenty of disposable underwear that could be thrown away after wearing—extremely convenient.
The next day, she went to school to handle the procedures for taking a leave of absence, so she’d have time to go out and stock up on supplies, build up her strength, and learn various wilderness survival skills.
Unexpectedly, she found that many classmates at school were looking at her with strange expressions.
Qin Muxue had no idea what she’d done to make them stare at her like that.
Ding Manman, on the other hand, wore a gossipy look. “Xiao Xue, when did you start dating? You actually kept it from me?”
“I haven’t,” Qin Muxue said, looking utterly confused. In the past, she’d been a doormat, licking her way to nothing in the end. How could she possibly jump into a relationship so easily now?
“Take a look at the video on the school forum—it was posted this morning. What happened after you left last night? Tell me all about it!” Ding Manman’s eyes were practically sparkling with stars.
Qin Muxue glanced at the title: Shocking! The Genius School Heartthrob Sheng Xingyuan’s Girlfriend Exposed! It’s actually her?
She opened the video and found it was exactly what had happened at the bar last night—Sheng Xingyuan loudly declaring that she was his girlfriend, then dragging her away.
From a third-person perspective, it was somewhat embarrassing, and Sheng Xingyuan was indeed very handsome, with an ethereal, aloof quality that seemed untouched by the mundane world.
But they were people from two different worlds. Besides, the Apocalypse was coming—where would there be time for romance?
“It was a misunderstanding. Yesterday he said that just to help me out of a tight spot. There’s nothing between us.”
Yet the rumors at school only grew more intense. Qin Muxue didn’t care, since she was going to take a leave of absence anyway.
She still needed to explain to Sheng Xingyuan everything that had happened today, so he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.
Qin Muxue opened WeChat and noticed Sheng Xingyuan’s profile picture was pitch black. Tapping on it, she saw it was a photo of a starry night sky. Even his profile picture was as distinctive as the top student himself.
“I’m really sorry about what’s on the forum. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
He didn’t reply, which was normal—after all, top students were always busy.
At that moment, Sheng Xingyuan was processing his study-abroad visa. Soon he would be heading to a prestigious foreign university for further studies.
The teacher felt no reluctance about Qin Muxue’s departure. Her grades were at the bottom, she had few friends, and she was something of an odd character.
Still, as her counselor, he offered a few words of advice: “Taking a leave of absence to think deeply about the meaning of life might not be a bad thing for you. But I hope you’ll be yourself and stop always revolving around others. The way you dress now, for example, is quite nice.”
So even the counselor knew about her reputation as a sycophant. “Don’t worry, teacher. I’ll be true to myself.”
Only Ding Manman thought this wasn’t a good idea. No matter what, you needed a college diploma to find a decent job.
Ding Manman tried to persuade her for a long time, but found her completely impervious to reason, and could only sigh repeatedly.
The two sat in a bubble tea shop near the school entrance. Qin Muxue seemed lost in other thoughts, then suddenly asked, “Manman, if I told you the end of the world was coming soon, would you believe me?”
Ding Manman sighed. “I don’t believe it. Aren’t we living just fine right now? How could there be an apocalypse?”
She knew that would be the answer, so she launched into the speech she had prepared: “Pay attention to the news the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, a massive tornado will hit Boston in Meiliguo, causing countless casualties. Once you’ve confirmed it, contact me.”
This was something she had inadvertently seen in the news in her previous life, and it had left a deep impression because that day was her birthday—yet she had spent it all alone.
Ding Manman just thought Qin Muxue was acting strange. Ever since she woke up that day, she had stopped pestering Yan Xu, had stopped coming to class much, and was doing mysterious things every day. Now she was saying such bizarre things. Still, she agreed with a mix of doubt and belief.
When Ding Manman saw the report on the news playing on the cafeteria TV, she was utterly stunned. It matched Qin Muxue’s words exactly—even the casualty numbers and locations lined up perfectly. After recovering from her shock, she composed herself and finally contacted Qin Muxue on WeChat.
“Muxue, the tornado you mentioned really happened…”
“Manman, you’re my good friend. I would never lie to you.”
“Give me a moment. I need some time to process this…”
“Okay.”
Ding Manman glanced at the time on her phone and suddenly realized that today was Qin Muxue’s birthday.
Her allowance wasn’t much, but it was enough to buy a cake. Buying this cake meant that for the next few days at school, she’d have to survive on instant noodles. But for Xiao Xue, it was all worth it.
Ding Manman picked out a strawberry-flavored cake and, beaming with delight, carried it through a long bus ride to Qin Muxue’s doorstep.
Qin Muxue was a bit surprised to see Manman arrive. She had been sleeping and was still in her pajamas, yawning.
“Xiao Xue, happy birthday!” Ding Manman held up the cake, her face all smiles.
Qin Muxue snapped awake instantly. Only Manman had remembered her birthday…
“Thank you, Manman. You came all this way—why didn’t you tell me earlier? The house is a mess, and I haven’t prepared anything.”
“You don’t need to prepare a thing. Today, you’re the birthday girl.”
Qin Muxue pulled out her phone and ordered some high-end sushi. “There’s nothing in the house, so I can only treat you to takeout.”
“Anything’s fine.” She brought out the cake. “It’s your favorite—strawberry flavor. Let’s put in the candles!”
Qin Muxue stared at the cake, momentarily dazed, but only took out a single candle. Today was her 21st birthday, and also her first birthday after being reborn. One candle was enough.
“Just one?”
“Yeah, today is a day of new life!”
Qin Muxue took a bite of the cake, the sweet taste warming her heart. “Manman, thank you.”
Even her family couldn’t remember her birthday, yet Manman did. She was deeply grateful for everything she had done.
Ding Manman said shyly, “You’re welcome. It’s a birthday gift, a bit humble, but you know—I’m pretty broke.”
It was the 99 paper cranes she had secretly folded during class today, placed in a clear glass jar, each one inscribed with her blessings for Qin Muxue…
“Not at all. This gift is precious. Thank you, Manman.”
“It’s nothing. Oh, by the way, tell me—what did you mean by that whole ‘Apocalypse’ thing?”