Qin Muxue had been busy with her business plan these past few days. There were still some things she needed to buy, but they were expensive and she didn’t have enough money on hand. Since that was the case, she could only start working with no capital and relying on her wits.
She first used her father’s network of connections, claiming she wanted to start a film and television company. Qin Shou was initially opposed, so Qin Muxue said she would sell the villa to raise funds. He could only reluctantly agree to use his connections to help her and gave her a few million as startup capital.
Only then did she ease up and establish a media and film company. She first found a movie that had been shelved for a long time due to lack of funds for post-production, then invested all the money into it. At first, the director found her approach strange because the film had already been written off as a lost cause.
But Qin Muxue knew about this apocalypse film. It would be released three months before the apocalypse arrived and become an instant hit. At that time, people would frantically buy tickets to watch it, raking in over 10 billion yuan at the box office—the last frenzy before the end of the world.
“It’s fine. Even if we lose money, it doesn’t matter. I’ve invested in it, and the money isn’t the issue. What matters is getting it released as soon as possible.”
In this life, because of her early investment, the director returned to post-production full of confidence and even hired a few actors for reshoots.
Qin Muxue not only used her own funds but also mortgaged the house for a bank loan. Of course, her father knew nothing about any of this, because he was soon diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and didn’t have much time left.
One day, her father called her to the hospital with a single phone call and said earnestly, “Xiao Xue, I don’t have much longer to live, and you know this. But what worries me most is your younger sister. You know they’re a widow and an orphan—once I die, there’ll be no one to take care of them. I’ve always treated you well and given you whatever you asked for. Now I hope you’ll sign a few agreements to secure their future.”
Xia Qiaoyun and Qin Jia hugged each other and sobbed, putting on a full performance. “Dad, don’t say that. You won’t die. Medical technology is so advanced these days.”
“Jia Jia, don’t worry. Even if I die, what should be left to you won’t be reduced.”
In her previous life, Qin Muxue had been vaguely deceived by this act. Because her father said that as long as she signed the contract, a third of the Qin family’s assets would go to her. Looking at the thick stack of contracts filled with terms she didn’t understand—many of which had been specially drafted by lawyers—she had fallen into the trap without realizing it.
She had even given away the villa that belonged to her to Xia Qiaoyun and her daughter. Now, of course, she wouldn’t be that foolish again.
Qin Muxue pondered for a moment and said, “Dad, if that’s the case, then you wouldn’t mind if I brought a lawyer over, would you?”
Qin Shou was already at death’s door. He coughed a few times and shouted, “What? You don’t even trust your own father?”
Xia Qiaoyun wiped her tears with a tissue. “Xiao Xue, I treat you as my own daughter. I would never harm you—only do what’s best for you. Why do we need a lawyer? We’re all family.”
Hmph, she would never trust that weasel again. There might be good stepmothers in this world, but Xia Qiaoyun was definitely not one of them. And her father had long been blown by Xia Qiaoyun’s pillow talk until he couldn’t tell east from west. Now he was gravely ill and not even in his right mind. Neither of them could be trusted.
She had long since hired a well-known lawyer in the industry to help her review the contract. The lawyer flipped through the document, pointing out the unreasonable clauses one by one. “Miss Qin, these are all unreasonable. Especially this one—it requires you to give up your inheritance rights to the villa and gift it to someone else. This line is printed in particularly small font, so most people wouldn’t notice it, but it’s illegal.” The lawyer explained seriously.
“Did you all hear that? The lawyer says it’s illegal. How dare you try to cheat me like this? I will absolutely not sign this document.” Qin Muxue sneered as she tore the document to shreds.
Qin Shou was so furious he had to lie in bed with an oxygen mask. Xia Qiaoyun, seeing that their scheme had been exposed, stammered in defense: “We had other lawyers look at it too—is the lawyer you found even reliable?”
Qin Jia chimed in from the side: “Sister, are you trying to hog the entire inheritance for yourself?”
“How could that be?” Qin Muxue wore a gentle smile on her face, but inwardly she despised these two “actors.”
“Regardless, I’m not signing it.”
Qin Shou was so enraged that he fainted. Qin Muxue immediately called for emergency treatment, but unfortunately, he passed away then and there.
Qin Muxue felt not a trace of sorrow. Dying now was better than suffering through the Apocalypse—in fact, it was more like a release.
At her father’s funeral, Xia Qiaoyun still tried to smear her reputation, claiming that she had literally angered her own father to death.
Qin Muxue calmly explained: “My father had terminal lung cancer—he was going to die sooner or later anyway. Besides, the three of us were present at the time, along with my lawyer. Any one of us could have angered him to death, but do you have proof that it was my words that killed him? I could just as easily turn around and accuse you of killing my father. You have no evidence, yet here you are making wild accusations. Everyone knows I’m not your biological daughter—should the vast Qin family estate really be handed over to an outsider like you?”
The relatives around them realized this was indeed true, and since Xia Qiaoyun was known to be petty and mean-spirited, most people didn’t care for her anyway.
Qin Muxue was alone, and today she had deliberately put on a pitiful, calculated makeup look—her eye corners flushed red as if she had been crying profusely, making her appear utterly helpless and endearing.
Moreover, she was an orphaned child with no one to rely on, which made her far more convincing than Xia Qiaoyun. The Qin relatives thus sided with her.
In fact, before the funeral even began, Qin Muxue had already tipped off a group of relatives.
If they were willing to stand on her side, then the portion of the estate that Xia Qiaoyun should have received would be distributed among these relatives.
With benefits on the line, everyone was tempted. For Qin Muxue, she would rather give the money to other relatives than to her “dear stepmother.”
The stepmother was left for the relatives to deal with—after all, Qin Muxue was her father’s legitimate biological child, far more rightful than that woman of dubious origins and Qin Jia. A prominent family also had to consider face.
Qin Muxue stood beside them, watching the drama unfold like a spectator enjoying a show.
Just then, the phone rang. Qin Muxue answered…
“Hello, is this Miss Qin? I’ve found the information you asked me to look for.”
A “benevolent” smile curled at the corner of Qin Muxue’s lips.
Under the relentless pressure of the crowd, Xia Qiaoyun could only shout loudly, “Even if I, Xia Qiaoyun, am not qualified to receive the inheritance, my daughter is of the Qin family’s blood—she is certainly qualified to receive it. I must take back her share!”
Qin Muxue, dressed in black, looked solemn under the dim light. She spoke slowly, “Whether Qin Jia is my father’s biological daughter, I think you know best.”
Xia Qiaoyun’s heart skipped a beat, but she still maintained a composed expression and said, “Qin Jia is, of course, your father’s biological child—there’s no doubt about that.” For some reason, her words carried a hint of guilt.
Back then, she had not only known Qin Shou but had also been dating another handsome boyfriend, unfortunately, that boyfriend was a penniless man.
When she discovered she was pregnant, she had been with both men during that period, so she naturally pinned the pregnancy on Qin Shou. She had hoped to rise in status through the child, but unfortunately, Qin Shou couldn’t bear to part with his beloved wife at home and refused to let her take the main position. He kept her as a mistress outside, providing not enough companionship but plenty of money.
Now that Qin Muxue had asked such a question, Xia Qiaoyun was naturally panicked inside.
The lawyer hurried over and handed the documents to Qin Muxue. “Miss Qin, all the materials you requested are fully prepared.”
Qin Muxue slammed the documents onto the table. “This is a paternity test report. Whether Qin Jia is my father’s biological child—you only need one look to know. She has no right to inherit any of the Qin family’s assets.”
“Impossible, impossible!” Xia Qiaoyun opened the folder, and the test report clearly stated that the two had no biological relationship. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, knowing she was completely finished.
Qin Muxue had originally been someone who would obey her family’s every word as long as they treated her well—how had she become so cunning now?
Qin Jia sobbed and cried out, “Mom, am I really not Dad’s child?”
Xia Qiaoyun remained silent, her once immaculate hairstyle now in disarray. Facing the powerful and influential Qin family, she had no choice but to flee shamefully with Qin Jia.
Qin Muxue breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, she knew these relatives wouldn’t let things go so easily, especially since she was just a student who hadn’t even graduated from university. She took out one-third of the inheritance and distributed it among those relatives.
Some connections cannot be measured by money. The movie she planned to release would still need the family members to smooth things over and to purchase certain items that couldn’t be bought in this country.
Even so, she still received a cash inheritance of one billion, instantly becoming a golden single woman with assets exceeding one hundred million. Even so, quite a few men thought about marrying her to take over her fortune, but Qin Muxue naturally ignored them. If she hadn’t yet understood the harm men could bring, she would truly be brainless.
As for her father’s company, she didn’t believe she had the ability to manage it, so she transferred all her shares and converted them into cash.
As for the villa her mother had left her, no matter how reluctant she was, she could only sell it. Once the tsunami came, this place would be destroyed. She simply stored all the keepsakes her mother had left her in her Space and sold everything else along with the property.
Xia Qiaoyun and her daughter, who had originally lived in the villa, could only be driven out shamefully. “I’m sorry, but I’ve already sold this house, so I’ll have to trouble you to get out.”
Xia Qiaoyun was furious, her anger blazing: “You heartless thing, have you forgotten that your father asked you to take care of us before he died? How dare you treat us like this?”
“How ridiculous. That was based on Qin Jia being his biological daughter. Since she isn’t even his real daughter, how can you have the nerve to stay here? Besides, this is the house my mother left me. You have no right to make a scene here!”
Xia Qiaoyun’s tone softened. “You… we’ve lived here for so long. Xiao Xue, please, in consideration of our many years of mother-daughter relationship, just take us in for now!”
“Mom, don’t beg her!”
“That’s right, don’t beg me like a dog, because I won’t have an ounce of sympathy for you. From the moment you became my father’s mistress, my resentment toward you has never faded.”
Qin Muxue recalled everything this stepmother had done to her—how she had pretended to care for her on the surface while secretly urging her father to cut her living expenses, how she had stripped away her opportunity to study abroad, how she had taken the designer clothes and bags from her wardrobe and given them to Qin Jia, how even the princess room that rightfully belonged to her had been snatched away by Qin Jia, and finally, how her father, swayed by his mistress’s whispers, had tricked her out of her property, leaving her with nothing in the end.
If she didn’t harden her heart against them, she would be the one ending up in such a miserable state.
Throwing them out of the Qin family’s gate along with their belongings, Qin Muxue felt a wave of relief.
Whatever happened to those two from now on was none of her business. She had even pulled strings to prevent Qin Jia from getting internships at other companies, and the connections Xia Qiaoyun had carefully cultivated shattered completely the moment her father died. Through lawsuits, Qin Muxue had also reclaimed a large portion of the property under the mother and daughter’s names.
“Mom, I will definitely protect myself and I will survive!” she resolved silently.
She invited Ding Manman out, and the two stood by the boundless sea.
Xuanwu City was a coastal city, drawing an endless stream of tourists every year. Now, on the beach, many young couples were flirting and teasing each other, enjoying the natural sunbath.
The faint salty scent of the sea lingered around them. Qin Muxue looked up at the azure sky, savoring a moment of tranquility.
Who would have thought that this gentle sea would one day surge forth and engulf the entire city of Xuanwu?
An unprecedented tsunami would not only destroy the coastal cities completely but also spare none of the surrounding island nations.
The inland regions would survive, and their class happened to be doing internships elsewhere, not in Xuanwu City, which was why they survived. But even then, their situation was dire, for they lacked supplies.
“Xiao Xue, how do you know about the disasters that will happen in the future?” Ding Manman was the first to ask. “The numbers all match up—this can’t just be a coincidence.”
Qin Muxue had originally wanted to tell her about being reborn, but fearing she wouldn’t be able to accept it, she chose another way to explain: “Because I had a very long dream. In the dream, I saw everything about the future—I dreamed that this world would be destroyed, and that we would die too.”
“The end of the world? Xiao Xue, you believe in that too? I know there’s a group of people online who are staunch believers in doomsday theories. I never thought you’d agree with that view.”
“In the future, natural disasters will strike frequently—not just this rare tornado, but other catastrophes as well.”
Ding Manman was silent for a moment, then raised her head with determination: “Xiao Xue, I believe you. You’ve never lied to me since we were kids, and I still believe you now!”
Looking into her eyes, Qin Muxue handed her a glass of juice and said with a gentle smile: “Thank you for believing in me, Manman. By the way, is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go? We could take a trip together.”
The beautiful landscapes of their homeland would soon be destroyed in the coming disaster.
Their dream of traveling the world had yet to be fulfilled, but she still had time to take her to the place she most wanted to visit.
“I want to see the water towns of Jiangnan!”
Coincidentally, she wanted to go there too. She’d heard it was her mother’s hometown—her mother had never returned since marrying into the family.
“Great, I’ll book plane tickets for tomorrow right away!” A spontaneous trip, just like that!
The two of them spent a few days in Jiangnan and came back utterly exhausted. When Qin Muxue returned home—she’d hired someone to feed the cats and dogs while she was away—she found that all her pets had put on a whole layer of weight.
She picked up Zhenzhu. Calico cats were the most affectionate of all the domestic breeds, and seeing Qin Muxue, the cat rubbed against her, meowing in a way that was deeply soothing. Qin Muxue’s heart was instantly healed.
This trip to Jiangnan wasn’t just for fun—she’d also brought back all kinds of local snacks and small handicrafts made with traditional techniques that were on the verge of being lost. She bought them as keepsakes, nothing more.
That night, she held the adorable kitten close, with Baozhu sleeping at her feet, and felt an extraordinary sense of peace… though in her dreams, she still saw that detestable burly man. Until he was eliminated, she couldn’t rest easy.
Qin Muxue made a phone call to her cousin. This cousin was over twenty years her senior. His rise to wealth hadn’t been entirely clean, but he’d long since laundered his reputation, and his influence remained formidable.
“Cousin, there’s a man I’d like you to investigate for me?”
The cousin hadn’t had much dealings with Qin Muxue, but he’d received a share of the inheritance back then, which had solved his most pressing problems. So he agreed cheerfully and asked, “Why do you want this man investigated?”
“He tried to force himself on me. Cousin, please don’t spread this shameful matter around. I’m just a weak woman—no parents, constantly bullied by my stepmother, and now violated with no way to fight back. If this became public, I wouldn’t be able to go on living in this world.”
The cousin thought it over and found her words reasonable. After all, she was family, and he’d taken her money, so he ought to help. Just then, his phone showed a transfer notification—he’d received 5 million yuan.
“Cousin, this is a token of my gratitude for your trouble. You know that although I inherited a lot, Father still has many bank loans to repay. This is all the liquid capital I can spare. I hope you can help me eliminate the problem at its root.”
She phrased it vaguely, but she knew her cousin understood her meaning.
The cousin accepted the five million and worked with remarkable speed, immediately contacting some people from Southeast Asia to handle the job.
Late at night, in a dark alley, a man whistled as he staggered drunkenly down the street, reeking of alcohol. “That girl tonight wasn’t bad looking, too bad I didn’t manage to trick her into it.”
Suddenly, several tall figures emerged from the darkness. He was struck hard on the head, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Leaning against the wall, he shouted, “Who is it? Who dares to attack me? Do you know who I am? Do you know who’s in charge of this area? How dare you hit me!”
No one answered. They just kept beating him, their fists raining down on his body like hailstones. He howled in pain, feeling as if his bones were about to break.
They even kicked him in his most sensitive spot. Yu Cheng felt excruciating pain in his lower body, as if it had been broken. “You can hit me anywhere, but please don’t hit me there! I still need it to carry on the family line!”
They ignored him. He felt himself being stuffed into a burlap sack, struggling to breathe.
After what seemed like an eternity, he was blindfolded with black cloth.
When he woke up again, he had no idea where he was. He could hear rats gnawing nearby, and a foul stench permeated the air.
“I have money! Please, let us go, I’ll give you money!” The men were Southeast Asians and couldn’t understand a word he was saying. They smuggled him across the border by boat to a lawless foreign land.
Their mission was simply to bring this man to this place to receive his punishment.
His hands were bound tightly, and he couldn’t see anything in front of him. His heart was filled with dread.
Soon, he felt a panting creature approaching him. The smell of saliva hit him, and the creature’s tongue licked his cheek, as if tasting him.
Where was this place? What kind of creature was in front of him?
Qin Muxue watched the monitor, looking at Yu Cheng’s twisted face filled with terror, and felt a surge of satisfaction.
Since you ate my dog in the last life, then in this life, let you be eaten by dogs…
Amidst the sounds of tearing, she watched as several bully dogs lunged toward the man.
Baozhu heard the commotion and came over. Qin Muxue immediately covered her eyes. “Baozhu, we don’t look at dirty things!”
She turned off the video and began feeding Zhenzhu and Baozhu. Today, she opened a hearty beef can for Baozhu, while Zhenzhu had some goat’s milk and kitten food. Her stomach was delicate, so that was all she could eat for now.
For the sake of Zhenzhu and Baozhu’s food, she had specially purchased the best dog and cat food products—premium canned goods, air-dried food, various fruits, vegetables, and snacks for animals—stockpiling thousands of packages. That should be enough for Baozhu and Zhenzhu to last a lifetime.
Since she had taken them in, she had to ensure they lived out their lives safely and comfortably. That was one of her small goals. Though she knew dogs and cats had relatively short lifespans, no one could ever know whether tomorrow or the unexpected would come first.