Fu Yinli went into the supermarket and rummaged around, eventually finding a flexible plastic hose.
He inserted one end into the fuel, then sucked on the other end—only to immediately spit it out as fuel began to flow out.
Ruan Zhe pressed her knee against the container. Soon, the first barrel was more than half full—about 30 liters. The second filled the same way.
Not only diesel, but also gasoline was siphoned out. They repeated the process, filling three barrels in total, since they had no more empty containers.
Ahhh—
Looking at the massive underground fuel tanks, Ruan Zhe couldn’t help but wish she had a spatial storage cheat ability. With just a thought, everything could be stored away. No need to struggle like this, carrying things until exhaustion.
But no—this was the apocalypse. She was already greedy enough as it was.
They loaded everything into the RV. The fuel barrels were placed in the aisle behind the seats and secured with ropes. Food was stacked in cabinets, bottled water shoved under the seats. The small RV suddenly felt even more cramped.
They each drank half a bottle of water.
“I’ll drive the car over there. You make something to eat. I’m starving,” Ruan Zhe said.
After physical labor, hunger came quickly. All she wanted now was something hot.
The rain outside was getting heavier again—so heavy it didn’t even look like rain anymore, more like a wall pouring down from the sky.
Just as she finished speaking, something soft landed on her head. Then a large hand reached over and gently ruffled her hair.
“Let me dry you off first so you don’t catch a cold.”
Both of them were wet. Ruan Zhe felt like a puppy being wrapped in a towel and patted on the head, so she quickly pulled it off and hung it around his neck instead.
“No need, no need. I’ll just shower later.”
She then stepped on the accelerator and parked the RV under a slab of cover that barely shielded it from the rain.
Fu Yinli glanced at her slightly red ears and calmly went to cook.
He first took out a mini car rice cooker—clearly designed for one person. Ruan Zhe had planned her RV trip alone; there had never been anyone else in her plan.
But now, he was here too.
After cooking the rice, he took out a medium-sized pot, added oil, and poured in a packet of spicy hotpot seasoning, stir-frying until fragrant. Then he added water and let it boil slowly over the weak gas stove.
From the semi-conductor mini fridge, he took out tomatoes, king oyster mushrooms, luncheon meat, beef and lamb slices, vermicelli, and cabbage, preparing everything one by one before adding them in.
The tomatoes quickly melted into the broth, turning it a rich red. The luncheon meat floated up and down, the vermicelli softened, and the vegetables were lightly cooked at the end.
Finally, he added a pinch of salt and white pepper, and sprinkled chopped scallions on top before serving.
By then, the rice was also ready.
Ruan Zhe leaned over, smelling the aroma. “Fu Yinli, your cooking is this good?”
Spicy hotpot base could be made from seasoning packets—but his knife skills and orderly preparation clearly showed he cooked often.
She kept calling him by name.
Fu Yinli placed a table mat down, brought the pot over, and served her rice.
“It’s decent. When I studied in Germany, if I didn’t cook for myself, I wouldn’t survive,” he said calmly.
So he was a poor overseas student after all.
Because space was tight, they ended up sitting so close their hands almost touched while eating. Outside, the rain poured heavily, while inside they ate warm, comforting hotpot until every last bite was finished.
“I’ll wash the dishes,” Ruan Zhe said naturally.
But Fu Yinli took the dishes from her. “Go take a shower. We might be sleeping here tonight.”
Since the RV had not returned to the farm, it meant there was no immediate danger. And each time the countdown ended, the next location appeared randomly.
Ruan Zhe quickly realized that was true. They should take the chance to wash up and rest—neither of them had rested at all.
She didn’t argue and went to shower quickly.
When she came out, Fu Yinli said, “There’s ginger tea on the table. Drink a bowl.”
Medicine was precious—they needed to prevent illness.
So thoughtful. The same Fu family CEO who, in the original novel, was described as cold, domineering, and even capable of extreme cruelty… was now so meticulous.
Ruan Zhe looked at him strangely and drank the ginger tea.
“Thanks.”
Fu Yinli responded with a cool “mm” and went to shower as well.
They both washed quickly to save water.
Ruan Zhe was unfolding the pull-down bed from the ceiling when she turned and saw Fu Yinli pulling on his shirt, his abdominal muscles briefly exposed.
Ruan Zhe: “……”
“What?” Fu Yinli asked, unaware. “Did you turn on the heater?”
His abs and slim waist were immediately hidden under the “auntie-style” shirt again.
What a pity—beautiful scenery always disappears too fast.
“No, it’s not cold yet,” she replied, instantly clearing her mind and continuing to make the bed.
Then she suddenly realized—
There was only one bed.
They were going to sleep together.
For the past few years, she slept in the master bedroom, while he usually stayed in the guest room when he came home late. Over time, they had stopped sharing a bed.
The bed was only 1.2 meters wide. The mattress was thin, the sheets gray-blue and cheap—the standard factory setup of the RV.
It was the apocalypse. There was no need to be picky.
Ruan Zhe got under the blanket. “I want the inside.”
Fu Yinli’s dark eyes flickered slightly. “Won’t it be too crowded for you?”
“It’ll do. We need rest.”
She curled up facing the window. Neither of them wore sleepwear, only keeping their outer coats nearby in case of emergencies. Fortunately, although it was raining, it wasn’t too cold.
Then she heard Fu Yinli step onto the bed. The mattress sank heavily. On a 1.2-meter bed, he couldn’t even stretch his legs fully, so he just sat slightly upright.
“You sleep first,” he said.
“You’re not sleeping?” Sleepiness hit her suddenly; her voice already softened.
“I’ll rest a bit and keep watch. You’re tired. Sleep.”
He tugged the blanket, covering her exposed shoulder.
She could clearly feel his arm, his breathing, the warmth of his body—his presence was impossible to ignore.
But he was right. In this situation, they couldn’t both sleep deeply. Something might happen at any moment.
She rolled over and almost bumped into his chest, quickly shifting back. “I’m not that sleepy. I can keep watch.”
“I said I’ll keep watch. You sleep.” He stepped down from the bed decisively.
“Then how about I take the first half of the night?” she tried.
Fu Yinli stood there, then turned slightly. “No. Also… you’ve been calling my name a lot. Why aren’t you calling me like before?”