Immediate action was necessary!
With a thought, Ruan Ning’s consciousness returned to her body. She glanced at the date on her phone, confirmed the time, and her gaze sharpened like a blade.
Without hesitation, she picked up her phone and began tallying all the assets under her name.
Before her mother passed away, she left her a trust fund—not huge but enough to live comfortably until college graduation—and a few valuable pieces of jewelry. Now, these were her capital for survival.
Without any hesitation, she quickly contacted several reputable secondhand luxury goods dealers and pawnshops, arranging for them to come see the items.
At the same time, she forcibly redeemed all the money in her trust fund account, including fixed deposits, even if it meant taking a significant loss.
After finishing all this, she opened her wardrobe. Inside hung all kinds of expensive dresses and exquisite high heels, carefully “selected” for her by her stepmother Lin Wanyun and stepsister Lin Jiaojiao to fit the image of a “Miss Ruan.”
A cold smile tugged at Ruan Ning’s lips as she swept these flashy, impractical items aside. She dug to the bottom of the wardrobe and pulled out several sets of durable, easy-to-move-in casual wear and sneakers to change into.
Then, she neatly tied her long hair into a high ponytail, instantly shedding the fragile look of a pampered girl and exuding a sharp, capable aura.
For the next several days, Ruan Ning worked like a tireless machine, rushing around madly.
After selling the jewelry and fund, she immediately drove far from the city and rented a huge, secluded warehouse in a remote urban-rural fringe area.
Then came the almost credit-card and online loan maxing-out spree of purchasing.
Compressed biscuits, military canned food, vacuum-packed rice, flour, cooking oil, various jerky, dehydrated vegetables, purified water, drinks… tons and tons of basic survival supplies were transported to the warehouse.
Then came medicines: cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, tourniquets, gauze, alcohol, iodine… Anything she could think of, she stocked as much as possible through various channels.
Also, various daily necessities: sets of clothes for all seasons, quilts, socks, and so on.
At hardware stores, axes, machetes, entrenching tools, powerful flashlights, batteries, solar panels… became her shopping targets.
She even managed to get several dozen barrels of gasoline and diesel through special channels.
Every day, she shuttled between the warehouse and various markets, piling the supplies in the warehouse briefly, then swiftly storing them into the space when no one was around.
Looking at the mountain of supplies in the bamboo house, the sense of control over her own fate gradually dispelled the shadow of death and bone-deep chill from her past life.
Meanwhile, stepmother Lin Wanyun and stepsister Lin Jiaojiao noticed her unusual behavior.
At the dining table, Lin Wanyun put down her spoon and asked with a concerned look, “Ningning, you’ve been leaving early and coming back late these days. What are you so busy with? A girl should be more gentle and quiet.”
Lin Jiaojiao sneered sarcastically from the side, “Yeah, sister, could it be you’re dating someone? I heard you’ve bought a lot of… weird stuff lately? And you even sold the diamond necklace Auntie gave you? Are you in some kind of trouble? Don’t let anyone fool you.”
Ruan Ning calmly met their fake expressions. She had once been deceived by this seeming gentle concern.
She picked up a tissue to wipe her mouth corner and replied coldly, “Just dealing with some useless things and buying what I like. How I spend my money is none of your business.”
After speaking, she stood up and left, leaving behind a scowling Lin Wanyun and Lin Jiaojiao.
Days passed. Only two days remained until the apocalypse.
The list of supplies Ruan Ning prepared was almost complete, and the goods stored in her space would let her live comfortably for decades alone.
She began to check for any missing items, adding some overlooked details like large amounts of books and some entertainment supplies.
That afternoon, she had just left a large outdoor goods store, carrying several sets of top-quality outdoor jackets and sleeping bags, ready to pick up her car from the parking lot.
As she approached her car, a coquettish, affected voice sounded behind her.
“Sister!”
Ruan Ning stiffened imperceptibly, her hand gripping the car keys tightening until the knuckles whitened.
She slowly turned around.
Lin Jiaojiao was running over in a pretty white dress, affectionately trying to hook her arm.
Here it comes.
The exact same scene as last life.
Ruan Ning coldly avoided her touch.
Lin Jiaojiao’s smile stiffened, then she began to tear up, her voice full of grievance, “Sister, are you still mad at me? I know, last time it was my fault. I shouldn’t have touched the bracelet Mom left you without your permission… I just liked it so much. I thought it was really beautiful.”
She paused, then looked at Ruan Ning with an even more “sincere” gaze, “Sister, look, I used my own pocket money to buy you a new diamond bracelet. It’s much more fashionable than the jade one! Let’s trade, okay? You give me the jade bracelet, and I promise to cherish it!”
Then she really pulled out a velvet box from her delicate bag and opened it, revealing a dazzling diamond bracelet.
The diamonds sparkled brightly in the sunlight but could never match the coldness in Ruan Ning’s heart at that moment.
Same old trick, same clumsy excuse. In the previous life, she was fooled by this fake “sisterly affection” and “equal exchange,” and with Lin Wanyun’s coaxing, half-persuaded into giving up her mother’s heirloom.
Lin Jiaojiao didn’t even know what was so good about the bracelet, but she felt a strange attraction to it and wanted it badly.
Ruan Ning quietly watched Lin Jiaojiao’s performance, her eyes without the slightest ripple, only a deep, bottomless cold lake.
She lightly raised her left hand and slapped Lin Jiaojiao.
“Smack!”
Then, her red lips parted slightly, clearly and slowly uttering three words:
“You, also, deserve?”