Li Yao’s livestream gradually turned into a “meal companion” stream. Whenever it was time for Li Yao to eat, huge numbers of viewers would flood in—sniffing the food through her livestream and then downing nutrient solution.
The tips in Li Yao’s livestream quietly climbed higher and higher.
When the second month’s earnings were deposited into Li Yao’s bank account, even the livestream platform staff sighed in amazement—Li Yao was finally making money.
Li Yao’s company had been closely monitoring both Bai Shuran’s and Li Yao’s progress. Bai Shuran’s early performance had been solid; before the apocalypse, her popularity was good, and the company believed she had the potential to become a major star. As for Li Yao, the company’s evaluation team hadn’t been optimistic at all.
Now, with the apocalypse only a week in, Li Yao’s popularity was rising instead, while Bai Shuran’s group was steadily losing traction.
Every day, after exercising for two solid hours without fail, Li Yao would start making food—and she always made it in large quantities.
After a full week of nonstop rain, the first and second floors were already flooded. Residents from those floors had all been taken away by rescue teams.
Li Yao thought this was a good thing—there would be far fewer people to clash with later.
A week in, water and power still hadn’t been cut off. Li Yao watched TV while working in the kitchen. She took out strawberries from her storage space—out-of-season strawberries that had cost her a fortune. Luckily, she also had strawberries growing in her space; in a few days, she’d be able to eat them fresh.
She put the strawberries and milk into the blender, added a little sugar, and the flavor instantly doubled. While she turned to the fridge to grab some ice, the livestream equipment helpfully zoomed in on the strawberry milk she’d made.
【That looks so good.】
【I really wish nutrient solution could taste like this.】
【Li Yao, you have to keep living like this.】
【Li Yao—Sister Yao—you’re my motivation for drinking nutrient solution now.】
She added ice to the strawberry milk, then washed two small plates of strawberries and brought both the drink and fruit to Yan Yuansi and Ning Xinyue.
They thanked her. Over the past week, Li Yao had often given them food and drinks. They knew exactly what she meant—and it was hard not to be tempted.
Li Yao set a large basin of chicken feet on the living room table—today’s project was boneless chicken feet.
After some thought, she pulled up the Resident Evil series on her tablet. Watching it a few more times in advance would help her adapt.
Yan Yuansi was already bored stiff. The wind and rain outside showed no sign of easing, and he couldn’t go out. With each passing day, his mood worsened. Earth’s apocalypse really wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined.
Li Yao watched the movie while skillfully deboning the chicken feet. Once finished, they’d be enough snacks for quite a while.
Messages in the neighborhood owners’ group scrolled rapidly.
【I live on the third floor—the water’s almost reached us. Is the rescue team coming?】
【Hard to say. If they can’t make it, move upstairs.】
【That’s the only option. I remember there are plenty of vacant units above.】
【Does anyone have food? We’ve got nothing left.】
The chat fell silent for a moment at the mention of food. The person seemed to realize how inappropriate it sounded and quickly added:
【We’re completely out of food. Instant noodles, rice—anything is fine. I can pay. Any price. My kid hasn’t eaten for two days.】
Someone immediately sent a private message—probably a deal was struck.
Li Yao only skimmed a couple of lines. No one was taking the rain seriously yet. Handing over food now would only bring regret later.
She turned her head and noticed Yan Yuansi and Ning Xinyue staring at the TV. The kitten Yan Yuansi had bought padded over, affectionately rubbed against Li Yao’s pant leg, then hopped onto her lap, purring loudly.
Yan Yuansi looked at her with envy. “Why does Mimi like you so much?”
Li Yao let the kitten lie comfortably on her legs. “Maybe I just have a cat-attracting physique.”
【Hahaha, and Brother Yan actually believes her.】
【If Li Yao secretly fed me good food every day, I’d like her too.】
【Exactly—she looks cold, but she’s warm-hearted.】
After the apocalypse began, every livestream’s atmosphere changed. Trapped in one place, teams that had once seemed harmonious began to fracture.
But with Li Yao, viewers noticed her emotions were remarkably stable. Yan Yuansi and Ning Xinyue argued sometimes—but neither of them had ever argued with Li Yao.
They had their frustrations too. They wanted to argue. Every time Li Yao made delicious food, they felt resentful—weren’t they all colleagues?
But whenever they met Li Yao’s cool, indifferent gaze, it felt like she saw straight through them. Their rising anger was instantly doused with cold water.
Ning Xinyue had trained in martial arts. Every time she met Li Yao’s eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
Thinking back on that gaze, she knew Li Yao wasn’t the useless person the rumors claimed. At the very least, she wasn’t a vase—no decorative vase could endure that level of intense self-training while barely breaking a sweat.
She’d tried matching Li Yao’s training intensity. After just half an hour, she didn’t even want to move.
By the end of one movie, Li Yao had finished a huge basin of chicken feet. She sliced several lemons into it, poured in the prepared seasonings, added cilantro, and then generously sprinkled in several handfuls of fragrant toasted sesame seeds.
One full basin of boneless chicken feet—done. Li Yao tasted it. It was no worse than what you’d buy outside.
In her previous life, when she’d been gnawing on grass roots, all she could think about were different kinds of food. When the apocalypse first began, she’d been indifferent like everyone else. Later on, even tree bark was a luxury.
Luckily, she was capable enough to survive on her own. She endured four and a half years of brutal extreme weather, and she survived the harsh months at the military base.
She’d thought things were finally getting better—then the zombie outbreak came. Without those three years of extreme cold, the zombie virus would have erupted even earlier.
Even so, humanity’s numbers plummeted.
She snapped back to the present and took out another basin of chicken feet from her storage space—just in time for the second movie.
Suddenly, she heard cries for help outside.
Li Yao and the other two rushed to the balcony. Two people were struggling desperately in the water. The apocalyptic rain had only been going on for a week, yet the water level had reached the second floor—six or seven meters deep. In rain like this, without rescue, survival was nearly impossible.
“Help! Someone please save us!”
With their sharp eyesight, they saw a bathtub drifting along with the current—the two people must have come out riding in it.
Yan Yuansi moved without hesitation. He had to save them.
Ning Xinyue wanted to follow, but she glanced at Li Yao, who hadn’t moved at all. “Yao Yao, are you coming with us?”
Li Yao shook her head. “None of you can save them.” She watched as the man was swept farther and farther away by the current, his strength nearly gone. With the elevators out, he wouldn’t last until they got downstairs.
Ning Xinyue cursed Li Yao inwardly—what was wrong with her? Fine if she didn’t want to help, but why say something so ominous? Without looking back, she rushed out after Yan Yuansi.