Scene 2: Countdown to the End Begins
Han Yue sat on the floor, notebook in hand, quietly finishing the inventory of her gifts. The sheer volume was overwhelming—designer handbags, luxurious shoes, red envelopes bursting with cash, enough high-end cosmetics to stock a department store, and jewelry boxes glittering with gold, diamonds, and jade.
She smiled as she tucked away the gifts she wanted to keep into her jade space: the jade sets from her family, select pieces of jewelry, and—most importantly—the gift box from Long Yichen.
But when she reached out with her spiritual sense to enter the space…
Nothing happened.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
Panic flashed in her chest. Had something gone wrong? Was the amulet broken?
She quickly tried placing an item into the space using her mental command. It disappeared. Then she summoned it back. It returned instantly.
Relief washed over her.
"So… I can't enter for now, but I can still store and retrieve things. That means…"
Her eyes narrowed in thought.
"It's probably… upgrading?"
It was the only reasonable explanation. She had just fed it large amounts of jade from the family's jewelry sets. Maybe the space needed time or energy to evolve. Either way, it wasn't broken. That was enough.
She took a calming breath and moved on to more pressing matters.
There were still six months left before the end of the world officially began.
She opened her laptop, tapped into the novel and apocalypse preparation forums, and pulled up every "end-of-the-world checklist" she could find. From weapons to water purifiers, to seed banks and solar generators—she jotted down everything worth noting into her notebook. But she didn't stop there.
With her space, she had the advantage of hoarding.
She added things no one else would dare carry in bulk: takeout food, frozen desserts, bottled milk tea.
"I'm not going through the apocalypse without sweets," she muttered seriously, circling milk tea three times.
Next on her agenda: physical training.
In her past life, she had no time to care for her body. Her so-called family had worked her like a beast of burden. She was the one they sent out to fight, to fetch food, to fend off looters and thugs. It was only thanks to her sudden awakening as an ability user that she survived the early chaos.
But she remembered well how terrifying those early days were—how useless ordinary people were against falling buildings, spreading fires, floods, and earthquakes.
This time, she would not rely on miracles.
She scribbled new goals on her list:
Start fitness training
Learn self-defense
Hire a martial arts or survival instructor
Learn how to kill efficiently
She stared at that last line for a moment before underlining it.
"No hesitation this time."
After finalizing her checklist, she closed her laptop and rested back against the pillows. Just a short break, she told herself. Just a moment to breathe.
Out of curiosity, she opened her browser and refreshed the news.
Sure enough, trending headlines were still flooded with her name.
"Han Family's Real Daughter Officially Returns — Beauty, Elegance, and Power."
"Netizens Praise Han Yue for Her Grace and Demeanor at Last Night's Banquet."
Her lips curved into a soft smile.
She scrolled further—until a certain headline caught her eye:
"Shocking Scheme! Adopted Daughter and Her Friend Try to Sabotage Real Heiress During Welcome Party."
Han Yue blinked, then snorted in disbelief.
"Someone actually posted it?"
She clicked the video. There it was, clear as day—Feifei pouring wine, Jiaojiao switching glasses, the tray slamming into her own face. The comments were brutal:
@melonlover: Jiaojiao deserves an award for Worst Actress of the Year.
@truthdetective: Did she really think no one would notice the switch? LMAO
@gossipguru: This feels scripted, like a dog-blood drama. Love it!
@jinbao_fan: Han Yue is a goddess. That smile while Jiaojiao got wrecked? Iconic.
Han Yue laughed out loud, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
In her past life, it had been her who was mocked—accused, humiliated, labeled a liar.
This time, the roles had reversed.
She focused her mind and stretched out her spiritual sense, using her awakened power to check in on Jiaojiao. The vision came instantly.
Jiaojiao was in her room, screaming and kicking things, her face still swollen from the tray.
"Why are they all attacking me online?! That wasn't how it was supposed to go!"
Han Yue chuckled.
Of course, Jiaojiao had no idea that she herself had installed the hidden camera on the banquet floor—discreetly hidden under one of the flower arrangements—and sent the footage to several popular gossip accounts across Weibo, TikTok, and Twitter.
The drama-hungry media couldn't resist a scandal involving rich heiresses and sabotage. The clip had gone viral within hours.
"Enjoy the attention, Jiaojiao," she whispered. "You always wanted to be famous."
After watching a few more clownish edits of the incident—complete with meme sound effects—Han Yue lost interest.
It was time to be productive again.
She retrieved all the boxed luxury gifts and placed them inside her space. Everything was still in pristine condition, with all the tags and certificates intact. She would bring them to a secondhand luxury store or recycling center later and sell them discreetly. There was no point in hoarding things she wouldn't need in the apocalypse.
With her room finally clean again, she exhaled in satisfaction.
Then she checked the time.
Still early.
A thought sparked in her mind.
She wanted to buy more seeds—especially fast-growing vegetables. The apple seed she planted would take time. She needed something quicker for experimentation.
She changed into a casual outfit: a white fitted top, light blue jeans, a simple cap, a face mask, and her Martin boots. She tied her hair into a high ponytail and checked her reflection in the mirror.
Despite her efforts to look lowkey, the woman staring back at her was striking.
"Do I look like an actress?" she muttered with a small smirk.
She grabbed her phone and quietly slipped out of her room. Her father was at work, and Jiaojiao was still busy crying. Madam Lin was occupied elsewhere.
Perfect.
She called the family's idle driver and requested a ride to the public library. No one would question that.
After she arrived at the library, she calmly walked out through a side entrance and hailed a taxi.
Destination: the wholesale market.