Part 1
It was a new day, and most people had already adapted back to waking up in the morning instead of in the middle of the night.Although the sky was gloomy and visibility dim, it was still manageable.It almost felt like things had returned to normal—minus the impending Torrent Rainstorm hanging over them.
For now, the rain was still light but never-ending. The ground continued to drink in every drop, people were still collecting water, and the reservoirs remained cracked, their length and height unchanged.
Han Yue woke up around 8 a.m., feeling much better these days. She really preferred waking up in the morning rather than past noon—it had always felt weird then, and her breakfast, lunch, and dinner had been at random hours. Sometimes she lost count or didn't even bother to check if she was eating properly.
Now, she stepped outside wearing a cute pastel-blue raincoat paired with matching rain boots and an umbrella. Her hair was tied into two pigtails, and in her raincoat pocket was her baby bunny, small as ever, with its own pastel-blue bow.
She wandered around the base, then out to where the land was barren. The rain pattered down—plop, plop, plop—splattering against the ground, but still being absorbed.
Her feet carried her up the mountain without a real destination, until she spotted Doctor Ruxue and her son, Xiao Bao, crouched down and digging. Curious, she approached quietly from behind and saw they were collecting mushrooms.
A memory from her past life stirred. During the hunger and food shortages, people had scoured mountains and forests for anything edible—especially during this kind of light rain. Many believed the disasters were finally ending, so they searched the wilds for food. These particular mushrooms, which appeared after the rain, were one of the first things people targeted.
They were abnormally large, growing from the ground due to an unknown phenomenon—though most said it was because of the rain. Edible and non-poisonous, they later became famous when the government's research institute announced that they contained five times more protein than a typical serving of meat, and their huge size made them incredibly filling.
"Hello, Little Bao. Hello, Sister Ruxue," Han Yue greeted.
The two looked up in surprise, only to see Han Yue standing there in her pastel rain outfit.
Little Bao was the first to react, hopping up excitedly."Sister! Look, we found mushrooms and they're so big!" he said, holding one in both hands—about the size of an adult cat, yet surprisingly light.
Ruxue stood with a smile, brushing dirt from her palms."Han Yue, you naughty girl, you startled me! But look—there are so many mushrooms. It seems they started appearing when the rain came. The size is abnormal, though… I wonder if they're safe to eat."
Han Yue stuck out her tongue in a playful, mischievous way, giggled, and said, "Those mushrooms are edible, rich in protein, and great for keeping hunger at bay."
Ruxue blinked in surprise, then grinned."That's good news! I'm going to pick more." She happily placed one giant mushroom into her bucket.
Meanwhile, Han Yue turned on her smartwatch and called Secretary Wen. After five rings, he picked up.
"Miss Yue, how can I help you today~?"
Han Yue pouted. "Can't I call you without a purpose?"
"YES," Secretary Wen replied flatly, but with a hint of humor.
Han Yue stopped fooling around and said, "There are wild mushrooms growing in barren lands, forests, mountains—any soil, really. They're big, white with brown stripes on the cap, edible, high in protein, and filling. As far as I remember, they'll keep growing until the Torrent Rain ends."
"Understood. I'll send people to collect them, have researchers study them, and inform Commander Long," Secretary Wen said.
"Ok~" Han Yue replied casually before hanging up.
She pulled out a lollipop and handed it to Xiao Bao, waved goodbye to the pair, and continued her mountain stroll. She realized she hadn't done this in weeks—not since the Extreme Heatwave. Night walks had felt weird and a bit scary. What if I fell in a hole, hmmp!
Eventually, her wandering brought her near the Dragon Peak Military Base. Some soldiers on patrol spotted a girl in a pastel-blue raincoat and umbrella descending from the mountain. She looked mysterious, untouched by hardship.
"Is that a fairy? It's like she's never suffered from the disasters," one whispered."Indeed… her skin's white as porcelain, and her hair is long and shiny—even in this weather," another murmured.
A certain someone overheard them—Colonel Zhuang Wei, who was about to head out with a team to collect mushrooms for research.
He looked over and saw Han Yue strolling as if it were a park walk. Waving, he called, "Hey, Han Yue!"
She waved back.
"Are you here to help us interrogate people?" he asked.
The soldiers who'd just been calling her a fairy twitched at the word interrogation. A young, beautiful girl… an interrogator? Unbelievable.
Han Yue smiled. "Oh, I'm just strolling on the mountain. What are you guys up to?"
"We got a report from Secretary Wen about the mushrooms—they're edible, high in protein, and filling. We need to collect them for research before promoting them to the public and reporting to the government."
Han Yue nodded. "Good. This is important—food is scarce, and planting will be hard in the coming disasters."
Colonel Zhuang Wei agreed immediately, turning to his soldiers. "You heard her! Food is scarce, so work hard and collect as many mushrooms as you can!"
"Sir, yes sir!" they shouted, scattering with baskets, sacks, and containers. Some even drove trucks to station themselves at different points on the mountain.
Han Yue waved goodbye to Colonel Zhuang Wei, who hurried off as well.
By the time she was nearly down the mountain, she realized—with some pride—that she was actually pretty good at walking. But now it was lunchtime… hmmp.
She was about to turn back when a black jeep pulled up nearby. Assistant Liu stepped out with a big smile."Miss Yueee! Let's go—it's lunchtime. The train's operating near here, so we can get back in time."
Han Yue got in, blinking curiously. "Oh, I haven't seen you since our world tour. I thought you retired with Secretary Xu after winning the grand lottery," she said with innocent eyes.
Assistant Liu squinted at her—those ambiguous words could be misunderstood if overheard! She smiled stiffly. "Ehem, Miss Yue, please don't say things that might be misunderstood."
Still keeping her innocent act, Han Yue asked, "Oh? Then why are you here? I didn't tell anyone I was on a stroll."
"Colonel Zhuang Wei reported seeing you, so Secretary Wen asked me to pick you up since it's almost lunchtime."
Han Yue tilted her head. "Oh… Did you know Secretary Xu is single and rich? Why don't you consider him?"
The driver, silent until now, kept a poker face but screamed internally. OMG OMG OMG—Secretary Xu and Assistant Liu were in love?! They almost eloped when he won the grand lotto?! Big news—I'm telling Shadow 8 later!
After driving into the train station they built down the mountain, the car followed its special pathway, and before long they were home—just in time for lunch. It was already noon.
She waved a vague goodbye to Assistant Liu and the driver, then stepped into the fortress. A maid was already waiting, helping her remove her boots, raincoat, and umbrella, while another offered a towel to pat away any water stains. Han Yue thanked them before making her way to the dining room.
There sat Grandpa Long, Long Yi, little Zhihan, and Rose, already eating. Grandpa Long waved her over.
"Hurry up, little Yue, come join us! We heard you went down the mountain for a stroll. I'm impressed you can walk that far."
Zhihan and Rose chimed in together, "Sister, let's go collect mushrooms later!"
Han Yue nodded. "Alright, we'll go after lunch. And yes, Grandpa, I just missed walking around. The weather felt perfect—poetic, even—to wander in the rain."
Grandpa Long chuckled. "Indeed. I should take strolls more often."
Han Yue sat beside Long Yi—who immediately began serving her food with a gentle smile. Between the stroll, the small encounters, and the warmth of having her boyfriend fuss over her, Han Yue thought to herself that today was a good day indeed