Five Young, Strong Men Would Soon Arrive…
Huo Yi felt that his girlfriend had been acting extremely strangely these past few days.
He looked at Lu Ying, hesitating to speak.
“Baby…”
Lu Ying stood at the entrance of the villa, watching the frantic renovation work taking place next door. She lazily glanced at him.
“What is it?”
Huo Yi had countless questions.
He wanted to ask why his usually obedient girlfriend had suddenly changed. She no longer paid attention to him and had instead found a new object of interest—the house she had just purchased.
She devoted all her attention to discussing the new villa with her cousin and his wife, talking about its installation work and how to speed everything up.
The villa they currently lived in was similarly crammed with the heating equipment, food, everyday necessities and medicine Lu Ying had purchased.
It was almost as though the apocalypse were coming.
Huo Yi thought the idea was absurdly alarmist and immediately dismissed it.
Smiling, he tentatively asked, “Do you remember that we planned to go to Semporna next week?”
Lu Ying recalled the plane tickets, hotel reservations and itinerary stored on the original owner’s phone.
“I remember. The plan has changed.”
She could not be bothered to explain too much to Huo Yi. She merely asked, “Have you spoken to all your cousins? I’m inviting them over for a meal this week. Every single one of them must come.”
Huo Yi fell silent.
A hesitant expression appeared on his face. Lu Ying caught the change in his emotions, frowned and reached directly into his pocket for his phone.
The entire sequence of movements was smooth and effortless.
Huo Yi panicked and tried to snatch it back. He thought she intended to inspect his messages, and guilty sweat immediately broke out across his forehead.
Lu Ying could not be bothered with whatever twists and turns were going through his mind.
She held the phone in front of his face.
Facial recognition unlocked it.
Then she opened WeChat.
“Baby, how can you take my phone without my permission?” Huo Yi was genuinely angry this time.
Lu Ying ignored him. She turned her back and extended an arm to block his attempts to retrieve the phone.
Her voice remained calm.
“Huo Yi, behave yourself.”
His once sweet and sensible girlfriend had suddenly transformed.
Huo Yi stared as those full, pale-red lips delivered such sharp, merciless words.
“Try grabbing the phone again, and you won’t be getting into bed tonight. Get lost and stay away from me.”
Huo Yi immediately lowered his voice. His head drooped dejectedly.
“Baby, I—”
His girlfriend’s transformation had made her fierce enough to set his blood on fire and leave him itching with desire.
Huo Yi had diligently waited on her for several days without getting a taste of anything. He did not want all his previous efforts to go to waste.
Fortunately, Lu Ying did not inspect his private messages.
He watched as she opened a group chat named **Family**, tagged all his paternal cousins and sent a message.
> Come to my girlfriend’s house for dinner this week. There’s something important to discuss.
Replies quickly began appearing in the group chat.
Lu Ying did not read them.
She continued searching until she found the WeChat group created by Huo Yi’s maternal relatives.
The group was named **The Qiao Family**.
She found each of Huo Yi’s maternal cousins, tagged them one by one and sent another message informing them of the time and telling them that they absolutely could not miss the gathering.
Huo Yi was completely baffled.
“Baby, are you planning to make some major announcement?”
He frowned.
“I’m not even that close to the cousins on my mother’s side. Why invite them?”
The Huo family was among society’s elite and possessed considerable wealth. Huo Yi’s mother’s family was not nearly as rich.
Ever since childhood, Huo Yi had been closer to the relatives on his father’s side. He rarely involved himself in matters concerning his mother’s family.
Lu Ying finished sending the messages.
She continued operating his phone, creating a separate group chat containing herself, Huo Yi and all his male cousins from both sides of the family.
The group chat was created successfully.
There were seven members in total.
Having accomplished what she wanted, she handed the phone back to him.
As for what Huo Yi had said, she replied, “Oh. That doesn’t matter.”
“What doesn’t matter? Baby, I’m not close to them,” Huo Yi said with a bitter smile.
Lu Ying raised her eyelids and looked at the handsome man.
Her tone was languid.
“It doesn’t affect my ability to invite them to dinner.”
Her objective had not yet been achieved.
She did not intend to let Huo Yi notice anything unusual, so she merely said, “My brother wants you to go and help him.”
Sure enough, Huo Yi’s attention was immediately diverted.
He replied unwillingly, “Baby, didn’t your brother hire workers? Why does he still need my help?”
Lu Ying folded her arms, her tone unpleasant.
“You live with me, and we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. What? I don’t even charge you rent, but you can’t help me with a little work?”
Huo Yi did not have nearly as much cash at his disposal as his girlfriend.
His family might be rich, but most of its wealth remained in the hands of the elders. Only his older cousin had demonstrated exceptional ability and taken control at a young age, becoming a highly influential figure.
People like Huo Yi and his younger cousin were merely wealthy young masters who relied on family trusts to maintain their luxurious lifestyles.
They could not compare with Lu Ying, whose parents were deceased and who controlled an astonishing personal fortune.
During the three months they had been dating, Huo Yi might have complained verbally, but his actions had been extremely honest.
He had happily become Lu Ying’s kept man, enjoying the mansion in her name and eating Australian beef and lobsters flown in by air.
Lu Ying’s words struck his pride.
Huo Yi’s expression turned cold.
Lu Ying casually added, “I bought the house next door. Won’t we be living there together in the future? Why wouldn’t you put some effort into your own home?”
Her words sent Huo Yi’s emotions soaring and plummeting.
“We’ll live there together?” he muttered.
Lu Ying casually hummed in agreement.
She did not specify exactly how many people were included in that “we.”
Nor did she mention that once the villa’s rushed renovation was finished, she intended to let her cousin and his wife use it first.
Huo Yi immediately brightened.
“All right. I’ll go and help Brother Shengyi. Let me change my clothes first.”
His gym-sculpted figure had beautiful curves and felt wonderful beneath the hands.
He excitedly headed towards the dressing room, planning to change into something that could withstand getting dirty.
Lu Ying watched him casually pull off his T-shirt, revealing smooth, well-defined muscles. She stared for a moment.
She was in no hurry to have a taste of him.
The approaching extreme-cold apocalypse was far more urgent.
Lu Ying had instructed her investment manager to take out a mortgage to purchase the villa next door. The down payment had been low, and the monthly repayment was thirty thousand yuan.
Once the extreme-cold apocalypse began, the economic system would collapse.
By paying nothing more than the deposit, she would effectively own a three-storey villa with a basement, swimming pool and spacious courtyard.
In the original novel, the male and female leads had survived for two years.
Eventually, scientists developed heating stones that could be distributed to everyone and officially began producing low-energy, self-heating insulation materials. Humanity finally saw a chance for survival.
Later, society was rebuilt, and all previous agreements and records became invalid.
The arrival of the apocalypse would be a great cleansing of the existing social hierarchy.
Lu Ying could not be bothered to think about what would happen after social order was restored.
First, she had to survive the approaching crisis.
Survive the extreme cold.
Several key points related to survival flashed through her mind.
Food.
Heating equipment.
And once that equipment failed, people who could save each other’s lives by sharing body heat and helping one another.
She was making every effort to gather more people.
Handsome ones.
Beautiful ones.
People who were pleasing to the eye.
Lu Ying watched Huo Yi head next door to help with the renovation.
After finishing the work in her hands, Bai Xiaoyi walked over to Lu Ying and sighed.
She did not think highly of Lu Ying’s relationship with Huo Yi.
“Lulu, there are a few presumptuous things I’d like to say.”
Lu Ying looked at her and patiently waited for her to continue.
Bai Xiaoyi, the heroine of the original novel, possessed a heart of gold and was fiercely protective of those close to her.
She was eight years older than the original owner and genuinely treated her like a younger sister.
She was experienced and had seen much of the world. A few cursory glances were enough for her to realise that Huo Yi was not sincere enough towards Lu Ying.
“This boyfriend of yours…” Bai Xiaoyi began incisively, although her tone remained gentle. Her gaze lightly settled on Lu Ying. “He’s certainly handsome, but he seems rather spoiled.”
“I remember you saying that he’s one of the Huo family’s young masters?”
This was the first time Bai Xiaoyi and her husband, Cheng Shengyi, had met their younger cousin’s current boyfriend.
However, she had already heard about him.
Not long ago, Lu Ying had told her that she was dating Huo Yi.
Whenever her younger cousin spoke about him, her cheeks had glowed pink and her eyes had brimmed with affection.
The girl was already gentle and soft-hearted by nature, yet she had been completely bewitched by a wealthy young master.
A young woman who had never cooked before had even asked Bai Xiaoyi for recipes and started learning how to cook for her boyfriend.
Bai Xiaoyi had long wanted to arrange a meeting with the couple.
As one of Lu Ying’s family members, she wanted to warn Huo Yi not to hurt her.
Unfortunately, Lu Ying had excitedly conveyed her family’s wishes to him, only to receive an indifferent response.
The opportunity for them to meet over a meal had never arrived.
Ever since that failed attempt, Bai Xiaoyi had known that Huo Yi did not like Lu Ying all that much.
It angered her.
Two days earlier, when she arrived at the villa, she had watched her younger cousin interact with Huo Yi with a cold expression.
Perhaps Huo Yi was simply very good at pretending, because it now appeared as though her younger cousin had him completely under her thumb.
Even so, Bai Xiaoyi remained worried.
“Lulu, is he usually like this? Does he avoid doing anything unless you specifically order him to?”
Bai Xiaoyi was extremely dissatisfied with Huo Yi.
Although he had cooked for Lu Ying over the past two days, he had not done a single other household chore.
He lived leisurely like a master who expected everyone else to serve him.
Lu Ying could hear Bai Xiaoyi’s negative opinion of Huo Yi.
Rather than becoming upset, she agreed.
“Yes.”
Her younger cousin showed no intention of defending her boyfriend.
Bai Xiaoyi’s expression improved slightly.
She continued earnestly, her voice gentle and maternal.
“Lulu, a man must know how to do housework. That’s one of the basic standards for being a good man—”
“Indeed,” Lu Ying agreed.
Bai Xiaoyi affectionately stroked Lu Ying’s beautiful face.
She had not noticed the change in her younger cousin.
She had only married Cheng Shengyi after Lu Ying reached adulthood. Unlike Lu Ying’s parents, she could not instantly detect the drastic difference in her personality.
The two women had not spent much time together in person.
The original Lu Ying had been shy and socially anxious. She rarely met her relatives face-to-face, preferring to contact them through her phone.
Moreover, Bai Xiaoyi had never seen what Lu Ying was truly like while in a relationship.
Some people were gentle and considerate with their families but became proud and wilful when dealing with their romantic partners.
Such things were common.
Therefore, Lu Ying calmly and fearlessly displayed the differences in her personality.
She was not afraid of Huo Yi becoming suspicious.
The scumbag currently had his head filled with thoughts that she might be trying to “spice things up.”
Bai Xiaoyi had only known her for several years. Although she loved and cherished Lu Ying, they had not known each other long enough for Bai Xiaoyi to form a complete and clearly defined image of her younger cousin.
Cheng Shengyi was a taciturn man. Ever since childhood, he had been conscious of the differences between men and women. Although he cared deeply about Lu Ying, he knew very little about her inner thoughts and could not detect the changes in her personality.
On top of that, Lu Ying possessed all of the original owner’s memories.
With so many factors working in her favour, she had no fear of others discovering that something was unusual.
“Lulu, we’re busy these few days. Once everything is finished, how about your sister-in-law talks to you about relationships?”
Lu Ying agreed.
She casually gazed towards the villa next door.
Cheng Shengyi had ordered Huo Yi to help the workers install insulation materials, leaving him drenched in sweat.
His physique was athletic, his spine beautifully shaped and his back captivating.
Lu Ying’s eyes flickered.
After finishing the subject of Lu Ying’s relationship, Bai Xiaoyi shifted the conversation towards the “extreme-cold apocalypse theory” Lu Ying had deliberately discussed with her and Cheng Shengyi two days earlier.
Bai Xiaoyi remained half convinced and half doubtful.
However, because they doted on Lu Ying, she and Cheng Shengyi had unanimously agreed to indulge their younger cousin for a while.
Their current construction project was not particularly urgent anyway.
According to Lu Ying, the extreme-cold apocalypse would arrive in five days.
Cheng Shengyi was an ordinary man without much education, but he had his own interests.
When he was a teenager, the apocalypse predictions surrounding the year 20XX had coincided perfectly with his adolescent phase. He had researched how to survive the end of the world and collected a large pile of information.
Many years later, that information had unexpectedly become useful.
His younger cousin had spoken with absolute certainty, claiming that an extreme-cold apocalypse was approaching.
Therefore, Cheng Shengyi prepared an **Apocalypse Stockpiling List**.
He did not personally handle the purchasing. He simply handed the list to Lu Ying before devoting himself entirely to the urgent renovation work.
The neighbouring villa was a second-hand property.
The previous owner had only just finished renovating it when a change in employment required them to settle abroad, forcing them to sell the house urgently.
After Lu Ying instructed her investment manager to purchase it, there was no need to worry about basic interior renovation.
They only needed to install heating systems, air conditioners and other warming equipment, then ensure everything operated normally.
More than a dozen reliable heating devices had also been stored in the basement.
Before becoming a small construction contractor, Cheng Shengyi had worked in repair and installation. Bai Xiaoyi also knew how to install and repair air-conditioning units.
The married couple were skilled blue-collar workers.
That was precisely why Lu Ying needed them.
With them present, her chances of survival would increase considerably.
In addition, Cheng Shengyi instructed his workers to add XPS insulation to the villa’s exterior walls.
The material had excellent insulation properties and high compressive strength. It was one of the most suitable building materials for helping homes in northern regions survive snowy winters.
He also hired people to install several generators as a precaution.
The Stockpiling List was extremely comprehensive.
Staple foods: rice, flour, noodles, compressed biscuits and more.
Canned goods: canned meat, canned fish, canned fruit and more.
…
Drinking water: bottled water and water-filtration equipment.
Medical supplies: cold medicine, fever reducers, anti-inflammatory medication, painkillers, stomach medicine and more.
Daily necessities: toilet paper, sanitary pads, condoms…
Warmth-related supplies: blankets, goose-down duvets, down jackets, disposable heating pads, solid alcohol fuel tablets…
Lu Ying purchased every item on the stockpiling list and stored everything in the basements of the two villas.
Afraid that she might overlook something, she did not forget to use ChatGPT.
She entered questions such as **What supplies are needed for an extreme-cold apocalypse?**, identified anything missing from the list and stockpiled every necessary item.
Lu Ying had accumulated enough supplies to last at least two or three years.
What Bai Xiaoyi wanted to discuss now concerned one particular category on the stockpiling list.
“Lulu…” She cleared her throat, looking slightly embarrassed. “I noticed that you stocked up on some family-planning supplies.”
Lu Ying smiled brightly.
“Yes. Which brands do you and my brother usually use? Shall I stock up on some for you?”
Her younger cousin showed no embarrassment whatsoever.
She spoke calmly, blinking her beautiful eyes at Bai Xiaoyi with a sweet and seductive smile.
Bai Xiaoyi blushed.
She lowered her voice.
“I didn’t bring this up because I wanted you to buy some for us.”
Lu Ying looked curious.
“Then why did you bring it up?”
Bai Xiaoyi sighed helplessly and covered her face.
“Lulu, don’t you think you bought a little too much?”
Bai Xiaoyi had taken some time to walk through the basement and discovered that her younger cousin had sorted everything by brand and size, arranging it neatly on the storage shelves.
Condoms, lubricant, contraceptive pills…
Everything had been openly placed where it could be reached most easily.
In the 270-square-metre basement, these particular supplies had been positioned alongside the medicine, all within easy reach.
Lu Ying shrugged.
Her tone was calm and completely unashamed.
“It’s not that much. I only stocked enough for a few years.”
“I have absolutely no intention of becoming pregnant.”
“That’s not the point,” Bai Xiaoyi said. “Even if you’re preparing for two years, you still bought far too much.”
For a young couple, managing fifteen times a month would already be impressive.
The supplies in the basement were enough to last at least ten couples for three years.
Lu Ying laughed.
She gave Bai Xiaoyi a meaningful look.
“Sister-in-law, what if it still isn’t enough?”
Bai Xiaoyi was speechless.
She began to stammer.
“How—how could it possibly not be enough?”
Lu Ying merely smiled without answering.
Bai Xiaoyi clearly had no idea that, in only a few days, five more young and vigorous men would be arriving at this villa.
**Nomad: Yeah… this definitely looks like it’s going to be an 18+ story. If that isn’t to your liking, don’t worry—I’ve picked up plenty of other novels from all your lovely recommendations that should be much more suitable.
On another note, I’m thinking about changing the way my site looks. I’m taking some time to think it through because I don’t want to rush into it and accidentally destroy the entire website.
So, in the future, if the site suddenly goes down, just assume I became too aesthetically driven and, in a moment of madness, single-handedly ruined everything.
But fear not. If it comes to that, I will do my absolute best to get it back up and running. How long that takes will depend entirely on how desperately I have to beg my tech-savvy siblings to show me mercy and sacrifice some of their precious time to fix whatever disaster I’ve created.
If you come back and see a beautiful new website, then I somehow succeeded. And honestly, if I manage to redesign the entire thing by myself without breaking it, that should be my sign to start applying for software development jobs, right?
[Please feed into my delusions.]**
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