Zhou Peng was pulling out all the stops to win over Fang Yuqing.
But it was obvious—Fang Yuqing wasn't into guys like him.
Financially, Zhou Peng wasn't even in the same league as Leo Zane. The guy still rented his apartment.
Still, Fang Yuqing gave him a sweet smile and said, "Thanks, Zhou Peng. But I've already made plans with a friend that night. Such a shame, huh?"
Zhou Peng's face fell. Hard.
He had dropped an entire month's salary on those two concert tickets, hoping to confess to her at the show.
Now that dream just got stomped into the dirt.
Leo watched the whole thing from the side, a smirk tugging at his lips.
He already knew Zhou Peng's simp routine wasn't going to work.
And the guy's broken ego made the moment even more satisfying.
Zhou Peng, looking for someone to blame, noticed Leo's smirk and immediately snapped.
"Leo, man, you're seriously outta line!"
"What kind of guy makes a woman carry his stuff for him? Don't you feel even a little ashamed?"
"Yuqing came into work today complaining her back was sore. Next time, don't make her help you with that crap!"
Leo turned his head slightly and glanced at Fang Yuqing.
So she's the one airing this out in public, huh?
Fang Yuqing put on her innocent act. "It's really nothing. I'm totally fine."
"I mean… I just don't have the strength for that kind of heavy lifting. Might've pulled a muscle or something…"
She even grabbed her waist and gave a fake little wince, milking it for sympathy.
Trying to play the knight in shining armor, Zhou Peng pointed at Leo and said loudly, "Give Yuqing 500 yuan for the doctor. Now."
Leo's eyes turned ice-cold.
He stared Zhou Peng down and fired back, "She offered to help. I didn't beg her for anything."
"And you? Who the hell do you think you are, barking orders at me?"
"You think you're somebody? Newsflash—you're not."
His voice boomed through the office like a thunderclap, stunning both Zhou Peng and Fang Yuqing into silence.
Zhou Peng was just a low-level clerk in the warehouse—no authority, no power.
He only dared yell at Leo because Leo was always mild-mannered and avoided drama.
But now? Leo had snapped.
And Zhou Peng immediately backed down like a kicked puppy.
"Wh-why are you yelling? I was just trying to talk to you…"
Leo let out a cold laugh and walked away without another word.
He couldn't be bothered arguing with a dead man walking.
Because in his eyes, everyone around him was already dead.
In one month, 99% of them would be frozen stiff in the coming doomsday blizzard.
Why waste breath on corpses?
After Leo left, Zhou Peng sulked back to Fang Yuqing, mumbling, "See? I told you he's a jerk. You need to keep your distance."
Fang Yuqing frowned, confused.
Leo had been acting strangely lately.
He used to greet her every morning, text her every night, always had something sweet or silly to say.
Now?
Nothing.
Not even a goodnight message.
"Something's definitely off…"
She thought to herself, biting her lip.
After work, Leo drove straight to Hongfu Tianxia Hotel, the five-star place he had been ordering food from.
The manager heard he was coming and personally arranged a luxurious suite for him.
At over $140 per night, this wasn't a cheap stay.
But Leo didn't care.
He still had millions in cash—not spending it would be the real waste.
That evening, the green tea queen herself, Fang Yuqing, sent him a message out of the blue.
Fang Yuqing:
"Hey, Leo, I walked past your place today and saw someone doing renovations!"
Leo sneered.
"Yeah."
Fang Yuqing:
"You've been acting so weird lately—stocking up on supplies, remodeling your place… Is something going on?"
Leo raised an eyebrow.
Smart girl. As manipulative as she was, she definitely wasn't stupid.
It was clear his recent behavior had finally tipped her off.
But he didn't care. Not anymore.
"Nothing."
He answered coldly, then tossed his phone aside.
Back on her end, Fang Yuqing stared at the screen, feeling a strange discomfort creeping into her chest.
For the past two years, Leo had always treated her with warmth.
He'd shower her with attention, message her every night, always looking for excuses to talk.
But now?
It was like she didn't even exist to him.
She didn't like this one bit.
She had the right to lose interest in him—not the other way around.
To her, Leo had always been a "fish in the pond."
Maybe not rich-rich, but definitely good backup material—a solid middle-class guy.
If her plan to marry a rich heir didn't work out, she figured Leo would still be around, ready to "rescue" her.
So she picked up her phone again and sent another message:
Fang Yuqing:
"Feels like we haven't talked much lately. I kinda… miss that. 🥺"
But after waiting for a long time, there was no reply.
She bit her lip, visibly frustrated.
"That bastard Leo… Did he hit his head or something? I reached out to him, and he's ignoring me?!"
Her roommate, Lin Caining, overheard and came over, giggling.
"Leo has been acting weird lately. Who knows why he's buying so much food and booze—and don't forget those massive catering orders."
"Dude's really acting like the world's gonna run out of supplies."
Fang Yuqing frowned at that.
"Ningning, do you think something really is going to happen? Maybe Leo got some kind of insider info?"
Lin Caining blinked, then burst out laughing.
"Girl, are you nuts? If something serious were coming, we'd hear about it from the government."
"We're fine. If you start hoarding stuff, people are just gonna laugh at you."
Fang Yuqing chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah… You're probably right."
Meanwhile, Leo had been holed up in his hotel suite for days.
He wasn't sightseeing, and he sure as hell wasn't resting.
One part of his plan involved continuing to buy up luxury meals from top hotels.
The other?
Training.
He'd brought a compound bow and a high-end crossbow into the suite and began running drills.
Luckily, Leo had been into hunting before, so he had a decent foundation.
Now, within a 15-meter range, his accuracy was deadly.
Armed with professional-grade gear, he could unleash shots that rivaled the precision of ancient master archers.
And this wasn't just for show.
Whether it was wild boars, wolves, or humans—
Leo Zane was ready to take them all down.