Yang Mei finally relaxed completely after seeing Lin Dong close the master bedroom door, slowly sliding down against the wall into a crouch.
She stared blankly for a while, lost in thought.
After a moment, she stood up and glanced toward the kitchen. Hesitating briefly, she didn't dare go there, instead heading to the bathroom.
Lin Dong couldn't see what was happening over there, only hearing the sound of running water.
Yang Mei stayed inside for about ten minutes. When she reappeared in the living room, she was holding a mop.
Watching through the surveillance feed in the bedroom, Lin Dong raised an eyebrow.
Yang Mei began mopping skillfully, cleaning the bloodstains from the floor. She worked in starts and stops, seemingly weakened—a single piece of bread wasn't enough to fill her stomach. Yet she persisted until the entire living room was spotless, even wiping down the coffee table and other surfaces.
The sofa was piled with dirty clothes, which she also gathered and tidied up.
In less than an hour, the entire space was neatly organized, looking much cleaner and more spacious. However, she was careful not to touch items that clearly belonged to Lin Dong—like his homemade spear, his renovation equipment, and especially dangerous tools such as the nail gun.
As for the kitchen, she consciously avoided it altogether.
Once the living room was clean, she rested briefly before retreating to the secondary bedroom Lin Dong had assigned to her.
The room was decorated as a child's bedroom, with a loft-style bed above a desk. The window area had been sealed shut. Under the bed was a solid wood desk, though instead of books, it held various tools like wires, a soldering iron, solder, and screwdrivers.
Yang Mei examined them curiously but didn't dare rummage through them. The bedside storage cabinet was empty, containing nothing. Fortunately, the bed already had a mattress and bedding. After tidying up slightly, she lay down, exhausted.
Curled up on the bed, she hugged her shoulders tightly, listening to the thunderstorm outside as tears welled up in her eyes again.
"What's happened to this world…?" she murmured before drowsiness overtook her.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly jolted awake.
"Ah—!"
She instinctively cried out, her hands twitching involuntarily—like the sensation of missing a step in a dream.
She had a nightmare. In it, Li Zhiqiang opened the door and invited Liu Erlong and his men inside. Liu Erlong gave Li Zhiqiang a box of crackers, and in exchange, Li Zhiqiang sold her out.
In the dream, Liu Erlong's vicious, almost predatory expression loomed over her as he forced her onto the bed and pinned her down. She screamed and struggled, but she was powerless.
At the critical moment, a spear suddenly pierced through Liu Erlong's chest, spraying blood everywhere—and the shock woke her up, causing her to scream aloud.
Now she lay there, wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling, still disoriented.
Gradually, her mind cleared, and she realized she was no longer in her own home. This wasn't the bed she remembered. And that disgusting Li Zhiqiang was no longer here.
She relaxed inwardly and couldn't help letting out a long, heavy sigh.
Recalling the appearance of the spear from her dream, she suddenly realized—wasn't that the same spear Lin Dong had just been using?
Yang Mei's expression immediately turned peculiar, and her mood improved slightly.
"Little brother isn't a bad person. He's different from Liu Erlong and his lot. He even lent me food before."
Thinking this to herself, she slowly sat up.
Feeling hunger gnawing at her stomach, she swallowed hard and gradually got up, peeking out of the bedroom.
The living room was empty, and the door to the master bedroom was closed.
She sighed in relief. Truth be told, she wasn't sure how to face Lin Dong.
His absence actually made her feel as if a weight had been lifted. Walking into the living room, she picked up a cup from the dining table, intending to fetch some water from the kitchen.
But when she reached the kitchen doorway, she hesitated.
"This is where he cooks. If I just barge in, might he think I'm stealing food?"
"Forget it. I'll wait until he wakes up before going in."
With this thought, she licked her dry lips and returned to sit on the living room sofa, silently watching the raging storm outside the balcony.
The gloomy sky was occasionally split by lightning, illuminating the world for a fleeting moment. In that brief flash, she could vaguely make out a pale, rain-drenched landscape—skyscrapers half-submerged in the Flood.
Boom!
The lightning was followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
Yang Mei shuddered violently, instinctively reaching out to grab something for support.
But the sofa only had Lin Dong's neatly folded clothes.
She seized a T-shirt and clutched it tightly.
A masculine scent of male hormones filled her nostrils, inexplicably bringing her a sense of comfort.
Without thinking, she hugged the shirt to her chest, as if it could provide her with more security.
"Are you cold?"
Suddenly, Lin Dong's voice came from the darkened room.
Yang Mei jumped in fright, instinctively straightening up and curling her legs defensively.
When she saw it was Lin Dong, she quickly composed herself and said, "Little brother, you... you're awake?"
Lin Dong gave a slight nod. "If you're cold, I can find you another blanket later."
Yang Mei froze, then looked down at the shirt in her hands. Her face flushed, and she hastily set it aside. "N-no, I'm not cold."
Lin Dong didn't press further. Instead, he walked toward the kitchen. "Hungry? It's past three in the afternoon, and we haven't had lunch yet."
Yang Mei quickly stood up and trotted after him into the kitchen, her Big Pomelos bouncing unnoticed as she fawned, "Little brother, let me cook for you."
Lin Dong didn't stop her. He opened the fridge and took out a small piece of thawed meat.
At the sight of the meat, Yang Mei's eyes widened in shock, and she stared at Lin Dong in disbelief.
"You... you still have meat at home?"
Her surprise was understandable. Half a year into the Great Flood, electricity had long been cut off. Who could possibly still have meat as an ingredient?
Even if someone did, it would have rotted by now.
Suddenly, she recalled Lin Dong disposing of the bodies earlier, and her expression changed dramatically. She looked at him with growing horror.
Lin Dong glanced at her and immediately guessed her thoughts.
"What are you afraid of?"
"I... n-nothing..."
Yang Mei's legs were nearly giving out, her tears welling up in her eyes. Her expression was one of sheer terror, yet she stubbornly held back from crying.
Lin Dong suddenly turned to face her directly. "Did you think this was human flesh?"
"No, I didn't—"
Her face instantly turned deathly pale as she frantically shook her head, pressing herself desperately against the corner.
Lin Dong chuckled, deciding not to scare her further, and instead took out two thawed potatoes.
"Look at what's beside your right hand."
Yang Mei trembled, glancing sideways—then froze in surprise.
Beside her stood a shabby freezer!
Confusion flickered across her face. What was so special about a freezer?
But when she peered inside, her almond-shaped eyes widened in shock.
"Ice? Your... your freezer still works?"
"How? How does your house still have electricity?"
Yang Mei stared at Lin Dong in disbelief, her face a mix of astonishment and joy—as if she'd just won the lottery.