Chapter 6: High Temperature Weather

September 15th – The First Day of the Apocalypse

Jiang Yuan was woken by the heat early in the morning. It was only 7 a.m., yet the temperature had already reached 39°C (102°F).

She quickly turned on the air conditioner, bathed with Xiao Nuan in her arms, changed into clean and comfy pajamas, and finally felt a bit better.

Her social media feed was full of complaints—temperatures were expected to peak at 45°C (113°F) today, and those poor souls still had to go to work.

Despite the heat, Jiang Xingzhi braved the outdoors to buy breakfast: fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, soy milk, baked flatbread, steamed buns, veggie sandwiches, and stuffed pancakes with eggs—an impressive spread.

Whatever they couldn’t finish, they stored in the fridge. Better to buy more than less.

Suddenly, Jiang Yuan grew curious—what was Xia Chaoyang doing at home in this kind of heat?

She opened the surveillance footage on her phone and saw his whole family arguing. After watching for a while, she finally figured out the reason: Bai Mengmeng had put too much chili in the food.

She sneered: “Ex-girlfriend? That’s all she’s got!”

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Over the next few days, life started to feel monotonous. During the day, she played with Xiao Nuan or read medical books.

Though she was a complete novice, she still wanted to learn something.

She didn’t neglect her physical training either—the treadmill ran every day without fail.

By the seventh day of the apocalypse, the temperature had soared to 48°C (118°F).

Power transformers were frequently exploding, causing blackouts. Social media and group chats were full of complaints and sighs.

Jiang Yuan laid out a bamboo mat in the living room, turned on two fans, and placed a basin of ice in front of each one. Cool air gently swept over the room.

She nibbled on watermelon while scrolling through videos—blissful.

At night, many people no longer returned home, choosing instead to pitch tents by the riverside—drinking beer, having BBQs, and sharing their carefree scenes online.

Even down in her own community, people were camped out in the square. The whole plaza was packed, bustling with life—it almost looked like dumplings in a pot.

Every evening, Jiang Yuan would head out with her parents to buy fresh fruit and other useful daily necessities.

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On the 10th day, the temperature hit 50°C (122°F). Blackouts had become routine. Videos of people dying from heatstroke were everywhere. What once shocked people now barely got a reaction.

The West City government announced that all offices would shift to remote work, and students moved to online classes. But without electricity, it was all a joke.

She remembered in her previous life, it didn’t reach 50°C until October 1st. Why had it happened earlier this time? Was it because her rebirth had caused things to change?

In the neighborhood group chat, someone initiated a group buy for generators. In just ten minutes, over thirty people signed up.

“Go ahead and buy them,” she thought. “The more people who use them, the more openly I can use mine too.”

Everyone seemed desperate from the heat, so things moved quickly. That same evening, a truckload of generators arrived.

Jiang Yuan, finally relieved, turned on the air conditioner. The cool air was a blessing, promising a peaceful night’s sleep.

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Suddenly, she sat upright in bed.

“Oh no!”

She startled Xiao Nuan, quickly patting her back until the child settled down. Then she hurried to her parents’ room.

“Hey—did we forget to buy fuel?”

Her mom was confused. “Didn’t we buy a ton of cooking oil?”

“Mom, I mean diesel and gasoline—for the generator!”

Jiang Xingzhi, realizing the oversight, panicked a little. Without fuel, those two big machines were just useless lumps of metal.

“There’s a private fuel station in the village west of our complex. Let’s go check it out tomorrow.”

“Let’s go right now,” her dad said firmly. It was only 10 p.m., and many people were still awake outside. No big deal.

Jiang Yuan dressed down to stay low-key. Though it wasn’t far, they took the car.

This was the same station that Xia Chaoyang had once taken her to. Private stations were usually cheaper, so she had gone along at the time—not expecting it would come in handy now.

The owner seemed tempted when he heard it was for a generator.

Regular stations don’t allow take-out fuel. With the sweltering heat, a few extra bucks weren’t enough to make her walk away. If he was willing to sell, she was ready to buy.

With a shrewd eye from years of business, Jiang Yuan saw through the owner’s thoughts immediately. She didn’t haggle—just wanted the goods.

They successfully bought 20 barrels of diesel and 20 barrels of gasoline, bringing it back quietly through the underground garage, so no one noticed.

Everything else was basically in place. Over the next two days, she went back to bingeing novels and movies, afraid of missing something crucial.

With people now working and studying from home, even malls and shops had switched to nighttime hours.

Everyone’s routine had changed—sleeping during the day and going out at night had become normal.

The new transformers in their community were reliable—no blackouts for three days straight.

Their neighborhood was relatively lucky. Some older areas weren’t so fortunate—the outdated wiring caused fires.

Qin Yue scrolled through news while sighing. She kept urging Jiang Yuan to call and thank Jiang Yuan’s contact, who helped them prepare.

With everyone stuck at home, the internet was buzzing. Some outdoor streamers came by to boost their views.

They filmed things like frying eggs on the pavement or asking who still dares to go out in this weather.

The content varied, but it was entertaining—and dangerous. Some streamers even fainted from heatstroke on camera, with an ambulance tailing them closely. First thing they said upon waking? “Please tap that like button!”

Now that’s dedication!

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Every evening, the family still went out.

Even though the sun was gone, Jiang Yuan still applied sunscreen. She knew this weather wouldn’t last, but it could return in cycles, so they had to get used to it—even Xiao Nuan.

She understood very well: she couldn’t protect Xiao Nuan forever. If her daughter could learn to survive, Jiang Yuan was willing to sacrifice herself.

At night, the temperature dropped to the low 30s°C (around 90°F). The streets were lively. Jiang Yuan drove to the nearest large shopping center to eat and shop.

She never expected to run into Xia Chaoyang and his family there.

“Jiang Yuan-jie, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to see you here,” Bai Mengmeng greeted her.

Jiang Yuan glanced at her and replied coldly, “What rotten luck—to run into you even while eating.”

“Jiang Yuan-jie, please don’t be upset. Chaoyang and I were just passing by and thought we’d grab a bite. If you’re not happy, we’ll leave right now.”

“Well, go on then!”

Her parents had already figured out who these people were and were furious.

Jiang Xingzhi, simmering with rage, punched Xia Chaoyang the moment he stepped forward.

A single blow sent him crashing to the ground.

He really was skilled from years of turning screws—that punch had serious power.

“Dad, what are you doing?!”

“Don’t call me Dad—I’m not your father-in-law anymore. I’m telling you now, stay the hell away from Yuan Yuan and Xiao Nuan. If I see you near them again, I’ll hit you again!”

“Dad, Xiao Nuan is my daughter—I have a right to see her!”

“What right do you have? The moment you started shacking up with this little vixen, you had nothing to do with Xiao Nuan. Not then, not now, not ever.”

Qin Yue, righteously furious, pointed at Xia Chaoyang and let him have it.