Previously, Tan Wanwan ate together with her roommates, while Chen Caifeng and Ma Tian ate separately. Their food was not placed together.

But the cockroach swarm completely devoured Tan Wanwan and the others’ food.

If they wanted to eat anything else to ease their hunger, they could only rely on Ma Tian and Chen Caifeng’s moods.

They had to endure Ma Tian’s lecherous glances and Chen Caifeng’s cutting words.

No one dared anymore to mention kicking Chen Caifeng out.

Every day, Chen Caifeng would lift her chin arrogantly, ordering them to catch the roaming cockroaches in the house and clean them up one by one. The floor was wiped and mopped repeatedly.

But at mealtime, they still couldn’t escape the cold sarcasm and mockery.

There was no other choice—only Chen Caifeng’s place in the house still had food.

And Chen Caifeng grew increasingly stingy, counting every grain of rice in the porridge. She served herself and Ma Tian the thickest two bowls from the bottom.

Tan Wanwan and her roommates had to drink the thin, watery rice soup from the top layer.

Hunger made her weak; when she wanted to raise her hand to pour herself a glass of water, even her hand couldn’t help but tremble.

Tan Wanwan couldn’t help but think: if Yu Xifeng had been willing to lend her food back then, she would surely have reminded Yu Xifeng.

So all the trouble now was Yu Xifeng’s own doing.

The people in the hallway finally dispersed.

Having scared Ma Tian away, Yu Xifeng returned home in the dark.

Sister Yun gratefully gave Yu Xifeng a bag of rice and a whole piece of cured spare ribs.

The cured ribs weighed a good five or six jin (around 2.5 to 3 kg), and when touched, felt oily in her hand.

A good thing.

She had just given Hu Qiangyong a thank-you gift, but it wasn’t this heavy.

Sister Yun smiled bitterly: “If it weren’t for you today, I definitely couldn’t have held onto these.”

Yu Xifeng took the cured spare ribs but did not take the bag of rice.

Sister Yun looked at Yu Xifeng deeply.

This young girl was still so young but acted very steadily, her eyes bright, and with such skill.

Sister Yun was keen to make friends and spoke warmly.

“These cured ribs are homemade from my hometown. They’re great for making soup or stir-frying. Do you have a cleaver at home? If not, I can cut them up and bring them over for you.”

“No, I have a cleaver.”

Sister Yun restrained herself and did not suggest entering Yu Xifeng’s home.

She sensed Yu Xifeng’s distance from people.

Maybe it was the pride of someone capable, or perhaps some kind of foresight.

Sister Yun looked at Yu Xifeng’s alloy door with a layered lock and thought about finding a way to reinforce her own door when she returned home.

After a series of apologies and thanks, Sister Yun handed the cured ribs to Yu Xifeng and left without lingering.

After closing the door, Yu Xifeng turned on the desk lamp.

Her curtains blocked the light well—no one outside could see the light inside the room.

Yu Xifeng did not go back to sleep but sat on the sofa, reviewing the commotion from the middle of the night.

Because of the cockroach swarm, Yu Xifeng hadn’t gone out for some days.

She couldn’t go out, and the kayak outside definitely couldn’t go out either.

Yu Xifeng had very good night vision, plus someone had just turned on a phone flashlight.

Everyone looked haggard and thin. Because of the storm and lack of daylight, their skin showed a sickly pale.

Many people sleeping in the hallway had cockroaches crawling over their clothes.

Among these people, except for herself and Hu Qiangyong, no one spoke up for Sister Yun.

When she looked at her chainsaw, her gaze was tinged with dissatisfaction.

Yu Xifeng noticed many people craning their necks to peer into her and Sister Yun’s homes, wishing they had X-ray vision to see everything inside clearly.

Also, the people who had come with Ma Tian today.

Though they didn’t succeed this time, they might not give up completely.

Without external supplies, the community’s food was becoming increasingly scarce, and things would get more dangerous later.

Yu Xifeng took a crossbow bolt from her space and adjusted the mechanism.

The cold mechanical structure pressed into her hand, quite heavy.

It was much better than the bamboo crossbow she had used in her previous life.

She familiarized herself with the feel, aimed outside the window; the arrowhead glimmered faintly.

She did not shoot the arrow.

Her bolts were precious; each one shot should draw blood.

Yu Xifeng exhaled slowly and put the crossbow back.

The little orange cat, which had run far away, came back, rubbing against her pants and acting spoiled.

Yu Xifeng petted its head and changed its water.

She cut herself a sweet orange.

The orange flesh was tart and sweet, full of juice. Yu Xifeng smacked her lips, eating it along with the white pith.

She had heard that eating the white pith helps supplement fiber.

Yu Xifeng turned off the desk lamp and lay back on bed for a short nap. Dawn came soon.

The sky was still overcast, dim and hazy.

Afterward, she deliberately added arm strength training during her workouts.

After days of practice, looking in the mirror, Yu Xifeng could clearly see the faint lines on her body.

Her protein intake was always sufficient—beef, eggs, milk—all good supplements.

Her muscles were toned and powerful, with good proportions, not overly bulky.

She was still thin, with fair skin, hiding astonishing explosive power and skilled killing techniques.

Her previously cut short hair had grown a bit longer.

Black, smooth, and soft, with slightly uneven ends. Yu Xifeng trimmed it a little with scissors—it wasn’t as straight or neat as a salon cut but still presentable.

Satisfied, she didn’t delay and left her space.

The little orange cat was already used to her sudden disappearances.

It had found some leftover cockroaches from some corner and was chewing contentedly.

The cockroach swarm hadn’t lingered long; after sweeping through the community, it continued north.

Yu Xifeng’s home was tightly guarded; cockroaches were few, so the little orange couldn’t feast much. There weren’t many left in the hallway either.

Yu Xifeng never let the little orange leave the 15th floor.

Reluctantly, it went back to eating cat food.

Yu Xifeng chopped the cured spare ribs into sections; the bones had large pieces of fine meat attached, topped with thick fat.

She soaked dried mushrooms, then stir-fried everything with chili, filling a plate.

The fumes were filtered through the range hood and the fresh air system, so the dish didn’t emit any noticeable smell.

Yu Xifeng took some fresh greens from her space and ate dinner with white rice.

The power was out, and so was the internet.

With the free time in the evening, there was little entertainment.

Yu Xifeng stroked the well-feeling little orange, lay on the bed reading a novel, then before sleep played a fruit-cutting game.

She had already scored 1,300 points.

It was pretty hard to break her record again; with some luck, her daily score could hold around nine hundred.

After the cockroach swarm passed, although many remained, at least the hallway and community were largely cleared, and kayaks had entered the community again.

The supplies on board were eye-catching.

People often knocked on Yu Xifeng’s door, begging for some food.

Some were familiar faces, like Aunt Liu, others were strangers from other buildings who found ways to drift or swim over.

They lingered for a long time, coming every day, growing thinner each day.

They first begged at the camera, then cursed, their eyes full of resentment.