[edited]

The courtesy was light, but the affection was heavy. Jiang Ning wanted to treat them to a good meal, and now she didn’t need to find an excuse anymore. “I still have frozen fish. How about some grilled fish?”

“There’s also braised pork, and we can make spicy rabbit as well.”

“Grilled fish?” The three of them immediately started salivating. “That sounds amazing!”

Zhang Chao was filled with envy. “Ning, you’re so well-stocked.”

Jiang Ning rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that obvious? While you guys drink and eat meat, I’m stuck with leftovers. I can hardly afford to eat like this normally.”

“Woof!”

The dog looked pitiful; it ate leftovers every day and was getting thinner!

Lu Yu protested, “Honesty between us, we didn’t hide meat from you.”

They practically grew up together, so who could hide what from whom? Jiang Ning laughed and asked, “Are you two sure you didn’t secretly drink?”

Both of them looked flustered. “No, really, we didn’t!”

What’s the matter with a man who is depressed and drinks some wine? They just couldn’t drink too much, just a few sips at a time, and maybe sneak some jerky.

Lu Yu’s survival instinct kicked in as he hugged Zheng Weili and pleaded, “Darling, I really didn’t, you have to believe your dear husband!”

Having been awakened early on her birthday and having dog food shoved into her mouth, Jiang Ning was speechless. “If you’re going to show affection, go back to your room. This is a public place; consider the feelings of us single dogs.”

Zhang Chao nearly burst into tears; Anning was really something. He had been enduring for so long!

There was a commotion at the door, and Room 1801 opened as Huo Yishen stepped out.

Lu Yu greeted him warmly. “Brother Shen, it’s Anning’s birthday today. Come over for lunch.”

Huo Yishen, slightly surprised, looked over. “It’s your birthday?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Ning nodded. “What do you and Doudou like to eat? Today, I’m not only treating, but also cooking.”

“Anything is fine.” Huo Yishen wasn’t picky. “Your cooking is good; anything you make will be fine.”

The three of them instantly gossiped. Huo Yishen might be a disaster in the kitchen, but that didn’t stop him from having high standards and strict requirements. Zhang Chao’s archery skills were superb, yet he never received a compliment like that.

While Anning hadn’t even started cooking, yet he was already being praised; the double standards were glaringly obvious.

But what can you do? Birds of a feather flock together.

Being praised by the big shot, Jiang Ning felt a bit embarrassed. “It’s okay, as long as you’re not picky.”

What pickiness? In the apocalypse, having food to eat was already good enough.

After closing the door, Jiang Ning began to prepare.

She picked out a seven or eight-pound grass carp from space. The rabbit was domestically raised, and she sliced about four pounds of pork belly.

With only two rooms in 1802, there wasn’t much space to move around, so Jiang Ning rarely let the neighbors in, mentioning that the rabbits have sensitive noses as an excuse.

After cleaning the fish and meat, she prepared the ingredients.

Since there was no seasoning for grilled fish, she used one-third of the hot pot base instead.

With the ingredients ready, she went out and coincidentally met Huo Yishen and Doudou. He took what Jiang Ning had in her hands and handed her a box, “Anning, happy birthday.”

It was a delicate box of chocolates.

It was impolite to refuse birthday gifts, so Jiang Ning accepted it. “Thank you.”

She put the things back in her room and went to Room 1803 to start cooking.

Zhang Chao and Lu Yu moved the stove to the balcony to grill the fish, while Huo Yishen followed Jiang Ning into the kitchen. “I’ll cook the braised pork; I’ll take care of this meal; you can just guide me.”

Helping each other out as neighbors, one shouldn’t extinguish the desire of others to improve.

Jiang Ning readily agreed. “No problem.”

It was bitterly cold outside, and she wasn’t in the mood to cook anyway.

Huo Yishen lacked the natural talent, but his technique was fine. With Jiang Ning supervising beside him, the braised pork was soon cooked and simmering slowly over a wood fire.

The tantalizing aroma made everyone almost swallow their tongues.

The rabbit was stir-fried in one pot, and before adding the spicy seasoning, a small bowl was set aside specifically for Coke and Doudou.

Finally, there was grilled fish. First, it was charred over firewood, then transferred to a pot, doused with hot pot seasoning, and garnished with mushrooms, tofu skin, and other vegetables. It was then placed on the table and slowly cooked over a charcoal stove.

The other two of them didn’t help at all; Doudou sat on the sofa drawing, while Coke squatted nearby supervising.

With the meal completed, Doudou ran over with her drawing, “Sister, this is my birthday gift for you. I wish you a happy birthday and that you’ll be beautiful every day.”

Wow, how thoughtful of her.

Jiang Ning took it and looked at it, feeling like something was off. “Doudou, what did you draw?”

It was a bit abstract, with circles and crosses, a little magical. You couldn’t expect too much from a five-year-old.

Doudou came over to explain, “This is brother, this is sister, this is me, and this is Coke. We’re holding hands and living happily in the house.”

Uh, triangles, ellipses, rectangles—how did these turn into people?

Lu Yu came over and laughed at the whimsical drawing. “Ning, isn’t this how we used to draw when we were kids?”

Living in an orphanage, who didn’t yearn for family warmth? Secretly drawing parents was common, but as they grew older, they gradually stopped fantasizing.

“Did we?” Jiang Ning had no memory of it.

That wasn’t the point; the key was why Doudou drew her with Huo Yishen. Not to mention drawing them together but they even lived in the same house?

A child’s nature couldn’t be suppressed, and while Jiang Ning silently criticized, she didn’t show it on her face. “Doudou, you did a great job. Sister likes it a lot.”

Doudou, being praised, jumped up and smiled like a flower.

Zhang Chao, being mischievous, said, “Doudou, why did you only draw Brother Shen and Anning? Where are we?”

Really, stirring up trouble. Jiang Ning wanted to poke him with chopsticks until his heart stopped.

Doudou was stumped by the question, scratching her finger into her head for a while before saying, “Brother Chao, I’ll draw you guys later.”

“Doudou is amazing, we’re all one family.”

Doudou looked at Zhang Chao, then at her brother, feeling like he was right, but also feeling like something was off.

Huo Yishen greeted, “Let’s eat.”

Everyone took their seats and continued with the Wuliangye Liquor they had not finished last time. “Cheers to Ning! May you be twenty every year, always have meat to eat, and enjoy eternal youth and beauty.”

Yes, today was Jiang Ning’s twentieth birthday.

Unexpectedly, in the harsh apocalypse, there were so many people accompanying her on her birthday.

“We don’t have a cake, but you still have to make a wish.”

So, Jiang Ning closed her eyes and made a wish, hoping that every member of the 18th floor would live safely and healthily until the end of the catastrophe.

She raised her glass and drank it all in one gulp. “It’s all in this drink.”

The grilled fish was delicious, the braised pork was incredibly fragrant, and the spicy rabbit was delicious.

As they ate and chatted, they reminisced about their childhood fights. Remembering how badly they were beaten by Jiang Ning, Zhang Chao and Lu Yu still had psychological shadows.

Jiang Ning apologized by giving each of them a piece of meat. “I won’t beat you guys anymore.”

Zheng Weili also recalled her childhood, “I’ve always been big and strong since I was a child, taller and bigger than the boys. I also had a big appetite, so I was often teased by the villagers; my two brothers would also join in. They would wait for me after school and throw mud at me.”

Later, she got tough and beat up more than a dozen of them at once, leaving them all bruised and swollen. It felt really satisfying.

After that beating, Zheng Weili became obsessed with fighting. She became undefeated in the village, and even dogs would hide when they saw her. Later, she was discovered by a coach from a sports school and started practicing Sanda.

Then, all eyes fell on Huo Yishen.

For the 18th floor residents, Brother Shen’s past was a mystery. They were curious but didn’t dare to ask…