Chapter 5: Not Just Cold and Heartless — She Crushes Flowers with Ruthless Hands

The rescue team distributed supplies: three bags of five-pack instant noodles and ten bottles of 500ml mineral water.
This was meant to last five days. Unless emergencies arose, the rescue team wouldn’t return during that time.

Xia Xiaoman had no worries about food or water and stayed at home with nothing to do.
This kind of leisurely time was something she hadn’t experienced since her grandfather passed away.
Back then, it had been endless housework or non-stop part-time jobs.

She couldn’t stay idle, so she tidied up the house again, storing anything she could into her spatial space.
After clearing some room, she pulled out two large tree branches she had brought back earlier and used her fire axe to chop them into even lengths of firewood, which she then propped up in the corner to dry.

Outside, the wind picked up again.
A gloomy sky loomed over the land, occasionally split by flashes of lightning and followed by deafening thunder.
The floodwaters had already reached the third floor, and the supermarket across the complex was now completely submerged…

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On the third day of the flood, those who had initially celebrated skipping work or school began to lose their cheer.
The days of torrential rain and rising floodwaters with no sign of retreat left people increasingly uneasy.

Opening her phone, Xia Xiaoman saw disaster reports flooding every corner of the internet.
Southern regions were hit by rainstorms, northern ones pounded by hail.
Even foreign countries weren’t spared — tornados, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis…

It was as if Blue Star itself had fallen ill — all disasters erupting at once.

Bang bang bang—

A rhythmic knock came at the door.

Xia Xiaoman peered through the peephole.
It was Qin Yali, looking flustered and uneasy, a visible slap mark on her face.

After a pause, Xia Xiaoman opened the door.
“Something you need?”

Qin Yali turned her face to the side and, with a choked voice, said:
“Xia Xiaoman, can I stay at your place for a couple of days?”

“I had a fight with my boyfriend and he kicked me out. I have nowhere to go…” She wept, tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain.

Xia Xiaoman gave her a once-over — she was empty-handed, not even carrying a bag.
“Sorry. No.”

Qin Yali was stunned at the blunt refusal.
“Why not? We’re classmates. Can’t you just let me stay for two days out of consideration?”

“When the rescue team comes again, I’ll leave immediately.”

Xia Xiaoman rolled her eyes.
“I’m not your dad, and I’m not your mom. To me, you’re nothing more than a somewhat familiar stranger.
Why should I let a stranger stay in my home? I’m not mentally ill.”

“Besides, you show up empty-handed and want to crash at my place — what, planning to eat and drink for free? Nice try.”

Qin Yali teared up even more.
“Xia Xiaoman, that’s too much! I just wanted a place to stay — you don’t have to slander me!”

“Fine. Then I’ll make it crystal clear: I don’t want to take you in.
Please, kindly get lost.”

Xia Xiaoman gestured to the door.

Qin Yali glared at her, eyes red.
“How can you be so cold and heartless? Can’t even help a classmate?”

“I’m not just cold and heartless,” Xia Xiaoman said, cracking her knuckles,
“I also crush flowers with ruthless hands. Want to find out?”

Qin Yali’s face changed. She couldn’t tell if Xia Xiaoman was bluffing or actually about to beat her up.

At that moment, the guy from next door — apartment 702, the one with the broken glasses — opened his door. He must’ve been eavesdropping.
“Hey there, beautiful. No place to stay? You’re welcome at my place — I live alone.”
He winked twice, but with his cracked lenses and twitching eyelid, it looked more like a muscle spasm.

Qin Yali recoiled in disgust.
“No, thanks. I’d rather go apologize to my boyfriend.”

Fearing further pestering, she left in a hurried mess.

Glasses Guy stared at her disappearing figure with regret, then turned his gaze toward Xia Xiaoman.
But when he saw her raise her fist, he immediately slammed his door shut, as if facing a wild beast.

Xia Xiaoman closed her own door, pulled out a bag of chips from her space, and had just opened it when — bang bang bang — the door was knocked again.

She threw the chips back into storage and peered through the peephole.
Only when she saw who it was did she open the door.

It was Sun Qing, wearing a bright smile.
“Hey! Interested in doing some treasure hunting with us?”

“Treasure hunting? What do you mean?” Xia Xiaoman asked.

Sun Qing didn’t answer directly.
“Do you have time now? Can we talk over at my place?”

“Sure. Give me a sec to grab my keys.” Xia Xiaoman was intrigued.

Sun Qing’s apartment layout was the same as Xia Xiaoman’s — two bedrooms and a living room.

As soon as she entered, Xia Xiaoman saw Ye Xiaojie doing push-ups in a tank top and shorts, her body lean and packed with explosive strength.
When she noticed Xia Xiaoman, Ye Xiaojie stood up. Her sweat-drenched top clung to her, faintly revealing well-defined abs.

Sun Qing shut the door and explained,
“Xiaojie’s an 8th-dan sanda (Chinese kickboxing) fighter. She’s been training since she was six — still trains daily.”

Xia Xiaoman looked surprised. Ye Xiaojie looked petite and delicate — she wouldn’t have guessed she was a martial artist.

Ye Xiaojie gave a shy smile and said nothing.

Sun Qing invited Xia Xiaoman to sit and got straight to the point:
“Xiaoman, the ‘treasure hunting’ I mentioned is about diving into the flood to salvage useful things. Want to join us?”

Xia Xiaoman didn’t answer right away.
“Why are you diving for supplies? If you’re short on anything, can’t you ask the rescue team?
As long as it’s reasonable, they should help.”

“We can rely on the rescue team — but only for the short term,” Sun Qing said.
“If we’re stuck in the building long-term, their supplies will eventually run out.”

She pulled out a sheet of paper covered in hand-written notes.
“I gathered this data while my phone and computer still had power.”

“Three cities upstream from Floating City have already flooded.
If the rain keeps going, all seven cities upstream — including those three — will be underwater.”

On the paper, Sun Qing listed the names of the seven cities and connected them with lines — the final line pointed directly to Floating City.

“We’re downstream. If the upstream floods, we’re not going to be spared.”

“According to forecasts, the next 40 days in the southern region will see widespread, extreme rainfall.”

“In other words, Floating City will likely remain flooded for at least 40 days.”

Sun Qing’s expression turned grim.
“And that’s just what forecasts can tell us — the furthest they go is 40 days.
If the rain continues after that, we could be trapped even longer.”

“That’s why I want to salvage whatever we can while the water’s still relatively shallow…”