Salvaging

The rain outside grew heavier and heavier. The sky was gray, and a bolt of lightning split the heavens, followed by a deafening crash of thunder.

Torrential rain, lightning, and thunder came one after another without pause.

Seven or eight days had passed, and the temperature had plummeted from nearly sixty degrees Celsius to twenty.

The floodwater downstairs had already reached the second floor, roughly four meters above the ground.

Apart from Wang Xiaohui's family, who had moved in with Zhou Junming, everyone else had moved into empty apartments upstairs.

Many people had died during the extreme heat, and the building had never been fully occupied to begin with, so finding an unoccupied apartment upstairs was not difficult.

Their water problem was now solved, but a food crisis had arrived.

Before, although the heat had been deadly, they could still just about manage to go out and search for supplies after sunset.

Whether they searched the outskirts, office buildings, and shopping streets, or even stole and robbed in other residential complexes, there had always been some way to find enough food to barely stay alive.

But now, with rain pouring down, lightning flashing, thunder roaring, and flooding everywhere, going out was impossible.

At the beginning of the extreme heat, people had still had food stored at home. Even their pet dogs and cats, along with highly adaptable rats, could become food to keep them alive.

But after holding out for so long, they had reached their limit.

If they could not go out to find supplies for an extended period, they would have no choice but to target other people in their building to survive.

Jiang Ci sat by the window, staring blankly at the downpour outside.

Before long, people would probably start eating people in some dark corners...

As she watched, Jiang Ci thought she spotted someone in the water outside.

She took out her binoculars, pressed them up to the window, and looked outside.

It was a man wearing swimming trunks, with a rope tied around his waist. The other end was hidden behind a wall, so she could not tell which building it came from.

The man seemed to be a strong swimmer, moving through the water like a fish and constantly switching strokes.

He swam purposefully in one direction, fished something out of the water, then swam back.

After a while, he swam out again, grabbed something else, and took it back.

After four or five trips back and forth, he did not come out again.

A good while later, a different man swam out.

Through her binoculars, Jiang Ci could see perfectly clearly that the two men were salvaging supplies from the water.

Dead rats, dogs, cats, and chickens had floated in on the current from who knew where. There were even severed human limbs...

More and more people noticed the man salvaging supplies from the water, and those who could swim followed his example.

Every building had swimmers going into the water, including their own Building Eight.

The lucky ones even fished out instant noodles, ham sausages, and moldy bread.

Jiang Ci wondered whether someone's hidden supplies had been scattered by the flood.

It looked as though they would have food for a while longer. At least she would not have to worry about anyone foolish enough to rob her home for now.

Tossing the binoculars to Si Beichen beside her, Jiang Ci went to work in the kitchen.

Si Beichen had been acting a little strange lately. Wherever she went, he was there too. Their home was only so big, yet he still trailed after her like a little shadow.

The way he looked at her was a little strange too, and his attitude toward her was even stranger. She kept feeling that Si Beichen had been somewhat rebellious lately.

Jiang Ci did not look too deeply into his strange behavior.

She went into the kitchen, replaced the gas cylinder first, topped up the water tank, then took out some supplies and filled all the upper and lower cabinets.

She even brought out several fresh heads of napa cabbage and a large piece of fresh pork.

She wanted pork stewed with napa cabbage and tofu for lunch. After telling Ms. Wen, she went back to her room to change.

Short sleeves felt a little chilly in twenty-degree weather. She wanted to change into long pants and a long-sleeved top, both lightweight.

When she opened the door, she unexpectedly found Si Beichen in her room.

"What's up?"

"I want to talk to you."

Jiang Ci closed the bedroom door behind her and motioned for Si Beichen to sit down and talk.

"About what?"

"About you wanting me to be your boyfriend."

"Huh!"

Jiang Ci was a little bewildered. Hadn't he already rejected her back then? What else was there to discuss?

Puzzled, she asked, "Did you change your mind?"

Si Beichen answered honestly, "I just hadn't thought it through back then."

"So you've thought it through now?"

"Yes, I have."

"Thought what through?"

"Dating you."

Jiang Ci had not expected happiness to come so suddenly. Si Beichen actually wanted to date her...

"Are you serious?"

Si Beichen turned the question back on her. "Are you serious?"

"As long as you're serious, so am I."

Although it had been his face she had fallen for at first sight, and she could not say she loved him now, after living together and getting to know him over the past six months and more, she could at least say she liked him a little.

An incredibly handsome man who matched her ideal type perfectly was in front of her all day, and he was not related to her by blood.

She was no Liu Xiahui. How could she have no thoughts about him at all?

She simply did not allow herself to fall for someone first. Since Si Beichen had taken the initiative to suggest dating her, it seemed he had feelings for her.

Because she did not think Si Beichen was the sort of person who would force himself to date someone he did not like.

So now she allowed herself to like him.

Si Beichen was certain he liked Jiang Ci. As for why he liked her, or what he liked about her, he could not say.

Perhaps liking someone simply defied reason.

He nodded firmly, looked into Jiang Ci's eyes, and said earnestly, "I'm serious."

Jiang Ci could indeed sense that Si Beichen was not joking.

She suddenly stood up, leaned down toward the seated Si Beichen, and caught him off guard with a kiss at the corner of his lips.

"That's my seal, my boyfriend," she said with a smile.

Si Beichen's body went rigid. Jiang Ci's kiss had frozen him in place.

He barely managed to keep his expression calm, gave a composed "Mm," then abruptly stood, opened the door, and left.

From behind, he looked rather as though he was fleeing in disarray.

Jiang Ci could not help laughing aloud.

Si Beichen was surprisingly cute. She kept thinking that teasing him until he lost control of his expression would be very entertaining.

She locked the door again and began changing.

She needed to check the date. She wanted to mark this day on the calendar.

Today was a day worth remembering. Si Beichen had become her boyfriend.

She also needed to find time to let Dad Si and Mom Wen know.

Their son and daughter had gotten together. The two elders should not be kept in the dark.

Naturally, Si Beichen had thought of everything Jiang Ci had. He stood by the window, opened it a crack, and let the breeze blow over him until he finally calmed down again.

Mom Wen was cooking in the kitchen, and Dad Si was helping her.

He went into the kitchen and approached his father, Si Jianhua, first.

"Dad, come over when you're done. I need to talk to you about something."

Si Jianhua did not really have anything left to do. All the ingredients had been cut and prepared. He was only lingering in the kitchen because he wanted to spend more time with Wen Qianyue.

Hearing Si Beichen call for Si Jianhua, Wen Qianyue urged him, "There's nothing left for you to do. Go on."

Si Jianhua washed his hands and took Si Beichen to the room he shared with Wen Qianyue.

He closed the door and asked, "What is it?"

Si Beichen did not beat around the bush. He went straight to the point. "I like Xiao Ci. We're together now."