Chapter 31: Zhang Yi’s Household Is Too Wealthy, the White Lotus Is Green with Envy

After listening to Lin Caining’s advice, Fang Yuqing found it quite reasonable. Most importantly, she was simply too hungry. The thought of the pictures Zhang Yi had sent her—the steaks, the Australian lobsters, the snacks, and the fruit—made her mouth water. For the sake of a bite to eat, she could temporarily set aside all her pride.

She pulled out her phone, found Zhang Yi’s WeChat, and sent a voice message, forcing her tone to be as gentle as possible.

Back at home, Zhang Yi was sitting on his sofa watching TV. Although most major television stations around the world had ceased broadcasting, he had long since downloaded a wealth of classic films, shows, and variety programs to pass the long, boring hours.

"Ding-dong!"

His phone chimed. Zhang Yi picked it up and saw it was from Fang Yuqing. A playful, mocking smile touched his lips. This woman’s pathetic pride had finally reached its limit.

He clicked on the voice message and immediately heard Fang Yuqing’s trembling, affected "girly" voice.

"Hmph, Zhang Yi, you naughty boy! You haven't checked in on me for so many days; you’re absolutely terrible! I know I said a couple of harsh things the other day, but I actually regretted it the moment I said them! But I’m a girl, so I was too shy to reach out first. You naughty boy, you don't know how to pamper me at all!"

As a master of manipulation and feigned innocence, Fang Yuqing was quite skilled at acting cute and coquettish. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to wrap Zhang Yi around her finger in their past life.

Admittedly, hearing her sweet, high-pitched voice did make Zhang Yi feel a bit weak in the knees. He gritted his teeth, thinking, *If I didn't know how vicious your heart really is, you little succubus, I’d love to take you right now!*

Zhang Yi replied with a message: "I haven't been feeling well lately. I think I caught a cold, so I haven't really felt like checking WeChat."

Fang Yuqing immediately asked, "Sick? Did you catch a cold from the freezing weather? You really need to keep warm!"

"No, it's a heat-induced cold," Zhang Yi replied.

Looking at the message, Fang Yuqing was stunned. A heat-induced cold? Are you kidding me? The indoor temperature at her place had already plummeted to fifty or sixty degrees below zero. She and Lin Caining had to huddle together under quilts every day, and they were so cold they could barely sleep. And you say you have a heat-induced cold?

"Zhang Yi, stop joking. How could you get a heat-induced cold in this freezing weather?"

Zhang Yi sent a "curious" emoji. "Is it cold? Oh, I have a fireplace in my room, so I haven't really noticed. It makes the room uncomfortably hot when it's burning; I probably caught a chill from falling asleep in front of the fire the other day!"

As he spoke, he took a photo of the roaring fireplace with his phone. In the picture, he made sure to include his bare legs. He also "accidentally" caught the piles of snacks on his coffee table, along with the remnants of his lamb chops and chicken legs, before sending the photo to Fang Yuqing.

When Fang Yuqing saw the photo, if the previous images had made her feel a bit envious, this one made her eyes burn with pure jealousy!

A fireplace! It was a miracle for staying warm. Even in the far north, with one of these burning, it wouldn’t matter if it were dozens of degrees below zero outside. Its heating capacity was even better than a radiator, especially since you could toast yourself right next to it!

For the past ten days, Fang Yuqing had been so cold she had almost lost all sensation in her body. Aside from food, her greatest longing was for a way to get warm. A few days ago, she and Lin Caining had even burned a chair from their room just to stay warm. Although it only provided heat for about ten minutes, the high temperature of the flames had moved her to tears. But there was almost nothing left in their house to burn.

Who could have guessed that a guy like Zhang Yi would actually have a fireplace? Tianhai was a southern city; people didn't even wear down jackets in winter, let alone install fireplaces in their homes!

Fang Yuqing didn't have time to ponder that. She stared intently at the photo, with only one thought in her mind: she wanted to go to Zhang Yi’s house! Looking at Zhang Yi’s relaxed appearance with his bare legs and the mountain of food on his table, he had become her greatest hope.

Lin Caining, curled up in a quilt nearby, noticed the change in Fang Yuqing’s expression. She leaned over to look, and soon she was also dumbfounded, gasping, "My god! This photo isn't photoshopped, is it? How could anyone be living so well right now? This is basically paradise!"

Fang Yuqing suddenly realized something. "That's right. Everyone is starving and freezing at home. Why should Zhang Yi be living so comfortably? Maybe this photo, and the ones before it, are all faked."

On a whim, she initiated a video call to Zhang Yi. Whether it was real or fake, one look would tell. Lin Caining leaned in close, eyes glued to the screen.

When Zhang Yi saw the call request, he wore a mocking expression. He really wanted to see this "white lotus" grovel and beg. If he couldn't watch her die in despair, how could he justify the miserable death he suffered in his past life? He tapped to accept the call.

As soon as the connection was made, both sides saw the reality of the other. Zhang Yi had just finished exercising; he was shirtless, lying lazily on the sofa. The room was brightly lit, with fitness equipment in the background. Vaguely, one could see plenty of ingredients stacked in the kitchen. He would occasionally cook his own meals for leisure, so the kitchen was casually stocked with boxes of dried scallops, fish maw, and abalone, as well as instant noodles, caviar, truffles, and other high-end canned goods. To him, these were just snacks to enjoy occasionally.

But to the two women on the other end of the lens, they were the most beautiful food they could ever dream of!

Compared to Zhang Yi’s comfort, Fang Yuqing and Lin Caining looked incredibly disheveled. They were wrapped in thick, heavy quilts. Because the temperature was so low, most of their cosmetics were unusable, making them look gaunt and far from the refined, delicate women they used to be.

Seeing Fang Yuqing, a trace of disappointment flickered in Zhang Yi’s eyes. The goddess he had once pursued so desperately didn't look like much without makeup—a six out of ten at best. Recalling how long he had been obsessed with the "Asian magic" of makeup, he muttered to himself, "Shake it, what a joke!"

The two women didn't notice Zhang Yi’s expression; their eyes were completely captivated by the items in his home. His bare chest meant the room temperature was absolutely comfortable. The bright lights were something they hadn't dared to dream of, given that electricity was limited to less than an hour a day. After all, the authorities had strict regulations against using high-power appliances, or they would force a power cut.

Especially the mountain of food in the kitchen—it made the eyes of these two women, who had been eating nothing but compressed rations for so long, glow with green-eyed greed!