The Villainous Female Side Character Pretends to Be an Omega in the Apocalypse and Raises a Cat - Chapter 14

On the way back, Chi Yingdong remained vigilant against potential attacks from unknown creatures in the water, but fortunately, the journey was uneventful.

Once inside the house, the kitten tugged at her pant leg, urging her toward the kitchen.

The tiny creature’s strength was no match for Chi Yingdong, but she humored it and followed along.

Retrieving the pet instant noodles from her storage space, Chi Yingdong noticed for the first time that they came in several flavors.

“Fresh shrimp or chicken broth? Which one do you want?”

The kitten looked left and right, torn between the two options. It was such a difficult decision!

Finally, the kitten’s little paw tapped the chicken broth flavor.

Chi Yingdong put the seafood flavor back into her storage and picked up the chicken broth one.

When she looked up, she saw the kitten’s big eyes fixed intently on the noodles. They say pets resemble their owners, but she wasn’t this greedy for food.

As Chi Yingdong tore open the plastic packaging, the kitten’s tail wagged even more excitedly.

The moment hot water was poured into the bowl, steam rose in gentle curls, filling the room with an enticing aroma.

The noodles needed some time to soften. Seizing this moment, Chi Yingdong finally checked her constantly vibrating phone.

In the residents’ group chat, someone had been repeatedly tagging her.

This was something Chi Yingdong hadn’t anticipated.

Frowning, she opened the group chat.

Building 1, Unit 302: @Chi Can you reply? Is that inflatable boat yours?

Building 13, Unit 804: @Chi In times of disaster, we humans should help each other out.

Reading these accusatory and morally coercive messages, Chi Yingdong’s brow furrowed tightly, her eyes filled with displeasure.

Modern society was incredibly convenient, delivery services covered almost every shop in the city.

Even if a favorite store wasn’t on a delivery platform, courier services were always available.

As a result, hardly anyone stockpiled large amounts of supplies at home.

After a day and a half, most households had exhausted their snack reserves and were beginning to realize the importance of food supplies.

With no news from the national rescue team, waiting idly seemed futile. They needed tools to leave the neighborhood and search for supplies themselves.

What puzzled Chi Yingdong was that she never spoke in the group chat and had never disclosed any personal information.

So, who had singled her out in the group?

Chi Yingdong scrolled back through the chat history until she found the first message that tagged her.

The user’s profile picture looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it right away.

“Who is it?” Chi Yingdong murmured softly, then tapped on the profile to view their page.

To her surprise, she and this person were not even friends!

What motive could they have for exposing her in the group and pushing her into the spotlight?

New messages continued to flood the group chat. Some troublemakers joined in, tagging her one after another. The constant notifications were grating on her nerves.

From the moment she took out the inflatable boat, Chi Yingdong had expected someone to covet it. She just hadn’t anticipated it would happen so soon.

Avoidance was pointless. A mischievous glint in her eyes, Chi Yingdong typed a line and hit send.

Chi: It’s mine, but I only have one inflatable boat. There are so many of you, who should I lend it to?

A playful smile curled at the corner of Chi Yingdong’s lips. The apocalypse was too dull.

If a cheap inflatable boat could buy her some entertainment, she was more than willing to make the exchange.

After all, she had at least a few dozen of these ordinary inflatable boats in her space, if not a hundred.

The group chat fell silent for a moment after she sent the message.

But soon, messages began flooding in one after another.

Building 6, Unit 606: “We’re all in the same community. In the face of a natural disaster, we should help each other out. How can we talk about money?”

However, very few people seemed to agree with Building 6, Unit 606’s sentiment.

Those who genuinely needed the inflatable boat no longer cared about money. In fact, they hoped the price would be higher, as it would filter out some people and increase their own chances.

Building 4, Unit 606: “Don’t talk so lightly when you’re not in the same situation. It’s already generous of others to lend us their things, and you want it for free? I’m willing to pay 200 to rent it for a day. Miss, please consider me.”

After Building 4, Unit 606 took the lead with their “money power,” other residents with savings quickly followed suit.

A fierce bidding war officially began.

Building 7, Unit 303: “Miss, please consider me. I’ll pay 500. I have a child at home. Adults can endure hunger, but children really can’t.”

Building 5, Unit 601: “I’m willing to pay 1,000 to rent it for a day.”

Chi Yingdong had a slight impression of the owner of Building 5, Unit 601.

The reason was that the owner had once tried to learn how to cook and nearly caused a gas explosion, putting the entire building at risk.

The owner was an office worker with a 9-to-10 schedule, never cooked at home, and never bought rice or flour.

Moreover, the owner was a bit older, past the age of craving snacks, and didn’t usually keep any at home. As a result, there was no food left in the house.

The group chat grew increasingly intense, with people resorting to both pity appeals and tempting offers.

Chi Yingdong smirked playfully.

Chi: “Everyone knows that money can’t buy much these days.”

Chi: “How about this? I’ll lend you the boat, and no matter how much food you find, you give me one-third of it.”

Those who needed the boat now were the ones with no food left at home, afraid of going hungry.

Seeing Chi Yingdong’s demand for one-third of the food they found, some hesitated but eventually agreed.

Chi: “I only have one boat, and it can only carry one person at a time. You all figure out the order among yourselves.”

After sending this message, Chi Yingdong ignored the group chat and turned her attention back to the kitten.

The kitten, who had been waiting impatiently beside her, kept patting the instant noodles with its little paws.

Chi Yingdong reached out to stop it. “I’ll prepare it for you. Don’t burn yourself.”

The kitten obediently retracted its paw and looked at Chi Yingdong expectantly.

Chi Yingdong went to the kitchen to get a pair of chopsticks, picked up a strand of noodles, and blew on it gently.

She then tested the temperature with her wrist, making sure it wasn’t too hot before carefully bringing it to the kitten’s mouth.

Meng Qinghe was already drooling with anticipation, her eyes fixed intently on the noodles. As soon as the noodles were in front of her, she eagerly opened her mouth to take them.

The savory flavor of the instant noodles filled her mouth, and the kitten squinted her eyes contentedly, purring with satisfaction.

Anyone who saw her would have thought she was eating some rare delicacy.

Chi Yingdong looked at the kitten affectionately. “Do I usually deprive you of food?”

The kitten rubbed against Chi Yingdong’s hand coquettishly. “Meow.”

Normally, Chi Yingdong prepared carefully selected, high-quality ingredients for her.

But after eating rich foods for so long, the kitten also craved something simple like tofu and cabbage.

The bowl of instant noodles was soon empty.

The kitten let out a satisfied burp and then sprawled out on the sofa.

Her round little belly faced upward, exuding an air of lazy contentment.

Sleeping right after eating can easily lead to weight gain. Chi Yingdong wanted the kitten to walk around a bit to aid digestion first.

But then she thought about how the kitten had gone out with her this morning and worked hard all morning, surely exhausted, and she couldn’t bear to disturb it.

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at her current state, it really felt a bit like “a doting mother spoils the child.”

After carefully washing and putting away the dishes and utensils on the table, Chi Yingdong opened her phone again to check the messages in the homeowners’ group.

The group had already made a decision: the first to use the inflatable boat would be the resident of Unit 303, Building 7.

The reason was simple: if the resident of Unit 303, Building 7, was going out to search for food for themselves, the other residents would likely not easily concede.

But if it was for the sake of a child, most people, still able to endure hunger for the time being, would yield out of moral consideration.

Chi: I can lend the inflatable boat, but I only have this one. With zombies everywhere outside, can you guarantee that you’ll bring the boat back intact after this trip?

Chi Yingdong’s remark gave everyone pause.

Those who had earlier been righteous and insisted that the resident of Unit 303, Building 7, with a child, should use the boat first now hesitated.

Everyone knew in their hearts that if Unit 303, Building 7, met with misfortune outside and died, the inflatable boat would not return.

Without the inflatable boat, how would they go out to search for food in the future?

Unit 601, Building 5: Exactly! It’s so dangerous outside. What if something happens to you out there? What will happen to your wife and child at home? It’s better if we go instead. We can share some of the food we find with your family.

The group once again fell into a heated discussion, while Chi Yingdong calmly exited the group chat interface.

Scrolling idly through WeChat, Chi Yingdong couldn’t help but wonder about the person who had tagged her, who exactly were they?

Just then, she suddenly noticed that she hadn’t replied to the message Qiao Ying sent her yesterday.

Qiao Ying: The world outside has changed. There are man-eating monsters everywhere, and it’s very dangerous. I’ve arranged for someone to bring you food tomorrow. Wait at home for me to pick you up. Don’t go out.

Chi Yingdong’s eyes darkened.

It was the exact same message as in her previous life.

In her previous life, Qiao Ying had indeed kept his word and came to find her personally.

Chi Yingdong knew that the plot was still unfolding, and in this life, Qiao Ying would likely come for her as well.

But this time, she had the ability to survive in this apocalyptic world on her own.

Chi: I’ve already moved. You don’t need to come find me.

The reply came quickly.

Qiao Ying: Where did you move to?
Qiao Ying: Do you have food?

Chi: Yes.

No matter how anxiously Qiao Ying asked where she had moved to or if she was safe, Chi Yingdong did not reply again.

Exiting WeChat, Chi Yingdong instinctively glanced toward the kitten.

But when her gaze fell on the sofa, her eyes filled with unconcealed surprise.

In her dream, Meng Qinghe looked delightedly at her reflection in the mirror.

She had turned into a human. Although her cat ears and tail were still there, the fair skin of her hands and feet was unmistakably human.

She curiously touched her ears, then her tail.

But before long, she transformed back into a small kitten, curled up in a tiny ball.

Meng Qinghe unhappily drooped her ears, her tail swishing left and right as she vented her dissatisfaction.

At the very least, she wanted to see what she looked like as a human. Why did she have to turn back into a cat so quickly?

Meng Qinghe slowly woke up, her mouth still drooping.

Opening his eyes, he immediately met Chi Yingdong’s probing gaze.

“Meow, meow, meow.”

Seeing Rang, the person he trusted most, the kitten called out plaintively.

The kitten wanted to share his dream with someone but was frustrated that the other couldn’t understand him.

Chi Yingdong’s hand, hanging by his side, clenched slightly as he calmly averted his gaze.