Su Bai kept messaging, saying she had to leave the far north immediately and regroup with Ye Shu.
Ye Shu didn’t object—she just reminded her to bring some local specialties on her way back.
For example, a rechargeable insulated down coat.
After leaving the shopping mall’s underground garage, Ye Shu rolled down the car window. A chilly gust hit her full in the face, making her shudder.
Wasn’t this cold snap coming on a bit too quickly?
She had, after all, awakened to an ice-type ability—this kind of temperature shouldn’t have been an issue.
Which only meant one thing: The game had begun.
The first three days of the game were meant to be the adaptation period for newbies.
But if the temperature just kept dropping… If it fell below freezing, she’d have to seriously consider moving to the equator.
Ye Shu’s city, Dongguang in Longguo, was generally warmer. Yet the temperature had fallen from thirty-one Celsius to seventeen within a few short hours, along with a shower of rain—certainly enough to make the local news.
“What bizarre weather. I was sweating this morning, and now it’s so cold I’ll freeze. Better get home and grab a padded coat, or I’ll end up with a cold.”
“Padded coat? Never owned one in my life! The one I’ve got now, I borrowed from my great-great-grandfather’s closet!”
“Give it a couple of hours, and they say the sun’ll be out again.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
Ye Shu pressed her lips together, hugging a bag of snacks as she headed upstairs.
She’d nearly forgotten: This was far southern Longguo, with weather like spring all year round. No wonder the boutique owner had given her that complicated look — hesitating to speak — and she’d still paid top yuan at the wholesale market just to snag a couple of down jackets.
…
That afternoon, the temperature hadn’t budged, still clinging to seventeen degrees, if not starting to inch lower.
Seizing a window of calm, Ye Shu swung by a local pharmacy, gathering up a haul of cold medicine, fever reducers, masks, and protective clothing. Ever since Bluestar was invaded by the game, all the money she’d scraped together went up in smoke—her home, gone. So she loaded her spatial vault with medicine and food, some comfort in knowing it’d at least be useful here in the real world.
The rain had been relentless since it began. When Ye Shu left the pharmacy hauling two bags heavy with her purchases, the young cashier, shivering in her white coat, hugged herself and complained to a colleague: “This weather is crazy! Didn’t think I’d live to see such cold here in Dongguang… Is it the end of the world or what…?”
Ye Shu pretended not to hear, glanced briefly at the girl, and left.
She came home drenched to the bone.
Ye Shu loathed this kind of damp, clammy weather. She tossed her soaked coat onto the sofa and, while taking out her supplies, let loose her three space-faring creatures.
Da Piaoliang, bold as ever, leapt onto Ye Shu’s shoulder and shot a provocative look at the merman. “Master, you finally remembered us! I thought you’d forgotten all about us just because you did one round of the game with that ugly fish.”
Ye Shu:“...”
Behave, please, I beg you.
Was being jealous over such odd creatures even normal?
The merman ignored Da Piaoliang’s goading, and, wagging his little tail, made straight for the bathroom. With practiced ease, he filled the tub and submerged himself, content.
Chou Bagua had the least say in the matter. Ye Shu, with little ceremony, placed it in a steel wash basin.
During the initial invasion on Bluestar, things happened too fast for Ye Shu to consider every angle. She’d grabbed those three and shoved them into her spatial vault, worried the game would eradicate them, too.
…
That night, Ye Shu was awakened by the chill.
When she checked her phone, it showed thirteen degrees Celsius.
All she had was a thin blanket over her.
Cold to the bone, Ye Shu wrapped herself in a thick down comforter and tried to sleep, but no matter how she tossed and turned, slumber wouldn’t come.
She figured she’d just check the world channel.
[GreenTeaDog: The game’s gone into deep freeze. I’ve stocked up on down jackets, space heaters, ginger tea—hell, even reinforced my apartment! With heated floors, this’ll be the warmest of winters. No need to sweat the extreme cold instance. Easy game—I’m a structural engineer from Northeast China. If anyone needs DIY insulation guides, I’ll offer them for just two points.]
He even posted photos: A cozy, immaculate room, thick rugs underfoot, radiators blazing, the young man lounging in shorts, toasting with a glass of champagne.
To have renovated a place like this in under half a day—now that was skill.
Ye Shu glanced around her cramped, chilly room and was silent for a long moment.
Why hadn’t she thought of hiring professionals?
No time like the present.
She contacted a renovation company and ordered all the heating materials.
A generous tip got her a promise: They’d be over the very next day.
[NotBoring: Anyone need heavy-duty down coats? That’s my trade. Fellow players get a discount, and I’ll send them via the game’s transport feature.]
[QingMeiRao: Me! I’m in Dongguang. Missing you, honestly, I’m nearly freezing to death here—can only cower under my comforter, shivering.]
[…]
During this lull, she reached out to Pang Pangzi.
The two weren’t even a city apart.
Ye Shu made the call, and without hesitation, Pang Pangzi jumped at the chance to come over.
The rain lasted all night.
…
Day two in the game.
No letup—the rain only grew fiercer.
Ye Shu wore a red, round-necked sweater and sat by the window, cupping a steaming mug of tea.
Her apartment was on the thirteenth floor, still allowing a view of the bustling crowds below.
Nobody wore light summer clothing anymore. In mere moments, everyone had switched to winterwear.
Her tea cooled in under five minutes.
A chime from her phone signaled a weather alert from the local meteorological bureau.
[Dongguang Meteorological Bureau: Due to El Niño, the climate is unstable. Extreme cold and storms expected; please dress warmly and stay safe.]
Though it was only nine a.m., the dim light made it seem like dusk.
The gloom dredged up memories of the last game instance, when the white mist blocked out the sky and seemed to suffocate humanity in its cradle.
Lightning flickered across the horizon.
Ye Shu refreshed the forecast. Nine degrees Celsius. A sinking feeling gnawed at her.
Except for the introductory rounds, the game never spoon-fed warnings about disasters. Even providing information cost points. The Domain of Absolute Cold was surely more than a deep freeze.
Dongguang was a coastal city. Could there be other calamities in store?
Floods?
Tsunamis?
Or something worse…
Her spatial vault was well-stocked, not lacking for supplies or ammunition.
She’d even tucked away the hand-stitched quilts and home furnace left by the original owner.
Ten a.m.
The renovation crew arrived on schedule, laying heated floors and soundproofing, working as a tight team. By midday, a whole room had been remade.
Even if it dropped to minus twenty, a single layer would keep her warm inside.
“Tch, rich kids these days are something else. That’s my second floor-heating install today!”
“Not that I’m complaining. These high-rollers keep us fed.”
“All this fuss just for a bit of cold?”
Their banter stuck in Ye Shu’s mind.
Dozens of orders like hers... There were surely plenty of players assigned to Dongguang.
Ye Shu was generous with her red envelope.
By evening, around four, she caught herself thinking of Pang Pangzi. Only when she opened her phone did she see the hours-old alert for flood risk due to torrential rains.
Her heart jolted.
Thirteenth floor or not—if it poured endlessly like at Lake City last time, all her money would go down the drain.