Watching Da Piaoliang burrowed under the covers, Su Bai couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. For the first time, she thought being a ghost wasn't so bad—at least you didn’t have to worry about the biting cold, and you could stick close to Ye Shu.

After their midday rest, the chill deepened. Even though Ye Shu had insulated the house as best she could, nothing could keep out the sharp drop in temperature. Stand near the window for a moment, and you could feel the frosty air seeping in from outside.

"Damn weather's out for blood!"

"We're not even halfway through the game yet, and it's already like this. How are we supposed to survive the next two weeks? My delicate, jade-like hands are getting frostbitten—they itch and hurt, I can barely stand it!"

Su Bai instinctively pulled the wool blanket tighter around herself, then shot Ye Shu a sidelong glance. If she could, she’d want to awaken an ice ability too… at least then she’d get through this brutal winter unscathed.

"This is frostbite ointment—I bought it in the marketplace. One bottle for each of you," Ye Shu, unable to take Su Bai’s endless complaining, casually summoned two tins of ointment from her space and dropped them on the table.

Su Bai, ever the social butterfly, snatched up a bottle and grinned. "Thanks, darling. You’re always so thoughtful."

Compared to Su Bai’s ease, Pang Pangzi was much more reserved. He knew Ye Shu wasn’t short on points, so he didn't bother putting on airs—quietly tucking the ointment into his belt pouch.

As a member of the Huaxia Nation Survivor Alliance, he was all too familiar with the prices in the Survival Mall. This little jar of frostbite cream in his hand cost a whopping twenty points—just as much as clearing two whole game scenarios. All of his hard-earned points had gone straight into revival cards; he couldn’t afford handy items like this.

With not much else to do, the three sat around, snacked on a little afternoon tea, and played a few rounds of mahjong in the living room.

"Pung!"

"That makes mahjong!"

"A deal’s a deal."

"Five hundred points!"

Su Bai shouted with excitement, her fair cheeks flushed with rosy color.

Even Pang Pangzi’s expression had relaxed a bit. After several rounds, he’d raked in a hundred points—worth ten scenario clears! How could he not be thrilled? He'd never dreamed earning points could be this easy. If only he could keep winning forever…

Ye Shu: "..." She must have been out of her mind to agree to this game with Su Bai. Just like that, several hundred points had slipped through her fingers.

Dusk fell quietly, the sky outside bruised and dark, window ledges buried beneath drifts of white snow, and the temperature falling a few degrees lower still.

Ye Shu, gifted with a frost affinity, was sensitive to temperature changes. The bare skin of her arm against the tabletop prickled with goosebumps; for once, even she shivered and ducked into a thermal shirt underneath her oversized sweatshirt.

At least the power in Dongguang hadn’t gone out—yet. The heater was still going strong. Somewhere along the way, her cup of ginger tea had gone cold. She quickly brewed herself another fresh cup.

"Hey, this ointment really works fast," Su Bai marveled, studying her hands where the swelling and redness had already started to fade. She’d rubbed in the ointment only minutes before, and the stabbing cold in her hands was already easing.

"Of course. That ointment cost precious points, after all," said Ye Shu, idly spinning the half-used jar between her fingers, the plant-based scent lingering in the air.

The news played in the background: "According to the Meteorological Bureau, a massive cold snap is sweeping the globe. The duration of the cold wave is uncertain, possibly lasting from half a month to a month. Experts speculate this abnormal weather is linked to the El Niño phenomenon. Citizens are advised to avoid unnecessary outings, work from home where possible, and keep warm…"

"Nationwide, this sudden cold snap has claimed over 5,661 lives, with tens of thousands suffering from frostbite. If you are injured by the cold, seek medical attention immediately."

The screen quickly switched to an outdoor report—thick white snow swirling around a man in a black down jacket, his voice rough from cold. "The volunteer army is working day and night to clear the roads. Don’t worry, everyone—we’ll get through this together…"

Online, the boards were flooded with posts about the frozen apocalypse.

[Matcha Dog]: Bought months of food supplies on the first day of the freeze. As an office drone, I feel honored to finally be prepared!]

[Salty Eggman in Boxers]: Is anyone selling fever medicine? I’ll pay any price! My location: XX complex]

[Sausage Dog]: The snow is so deep I can’t even go outside. Southern folks, this is my first time with snow blindness!]

[Sweetheart Macho]: The very first day I could tell something was off—I spent half my life building my underground shelter, and for once I feel grateful for my apocalypse novel obsession. My bunker can handle minus fifty degrees easy.]

Attached was a photo—a young man standing beside metal shelves stacked with food, canned goods, compressed biscuits, and fresh fruit and vegetables, everything neatly organized. Clearly, he’d been preparing for this for quite some time. The comment had over 99 replies.

Ye Shu showed not the slightest surprise. In this day and age, who hadn’t read a handful of novels? Building a private underground bunker was nothing out of the ordinary. If she'd had more time and money, she would have built a luxury one herself.

In a survival game, death was inevitable.

"Fifty cities in Longguo—thirty in the Qing region alone—have been hit by mega blizzards... Snow depths averaging three meters... Residents are advised to move to higher ground…" The TV host kept urging citizens to stockpile supplies, making no secret of the looming disaster.

In survival games, natural disasters covered a wider swath than ghosts or human foes ever could. That was something she couldn’t change. This cold front would shatter every routine of society, and ordinary people would just have to adapt—or be swept away.

But Ye Shu had lost any urge to be entertained.

"Tch, this is Survival Game version 2.0. The cold snap is never just going to end, is it!"

"Ye Shu, want some congee? Fresh from the pot, still hot!" Su Bai offered, cradling a steaming bowl of rice porridge with pork and preserved egg.

Ye Shu coolly turned her back, ignoring her.

Since morning, the pipes had frozen solid. Thankfully, she’d prepared ahead—ten or so half-height white plastic barrels full of water, stored in the kitchen and bathroom. As long as nothing unexpected happened, that would last the three of them for a month. As for the toilets freezing over, Ye Shu solved it handily—with a box of cat litter.

.........

Seventh day in the game.

Midnight. 01:12 AM.

Ye Shu lay drowsily in bed, several space heaters glowing, the air conditioner humming nonstop. She’d even placed hot water bottles under the covers before sleep. The warmth in the room was nearly soporific.

She woke up with a shock of cold. Eyes snapping open, she saw only darkness—the whole room pitch black. Sometime while she slept, the heaters had switched off. Numbed by the chill, her mind seemed to work in slow motion. She reached for the light switch, but no matter how she flicked it, the darkness remained.

Only then did she realize—the power was out.

She sneezed twice, her nose rubbed raw, teeth chattering. Channeling the last dregs of her powers just to keep her core warm, she felt the room turn into an ice cave.

Across from her, Su Bai slept soundly, breaths shallow—seeming not to notice the plummeting temperature at all.

Suddenly, Ye Shu’s heart dropped. Su Bai was always the first to notice the cold. If Ye Shu herself was freezing, then Su Bai could be in real trouble.