Scene 2: Secrets, Survival, and Signs
After finishing their meal, Han Yue stepped out of the café with her matcha latte still in hand. Long Yi walked beside her as a sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up at the curb. Two bodyguards stood respectfully by the doors, opening them as the pair approached.
The ride was silent but comfortable. Soon, they arrived at Long Yi's private estate—an elegant mansion nestled in a secluded part of the city. An elderly butler stood waiting at the entrance, his posture upright and demeanor respectful.
"Young Master, welcome home," the butler greeted, bowing slightly. Then, turning toward Han Yue with a warm smile, he added, "Welcome, Young Miss."
Long Yi nodded and gestured for Han Yue to follow him inside. They walked through a quiet corridor to a secluded study room. The walls were soundproof, the windows tinted, and no one was allowed to disturb them. As Han Yue settled onto a plush lounge couch, sipping her latte, Long Yi instructed the butler not to let anyone interrupt.
Then, he locked the door and sat across from her, waiting patiently for her to speak.
After a brief pause, Han Yue looked at him. "Do you believe in rebirth? Or... the end of the world?"
Long Yi's brows furrowed slightly, but his tone remained steady. "Well, when you think about it… earthquakes, volcanic eruptions burying towns in ash, tsunamis, hurricanes, epidemics like COVID, and now countries dumping nuclear waste into the oceans—it's not hard to believe the world is breaking down piece by piece. So yes, I believe in the possibility of the end. Rebirth, though... I've never seen proof. But I've heard stories."
Han Yue nodded slowly. "You're right. Our planet is already suffering from disasters—it's just that they don't all happen at once. But... what if they did?"
She took another sip of her matcha latte, then placed it on the nearby table. "Because I'm actually a reborn person."
Long Yi stared at her, unmoving. He didn't immediately respond.
After a moment, he finally asked, "Does that mean… you died?"
His tone darkened, and his gaze grew intense. Han Yue lowered her eyes. "Yes. I died in the hands of my own family. Or more precisely—Han Jiaojiao."
Long Yi's expression darkened further. His hands clenched into fists. "That trash dared to hurt you?"
Han Yue slowly nodded. "After I died, I woke up back in the car—when the Han family had just found me. That was when I remembered everything."
She went on to tell him everything: how her father took her shares, how she was humiliated at the welcome banquet, how she nearly drowned in the family pool. "You saved me, by the way," she added softly. "I didn't know at the time... I only found out later."
Long Yi's brows lifted slightly in surprise, but his fists loosened just a little at the mention of saving her.
"I thought it was someone else," Han Yue admitted. "A guy named Zhou Rui claimed he saved me, and I believed him. I was stupid. He pretended to be kind and tricked me into trusting him. But really, they were after my shares… though by then, my father had already taken them."
Long Yi's face grew grim again. "Zhou Rui… I'll remember that name."
At that exact moment, across the city, Zhou Rui sneezed hard at home. "Huh? Is someone thinking about me?" he muttered, rubbing his nose. (Comedic relief.)
Han Yue chuckled faintly. "Anyway, in this life, I made sure the banquet went smoothly. As for Zhou Rui, he's not worth my time."
She looked up at him. "I'm not going to school next week. The end is coming. What's the point of going through the motions?"
Long Yi was quiet, absorbing every word. Then he asked, "Do you remember any major events? Things that can help us prepare?"
"Yes," she replied. "For example, next week, a scratch ticket worth 400 million yuan will be won by a homeless man at a small lottery shop on Zhonghe Street. You can have your assistant buy out the entire store."
Long Yi opened his laptop and began typing rapidly. "Go on."
"A popular actor will be exposed for domestic violence. He'll be canceled overnight—his wife finally escapes him. Oh, and remember that 'Sushi Country'? They'll get hit by a level 7 tsunami. It'll wipe out their coastal regions and destroy most of their instant ramen factories."
She listed out more events. Some natural. Some man-made. But all of them devastating.
"Do you have exact dates?" he asked.
"I can't remember everything precisely," she admitted. "But most of it happens within the next month or two. After that, things start escalating fast."
She paused, then looked him directly in the eye. "What I do remember clearly... is how it all begins."
Long Yi stopped typing and looked up.
Han Yue leaned back. "First, the heat. A deadly heatwave sweeps across the country. The government says it's just a drought and a possible famine. But it's worse. Rivers dry up, reservoirs empty in days. Crops wilt. Animals die. People start collapsing in the streets. Over 200 million die in that wave alone. Daytime temperatures reach 60°C. At night, it drops slightly to 53°C—still unbearable."
Long Yi's fingers tightened on his laptop.
"After that," she continued, "comes the endless rain. It rains nonstop for over two weeks. Cities flood. Mansions and villas get submerged up to the twelfth floor. We had to leave our home in the suburbs and look for shelter in high-rises."
"Then comes the cold," she said, her voice quieter now. "Temperatures plummet to –60°C. Water freezes solid in seconds. Food becomes impossible to store. People starve, freeze, and die."
Long Yi was still typing, his face stone-cold.
"And just when people thought it was over, the sun returned. But… it was different. That sun changed everything. It looked normal—but people started fainting, falling into comas. Some… awakened powers."
Long Yi looked up sharply.
"Powers?" he asked.
Han Yue nodded. "Spiritual powers. Elemental powers—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning. Some awakened space-related abilities or mutated senses like hyper-hearing or night vision. Others could see through lies, heal wounds, or even manipulate emotions. Some transformed physically—developing animal-like traits or heightened speed and strength."
Long Yi was stunned but didn't interrupt.
Han Yue continued calmly, "That's when society changed. Order broke down. Bases formed. Survivors gathered. Power meant everything. Resources were limited. But for those with powers, there was hope."
She hesitated a little before finally dropping another bombshell.
"I have a space," she said. "A real one. With a hut, soil, a stream. And it's growing."
Long Yi looked at her, but didn't seem surprised.
"And you… should have one too," she added. "In my past life, I heard your second cousin bragging about stealing your family heirloom. He called it the Dragon Ring. He wore it proudly at one of the bases, claiming you were too dumb to notice it was gone."
A chilling silence fell between them.
Long Yi's jaw clenched.
Han Yue calmly sipped the last of her matcha latte.
"Looks like we both have some preparing to do."
Compiled privately by Han Yue and Long Yichen as part of their long-term survival strategy.
🌍 Disaster Progression Forecast – Subject to Variability
(Based on Han Yue's memories of her past life and long-term observation)
Extreme Heatwave Outbreaks
Unnatural spikes in global temperature
Early-stage environmental collapse
Triggering wildfires and dehydration crises
Torrential Rain & Sudden Tornadoes
Random, intense storms in urban and rural areas
Frequent tornadoes in unexpected regions
Severe transportation and infrastructure damage
Urban Flooding
Continuous rainfall causes citywide submersion
Several coastal and lowland areas rendered uninhabitable
Sudden Global Freeze
Extreme cold snaps across continents
Severe agricultural failure and energy crises
Solar Mutation Phase
Sudden change in sunlight behavior
Widespread fainting, fever outbreaks
Start of human physical adaptation
Emergence of Mutants
Mutant animals and plants begin appearing
Some exhibit hostility, others unknown behavior
Increasing environmental instability
Earthquake Catastrophe
A massive seismic event (approx. magnitude 10.0)
Nationwide infrastructure collapse
Preceded by expert warnings and government evacuation orders
Official Survivor Bases Activated
Governments open shelter and supply bases
Resource management begins under martial coordination
Eternal Day Cycle
Sun fails to set — continuous daylight
Severe psychological strain across populations
Eternal Night Cycle
Complete darkness with no sunrise
Creatures adapt to the dark; increased danger
White Fog Era Begins
Sun returns, but global vision becomes heavily obscured by fog
Navigation, surveillance, and hunting compromised
📝 Note from Han Yue:
"These events don't follow a clean calendar. Some transitions happen within days, others stretch for months. The world isn't falling apart on a schedule — it's unraveling piece by piece."