The Fatty became anxious upon hearing this. "Hey, Han Tao, why did you stop talking?" Although he wanted to offer an explanation, the question was whether Wang Qiqi would even listen if he did. Judging by someone’s expression and tone right now, the Fatty knew Wang Qiqi had completely misunderstood. "Hey, I'm not that kind of person! My loyalty to Wei Wei is absolute." The Fatty was practically ready to swear an oath to the heavens.

Wang Qiqi was secretly amused by the Fatty's frantic demeanor. Serves you right for constantly provoking me earlier. You were already planning to call it quits, but you still had to make one last struggle, hmph. If our Han Tao hadn't stepped in with that line, you would have been like an unkillable cockroach. But now? This unkillable cockroach has turned into a jelly-legged crab. "Don't worry, we understand. We won't tell Wei Wei. After all, a mature man has his needs, doesn't he?"

"Exactly, don't worry. Qiqi and you are quite close," Han Tao emphasized the word 'close.' "She definitely won't betray you without a good reason." Sorry, but if you manage to provoke Qiqi, then everything might change.

Wang Qiqi kept nodding along, signaling that what Han Tao said was completely correct.

Seeing the couple clearly colluding in villainy, the Fatty knew further explanation was useless; it would only get them more tangled up in confusion. "Let's get to work. Earning money is what matters." Hmph, I can at least be busy with work, right? Hmph. Wait until Wei Wei goes to study in the States; then we'll see how they use this to threaten me.

Wang Qiqi originally wanted to tease that person a bit more so they wouldn't get too cocky all day. Although that person had good intentions, constantly bringing it up would surely leave a thorn in Han Tao's side. "Work, work. Oh right, you two should sleep early tonight and get plenty of rest. We're driving out tomorrow." If they were taking a taxi or the bus, Wang Qiqi wouldn't worry, but driving absolutely required caution. If anything happened, it would be a huge deal.

"Don't worry, if we aren't feeling energetic, we'll take a taxi," Han Tao wasn't about to joke about his own safety. If that guy wasn't paying attention while driving and got caught by the police, not only would the Fatty be unlucky, but his wife Qiqi would also share the misfortune.

"I won't drive tomorrow," the Fatty declared immediately. Hmph, after being squeezed by the couple just now, I’m in a bad mood, so there’s no need to save them money. Boss Fook will pay tomorrow anyway, and if he doesn't pay up, I’ll immediately sell out that guy and see if he dares to give Qiqi a surprise again.

"Not driving is fine too; it’s more convenient and safer to be passengers," Han Tao wasn't irritated by that proud remark. He still remembered the general location of the downtown mall, and if necessary, he could just ask people.

The Fatty had actually expected Han Tao to beg for mercy, but to his surprise, Han Tao didn't show any inclination to do so. This left the Fatty feeling quite frustrated, yet he couldn't bring himself to say that he could, in fact, drive them out.

"That’s best. I won't give you the keys then," Wang Qiqi let out a sigh of relief hearing they both agreed not to drive. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have been at ease staying home. "Otherwise, I was considering waking up early tomorrow to drive you guys out. The Fatty just needs to get out and clear his head." That way, even if there was a collision due to slippery roads while driving, she could face the police without worry.

Han Tao, hearing that Wang Qiqi had even considered driving them out, inwardly cried out in relief. It was a close call; if that guy hadn't been so stubborn, he truly wouldn't have known how to persuade Qiqi not to go.

Wang Qiqi strolled down from the living room, shivering slightly. She glanced at the fireplace, where no embers remained, realizing they had been gone for quite a while. "Honestly, they didn't even wait for me to wake up and cook for them." Yesterday, Wang Qiqi had told Han Tao that she would make breakfast for them so they wouldn't have to go out to buy food, but when she woke up, both men had already vanished. Looking at the messy bedding, she knew the Fatty must have left in a hurry, perhaps dragged out by Han Tao in his rush.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Wang Qiqi took the Fatty’s bedding to the freshly cleaned stair railing, then began cleaning the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Han Tao and the Fatty had said they would mop the floor daily. Wang Qiqi had been too tired upon returning home to look closely before, but after cleaning the entire area herself today, she could only shake her head. While she believed they mopped daily, this was clearly just going through the motions.

Wang Qiqi didn't know how many times she had mopped the floor, only feeling relieved when the water was no longer murky black. She had felt chilly before, but after all that cleaning, she was down to wearing just a sweater.

After cleaning downstairs, Wang Qiqi opened the windows to air the place out. She aired the house daily, but the two men, afraid of the cold draft, rarely opened the windows. Even though the door opened and closed, bringing in some fresh air along with the exhaust fan, Wang Qiqi always sensed an odor. So, while the two men were out, she quickly opened all the windows. The result of opening the windows was an instant full-body shiver. Wang Qiqi wrapped herself in her padded coat and hurried upstairs with her cleaning tools.

Wang Qiqi assumed the two men would be gone for a long time, perhaps not returning until the afternoon, so she confidently cleaned upstairs without going down to close the windows. She completely missed the sound of the door opening downstairs.

"Achoo, achoo, so cold." The Fatty shrank his neck as he slipped inside, expecting to feel some warmth. But the moment he entered, he realized the temperature inside was the same as outside—icy cold. He could even hear a draft whistling inside. He looked up and saw the windows were wide open. "Ugh, who is so mean as to leave the windows open? Don't they know opening windows in this weather can kill people?"

The Fatty was extremely annoyed. Although Qiqi always complained about the stuffy air when the windows were shut, opening them let in that frigid air. Even with a fireplace, it was useless. Yet, as soon as they left, that woman Qiqi opens the windows! Isn't she trying to freeze us to death?

"Qiqi’s cleaning up. Let’s change our slippers," Han Tao restrained the Fatty, who was about to storm inside to close the windows and relight the fireplace.

The Fatty then noticed the floor was so clean it almost reflected faces. "It’s great having a woman clean the house. It gets this clean." The Fatty didn't have much love for housework. He only mopped daily here because Han Tao wouldn't let him off otherwise. Now that Qiqi was back, someone else was taking over, and doing it perfectly.

"You have to help too. Do you think Qiqi isn't tired?" Han Tao didn't expect the Fatty’s first reaction to be that. Of course, he wouldn't agree to let the Fatty off so easily. "How about you clean the three bathrooms instead?" Han Tao finally conceded slightly.

The Fatty still had reservations about cleaning the bathrooms, but he worried that if he kept being picky, he'd end up mopping anyway. And how much trouble could three bathrooms be? "Fine, I accept. But I need to start the fire first." The Fatty felt increasingly cold. "By the way, when are you giving that thing to Qiqi?"

"I'll consider it myself," Han Tao knew perfectly well the Fatty wanted to see him embarrassed, but was his embarrassment so easy to witness?

The Fatty pouted and stopped bothering that guy, deciding to honestly start the fireplace. Going out today had definitely thinned his wallet; he needed to work hard to earn it back.

Han Tao looked at the large bags and small packages by his feet, knowing the Fatty certainly wouldn't bother with them. He sighed, slowly carrying the items to the kitchen to put them away one by one. "Fatty, should we have noodles for lunch?"

"Huh? Noodles again?" The Fatty immediately complained upon hearing noodles again. "Last night was pasta for dinner, and noodles for breakfast. Why noodles again now?" While he did enjoy noodles, it shouldn't be an everyday meal.

"You’re back." Wang Qiqi, having worked hard to finish tidying the attic, waved her arms, preparing to come downstairs to cook something, when she heard the Fatty complaining about noodles. "You guys came back from your outing so quickly?"

Wang Qiqi’s eyes swept over an unorganized bag by the Fatty’s feet. "Oh, so you went shopping for gifts? Is there anything for me?" Wang Qiqi really didn't speculate whether Han Tao would buy her something. It wasn't that he lacked the sentiment; it was just that since she managed the finances, he assumed she could just buy whatever she wanted, saving him the trouble of figuring out what suitable gift to buy her every day.

"This is for my Wei Wei," the sudden appearance of Wang Qiqi startled the Fatty. He quickly lowered his head to check the packages beside him. It wouldn't matter if Wang Qiqi saw what he bought for himself, but he absolutely couldn't ruin Han Tao’s important matter. Fortunately, Han Tao had probably taken care of his own things. "If you want a gift, ask Han Tao. He’s your man."

"Han Tao gave me his salary card—that’s the best gift," Wang Qiqi stated proudly. "For a woman, that's the best gift. We’re long past the stage where we need gifts to coax each other." Wang Qiqi’s implication was that the Fatty needed to buy gifts to appease women, or risk losing his wife.

"Qiqi, are you done? I’m hungry. Also, I don’t want noodles. How about we roast some chicken wings?" The Fatty deftly avoided the topic. Hmph, showing off how good your relationship is—you’re an old married couple. Arguing with them will only make me unhappy. I should focus on my stomach first.

Roast chicken wings? Wang Qiqi was about to agree immediately but then remembered that when she went to the supermarket yesterday, the chicken wings were sold out. "We don't have any left, sorry, how about something else?" Wang Qiqi apologized sincerely.

Han Tao walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands. "I bought a little bit. Oh right, Qiqi, if you’re free this afternoon, let’s go to the supermarket. I heard there’s going to be a massive blizzard in the next couple of days, and I’m worried the roads will be blocked." Han Tao wanted to buy more, but the Fatty only bought a few things, and they two men weren't very skilled at this. Especially since the Fatty warned that women are very picky about groceries, and if the purchases weren't good enough, they’d likely get scolded. So, Han Tao only bought some meat and retreated.

A massive blizzard... Although this had been forecasted before, since it hadn't arrived, Wang Qiqi hadn't taken it seriously. But hearing Han Tao’s tone now, she knew it was definitely coming. "No way! Then we must go stock up immediately! Fatty, we’ll have noodles for lunch." In this kind of weather, one must be careful. "We also need to buy more drinking water." It would be disastrous if the water pipes had an issue. Electricity might also be a problem. Luckily, they had the fireplace; otherwise, it would be terrible.

The Fatty hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to look so nervous. "We had a big snowstorm before, right? Qiqi, you weren't this tense then." In the Fatty’s eyes, the snow from a few days ago was already heavy, and Qiqi hadn't rushed to stock up. Why was she so nervous now just because Han Tao said so? That seemed overly anxious.

"Last time was just a big snowstorm. A massive blizzard will likely be much worse," Wang Qiqi hadn't experienced it herself, but she heard Mark recount a time when a blizzard was so bad it almost buried his car, leaving him stuck at home for days and nearly starving. So, to prevent Mark's tragedy from repeating here—especially with two hungry men around—they needed plenty of food.

The Fatty hadn't cared much initially, thinking Han Tao had bought quite a bit already. But after hearing Qiqi's description, he exclaimed, "Oh no, is it really that terrifying? Will the power go out?" Being unable to go out was one thing, but if they couldn't use electricity, the Fatty felt he would die—he needed his computer for work.

Wang Qiqi wasn't entirely sure either. "If the snow is too heavy and brings down the power lines, a blackout is quite possible." Wang Qiqi was also distressed. A power outage would cause many problems. "I wonder if we have any candles?" A candlelight dinner might be romantic, but relying on candles for all illumination when moving about wasn't something Wang Qiqi looked forward to.

Aargh! The Fatty regretted coming here. Their time was already tight, and he thought being together would help them finish the task sooner. Now, with this happening, isn't this just delaying things?

"How about we buy two batteries? It can’t be out of power indefinitely, right?" Han Tao figured that worst-case scenario, they could just keep one computer charged using the battery to run programs, and recharge the battery when the power returned.

Buy a battery? Wang Qiqi wanted to ask if it was necessary to be so extravagant, but then she thought that if the power truly went out, it would be a massive problem. So, she held back her comment. "Then let's buy two high-frequency ones, and I need to fully charge my phone." If the power goes out, the phone is the best tool for contacting the outside world. As for the food in the fridge, Wang Qiqi wasn't worried; it wouldn't spoil in the cold, and they could even freeze things outside. "I’ll make more pastries when I get back." These needed an oven, so factoring that in, Wang Qiqi felt the afternoon would be very busy. "I'll go boil some noodles, and then I’ll immediately start preparing the pastries this afternoon. Han Tao, you two are responsible for shoveling the snow off the roof." They hadn't shoveled the snow from the previous days, and if a massive blizzard hit, Wang Qiqi truly worried the roof might collapse under the heavy accumulation.

Facing disaster, the Fatty forgot about complaining about this or that. "So, Qiqi goes shopping alone, and Han Tao and I go shovel snow off the roof?" At least they needed to get all the snow off the roof today. While one person could manage it, what if they fell off the roof?

Wang Qiqi considered it and agreed; since she would be driving, she could manage alone. "You two make a list of what you need. I’m worried supplies will become scarce soon." Even after the blizzard passes, the roads will be covered in thick snow, making food delivery a headache. "Also, remember to pile all the snow cleared around the house near the yard's edge." Don't just leave the shoveled snow scattered around the house, only to find themselves unable to leave the house if another heavy snow hits over the next couple of days.

"Got it, we know that much," the Fatty waved his hand, signaling they understood the logic. "Han Tao, we absolutely must stay up late tonight. No matter how tired we are, we have to catch up on the progress." The Fatty had decided: since they didn't know when the power might go out, they should work hard while the electricity was on. Even with batteries, they were only for emergencies.

Han Tao grunted, sighing that it had to be this way. "Then we’ll be quite busy this afternoon." To save time, Han Tao grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down the needed items. "Oh right, is there enough firewood?" Their heating for the next few days would depend on the fireplace, and even bathing would require it, so firewood was a crucial supply.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "There is plenty. We gathered a lot in the garage before." She was truly thankful to Manman and the others for dragging back branches whenever they saw them; otherwise, she wouldn't be so relaxed now.

Han Tao breathed a sigh of relief when he heard they had enough wood. "Thank goodness for enough lumber. Otherwise, I was planning for us to leave here." Although staying elsewhere would increase costs, it was better than being stuck in a place that might lose power and heat.

Wang Qiqi had driven quite a distance toward the supermarket when she saw many cars already parked nearby. "Could they all be here to hoard supplies?" Wang Qiqi quickly found a random spot to park, ignoring the slippery ground, and sprinted toward the supermarket entrance.

The moment she entered the supermarket, Wang Qiqi was so shocked she stepped back three paces. The crowd inside! Although it was nearing Christmas, Wang Qiqi swore they weren't here for Christmas gifts; they must have been scared by the blizzard forecast and rushed out for a major stock-up. Luckily, the city wasn't huge; it was known as a university town, so many students had already left after the semester ended. Otherwise, Wang Qiqi guaranteed the crowd would have been even larger. With the traffic today, Wang Qiqi was certain the supermarket shelves would be wiped clean.

After bracing herself, Wang Qiqi placed her backpack in front and quickly snatched a basket. A shopping cart would be useless in this situation; it would only impede movement. Wang Qiqi wasn't worried, though; she came prepared today, carrying a large cloth bag that could hold quite a lot.

Entering the main store, Wang Qiqi headed straight for the food section to grab supplies. Previously, Wang Qiqi would take her time selecting items, but in this atmosphere, there was no time to browse. If you didn't act immediately, someone else would. After being cut off a few times, Wang Qiqi simply tossed anything edible into her cloth bag. Watching restocking crews rush to shelves that were constantly emptying, she had only one thought: this was comparable to the end of the world.

After navigating the surging crowd, Wang Qiqi managed to procure beef, pork, fish, and various cured meats like beef sausage. As for vegetables, she only managed to grab storable items like potatoes and onions. As for green leafy vegetables, Wang Qiqi only saw shelves with a few wilted leaves remaining.

"Alas, I should have come shopping yesterday," an older woman nearby, already looking exhausted, regretted. "I thought since I lived so close, I didn't need to hoard too much, but now, sigh..."

"Tell me about it," as soon as one person complained, others chimed in. "It's packed, like everything is free!"

Although everyone was complaining, their hands never stopped moving, all driven by the fear that the best items would be snatched away. Wang Qiqi was too exhausted to join the chorus of complaints. She overheard someone saying that even batteries were becoming hot commodities.

After securing the food, Wang Qiqi rushed to check out, then hurried to the hardware store to buy candles and emergency charging lights. As for batteries, the shop owner said they had very limited stock and had all been snatched up an hour ago.

Wang Qiqi felt like crying. This wasn't a commonly purchased item, so she had no idea where else to look. After asking the shop owner where else batteries might be sold, Wang Qiqi drove around the small city. After visiting what felt like the tenth store, she finally found the last three batteries in stock at a shop. Wang Qiqi was thrilled that she managed to park and jump out of the car a little faster; otherwise, she might have been driving around this small city even longer. Although she felt a bit bad for the elderly person behind her, at this crucial juncture, she had to look out for herself. She figured the other person, likely a local, would know where else to find batteries nearby.

Wang Qiqi smiled happily, and the shop owner was happy too. The price for the batteries was 20% higher than the price Wang Qiqi had inquired about earlier. Although it felt like price gouging, Wang Qiqi had no choice but to buy them. Luckily, the owner didn't see someone else trying to snatch those three batteries and start an auction, which would have made Wang Qiqi nearly vomit blood.

Wang Qiqi glanced at the three hard-won power banks sitting on the passenger seat while driving. "Hmph, it has to go out of power this time, otherwise I'll have lost out big time." A power outage in this place wasn't unusual, but it certainly wasn't likely to last long, meaning those spare batteries were essentially useless if they weren't needed. If she couldn't use them this time, Wang Qiqi would genuinely be so angry she'd cough blood.