NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Gold digger
Zhang Yi stepped out of his home, greeted by a serene scene of peace and joy in the neighborhood.
Parents played with their children in the community square, their faces glowing with happiness.
But Zhang Yi knew that in just a month, all of this would turn into nothing but a fleeting memory.
Quickening his pace, Zhang Yi left the neighborhood. Not far away stood a Michelin three-star restaurant.
A single meal there would cost at least five or six thousand yuan, and Zhang Yi had never dared to step inside before.
But now, he couldn't care less.
After coming back to life, a celebration was absolutely in order!
Walking into the restaurant, Zhang Yi chose a window seat and ordered every expensive dish on the menu, along with a bottle of Château Lafite red wine.
In one go, he spent 50,000 yuan.
Even the restaurant's staff gave him curious looks, assuming he must be some wealthy second-generation heir.
After all, what ordinary person would spend such an extravagant amount on a single meal?
Zhang Yi didn't care what others thought. Once the table was filled with exquisite dishes, he began eating heartily.
Perhaps due to his six months of enduring the icy apocalypse, every bite of this luxurious feast moved him to the verge of tears.
His ferocious appetite even drew whispers and glances from nearby diners.
Zhang Yi ignored them completely.
He knew that once the apocalypse arrived, people would kneel and beg for a pack of instant noodles.
By then, all notions of civilization and morality would crumble into dust.
As Zhang Yi devoured his meal, a woman walking outside the restaurant suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She had long, flowing hair, a flawless face with elegant makeup, Gucci heels, and an LV handbag slung over her arm.
It was none other than Fang Yuqing, the woman who had caused Zhang Yi's death in his past life.
Beside her stood her close friend, Lin Caining.
As they passed by the Michelin three-star restaurant, both women couldn't help but steal a glance inside.
They longed for such a luxurious setting but lacked the means to indulge.
That didn't stop them from scanning the room, hoping to spot a wealthy young man worth pursuing.
To Fang Yuqing's surprise, she spotted Zhang Yi inside, sitting before a table laden with gourmet food.
"Isn't that Zhang Yi? How can he afford to eat here?" Fang Yuqing exclaimed in shock.
Lin Caining covered her mouth in surprise. "Zhang Yi is actually rich?"
Her gaze turned playful as she looked at Fang Yuqing. "Yuqing, you're really lucky! That guy chasing you—turns out he's a hidden rich heir."
"Just look at his table! That meal must've cost at least 50,000 yuan. What normal person could spend that on one dinner?"
Lin Caining's tone carried a hint of envy.
She knew Zhang Yi had been pursuing Fang Yuqing for two and a half years.
Yet, Fang Yuqing had always kept him at arm's length—never rejecting him outright but also never agreeing to date him.
As a materialistic woman, Fang Yuqing always dreamed of marrying an ideal wealthy bachelor.
But at the same time, she couldn't bear to let go of Zhang Yi, a moderately well-off man with a car and a house in Tianhai City.
Thus, she had always kept Zhang Yi as a backup.
Her philosophy toward backups was simple: don't initiate, don't reject, and don't commit.
Seeing Zhang Yi indulging in a luxurious meal worth tens of thousands, Fang Yuqing started to have doubts.
"Could Zhang Yi actually be a hidden rich heir?"
She rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"Right, isn't that a common trope in TV dramas?"
"Rich men pretending to be ordinary to find true love?"
The more Fang Yuqing spoke, the more she believed her own words. Her eyes lit up with excitement.
If that were true, it would save her a lot of effort.
After all, Zhang Yi had been chasing her for so long. She figured that if she just nodded, he would immediately propose to her.
Lin Caining urged her, "Yuqing, let's go inside and talk to Zhang Yi!"
In reality, Lin Caining was eyeing the delicious food on Zhang Yi's table.
This was a Michelin three-star restaurant, after all, with food most people would never have the chance to taste in their lifetime.
Fang Yuqing hesitated but shook her head. "That wouldn't be right. It might make him think I'm a gold digger."
"How about we wait outside and pretend we ran into him by coincidence?"
Fang Yuqing wasn't stupid. She wouldn't lower her status just for a single meal.
Even if Zhang Yi turned out to be rich, she intended to maintain her "goddess" image.
Only that way could she control Zhang Yi and keep him as her obedient admirer in the future.
So, the two women hid nearby, waiting for Zhang Yi to leave the restaurant.
After eating for over an hour