As the weather grew increasingly hot, people's lives seemed to be undergoing subtle changes.
By six in the morning, it was already so hot that sweat dripped from people's bodies. Stray dogs drooped their heads, panting with their tongues hanging out as they lay by the marble flower beds.
A young girl, hurrying along with a handheld fan, stood by the roadside waiting for the traffic light.
The next second, she heard the exclamations of those around her.
"Help! Someone, please come! Someone has fainted..."
A group of people, their faces covered in sweat, rushed towards where the girl had collapsed, scrambling to help. Someone was continuously pressing 120.
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
...
Xu Yan's company was also in the final stages of its work.
Over the past month and more, despite the busyness, both mother and daughter felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
Nothing was more reassuring than having provisions in hand.
After collecting the goods from the warehouse, Xu An threw herself onto the soft sofa upon returning home.
Before long, her takeout arrived.
Although she already had a lot in her space, that was all reserve food for the apocalypse.
While she could still order takeout, she intended to eat to her heart's content.
Seeing the fried chicken, Goudan also became excited, its tongue sticking out as it circled Xu An.
"Goudan, no! You can't eat that. Sit down!"
As soon as she spoke, Goudan seemed to understand. It lowered its head, looking longingly at the fried chicken in Xu An's hand.
"Goudan has been so good lately," Xu Yan found it peculiar.
As everyone knew, Huskies were infamous for their destructive tendencies.
But ever since Xu An had woken up, the dog seemed to have gained sentience.
Normally, when both of them were busy outside, they didn't have time to walk Goudan.
Yet, Goudan was obedient, not making a sound.
It was truly a miracle in the dog world.
Hearing her mother praise Goudan, Xu An puffed up with pride.
"My little dog is the best and most well-behaved treasure~"
Xu Yan shook her head, watching her daughter devouring fried chicken.
A month had passed, and Xu An's appetite had only increased.
If they didn't have so many supplies stockpiled, with Xu An eating like this, their stored goods would be depleted before the apocalypse even arrived.
Xu Yan had even taken Xu An to the hospital for a check-up, fearing there might be lingering health issues.
They went from the gastroenterology department to the psychiatry department. The doctor said, "Your daughter just has a big appetite; there's nothing wrong with her. Don't worry."
Xu Yan replied, "That's good," but still felt concerned.
She had seen competitive eaters on television, but even they didn't consume five catties of rice and six catties of pork stewed with vermicelli.
Xu Yan felt melancholic. Amidst her sorrow, she worried about her daughter going hungry during the apocalypse. Therefore, she contacted different grain factories and placed orders for several more batches of grain, fruits, and vegetables.
"Nannan, should we buy some seeds? Didn't you say your space could be used for planting later?"
Xu An thought for a moment and nodded.
"Not just seeds, but also fertilizer, nutrient solutions, and hydroponic supplies for plants."
Although the space would eventually evolve to have a fertile land zone that wouldn't require these, they needed a justifiable reason to grow vegetables openly.
The disposable lunch boxes they had previously ordered had arrived. Xu Yan planned to cook some of the most fragrant instant foods, like Luosifen, in advance.
Then they could eat them directly.
She also cooked many dishes, packed them into sealed containers, and stored them in her daughter's space.
Time passed day by day in an orderly fashion.
In the blink of an eye, it was early September.
Yet, the weather, which should have started cooling down for autumn, showed no signs of abating.
The sun seemed to be an tireless perpetual motion machine, scorching the earth day and night.
Even with the air conditioning set to its lowest setting indoors, the heat relentlessly poured into the house in waves.
"Mom, once you've finished with your company matters, don't go out anymore. I've bought you some basic self-defense courses and equipment. You can learn them at home."
Although she had the ability to protect Xu Yan, nothing was absolute. She couldn't gamble with her mother's life; she had to ensure her mother also possessed a certain level of self-preservation ability.
Xu Yan knew her daughter was doing this for her own good and didn't refuse.
After all, the company was no longer her concern; it didn't matter whether she went or not.
"Nannan, have you seen the news? People have already died from heatstroke."
"Didn't you say the extreme heat wouldn't appear until around October?"
Xu An pondered for a long time, but found no answers, and could only reply helplessly.
"I don't know either. In my previous life, heatstroke incidents only started occurring in mid-October."
This time, it was more than a month earlier.
Xu An didn't know why the high temperatures had appeared earlier.
As she spoke, she opened her phone. The trending search on Weibo clearly displayed several large characters:
"A woman in Jiangzhou City confirmed dead from heatstroke."
People below began to comment.
"Who is this terrible weather trying to kill? I'll be the first to beg Xiao Yuteng to come to Jiangzhou!!!"
"The person above, let me cut in line! Come to Lin'an first. Lin'an hasn't had rain in two months! Help!"
...
"Don't argue above, haven't you noticed that Beiping also hasn't had rain in a long time?! (The Rain God is in Beiping)"
"Has the Rain God's persona collapsed? That shouldn't happen."
"Even the Rain God can't save us this time."
"By the way, it seems like there's a global heatwave warning recently! My friend abroad, their schools have already suspended classes."
Soon, a highly commented post swept across the entire internet.
"Could it be that the apocalypse is coming?"
Upon reading this comment, Xu An's heart skipped a beat.
"Could it be that there are other reborn individuals like me?"
She shook her head, thinking it unlikely. If they were reborn, their mindset should be the same as hers; everyone would be hoarding supplies crazily by taking advantage of this time gap.
She didn't believe anyone would be so foolish as to want to be a saint before the apocalypse even arrived.
As expected, although the comment went viral, the replies below were filled with mockery, sarcasm, and jokes.
Ever since humanity experienced the Mayan prophecy of 2012, they had become somewhat immune to talk of world endings.
Before Xu An finished scrolling through the posts, she received a text message about a high-temperature warning.
"Jiangzhou City's highest temperature has reached 48 degrees Celsius. Citizens are advised to protect themselves from the sun and take cooling measures..."
Below the posts, many people were still making jokes and comments about the apocalypse and the end of the world.
Xu An's expression remained unchanged. After exiting Weibo, she continued to place orders and stock up on goods.
Soon, these people would realize how ridiculous and powerless humanity was in the face of natural disasters.
When the extreme heat arrived, the temperature would directly soar to seventy or eighty degrees Celsius. At that time, let alone going out, even staying indoors with air conditioning would result in an indoor temperature of over 50 degrees.
Not to mention the eventual power and water outages.
Within a few days, as the death toll increased, the news would be filled with calls for remote work and to stay home unless absolutely necessary.
Xu An pushed the window open a crack, and a wave of heat directly hit her. If she hadn't moved quickly, the heatwave could have burned her skin.
Xu An's heart tightened, and her brows furrowed.
"The high temperatures have started earlier?"
Her heart was filled with speculation, and the sudden change made her feel a vague sense of unease.
But she soon felt at ease.
Although she was relying on her memories from her previous life to "cheat," with her current stock of supplies,
even if the order of natural disasters changed, she would be able to cope.
With this thought, she shared her previous idea with her mother.
"Mom, can you get some weapons?"