Volume One, Chapter 16: The Irresistible Aroma of the Self-Heating Hot Pot

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Yu Yue casually took out a handkerchief and wiped off the traces of zombie blood that had just stained her clothes. Wang Xinran, mustering her courage, sat on the same side as Yu Yue. Seeing that Yu Yue seemed unfazed, she edged a little closer, completely disregarding the displeased look from Wu Xiang across from them.

Following the instructions on the packaging, Yu Yue unwrapped the self-heating hotpot and added the ingredients one by one. When the quicklime came into contact with water, it began to heat up, bubbling and gurgling—a sound strikingly out of place in the otherwise silent hotel lobby.

Within just over ten minutes, a spicy and fragrant aroma wafted out from the vent hole, causing everyone present to swallow hard, their stomachs growling in response.

Before the apocalypse, these survivors at the Ostleton Hotel were all prominent figures in Jiangcheng, never imagining they would one day crave the pauper's food they had scorned before.

But it was understandable. From last night until now, they had barely eaten. After the disaster struck, they hurried to the lobby to wait for rescue, intending to find something to eat in the hotel kitchen, only to discover it was overrun by zombies dressed in chef’s uniforms.

After all the chaos, several people lost their lives. These wealthy individuals usually valued their lives above all else; being hungry was bearable compared to dying.

It wasn’t just them swallowing hard—Wu Xiang and Wang Xinran also watched as Yu Yue broke open a pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece of beef coated in red chili oil, and placed it in her mouth. The beef fibers had soaked up the spicy, fragrant broth, and the moment it touched her tongue, a rich, fiery flavor quickly spread across her palate.

Yu Yue closed her eyes in satisfaction. The beef’s perfect balance of chewiness and tenderness made every fiber seem to dance between her teeth, releasing even more aroma.

Then she picked up a bite of noodles. The noodles had absorbed the rich broth, sliding smoothly into her mouth with a slight chewiness as the spicy heat traveled down her throat.

Though it was pre-packaged food, it was surprisingly delicious. Wang Xinran looked on longingly, but seeing Yu Yue show no intention of sharing, she bit her lip and stretched out her hand toward Wu Xiang. “Wu Xiang, I’m hungry. Get me something to eat.”

She wasn’t truly starving—she had eaten a piece of bread not long ago—but she was craving it. Wang Xinran also noticed that among the famished group with eyes shining green from hunger, there were members of the Yu family.

To be able to eat food in front of Yu Jiao Jiao that they themselves couldn’t have was a great boost to her pride.

Wu Xiang hesitated. “Xinran, I don’t have much food left either, and you just ate…”

Though reluctant, Wu Xiang took some food from his bag. Wang Xinran snatched the bag of biscuits and complained impatiently, “If I ask you to give me something, just give it. Don’t be so slow.”

Focusing on Yu Yue still eating on the side, Wang Xinran’s voice was low. She glanced at the biscuits in her hand, feeling even more dissatisfied with their meagerness.

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“Is this all? Nothing else?”

Wang Xinran was a second-generation wealthy heiress, accustomed to imported food for everything. She didn’t even want to touch such cheap, low-quality biscuits.

Wu Xiang opened his bag helplessly, revealing only a few packets of bread and biscuits.

With no other choice, Wang Xinran muttered “useless” under her breath and began to eat the biscuits slowly.

Though the crunching of the biscuits was much louder than the slurping of Yu Yue’s noodles, no one paid any attention. Dry and hard biscuits could never be as tempting as a spicy, fragrant hotpot.

Elsewhere, the five members of the Yu family sat together. Each one was exceptionally beautiful; even Yu Shenxing and Su Yun, who were over forty, carried a mature charm compared to the younger members.

The four handsome and beautiful siblings sat around, making Yu Jiao Jiao, whose appearance was more modest in comparison, seem somewhat out of place.

Yu Han, who always cared most about Yu Jiao Jiao, noticed her pale complexion and cracked lips from prolonged hunger and thirst. Worried, he gently touched her head.

“Jiao Jiao, are you hungry?”

Yu Jiao Jiao shook her head softly. “Second Brother, I’m fine.”

Though she said so, sharp-eyed Yu Han saw the slight twitch of her nostrils and her gaze involuntarily drift toward Yu Yue and her hotpot.

Yu Han knew his sister was being dishonest, not wanting to worry him. His kind-hearted sister had always been so gentle, but she had been physically weak since childhood. She couldn’t keep going hungry like this.

His eyes filled with concern, oblivious to the brief flicker of calculation in Yu Jiao Jiao’s eyes. Yu Han wasn’t the only one who worried for her.

Yu mother, Su Yun, could not bear to see the daughter she had raised since childhood suffer like this. Yu Jiao Jiao had always been frail, and even before, the family had taken extreme care to keep her healthy.

Even after discovering Yu Jiao Jiao was not their biological child, they had loved this obedient adopted daughter all the more.

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Now, with the world outside changed so drastically, it was uncertain if her beloved daughter could survive this calamity.

Su Yun searched her pockets for a long time and finally produced a small bag of candy. Although her own stomach growled with hunger, she refused to let Yu Jiao Jiao suffer and handed the candy to her.

Yu Jiao Jiao glanced at the candy and frowned—it was a brand she disliked. The burning emptiness in her stomach reminded her this was no time for stubbornness.

Despite repeatedly telling herself this, she only ate two pieces before returning the bag to Su Yun. She forced a faint smile. “Mom, I’m not hungry anymore. You, Dad, and the brothers should eat something too.”

The hotpot’s aroma on Yu Yue’s side was simply irresistible. In the face of such fragrance, how could she eat those nauseating candies?

Besides Yu Yue, Wang Xinran, who Yu Jiao Jiao had once looked down upon, was now happily munching on a bag of biscuits.

Yu Jiao Jiao felt miserable but could not resist her hunger. She tugged on her brother Yu Han’s sleeve.

“Second Brother, we can’t keep starving like this. I saw Xinran and her friend still have some food. Why don’t you ask them to lend some to us?”

Yu Jiao Jiao’s words brightened Yu Han’s eyes, but his expression quickly darkened. To humble himself and ask for food from Wang Xinran, someone he despised, was more painful than death.

But seeing his sister’s pale face, he hesitated before speaking. “Jiao Jiao, I had conflicts with Xinran before. Are you sure they’ll easily lend us food?”

“We can definitely get some, Brother. I’ll come with you. Maybe Xinran is still mad at you, but if we sincerely apologize, I believe she’ll forgive you.” She glanced anxiously at Su Yun. “Besides, Mom isn’t well. We can’t let her stay hungry.”