Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 530 Reminding Blue Moon

Xu Xiaoyan glanced down at her phone screen; it was exactly 8 a.m.

The morning light had already squeezed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a thin golden line on the wooden floor.

She had no time to appreciate this moment of tranquility. She immediately began to fully prepare herself, wearing a mask, gloves, and a hat. Before leaving, she also stuffed a small bottle of hand sanitizer into her bag, performing each step meticulously.

She had to inform Lan Yue of this situation, and thinking of that name, Xu Xiaoyan couldn't help but sigh softly.

Lan Yue is a really strange person sometimes. With technology so advanced these days, very few people don't like using their phones, but she's the exception. If you really want to find her, the only way is to go there in person.

In this era where even delivery drivers wish they could carry three power banks with them, the only people who can still resist using their phones are probably Blue Moon.

"I don't know if I'm living life with clarity or just being stubborn," Xu Xiaoyan muttered to herself, then opened the door and went out.

It takes at least half an hour to walk from her new place to Lan Yue's house. Normally, this distance wouldn't be much; she could just consider it exercise.

But the situation is different now. Every minute she stays outside increases the risk, so she walks quickly, almost jogging across the street.

Today, she deliberately chose a less crowded side street. It was called a side street, but it was actually a narrow alley between two rows of old residential buildings, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

It was quiet at this time of day. Apart from the steaming baskets at the breakfast stalls and the occasional elderly person doing their morning exercise, the whole alley was peaceful.

She walked quickly with her head down, her eyes fixed on the road three to five meters ahead, avoiding eye contact with anyone and not getting close to any stalls.

After turning two streets, the neighborhood where Lan Yue lived finally came into view.

Xu Xiaoyan stopped at the door of Lan Yue's house and knocked three times gently.

There was a two or three-second silence inside, then came Blue Moon's distinctive voice, tinged with a hint of alertness: "Who is it?"

"It's me. Don't open the door. I'll leave after I finish speaking," Xu Xiaoyan said in a very low voice.

No sooner had she finished speaking than a series of hurried footsteps came from behind the door, the sound of slippers clattering on the tiled floor. Lan Yue had clearly run over.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Xiaoyan could feel someone pressing against the other side of the door, and she could even vaguely see the shadow peeking through the crack in the door sway slightly.

"What happened?" Lan Yue's voice changed noticeably, carrying an uncontrollable tension, as if she had anticipated some bad news.

Xu Xiaoyan moved even closer, her lips almost touching the door, and said quickly in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I moved. The old place wasn't safe, so I found a new place to live, in that area where the eighth and ninth districts meet, near the mountains."

She paused, then added, "Don't make a wasted trip. If you want to find me, just go over there. There's a security guard downstairs. Just tell him my name."

There was a moment of silence behind the door, as if Lan Yue was processing this information, before she asked, "How's it going over there? Are you settling in alright?"

"It's alright, a small two-bedroom apartment, facing outwards, with good ventilation," Xu Xiaoyan described briefly, not bothering to go into more detail.

The topic shifted, and the tone became more serious. "By the way, you should stock up on supplies now, food, drinks, daily necessities, stock up as much as you can. Don't think it's a hassle. I think the situation is... well, it's better to be prepared."

She didn't spell it out too clearly, but she knew Lan Yue would understand.

Blue Moon behind the door didn't ask any further questions, but simply replied, "I've got it."

"Then I'm leaving," Xu Xiaoyan said as her last words.

"Be careful on the road," Lan Yue's voice came from the crack in the door, much softer than before.

Xu Xiaoyan turned around and went downstairs. When she got to the first floor, she didn't go out the same way she came. Instead, she went around to the other side of the building and slipped out through a secluded little door.

Outside was an even narrower alley, with sheets and clothes drying on both sides. She crouched down and crawled under several sheets, her clothes smelling of laundry detergent.

The alleyway connects to a slightly wider street, where there are noticeably more people.

Xu Xiaoyan frowned, pulled her mask up even higher, and pressed the brim of her hat down to almost cover her eyebrows. She quickly walked against the flow of traffic along the sidewalk, trying to avoid everyone as much as possible.

She walked quickly, even faster than when she came. People kept brushing past her, some coughing, some talking loudly, some arguing on the phone—all sorts of sounds came from all directions.

She held her breath and quickly walked through a shop, only to find more than a dozen people standing at the intersection, not knowing what they were doing. She could only go around them and walk from behind.

Finally, after turning the last street corner, the gray-white building of my new residence appeared at the end of my line of sight, standing quietly in the morning light, with the outline of that small hill behind it.

She practically ran into the elevator, timing it perfectly so that there was no one inside.

Xu Xiaoyan took out her keys from her pocket and held them in her hand. The coolness of the metal seeped through her gloves onto her skin, which made her feel inexplicably at ease.

The first thing she did when she pushed open her front door wasn't to change her shoes, but to lean against the door and let out a long breath, looking as if she had just been pulled out of the water, with her clothes slightly damp on the back.

She took off her mask and gloves, washed her hands repeatedly with hand sanitizer, then walked to the window and opened it a crack.

The outside air rushed in, carrying the scent of grass and trees from the mountainside. It was cool and refreshing, gradually dispelling the tension and fatigue from the journey.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she plans to stay home for the rest of the days.

As for the future... she didn't think much about it, nor did she want to.

Sunlight slanted in through the gap in the curtains. Xu Xiaoyan turned over and groggily reached for her phone next to her pillow. The screen lit up; it was 9:47 a.m.

She stared at the time for two seconds, then contentedly put her phone back face down on the bedside table and shrank further under the covers.

No need to get up early, no need to rush, no need to squeeze into a cramped space with anyone – this kind of luxurious sleeping in was unimaginable in the past.

Since moving into this two-bedroom apartment, Xu Xiaoyan has truly enjoyed a period of leisurely, almost luxurious living.

My daily life is simple and regular. After getting up in the morning, I open the window to ventilate the room and then make myself a hot breakfast. Sometimes it's plain porridge with pickled vegetables, sometimes it's cabbage and meat buns, and occasionally I'll cook some noodles.