There's a Road to Heaven, But You Won't Take It

The man tied up in the room was in league with those outside. He lay on the floor, and Song Weishi saw him stir.

She wasn't a good person. Grunting with effort, she dragged him farther away so he couldn't soak up any warmth. Once she was sure he was barely clinging to life, she walked back.

Song Weishi wore her down jacket. Though she was far better off than moments ago, she still felt freezing. Watching Xie Yi's unruffled composure, she couldn't help asking, "Aren't you cold?"

Xie Yi didn't look at her, keeping her eyes fixed on the charcoal brazier. "Cold."

"Then why are you wearing so little?"

Xie Yi turned her gaze to Song Weishi and spoke slowly, one word at a time. "I don't have any clothes."

Song Weishi: ...That was actually a reasonable excuse. She hadn't thought of it.

She'd checked the mall earlier, and there were very few coats. Nobody would bring heavy clothing to an office building like this.

Song Weishi pulled a quilt and a mattress out of her space. She hadn't planned on exposing these in front of anyone when she left, so she'd only grabbed a mattress wrapped in a bedsheet.

The two of them sat on it side by side, just right. Xie Yi wrapped herself in the quilt, and she swapped positions with Song Weishi to sit near the door. If someone barged in, she could guarantee their safety at the first moment.

They'd settled in without a hitch today, and Song Weishi was fairly satisfied. She'd gained a companion who was still under probation. She tightened her quilt, adjusted into a comfortable position, and entered the system's shop and the little cart.

Her points had been wiped clean after buying the golden-legend space expansion, but thankfully the shop hadn't refreshed. She cheerfully opened the cart to see what goodies were in store today.

The cart showed: Today's rewards refreshing.

Today's rewards:

Instant noodles, 48 packs × 1 box

Snack variety pack × 1 box

Potato chips, 480g × 1 bag

Everything today was delicious snacks. Song Weishi felt a wave of hunger grip her stomach, even though she'd just eaten.

She couldn't help swallowing. Maybe it was because the meals at the hotel had been so restrictive—every time it was dry bread and poorly cooked rice.

Without a rice cooker, it was hard to get the heat right; the rice was either sticky or hard and undercooked.

She didn't know how she'd managed to act so stoically, swallowing it down without even chewing properly.

Now she craved a pot of steaming instant noodles more than anything. She turned her gaze to Xie Yi. "Are you full?"

The woman's gentle eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the pot appearing in Song Weishi's hand, then slowly shook her head.

Song Weishi immediately pulled water from her space and boiled the instant noodles over the charcoal brazier. The pot was from the hotel, neither too big nor too small; it could cook four or five packs without issue. Considering Xie Yi's appetite, Song Weishi honestly cooked four.

She really wanted to build a good relationship between them. If they could become true friends, everything would be much easier down the road.

She not only cooked the noodles but also added luncheon meat, meat rolls from the barbecue place, lettuce, and fruit.

The two of them propped up the pot, and the water quickly came to a boil over the charcoal fire.

Song Weishi dropped in the seasoning, then the big noodle cakes. The fragrance of the spices soon spread through the room. She pan-fried the luncheon meat in the small pot, then added the lettuce.

The rich aroma of instant noodles wafted out quickly. The people keeping watch outside thought they were hallucinating from the cold.

The woman in the lead shivered, straining to sniff the scent in the air as if she could already taste it.

The others also wrinkled their noses, but none of them could see each other's expressions.

"I think I smell instant noodles. Who's eating?"

"Me too. It's fake, right? Who hid instant noodles?"

"You're all hallucinating. Stop talking nonsense. Keep watch on those two. Once they freeze to death, we'll go up. There's no fire in there—they'll definitely die tonight!"

The chatter from outside didn't reach them. The two were already slurping down the noodles inside. This was definitely the most satisfying meal Song Weishi had had in days.

The spicy broth coated the springy noodles, and as she sent a mouthful in, she refused to let go even if it scalded her. Song Weishi ate bite after bite, feeling her stomach relax in bliss.

Xie Yi ate much more delicately. She took big, clean bites, but Song Weishi could tell that even instant noodles tasted like the finest delicacy to her.

They quickly finished the pot of noodles and moved on to dessert.

Xie Yi even washed the pot. The division of labor between them was clear—no instructions needed, she just did it naturally.

The man tied up in the room was soon awakened by the noodle aroma, only to be kicked unconscious by Song Weishi again.

She gnawed on an orange. It had been frozen rock-solid at the barbecue place, so they'd had to thaw it slightly and slice it. One bite nearly froze her teeth off, but it was still absolutely delicious.

After eating, they washed up and lay down to sleep, fully content.

At first, Song Weishi couldn't fall asleep, but eventually she was dead to the world. She didn't once wake up from the cold all night, and by morning the charcoal in the brazier was still burning.

Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Life without electronics was like this—time moved so slowly. Song Weishi got up and shared her planned route with Xie Yi.

Xie Yi had no objections. Wherever they went was the same to her. Protect Song Weishi, guard her secret, and she'd get food in return. The two each took what they needed, playing it by ear.

Song Weishi put away the brazier and the rest of the luggage. The temperature in the room quickly dropped. This room's window could open, so Song Weishi handed her the ski equipment and a few thick coats. They planned to leave through the window to avoid the people outside.

The people outside had started stubbornly ramming the door early in the morning, as if they wouldn't stop until it broke.

But the two inside were completely unbothered. Song Weishi geared up, ready to leave on the snowboard. The room was cozy and warm; outside, the wind and snow were biting.

Song Weishi watched her put on the gear smoothly and asked, "Do you know how to ski?"

Xie Yi nodded. "Learned it during training. It's a good sport."

Song Weishi felt a pang of envy. Xie Yi was a programmer, yet she could do everything. She must have had a great upbringing.

Their movements seemed to alert the man still lying on the ground. He turned his face, twisting it into a grotesque expression, and let out the first roar he'd managed since yesterday. "They're running! Quick! Come now!!"

The loud sound echoed through the room. The ramming outside paused for a beat, then grew even fiercer. The door slammed with heavy thuds, the frame shaking along with it.

Song Weishi pulled back the foot she'd stepped out and turned to look at the man crawling toward her on the floor.

She'd wanted to leave quickly. With so many people, if she couldn't win, she'd run. But now she was changing her mind. These people had come at her trying to kill her from the moment they met, without even asking if she belonged to this building.

Even this man on the floor—she thought she'd done him a favor by not finishing him off. Yet when he woke up, his first act was to bring others in to kill her.

Song Weishi felt a fire burning in her chest. She clenched her fists and walked step by step toward the man struggling to crawl.