Three years into my marriage, my maid Qiutong died.
I knew she must have discovered my husband's secret, and been murdered to keep her quiet.
But my husband said she wasn't dead.
"Turn around and look! Who's that?" he shouted at me.
I turned around. Ah, there was the dead Qiutong, smiling brightly behind me.
...Who's lying?
[Highlight: I'm participating in a mystery writing contest. Nutrient points count as votes, so if you think this story is decent, please support it with some nutrients!]
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My ongoing novel, Stockpiling Supplies, Building a Farm in the Apocalypse [Both Reborn], is updating daily! The apocalypse + Cthulhu Mythos, main couple: devoted homemaker man x femme fatale woman. It's the first title in my collection. Please add it! Orz
Blurb:
When the apocalypse arrives and civilization collapses, everyone is chased by zombies until they're "covered in blood and guts," but Gu Shi is so relaxed she seems completely out of place.
While survivors are starving until they're skin and bones, Gu Shi's whole family is eating chips and watching movies in their safehouse, harvesting organic vegetables, and feasting on fish and meat.
While survivors' sanity plummets and they scream as zombies chase them, Gu Shi wields flames in one hand and wind in the other, leading her friends and family in a counterattack that has the zombies shrieking.
She even finds the time to flirt on the battlefield with her beloved, who has the air of a devoted husband.
The survivors collapse in despair and pound the ground. "...We must be doing something wrong in the way we opened this world!"
Gu Shi says casually, "No, it's because I loaded a save and restarted. (^_-)"
*
In her previous life, Gu Shi was no different from anyone else. She braved wind and rain, grew stronger through countless beatings, and fought her way to the pinnacle of humanity amid chunks of zombie flesh, becoming the leader of the base, [Windfire Wheel].
A classic strong, handsome, tragic male-lead type.
But she made the same mistake every woman in the world makes. One moment of carelessness, and she was back to square one.
But how could a legendary hero give up so easily?
So she returned to the days before the apocalypse, powers and all.
Before the apocalypse, food was plentiful and society orderly. Gu Shi, hardened by the apocalypse, stared with shining eyes. "!!!"
Treasure! Treasure scattered everywhere!
Purified water, a must-have for the apocalypse, the source of life. Stockpile, stockpile, stockpile!
Rice, flour, grains, oil, instant food, snacks, everyday necessities. Stockpile, stockpile, stockpile!
Essential medicine, for emergencies, a lifesaver. Stockpile, stockpile, stockpile!
There was a small hitch along the way: her archenemy from her previous life turned out to be her first love, whom she'd wronged, and the beloved she could never forget.
But who says an archenemy from a previous life can't become a partner in this one?
Gu Shi declares righteously that she swears she didn't agree because of his face.
...But honestly, her beloved really is her type. =w=
Ahem. In any case, stockpiling supplies with her beloved is a lot of fun.
*
The apocalypse destroyed the old civilization, and supernatural abilities gave rise to new forces. The world's balance of power was reshuffled.
Some believed in the will of the gods and worshipped indescribable horrors. Their twisted bodies split into broken pieces, revealing sinister organs that devoured people.
Some gathered ordinary people, despised those with supernatural abilities, and shouted, "Long live the old world!" as they tried to restore the old order of equality.
Of course, the most powerful forces were the bases established by those with supernatural abilities.
"Hey, have you heard? No. 187, Qingyuan Road, is a powerful safehouse!"
"How safe are we talking?"
"The leaders, [Windfire Wheel] and [Absolute Lord], are the strongest ability users in the world. They've got an outrageous amount of supplies, and they throw feasts every so often. Can you believe they have all the water you could ever want? I hear [Thunder God] keeps the lights on, [Water Dragon Chant] supplies their water, [Shennong] has a vegetable garden in the backyard, and [Bookish] teaches the kids!"
"Wow, that's paradise on earth!"
*
Thanks for asking. Honestly, I only wanted to retire in the apocalypse at first., Gu Shi, scratching her head.
*
[Beautiful, scheming beloved x warrior woman with maxed-out combat skills]
Or, to put it another way:
[Small-minded, cunning man who loves showing off and has devoted-husband energy x woman who returns after breaking his heart]
Theme: People should learn self-control.
I was speechless. It was like a thunderstorm.