Chapter 17: Hunger

“Okay, classmate… you be careful too…” Tang Wanyue looked guiltily at the boy walking out the door. Even now, she still didn’t know his name.

As soon as Tang Cheng left the room, the others rushed to the food and water that had been hoarded by Zhang Pi and Li Dan, fighting to grab whatever they could. Ever since those two punks had taken over the supplies, the rest of them had been starving.

What remained was only some dried noodles and a few cans of fruit. This place used to be a steakhouse. There had once been frozen meat in the walk-in freezer, along with fresh fruit—but that had all been eaten days ago.

In just a few moments, the remaining food was completely wiped out.

The woman named Liu Hong clutched an armful of dried noodles tightly in her arms, cowering in the corner. She didn’t even bother cooking them—just started gnawing on them straight away.

Judging by her guarded expression, if anyone dared try to take her noodles now, she might just bite them.

The female vet, Wu Mei, was gulping down water, slumped wearily against the wall. She had managed to grab a pile of food and was clutching it tightly beside her, clearly unwilling to share.

“Water… I need water…” The injured man with glasses was lying on the ground, his mouth dry and cracked, gasping weakly. But no one paid him the slightest attention.

Tang Wanyue quickly rushed over and helped the man up.

“Uncle, I’ll get you some water right away. Just don’t move too much, or your wounds will tear open again.”

She hurried to the table, now a complete mess, and poured a cup of water from a plastic pitcher. As for the food that had been on the table—it was long gone. Not a single crumb remained.

“Uncle, here, drink slowly.” Tang Wanyue gently brought the cup to the man’s mouth.

He began gulping it down greedily, clearly parched. After finishing, he weakly turned to her and murmured, “Uh… I’m a little hungry…”

He hadn’t eaten a single thing since falling unconscious. The only thing that had kept him going was a bit of glucose Tang Cheng had brought back from the fifth floor.

“You’re hungry…” Tang Wanyue hesitated, looking troubled. All the food had been snatched up by the others—there was nothing left to offer him.

She herself hadn’t eaten much in the past few days, and her body was starting to feel light and weak from hunger.

“Could one of you…” Tang Wanyue glanced toward the women huddled by the wall, hoping they might share a little of their food.

But they all turned their faces away coldly, clutching their rations tightly. No one was willing to part with anything. After everything that had happened, they all understood what those scraps of food truly meant now.

“You all…” Tang Wanyue looked at them helplessly. At that moment, her stomach let out a loud “grumble,” making her fair cheeks flush with embarrassment.

She hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday and had been suppressing the gnawing feeling of hunger all this time.

The injured man leaned against the wall, muttering weakly, “Hungry… I’m so hungry…”

But no one spared him any sympathy. In a world where everyone was struggling to survive, all that mattered was saving yourself. Giving food to someone else… was practically a death sentence.

“Uncle, here… have some more water…” With nothing else she could do, Tang Wanyue offered him another cup of water, trying to comfort him in some small way.

The man only drank a few sips before drifting off again. His wounds and hunger had sapped all his strength.

Tang Wanyue sat quietly in the corner, wrapped in the jacket Tang Cheng had given her. Her eyes drifted to Liu Hong, who was still gnawing on her stash of dried noodles.

Liu Hong instantly stuffed the rest of the food into her clothes, her face full of alarm, as if afraid Tang Wanyue might suddenly lunge and snatch it away.

Tang Wanyue gave a bitter smile. Of course she wasn’t going to steal anyone’s food. Besides, she didn’t even have the strength anymore. She leaned against the wall in silence, her gaze unfocused as it lingered on the door…

So hungry… Is this really how I’m going to die? Starving to death?

I really miss Mom’s porridge…

I wonder how Mom’s doing now… Did she manage to escape…?

Lost in her thoughts, Tang Wanyue slowly drifted off to sleep.