Jian Ning was woken up by the heat in the morning. The curtains hadn't been drawn properly yesterday, and sunlight had been streaming in through the gaps early in the morning.

I glanced at my watch; it was only 7:25, and the temperature was almost at the equator. The air conditioning had stopped working sometime ago; I guess there was a power outage. Otherwise, it wouldn't be this hot.

Jian Ning used a cooling talisman on herself and immediately felt much better. She didn't stay in the room; it would probably take a while for the backup power to kick in, as the room felt like a sauna.

With a thought, he arrived in the space of the jade pendant, where the temperature was always constant. He went to the small building and lay down on the Simmons mattress he had bought.

She fell asleep immediately. When she woke up again, it was almost midnight. If she hadn't been hungry, she really wouldn't have wanted to go out.

The power was back on, but the air conditioner wasn't on, and the room was as hot as a sauna. Jian Ning walked over and pulled back the heavy blackout curtains; the sunlight outside was so bright it was hard to open her eyes.

She checked her phone and saw more than a dozen unread messages, all from Jian Anping. The most recent one was inviting her to dinner.

Jian Ning gave an OK sign, changed into a dress and slippers, and almost tripped over the heat wave outside as soon as she opened the door.

It's so hot! It feels like my breath is on fire. Looking at the sky outside in the hallway, the air seems almost distorted by the heat.

I quickly went over and closed the window in the hallway; the window handle was burning hot from the sun.

It seems the midday sun is truly intense. Jian Ning quickly ran to 1601 and rang the doorbell; Li Mengyao soon opened the door for her.

"Are you feeling hot? Come inside and cool off. I sent you messages this morning when the power went out, but you didn't reply."

"These are my parents, Ningning, come and get to know them." Li Mengyao waited for her to come in, quickly closed the door, and then introduced her parents to her.

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt. My name is Jian Ning, you can just call me Ningning."

"This girl is so beautiful, just like someone from TV."

Aunt Li was plump and not very tall. She looked somewhat like Li Mengyao, except for her eyes. She had a kind and gentle appearance. My first impression of her was quite good.

Aunt Li came over, took Jian Ning's hand, and warmly invited her to sit down on the sofa.

“Ningning, your brother is such a filial son. He drove all the way to our hometown to pick us up so late yesterday. We’ve caused you a lot of trouble.”

"No trouble at all. My brother's house is big and there's plenty of room for you two. Just treat it like your own home."

As Jian Ning spoke, she noticed that the old lady had sunburn marks on her face and neck, indicating that she had been spending a lot of time outdoors these past few days.

"It's much cooler here than at home. It's just that I came in such a rush. I didn't even tell her second uncle. They live here too."

"I'll call him right now." Uncle Li said, standing up and taking out an old-fashioned cell phone from his pocket, squinting as he dialed.

"Dad, I've already messaged Auntie. Let's eat first; you didn't eat much this morning either," Li Mengyao quickly stopped him.

She disliked her second uncle's family to no end. If her father made a phone call, they would probably come over immediately. Li Mengyao didn't want Jian Anping to know what her awful relatives were like yet.

"Yes, let's eat. My daughter's cooking is delicious. Pour me some white wine." As soon as Uncle Li heard about eating, he immediately put down his phone.

He had a bowl of millet porridge and two eggs in the morning, and he was already very hungry.

Lunch was very lavish, since it was my parents' first time visiting; there were six dishes and a soup.

Jian Anping took out a bottle of Moutai liquor and drank it with his father-in-law.

"Son-in-law, we are so grateful that you went over yesterday. With the temperature today, your mother and I would definitely have suffered heatstroke if we stayed at home."

Look, the news says there's a fire somewhere. Ambulances have gone there more than twenty times this morning alone; I've counted them all.

"It's because Mengyao is worried about you two. There's no air conditioning at home. We'll wait until this heatwave passes."

The house back home needs renovation; air conditioning and a water heater need to be installed. Mom and Dad, if you agree to let Mengyao marry me, then I'll be your own son.

"I love to hear that! You're a filial son, and I'm relieved that Yao Yao married you." Uncle Li picked up his wine glass and took another big gulp.

He's getting more and more satisfied with this son-in-law. At first, he thought he was uncultured and had a rather thuggish air about him, but now he seems to be a thoughtful and filial son.

She wasn't as idle as I'd imagined; at least she lived in such a big house, and her living conditions seemed quite good. Don't the older generation just want their children to live happily? This husband was her own choice, so as long as she's happy, that's all that matters.

The following days were characterized by continuous high temperatures, reaching as high as 52 or 53 degrees Celsius, with even the nighttime temperatures reaching 41 or 42 degrees Celsius.

Looking out the window, the streets were deserted, not a soul in sight. The grass in the green belts had all turned yellow and withered. The area was hot and dry due to a persistent lack of water.

Everyone has stopped outdoor activities. Those who had to work have moved to the evenings, and suddenly everyone is living a life completely reversed between day and night.

Cars are now afraid to drive on the road during the day; the asphalt has melted from the heat. Every day, the top news stories on TV are related to the high temperatures.

The number of people dying from heatstroke is increasing, and hospital wards are overflowing. Fires are also breaking out frequently in various places.

The most serious fire is the wildfire in Ming City, which has been burning for five days and is still not under control.

Widespread power outages have begun across the country because the power supply has exceeded its capacity, making the situation even more unbearable in this extremely hot weather.

The internet is filled with cries for help, and the government is actively mobilizing manpower and resources, opening air-raid shelters, and telling citizens they can go there to escape the heat.

Jian Ning was eating mango ice cream while constantly scrolling through various messages on her phone. Suddenly, a voice call came in from Li Mingxuan.

After hesitating for a moment, Jian Ning answered the call.

"What is it?"

"Jian Ning, I heard from Miao Xin that you live in Jinmao Mansion. If it's convenient, could I come and stay at your place with her for a while?"

"My neighborhood has been without power for two days now, and the solar panels are all damaged by the sun. We really can't hold on any longer." Li Mingxuan's voice was hoarse, and he was panting heavily as he spoke.

"If you're in trouble, call the police. I'm sure you've known that since you were little. I'm not a savior, nor am I anyone to you. You'd better figure it out yourself." Jian Ning hung up the phone indifferently.

A scourge can live for a thousand years. She simply couldn't believe that these two couldn't even survive the first wave of extreme weather; they were just too weak.

Unexpectedly, Li Mingxuan called again immediately. Jian Ning blocked him. What a shameless person. This is nothing; there are many more difficult days to come.

I put down my phone, opened the curtains, and glanced at the still-fiery red sun in the sky. It was already past six in the evening, and the sun still hadn't set!

The air conditioner that was running in the room suddenly stopped, and the temperature in the room quickly began to rise.

Jian Ning was stunned for a moment, then quickly opened the owners' group chat.