Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess

By the time Qingran pulled into the underground parking of her apartment complex, night had fully settled over the city. She rubbed her temples, feeling the exhaustion creeping in.

Today had been productive, but the last notification from Lingquan had thrown her off.

A predator… someone was tracking her.

She took the elevator up to her floor, stepping into the quiet comfort of her home. Locking the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment, processing everything.

Another system user probably, she didn't think one would appear before the apocalypse.

Could the person be reincarnated too?

If that was really the case, then things had just become more complicated. It wasn't just about stockpiling anymore—someone was watching her.

She couldn't afford to act blindly.

Qingran pulled out her phone, opening a secure app to scan for any suspicious signals in her vicinity. She wasn't taking chances. If someone was tailing her, they might have planted a tracking device on her car, or worse, hacked into her transactions.

The scan came up empty. No trackers detected.

That meant whoever was watching her was doing so from a distance.

A digital footprint, then.

Lingquan's voice interrupted her thoughts.

[Ding! Data scan 60% complete. No direct system signal detected within immediate proximity. However, traces of external surveillance have been found.]

Qingran frowned. "Define external surveillance."

[Ding! Host's financial transactions and purchasing patterns have been flagged by an unknown party. No government involvement detected. Possibility of another system user: 85%.]

She cursed under her breath.

It made sense. Only a system user would be able to monitor purchases so precisely. If this person had a detection-based system, they might have flagged her activity even before she realized it.

A low laugh escaped her lips.

"Guess I'm not the only one preparing."

The difference was—she wasn't planning to share.

Her mind raced through possible countermeasures. If she laid low, as Lingquan suggested, she could avoid further suspicion. But that also meant losing precious time.

No. She needed to flip the situation around.

"Lingquan, what's the best way to lure out the person tracking me?"

[Ding! Suggesting potential strategies:

1. Bait: Create a false high-volume purchase to see who reacts.

2. Traceback: Hack into the surveillance source to find the user.

3. Misdirection: Make purchases under different identities to throw them off.]

Qingran's lips curled into a smirk.

"Number two."

If someone was watching her, then she'd watch them right back.

Qingran's fingers curled into the fabric of her couch as she watched the floating system interface.

[Ding! Running trace-back on the tracker's origin… Estimated time: 10 minutes.]

She exhaled through her nose and leaned back. The seconds felt like hours, each one stretching with an unbearable weight.

Finally—

[Ding! Trace-back complete. Source identified. Encryptions detected. Full identity obscured. Would Host like to proceed with forced decryption?]

Her brows furrowed. "Obscured?"

Whoever was watching her had taken precautions. That meant they weren't just an average person with curiosity. They were skilled—and that made them dangerous.

"How risky is the decryption?" she asked.

[Ding! High probability of alerting the target. Recommended action: Passive surveillance. Monitor without triggering suspicion.]

Qingran's eyes darkened. If she forced the decryption, they would know she was aware of them. That would turn this into a direct confrontation—one she wasn't ready for.

"Fine," she muttered. "Keep watch on them. Let me know the moment they make a move."

[Ding! Passive surveillance activated. Warning: The target is experienced. Proceed with caution.]

Her fingers tapped against her knee. If they were experienced, that meant they weren't just randomly snooping. They had their own agenda.

Her mind ran through the possibilities. Government? Private intelligence? Another system user?

There was already a 85% chance of it being a system user, because why would the system not be able to pick out their identity?

But if it was the first two, she could still handle it. But if it's another system host…then

Her jaw tightened as she came to a halt .

"Lingquan, keep me updated on their movements."

[Ding! Understood. Host should consider laying low until further notice.]

Qingran exhaled slowly, her eyes flickering toward the city lights outside. Whoever this person was, they had made a mistake.

Because now, she was watching them too.

Qingran stretched her arms over her head, letting out a slow breath. The tension of the day still lingered, but there was no immediate danger—at least, not yet. She might as well enjoy the calm while it lasted.

She wandered into the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of her oversized shirt. Cooking wasn't exactly a passion of hers, but she enjoyed a good meal, and who knew when she'd next have the luxury of taking her time to prepare one?

Opening her fridge, she pulled out ingredients at random—some vegetables, eggs, and a piece of meat she hadn't gotten around to cooking. A simple stir-fry with rice would do.

As the oil sizzled in the pan, she let her thoughts drift. The apocalypse would strip away so many of life's little comforts. No more quiet nights like this. No more leisurely dinners. No more mindless entertainment to pass the time.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she plated her food. She took her meal to the living room, grabbed a fresh pair of comfortable pajamas, and slipped into them before settling onto the couch.

With a flick of her remote, the TV screen lit up. She scrolled through the selections, finally landing on an old action movie she hadn't watched in years. It wasn't particularly deep, but that was the point.

The sound of gunfire and dramatic one-liners filled the room as she ate at a relaxed pace, savoring every bite. The warmth of her meal, the softness of her clothes, the quiet solitude—she took it all in.

Because even if she had all her resources when the apocalypse, she wouldn't be able to enjoy this leisure lifestyle.

No one could sleep in peace despite being in a safe place, there was always something keeping you up.