It had been purely by accident that Lan Jin discovered just how strong Nana really was.
That day, Nana had been chewing on the edge of the table for fun. When Lan Jin told her off, Nana simply clamped her jaws around the table corner and, tilting her head, started running through the house—dragging the entire table with her. The table edge gouged long scratches across the wall, but Lan Jin didn't even want to talk about that. Just that bite strength alone… not even a fully grown Rottweiler could pull that off.
Which was exactly why, despite looking small and cute, this dog couldn't be underestimated.
So now, Lan Jin didn't hesitate to use Nana as a convenient shield. If anyone wanted to come looking for trouble, let them. But if something happened, they shouldn't blame her—or Nana—for fighting back.
There weren't many people waiting in line this time, so once they picked up their supplies, everyone went their separate ways.
When they reached the 32nd floor, the young Huang Jinghe still thought Lan Jin really ate dog food. Just before they parted, he leaned in and whispered, "Sister Lan, if you don't have anything to eat, you can come find me. The stairs are usable now. You really shouldn't eat dog food at home. I've still got plenty of instant noodles."
Lan Jin burst out laughing and whispered back, "You're such a funny kid. Who would seriously eat dog food at home? They were just trying to snoop around and see if I had any real food. But thank you for the offer. And let me give you a word of advice: no matter who comes, don't open the door. Even if you do open it, don't lend anyone your food."
At first, Huang Jinghe didn't really get it. Supplies had just been delivered that morning—every household should have something to eat. Who would need to borrow food?
But he was being naive.
Because that same afternoon, as soon as the delivery team left, the first people who came to borrow food knocked on his door.
After all, it wasn't a secret that a 19-year-old high school repeat student lived alone at the top floor. Not just in this building, even within the neighborhood, there were always a few people who liked to gossip. As long as someone wasn't completely silent, it wasn't hard to get a few words out of them. The random information gathered in casual conversation had now become incredibly useful.
So compared to someone like Lan Jin, who had a kid and a dog, wouldn't Huang Jinghe seem like the easiest target?
Bang. Bang.
"Anyone home?"
The sudden knock caught Huang Jinghe off guard. He nearly stepped forward to open the door, but then Lan Jin's voice from that morning echoed in his head.
Remember: no matter who it is, don't open the door. Don't lend out your food either.
His steps slowed to a halt.
And just as he paused, he caught their voices through the door.
"Wait a minute. I heard someone does live here."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. A high school repeat student lives here. He's nineteen. Tall and strong, but he's still just a kid. Kids love hoarding instant food, so I guarantee you there's something in this place."
After a pause, the woman outside muttered bitterly, "I don't get this neighborhood. If they're gonna give out supplies, they should do it like last time. Two meals a day was fine. This week's delivery is so little. What are we supposed to do with that?"
She knocked a few more times, hard. "Don't tell me he's already asleep. He just got his food—what kind of sleep does he need?"
The man beside her rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "I think you've got the wrong place. That kid might not even live here. Let's try somewhere else."
"Fine, fine. Let's try another house. There's a whole family in mine, and barely any food. If we don't borrow some, we'll starve."
Even as she spoke, she gave the door one last heavy kick before reluctantly heading downstairs with the man.
Inside, Huang Jinghe clapped both hands over his mouth. His eyes were wide with disbelief.
"Sister Lan was right."
Those two definitely weren't the kind of people you could reason with. If they confirmed he lived here, they'd definitely come back.
After the footsteps faded away, Huang Jinghe checked the peephole again to make sure they were gone. Then he grabbed his phone and frantically searched for Lan Jin in the building group chat.
But Lan Jin had never added a floor note to her name. She had never spoken in the group either.
Still, kids always found their own ways. Before long, he managed to locate her and sent a friend request.
Lan Jin was surprised when the request came in but still accepted it.
She hadn't even sent her usual emoji greeting before a flurry of messages exploded onto her screen.
[Sister Lan, is this you?]
[Lan Jin]: It's me, from the 32nd floor. What's wrong?
[Huang Jinghe]: Someone really knocked on my door just now! I remembered what you said and didn't open it, but I listened in and they were definitely trying to borrow food! How did you even know this would happen?
[Lan Jin]: You're still young. It's normal not to think that far. We're all stuck in this building, and everyone's supplies are limited. If someone doesn't have enough to eat, of course they'll start eyeing their neighbors' food. You should read more apocalypse novels when you have time. Have you ever read any?
[Huang Jinghe]: I've read zombie ones, but...
[Lan Jin]: There aren't any real zombies in real life. But end-of-the-world stories come in different flavors. Go read a few. You'll understand more that way.
What about your parents? Have you contacted them? If possible, see if they can take you home. It's not safe being alone.
[Huang Jinghe]: (´･_･`) Both my parents are in the military, and they're not even stationed here. I talked to them yesterday, but this morning they haven't responded yet.
Lan Jin hadn't expected that. Both his parents were soldiers?
That complicated things.
[Lan Jin]: Then focus on reading for now. And remember—don't open the door. I'm worried that even if you don't, they might try to break in. Do you have anything at home to defend yourself?
Actually, he did. Huang Jinghe loved baseball and was even on his school's team. He had more than ten bats at home. They weren't for decoration, either. He could definitely swing hard. Maybe a little too hard.
[Huang Jinghe]: If I really hit someone, and something bad happens… what should I do?
[Lan Jin]: If someone breaks into your home and you defend yourself, what else could you do? You need to decide what matters more—your life or theirs. Without food, you can't survive either. And if you give in once, they'll definitely come back again. If anything happens to you, your parents will carry that guilt. They couldn't be here to protect you when it mattered.
Lan Jin didn't dare say more than that. She could tell someone to fight back—but how hard he struck, or what kind of damage he caused, that was up to fate.
As for herself, she wouldn't hesitate. Anyone who came borrowing food right after a supply drop definitely wasn't the kind of person you could trust.