The moment Nana heard the word dog meat, he snapped.
That poor little pup had been holding himself back for a long time. But now, he couldn't take it anymore. He let out a sharp string of loud barks that echoed through the hallway, scaring the two people outside the door so badly they stumbled several steps back.
Lan Jin scolded her firmly, "Nana, stop barking. Look how scared they are. If you keep it up, someone's going to come out here."
The moment Nana heard her voice, he stopped immediately.
But that only made things more suspicious. Shouldn't someone in Lan Jin's position be raising her voice and calling for help? Why was she scolding the dog like she was helping the intruders?
The man and woman exchanged a confused glance. Both were already on edge. Without saying a word, they turned to run.
But Lan Jin had no intention of letting them get away.
Just as they turned their backs, she flicked her fingers. The outer security door made a sharp click, and then it slowly began to swing open, inch by inch.
As the gap widened, the two intruders froze in place. The man's expression shifted instantly from fear to greed. Without thinking, he reached for the door handle, afraid Lan Jin might shut it again if he hesitated.
He gave a smug smile and said, "Well, since you opened it, don't blame me for what happens next."
Lan Jin gave a soft laugh. "I have a child at home. If you're coming in, please don't make too much noise. She's sleeping."
The man's eyes lit up, and this time, he looked at Lan Jin carefully.
Lan Jin wasn't exactly a classic beauty, but her figure was striking. Long legs, thick black hair draped over her shoulders, and under the dim hallway light, she looked... inviting.
Greed flickered in the man's eyes. And now it wasn't just food he wanted.
The woman next to him had no idea what he was thinking. All she saw was an easy target. Two of them, one of her, and a puppy? What was there to be afraid of?
Even if something felt off about this whole thing, the lure of food was too strong. They weren't about to walk away from this opportunity.
The two stepped into the apartment, on edge but determined.
Lan Jin casually closed both doors behind them. The soft thud of the doors still made the two intruders jump, guilt heavy in their hearts. They turned toward her, alarmed.
Lan Jin smiled politely, then pulled the elastic band from her wrist and tied her hair back.
Nana stood at her feet, just about to bark again, but Lan Jin gave a quiet command.
"Nana, no barking."
Nana froze. She didn't make another sound, but her eyes stayed locked on the intruders. Every muscle in her tiny body was tense, ready to spring at a single word from Lan Jin.
The two visitors hesitated.
Before they could react, Lan Jin moved fast. She grabbed two cloths from the dining table, and in a blink, stuffed them into their mouths.
They tried to resist.
But Lan Jin's strength caught them completely off guard. They had no chance to fight back. The moment they stepped inside, they were already doomed.
Fear filled their eyes.
This wasn't a helpless woman. They had walked into the home of someone far more dangerous than they were.
Suddenly, food was the last thing on their minds. Survival came first.
They turned to run. But before they could take a single step, Lan Jin grabbed the collars of their shirts and yanked them downward.
The two of them crashed to the floor, mouths gagged, unable to cry out even as pain shot through their bodies.
Luckily, Lan Jin had laid down soft mats for Qiao Qiao's safety, so when the intruders hit the ground, even the thud was muffled.
They groaned and twitched from the impact, panic washing over them in waves. But there was no time to waste. Desperate to escape, they twisted on the ground, crawling toward the door. They didn't want to fight anymore. They didn't even want the food. All they wanted was to get far, far away from this terrifying woman.
But Lan Jin wasn't done.
She stepped over to them, crouched, and grabbed one head in each hand. Her smile was calm. Cold.
Then she slammed their heads together.
Thud.
Both of them went limp, knocked out on the spot. Aside from a few muffled grunts, they hadn't made a sound.
Lan Jin looked up at the wall clock. From start to finish, it had taken less than a minute. Even she was surprised.
Honestly, it was kind of pathetic.
She didn't feel sorry for them. Not even a little. If she'd been weaker, if she hadn't replaced her door, what would've happened tonight?
She didn't even want to think about it.
Still, it was disappointing. Were they really that weak? They'd fainted already? She hadn't even gotten started.
Sighing, Lan Jin looked at their unconscious bodies. Well, she had to deal with them now. She couldn't just leave them lying there. Her first thought was to dump them downstairs. The poisonous fog outside would hide them for a while.
But then she paused.
The stairwell was clear now. The fog had receded, but if she opened the door and the fog leaked in again, the alarm might go off and wake the entire building.
Not good.
So going downstairs was out. What about up?
The rooftop was just one floor above. She could take them up, toss them out, and come straight back down. If anything happened, she'd still be close to home and able to react.
That was a better plan.
Lan Jin looked at the two unconscious bodies again. Just to be safe, she gave each of them another smack on the head. When they didn't move, she went out to check the rooftop access.
She wasn't gone long. Just a quick trip to check the area.
But when she came back...
What she saw stopped her in her tracks.
She froze at the doorway, eyes wide with shock. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth, as if she was afraid she'd scream.
Standing in the living room, doing something absolutely terrifying, was Qiao Qiao.
Lan Jin couldn't speak. She could only point a trembling finger at her daughter, her voice stuck in her throat.
Qiao Qiao, meanwhile, had been awake the whole time.
She'd heard the noises when Lan Jin got up. While her mom had been eavesdropping at the door, Qiao Qiao had quietly cracked her own bedroom door open and peeked through the gap.
Lan Jin hadn't noticed, too focused on the intruders.
When she saw her mom take down those two adults with barely any effort, Qiao Qiao had watched in awe.
To her, Lan Jin was amazing. Super strong. Like a hero.
But once Lan Jin went outside, Qiao Qiao had no idea where she'd gone. She only knew her mama hadn't come back yet.
So she opened the door... and came out.
And now, Lan Jin had returned to a scene she never, ever wanted to witness.