What Lan Jin didn't know was that Ren Xing and Meng Ying were also plotting against her.
Inside a cramped rental apartment.
Because they had enough contribution points for now, there wasn't any open conflict between them. Their relationship remained relatively stable, and the two of them lay lazily on the bed, chatting idly about Lan Jin.
Ren Xing said, "Once the roads are clear, I'll check out those properties under Lan Jin's name. If I can't find her there, I'll come up with something else. But either way, I have to find her first."
Meng Ying nodded eagerly. "Yes, Brother Xing, we have to find Lan Jin as soon as possible. These past few months have been way too hard on us. We can't just suffer like this while she's out there living it up, can we?"
What, so unless they all suffer together, it doesn't count?
Or was it only fair, just like in their last life, that they lounged around while she suffered alone?
Honestly, how were they so sure that Lan Jin was living the good life these days? Weren't they just obsessed with the little bit of money she had?
But the thing was, RMB couldn't even be used anymore. There hadn't even been any announcements about whether it might be usable again later. Even if they wanted to go after her money, they wouldn't get a cent. Besides, she had already converted all her cash into supplies.
Neither of them had ever been the proactive type. Yet just to mess with Lan Jin, Ren Xing was already mapping out where to start looking for her, even though the roads hadn't been fully cleared.
Ren Xing still remembered the few properties under Lan Jin's name. With transportation still down, the nearest one was just across the street from their current complex.
Before confirming if Lan Jin was actually living there, Ren Xing hadn't told Meng Ying anything. But he remembered clearly that this particular unit was one he'd personally helped renovate back in the day. He still knew exactly which building and which floor. And since power hadn't been restored yet and the complex's main gate wasn't using access control, it didn't take much effort at all for him to reach Lan Jin's door.
Knock knock.
Hearing the sound, Lan Jin, who was inside her spatial space, frowned slightly.
Who could be knocking at her door right now?
But when she opened it and saw that familiar face, Lan Jin was honestly surprised.
"You? What are you doing here?"
Ren Xing looked both shocked and pleased. He hadn't expected things to go this smoothly. He said he'd find Lan Jin, and all it took was crossing the street. There she was.
"Lan, let me in," Ren Xing said, already stepping forward.
Lan Jin furrowed her brow, clearly reluctant to let him in. But she didn't want to cause a bigger scene either. After a brief pause, she stepped aside and let him enter.
Besides, things were different now. She wasn't the same person anymore. Even if Ren Xing had bad intentions, she could handle it. There was nothing to be afraid of.
"How've you been these days?" Ren Xing stepped inside, glancing around the room like he was taking inventory. His words sounded concerned, but Lan Jin knew exactly what he was thinking. He wanted to see if she was living well. If she had extra supplies, he'd probably try to guilt her into giving him some.
And that was exactly what Ren Xing was thinking. For over three months, they'd been stuck at home. Aside from the brief period when the canteen was open, no one had eaten anything decent. He and Meng Ying had both lost weight. Everyone had.
But Lan Jin? Not only had she not lost weight, her face even looked a little rounder.
Seeing that made Ren Xing uncomfortable. Apparently, while he was suffering, Lan Jin had been living quite comfortably.
He casually sat down on the couch and said, his tone laced with jealousy, "Looks like things have been going well for you since I've been gone. You must've stocked up on food before, right? I remember you used to love hoarding stuff like that."
Lan Jin let out a dry laugh and stood across from him. "Of course I did. That's just common sense. But even if I stocked up, it's all gone now. Whatever you're thinking, I've got nothing to give you."
The moment he heard that, Ren Xing's face soured. "Well, you might be living comfortably, but I'm not. When we divorced, you took the house and the money. I've been suffering because of that..."
Lan Jin cut him off. "Are you serious? You think this disaster has anything to do with me? The whole world is suffering. Everyone's in the same boat. And money? You can't even use RMB anymore. What do a house and some cash have to do with this?"
Ren Xing choked on his words for a moment, then tried again. "Lan Jin, you know what I mean. We got divorced, and you took everything..."
"I did," Lan Jin said, completely uninterested in dragging the conversation out. "So what? You're not here to talk. You came to cause trouble, didn't you? Just say it straight."
Ever since she'd found out about Ren Xing and Meng Ying's affair, Lan Jin had stopped sugarcoating anything. Even though it had been months since they last saw each other, Ren Xing was already used to her sharp tongue. He didn't even get angry. He just said, "We live so close, and our life's been so hard. Can't you help me out a little? After all, I am Qiao Qiao's dad."
Lan Jin let out a cold snort. "Now you remember you're Qiao Qiao's dad? How long have you been in my apartment? And you only just remembered you have a daughter? Help you out? Why don't you just say it straight, Ren Xing. You want me to support you and Meng Ying. Do you hear yourself? Asking your ex-wife to support you and your mistress? Have you no shame?"
And speaking of Qiao Qiao—he mentioned his daughter, but hadn't even asked where she was. If he were really her father, wouldn't he have gone looking for her right away? He hadn't seen her in months. Shouldn't he be worried?
But no. Ren Xing sat there like some kind of lord, completely unmoved. Lan Jin wanted nothing more than to throw him out immediately. Still, she didn't know who Ren Xing might've run into on his way over. If someone tracked him here, it could be a huge problem. So for now, she decided to bear with it.
But even now, Ren Xing didn't ask about Qiao Qiao. Instead, he kept trying to defend himself. "I'm not asking you to support Meng Ying. I would never ask you to do that. I just need a little help. Things are so bad right now. If I had any other choice, I wouldn't have come. And I know you don't want our kid to grow up without a dad."
Truth was, after these few months, Ren Xing had come to realize that Meng Ying wasn't even close to being on the same level as Lan Jin. He couldn't understand how he'd been so blind back then.
But what could he do? They were already together. Even if he broke things off with Meng Ying, Lan Jin would never take him back.
Still, there was one thing left...
Their child.
Right. The child.