After the old woman left, Lan Jin dropped the act. The man who had been scammed by the same trick last time checked in on her briefly, then left in a huff. But the other woman who had helped her up didn't leave right away. She stayed by Lan Jin's side until the crowd finally thinned, then leaned in and whispered, "You can stop pretending. I know it was fake. I saw the whole thing. I was right behind you."
Lan Jin gave a casual "Oh." So what if she saw? It was fake, after all.
The woman found her response a little dull but kept talking anyway. "You reacted fast. If it had been me, I'd have been swindled like that other woman. These two big battery panels? If someone conned me out of them, I'd be heartbroken."
"Exactly. That's why I threw myself down first. With this kind of scam, whoever acts first wins."
Since the woman had seen through her act, Lan Jin didn't bother to hide it. She hadn't done it for fun; it was about protecting her own interests. Given how things were now, what right did anyone have to lecture her about morals?
The woman seemed more amused than offended. If anything, she liked Lan Jin even more. "You probably don't know me. I live next door, in unit 3203. I moved here with my grandma after the flood destroyed our old place. I'm Ling Jiang, thirty-five years old. Judging by your face, we're probably close in age."
3203?
That really was the apartment next to hers.
Lan Jin said, "I've seen your grandma around, but I don't think I've seen you before."
Ling Jiang shrugged. "I work long hours, leave early and come back late. Not seeing me is normal. Plus, people barely leave their apartments anymore. Honestly, I didn't know who you were until one day I was off work, went out to get water, and that woman from 3204 started cursing you and some young man. Kept going on and on, pointing fingers. That's when I learned your name."
Just hearing "that woman from 3204" made Lan Jin scrunch up her face in disgust. "She never says a decent word about anyone."
Since they were chatting, Lan Jin figured she should introduce herself too. "I'm Lan Jin, thirty-two. I have a three-year-old daughter and a dog. I only moved in after the New Year. Before your family came, I was the only one on this floor. It was so quiet. And now, ever since you moved in... it's gotten a lot livelier."
Of course, when she said "livelier," she meant the daily shouting matches from the couple in 3204. And since Ling Jiang's apartment was even closer to them, her days must have been worse.
"My grandma's old and already has trouble sleeping. Those two fight, throw things, scream... There's no peace. I've already tried talking to them a few times, but they do whatever they want. If our old apartment hadn't collapsed, I'd have moved back in a heartbeat."
Ling Jiang couldn't stop venting. "I don't even know what they're doing all day. Arguing from dawn to dusk. If they can't stand each other, why don't they just split up? What's the point of all this noise?"
But just as Ling Jiang finished complaining, the woman from 3204 stormed over, shouting at the top of her lungs. "What, did I offend you? Talking trash behind my back? How my man and I live is none of your business. What, are you so desperate for a man you have to obsess over mine? Pathetic."
Her voice was so loud it made both Lan Jin and Ling Jiang jump.
Yes, they had been gossiping. And getting caught red-handed like that, they couldn't help feeling a little guilty. So for a moment, neither of them said a word.
But the woman from 3204 thought she had struck a nerve. After glaring at them with smug satisfaction, she turned and strutted away.
As she disappeared down the corridor, Lan Jin and Ling Jiang looked at each other, speechless.
Did that woman really think they were jealous of her? Jealous of what? Having a man to yell at every day?
That logic... absolutely baffling.
Ling Jiang muttered, "That woman's a real piece of work."
Lan Jin replied with a blank expression, "No. They both are."
Some people lived messy lives, and it wasn't without reason.
But just as they were about to walk away, another woman suddenly appeared in front of them.
This time, it wasn't a stranger.
It was Meng Ying.
Yes, that same Meng Ying Lan Jin had been thinking about day and night.
A scumbag and a shameless woman always come as a pair. She had already dealt with the man. There was no way she'd let Meng Ying off the hook.
Fate had a strange way of playing games. Back when Lan Jin didn't want to see her, Meng Ying was everywhere. But the moment she started looking for her, the woman vanished.
That wasn't an exaggeration. Lan Jin went downstairs twice a day—once to fetch water, once to wander around, pretending to take a walk.
But it wasn't just aimless walking. Her route always circled the opposite residential area where Meng Ying lived. She would pace near the supermarket, cafeteria, and co-op—places with a lot of foot traffic. She even unblocked Meng Ying's number, hoping the woman might call her.
But Meng Ying never reached out, and Lan Jin hadn't caught a glimpse of her for days.
So now, suddenly running into her felt like an unexpected stroke of luck.
As long as she saw her, she had a chance to take action.
Lan Jin suppressed her excitement and gave Meng Ying a slow once-over. From head to toe, Meng Ying was decked out in glittering accessories, looking smug and content.
Something didn't add up.
Lan Jin clearly remembered that Meng Ying came from an average family. Without Ren Xing supporting her, how had she ended up living so comfortably?
While Lan Jin was still puzzling it out, Meng Ying practically radiated joy.
She had been desperate. After losing her phone, all her contacts were gone, and she had been living off whatever contribution points were left on her residence card.
Thankfully, Ren Xing's mother had reached out. After hearing about her situation, she had taken Meng Ying in.
Back at the Ren household, Meng Ying had wasted no time cozying up to Ren Xing's mother and asking her to help find Lan Jin's whereabouts.
Maybe Ren Xing's mother truly believed Lan Jin and Ren Xing had been involved, because she pulled every string she could. Just a few days ago, Meng Ying finally got a rough location.
She had been keeping watch by the co-op entrance since then.
She thought maybe she'd get lucky and spot Lan Jin when the place was crowded.
And today, luck was definitely on her side.
Not only had she run into Lan Jin, but she had also witnessed Lan Jin's little performance earlier.
Heaven really does help the determined.