On a day as good as this, there was no way Lan Jin was going to settle for a boxed meal. After preparing dinner for Nana, she stood there thinking about what they should eat tonight.
Qiao Qiao, sensing Lan Jin's cheerful mood, took the opportunity to make a request. "Mama, you love Qiao Qiao lots, yes?"
"Of course, Mama loves Qiao Qiao so much."
With that, Qiao Qiao dove into Lan Jin's arms. "Then Mama, can I eat cake? Creamy one?"
"Nope."
Lan Jin didn't even hesitate. The answer came immediately.
But Qiao Qiao didn't seem the least bit upset. After all, Mama was the best mama in the whole world. No one else's mama could even compare. So not getting cake wasn't a big deal. It wasn't something to be sad over.
Still, seeing that little dumpling looking completely unbothered, Lan Jin's heart softened. "Qiao Qiao wants creamy cake, huh? But you already had a slice this morning, sweetie. That's too much sugar for one day. How about this? Tomorrow, you can have more. Today… let's eat KFC."
The moment Qiao Qiao heard "KFC," her eyes lit up with excitement. Lan Jin used to take her there all the time, but ever since they were trapped inside, it had been a rare treat.
"Wow! Mama is best! Mama so awesome! Qiao Qiao love Mama most!"
Worried Qiao Qiao might get too loud and the neighbors would overhear, Lan Jin gently hushed her. But even so, the joy in the child's voice was impossible to ignore.
Hearing the laughter coming from next door, even Grandma Ling couldn't help asking, "How did you get to know them? I don't remember you ever having anything to do with that family before."
"The folks next door are the Lan family. The woman's name is Lan Jin," Ling Jiang replied while eating her boxed meal. "We met totally by accident."
Since they had nothing else to do at home, Ling Jiang ended up telling Grandma Ling everything that had happened—both earlier that morning and just now.
By the time she was done, even Grandma Ling looked moved. "Poor girl. Such a good child too. You did the right thing today. Even if you two only just met, it doesn't matter. Now that you live on the same floor, you're neighbors. You know the old saying, right? Distant relatives can't compare to nearby neighbors. If we can help, we help. And look at how things worked out—she returned the kindness. It shows that Lan Jin's someone worth befriending. If she ever needs to go out alone and wants to leave the child here, I can watch her."
By "returned the kindness," she meant the meals and water Lan Jin had sent over. Relationships like this, with give and take, were the ones that lasted.
Ling Jiang smiled. "I don't think she'll need that. Lan Jin strikes me as someone who always has a plan. A little trouble won't stop her. And she's got a dog—one that's really smart. Understands human speech too. When Lan Jin's out, the dog watches the child."
Grandma Ling was startled. "Wait, a dog? They have a dog next door? I never heard any barking."
"That's what I'm saying—it understands people. Lan Jin told him not to bark, and he just whines softly. No matter how annoyed he gets, he never barks out loud. That dog is seriously smart."
Ling Jiang felt a twinge of envy just talking about it. But as they kept talking about dogs, Grandma Ling chimed in, "That German Shepherd we used to have was clever too. But he got old. If you ever want another dog, just go get a puppy. It's good company."
"Grandma, where would I even find a puppy right now? People can't even afford food."
…
After dinner, Lan Jin kept an eye on Meng Ying downstairs.
She watched her pacing back and forth. When Meng Ying finally gave in and sat down somewhere, looking like she had no plans to leave, Lan Jin knew this was it.
She felt a surge of excitement. Midnight was finally near, and the power had just come back on. She now had a perfectly legitimate reason to go downstairs.
Lan Jin had thought the hallway would be full of people once the electricity returned. But to her surprise, it was completely empty. After an entire day without power, most people just wanted to stay home with the fan on and finally get some sleep. So as she made her way down from the thirty-second floor to the first, she didn't see a single soul.
With no one around, her confidence grew.
Even so, she didn't forget her original task. First, she tested the entry scanner at the first floor. It worked. Then she propped the door open and started walking toward the main gate.
Meng Ying hadn't dared follow her too closely, so the chair she'd chosen to rest in was right along the path to the exit.
Lan Jin didn't care whether she was actually asleep or just pretending. As she passed by, she deliberately turned to look in Meng Ying's direction, making sure her face was seen.
Sure enough, the moment Meng Ying realized it was her, she shot up and followed right behind.
After the last encounter, Meng Ying was no longer afraid of getting scolded. She practically glued herself to Lan Jin's back, terrified of losing her again.
But to her confusion, all Lan Jin did was test the front gate… and then walk straight back toward Building 12.
Without hesitation, Meng Ying followed her inside.
Only, instead of going upstairs, Lan Jin turned and headed down—toward the underground parking garage.
Meng Ying hesitated. Something didn't feel right. But she was too scared of losing Lan Jin again, so she kept going.
The parking garage was dim, nearly deserted. Only a few scattered cars remained. There were no security cameras either. Just lots of blind spots.
Back when she and Huang Jinghe had gone out for supplies, Lan Jin had already taken note of those blind corners. Now, she headed straight for one of them.
Just as Meng Ying was about to speak, Lan Jin suddenly turned, raised her hand, and struck her square in the neck.
Meng Ying dropped like a stone.
Aside from a single startled "Ah!" and the dull thud of her body hitting the floor, it was completely silent.
Lan Jin crouched and checked for breath. Still alive. So, not quite enough force to kill with one blow.
She raised her hand again and struck the same spot.
This time, it wasn't just a knockout. Meng Ying spasmed once, let out a choked breath, and then lay still.
No more movement. No more sound.
Lan Jin pulled her into her spatial storage like it was the most natural thing in the world. Then she calmly returned upstairs.
Back at home, she changed clothes, lay down beside her little dumpling, and finally let her thoughts settle.
That pair she had once hated more than anything—just like that, they were gone?
It was over. So… easily?
It almost didn't feel real. But suddenly, it was like the weight on her shoulders had been lifted.
Her entire body felt lighter.
That night, whether from the rush or the fact that her future no longer held any burdens or regrets, she couldn't fall asleep at all.
She got up early and made breakfast, then gently shook Qiao Qiao awake.
"Qiao Qiao, time to get up. Mama has a surprise for you."
Qiao Qiao, still half asleep, perked up instantly at the word surprise. "What surprise, Mama?"
Lan Jin brought the child and Nana into her spatial space. When Qiao Qiao spotted Meng Ying tied up near Ren Xing, her eyes lit up with joy.
"Mama!"
Lan Jin held her chin up proudly. "Qiao Qiao, Mama took revenge. For you. For me."