I Got Together With My Mom's Nemesis - Chapter 10

Ran Xi went on a trip. She intentionally bought food from the most expensive tourist spots and posted every single receipt on her Moments.

It wasn’t to show off. She just wanted Ran Xu to see that the two thousand yuan she’d been given was gone in just a few days. Next time Ran Xu tried to buy her something, she couldn’t use the excuse, “Didn’t I just give you money last time?”

Ran Xi wanted to make herself completely broke. That way, Ran Xu couldn’t force her to “repay” her with her own money.

But when she passed by a Western restaurant in the tourist area, Ran Xi still stopped and stared at the entrance for a long time.

Kong Lingyi had promised to take her for steak when she had time, but there had been no news since.

A thirty-eight-year-old adult only knows how to be polite to a two-year-old adult child, Ran Xi thought bitterly.

All lies.

She hadn’t changed the contact name back yet. As Ran Xi ate a ten-yuan grilled sausage, her finger hovered over the “Mom” contact, hesitating whether to call.

Not far away, a mother carried her young daughter on her back. Both of their faces were filled with contentment and joy.

Ran Shuang used to carry her like that when she was little, teaching her ancient poems and English.

But Ran Xi hadn’t inherited Ran Shuang’s gentle genes, nor had she inherited Ran Xu’s sharp mind. She was a stray, adopted by a family that never truly belonged to her.

Ran Xu didn’t comment on her Moments post, but the convenience store owner offered a few flattering remarks.

He said she’d taken leave to go traveling, then added that kids sure have a lot of energy.

When she didn’t reply, he asked when she’d be back to work, noting how hard it was to find temporary staff during the Lunar New Year.

Ran Xi checked her savings and bought a train ticket home.

Eight hours on a hard seat. Her butt was numb.

She and Li Meimei agreed to split her shift, each working half a day. Ran Xi told the owner she had an important matter to attend to.

The owner, recalling her recent words, asked with a smile, “Why aren’t you wearing those designer clothes anymore?”

“I sent them to the dry cleaners,” Ran Xi said.

How could she dare wear them again?

Ran Xu would kill her.

She’s not even happy when someone helps her with the kids. How can she be so possessive?

By evening, Ran Xi slipped away. She went to the underground garage and found Kong Lingyi’s parking spot.

It was empty. She hadn’t returned yet.

Ran Xi crouched nearby and waited. Since Kong Lingyi wouldn’t contact her, she had to take the initiative.

Opportunity favors the prepared. She couldn’t miss a single chance to get ahead.

Around seven o’clock, Ran Xi heard a familiar car engine.

Kong Lingyi got out of the car and lifted a small dog from the passenger seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a suspicious figure lurking nearby.

“If you hide, I’ll pretend I didn’t see you.”

Ran Xi had no choice but to step out. “What a coincidence.”

“It is,” Kong Lingyi said with a smile. “Your legs are numb again, aren’t they? How long have you been waiting?”

“No, I just got here.” Ran Xi tried to stand straight, but her face twisted slightly from the aching numbness in her legs.

“You can just message me if you want to see me,” Kong Lingyi said, carrying the dog into the elevator. “My schedule is pretty unpredictable.”

Ran Xi pressed the elevator button for her. “Is this your studio dog?”

“I just picked him up. After a checkup, I planned to keep him at the studio. But he doesn’t get along well with others, so I’m looking for an adopter. Someone’s coming to pick him up soon.”

Kong Lingyi read out the electronic lock code and told Ran Xi to open the door.

Ran Xi licked her lips. She just gave me the code that easily?

“What are the requirements for adopting the dog?” Ran Xi changed into slippers and sank into the single-person sofa.

“The basic requirements are experience, living in a nearby neighborhood, and the financial means to take good care of a pet.” Kong Lingyi took the pet bowls out of the box and filled them with food and water. Her eyes always held a gentle smile when she looked at the dog.

“Do you only find homes for cats and dogs?”

Any plans to expand your business?

Like, finding a new mom for a two-year-old adult?

Kong Lingyi crossed her legs and looked at her with keen interest. “I don’t just care for cats and dogs. I can handle other things too.”

Ran Xi felt her skin crawl under the woman’s gaze. “I was just asking.”

“Why are you always so daring in your thoughts but too scared to act?” This time, Kong Lingyi didn’t let her drop the subject, teasing her further. “Haven’t we been getting along just fine?”

Ran Xi took a deep breath and remained silent.

I should have taken Kong Lingyi’s V-neck nightgown, she thought. If I wore it the next time I saw her, I could have just taken it off to see if she really meant what I hoped she was thinking.

Now, she was bundled up in a puffy cotton coat and a heavy sweater, looking like a round dumpling. If she unzipped the coat, the static electricity would only expose her ugly face.

“I thought you came to see me just to talk about this,” Kong Lingyi said as she answered a phone call and placed the well-fed dog into its travel crate.

Ran Xi followed her downstairs.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

A gentle breeze blew through the air. Ran Xi spoke softly, but Kong Lingyi heard her clearly.

“I don’t like lying children,” Kong Lingyi said, assessing her. “But I know you’re smart.”

She pressed further. “Sometimes, when your family lets you down, you really have to find another way to get by.”

The night grew even colder, freezing the words in Ran Xi’s throat.

The prospective adopter gave her a moment to breathe. Ran Xi stood still, taking in the woman’s figure as she immediately switched to a friendly smile and began chatting with the visitor.

They exchanged polite small talk about the weather, their jobs, and their ages, finally agreeing to a follow-up meeting that would never happen.

“I do need the money,” Ran Xi asked, unable to hold back. “But what’s in it for you?”

She liked Kong Lingyi’s money, her body, and her face. She liked how the woman stood up for her and gave her courage.

But for the woman, this wasn’t a fair trade.

Ran Xi couldn’t figure out her true motives.

“Call it charity,” Kong Lingyi replied. “Don’t you think I’m a good person?”

“I don’t like lying adults either,” Ran Xi said, feeling she was negotiating on equal footing. Her sarcasm was meant to bounce right back at the woman.

Kong Lingyi sighed helplessly. “You’re so cute and innocent. Even your occasional stubbornness is charming. Do I really have to say it for you to be happy?”

Ran Xi suppressed a smile. “Lots of people my age are like that.”

“But you’re different.” Kong Lingyi reached out and stroked the top of her head. “I’ve told you before, you’re special.”

“I don’t believe you. Unless…” Ran Xi looked up, meeting the woman’s eyes, and tapped her index finger against her cheek.

Unless Kong Lingyi kissed her.

Ran Xi refused to be the only one humiliated. She still remembered how she’d let her guard down in front of the woman, only to drive away and leave her waiting for half an hour before blocking her path again.

Forcing this proud woman to kiss her first would be a victory worth celebrating.

“Kiss me, and I’ll give you two thousand yuan.” Ran Xi pulled up her bank balance, showing the pitiful three thousand yuan she had left.

If Ran Xu hadn’t spent the two thousand yuan she gave her on their trip, Ran Xi could have even doubled the offer to humiliate her.

“Two thousand yuan?”

“Yes!” Ran Xi’s love for money was well known to the woman. Fearing she wouldn’t believe her, Ran Xi transferred the money right away.

Kong Lingyi wore an ambiguous smile as she closed the distance between them.

Her warm breath brushed against Ran Xi’s cheek, making even the finest hairs stand on end.

“Why are you trembling?” the woman asked, her gaze locking onto Ran Xi’s eyes, refusing to let her look away.

Even though Ran Xi had been the one to make the offer, Kong Lingyi now held all the control.

“You’re just too slow!” Ran Xi turned her head, offering her cheek to the woman’s lips while also sighing in relief at escaping her gaze.

The next second, the woman grabbed her chin and kissed her right on the lips.

Ran Xi was completely caught off guard.

She had just paid two thousand yuan to give her first kiss to a woman the same age as her mother.

The wind continued to blow as Ran Xi let out an unrestrained sigh. In her inexperience, she laid bare her own vulnerability and didn’t know how to hide the pleasure washing over her.

It turned out that a kiss could make one feel so good they might die. All her senses converged on the tip of her lips, as if her very soul were being sucked away.

Ran Xi tried to pull back and escape, but the woman wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body close, leaving her no room to struggle. Then, the kiss deepened.

Ran Xi panicked completely, letting out a pleading whimper.

The pride she had been desperately clinging to was shattered by this kiss. She looked at the woman’s wanton smile, which seemed almost like an act of lovemaking itself.

When their lips finally parted, Ran Xi couldn’t even stand steadily. She gasped for breath and looked at the woman in confusion, her eyes still clouded with bewilderment.

Kong Lingyi pulled her into a hug to soothe her and kissed her cheek.

She accepted the two thousand yuan, then immediately transferred ten thousand yuan back to her.

“Thank you for the two thousand yuan,” the woman said, pointing to her own lips. “This ten thousand is for that kiss just now.”

Ran Xi’s eyes were red, but she said nothing.

The two thousand yuan had been spent too impulsively, and the ten thousand yuan had been earned at too great a loss.

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