I Got Together With My Mom's Nemesis - Chapter 4

Ran Xi pounded the bed in frustration.

She hated it when people said she looked like Ran Xu.

But she’d figured out Kong Lingyi’s bottom line.

She wouldn’t sleep with her.

The easy money she’d hoped for—sleeping with someone on the first meeting and leaving with cash—was never going to happen with Kong Lingyi.

Ran Xi turned off the light and lay down, her eyes aching and swollen. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

She rummaged through the bedside table drawer and found a charger, then stared blankly at the dark blue curtains.

The light was already seeping through; dawn was near.

By six in the morning, she still hadn’t managed to get a wink of sleep.

This wasn’t the master bedroom after all, no wonder it felt so empty.

Kong Lingyi had seen through her charade from the start.

This penthouse was amazing. Even without a proper tour, Ran Xi knew living here would be pure bliss.

The soft bed and spacious room quickly lowered her guard. In her dream, she was joyfully moving into the penthouse when suddenly Ran Xu appeared in the living room, feather duster in hand.

Ran Xi woke up with a start.

It was already past four in the afternoon, and no one had bothered to wake her.

The only message on Ran Xi’s phone was a voice message from the neighbor’s grandmother, sent at noon. When she played it, Xiao Douding’s childish voice chirped, “Sister, will you play with me again today?”

Ran Xi: I’m working today, sweetie. Play by yourself.

Ran Xi sat up in bed, a sudden chill hitting her chest. She was still wearing Kong Lingyi’s pajamas.

She cautiously opened the door and peeked out, but saw no one. The kitchen and bathroom were empty, and there was no note or food left on the dining table.

“She clearly doesn’t know how to take care of kids,” Ran Xi muttered. “Not even leaving me any food.”

Kong Lingyi should be grateful Ran Xi was a good girl. Otherwise, she would have ransacked this luxury apartment for every valuable item.

The refrigerator was completely empty; Ran Xi couldn’t even find a single vegetable leaf.

This woman has some nerve, leaving me alone in her house like this.

Ran Xi didn’t linger. Her clothes from last night reeked of hotpot. She found two other outfits in the living room, took a shower, changed into fresh clothes, and left with her dirty clothes in hand.

After all, Kong Lingyi had said she could have them. A woman as rich as her wouldn’t be so stingy.

Since Ran Xu hadn’t messaged her, Ran Xi couldn’t be bothered to go home.

Ran Xi took the subway to the convenience store where she worked part-time. Before the New Year, her boss had asked if she wanted to work during the holiday, but Ran Xi had refused, saying, “Who works during New Year’s anyway?”

Even when her boss offered triple pay, she still refused.

She was a woman of principle, not one to bend for a few extra bucks. Besides, she expected to get a lot of lucky money during the holiday.

But now that the lucky money hadn’t materialized, Ran Xi had no choice but to come grovel to her boss for those extra bucks.

“Sis! Happy New Year! Did you miss me?” Ran Xi threw her arms around her boss in a warm hug, terrified she’d be kicked out.

“Oh? Working during the holiday, huh?” her boss teased, cracking sunflower seeds between her teeth.

“I was worried you’d be too busy! See? I came on the second day of the New Year!” Ran Xi grinned ingratiatingly, grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds and stuffing them into her pocket. Realizing her clothes had no pockets, she held the seeds in her hand and started cracking them with her boss. “Sis, um… is the triple pay still on the table?”

Her boss snorted but didn’t answer.

“Sis! My dear sister!” Ran Xi clung to her boss’s arm, acting cute. “I was thinking about you the whole holiday! I told my mom how amazing you are, praised you so many times—ptui, ptui, ptui! I had to tell her the truth so many times before she’d let me come!”

“Fighting with your mom again?”

Ran Xi had been working part-time here since her freshman year, for a year or two now. She’d complained about her family to the boss a few times.

Who would let their kid work over the Lunar New Year instead of spending time with family?

Feeling embarrassed, Ran Xi sat down without another word.

“That’s a nice outfit,” the boss said, changing the subject when she saw Ran Xi’s mood. “I know my brands.”

“No, it was a gift…”

“From who? A girlfriend?”

Ran Xi smiled vaguely. “…Maybe?”

“If someone’s buying you designer clothes, why are you working here?” The boss tossed some sunflower seed shells into the trash. “We’ve known each other for ages. Can’t you be honest with me?”

“If I tell you the truth, will you triple my pay?” Seeing the boss’s speechless expression, Ran Xi knew she had her. She scooted closer. “Will you? Will you?”

When the boss nodded, Ran Xi leaned in and whispered, “A woman has a crush on me. She’s about my mom’s age.”

The boss gave her a curious look. “No wonder that outfit doesn’t suit you. She’s treating you like a kid.”

“If it doesn’t fit, I’ll just sell it second-hand. It’s still money, right?”

A customer came into the shop, and Ran Xi tactfully went to the cash register to ring them up.

After serving the customer, the boss’s smile faded, and she said sternly, “She’s about your mother’s age. You’d better be careful not to get scammed.”

Ran Xi tugged at her clothes, pointed to the logo on the bag, and pursed her lips.

“How can a young girl like you date a woman that much older? She’ll just spend a little money on you for a few days of novelty.”

Ran Xi winked. “Then I really hope she stays interested for a few more days.”

“Anyway, I’ve warned you. Learn from this,” the boss sighed. “You’ll definitely be able to work all these days, right?”

Ran Xi nodded and held up three fingers. “Three times the usual pay?”

“Fine, fine, fine,” the boss waved impatiently. “I’m going home now. It’ll be crowded during the New Year, so be careful, okay?”

Her phone chimed. Ran Xi picked it up and saw a red envelope from the boss.

She accepted the eighty-eight yuan with a beaming smile. “Thank you, sis! Happy New Year! You’re going to do really well this year!

There’s a sandwich in the fridge that hasn’t sold by 10 PM. You can have it.

Ran Xi sent a nodding dog emoji, not caring what time it was. She immediately hid the sandwich, planning to devour it after 10 PM.

Adjusting the air conditioning, she settled comfortably into a recliner, gazing down to stroke the fabric of her clothes. The material felt luxurious. She thought of Kong Lingyi’s face and the figure beneath her pencil skirt.

If I can spend a little money on her and enjoy a couple of days of novelty, I wouldn’t be at a loss, right?

Soon after, another girl entered the shop. It was Li Meimei, her roommate and fellow part-time worker. They had coordinated their holiday shifts together.

“We’re both free during the New Year anyway,” Li Meimei said. “Why don’t we work together?”

“Six times the pay? Do you think the boss will agree?” Ran Xi was skeptical. “I’m fine either way.”

She didn’t care how much she earned, only that she had enough money to spend that day.

Tomorrow’s problems could wait until tomorrow. She lived for the moment, savoring every second.

“But I can’t come the night after tomorrow.”

“Valentine’s Day! What are you doing?” Li Meimei’s gossip radar went into overdrive. “Got a girlfriend?”

Given Ran Xi’s innocent face, Li Meimei wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d impulsively tricked some girl into dating her.

“I’m going to pick up trash on Valentine’s Day,” Ran Xi said, picking at her nails. “The person who deserves me hasn’t even been born yet.”

Ran Xi did this every year. She could find beautiful flowers, unopened cakes, and even expensive jewelry near the trash cans.

She didn’t dare keep the jewelry. When she turned it in to the police station, the owners would come to claim it, and sometimes they’d even reward her with two hundred yuan.

This year, she thought Kong Lingyi’s neighborhood looked promising. There should be plenty of valuable things near the trash cans.

Rich people must celebrate Valentine’s Day too, right?

You had to see the world to broaden your horizons. Otherwise, her trash-picking would be limited to roadside bins filled with leftover slop that made her want to vomit just from the smell.

The convenience store closed at eleven. Ran Xi crept home, and when she saw no one was there, she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the sofa.

She calculated how much she’d earned today.

Four hours of work at triple pay came to one hundred twenty yuan, plus the boss’s eighty-eight yuan bonus.

Before the New Year, Ran Xu had told her she’d only get three days off this year.

That meant Ran Xi probably wouldn’t see her mother for the rest of winter break.

Both mother and daughter had grown fond of working, earning their own money and spending it as they pleased. It saved them from getting on each other’s nerves at home.

Ran Xi searched for the brand’s clothing on a secondhand platform to see how much it was going for.

“They dare sell it for so cheap secondhand?”

Comparing the prices to the official website, Ran Xi was stunned.

Winter clothes were already expensive, but on the secondhand market, they were practically giving them away at a tenth of the original price.

If only she’d asked Kong Lingyi for the receipt. If she had bought it in a physical store, she might have been able to return it for a full refund.

Ran Xi listed the unworn outfit for five thousand yuan, rounded up from the ninety percent discount price. She caught sight of the iron basin in the corner.

It was the one Ran Xu had used to burn paper offerings last night.

Even though she was scared, Ran Xi knelt down and prayed earnestly, “A-Shuang’s Mother, please help me find a good catch this Valentine’s Day, okay? I don’t need jewelry. Those rich people are so stingy! I’ve tried so many times, and only one person ever gave me two hundred yuan! Let me find some designer clothes or secondhand items I can sell!”

“I want matcha cupcakes with real cream! And that forty-yuan milk tea! A little extra wouldn’t hurt, it’s cold out, so it won’t spoil. I can enjoy it for days!”

She kowtowed several times, her forehead thudding against the floor.

“Mom, you always spoiled me! Please help me one more time! I’m starving! Can you see how badly your wife treats me from up there? If not, just take me with you… sob…”

A gust of wind howled outside. Ran Xi blinked, glanced around the empty living room, and felt a chill of fear.

“Mom, I’m going to bed now! Happy New Year!”

Ran Xi dashed back to her room and vanished in a flash.

A few seconds later, two clicks echoed as she locked the door from the inside.

****

On Valentine’s Day, Ran Xi went next door to get a bowl of meatball soup, then added a packet of instant noodles to it.

After eating her fill, she put on her cotton-padded coat and went out.

Someone on the secondhand platform had asked about the price, offering to cut it by two thousand yuan. Ran Xi told them to get lost, but they persisted.

[Momo: Would four thousand work? I really want it, and I’ll cover the shipping.]

[Ran Xi: How about free shipping? Want it then?]

[Momo: Really?]

[Ran Xi: Sorry, my dog likes it. I just put it in her bed.]

****

After being reported, her account was suspended for three days.

Ran Xi created a new account and spammed the buyer’s profile with “How about free shipping?” Then she reported every one of their listings to vent her anger.

She quickly found Kong Lingyi’s neighborhood and sat on a bench, eating a cup of oden.

It wasn’t quite dark yet, and she knew she had to be careful when doing something sneaky.

The cars passing by were all luxury models, and the clothes people wore were designer brands. Ran Xi had even looked up the property prices here.

Ignoring the high-rise apartments, the six-story flat buildings cost six to seven million yuan per unit.

Ran Xi tugged at her two-year-old cotton-padded coat, sighing with relief that she hadn’t worn the clothes Kong Lingyi had given her.

She mainly didn’t want to ruin them. What if she didn’t find anything good and ended up getting those designer clothes dirty?

The young couples around her were all lovey-dovey, and Ran Xi stared at the flowers in their hands.

With so many people around, why hadn’t anyone thrown away their flowers yet?

Should she check the trash cans by the hotel entrance?

No, those would definitely be even dirtier.

A quarrel erupted nearby, and Ran Xi’s eyes lit up.

“Good,” she thought. “If they smash their stuff and throw it all out, I can pick through it.”

Eventually, she overheard a few sentences. The couple was breaking up over money, arguing over splitting a meal bill down to the last two decimal places.

Ran Xi spat, “No money? Then no romance!”

It was freezing outside, the cold wind biting through her sleeves.

Ran Xi regretted not bringing a hand warmer. She’d been waiting since 7:30 AM, and by nearly 9:00 AM, the trash can in front of her still hadn’t turned into a treasure trove.

Deciding to move on, she jogged over to Building 8.

Maybe she’d even run into Kong Lingyi.

Poor thing, Ran Xi thought. I’d treat her to a nice meal and let her stay the night.

The afternoon nap wasn’t nearly as restful as her early morning sleep.

Her big break finally came. As she glanced up from her phone, she spotted a two-tiered cake piled high with fruit beside a nearby trash can.

Ran Xi coughed, scanning her surroundings warily. She was especially wary of any kids who might try to snatch her prize.

Ten minutes passed before she finally saw her chance. She darted forward, grabbed the cake, and ran.

Humming to herself, she found a bench, unwrapped the cake, and started taking photos.

A little girl across from her stared longingly. Ran Xi made a silly face, scaring her away.

After snapping dozens of pictures, Ran Xi began eating the fruit with a fork.

Free food really does taste the best, she thought. She hadn’t eaten dinner, and the oden had only whetted her appetite. Now she was digging in with gusto.

Once the fruit was gone, she ate a couple of bites of cake before it started to feel too rich. She wrapped the rest up, planning to grab a bottle of water at the convenience store.

As soon as she stood up, her head began to spin. “I wasn’t squatting for that long…”

The dryness in her mouth grew worse. Ran Xi swallowed hard and quickened her pace.

Suddenly, she grabbed a nearby tree, sensing something was wrong.

An unbearable itch spread across her skin.

Ran Xi squinted at the cake in her hand, quickly realizing what was happening.

Gritting her teeth, she hurled the cake into a trash can and stumbled forward, running as fast as she could.

Building 8. She had to get to Building 8.

After staggering to the sixth floor, Ran Xi frantically rang the doorbell and pounded on the door with her remaining strength.

Her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

The door swung open.

The woman looked down and saw Ran Xi sprawled on the floor.

As if she’d found her savior, Ran Xi crawled forward and grabbed the woman’s ankle, pleading, “Help… please help me…”

For the sake of the plot, children shouldn’t eat things they find lying around.

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