I Got Together With My Mom's Nemesis - Chapter 6

Ran Xi took another bath.

This time, she secretly indulged in the oversized tub.

The water temperature adjusted automatically. She lathered up with bath gel, swirled her palm across the surface, and blew bubbles through a circle formed by her thumb and forefinger.

She lingered in the bath for a long time, her skin becoming pale and smooth, so tender it seemed to drip with moisture.

She didn’t have to worry about running out of hot water, or about the hairdryer emitting a burning metal smell when used on high, or even the risk of electric shock. Nor did she have to brace herself for sharp, stinging insults interrupting her peaceful soak.

Kong Lingyi had even asked if her meals were regular and nutritionally balanced.

In just two days with this woman, Ran Xi had experienced comforts she had never known with Ran Xu.

She opened Ran Xu’s WeChat chat and tried to send her a yuan, but she was still blocked.

Ran Xu’s small company worked through the Lunar New Year holiday. With fewer staff, the handful of employees, including Ran Xu, had to shoulder extra work.

Ran Xi hadn’t seen her in days. They kept missing each other, returning home at different times and retreating to their separate rooms to sleep.

The spacious bathroom, usually so comforting, felt increasingly stifling to Ran Xi as she washed.

She stepped out of the tub, dried herself, and even cleaned up the water in the bathroom.

That night, Ran Xi lay in bed, staring at the chandelier on the ceiling.

Clutching the two thousand yuan in her arms, she still felt dazed.

The money had come too easily, a direct result of her own mistake.

What expression had Kong Lingyi worn as she watched Ran Xi deal with her reaction?

At that moment, Ran Xi had been huddled against the corner of the desk, her back turned, helplessly enduring the vibrating toy.

The contact labeled “Mom” in her phone had changed owners. Ran Xi stared at the note, thinking of the woman’s face, and couldn’t help but bury her face in the blanket, a smile tugging at her lips.

Propping herself up on one elbow, she reached for the lavender aromatherapy diffuser on the bedside table and inhaled deeply.

She wondered what Kong Lingyi’s bedroom smelled like. A woman her age probably wouldn’t like lavender, would she?

Ran Xi had no desire to sleep. She focused all her energy on observing the room.

Several new outfits hung in the closet, still with their tags on. A thought struck her, and she opened the secondhand marketplace app.

Two or three new people had made offers, none too unreasonable, but her account remained blocked. She could see the messages but couldn’t reply.

Ran Xi didn’t mean to provoke the other person, but they ended up blocking her.

She rubbed her long hair, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

The clothes in the closet were less flashy than the three sets she’d had before, and they were also a bit larger.

Are these for guests?

Otherwise, how else could she explain Kong Lingyi giving her three sets of clothes the moment they met?

The bedside table drawer only contained spare aromatherapy oils. Ran Xi regretted not bringing a bag; she could have taken some home to make her place smell like this.

The closet, the bedside table…

That was about it. Ran Xi couldn’t find any more secrets in this guest room.

She even checked under the bed, but it was spotless, not a speck of dust.

Unlike her own room, where the space under the bed was filled with shoe boxes, storage bins, and thick layers of feathery dust.

What could Kong Lingyi’s bedroom be like?

She’d wondered this countless times. At night, the woman effortlessly produced a new little toy, then tossed it away like a disposable item.

There must be more, right?

Ran Xi couldn’t stop speculating. She knew her curiosity about Kong Lingyi stemmed entirely from the fact that the woman was rich, and she was the closest wealthy person in Ran Xi’s life right now.

It just so happened that Kong Lingyi was Ran Xu’s arch-rival. Even if Ran Xi made a huge mess at Kong Lingyi’s place, Ran Xu would probably applaud her for once.

No one wants to see their enemy suffer when they’re already down.

Ran Xi found a perfectly reasonable excuse for her actions.

After pacing around her room for a long time, Ran Xi lay back on her bed, still clutching the two thousand yuan.

She should use this money for something more valuable than just eating oden, even if it means adding two jumbo shrimp to her next meal.

How could she get more involved with Kong Lingyi?

Or rather, how could she get Kong Lingyi to give her more money?

Ran Xi couldn’t think of anything. She couldn’t just buy a toy and go to the woman’s place every time she ran out of money, putting on sweaty performances.

Kong Lingyi would definitely need something new to keep her interested, just as doing the same thing in bed gets boring after a while.

That night, Ran Xi counted the two thousand yuan over and over. She had never held so much money in her hands before.

Her tuition was covered by student loans. Ran Xu gave her eight hundred yuan a month, and occasionally she would get a scholarship. The rest she managed by scrimping and saving, plus a few odd jobs here and there.

Hmm…

Maybe she could perform for a month first?

Ran Xi suddenly smiled bitterly. What was she even imagining?

*****

Hoping to avoid Kong Lingyi the next day, Ran Xi treated herself like a guest and slept until afternoon.

She carefully ordered a steak delivery costing over a hundred yuan, planning to indulge in the luxury of this lavish house.

When the keypad lock beeped, she frowned and walked to the door.

Didn’t I specify “leave at the door, no knocking”? How dare they try to pick the lock?

She’d give them a piece of her mind the moment she opened the door.

But just as her furious expression surfaced, Ran Xi collided head-on with Kong Lingyi, who was opening the door.

To her misfortune, Kong Lingyi was also holding a steak delivery.

“Your… dinner?” Kong Lingyi glanced sideways at her, waiting for a reasonable explanation.

“…Mine?” Ran Xi pointed at herself doubtfully, unable to bring herself to say it was a mistake.

After all, there were no neighbors in this two-elevator, one-unit-per-floor building, and she couldn’t bear to waste over a hundred yuan.

Kong Lingyi placed the delivery on the dining table. “This complex doesn’t allow delivery drivers inside. The security guards or property management staff handle all deliveries.”

Ran Xi nodded, wondering how to explain why she was still here after dark.

A fresh perfume scent wafted toward Ran Xi, one she’d never noticed on Kong Lingyi before.

She probably doesn’t wear perfume at home, Ran Xi thought. Maybe my senses were just numb from the cold that night.

Ran Xi couldn’t place the fragrance.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Kong Lingyi gestured for her to sit down and eat, tossing her jacket over the arm of the sofa into the laundry basket.

“I’ll just take it to go. I have to get to my part-time job at the convenience store.”

“Working even during the New Year?” Kong Lingyi sat down. “Ran Xu is really pushing you hard.”

“I’m working because I’m ambitious, not because of my mom.”

Ran Xi felt a surge of irritation. She hated how Kong Lingyi always attributed her actions to Ran Xu.

“Ah, ambition.” Kong Lingyi’s nod dripped with sarcasm.

Disliking the insincere praise, Ran Xi abandoned her pretense. She sat down and unapologetically opened the takeout container.

The restaurant had included utensils, but Ran Xi used chopsticks to tear off pieces of food with her teeth, washing it down with a sip of ice-cold cola. The word “satisfying” barely captured the pleasure she felt.

Even something as simple as eating could bring joy, yet she’d rarely experienced even this basic pleasure.

“How old is Songsong?” Ran Xi asked.

Kong Lingyi looked surprised. “Twelve.”

“Twelve?” Ran Xi sighed. “She probably won’t grow much taller now. I’ve barely grown a few centimeters since I was a teenager.”

I need to recruit a new member to the short-person club, she thought.

“That’s because you’re malnourished,” Kong Lingyi said.

Besides, what’s so tall about 1.6 meters anyway?

“I’m just short, but…” Ran Xi lowered her gaze, her hand unconsciously brushing her chest.

Apart from my height, every grain of rice I’ve eaten has gone to the right places.

“Alright, let’s eat,” Kong Lingyi said, uninterested in discussing body image with a twenty-year-old.

Ran Xi ate half her steak before finding it too greasy.

Over a hundred yuan is expensive for me, but this steak is still too cheap.

Sensing the woman’s complicated gaze, Ran Xi felt puzzled.

If Kong Lingyi is hesitating to speak, it must be because I’ve done something wrong that she’s too embarrassed to mention.

Ran Xi decided to apologize first. “I know I should have left as soon as I woke up, and I shouldn’t have ordered takeout here.”

The house was cleaned regularly, but everything she ate still left a lingering smell.

“I mean, if you want steak, you could try a different place,” Kong Lingyi suggested, recommending a few good restaurants. Finally, she added, “I’ve never heard of the place you ordered from.”

Ran Xi hadn’t heard of any of Kong Lingyi’s recommendations either. When she checked online, she found they were so expensive they didn’t even offer takeout or group deals. What’s the point of even looking?

“If you want to treat me to dinner, just say so,” Ran Xi said. “Next time you hint like this, I’ll pretend I don’t understand.”

The woman chuckled again. “We can find some time.”

Then she added, “I thought you’d like the hotpot better.”

She had chosen it with a child’s tastes in mind. Otherwise, she would have taken Ran Xi to a nicer restaurant on New Year’s Day, somewhere quieter and less crowded.

“I did like it,” Ran Xi said, being unusually frank about money. “But steak is more expensive. I like things that are both expensive and free.”

“Expensive and free? That’s too good to be true.”

“Not here.” Ran Xi patted the two thousand yuan in her pocket, answering with perfect composure. “You’re surrounded by them.”

“How come I didn’t know I was so generous?”

“Money is kindness, and whoever feeds me is my mother,” Ran Xi said, beaming, completely oblivious to the woman’s meaningful expression. “The more you give me, the kinder you are—at least, as far as I’m concerned.”

Kong Lingyi smiled, her tone neutral. “I’m honored.”

Ran Xi finished her cola and stared at the half-eaten steak, a frown creasing her brow.

At least forty yuan down the drain, and I wasted half a day at work.

A pricier steak wouldn’t be so greasy, she thought, already looking forward to the day she’d dine at a fancy restaurant with Kong Lingyi.

I’ll definitely post a photo on social media with the caption: “My suitor dragged me here, but I can’t even take a bite.”

People might talk behind my back about showing off, but in that moment, my vanity will be through the roof. I’ll be too happy to care what the haters think.

Ran Xi couldn’t resist glancing at the woman who starred in her fantasies. She noticed a stray hair on Kong Lingyi’s chest.

Leaning closer, she peered at the fabric. “Cat hair?”

Kong Lingyi lowered her gaze, plucked the hair, and tossed it aside. “From the fur babies at my studio.”

“Does your studio keep cats?”

“Seven cats and three dogs,” Kong Lingyi said, thinking for a moment. “And two more cats are at the vet. I haven’t checked on them recently.”

“Vet bills must be expensive, right?”

Ran Xi had considered getting a cat to keep her company, but she could barely support herself, let alone a pet. She couldn’t afford the responsibility.

“It’s all covered by the studio’s budget. The cats and dogs are part of our team, after all.” Kong Lingyi hadn’t looked at the bills herself; the finance department handled all the expenses for the strays. She didn’t need to worry about it.

“Does your studio need someone to take care of the pets? I could apply.”

Kong Lingyi was generous; she’d definitely earn more than her part-time job at the convenience store.

“No thanks. I’m afraid you’d steal our fur babies’ food.”

Ran Xi’s smile was strained. She forced a few dry laughs and stuffed a cold, shriveled piece of steak into her mouth.

Right now, she really wanted to bark.

Actually, what she really wanted to apply for was to be a stray dog.

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