I Got Together With My Mom's Nemesis - Chapter 7

Ran Xi spent two incredibly boring days at the convenience store.

Kong Lingyi had single-handedly ruined her appetite for low wages.

Working a full fourteen-hour shift at the store, even with triple pay, only earned her a little over four hundred.

But with Kong Lingyi, she could make two thousand in just three minutes.

If she tried a little harder and squeezed her legs tight, she could earn two thousand in a single minute, or even less.

At an hourly rate of one hundred twenty thousand, she would bankrupt Kong Lingyi in no time!

Ran Xi rubbed her long hair in frustration, then expressionlessly rang up a customer like a robot.

She vowed never to smile again. She would become a cold and ruthless person. A ten-yuan hourly wage didn’t deserve her friendly service.

That evening, Li Meimei brought over two cups of milk tea. Seeing Ran Xi’s gloomy face, she asked what was wrong.

“Do I look gloomy? I’m just not showing any expression,” Ran Xi said belatedly. “No wonder there are so few customers today.”

“The boss said we should greet customers with a smile.”

Ran Xi tried to smile, but Li Meimei immediately pressed down on the corner of her mouth with a finger.

“Forget it. No customers means we can take it easy,” Ran Xi said.

She poked a straw into her milk tea, took a big gulp, and chewed on a few pearls. Then she crossed her legs on the lounge chair, striking a pose like a boss. “Tell me, what if one day I lived in a huge luxury apartment…”

“Shouldn’t you be posting that kind of stuff on your Moments?” Li Meimei asked.

She was used to Ran Xi’s way of talking, which was completely at odds with her innocent-looking face.

A face like that should be used for falling in love, acting cute for a girlfriend, or occasionally shedding a few tears over a small argument. It shouldn’t be used to daydream on social media about making millions a day or being chased by hundreds of admirers she’d never even consider.

“That would lower my standards,” Ran Xi replied.

Going from making millions a day to just living in a luxury apartment would be a nightmare for any rich person.

Especially for someone like her, who was only rich on her Moments feed.

Li Meimei followed her gaze outside. There was nothing there but a few passersby and the wet pavement.

“Ran Xi, what are you doing?”

“Contemplating life.”

Ran Xi rested her chin on her hand and asked, “If there was a woman like this—thirty-eight years old, wealthy, with wavy hair and a love for perfume but never wearing it too strong. What kind of person would she like? Or, what kind of person would she be interested in?”

Li Meimei thought for a few seconds. “Did Auntie Ran get a perm?”

“You’re so boring!” Ran Xi rolled her eyes.

“Who is it?” Li Meimei didn’t understand.

All she knew was that Ran Xu had resigned from a big company years ago and was now a manager at a small firm.

Ran Xu fit her image of a mature woman perfectly: a boss who always wore professional polo shirts and a touch of designer perfume.

The fact that Ran Xu and her daughter now lived in an old apartment complex was, in Li Meimei’s eyes, simply a case of a wealthy person losing their fortune through bad investments.

“Just a woman.”

This time, it was Li Meimei’s turn to roll her eyes.

A few minutes later, a man walked in to buy cigarettes. Li Meimei stood up to ring him up.

“Hello, what cigarettes would you like?” Li Meimei turned to the shelf to get them for him.

“How many times have I come here? Don’t you know what I buy?”

Li Meimei glanced at Ran Xi. Ran Xi bit down on the lollipop in her mouth, watching the man warily.

“Liqun.”

Li Meimei handed him the pack. “Thirty-seven.”

The man tore open the cigarette pack. “Why is it so expensive here? Other stores sell them for thirty-five.”

“Haven’t you bought from us before? Don’t you know our prices yet?” Li Meimei smelled the strong scent of alcohol and twisted her lips in annoyance.

“How does a young girl talk to her elders?” The man lit a cigarette and looked at her with contempt.

Ran Xi stood up and walked behind the counter. “Thirty-seven. No bargaining.”

“Fine, I don’t want it then.” He threw the pack back, and it slid off the counter onto the floor.

“You already tore it open! You can’t just leave it now!” Ran Xi was furious. “Just pay for it!”

The convenience store attracted all sorts of customers, including shoplifters. If an item was cheap, the boss might let it go, but if the loss was significant and they couldn’t catch the thief, the staff had to cover the cost from their already meager wages.

“Is this how you treat your customers? Huh?” The man roared, knocking over a betel nut display stand.

“If you keep this up, I’m calling the police,” Ran Xi said, refusing to argue. She had dealt with people like him before; they always backed down at the mention of the police.

“Go ahead! Call them! Let’s see who the police are related to!”

Ran Xi gripped the stool tightly as the man advanced toward her. “Come on! You want to hit me, don’t you?”

He charged forward. Ran Xi pressed her lips together and backed away. He grabbed the leg of the stool, and unable to fight his strength, she was forced to throw it at him.

The next second, the man clutched his head and screamed. Ran Xi was stunned.

“I’m calling the police! Assault, right?!”

Ran Xi exchanged a glance with Li Meimei. “Is he just looking for trouble?”

“Ow! It hurts so much! This is a minor injury, you know? I’ll see you in jail!”

The man called the police, and Ran Xi could only cry out in frustration. “What’s wrong with you?”

After all this trouble, what time would it be when she finally got home? Her boss was a chatterbox and would nag her for hours.

Twenty minutes later, the police car arrived, and a crowd gathered around.

The man played the victim, claiming Ran Xi had attacked him first and that he hadn’t even fought back.

Ran Xi opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. Her silence resulted in all three of them being put into the police car.

Inside, the man kept shouting and clutching his head, claiming he was in pain and bleeding, and demanded to go straight to the hospital.

“What are you faking for? It’s New Year’s, are you waiting for a show?”

Ran Xi retorted, but the police officer silenced her with a glare. “Everyone, stay quiet!”

They soon arrived at the police station and were made to wait on a bench.

The man sneered and threatened her, “I have connections inside. You’re in for a world of hurt!”

“Who do you have inside? The jail?” Ran Xi shot back, refusing to back down.

If she’d known she’d be framed like this, she should have just smashed the chair over his head from the start. Now she was seething with rage, her blood boiling.

Li Meimei grabbed her arm, trying to keep her quiet. “Don’t let the police hear you. What if they detain us?”

Li Meimei had never been to a police station in her life. Her mind was a blur of panic, and she was too terrified to even move.

“That won’t happen, don’t worry,” Ran Xi reassured her. She had actually been to a police station a few times, though not this one.

Once, Ran Xu had gotten drunk at a business dinner and gone to sit by the river alone to clear her head. A passerby thought she was trying to kill herself and called the police. Ran Xi had to pick her up in the middle of the night and then endure a lecture from the officers on how to be a good daughter, understanding her mother’s pressures and pain.

The three of them were called in one by one to give their statements. Ran Xi recounted the entire incident in detail.

“Let me ask you again,” the officer said calmly, following procedure. “Did you start the fight?”

“No!” Ran Xi was exasperated. “He tried to grab my chair, but he lost his grip and it hit him in the head. You can check the security footage!”

“We’ve already asked the manager for the footage,” the officer replied. “Just confirm that you are telling the truth.”

“My boss already knows…” Ran Xi bit her lip. “That means I worked for nothing today…”

“Does your family really let you work at a convenience store during the Lunar New Year?”

“I… I’m working to put myself through school,” Ran Xi said. “I’m earning my own spending money for the holidays.”

After finishing the police statement, Ran Xi tried to leave immediately, but the officer stopped her. “The other person is getting a medical examination. You need to wait here for now.”

“He’d better get checked out soon, or that scrape will be all healed up by the time he gets there!” Ran Xi sat on the chair, her breathing shallow. “Can’t I go home first? Can I just come back tomorrow?”

The officer consulted with his colleagues. “Fine, but you need to have a family member pick you up.”

Li Meimei sat beside her, waiting for her own parents. She tried to comfort her. “This isn’t your fault. I’m sure your mom won’t be mad at you.”

Ran Xi remained silent.

She’s still angry about last time, Ran Xi thought. If I mess up again, I’ll never be allowed back home.

“Give me your phone. I’ll call your family.” The officer took her unlocked phone and found the contact labeled ‘Mom.’ He showed it to her. “This one, right?”

Ran Xi stammered, unsure whether to deny it.

Kong Lingyi had just warned her not to get into the habit of running to her every time there was trouble.

The officer made the call. It rang for nearly a minute before someone finally answered.

“Hello? This is an officer from the xx District Police Station in City A. Are you Ran Xi’s mother?” The officer spoke into the phone for a moment before handing it to her. “Here. Your mom’s coming to pick you up.”

Ran Xi took the phone with trembling hands. She wasn’t sure if she was more terrified of the police or the thought of talking to Kong Lingyi.

Probably both, but the latter was definitely the bigger factor.

The officer’s expression was stern, and Ran Xi didn’t dare tell him the truth. In the eyes of the officers on the night shift, she was already a delinquent child whose mother didn’t love her.

Ran Xi gave the officer a forced smile, then turned her back to him to answer the call.

“Hello… it’s me, Ran Xi.”

“What trouble did you get into this time?” the woman’s voice sounded slightly hoarse, as if her sleep had been rudely interrupted. “Do you only remember to call your mother when you’ve done something wrong?”

“How about you tell the officer you’re coming? I’ll wait outside for you, and then I can just go home on my own. I won’t trouble you,” Ran Xi pleaded.

“Don’t try to get clever with me. Hurry up and tell your mother to come,” the officer warned, frowning. “It’s midnight. Don’t you know how dangerous it is for a girl to be out alone at this hour?”

“…Okay.” Ran Xi nodded obediently. “Um, could you come over here for a moment? Please?”

“Ran Xi, do you have any sense of timing when you get into trouble? If not, you should at least check the phone number you’re calling.”

Once she’d picked up something random to eat on Valentine’s Day, and now she was causing a scene at the police station, forcing her to come pick her up. What was this girl up to all day?

“Please help me…” Ran Xi glanced at the police officer. Just then, someone else walked in, and she quickly slipped into a corner, covering her mouth and lowering her voice. “I’m begging you, just help me one more time. I’ll do anything you want!”

A long sigh echoed from the other end of the phone before the call was abruptly cut off.

Ran Xi wasn’t sure if she’d agreed, so she could only sit and wait.

Her spirit completely deflated. The officer, assuming she’d finally calmed down after seeing her guardian, handed her a cup of warm water and went back to his other duties.

Half an hour later, a woman in a light brown coat appeared at the door. Her plain face was accented by bright red lips, and she radiated a cold, elegant aura.

When the officer questioned her, she replied coolly, “I’m here to pick up my child, Ran Xi.”

Ran Xi, who had been sitting listlessly in the corner staring at her shoes, instantly lit up at the familiar voice.

“Mom!” She jumped up and ran to Kong Lingyi’s side. “I thought you weren’t coming!”

Ran Xi called out to her right in front of the police officer, knowing Kong Lingyi wouldn’t dare deny it.

This was her only way to get back at the woman for saying she was a burden earlier.

Kong Lingyi pulled her hand away and turned to the officer. “Can we leave now?”

“We have to wait for the hospital’s test results,” the officer said, waving a hand. “Have a seat. I need to make another call to check.”

Ran Xi swallowed hard, unsure how to face her.

Beside her, Li Meimei, oblivious to the tension, asked, “Ran Xi, who is this?”

Ran Xi shot her a look to shut her up. Then, she turned to the woman with a fawning smile and held out a cup of warm water with both hands. “Would you like some water?”

Kong Lingyi looked away and started to sit down. Ran Xi quickly used her sleeve to wipe the chair before letting the woman sit. Only then did she take a seat beside her.

After that, neither of them spoke a word.

The police officer, paying close attention to them, sighed to his colleague. “The mother is all dressed up and looking fancy, yet she lets her kid work the night shift at a convenience store during the New Year holidays. I don’t know what she’s thinking.”

Ran Xi fidgeted with her fingers, certain that Kong Lingyi had heard him.

“Did you spend the two thousand I gave you the other day?” Kong Lingyi asked, her gaze not even landing on her.

“No, not yet…”

The police officer nearby suddenly understood. It wasn’t that the mother was neglecting her child, but that the child had grown used to spending recklessly and was too afraid to ask for more money. So she had to take a part-time job.

Ran Xi lowered her voice. “Don’t tell my mom about this!”

Getting into trouble at the police station was no small matter. Even though the two of them hadn’t gotten along for years, they still kept in touch occasionally.

The woman snorted coldly and didn’t give an answer.

“You’re not allowed!”

Ran Xu’s anger came in several levels. Ran Xi was used to her frequent scoldings, letting them go in one ear and out the other.

But she was terrified that Ran Xu would truly get angry and disown her, especially at such a critical time.

She was already twenty years old. With Ran Xu’s dislike of children, it was entirely possible for her to cut ties completely.

When Kong Lingyi didn’t agree, Ran Xi grew more anxious. She said angrily, “Did you hear me? You’re not allowed!”

The woman glanced at her. “Ran Xi, is this how you ask for a favor?”

Ran Xi paused. With practiced ease, she squeezed out a tear and gently shook the woman’s arm. “Mom… please…”

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