Chapter 32: Coming to the Door

Black Bean and Blade, who had been lying on the ground to cool off, suddenly sprang up and dashed to the front gate, barking furiously. Their reaction made it clear that whoever was outside was not Wei Qu and Yu Su.

Lin Buwan and Hua Xiao exchanged a glance; Lin gave her a look, then silently pulled two baseball bats from the space, handing one to Hua Xiao.

“Don’t say anything. I’ll go take a look,” she whispered, then moved toward the door.

“Don’t!” Hua Xiao, frightened, grabbed her arm.

Lin Buwan was about to reply when the impatience of those outside became evident; they began pounding on the door.

The deafening noise drew the neighbors' attention. Ji Dong, unable to extricate himself from Qin Wei’s entanglement, came out with her to investigate, only to meet the fierce gazes of Xie Jun and his men.

Their faces changed instantly. They hadn’t expected to encounter them again so soon, and certainly not under these circumstances. Judging by their demeanor, the men were far less friendly than they had been earlier that afternoon.

Xie Jun’s eyes shifted immediately when he saw them emerge from Lin Buwan’s house next door.

“Well, fancy meeting you again. The two people who were with you before—are they living here with you?” Xie Jun smiled, his words carrying a hint of meaning.

Ji Dong opened his mouth to reply, but Qin Wei pulled him back.

Suppressing her anxiety, she managed a smile for Xie Jun. “We don’t live together; we just happened to run into each other. We’re neighbors, that’s all.” She pointed to the tightly closed door in front of them.

Xie Jun glanced at the door, then looked back at her, smiling. “So—you live here?”

He meant Lin Buwan’s original house, and recalled its state when they had first arrived. He remembered it was filled with things belonging to girls, which suited Qin Wei well; perhaps it was her house after all.

But Qin Wei shook her head. “No, we’re just staying temporarily for personal reasons. We’ve just moved apart from our friends.”

Whether Xie Jun believed her or not, he withdrew his gaze and signaled his men to keep pounding on the door.

Watching their actions, Ji Dong’s expression grew darker. He wanted to step forward and stop them, but Qin Wei blocked his way.

“Weiwei, move aside. We can’t let them break down the door,” he pleaded, frustration clear in his voice.

His words weren’t lost on Qin Wei, nor on Xie Jun, whose ears were keen. He turned and fixed Ji Dong with a cold, penetrating stare.

Meeting Xie Jun’s gloomy gaze, Ji Dong swallowed hard, unconsciously stepping behind Qin Wei.

Feeling his movement, Qin Wei’s face stiffened, her disdain for him deepening. Indeed, men were unreliable. In such a situation, instead of protecting her, he hid behind her. No wonder Lin Buwan had given him up so easily.

Mentally sneering at Ji Dong’s cowardice, she turned her eyes back to Xie Jun. Compared to Ji Dong, he didn’t seem like a good person, but that very quality made him dependable in dangerous times. People who were tough to deal with always had a better chance of surviving.

Moreover, Lin Buwan’s jade pendant was likely in his possession. For the sake of the space, she had to make some sacrifices.

Thinking this way, Qin Wei felt more certain of her decision. She drew a deep breath, her lips curling into a tempting smile as she took two steps toward Xie Jun.

“I think I heard them leave just now. Are you looking for Xiao Wan? Why not wait here for her? The door lock is broken anyway, so if they return, they’ll hear the commotion.”

She had no idea the lock on Lin Buwan’s door had been broken by them in the first place.

“They’ve gone out?” Xie Jun asked, his tone inscrutable.

“Yes, when I heard the noise, I stepped out and saw them leaving. I’m sure they went out,” Qin Wei replied. She had indeed seen Wei Qu and the others, though not Lin Buwan; she assumed Lin was with them, just ahead.

“So why are there still dogs in the house?” Xie Jun glanced at Wei Qu’s door, the barking continuing unabated.

Qin Wei was momentarily taken aback, then said, “It’s so hot today—if the dogs went out, they’d probably get heatstroke.”

It was an instinctive remark, but Xie Jun believed her.

He pondered for a moment, then raised his hand, signaling his men to stop pounding on the door.

“Boss, we’ve been hammering at the door for ages. If someone were really home, there’d be some reaction. But aside from the dogs barking, there’s nothing. Maybe this woman is right—they’re not here?” one of his men whispered in his ear.

That was exactly what Xie Jun was thinking. Most importantly, Wei Qu had reinforced the door, making it far harder to break in than last time.

After so long, they were tired, and Qin Wei’s invitation was timely. Xie Jun and his men were clearly tempted.

“Well then, we’ll take you up on your offer, miss.” Xie Jun smiled at her, and ignoring Ji Dong’s sour expression, led his men straight into Lin Buwan’s house.

The five of them made themselves comfortable on the living room sofa, while Qin Wei went off to fetch several cans of drinks as a gesture of hospitality.

These supplies had been scavenged by Ji Dong and the others, and they had been reluctant to use them. Now Qin Wei was offering them to Xie Jun.

Facing the imposing physiques and intimidating air of their guests, Ji Dong and his group dared not voice their objections, though their displeasure showed plainly on their faces.

Xie Jun noticed their expressions, but a man like him never paid any heed to the complaints of a pack of ants.

Meanwhile, Lin Buwan, separated by a single door, could hear the entire exchange between Xie Jun and Qin Wei.

She assumed Qin Wei was convinced the jade pendant was in Xie Jun’s possession, and was playing along to retrieve it, never imagining Qin Wei had other motives.

Still, it was thanks to Qin Wei that Xie Jun and his men had left.

“Are they gone?” Hua Xiao whispered, sidling up to Lin Buwan.

“They’re next door,” Lin Buwan replied, raising a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence.

“So what do we do?” Hua Xiao asked anxiously.

They could hide in the room, but Yu Su and the others could return at any moment. If they ran into Xie Jun’s group, there was no telling if they could handle them.

Lin Buwan was at a loss as well. The situation was entirely unexpected. She couldn’t fathom how they had found them so quickly, and things couldn’t go on like this.

“We’ll pack up our supplies, wait for the others to return, and make a run for it together,” Lin Buwan could only come up with this makeshift plan.

At the very least, their resources wouldn’t be left for those people.

“So they stole our supplies, and we’re just going to let them get away with it?” Hua Xiao bit her lip, unwilling to accept it.

“What, you want revenge?” Lin Buwan rolled her eyes at her. “Look at those skinny arms and legs of yours—who could you possibly overpower?”

Lin Buwan wasn’t trying to discourage her; she herself wished for revenge, but she was realistic about their capabilities.