Chapter 7: Was It I Who Forced You to Hate?

Lin Buwan looked at the puppy whose eyes were round and wide, clicked her tongue, and said, "Honestly, you really do look a bit like a mouse."

"Ding—"

The elevator doors slowly opened, and a large dog head poked in. Lin Buwan was startled, but thankfully she wasn't afraid of dogs. She took a closer look—it was a black German shepherd, its tongue lolling.

"Black Bean, don't move!" A pleasant male voice came from outside the elevator. He glanced inside, "Sorry, hope it didn't scare you? He's very well-behaved, just a bit too curious."

The speaker was the new neighbor who had just moved in two days ago.

"It's fine," Lin Buwan replied, smiling, "He's pretty cute."

Qu Wei glanced at Black Bean. Cute? He hadn't noticed that before. He led the dog to the side of the elevator door, waited for those inside to exit, then entered with the dog. As he came out, he happened to see the little puppy cradled in her arms, and his eyes revealed a hint of surprise.

After opening the apartment door, Lin Buwan found a large cardboard box and some old clothes she no longer wore, then placed the puppy inside. As soon as it was out of her arms, the puppy began to whimper pitifully. The moment Lin Buwan approached, it fell silent, but as soon as she walked away, it started up again.

"Are you hungry?" Lin Buwan had never raised a dog, let alone such a tiny one, and had no idea where to start.

She had already brought it home, and with the typhoon about to hit, tossing it back outside would be a death sentence. Lin Buwan sighed, paying the price for her moment of softness, and began searching online for advice on raising newborn puppies.

Learning as she went, she happened to have ordered milk powder online—both cow and goat milk. She dug out the goat milk powder, mixed a small bowl, and let the puppy drink it on its own.

The puppy moved awkwardly and eagerly, almost choking as it drank, its face covered in milk. After finishing, it immediately peed on the floor, then trotted over to Lin Buwan, whimpering for a cuddle.

"!!!" Lin Buwan exclaimed, "No wonder you got abandoned."

Despite her words, she cleaned up and placed the puppy back in the box. Its body was soft and small, and Lin Buwan couldn't quite describe the feeling, but it gave her a peculiar sense of peace.

With its belly full, the puppy curled up in the box and fell asleep.

It was still early, so she found some tape, preparing to seal the windows.

In her previous life, the windows hadn't been blown out by the typhoon—first, because the glass was good quality, double-layered and shatterproof; second, because she had taped them up, adding an extra layer of protection.

The living room had no windows, only a floor-to-ceiling sliding door, which opened onto a small balcony. The landlord had installed security bars and glass around the balcony. Lin Buwan remembered that the balcony glass had shattered quite a bit, but the security bars were intact.

Perhaps she hadn't taped the balcony glass last time. This time, with plenty of tape, Lin Buwan sealed up the balcony, sliding door, bedroom windows, and even the small kitchen window, carefully taping all the gaps to prevent rainwater from seeping in.

After checking that nothing was missed, she finally relaxed.

The apartment next door, where Hua Xiao stayed, had the same layout and decor. Lin Buwan taped up that apartment as well.

She was halfway through when she heard someone knocking on her own door.

The knocking was loud and rude, making Lin Buwan frown. She had already received all her deliveries—who would come in this downpour? Hua Xiao? That shouldn't be, even if she arrived early, it would be in the afternoon.

Lin Buwan opened the door and walked out.

She saw You Yue banging angrily on the door, while Chen Yuebing stood behind her with a lazy, impatient look. "Mom, stop knocking. If you have time for this, the hotel’s already booked."

"Staying in a hotel costs money, doesn’t it?" You Yue snapped, just as she saw Lin Buwan come out from the next door. "So you do know how to show yourself? I want to see today how I ended up with such a heartless child..."

Lin Buwan held a baseball bat behind her back, solid steel, purchased online for self-defense.

"What are you here for?" Lin Buwan glanced at You Yue. Two years had passed, and her features looked even more mean-spirited.

You Yue looked at her daughter, "Why do you think I'm here? Raised you this long, not a cent of gratitude, and now your brother comes to Baicheng, you don’t help at all. You and your father are cut from the same selfish mold!"

Lin Buwan let out a cold laugh, "I am selfish, not like you—so noble and loving, cheating during marriage and bearing another man's child."

"You—you’re talking nonsense!" You Yue's face flushed with anger. "Who told you all this, was it your father?"

"Does it matter who told me?" Lin Buwan said. "I ask you and your son to leave immediately, or I won’t be so polite."

"Come on, let me see how you'll be impolite—what, are you going to kill me?" You Yue shouted furiously. "I should never have given birth to you. If not for you, I wouldn’t have married your father, that useless failure!"

"Did I force you to be with Lin Jie? Was I the one who made you pregnant?" Lin Buwan retorted. "What, you enjoyed yourself back then, and now you blame me?"

Lin Jie was Lin Buwan's father, not a good man either. Since she came of age, Lin Buwan had barely kept in touch.

"You—you shameless brat!" You Yue was so angry she felt her heart might give out.

Chen Yuebing, unable to watch any longer, came forward and shoved Lin Buwan, "Watch your mouth, or else..."

Lin Buwan stumbled, rage flaring in her mind. Without thinking, she swung the baseball bat directly at Chen Yuebing's arm.

You Yue was terrified and tried to pull her son away, but got her hand hit instead, letting out a scream of pain.

"Not leaving, huh?" Lin Buwan’s voice turned chilling. "Then wait here—I’ll make sure you both die today. Just wait." She turned inside, retrieved two kitchen knives from her storage.

This time, You Yue was truly frightened. Enduring the pain, she dragged her son away, not daring to take the elevator and instead fleeing down the emergency stairs.

Seeing them run, Lin Buwan didn’t pursue. She'd only meant to scare them—if she really killed someone, she'd get arrested, and the typhoon hadn't even arrived yet.

She closed the door, put the knives and bat back in her storage, and resumed taping. Her face was calm, lacking any of the wildness she’d shown before. In fact, she had seen through the so-called family ties in her previous life—what use were such bonds?

After checking everything, Lin Buwan took out the hot pot and various ingredients, placing them in the empty apartment, planning to have dinner there with Hua Xiao and the others tonight.

She thought for a moment, then took out the clothes she’d brought for Hua Xiao, placing them in the bedroom, and added some rice and flour. Seeing that it was almost enough, she stopped—just enough to repay the five thousand yuan she owed Hua Xiao.

The rice and flour for the elderly couple had already been delivered by express courier. The couple hadn’t wanted to accept it, as they hadn’t bought it themselves, but the delivery man was so busy—orders were pouring in on rainy days—that he double-checked the address, dropped it off, and rushed away.