Nana stood up and rushed to the door. He grabbed the door handle with his teeth and pulled it open. Then he climbed onto the security door and barked loudly at the young woman outside.
The young woman was so startled by Nana that she stepped back and accidentally fell to the ground.
But the toddler was not one to give up easily. She took quick little steps over to the door and shouted loudly at the girl outside, "No say bad to my mama, you bad woman."
The angry child raised her voice so much that even the barking dog nearby couldn't drown her out.
Hearing Qiao Qiao's words, the girl who had fallen only became angrier. She shouted hoarsely at Lan Jin, "You have a daughter yourself. If your daughter went through what I did, wouldn't you feel pain? That's how you're a mom? Hmph. What kind of good child could you raise? You and your daughter, and even your dog, you're all no good."
Hearing this, Lan Jin was about to lose her temper completely.
But before she could move, Nana's fiery temper beat her to it. Without waiting for any instruction from Lan Jin, Nana unlocked the security door and ran outside quickly.
Seeing the dog come out, the young woman who had not yet gotten up turned and crawled toward the emergency exit. But no human could outrun a dog. The moment Nana jumped out, she bit the hem of the young woman's clothes and dragged her back.
The young woman's already tattered clothes were now ripped even more.
Terrified, the young woman cried as she crawled and screamed. Her cries were as heartbreaking as they were desperate.
The pitiful screams soon attracted the three allies she had, and also the man from 3204.
Since the woman from 3204 had disappeared, this man had not stepped out of his home once. It was as if he had vanished from the world. If not for opening the door, one might have forgotten anyone lived opposite him.
The man looked at the crying girl on the ground and felt uneasy. He said gently, "The young woman has suffered enough already. You don't need to torment her more."
Lan Jin asked, "So I deserve to be cursed? I just want to ask, do I look like an easy target? She got hurt, so what does it have to do with me? Why does she get to come to my house and make trouble?"
After saying this, Lan Jin kicked the young woman hard.
Lan Jin was very strong. The young woman immediately curled up in pain, clutching the sore spot, and her cries stopped.
Qiao Qiao still hadn't let out her anger. Seeing no one was paying attention, she quickly ran over and kicked the young woman again. The young woman's eyes rolled back in pain, as if she had lost all strength and was about to faint.
But seeing this expression, Ling Jiang could not help but think it was all acting. "Enough. How strong can a little girl be? She only kicked you once and you already crying like that. Even professionals can't act this well."
But Ling Jiang didn't know that Qiao Qiao had used full force. The young woman really was in pain.
However, everyone present thought the young woman was faking, so no one stepped forward to check.
Huang Jinghe quickly pulled the toddler to his side, afraid that the woman on the ground might suddenly jump up and hurt her again. "Qiao Qiao, don't go over there. Be careful not to get hurt."
But Huang Jinghe couldn't help but say, "Stop pretending. You cursed pretty badly when no one was around, but now that people are here, you're pretending to be hurt on the ground? Did the kid ever do anything to you to deserve this?"
The young woman finally caught her breath, clutching both injured spots and grinding her teeth, "How did I curse her? Her mama is no human. Why can't I say it? If it wasn't for you, if it wasn't for you…"
Lan Jin asked sincerely, "What did I do?"
Seeing Lan Jin still acting indifferent, the young woman burst into tears. "If you had taken me in, how could I have ended up like this? Why won't you take me in? Why won't you let me stay in your home?"
Lan Jin laughed angrily. "I'm about the same age as 701. Why do you think only people from 701 would do such things and not me?"
The girl froze.
The hallway fell silent instantly.
It made sense. Why would you think others would do it but Lan Jin wouldn't?
Lan Jin looked at her and continued, "When something happens, you don't try to save yourself but put your hopes on others. That alone is foolish. When you cursed me, I didn't plan to care because you looked so pathetic. But when you curse my daughter, I'm not someone without temper."
With that, Lan Jin stopped wasting words. She grabbed the young woman by one arm and carried her through the corridor into her home. She passed the dining room and living room and reached the balcony, without hesitation throwing the young woman off.
It was as if she had just tossed a bag of garbage, not a young woman.
The decisive way Lan Jin handled the matter surprised the onlookers, but at a time like this, it wasn't something totally unacceptable.
But just because others could accept it did not mean the man from 3204 accepted it.
Looking at Lan Jin's calm face afterward, the man was incredulous. "You all... that woman was suffering and needed to vent, but you had to throw her off like that? If she couldn't swim..."
"This is the 32nd floor. If she falls in the water, she won't last long anyway. But it's not your daughter being cursed, so of course you can tolerate it. It's easy to say when it's not your problem."
Lan Jin took the chance to drive the man away. She did not want to waste words on people like him. After the matter was settled, Lao Gao and Huang Jinghe naturally went upstairs. As for Ling Jiang, after sending Grandma Ling home, she came straight to Lan Jin's place. She first patted Nana's head and smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so fierce when you acted. But... I admire it."
Lan Jin glanced at her. Ling Jiang's lips twitched into a smile the whole time, leaving Lan Jin speechless. "You wanted to say that last time, didn't you?"
That "last time" referred to the fight in the hallway.
Ling Jiang couldn't hold back a laugh. "Yes, I really didn't expect you to look so soft and gentle normally but act so forcefully."
But in this chaotic time, those who were not decisive or ruthless would not last long. Everyone could live peacefully for now, but no one wanted to be dragged down by the other forever. "Actually, I was wondering if you would let the girl go earlier. But if she got away, she would just keep coming back and bothering you. Then the four of you would never have peace."