Lin Meng’s mind was in a complete mess at that moment. She didn’t understand why the development of the plot was so different from the direction in the novel.
Not only was she unable to find the treasure mentioned within, but an unexpected turn had also occurred with Zheng Sanya.
If it weren’t for the fact that everyone’s names and relationships matched up perfectly, she would even have doubted whether she had actually transmigrated into a book.
She could only comfort herself with the thought that perhaps her own accidental arrival in this world had caused some sort of butterfly effect.
Fortunately, even though she hadn’t made any progress with Zheng Sanya, Lin Ran hadn’t gained any advantage either, so she still had a chance later on.
The most urgent priority right now was still to find the treasure.
Thinking about the accident that happened today, Lin Meng was now a bit worried. Could it be that because she lacked the “female lead halo,” she couldn’t snatch away the female lead’s opportunities?
Could it be that the treasure would only appear if Lin Ran was the one to go there?
Otherwise, how could she explain the fact that she had practically turned the place upside down and yet couldn’t find even a shadow of it?
Just like today—was it because she tried to replace the female lead and steal Zheng Sanya’s favor that the situation spiraled off-track?
At this thought, Lin Meng grew anxious. If that were really the case, wouldn’t it mean that she wouldn’t find anything even if she tore down that dilapidated courtyard?
Or perhaps she could find a way to use Lin Ran to locate the treasure?
Once this thought surfaced, Lin Meng couldn’t suppress it. Thinking about the frustrating life she had been living lately, she could no longer hold back and began searching everywhere for Lin Ran, wishing she could find the treasure in the next second and drag herself out of the mud.
…
On this side, after Zheng Sanya left, Lin Ran was just about to go find Lin the Third and the others when Lin Meng blocked her path.
“Ranran, are you ready to head back?”
Although there had been some unpleasantness that morning, they were still cousins after all, and they saw each other often. So, Lin Ran engaged in a few polite words with her, though she noticed that the other girl seemed a bit distracted while talking.
However, she wasn’t interested in Lin Meng’s business. She knew Lin Meng was acting strange, but her stance remained the same: as long as Lin Meng didn’t provoke her, she didn’t care what others did.
Lin Ran was still thinking about the injury on Lin the Third’s leg. Although the wound wasn’t large, it was best to head back and treat it, so she quickly moved to end the conversation.
“Cousin, I have things to do, so I’ll be heading off first.”
She was about to leave as soon as she finished speaking, but as she took a step, Lin Meng grabbed her.
“Does Cousin have something else?”
At this point, there was a slight hint of impatience in Lin Ran’s brow, but her upbringing and poise were perfect, so someone who wasn’t close to her wouldn’t have noticed it at all.
Lin Meng, of course, didn’t notice either; she was still agonizing over what she should do.
Initially, her plan was to keep an eye on Lin Ran so that when Lin Ran went to find the treasure, she would know the location and then find a way to take it for herself.
But on second thought, that method was too risky. What if the girl really did have the female lead halo and could take the treasure while bypassing everyone? Wouldn’t she end up with nothing in the end?
That plan wasn’t reliable, but she couldn’t think of any other foolproof strategy. It seemed she had to prepare for both scenarios.
With this in mind, Lin Meng finally opened her mouth to probe:
“It’s like this, Ranran. I heard a story the other day about a wealthy family whose home was raided, but not much property was found. It was said that the family had hidden it away.”
“Then they told us to guess where all that property was hidden, and there’s a reward for guessing correctly. But I’ve been thinking for a long time and can’t figure it out. I thought that since you’ve read more books than I have, you must know more, so I wanted to ask you.”
“I really want that reward. Ranran, please help me out. Think quickly—where would things be hidden?”
Yes, this was the second method she had just thought of: asking directly.
According to the plot, Lin Ran shouldn’t know about the treasure yet, so maybe she could trick some information out of her.
Even if Lin Ran noticed something was off, it didn’t matter. If Lin Ran went there early to look for it, it would be easier for Lin Meng to tail her.
Lin Ran’s hand, which was holding a handkerchief, tightened. She immediately realized that Lin Meng was asking about the old landlord’s treasure.
But she really couldn’t understand why Lin Meng was so certain about the treasure’s existence. It was one thing for Lin Meng to be unable to find it herself, but she had actually come to ask her.
That strange feeling surged in Lin Ran’s heart again. Although they were cousins, their relationship had only been average in the past—just the kind of relationship where they greeted each other when they met.
If Lin Meng were truly certain there was a treasure, wouldn’t a normal person look for it quietly on their own? Even if they couldn’t find it, they wouldn’t come and ask her, would they?
Did she look like someone who could find treasure?
Despite the many thoughts in her mind, Lin Ran’s expression remained calm.
“Cousin, you think too highly of me. How could I possibly guess that? Even if I’ve read a lot of books, the teachers don’t teach this! Besides, I’ve never even seen what a wealthy family’s home looks like; I wouldn’t even know where to begin guessing.”
Seeing that Lin Ran hadn’t given a direct answer, Lin Meng grew anxious. At this point, she didn’t care about giving herself away and continued to press.
“Wasn’t there a wealthy family’s home at the back mountain of our brigade? Even though the courtyard is in ruins now, you can still roughly see what it used to look like. We can use that as a reference to guess.”
Lin Ran keenly caught the flash of urgency on Lin Meng’s face. Because she wasn’t sure what Lin Meng was actually up to, she became even more cautious in her response.
“Since Cousin has an idea, you could just try every place there that has a name. I’m sure you’ll eventually stumble upon the right one. Even if you ask me, that’s likely the answer I’d give.”
“But all the places with names are out in the open; could treasure be hidden there? I think it must be an extremely secret place. Otherwise, why couldn’t the people who raided the house find it?”
As Lin Meng spoke, she kept her eyes fixed on Lin Ran, hoping to see something on her face.
But she was disappointed. From beginning to end, Lin Ran’s expression remained indifferent, as if she had no interest in any of this. Even hearing about a treasure left her completely unmoved, which made Lin Meng feel a bit discouraged.
But what made her feel even more powerless was what came next.
Lin Ran simply asked back:
“Since even you say it’s a secret place, it’s even more impossible for me to guess it! Wealthy people aren’t stupid; if the hiding place could be guessed by an outsider, what would be the point of hiding it?”
These words left Lin Meng speechless. She finally realized she wouldn’t be able to get any information out of Lin Ran. It seemed her only option was to find a way to watch her later.
So, she feigned regret and said:
“Oh, well, forget it. Since even you can’t guess it, I definitely have no chance. It’s just a pity about the reward that person promised; it looks like I won’t be getting it.”
“It is a bit of a pity. I’m in a hurry to get back, so I’ll be going now.”
Lin Ran couldn’t be bothered to deal with her anymore. She brushed her off with a casual remark and turned to go find Lin the Third and the others.
As she walked over, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Shi Yan’s departing figure.