Changing the lock costs money.
Tao Ran went into the room and smashed open Tang Ran’s piggy bank.
After counting everything, she found three hundred and sixty dollars. This was the money Tang Ran had been saving bit by bit—leftover change from every paycheck.
Then Tao Ran dragged a suitcase out from under the bed.
Hidden in a compartment inside was another three thousand dollars.
That money had come from the extra design gigs Tang Ran took during her lunch breaks and at night. She’d been saving it for when she went on maternity leave—to cover her living expenses. She had always been preparing, always planning ahead.
She thought the baby would be a pleasant surprise, but to Fang Ming, it was a nightmare.
Fortunately, when Fang Ming found out she was pregnant, he reacted so badly that Tang Ran never got the chance to tell him about this savings stash. Otherwise, Tao Ran wouldn’t even have known where to find money tonight to redeem Tang Ran’s ID and other important documents.
She spread all the cash on the table and counted again—three thousand three hundred and sixty-four dollars in total.
What a pity.
This money had been saved up little by little, and Tao Ran couldn’t bring herself to squander it.
Otherwise, she’d already have bought a round-trip ticket to the East Coast seminar, gone there to sing and put on a show that would utterly humiliate Fang Ming and send Lu Sitong fleeing in disgrace—a spectacle that would ruin both of their reputations in the circle.
But no, that wouldn’t do. She’d still need money to return to the country later. She had to save.
Abandoning the idea, Tao Ran put two thousand dollars back.
The remaining 1,364 would serve as her “debt collection fund.”
After taking a shower, Tao Ran once again felt a pang of sympathy for Tang Ran.
No wonder Xiao Ai’s slap had sent her flying—this frail, skinny body was clearly the result of overwork.
Tang Ran worked as a clerk at a small company during the day, helped out at a restaurant after work, cooked dinner whenever Fang Ming stayed the night, and still did some design freelancing during her lunch breaks and evenings.
Tang Ran was talented—she had learned to draw as a child and studied design in college, so those small freelance gigs she took online brought in some extra money.
Fang Ming majored in finance. Once he finished studying and returned home, he was bound to make big money—or so he said. Caught up in the beautiful future Fang Ming painted for her, Tang Ran willingly devoted everything she had.
Silly girl.
Tao Ran touched her belly.
She still hadn’t figured out what to do about this pregnancy. It looked like she’d have to play the role of a mother-to-be for a while. But since the child’s father was such a bastard, if Tang Ran wanted a fresh start, she’d have to cut all ties completely.
After the shower, Tao Ran rummaged through Tang Ran’s wardrobe and shook her head again.
Not a single bright-colored outfit, not even one stylish piece.
Clearly, this girl hadn’t bought herself new clothes since coming abroad.
Tao Ran tried on two pieces—they were both too loose. Evidently, Tang Ran had lost a lot of weight since following that scumbag overseas.
But once she assumed the posture, she realized she couldn’t remember what came next.
She switched to a Dragon Chant Technique stance—still no progress.
Her memory of all her former skills was a complete blur.
She scratched at the butterfly tattoo on her wrist again—still no reaction.
Tao Ran chuckled bitterly.
Since the original host’s story and memories had transferred over just fine, the transmission system wasn’t the issue. Which meant this partial memory loss was probably due to her stingy superior.
She’d been demoted and sent into this little world—no doubt he was embarrassed, so he must’ve tampered with the process on purpose.
Petty jerk!
After half an hour of trying, Tao Ran still couldn’t recall any cultivation methods—but her stomach started rumbling.
She glanced at the plastic bag of bread and cookies on the table but refused to make Tang Ran suffer through such miserable food.
There were two eggs left in the fridge. She scrambled them to fill her stomach.
Just as she finished eating, the locksmith arrived.
Once the lock was replaced, she immediately felt safer.
From now on, even if the king of heaven himself came knocking, he wasn’t getting in unless she said so.
…
Tao Ran left the apartment with $1,330 in cash.
Besides the money, she brought along the two items Xiao Ai had bought and the medicine from the clinic.
The receipts were still in the bags, so Tao Ran took everything to the supermarket and returned them. That covered the locksmith’s fee.
Then she went to a nearby restaurant with a bit of charm and ordered two dishes—one meat, one fish—and the owner even added a complimentary soup.
With her body so weak, she needed proper nourishment.
Being kind to herself was the most practical thing she could do. This restaurant was one Tang Ran had passed by many times but never had the heart to enter. Tao Ran was determined to give her that long-desired meal.
After eating, she strolled through the nearby shops.
In a clothing store, she spotted a beige overcoat Tang Ran had admired several times but couldn’t bring herself to buy. She loved it, but the color was easy to stain and didn’t seem “worth it.” So she’d always held back.
Two hundred dollars. Tao Ran bought it without hesitation.
“I’ll earn this meal and this coat money back soon,” she murmured.
Once she’d digested, she visited the market to buy a hat and a pair of sunglasses before leisurely heading to the clinic.
Everyone there greeted her warmly—the same Black nurse from before even brought her a cup of hot milk.
The nurse, cheerful as ever, remarked that Tao Ran had probably earned them a week’s worth of tips in just one day.
Soon, the doctor who’d invited her to the clinic came out. He turned out to be the owner himself.
“Call me Ross. Pleased to meet you.” Seeing that Tao Ran not only brought back the thousand dollars but also returned all the medicine intact, Ross was delighted. The profit she’d brought in was worth three surgeries.
“You’re very trustworthy! And we’re people of our word, too.”
Ross returned all of Tao Ran’s documents that had been held as collateral—along with her ring.
“We only kept your ring to make sure you’d come back for it. We don’t need it—it’s just trouble waiting to happen. We’re a clinic, after all. We only take money.”
He was nothing if not honest.
“Thank you, you’re a good man,” Tao Ran said, slipping the ring into her pocket. “I plan to come back for a follow-up tomorrow. How about we discuss a potential partnership?”
And by “discuss,” what she really meant was that she’d be the one doing the arranging.
Ross didn’t see any issues—except one: “If they find out your pregnancy is still ongoing, it won’t just cause trouble—it could be dangerous for you. After what we saw today… you really don’t have any family here? No one to protect you?”
“Thank you, but don’t worry. I have my own plans.”
“Alright, then. But just know—you’re welcome to work here if you decide not to return home.”
…
The next morning, Tao Ran started making calls—to Xiao Ai first.
No answer.
Then to Liu Jie.
Busy tone.
Those scumbags were obviously avoiding her on purpose.
Which left only Fang Ming.
Tao Ran put on her best performance, crying over the phone that she was in unbearable pain, that her condition was bad, and she needed to go to the clinic immediately. If Xiao Ai and Liu Jie didn’t come soon, she’d ask the landlady to take her to the hospital instead.
A blatant threat.
Guilty people were always easy to manipulate.
A minute later, Xiao Ai texted that she was on her way.
Twenty minutes later, she called again. “Come downstairs.”
“I’m dying. Can’t go down.”
Tao Ran hung up.