Chapter 28: The Thief Has Been Found

By noon, although the water downstairs hadn’t completely receded, it was shallow enough for people to wade through. Pan Yunpeng wanted to wait until the water was gone before leaving, but Xu Yu, worried about her child at home, couldn’t hold back any longer and left ahead.

Ruan Yi also wanted to wait for the flood to subside, but she couldn’t stand staying under the same roof as Lin Buwan. Gritting her teeth, she finally decided to leave as well. As soon as she announced her intention, Pan Yunpeng, who had been waiting for the water to recede, grew restless and hurried after her.

No one had expected Pan Yunpeng to be interested in Ruan Yi. He’d managed to hide it for so many days, revealing only a hint today—proof enough of how well this man could conceal his feelings.

But none of this mattered to Lin Buwan. The best thing was that with these three gone, there were no outsiders left, and she and her companions could finally quicken their plans.

Hua Xiao and Yu Su stayed home, along with their two dogs. The midday heat was intense, and the dogs would likely get heatstroke if they went out. Besides, their presence served as a deterrent.

When Lin Buwan and Wei Qu went out, they happened to run into Ji Dong and his group, who were also heading out. The moment their eyes met, all their expressions darkened.

It was impossible to know what Qin Wei was thinking. Even though Lin Buwan had put on a performance to make her believe the jade pendant had been stolen, when Qin Wei saw Lin Buwan again, she greeted her as if nothing had changed.

“Xiaowan, you’re heading out too? What a coincidence—shall we go together?”

Lin Buwan stopped in her tracks, eyeing her as if she were a fool.

Was this woman courting death? Inviting them to go together? Was she not afraid Lin Buwan might take the opportunity to finish her off?

“No need, we’re not headed the same way.” Seeing that Lin Buwan had no intention of replying, Wei Qu stepped in politely to decline.

A flash of discontent crossed Qin Wei’s eyes, but she forced a smile. “That’s fine—we haven’t decided where to go either. If you don’t mind, can we just tag along?”

“Are you deaf, or are you really that thick-skinned? Can you not understand a straightforward refusal unless it’s spelled out for you? Must I be blunt and cruel before you get the message?”

Seeing she was about to get entangled, Lin Buwan couldn’t hold back her irritation and snapped.

As always, Qin Wei kept her composure, but her smile quickly faded, and she put on a wounded expression.

“I just thought, with more people, we could look out for each other. I didn’t expect you’d be so against me, Xiaowan. In that case, I won’t bother you.”

Before she finished, Ji Dong, standing beside her, shouted at Lin Buwan, “Weiwei was only being considerate, worrying you’d run into trouble and suggesting we go together. Who knew her kindness would be taken so badly—how arrogant and self-important you are.”

He turned and grabbed Qin Wei’s hand. “Let’s go, Weiwei. If they don’t appreciate it, we’ll go ourselves. We’ll see if the day comes when they’ll beg for our help.”

Lin Buwan looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

What nonsense—beg them? Beg them to what, be less idiotic?

Ji Dong tried to drag Qin Wei away, but she wouldn’t budge. She stood her ground, gazing earnestly at Lin Buwan.

She’d thought it over last night. Lin Buwan would never let this slide—someone had stolen from her, and if she found out who, she’d certainly retaliate. If Qin Wei could stay close to Lin Buwan and figure out who the thief was, she could learn the whereabouts of the space as well. That was why she insisted on tagging along, though the person beside her was a hindrance.

“Weiwei?” Only when he couldn’t move her did Ji Dong stop in surprise and look at her.

Qin Wei ignored him. “Xiaowan, now that the water’s gone, plenty of people will be out searching for supplies. There’s only two of you—you’ll be easy targets. If we go as four, people will think twice before approaching us. Don’t you agree?”

Seeing that she wouldn’t give up, Lin Buwan was about to refuse, but suddenly changed her mind.

“All right, if you insist on tagging along, then fine. But let’s be clear—whatever happens, you deal with it yourselves. We won’t help you, and we don’t need your help. Understood?”

No dragging them down, no getting in the way—that was Lin Buwan’s minimum requirement. More importantly, she wanted to see what Qin Wei was plotting. Was she really so fixated on sticking close?

Ji Dong was displeased, but since Qin Wei didn’t object, he said nothing more.

Once the four of them reached an agreement, they headed downstairs via the emergency exit.

When they reached the eighteenth floor, the door connecting to the residential corridor was suddenly shoved open with great force, startling them.

Five burly men appeared before them, and both groups froze.

Lin Buwan and Wei Qu exchanged a glance, their hearts tightening.

They’d never seen these five men before—strangers, confirming Wei Qu’s suspicion: outsiders really had entered the building.

The man in front, Xie Jun, looked at them with a meaningful expression.

“Are you headed downstairs too?” he asked, smiling at the four of them.

Seeing he was civil enough, Qin Wei and her group relaxed a little.

“Yes—there’s no food left at home. Now that the water’s gone, we’re going down to see if we can find anything to eat.”

It wasn’t just an excuse—they really were running out of food. If they didn’t find supplies, they’d go hungry.

“Looks like we’re all in the same boat,” Xie Jun said, the meaning in his words ambiguous.

After a brief exchange, the two groups descended the stairs, one after the other.

They didn’t run into other residents along the way. It was only when they reached the ground floor that they saw most of the building’s residents had already gone out to collect supplies.

The open space in front of the apartments was crowded with people, all fishing for whatever usable goods remained floating in the water.

By now, the water had receded to mid-calf, but what was left was even filthier, yellow and black.

Lin Buwan frowned deeply at the foul water.

“What’s wrong?” Wei Qu asked softly, noticing her unusual expression.

She quickly composed herself and shook her head, about to step into the water and head for their destination. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the five burly men—all wearing rubber boots.

One of them, who was relatively slim, had boots that looked somewhat different.

When Lin Buwan saw them clearly, her face darkened—she was certain these were the thieves who’d robbed her home.

As soon as they’d moved away, she grabbed Wei Qu’s arm, her expression grave.

“They stole our supplies.”

“What?” Wei Qu was stunned. He looked at the five men disappearing into the distance, then turned back to Lin Buwan. “How can you be sure it’s them?”

“The boots that man is wearing were custom-made for me. There’s a marking on them I asked for. There’s no mistake.”