Chapter 7: The Homewrecker Becomes a Neighbor

“Auntie, it’s all my fault. Please don’t blame Chaoyang!”
Bai Mengmeng looked like a pitiful, wronged little wife.

Such a top-tier green tea b*tch. Mom probably wasn’t equipped to deal with someone like her.

“You shut your mouth! A tramp who climbs into someone else’s bed has no right to talk to me.”

“You’re being ridiculous…” Bai Mengmeng was flustered. With so many people watching, she couldn’t keep up the act.

“Ridiculous? Your son had a wife who was pregnant, and you just ran over to him like a desperate mutt. Is your thirst for men that unbearable?”

Jiang Yuan gave her mom a thumbs-up. Nailed it.

“Mom, Jiang Yuan and I are already in the past. Please stop targeting Mengmeng.”

Xia Chaoyang was someone who cared a lot about appearances. Now, with people around pointing and whispering, he couldn’t take it.

“Oh, so you admit you’ve got nothing to do with our Yuan Yuan anymore? Then why the hell are you still hanging around? Scum!”

Qin Yue didn’t hesitate—she spat directly in Xia Chaoyang’s face.
Jiang Yuan watched with immense satisfaction.

“Chaoyang, are you okay?”
Bai Mengmeng immediately switched to her caring-wife mode and rushed to wipe him off with a napkin.

“Dad, Mom, let’s go.”
Jiang Yuan didn’t want to waste another second on them.
Even though she had kept her emotions in check all these days, she wasn’t sure how long that would last—and she might just punch someone if it didn’t stop.

“Jiang Yuan, you’re going too far. No matter what, I’m still Xiao Nuan’s father. You can’t treat me like this.”

I swear I’m going to pass out. How could this man have the nerve to say something like that?

“You call yourself Xiao Nuan’s father? From the moment you walked in, did you even ask how she was?

You kicked us out all that time ago. Have you called her even once?

Bought her a single gift?

Where do you get the audacity?”

Xia Chaoyang was completely speechless after that.

Then Bai Mengmeng popped up again, trying to stir the pot:
“Jiang Yuan-jie, Chaoyang really misses Xiao Nuan. We’re about to move into Lushan Garden, so Xiao Nuan can come over to visit anytime!”

Classic green tea tactics—flawless performance.
It sounded like she cared about the child, but calling it a “visit”?
She was clearly staking her claim.
Who calls a child visiting her own father’s house “a guest”?

“Don’t tell me Xia Chaoyang bought you a place in Lushan Garden?”

“That was all in the past.”

“Oh really? Cheating during marriage and setting up your mistress in our own community—Xia Chaoyang, what a gem you are!”

Living close by is great. Now she could witness their downfall firsthand.
Way better than watching surveillance footage.

“Jiang Yuan-jie, it’s just been too hot lately, so we thought we’d move in. Don’t take it the wrong way!”

Jiang Yuan checked the time on her phone—it was already 9:30 p.m..
She really didn’t want to waste another second with these shameless lovebirds.

“Whatever. Not my problem. Move.”
Her parents were visibly more worried than she was.
No one expected that Xia Chaoyang would not only cheat, but also buy the mistress a home in their exact community.

Thinking about it now, all those times he’d go out to take out the trash or “run errands”…
He was probably sneaking off for quick meetups.
Young people sure know how to have fun.

But that kind of “blessing” doesn’t come free.
He’d pay the price eventually.

“Yuan Yuan, are you okay?”

Who was that? What happened?

“I’m fine, Mom. Don’t worry. Let’s just focus on what we need to buy at the supermarket.”

Seriously, it was the end of the world—who had time for love or fake emotions?

They bought a lot more supplies—though they skipped grains and oil for now.

Instead, they focused on semi-prepared items like dried noodles, oat noodles, and buckwheat noodles.
Also lots of fresh vegetables and seafood, plus daily necessities—especially mosquito coils.

By the time they finished, they had six full shopping bags, two per person—not a single one could be left behind.

The supermarket was crowded, but everyone seemed to be shopping leisurely, not frantically stockpiling.
It was calmer than even during the early pandemic days.

But Jiang Yuan knew—this was just the calm before the storm.
The more peaceful it was now, the more chaotic it would be later.

When they got home, she quickly bathed Xiao Nuan, while her parents sorted the newly purchased supplies.

Lushan Garden was located in the suburbs, with few large buildings nearby.
There were farms, homestays, and orchards around, so the temperature was usually a few degrees cooler than the city.

It made sense that Bai Mengmeng chose to live here.

Jiang Yuan opened the surveillance feed for their other house—no one was home, probably out shopping too.

As for her ex-in-laws—she had absolutely no affection left.
Not only were they selfish, they had terrible hygiene.

They’d use the bathroom with the door open, regardless of who was home.
Dressed sloppily, didn’t clean, and constantly made the house a mess even after she tidied up.

Her mother-in-law was even worse—never knocked before entering their bedroom.
She acted like everything in Jiang Yuan’s home was hers.
Took anything she liked without asking.

She treated Jiang Yuan’s stuff as if it were her own—never respected boundaries.

One time, Xia Chaoyang was using the bathroom and she just barged in.
When Jiang Yuan confronted her, she fired off a hundred excuses.

“Well, I gave birth to him. I can look if I want.”
Jiang Yuan couldn’t even argue with that kind of crazy.

Bai Mengmeng would probably clash with them too—
just as stubborn and obnoxious. The mere sight of her made Jiang Yuan nauseous.

What she hated most was their blatant favoritism toward sons.
The reason she stayed home with Xiao Nuan was because she was scared the child would be bullied—and it had happened before.

Xia Chaoyang always defended his parents, saying how hard it was for them to put him through college.
Even if he hadn’t cheated, their marriage was doomed.

Now that the two lovebirds were moving in, she’d have to start watching their every move again.

She didn’t know which building Bai Mengmeng would be in, but the trauma from her past life was too real.

Those two were capable of anything.
She had to be cautious.

If possible, she really wanted a chance to kill them herself.

In the post-apocalyptic world, with order collapsing, doing something drastic was almost… normal.

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“Mommy~”
“What is it, Xiao Nuan~?”

She picked up her daughter from the bed.
Soft and warm, such a little cutie.

“Are we not going to have Daddy anymore?”

The little girl tilted her head curiously.
Jiang Yuan didn’t know how to answer.
After all, this had been her dad for a year and a half.

“Xiao Nuan, Daddy made a mistake, so now he has to be punished.

Let’s play a game, okay?
From now on, don’t talk to Daddy.
Don’t respond, and if you see him, run away quickly.

Then come tell Mommy, or Grandpa and Grandma. Okay?”

“Mmm~”
“You’re such a good girl. Come on, let’s go eat watermelon~”

“Yay! Watermelon, watermelon!”

Jiang Yuan wasn’t sure if she really understood,
but one thing was certain:
Xia Chaoyang could never get near her daughter again.

From now on, wherever she went, she’d bring Xiao Nuan with her.
She would never again feel the pain of losing her child.