Upon a short observation, Nanzhi could see similarities between them, making her guess these two were related.
"No! I haven't done paying the mortgage yet! You already emptied all my savings."
"So much nonsense! Just what do I tell you to?" The man grabbed the woman's right arm and squeezed it tightly, leaving marks.
Nanzhi's eyes turned sharp, and she quickened her pace.
"No! Just leave! I'm never giving you money again! Give me that phone!" The woman tried to escape and snatched the phone in the man's hand, but their strength and height greatly differ, and her attempt failed.
"I told you to shut up!" Annoyed, the man stuffed the phone in his pocket before raising his hand.
Xiao Lizi was shocked and couldn't react on time. She was expecting the pain to come, but his brother's palm stopped an inch from her cheeks.
Lifting her eyes, she saw a woman had caught her brother's wrist.
Xiao Cao glared at the woman who prevented him from giving his sister a lesson. "I'm talking to my sister. You don't have the right to butt in our business! Scram!"
"How can I not intervene when you're blocking the elevator?" Nanzhi picked up the reeking scent of alcohol from the man. She frowned.
"Why are there so many pesky flies nowadays?! I don't care! If you're in a hurry, just take the stairs!" Xiao Cao wanted to shake his hands off, but Nanzhi's grip on it is very tight.
Xiao Lizi was freed. Seeing her brother was distracted, she reached for his pocket.
Xiao Cao noticed this and pulled out the small folding knife in his pocket, brandishing it against Xiao Lizi. "Xiao Lizi, you've grown some courage to defy me!"
Xiao Lizi froze, giving up the idea, and retreated, shaking like a leaf after seeing the small knife in her brother's hand.
With a satisfied ego, he pointed the small knife at Lu Nanzhi, expecting for her to react the same way. "Let go of my hand or I will stab you with this."
Xiao Cao suddenly felt the cold sensation on his waist, and when he looked down, he saw a large bowie knife, a dozen times bigger than his pocket knife, just a centimeter from piercing him.
"Try it." Nanzhi coldly uttered. The glint in her eyes was on the same tone as the sharp blade.
When Nanzhi deepened the blade, Xiao Cao's clothes couldn't stop it from digging into his skin. He became absolutely terrified.
The small pocket knife on his hand dropped to the ground.
Nanzhi smelled an acrid scent. This drunken man actually peed on the spot. Sickened, she pushed him off, letting him drenched in his own urine.
Xiao Cao, after receiving a lease on his life, scrambled towards the exit, stumbling in the midst. Damn! I will remember this!
Xiao Lizi wanted to catch up with her brother, but he was already running towards the exit. She was afraid somebody might recognize her, so she stopped Nanzhi before the latter stepped inside the elevator.
"Why! Why didn't you stop my brother? If you stop him, I could snatch the phone!"
"Now, if he escapes and posts those pictures, it will be the end of my life! It's your entire fault!" Xiao Lizi glared in between her cries. "You should have stopped him!"
Nanzhi was speechless. Not a word of thanks, but she was blamed instead? She shouldn't have wasted her time.
"Why would I help someone who doesn't help herself in the first place?"
This matter was easy to resolve than the upcoming disasters.
Ignoring the ungrateful Xiao Lizi, she went straight to the elevator and pressed the button of her floor.
Nanzhi's words came harsh in Xiao Lizi's ears; she stomped her feet in anger. Didn't she have the ability to subdue Xiao Cao? If she could just spare a little bit of time, it was easy to help her!
Xiao Lizi forgot that it wasn't for Nanzhi; her face would be swelling right now.
She wanted to stop the elevator, but the sound of cars entering the underground parking lot made her hide.
Seeing the frightened Xiao Lizi, Nanzhi was glad to not deal with the bothersome situation otherwise she might not be able to restrain her hands from punching Xiao Lizi's mouth.
.....
The matter of Xiao Lizi and her brother already flew out of Lu Nanzhi's head.
Reaching her unit, the supervisor and the decorating company workers were already waiting for her outside.
At first glance, Nanzhi saw the brand new high density with anti-theft door layered with a diamond mesh, painted to match the color of the wall of the hallway.
Outside, the anti-theft door can only be opened by a smart number keypad lock above the door latch.
She tried and checked the door lock and installations like generators, air conditioners, and vents. They were working properly.
All her requests were fulfilled.
Nanzhi paid the due of 100,000 yuan for the labor and gave them a red packet of 1,000 yuan and a box of groceries each.
The supervisor, Uncle Zhang, and his team were all filled with smiles. "Miss Lin, if you have another decorating job, please call us!"
"Alright." Lu Nanzhi bid them goodbye but not before giving them reminders, "I went to a trip in C Country last week and the prices of the fuel have gone up. I heard rumors that our country will be affected too; it's better to stock up!"
She didn't know if they would take her advice seriously, but still, Lu Nanzhi wished they would survive.
Striding to the kitchen, Nanzhi saw a lot of bags, withered bouquets, teddy bears, and a stack of cards arranged neatly on the granite countertop.
The elegant and bold brushstrokes on the card clearly belonged to an adult, but the contents and the name at the end were from a child.
As Nanzhi read all the cards, she could picture a certain man writing on the desk patiently listening to the child sitting on his lap.
Sister, I heard you went on a trip! Yicheng is sad that he couldn't see and join you!
Sister, if you want to visit a beautiful place! I know one; it's called Pink Forest in Country C. The trees there look like cotton candies in spring!
Sister, when will you come back? The uncle in your house said that he couldn't contact you. Yicheng is worried.
Nanzhi reckoned that there were at least a total of 2, 000 words.
She wasn't expecting the taciturn Lin Weihao to do such a thing.
A small smile unconsciously bloomed on her lips.