Inside Xiong Yufang's small and cluttered rental house, the dim light wavered in the dusty bulb, as if it would go out at any moment, dragging the small space back into the abyss of darkness. A pungent smell of old mixed with cheap perfume permeates the house, and the wallpaper on the walls is peeling off in large patches, revealing the yellowed and moldy walls inside, like a slice of unsightly scars. Corner of the dilapidated bed, the spring has long since lost its elasticity, people lie on it will be issued "creaking" sound of protest, as if telling the years of fatigue and unbearable. The floor is piled up with a variety of cheap household goods, broken socks, wrinkled clothes scattered randomly, and some small objects from Xiao Xue, which she regarded as treasures piled up on the table, in stark contrast to the surrounding mess.
Her eyes were cold and greedy as she looked at these things, but her mind was rapidly calculating how to further utilize Xiao Xue to satisfy her never-ending greed. She knew that Xiao Xue now had a certain degree of trust in herself, which in her eyes was like a fat lamb actively walking into her carefully laid trap, and she must not let go of this great opportunity. She recalled the scene where Xiao Xue paid for herself in the shopping center without hesitation, the corners of her mouth unconsciously rose slightly, and that smile was full of complacency and calculation. She thought, since Xiao Xue was willing to pay for herself so generously, it meant that she still had a huge amount of squeezable value.
She decided to start with Xiao Xue's family first, to further find out her bottom line, just like a cunning hunter must know the nest and habits of his prey before tracking it down. She planned to be more skillful in extracting information from Xiao Xue about her husband's work and family property when they met next time. Her eyes glittered with cunning, and her fingers kept tapping on the desktop, making a monotonous and rhythmic sound as if it was an accompaniment to her greedy heartbeat. She thought about how to skillfully guide Xiao Xue to tell her husband's company's business situation by sharing some of her own fabricated "investment experience", and then judge his income level. She thought in her heart: "Xiao Xue's husband works for that company, so as long as we know how effective the company is, we can estimate how much money he earns. If the company is effective, then Xiao Xue's family must have a lot of savings." She even imagined Xiao Xue's husband's paycheck, and the string of numbers on it seemed to have become her own in her eyes.
She again planned to pretend to be concerned about Xiao Xue's family planning, and asked sideways if they had any assets such as real estate and savings. "Xiao Xue ah, have you guys thought about getting a bigger house? The house prices are high now, but investing in real estate can be very cost-effective." She rehearsed this sentence over and over in her mind, thinking about Xiao Xue's possible answers and how she should continue to pursue the question based on the answer. If Xiao Xue said that she had plans to change houses, then she could follow the trail and ask about the market value of their current house and their savings; if Xiao Xue said no, she could also judge from Xiao Xue's tone and expression whether they really didn't have any properties or savings. A sinister smile appeared on her face at times, but at other times she reverted to a cordial look, and this kind of expression made people shudder. She was like a devil hiding in the darkness, carefully planning how to drag Xiao Xue into a deeper abyss, while Xiao Xue was still oblivious to the danger that was approaching step by step.
Xiong Yufang began to prepare meticulously in order to make her plan perfect. She looked into the dusty and somewhat blurred mirror and tried to practice her expressions and the way she spoke. She tried to make herself look more sincere and friendly, the curve of the upturned corners of her mouth, the concern in her eyes, every detail was adjusted over and over again to better confuse Xiao Xue. She mumbled into the mirror, "Xiao Xue, you know what? I really consider you as my best friend, and I want you to live a better and better life. So, you can tell me anything oh I will definitely help you." Her voice was so gentle that it gave people goosebumps, as if every word was wrapped in a layer of sweet sugar coating, while underneath this sugar coating, a deadly poison was hidden.
She kept rehearsing in her mind how to deal with Xiao Xue's possible reactions. She thought, if Xiao Xue was wary of her question, she would immediately change the subject and say something that Xiao Xue was interested in, such as the recent fashion trends or gossip about a certain celebrity, to alleviate Xiao Xue's doubts first, and then find a chance to go back to the original topic. She also thought that if Xiao Xue answered her question readily, how should she continue to pursue the question in depth without letting Xiao Xue realize her real purpose. Her mind was like a movie, constantly simulating various scenarios, and in each scenario she looked like a skillful actor, portraying a false friendship in front of Xiao Xue. She was immersed in her own plan, completely disregarding Xiao Xue's feelings, in her eyes, Xiao Xue was nothing but a puppet that could be manipulated at will, a tool that could bring her wealth, as long as she could get money from Xiao Xue, she could use any means, even if it meant hurting Xiao Xue and her family, she would do nothing to stop it.