Chapter 45: Arriving at the Villa District

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Arriving at the Villa District

Chen Momo had been about to say, "Let’s hit the road," but deciding that it sounded a little too ominous, she changed it to, "Let’s head out."

After a piping hot meal of hotpot, everyone was stuffed and satisfied. Chen Xiaobao patted his little belly. "Mommy, Xiao Bao’s tummy is completely stuffed!"

Xu Xiaoka also said with contentment, "Sister Momo, that meal was incredibly satisfying!"

Seeing that everyone had eaten and drank their fill, Chen Momo suggested, "Shall we get ready to head out, then? Xiao Ka, you take Xiao Bao to the stairwell first. I’m going to take a quick look around the second floor, and I’ll be right behind you."

Chen Xiaobao knew his mother was about to store things in her dimension again. He grabbed Xu Xiaoka’s hand and said sweetly, "Sister Xiao Ka, Xiao Bao ate too much. I want to go for a walk to digest."

Xu Xiaoka instantly replied with doting affection, "Okay, then I’ll take you for a walk. I ate too much too, so we’ll go for a walk together!"

With that, the two of them held hands and headed for the stairwell.

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Momo began madly stashing items into her dimension. The pot, the induction cooker, the leftover beef and mutton, the power strips, and more—everything went straight into her dimension. She then took out a rag and even wiped down the general manager’s desk for him. Only when everything was neatly tidied did Chen Momo leave the office.

Xu Xiaoka and Chen Xiaobao were already waiting at the second-floor stairwell. The three of them then continued up the narrow staircase toward the tenth floor. Upon reaching it, they slipped out one by one through the broken window.

Chen Momo blinked at her son. Chen Xiaobao immediately understood the cue and tugged at Xu Xiaoka. "Sister Xiao Ka, Xiao Bao needs to pee."

"You can just pee right here," Xu Xiaoka said casually. "There’s no one around."

To her surprise, Xiao Bao put on a shy face. "Xiao Bao doesn’t want to pee here. Mommy is here, and Xiao Bao doesn’t want Mommy to see. Xiao Bao wants to find a spot further away." He pointed straight ahead.

Helpless, Xu Xiaoka laughed. "I didn’t expect you to be so self-conscious! Alright, I’ll take you over there to pee."

As Xu Xiaoka led Chen Xiaobao away to do his business, Chen Momo seized the chance to pull the RV out of her dimension, casually placing the keys on the windshield. When Chen Xiaobao finished, the two of them jogged back over.

Chen Momo feigned surprise. "Huh, there’s a vehicle here!"

Xu Xiaoka and Chen Xiaobao saw it too. Playing along perfectly, Chen Xiaobao clapped his hands. "Wow, Mommy! We have the best luck ever!"

The three of them ran over to the RV together. Chen Momo "found" the keys by the window. She pressed a button on the fob, and sure enough, it unlocked the vehicle! No one was more thrilled than Xu Xiaoka. She had thought the three of them would have to trek five kilometers on foot. Discovering an RV entirely by accident—and with the keys right there—was simply a blessing from the heavens!

Xu Xiaoka and Chen Xiaobao couldn’t wait to climb aboard. They looked left and right, bubbling with endless curiosity.

The interior of the RV was gorgeous. It featured plush seating, a bed for resting, and even a small kitchen and dining area. They could sit when they wanted to or lie down on the bed to rest when they were tired. The RV also came equipped with a built-in movie screen, allowing them to pull up whatever TV shows or movies they felt like watching. Not to mention the heating and the refrigerator.

When Chen Momo opened the fridge, she discovered it was fully stocked with ingredients! Aside from the vegetables, which had been ruined by the freezing cold, the meat and beans were perfectly fine and ready to eat once thawed. The top shelf of the fridge was lined with a variety of drinks—cola, Sprite, orange juice, beer, milk tea, and more—though they had all frozen solid.

Chen Momo started the engine. Thankfully, since the vehicle had been parked in an underground garage for so long, the engine hadn’t frozen and turned over without a hitch. Once the RV was running, the internal heating, coffee maker, refrigerator, massage chairs, and all other amenities were fully functional!

The drinks in the fridge quickly began to thaw. It was delightfully warm inside; wearing just a set of thermal underwear, they didn’t feel the slightest bit of cold. Once the cola had thawed, Xu Xiaoka took three bottles out of the fridge. They had just eaten hotpot, which was quite heavy, so the cola was exactly what they needed to wash it down!

The three of them watched a movie in the RV for a while. Once they were well-rested, Chen Momo said to Chen Xiaobao and Xu Xiaoka, "You two buckle up; we’re ready to head out!"

Since there was no internet, the vehicle’s onboard navigation was useless. However, Chen Momo had her phone, so she drove the RV by following the pre-loaded routes and GPS. Everything was much simpler with the RV. Even with heavy snow covering the roads, a five-kilometer distance would typically take only an hour to drive. The only difficulty, however, was that several stretches of the route were completely blocked by snowdrifts, forcing Chen Momo to make multiple detours. Because of the blizzard and the constant rerouting, the short five-kilometer journey ultimately took them an entire day.

By the time they drove the RV into the villa district, it was already six in the evening. The villa district was dead silent. Chen Momo parked the RV in front of one of the villas and took frozen beef, large steamed buns, and rice from the fridge. She cooked a meal in the RV’s kitchen, and the three of them enjoyed a piping hot dinner right there in the dining area. After eating, Chen Xiaobao and Xu Xiaoka each drank a cup of milk tea, while Chen Momo brewed herself a cup of coffee using the RV’s machine.

Only after they were completely full and satisfied did the three of them bundle up in thick layers, equipping all sorts of warming gear before stepping out of the RV and walking toward the villas. Since the snow had buried everything below the ninth-floor level, they had no choice but to target the luxury estates situated on higher ground.

Chen Momo, Xu Xiaoka, and Chen Xiaobao approached one of the villas, only to find the door locked.

"Sister Momo, the door’s locked. What do we do?"

The locks on these villas were incredibly sturdy; breaking them open would be no easy feat. Chen Momo reached into her pocket, suddenly remembering the ring of keys she had brought along. She had found this set back at the office building. The boss had been so wealthy—perhaps he owned property in this very villa district?

She carefully inspected the key ring and, sure enough, found that alongside the luxury car fob, there were house keys! Chen Momo quickly picked out a key that matched the type of lock used in this district. She took the key and tried it on the door in front of them, but it didn’t turn. However, she didn’t give up. The entire villa district was deserted anyway; if it didn’t open this door, she would just try the next one!

Just like that, Chen Momo tested the key on one door after another.

Half an hour passed. Xu Xiaoka said tentatively, "Sister Momo, is it possible these keys don’t belong to any of the houses here? We’ve been trying for ages, and none of them have opened. It’s getting dark—why don’t we just spend the night in the RV?"

No sooner had she spoken than the lock in front of them let out a crisp CLICK. The key in Chen Momo’s hand had smoothly unlocked the door!