Ch 2: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

The Next Day.

The Liang family, spanning three generations, sat around a long padauk wood table, enjoying breakfast prepared by the housekeeper according to everyone’s tastes.

Ruan Cha and her parents sat to Old Master Liang’s right, while her uncle Liang Zongqi, aunt Tang Hua, and second aunt Liang Qianling sat across from them.

Tang Hua noticed that Ruan Cha enjoyed the pan-fried dumplings and mentally noted to have the housekeeper continue making them. Smiling warmly, she said, “My two boys—one’s studying in the UK, and the other is filming in the mountains, so they can’t come back anytime soon. But when they do, we’ll have a family reunion so Cha Cha can meet her two older brothers.”

“Okay, Auntie,” Ruan Cha replied after swallowing a sip of porridge. A faint smile graced her lips, and her previously innocent features took on a touch of striking beauty, dazzling everyone at the table.

Tang Hua’s eyes lit up at the sight of Ruan Cha’s smile, her heart melting.

Although her younger sister-in-law’s husband seemed a bit unreliable, his genes were undeniably excellent. Ruan Cha had inherited the best traits of her parents, sitting there like a little princess straight out of a painting.

Liang Qianling cast a glance at Ruan Zhengfei, who was busy serving food to Wei Jiao, and smirked coldly. “Don’t just focus on your son. Mengyu also needs to acknowledge her sister. Oh, and by the way, you two are in the same class. The Second High School uses an international curriculum, so if there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask Mengyu. Don’t feel embarrassed.”

“Second!” Old Master Liang’s face darkened as he shot a glare at Liang Qianling. A moment later, his expression softened as he turned to Ruan Cha, becoming the epitome of a kind grandfather. “Cha Cha, it’s normal not to understand everything right away. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your grades are already decent for your class. If you have questions, you can always ask your brother Fu Chen or your sister Mengyu.”

Ruan Cha forced a smile, discreetly kicking Ruan Zhengfei under the table. Her eyes clearly conveyed her disbelief: “My grades are considered decent?”

“You’re in Class Ten, which is known as the ‘networking’ class,” Ruan Zhengfei whispered, tilting his head. “The kids there are mostly second-generation rich or officials’ children, and their grades are average. I specifically chose it for its low academic pressure.”

Ruan Cha: “…” Dad, you really went above and beyond.

“Fu Chen? Dad, you must be confused. My third sister—oh, the former third sister,” Liang Qianling shot a disdainful glance at Wei Jiao, then quickly continued before Old Master Liang could interrupt, “She’s been dead for ten years. The Fu family isn’t what it used to be, and now with the fake and real daughters scandal, do you really think Fu Chen would acknowledge us?”

[Bang!]

“If you don’t want to eat, get out! Can’t you let this family have a single peaceful day?!” Old Master Liang slammed the table, making the dishes clatter.

Wei Jiao casually picked up a fried dough stick and threw a glance at Liang Qianling. “Second Sister, you’re really out of line, making Dad angry so early in the morning. With an aunt like you, no wonder Fu Chen wouldn’t come back.”

“Who are you calling Second Sister?! Have some respect!”

“Calling you Second Sister is already generous,” Wei Jiao retorted with a smirk, completely unfazed. “All you’ve done since last night is ‘you, you, you’ at people. Honestly, who cares if we acknowledge each other? It’s not like we’re desperate for it.”

Liang Qianling: “…”

Truly a country bumpkin with no manners!

Silently, Ruan Cha slid a cup of soy milk toward her mother. Hang in there, Mom!

Tang Hua, observing this, almost burst out laughing but was stopped by her husband’s subtle nudge. She barely managed to hold it in. What a cute little girl!

Though the Liang family seemed harmonious on the surface, Tang Hua and Liang Qianling had long-standing conflicts. Tang Hua had tolerated Liang Qianling’s antics at their family home, but when it came to business, Liang Qianling often tried to force their family company to subsidize her husband’s failing business. And now, with her husband’s family in decline, she had the audacity to set her sights on the Fu family.

“Dad, I’m done eating. Let’s head to school,” Ruan Cha glanced at the clock and habitually turned to Ruan Zhengfei.

“You’ll have to take a cab,” Ruan Zhengfei replied. “The electric scooter’s still sitting in the yard. I need to buy a new one and get it registered for Nan City.”

Throughout her elementary, middle, and high school years, Ruan Cha had always ridden on Ruan Zhengfei’s electric scooter to school. On rainy days, they would take a taxi instead. Hearing this, she suddenly remembered they had only brought two suitcases with them when they arrived at the Liang residence yesterday.

Cough, cough, cough. Old Master Liang was visibly taken aback by the mention of the scooter and quickly waved his hand. “Eldest, take Cha Cha to school on your way to work later. It’s not convenient to hail a taxi from the villa.”

Liang Zongqi nodded and then glanced at Ruan Zhengfei. “Zhengfei, do you have a driver’s license? There are several cars parked in the garage. Pick whichever you like and use it.”

He couldn’t imagine the sight of a beautifully dressed Cha Cha riding to school on an electric scooter.

“No need, really, there’s no need,” Ruan Zhengfei said, scratching his head. “Jiao Jiao and Cha Cha both prefer the scooter.” Years ago, he’d bought a car, used it twice, and then sold it because it felt like a waste.

Old Master Liang, Liang Zongqi, and Tang Hua: “…”

For the sake of your pride, they’ve really endured a lot.

Liang Qianling snorted, sipping her porridge slowly. What a show. Who’s to say you won’t sneak into the garage tonight and grab a car? A family of embarrassing small-town bumpkins.

Due to the influence of the book’s contents, Ruan Cha had spent the entire previous night plagued by nightmares. Now, sitting in the car, she was slumped and lethargic, occasionally pulling out a small mirror to check her reflection, terrified she might turn ugly the moment she stepped out.

After much pleading, Ruan Cha managed to convince her parents to let her attend the school for a week or two. If she didn’t enjoy it, they promised she could return to the small town.

Sigh, Mom and Dad would’ve agreed immediately in the past. Is the plot’s influence really that strong? Looking in the mirror, she saw her reflection was still as beautiful and adorable as ever, which gave her some relief.

Liang Zongqi, sitting in the back seat reviewing emails on his tablet, chuckled at the sound of her sigh. “Worried you won’t be able to keep up with your studies?”

“Not at all,” Ruan Cha replied confidently. Throughout her academic life, she had always comfortably floated in the middle of the rankings and never worried about grades. She leaned against the car window, admiring the unfamiliar cityscape.

Though her words were assured, Liang Zongqi didn’t quite believe her. She seemed like a well-behaved girl, and he guessed she might be too shy to admit her concerns. Silently, he decided to arrange for his eldest son to recommend a few excellent tutors—one for each subject, just in case.

Half an hour later, Ruan Cha stepped out of the car in front of Second High School’s gates. As she took in the scene, her mouth fell open in surprise.

Second High School was enormous—easily ten times the size of her old school. Buildings stood tall, surrounded by lush greenery and fountains. The students were dressed in stylish, British-inspired uniforms that were both simple and elegant.

The school had five sets of uniforms, all privately tailored. Ruan Cha’s uniforms were still being made and wouldn’t be ready until the following week. In her beige collared knit dress, she stood out strikingly amid the crowd.

No. Ruan Cha noticed another equally conspicuous figure just two or three meters ahead—a girl not wearing the school uniform either. Her hair was styled in a bun, and her round face and doe-like eyes gave her a sweet, delicate appearance.

Of course, what truly caught Ruan Cha’s attention wasn’t just the lack of a uniform. It was the floating, virtual panel above the girl’s head—something none of the other students seemed to notice.

[Please select an option for the host in the AB main task:]

• A: Complete a single task to gain one point. (Ten points can be exchanged for 1 Beauty Value or 1 Intelligence Value.)
• B: Bind with a peer within a half-meter radius. In the future, complete a single task to extract 2-3 Beauty or Intelligence points from the bound peer and transfer them to the host. (1. Tasks can be aborted at any time. 2. Failure to complete a task will deduct one point and may trigger a random penalty.)

So this girl was Ren Qingqing, the female lead of the book?! Wait… the real issue here was that Ruan Cha could actually see the tasks being issued to the protagonist by the system?!

Before Ruan Cha could think further, Ren Qingqing suddenly appeared right in front of her, startling her.

Ren Qingqing’s smile was sweet and gentle. “Hi there, are you a transfer student too? Let’s get to know each other. My name is Ren Qingqing.”

The moment her words fell, Ruan Cha watched the task panel update in real time: A ✖ | B ✔

Ruan Cha: “…???”

I swear, I’m this close to punching you.

…

Sandy: It’s one thing to have a golden finger but if it involves the wellbeing of others, that’s just a vile thing.