Ch 6: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

At school, Lin Ling, who was used to picking on the weak, reluctantly sat back down after glaring at the snapped pencil on the desk. She shot Ruan Cha a vicious look that screamed, I’ll deal with you eventually!

Ji Feiyang adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting his intrigue. His eyes sparkled with gossip. “Ruan Cha, if you don’t hate Fu Chen, why were you asking about him earlier?”

Ruan Cha, mid-way through gathering her pencils, spared him a brief glance. “Fu Chen, as the student council president, actually lets you run your little intelligence operation here? You two—”

While the school allowed phones and didn’t strictly enforce rules against early relationships, Ji Feiyang’s blatant matchmaking business still wasn’t exactly above board.

“Shut up!” Ji Feiyang panicked, cutting her off.

He’d been warned countless times by Fu Chen for his intelligence-gathering activities. But his passion for snooping and matchmaking was practically ingrained in his DNA. If Fu Chen found out Ji Feiyang was not only running this operation but also dragging Fu Chen’s name into it, there would be no escape.

Before Ji Feiyang could defend himself, a sharp voice boomed from the doorway. “Ji, you old dog! You’re matchmaking in our class again? Get your slimy self out of here before I call your daddy!”

Xie Chang’an had just returned from dealing with personal matters, only to find Ji Feiyang sitting at his desk. “I’m warning you, Shen-ge is on his way to school. If he catches you pulling this crap in Class 10, he’ll snap your fingers clean off!”

Caught in the act, Ji Feiyang sheepishly made a face, unbothered. “Your grandpa’s as slippery as an eel. Who can catch me? If I’ve lasted a year under Fu Chen’s watch, you think I’d be scared of Xu Shen? Pfft!”

The next moment, Ruan Cha looked sharply at the door, feigning shock. “Fu Chen’s here?”

“WHAT?!”

Ji Feiyang shrieked and tumbled off the chair, clutching the desk for support as he ducked his head to hide. In a hushed, pleading voice, he whispered, “Ruan Cha, have mercy! Don’t let Fu Chen see me. If he catches me sniffing around for information, he’ll make me sweep Phoenix Garden for a month! Boohoohoo!”

The students in Class Ten all turned toward the door in unison, only to see it being pushed open from the outside. Then, entering the room, they saw their class’s infamous big shot—Xu Shen.

This was the guy who reigned supreme in fights, scared off delinquents from other schools, and consistently ranked dead last in the grade because he submitted blank papers in every exam.

The room fell silent as Xu Shen strode in, carrying the weight of his reputation. Tossing his backpack onto his desk, he scowled at the attention. “What the hell are you all staring at? Hosting a welcoming ceremony?”

The class: “…”

Ji Feiyang: “???”

Ruan Cha glanced briefly at the supposed male lead of the book, Xu Shen, then turned back to Ji Feiyang. Seeing how rattled he was, she reached out and lightly patted his soft, curly hair, offering a completely insincere apology. “My bad. Must’ve been a mistake.”

“And—” Ruan Cha met Ji Feiyang’s aggrieved gaze with a sly smile. “I’ve never even met Fu Chen. Even if he showed up, I wouldn’t recognize him. Besides, it’s just sweeping Phoenix Garden, not like he’s sending you to clean the toilets.”

As Ruan Cha and Ji Feiyang stared at each other, they failed to notice the sudden stillness that descended over the classroom. Just as Ruan Cha finished speaking, a cold, pale, and elegantly long hand appeared before her eyes.

Ruan Cha looked up, her gaze traveling to the owner of the hand. A stranger’s young and striking face met her, his dark eyes shining faintly, his expression calm yet aloof.

After a moment, Fu Chen curved his lips into a lazy smile. “Hello, I’m Fu Chen. Now, I guess we’ve officially met?”

Seeing Fu Chen inevitably reminded Ruan Cha of some plot points from the book. In the story, the original “Ruan Cha” was both ugly and unintelligent. After one exam, she accused Ren Qingqing of cheating and ended up being cornered by Xu Shen in the stairwell as a warning. That’s when Fu Chen first appeared in the book, helping “Ruan Cha” out of the situation and even suggesting she take a leave of absence for her health.

In the high school storyline, Fu Chen appeared three times, each time helping “Ruan Cha.” At the time, the comment section of the story had a heated debate:

Some argued that Fu Chen was just pretending. After all, why would a golden boy repeatedly go out of his way to help someone like her?

Others claimed Fu Chen was showing gratitude on behalf of the Liang family, proving he was consistent in character and knew how to repay kindness. They added that even if he was faking, sustaining such behavior for two years was no small feat.

Ruan Cha remembered Fu Chen mostly because of a line from the book’s ending that she had reread last night:

“Ruan Cha was dead. Wei Jiao was dead. Only the crazed and broken Ruan Zhengfei remained. Years later, someone spotted Fu Chen accompanying Ruan Zhengfei in the cemetery.”

Ruan Cha lightly touched her fingertips to Fu Chen’s in a handshake, her brows and eyes curving into a gentle smile. “Ruan Cha.”

“Sorry I didn’t get a chance to visit yesterday after returning to Nan City. It was a bit late.” Fu Chen, being tall and sharp-featured, had a way of looking down at others that could make them feel slighted. To mitigate this, he bent slightly at the waist, resting one hand on the desk to make their height difference seem less stark.

“You’re new to Second High, so you might not be familiar with everything. Are you free at noon? Let me take you to lunch.”

He added with a soft chuckle, “If I may be bold, you could consider me your older brother, and as the student council president-slash-brother, I’d be happy to help my little sister get to know the campus.”

As expected, the mention of “brother” and “sister” instantly dispelled much of the subtle hostility in the gazes directed at Ruan Cha from around the room.

Some girls even began to wonder: If Fu Chen really treated Ruan Cha like a younger sister, wouldn’t befriending her increase their chances of interacting with him?

Ruan Cha found Fu Chen’s enthusiasm a bit odd but didn’t reject the offer. Smiling, she agreed, “Of course, I’m free.”

Although the Ruan family hadn’t yet met Fu Chen, they had met his father. Wei Jiao had told him that while she indeed grew up in a welfare home, she didn’t suffer at all with Ruan Zhengfei protecting her. The family didn’t hold any grudges about Liang Yue’s life, even though she had already passed away.

Fu Chen’s attempt to position himself as an older brother was likely his way of offering Ruan Cha some protection in school. Seeing her agree, he replied warmly, “Great. At noon—”

ZZZZZT!

A sudden, jarring noise interrupted him.

The grating sound cut off Fu Chen’s next words. Xu Shen stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, one foot propped on a desk, his dark eyes simmering with disdain as his lips curled into a sneer. “Get out.”

A bubble of silence formed around Xu Shen. No one dared to provoke the school tyrant when he was in a bad mood. Everyone huddled quietly in their seats, even the normally boisterous Xie Chang’an, who obediently squeezed into a single chair with another classmate to avoid attention.

Fu Chen and Xu Shen had been compared to each other their entire lives—similar family backgrounds, similar ages. Xu Shen loathed how his father endlessly praised Fu Chen, to the point where he joked that Fu Chen should just change his surname to Xu.

Hearing Xu Shen’s outburst, Fu Chen spared him a glance, his expression calm and indifferent. Completely unbothered by the hostility in Xu Shen’s eyes, Fu Chen straightened his uniform sleeve and smiled faintly. “Xu Shen, perhaps you should take some time to learn civilized language.”

“This isn’t your turf. Get out now!” Xu Shen snapped, his temper already on edge. Before he even finished speaking, he kicked over a desk. The students sitting in the front row scrambled to retreat, fearful of becoming collateral damage.

Ruan Cha, still holding the broken pencil, gently poked Fu Chen’s wrist with it. “I’ll wait for you by the classroom door at noon. It’s almost time for class, so you and Ji Feiyang should head back.”

In the book, Xu Shen was known for his brutal and heavy-handed fighting. Ruan Cha worried that if Fu Chen, who had helped take care of her father in the story, were to be injured, her family would have no one to rely on in the future.

Xu Shen, noticing how Ruan Cha whispered to Fu Chen, became even more displeased. He kicked another desk, his voice sharp. “Hey, new girl! Do you like Fu Chen? If you do, go to Class 1. Why are you in Class 10?”

“Ha, Class 1 doesn’t take legacy students!”

Ruan Cha’s inner thoughts slipped out. After receiving her system task, she regretted her previous laziness. At Second High, the best teaching resources were in the top two classes. She was already at a disadvantage compared to Ren Qingqing in terms of opportunities.

Class 10: “…”

They’d never thought much about it before, but now, the comparison made Class 10 seem so much worse—Class 1 at least had standards.

“You mother—”

“Xu Shen!”

Fu Chen’s sharp voice cut Xu Shen off. He placed a firm hand on Ruan Cha’s shoulder, then turned his cold gaze to the back of the classroom. “I don’t recall any school rule saying Class 1 students can’t come to Class 10. If you’re so capable, go to the principal’s office and have him add it to the rulebook.”

Seeing Xu Shen take a step forward, Fu Chen tilted his chin toward the door. “If you have a problem with me, let’s settle it outside. Don’t drag others into it.”

Xu Shen sneered. “Forget it. You think I’d let myself get played twice?”

Ding-ding-ding—

The bell for the fourth period rang, and everyone in Class 10 collectively exhaled in relief. For the first time, they felt both nostalgic and grateful for their upcoming physics class.

Fu Chen glanced back at Ruan Cha and gave her a slight nod before grabbing Ji Feiyang by the back of his collar and dragging him out of the classroom. Once they were outside, Fu Chen’s expression turned cold. He raised his foot and delivered a sharp kick to Ji Feiyang’s calf. “Feeling bold, huh? Didn’t I tell you not to go to Class 10? Or do you think there aren’t enough people already watching Ruan Cha?”

“You showing up just made it worse!” Ji Feiyang muttered under his breath as he folded the A4 paper. Before he could stuff it into his pocket, Fu Chen snatched it mid-air, leaving Ji Feiyang staring wide-eyed in shock.

Fu Chen shot Ji Feiyang a disapproving look, calmly pocketed the folded A4 sheet in his uniform, and added coolly, “Stay out of my sister’s business. Starting Monday, you’ll be cleaning the third-floor boys’ restroom for a month.”

Ji Feiyang: “…???”

Without giving Ji Feiyang a chance to protest, Fu Chen strode up the stairs and slipped back into his classroom just before the teacher arrived. At the door, Ji Feiyang and the teacher crossed paths.

Ji Feiyang: “…”

Fu, you sneaky bastard. I’ll curse you to eternity.

---

During class, Ruan Cha tilted slightly toward Xie Chang’an and whispered, “Fu Chen tricked Xu Shen before?”

Someone managed to outmaneuver the male lead? Could she learn this technique to deal with Ren Qingqing and the system?

Xie Chang’an, thrilled by the attention from such a beautiful classmate, eagerly answered, feeling validated for his earlier efforts defending her in the class thread.

“You’re asking the right person! Don’t believe that idiot Ji Feiyang,” Xie Chang’an said, glancing at the physics teacher, who was writing on the blackboard with their back turned. He lowered his voice.

“Last semester, Fu Chen and Xu Shen faced off. Fu Chen suggested they ‘talk it out’ outside. We all thought they were going to fight! Fu Chen’s just as tall as Xu Shen, but Xu Shen’s muscles? Pure power, right?”

Ruan Cha: “???”

If they didn’t fight, were they… dating?

Xie Chang’an, full of class loyalty, continued defending Xu Shen even though they weren’t particularly close. After all, he was on Team Class 10. “But who knew? Fu Chen lured Xu Shen out only to deliver him straight into the clutches of the principal, two vice principals, and the disciplinary director for some so-called ‘moral education.’ What a schemer! Absolutely diabolical!”

Ruan Cha: “…”

Lost for words.

Xie Chang’an sighed dramatically, clearly empathizing with Xu Shen’s plight. “Xu Shen had to stay home and ‘recover’ for a week before returning to school. When he came back, just seeing the principal made him gag.”

For a school tyrant to be cornered by teachers and even guarded by the campus security team? Fu Chen’s tactics were terrifyingly effective.

Shaking his head vigorously, Xie Chang’an tried to shake off the image of Xu Shen’s ordeal. “Anyway, forget that. Didn’t I say I’d add you to my game? What’s your ID?”

Ruan Cha, still marveling at Fu Chen’s perfect execution of the “words over fists” philosophy, casually told Xie Chang’an her gaming ID.

“You use a male avatar? And your in-game gender is male too?” Xie Chang’an burst out laughing. He’d seen players use opposite-gender avatars before, but nobody would believe that the muscular dude on Ruan Cha’s avatar could be this delicate and beautiful girl in real life.

Flipping open her next class’s textbook to prepare for any potential system tasks, Ruan Cha responded nonchalantly, “I’m too bad at the game. I don’t want to embarrass us girls.”

Xie Chang’an: “???”

So it’s fine to shamelessly embarrass us guys instead?