Ch 14: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

After Ruan Cha left, Ren Qingqing bit her lip lightly and walked out from the door that had just been opened. Her brows were furrowed, and her heart felt sour and bitter. The person who had been joking with her last night was confessing to someone else the next day?

And the person he was confessing to was Ruan Cha?! The Ruan Cha she disliked the most!

Xu Shen snapped out of his thoughts and turned around, seeing Ren Qingqing holding her backpack, looking a bit surprised. Then, a barely perceptible smile appeared in his dark eyes. “Tsk, eavesdropping on your brother?”

Thinking about it, the most memorable thing about Ren Qingqing to Xu Shen was probably when she was struck by lightning. He hadn’t expected that, just the day before, his mother had brought Ren Qingqing home, claiming she was a friend’s daughter who, due to the second school being too far from home, would temporarily stay with the Xu family.

After two days of interacting, Xu Shen felt that Ren Qingqing’s personality suited him well, and he couldn’t help but be a little more patient with her, unlike his usual coldness toward other girls.

Of course, what pleased him the most was that Ruan Cha’s appearance fit his aesthetic perfectly but she dared to play hard to get.

Ren Qingqing looked at the smile on Xu Shen’s face, feeling irritated. She was impulsively wanting to ask if he was blind, why else would he confess to Ruan Cha? But she also clearly understood the gap and relationship between her and Xu Shen, so she had no right to question him.

Ren Qingqing didn’t respond to Xu Shen. She turned and walked away while holding her backpack. Seeing this, Xu Shen quickly followed her in a few steps, teasing, “Has someone bullied you?”

Hearing this, Ren Qingqing sneered, and the bitterness in her heart surged. “I don’t need you to meddle!” she said, quickening her pace.

Xu Shen looked at Ren Qingqing’s back, his brows furrowed, but he didn’t chase after her. His temper was bad, and after being ignored by Ruan Cha and now Ren Qingqing, it was a wonder he hadn’t exploded yet.

This incident had caused their previously warm relationship to cool rapidly. For an entire week, there was no sign of things warming up again, and Ren Qingqing couldn’t focus on her studies.

As for Ruan Cha, she initially thought Xu Shen’s confession was just a fleeting impulse, probably born out of some strange curiosity. If she ignored it, it would naturally die down.

However, after a few days, Ruan Cha realized that every morning, she would find a breakfast packed by Xu Shen in the desk drawer. She suddenly realized that things weren’t as simple as she had assumed.

“Ruan Cha, egg waffles and buns, Brother Shen is so thoughtful.”

“Having hot breakfast so early in the morning, it’s so lucky.”

The boys in the classroom teased when they saw Ruan Cha taking out her breakfast, and Xu Shen, noticing the situation, had a faint smile on his lips.

Having been a “lazy fish” for many years, Ruan Cha was unusually irritated. She felt like she was making a mess by being kind, causing trouble for others—it was really annoying!

Thinking about the days ahead with no peace, she made up her mind and suddenly stood up. Holding the bag with breakfast, she stormed off to the back.

The others weren’t surprised. A few days ago, Ruan Cha had done the same—taking the breakfast to Xu Shen, who hadn’t wanted it, and then giving it to the classmates sitting in the back.

Lin Ling turned around, filled with anger, and clenched her fists tightly.

She hadn’t had the chance to take revenge on Ruan Cha for twisting her wrist, and now she had to watch the person she liked bring breakfast to Ruan Cha in the morning and then lean toward her after class.

What does Ruan Cha have? A pretty face and the support of the Liang family? Can she understand stocks? Can she discern fine wine? The Liang family doesn’t even provide elite management courses!

In the future, all she deserves is a small share of company dividends!

Lin Ling stared intensely at Ruan Cha, watching as she prepared to play the game of playing hard to get, drawing Xu Shen’s attention. Not just Lin Ling, but Xu Shen also looked at Ruan Cha with interest.

His confession to Ruan Cha was more about curiosity and his unwillingness to accept rejection. Besides, was Ruan Cha truly being sincere?

Not to mention that he didn’t believe it, did anyone in the class believe it?

Ruan Cha, on the other hand, was completely unaware of Xu Shen’s self-absorption. She walked to the back of the classroom right under everyone’s gaze. However, to everyone’s surprise, Ruan Cha didn’t go to Xu Shen but went directly to the classroom door.

At the classroom door, there was a set of chairs for the teacher on duty and a plastic bag filled with trash left by the school janitor.

Ruan Cha stopped in front of the plastic bag, raised her hand without hesitation, and dropped the egg waffles and meat buns neatly into the trash. After throwing them away, she turned around to face the dozens of burning gazes and said calmly, “Don’t copy this. Wasting food is shameful.”

Then she turned back to Xu Shen and spoke clearly, “I hope Xu Shen doesn’t do shameful things in the future. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Xu Shen: “…”

Lin Ling: “…………”

The whole class: “…………”

Even if Ruan Cha’s words were hard to understand, it was clear that she was telling Xu Shen that if he kept packing breakfast, it would share the same tragic fate as the egg waffles and meat buns.

Until Ruan Cha sat back in her seat, Xu Shen didn’t take his eyes off her. He stroked his chin, realizing that Ruan Cha wasn’t going for this type of approach. He would need to change his strategy.

Xu Shen had all the qualities of a male protagonist—good looks, intelligence, a prestigious family background, and a strong-willed personality. If a girl could catch his interest, he wouldn’t give up easily.

Ruan Cha, however, had no idea of Xu Shen’s plans. After throwing the breakfast in front of the entire class, no one from Class 10 dared to tease her anymore.

If anyone said Ruan Cha was playing hard to get, they’d have to throw breakfast at Xu Shen’s face first! Would they dare? Just ask if they dared!!

You’ll never get breakfast packed by Xu Shen himself!

For the next two lessons, the class was quietly observing. They thought Ruan Cha’s actions of rejecting Xu Shen’s gesture had been too disrespectful. With Xu Shen’s temperament, he would definitely be angry, and if Ruan Cha was hit, they’d have to step in.

As for Lin Ling, she secretly rejoiced, thinking Ruan Cha’s attempt at playing hard to get was foolish. She was hoping that Xu Shen would give Ruan Cha a harsh lesson and help her take revenge for the wrist she had twisted.

Lin Ling had never believed that Ruan Cha wasn’t interested in Xu Shen. After all, someone as outstanding as Xu Shen would naturally attract attention. Could Ruan Cha, coming from a small town, have ever met such an excellent guy?

But to the disappointment of those waiting to step in and Lin Ling, Xu Shen didn’t reprimand Ruan Cha. On the contrary, he acted as if nothing had happened. When he faced Ruan Cha again, he not only continued to smile but also did so gently, making everyone shiver in discomfort.

Ruan Cha, seeing that Xu Shen only smiled without saying anything, chose to ignore it and focused solely on preparing for the monthly exam. As a result, Class 10 had a peaceful Friday, with no more drama.

Because there was a monthly exam next Monday, after school in the evening, Ruan Cha came home with a full backpack of key materials. But as soon as she entered the yard, she was frozen in place, her apricot eyes wide open in surprise.

Can someone explain to her, where did the large garden, which Grandpa loved the most, with its jagged rocks and fragrant flowers, go?!!

Wei Jiao, who was fanning herself with a straw hat, saw Ruan Cha and smiled, waving at her, “Cha Cha, come here and have a look! Dad and Mom are making a greenhouse. From now on, we can have fresh cabbage in Nanshi too!”

Last time at the dinner table, Ruan Cha had mentioned that the school cafeteria had a wide variety of food, and Wei Jiao wouldn’t need to get up early to make cabbage bento anymore.

At first, Wei Jiao was very happy, but the next day, she overheard the maids in the house saying things like, “It’s embarrassing to bring cabbage to school. The students there eat all kinds of delicacies and wouldn’t look at such cheap cabbage.”

Wei Jiao was surprised by how expensive the school cafeteria food was, but was also angry that the maids misunderstood her daughter. Cha Cha was clearly trying to spare her from getting up early!

Of course, Wei Jiao thought it was understandable that her daughter didn’t bring cabbage to school. Back in their hometown, their family ate fresh cabbage every day. But in Nanshi, they only had a few old cabbages from home, and their taste wasn’t the same.

“Cha Cha, didn’t you say that the decorations in the garden looked uncomfortable? Your dad and I decided to take them down and build a greenhouse instead. By the way, we only have two cabbages left from the ones we brought, so we’ll grow some cabbages. And since you and your mom like strawberries, we’ll plant some of those too.”

After saying that, Ruan Zhengfei stuffed some sunflower seeds he had just peeled into Ruan Cha’s hand, signaling her to eat.

As fellow lazy people, Ruan Cha’s parents were good at being lazy. While they directed the workers to move things around, they wore straw hats, eating sunflower seeds while supervising.

The garden decorations were indeed uncomfortable. Ruan Cha’s bedroom had a large and spacious balcony that faced the garden. Although the garden was beautifully and delicately arranged, Ruan Cha just felt oddly uncomfortable looking at it, sometimes even feeling a tightness in her chest. Perhaps the decorations were too orderly?

Ruan Cha popped a small handful of sunflower seeds into her mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and then handed the rest back to Ruan Zhengfei. She reached out and tugged on Wei Jiao’s sleeve, lowering her voice, “Mom, we’re staying at Grandpa’s house, not at our own house. Changing the garden into a vegetable greenhouse might upset Grandpa and Uncle.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. They won’t be upset. Grandpa agreed to it right away.” Wei Jiao waved her hand dismissively, signaling Ruan Cha not to worry. After speaking, she pointed ahead. “Besides, we’re only taking up about twenty square meters of space. The rest of the flowers and rocks will be moved back once the greenhouse is finished. It’s a bit messy right now, so everything was temporarily moved.”

Just then, Old Master Liang, leaning on a cane, came out of the villa. Upon seeing Ruan Cha, he smiled and waved, “Cha Cha’s back! Did you have a good time at school?”

Tang Hua, who was supporting Old Master Liang, almost laughed when she heard the conversation. In the past, Old Master Liang treated the younger generation equally and was strict with them.

His two sons, along with Fu Chen and Mengyu, would always be lectured by him when they returned home. “Have you been studying hard? You can’t rely on the family’s wealth and neglect your studies. Education is important.”

When Ruan Cha first came back on the first day of school, Old Master Liang almost asked, “Have you been studying hard?” But before he could speak, Wei Jiao had already cut him off. In the following days, Old Master Liang had no chance to speak, and within a week, he had been completely “reformed” by Wei Jiao.

“Grandpa! I had a great time at school!” Ruan Cha ran up to hug her grandfather. After that, she turned to greet Tang Hua, “Good evening, Aunt Tang.”

“Good evening, Cha Cha.”

Tang Hua smiled gently, feeling soft inside. It was really nice to have a daughter. Her own troublesome son was always nowhere to be found when he came back from school at night. The oldest was too serious, and the second one was too noisy and always causing trouble.

“Dad, sis-in-law, don’t mind the mess. We’ll have it cleaned up in half an hour,” Ruan Zhengfei said, pointing at the newly built greenhouse. “Do you have any favorite fruits? We can plant those too.”

“I’m fine with whatever, as long as you’re happy planting,” Tang Hua said with a smile when she saw the couple looking at her. She was afraid they might think she had an issue with the greenhouse. “How about some small tomatoes? If I have time, I’ll come and learn with you.”

Actually, Tang Hua didn’t mind the greenhouse in the yard at all.

First, the house belonged to her father-in-law, and even if the large yard had a greenhouse taking up a few dozen square meters, it wasn’t a big deal. Moreover, several of the ladies in their circle grew flowers and fruits in their own yards, which was a very pleasant and relaxing hobby.

Most importantly, Tang Hua felt that her third sister-in-law and her husband really had a talent for growing vegetables. The few big cabbages they brought home were so fresh and plump, and after cooking them, they were so delicious that it almost made her bite her tongue.

As for their own yard, a few years ago, her second sister had hired someone to design it. It was neat and well-designed, but it lacked a bit of vitality and liveliness.

In the midst of their casual chat, a Bentley and a Lamborghini drove into the yard one after the other. Due to the greenhouse materials blocking the way, the leading Bentley had to stop.

Liang Zongqi adjusted the sleeves of his suit and got out of the Bentley. Almost at the same time, Liang Qianling, who was sitting in the Lamborghini, got out and ran straight toward Liang Zongqi. “Big Brother, am I not your sister? That project is guaranteed to make money, and now it just needs investment. You can give company dividends to the useless third sister and her husband, but you won’t even consider your sister who grew up with you? We’re family, so don’t treat us like strangers, you—”

“Ah!!! What are you doing?!” Liang Qianling saw the chaotic scene in the yard and nearly went blind from anger. She immediately locked eyes on the culprits, Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao, and screamed in rage, “I spent so much effort getting Master Yu to design this garden, and you actually tore it down! If you want to grow vegetables, go back to the town and plant them!”

Liang Qianling was almost going crazy, hating the Ruan family—especially the three of them.

A few years ago, due to poor management, the Song family’s company had shrunk, and Liang Qianling set her sights on her maternal family. A few times, her father and Liang Zongqi had helped, but when it came to more investments, they had cruelly stopped offering assistance.

Later, Liang Qianling had worked hard to get close to Master Yu, who had a special status in the metaphysical community. After listening to her request, Master Yu agreed to design a unique garden at the Liang family’s villa. With a garden, it would bring wealth to the Song family.

The effect of the garden was significant. Over the years, the Song family managed to secure two projects that originally belonged to the Liang family.

But before Liang Qianling could enjoy her success, she saw with her own eyes that the garden that had brought wealth to the Song family was demolished! Liang Qianling was furious! She glared at Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao with eyes full of hatred.

“You—”

“Stop!!!”

Ruan Cha saw Liang Qianling glaring at her and heading straight into the yard. She quickly spoke up to stop her, but helplessly, Liang Qianling could only see the disordered garden and waved her arms as she charged forward.

“Ah—”

In a little black dress, holding a platinum bag, Liang Qianling wildly flailed her arms in front of everyone and tumbled straight into the sticky, thick cement pit.

Mud splattered everywhere.

The entire yard, from the owners to the workers, stood still for a moment, as an eerie silence fell around them.

“Ahhhhhh!” Liang Qianling screamed in rage. How could she have been so embarrassed in her whole life?

She didn’t bother to ask help from her brother, Liang Zongqi, who was standing there. Instead, she climbed out of the pit, wearing her little black dress now covered in cement stains, her eyes locking onto Wei Jiao. “Wei Jiao! Why do you have to bring that poor, small-town attitude into the Liang family? Planting cabbage in the garden at home—”

“Shut up!”

The usually silent Old Master Liang coldly reprimanded her, tapping his cane against her arm. “How dare you say Wei Jiao is poor and uncouth? At least she brings something to the family! The greenhouse—she paid for it herself and asked for my approval in advance! What are you doing? You’re always scheming behind my back and taking things from the Liang family to give to the Song family!”

“Our Liang family has been a prestigious family for centuries, and yet we have someone like you, whose only focus is on romance! You’re scheming against your own family and tarnishing Wei Jiao’s family reputation in the circle!”

Old Master Liang had been taking good care of himself these past few days. His complexion was rosy, and he moved swiftly, chasing after Liang Qianling without a hint of fatigue.

“Dad!” Liang Qianling dodged the cane, her hair disheveled, and she was in an utter mess, filled with both anger and resentment. “Are you really going to disown me just because of Wei Jiao?”

“I don’t acknowledge a fool like you! Empty your brain of the nonsense before you ask me whether I acknowledge you!”

Liang Qianling used her bag as a shield against the cane, her voice sharp as she yelled, “What’s wrong with seeking benefits for the Song family? What’s wrong with seeking benefits for my husband?”

“Dad, you’ll regret this in the future!”

Liang Qianling shoved Old Master Liang’s cane aside and, with flushed cheeks and ears, turned around and ran.

“Pfft.”

She tripped again and fell into the cement pit.

Ruan Cha and her family: “…”

The Liang family: “…”

Ruan Cha looked at Liang Qianling, who was once again stuck in the pit, her expression complex.

Her second aunt used to be someone of status.