Ch 21: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

In the Liang family’s study, everyone except Ruan Cha was present. Liang Cunjin’s usual laid-back demeanor was nowhere to be seen; he sat upright, wary of being thrown out by his grandfather with a penholder.

After Liang Cunjin explained, Grandpa Liang frowned slightly. “A reality show?”

“Yes,” Liang Cunjin nodded, briefly introducing it. “Director Jin Lu is filming Dear Life, a show that observes celebrities living with their families.”

When he finished, his gaze fixed on his grandfather. “We all know how people in the industry are. A banquet is just surface-level to them. Instead of letting them speculate, why not openly show the kind of life our family leads?”

The adults might not care about outsiders’ opinions, but what about Ruan Cha? If someone like Lin Ling dared to send thugs after her, who knew what other schemes might unfold at school?

“People in the industry? As if you don’t act on these shows,” Grandpa Liang said skeptically. He worried that his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter might feel too constrained on camera. “I think we should ask—”

Before he could finish, Wei Jiao’s eyes lit up. “Cunjin, can we really be on TV?”

“Of course. Dear Life will air on a satellite channel.”

“That’s fantastic!” Wei Jiao exclaimed, turning to Grandpa Liang. “Dad, honestly, when we discussed the banquet this morning, I was already thinking that time is too tight. Feifei and I haven’t even had the clothes we wanted to prepare for Cha Cha made yet.”

Her real reason for not bringing it up was that she wanted the banquet—and possibly the show—to dispel the rumors among the second high school students mocking her daughter’s family background.

Grandpa Liang sipped his tea thoughtfully. “You’re not worried you’ll feel too stiff to act natural?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Back in our town’s art performances, Jiao Jiao and I acted in The Legend of the White Snake and Liu Hai Cutting the Rock!” Ruan Zhengfei scratched his head sheepishly. “We even won first place, and the town rewarded us with two acres of land. Very prestigious.”

Slacker tendencies aside, they did enjoy taking advantage of perks.

The Liang family trio stared at them in disbelief.

The townsfolk are that generous?

Wei Jiao, recalling the land they earned from performances, proudly straightened her posture. “If we’re doing a TV show, let’s reschedule the banquet for after Cha Cha’s midterms. It’ll also coincide with her birthday that month.”

“Fine. You parents make the call.”

Ruan Zhengfei quickly waved his hand. “No, it’s not up to us. We need to ask Cha Cha.”

Since Grandpa Liang had spoken first when Cha Cha returned earlier, Ruan Zhengfei hadn’t had the chance to say much. Now that plans were shifting, it was only natural to get her input.

Wei Jiao agreed wholeheartedly. “Not just for the banquet—the reality show too. Even though Cha Cha agreeing is 99.99% likely, we can’t be the kind of thoughtless parents who make decisions for her without asking first.”

Grandpa Liang, who was used to making unilateral decisions in his youth: “…”

Grandpa Liang noticed his grandson’s serious demeanor and straightened up, his expression becoming more solemn. “Go on.”

Liang Cunjin, who occasionally acted without consultation: “…”

The grandfather and grandson exchanged a glance, unexpectedly in perfect harmony for once.

—They both felt targeted.

Regardless, the decision for the reality show was tentatively made. After Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao left, Liang Cunjin stayed behind, his expression growing serious.

“Grandpa, I ran into something when I picked up Cha Cha tonight. Later, we might need the help of a few of your old friends.”

The Lin and Chen families had close ties through marriage and had been tightly connected for years. Liang Cunjin didn’t think he could take on two influential families alone.

The light in the study spilled softly through the slightly ajar door, but the conversation between the grandfather and grandson deepened the gravity on Grandpa Liang’s face.

Liang Cunjin shared everything he knew. He was confident his grandfather, an old fox, would handle the matter with much more finesse. When Grandpa Liang began making calls to his connections to explain the situation, Liang Cunjin took out his phone and casually scrolled through Weibo.

Suddenly, a trending topic caught his eye: #Bainan Road Multi-Car Crash#. His pupils contracted as he shot up from his chair, his mood sinking. He clicked on the tag and read the entire report meticulously.

8:50 PM…

Earlier that evening, Uncle Wang had mentioned that Bainan Road was marked as red for congestion on the map. Was it because they were clearing the accident?

Had Cha Cha only stunned those two men and not kept them down for another twenty minutes, they might have encountered the crash.

Liang Cunjin: “…”

He couldn’t decide whether it was sheer luck or if Cha Cha’s thorough beating of those scumbags had been a blessing in disguise.

---

Upstairs in her bedroom, Ruan Cha, having just showered, didn’t dive straight into her studies. Instead, she retrieved her phone from her bag, selected a few highly incriminating photos, and searched the class group file for Lin Ling’s QQ email address.

Watching the “Message Sent” confirmation appear on the screen, Ruan Cha’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. She tapped her fingers lightly on the desk. “Hope you enjoy the gift I prepared, Lin Ling.”

Typically, no matter how targeted Lin Ling’s actions were, Ruan Cha would retort and move on. However, the incident in the alley replayed in her mind, leaving her cold with fear.

What would have happened to a cornered girl without a taser, a self-defense stick, or combat skills? How would it have ended?

Lin Ling’s claims of “just scaring her” and “beating her up” were likely lies to mitigate her guilt if things ever came to light. It was evident she hadn’t fully considered—or didn’t care about—the atrocities the thugs could have committed.

During the drive home, Ruan Cha discussed potential scenarios with Liang Cunjin and had to admit her own naivety in believing that sending the two men to the police station solved everything.

She hadn’t stayed to testify due to laziness, and Lin Ling’s family background alone could protect those men while shielding Lin Ling from consequences.

“And what should I have done then?” Ruan Cha recalled how earnestly she’d asked Liang Cunjin in the car. His analysis was sharp and practical, his social experience evident.

Leaning lazily against the car seat, Liang Cunjin had smirked. “Just tell me, your second cousin. I’ll make sure you’re avenged.”

Ruan Cha: “…”

While Ruan Cha pondered whether Liang Cunjin was genuinely reliable, Lin Ling was brimming with anticipation.

---

At the Lin household, Lin Ling sat gracefully across from her father, her poise and beauty earning a satisfied nod from him.

“Ling Ling, at the Xu family’s banquet this Saturday, make the most of the opportunity. You need to leave a strong impression.”

“I understand, Dad. Don’t worry.” Lin Ling obediently agreed. Thinking about the purpose of Saturday’s banquet brought a blush to her cheeks. However, her gaze darkened when she recalled her father mentioning that Ren Qingqing was temporarily staying at the Xu family’s home.

Mrs. Lin, noticing her daughter’s expression, chuckled. “Our Ling Ling has always been exceptional. The Xu family is bound to be impressed.”

Just as Lin Ling was speaking, her phone buzzed. Assuming it was an update from the muscle-bound man she’d sent to deal with Ruan Cha, she gleefully unlocked it, eager to see Ruan Cha’s miserable fate. Instead, the first thing she saw was a new email notification.

Frowning, Lin Ling logged into her email. The moment she opened the message, she let out a sharp, panicked scream, “Ahhh—!”

The sight of the battered and bruised muscle-bound man in the attached photos was too much. Lin Ling instinctively threw her phone away, her hands trembling, her palms clammy with sweat. Her heart pounded as if it might leap out of her chest.

The man’s bloodied and swollen face seared itself into her mind.

Lin Ling had dared to send those two thugs after Ruan Cha because she believed they’d get away clean. Even if Zhou Xiaoran later pointed a finger at her, the lack of evidence would leave her untouched.

But now—

Those two fools were probably already in custody.

By the time Lin Ling snapped out of her panic, her father was holding her phone, his face dark and his expression thunderous. The muscles on his face twitched, and he looked every bit like an enraged lion.

“Why did you involve your grandfather’s people in this?!” he roared. For years, Father Lin had been careful to distance himself from his father-in-law’s business dealings to avoid trouble. And now, his daughter had gone out of her way to stir up trouble!

Worse, she’d done so clumsily enough to leave evidence!

Lin Ling flinched at her father’s shout, her face turning pale. With a mix of omissions and half-truths, she stammered out an explanation. “I—I just wanted them to scare her! I didn’t think—”

Slap!

A loud slap cut through the air, snapping Lin Ling’s head to the side. Her ear rang, and her frail body swayed unsteadily.

Lin Ling’s mother shrieked, “What are you doing?!”

Just as the family descended into chaos, a servant timidly entered the room with two uniformed police officers. Her voice trembled as she announced, “Sir, Madam, there are… police officers here.”

The officer leading the pair, a man with a clean-cut appearance, presented his badge and politely but firmly addressed Father Lin. “We are investigating a case involving assault and the obstruction of two young women. We need Lin Ling to come with us to give a statement.”

Facing the officer’s piercing gaze, Lin Ling wavered on her feet before collapsing onto the ground. She sat there, staring blankly at the floor. A moment later, she covered her face with her hands and broke into sobs, her voice hoarse and full of despair. “It’s over… everything’s over.”

---

The Next Morning

Ruan Cha, after an undisturbed night’s sleep, enjoyed a hearty and delicious breakfast before cheerfully heading out. Completely unbothered by the events of the previous evening, she sat in the private car on her way to school, focused on reviewing a notebook filled with study highlights.

During the last monthly exam, Ren Qingqing had managed to score 148 in math within just 20 minutes. This had left Ruan Cha wary. She resolved not to relax for even a moment.

Ren Qingqing had the advantage of a system and could likely achieve high scores in other subjects during the upcoming midterms. Ruan Cha had only one option: aim for perfect scores herself.

While she was reviewing, her phone buzzed.

[Fu Chen]: I saw the program arrangements that Xu Shuwei submitted. What instrument are you playing? I can borrow one from the music room.

The English Club’s performance was entirely organized by the vice president, Xu Shuwei. Fu Chen only looked at the finalized list. Seeing that Ruan Cha’s instrument was left blank, he decided to ask her directly instead of Xu Shuwei, assuming she might have a reason for not listing it.

[Ruan Cha]: No need. I’ll bring my own. The music room probably doesn’t have it.

[Fu Chen]: Doesn’t have it?

[Ruan Cha]: I play the erhu and the suona. I didn’t see them in the music room.

Fu Chen stared at the message on his screen, momentarily at a loss for words. After a pause, he typed back:

[Fu Chen]: Great idea. The play’s direction is already leaning towards comedy, and using the erhu and suona for the background music is really unique.

Ruan Cha: “!!!”

[Ruan Cha]: Fu Chen, don’t worry. I’m confident that with the erhu and suona, our English Club’s performance will stand out as the most hilariously unique!

Ruan Cha might embrace her slacker nature, but she also loved to have fun!

After all, the English Club had made it clear—they weren’t aiming for first place, just for the most laughs.

But the very next moment, her peace was shattered by the irritating voice of her system’s electronic notification.

[Ding! Scholar System 2.0 is now online. Building on version 1.0, this system has updated itself to focus on experimental and artistic courses in the future.]

[Ding! New task: At next week’s art festival, use your musical performance to achieve the highest score among all music programs, as rated by the music teachers. Task completion will result in the extraction of 2 points of beauty from the associated target. Task failure will deduct 1 point from your system score.]

This stupid system—what the heck?!

Faced with back-to-back tasks, Ruan Cha almost cursed aloud at the school gate.

After a moment, she glanced back at the message she had just sent Fu Chen about the erhu and suona. With a thoughtful expression, she typed another message:

[Ruan Cha]: Fu Chen, I think we should embrace the perfect fusion of domestic and international styles. How about we add a saxophone? Do you think the English Club could aim for first place then?

Her dad had always said that the erhu was the king of flamboyant instruments, while the saxophone was the king of subtle Western flair. Combining overt and covert flashiness might just leave the music teachers in awe!