Ch 54: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

Fourth floor of the cafeteria.

While waiting in line, Ji Feiyang glanced back at Ruan Cha and Xu Nan, who had already taken their seats with Xie Sui and begun eating. He tapped Fu Chen, who was standing in front of him. “Fu Chen, didn’t you say Xu Nan might not eat well if we all ate together?”

On the day of the midterms, when Ruan Cha was taking the exam in Class 1, Ji Feiyang had suggested they invite her to join them for lunch in the cafeteria. But Fu Chen had stopped him, saying the crowd might make Xu Nan uncomfortable.

Yet today, Fu Chen had been oddly inconsistent.

Right after the fourth period ended, Ji Feiyang saw Fu Chen ask Ruan Cha if she wanted to eat with them. Once she agreed, Fu Chen immediately led the group, including himself, Xie Sui, Ruan Cha, and Xu Nan, to the cafeteria without a second thought.

Fu Chen, balancing his and Xie Sui’s trays along with two bowls of soup, paused slightly when he heard Ji Feiyang’s question but maintained his calm demeanor. Without rushing, he replied, “Once she gets used to it a few times, she’ll be fine.”

Besides, if she struggles to eat, they could simply take their time—there was no hurry.

More importantly, Fu Chen reasoned, school was the only place he could see Ruan Cha. Apart from classes, lunchtime was the longest opportunity to spend time together.

Ji Feiyang scratched his head in frustration as he watched Fu Chen head toward the table Ruan Cha had saved for them. My bro’s hiding something, he thought, but I just can’t figure it out. How annoying.

Five—no, eight people crowded around the large round table to eat. Xu Nan was experiencing this for the first time, but surprisingly, she wasn’t uncomfortable, just a little extra shy.

Huang Jiajia arrived with two friends, joining the group with a cheerful smile as she asked Ruan Cha, “Cha Cha, did you like the gift from Class 10?”

“I loved it,” Ruan Cha said sincerely after swallowing her food, flashing Huang Jiajia a genuine smile. “Next month’s your birthday, right? I’ve decided I’ll practice a bit and perform a few songs for you at your party.”

Taking a sip of her soup, Ruan Cha continued, “I already asked Xie Chang’an, and he told me you came up with the idea. Turns out you really like erhu and suona duets! So for your birthday, I’ll prepare a big surprise!”

Her face lit up with a mischievous grin, matching Huang Jiajia’s usual playful expression. “Surprise, Jiajia?”

Huang Jiajia froze. “…”

You’re planning to send me off with a suona solo at my birthday party, aren’t you?

Fu Chen suppressed a smile by taking a sip of his soup, his lips quirking ever so slightly. He had to admit, the mental image of Ruan Cha playing the suona at a birthday party was… quite vivid.

Xu Nan quietly observed the banter, gradually finding herself eating more comfortably. Watching the laughter and conversation between Ruan Cha and Huang Jiajia, she suddenly thought, Maybe eating with a group isn’t so bad after all.

During lunch, she ended up hearing a lot of gossip she’d never known about before. For example… The physics teacher’s thick hair is because he wears a wig?!

Ruan Cha noticed Xu Nan sitting there with a dazed expression and waved a hand in front of her. “Nan Nan, we were asking if you’re free on Friday to see a movie. What are you so deep in thought about?”

Clearly not snapping out of it, Xu Nan answered directly, “I was thinking about the physics teacher’s wig…”

The group: “…”

Ruan Cha affectionately patted Xu Nan’s silky hair. “Don’t worry, you won’t go bald. You don’t need to think about where the physics teacher buys his wigs.”

The group: “???”

Unlike the others, Fu Chen seemed to be lost in thought before turning to Ruan Cha. “Ruan Cha, I think if someone regularly sleeps at three or four in the morning, the chances of going bald are pretty high. Don’t you agree?”

Ruan Cha: Are you implying something about this fairy who stayed up until 3 or 4 a.m. this weekend?

The others didn’t catch on to Fu Chen’s words, but Ji Feiyang nodded earnestly. “Staying up until three or four is definitely a fast track to baldness. I keep it at one a.m. instead and make up for it by sleeping twelve hours like a hibernating bear—no way I’ll lose my hair.”

Meeting Fu Chen’s amused gaze, Ruan Cha instinctively reached up to touch her hair. Wait, is it just me, or does my hair really feel less thick?

Buzz—

Her phone lit up on the table. Unlocking it, Ruan Cha glanced at the screen and then looked up in surprise at Fu Chen, who was sitting across from her. We’re already sitting across from each other, and you’re still texting me?

[Fu Chen]: Stop touching it. Your hair is very thick, but seriously, don’t stay up late anymore. Didn’t you sleep at four on Sunday?

Ruan Cha: “…”

You wouldn’t know what time I slept unless you were also awake at four, would you?

Before she could reply, another message popped up.

[Fu Chen]: By the way, I accidentally caught a glimpse of your contact name for me. Very unique.

Ruan Cha stared at her phone, then slowly covered her face in embarrassment. She had put his name down as Fu Excellent-Not a Slacker-Has Good Taste.

Fu Chen, seeing her reaction, chuckled softly. Why is she so adorable? As for the contact name, it was probably very noticeable in her list of friends with how long it was.

Regardless, Fu Chen’s goal was achieved. By the end of lunch, Ruan Cha had made up her mind to stop staying up late. From now on, she’d study only until midnight and go to bed on time. After all, a bald slacker would be way too pitiful.

Leaving the cafeteria, Xu Nan headed to the lab, while Huang Jiajia and her two friends went to the snack street. Ruan Cha, wanting to visit a teacher to ask about skipping a grade, decided to head back to the teaching building with Fu Chen and Ji Feiyang.

Halfway there, the group of four was unexpectedly stopped by Tang Ruobing.

Tang Ruobing’s gaze flickered slightly when she saw Ruan Cha but quickly returned to its usual calm as she turned to Fu Chen, taking a deep breath. “Fu Chen, I need to speak with you alone.”

Fu Chen frowned slightly. “Can’t you just say it here?”

“No.” Tang Ruobing refused firmly before throwing a look at Ji Feiyang. “It’ll only take five minutes.”

Ji Feiyang didn’t catch her hint at all and even looked a bit annoyed. Why are you trying to have a private conversation with my bro? We’ve known each other since we were kids.

Seeing Tang Ruobing’s insistence, Ruan Cha decided to make herself scarce since she had her own matters to attend to. She waved casually at the group. “I’m off to see the teacher. Let’s meet back in the classroom.”

With that, she shielded her eyes from the sun and jogged toward the teaching building.

Fu Chen was just about to refuse Tang Ruobing again, but before he could speak, he watched helplessly as Ruan Cha ran off.

“…”

Ruan Cha made her way to the teachers’ office and, as expected, saw her homeroom teacher, who was known for often writing lesson plans there during lunch. There were also two other teachers Ruan Cha recognized in the room.

“Good afternoon, Teacher Wang,” she greeted politely.

“Good afternoon, Ruan Cha. What brings you here?” Teacher Wang, who had just been frustrated by Ren Qingqing, forced a warm smile upon seeing Ruan Cha. “Come, sit, sit. Tell me, are you having any trouble in Class 1?”

“Thank you, teacher, but no, no troubles at all.”

Ruan Cha walked over but didn’t sit down. Instead, she hesitated briefly before speaking. “Teacher, I wanted to ask—what are the school’s requirements for skipping to Grade 12?”

Teacher Wang: ???

You just moved up from Class 10 to Class 1, and now you’re thinking of skipping straight to Grade 12?

With a sincere yet composed expression, Ruan Cha explained, “Teacher, I’ve almost finished pre-studying all of the second semester Grade 11 material. By the week after next, I’ll start pre-studying the first semester of Grade 12.”

Even with her calm demeanor, she couldn’t help her self-confidence from shining through. After a pause, she added, “With some extra time during the winter break to review and solidify, I think I can manage to start Grade 12 when school resumes.”

The three teachers in the room: …

“Ruan Cha,” Teacher Wang began after collecting her thoughts, “you’ve just moved up to Class 1, and your pace might not have fully adjusted yet. Taking such a big step too quickly could affect your foundation.” She then pulled out a document from her desk. “I was actually planning to discuss this with you this afternoon. There’s an English competition in two weeks. Your English scores have always been excellent, and I was hoping you could use this opportunity to interact with other top students from different schools.”

“If you win a gold medal at the national level, the chances of being directly admitted to a top university are very high.”

Ruan Cha shook her head. Participating in a competition felt like too much of a hassle, and it would take up too much time. “Teacher, I can get into a good university on my own.”

A two-day college entrance exam is much easier than a competition that lasts over ten days.

Teacher Wang looked at Ruan Cha, brimming with confidence, and couldn’t bring herself to say more. Originally, she had planned to use her position as the homeroom teacher to prioritize Ruan Cha for several competitions, especially in English. Who could have expected that all Ruan Cha cared about was skipping a grade?

“Alright, if you want to skip to Grade 12, the school organizes assessments before the winter break. The exams cover the entire high school curriculum, and you’ll need to score above 600 across all subjects to qualify.”

As she spoke, Teacher Wang couldn’t help feeling a bit regretful. If Ruan Cha stayed in the advanced class for another year, she could likely become the provincial top scorer in the college entrance exams. Rushing to skip to Grade 12, on the other hand, might land her in a regular class instead of an advanced one.

After listening to Teacher Wang, Ruan Cha felt reassured. There’s still a few months before the exams. I’m confident I can do it. “Understood. Thank you, Teacher.”

Teacher Wang sighed and shook her head. “No problem.”

When Ruan Cha left the classroom, Teacher Wang sighed softly.

After the midterm exams, three new students joined Class 1: one wanted to skip a grade, one stormed out of the classroom after failing to answer a math question, and the third suddenly fell ill.

Just as Teacher Wang began to wonder if Class 1’s “magnetic field” might be off, one of those students, Ren Qingqing, arrived at the office. The first thing out of her mouth was, “Teacher, I’d like to apply for a leave of absence.”

Teacher Wang: …

Are you all conspiring to test my heart today?

Teacher Wang scrutinized Ren Qingqing carefully and saw that she was quite serious about her request. Frowning slightly, the teacher couldn’t help but feel puzzled—weren’t both of the two new girls in Class 1 particularly pretty?

As someone who often noticed appearances, how had she failed to register Ren Qingqing’s looks during the flag-raising ceremony?

Meanwhile, Ren Qingqing turned to glance at her reflection in the glass door. Her complexion was now fair, her features refined, a stark contrast to her prior appearance. She curved her lips slightly, though her gaze was dark and brooding. Ruan Cha, we’ll see who has the last laugh.

By then, Ruan Cha had already left the office and missed seeing Ren Qingqing entirely. Her mood was bright as she thought about graduating a year earlier. However, as soon as she reached the classroom door, she ran into Tang Ruobing, whose eyes were noticeably red.

Tang Ruobing looked away nervously when she saw Ruan Cha, flicked the water off her hands from the restroom, and lowered her head as she returned to her seat.

Ruan Cha tilted her head curiously but didn’t think much of it. She returned to her desk and noticed that Fu Chen, seated behind her, looked as composed as ever. A tinge of curiosity sparked within her, but she hesitated to ask. After all, Tang Ruobing had asked to speak privately with Fu Chen, which was their personal matter.

Noticing her gaze, Fu Chen remained calm. Lowering his voice to a volume only they could hear, he explained, “She just confessed. I turned her down.”

Then, meeting Ruan Cha’s eyes, he asked seriously, “Was rejecting her directly too harsh?”

“Hard to say if it’s harsh, but you were right to do it.” Ruan Cha turned her chair around to face Fu Chen directly. “If someone straightforwardly confesses, and you respond with vague kindness or false gentleness, then how are you any different from a green tea type?”

After watching countless Bilibili cuts, Ruan Cha firmly believed that “green tea” behavior wasn’t limited by gender.

Fu Chen watched her with faint amusement. Her earnest expression left him momentarily speechless.

Before turning back to her desk, Ruan Cha paused and added, “Fu Chen, it’s fine to tell me, but don’t mention it to anyone else. If word gets out, it could really hurt her feelings.”

After all, it took a lot of courage for a girl to confess. If it ended unsuccessfully and the news spread, it would likely make her feel even worse.

Fu Chen nodded. “I won’t say another word.”

He hadn’t intended to tell anyone else but had worried Ruan Cha might misunderstand later, so he chose to be upfront.

As Ruan Cha turned back around, Fu Chen lowered his gaze thoughtfully.

Perhaps he should’ve asked one more question—whether, in Ruan Cha’s opinion, it was appropriate to remain friends after a rejection. It might be useful to know if, someday in the future, his own confession didn’t go as planned.