Ch 55: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

During the lunch break, Ren Qingqing returned to the classroom. Her arrival instantly drew astonishment from nearly half the class, with several male classmates already whispering among themselves.

“I just realized that Ren Qingqing is actually really pretty!”

“Same here. I used to think the class flowers of Class 1 were just Ruan Cha and Xu Nan, but now, Ren Qingqing is up there too. She’s really sweet-looking.”

“Three girls, three distinct styles, all in Class 1. This is too much eye candy.”

Ruan Cha frowned as she observed the seemingly transformed Ren Qingqing, all while overhearing her classmates’ unsuspecting amazement. Instinctively, she glanced at Xu Nan, noting that her side profile appeared as usual. Relieved but puzzled, Ruan Cha couldn’t help but question the situation.

This morning, when Ren Qingqing’s appearance deteriorated under the system’s influence, Ruan Cha could somewhat attribute it to a system bug. After all, her white virtual panel had been pitted against the blue virtual panel hovering over Ren Qingqing.

But now? Ren Qingqing had grown even more beautiful than before, even while Xu Nan’s beauty points remained intact. What was going on?

Ruan Cha’s concerns stemmed from her understanding of the system as one that thrived on taking from others.

If Ren Qingqing’s appearance had simply reverted to how it was before her beauty points were deducted, Ruan Cha could have rationalized it as another glitch in the system. However, Ren Qingqing’s enhanced appearance suggested a sudden influx of beauty points stolen from someone else.

Carefully scrutinizing Ren Qingqing, Ruan Cha hoped to discern traits of another person’s features.

In the novel, after ‘Ruan Cha’s’ beauty points were stolen, Ren Qingqing’s features gradually began to resemble hers. If Ren Qingqing had indeed taken beauty points from someone else, subtle traces should be noticeable. Yet, to Ruan Cha’s frustration, Ren Qingqing simply looked like an upgraded version of herself—there were no signs of borrowed features.

Ruan Cha: …

The system giving free perks? Really?

If you had these benefits, why didn’t you offer them earlier? Why force Ren Qingqing to harm others instead?

Seated at her desk, Ren Qingqing noticed the admiring glances from her classmates through her peripheral vision. Straightening her back and smiling sweetly, she quickly regained her cheerful, lively demeanor.

As expected, she thought. Whether it’s Class 1 or Class 10, everyone’s shallow enough to judge based on looks. Raising my beauty points was the right decision.

However, her triumphant mood was short-lived. As soon as she glanced at the text messages on her phone, her expression darkened.

[Mom: Qingqing, the Xu family called. They subtly suggested that you should move back home. I’ve told you before, you need to behave well at the Xu family’s place and not irritate anyone.]

[Mom: Since you and Xu Shen are impossible, come home. I’ve arranged a good marriage prospect for you, someone who can help your brother in the future. Your life and career will rely on your brother, and I’m working hard for you. Be obedient.]

Suppressing her anger, Ren Qingqing tersely refused her mother’s demands and mentioned her plan to take a leave of absence. As for Xu Shen—

She had already become prettier. Once she climbed higher in the future, Xu Shen’s eyes would see no one but her.

[System Prompt: Final confirmation—do you wish to abandon the learning tasks and switch to the idol training system?]

Listening to the cold, emotionless system voice, Ren Qingqing sneered internally.

“Do you really think I could clear the debt I owe you with learning tasks alone in just a few months? I’d probably succumb to the backlash from these tasks long before I managed to pay you back.”

That’s right—Ren Qingqing had taken out a loan from the system.

When Ren Qingqing was deducted another 1 point of beauty and left with only 1 remaining system point, she triggered the second “benefit” condition. The system offered her a loan of 50 points, as long as she could pay off the debt within the specified time.

With this debt, Ren Qingqing could no longer use points to pause tasks and could only switch to new tasks. If she failed to pay off the debt, she would need to compensate with either 5 intelligence points or 5 beauty points.

Ren Qingqing didn’t hesitate. She spent 40 of the loaned points to acquire 4 additional beauty points, allocating them all to herself, which naturally made her more beautiful.

As for intelligence points, Ren Qingqing reasoned that her future as an idol didn’t require her to be a top student. Singing and dancing well would be more than enough—who cared if she couldn’t get into a top university?

Given her current situation, sticking with the learning tasks was a dead end, especially with the arts-related tasks completely shut down. Once her remaining single point was consumed, the system would automatically impose tasks, forcing her to lose beauty or intelligence points—a nightmare she wanted to avoid at all costs.

But becoming an idol was different. If she pursued the idol path while Xu Nan remained focused on academics, they would lead separate lives, and Xu Nan wouldn’t be able to stop her progress.

[Please confirm: Would you like to switch from the learning system to the idol training system? Yes/No]

Ren Qingqing glanced at the system interface and then at Ruan Cha, who was diligently studying. A cold glint flickered in her eyes before she mentally responded: Yes.

Once she completed a few idol tasks, she would check the system store to find something to make Ruan Cha pay. Why should only she suffer deductions to beauty and intelligence, while Ruan Cha remained completely unscathed?

Almost as soon as Ren Qingqing answered, the icy monotone of the system suddenly shifted into a calm, youthful male voice. Startled, Ren Qingqing’s ears burned slightly, the sensation akin to someone whispering close to her ear.

[Congratulations, Host, for initiating the idol training plan. Tasks are being reset. The task library will update in six hours. Please be patient. Thank you.]

Ren Qingqing bit her lip at the system’s unfamiliar and seductive tone. Although she was fully aware that the previous loan resembled a deal with the devil, she no longer wanted to endure ridicule and mockery, nor hear words like “ugly,” nor be treated by her family as a mere stepping stone for her brother’s success.

As the system had once promised, becoming an idol, earning admiration points, and accumulating charm points would allow her to bask in the adoration of countless fans. Wasn’t that far more glorious than being a failing student in an elite class?

She already had a foundation in singing, piano, and dance, so completing tasks in the idol system would undoubtedly be easier. Ren Qingqing couldn’t help but resent the system—if only it had initiated the idol training plan earlier, she would have already skyrocketed to fame in the entertainment industry.

Ruan Cha won’t be able to stop me now!

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of the classroom.

Ruan Cha was multitasking—doing homework while worrying about the scheming system secretly upgrading to grant Ren Qingqing an unfair advantage again. However, before she could figure out what was happening, her white virtual panel, previously minimized into a small dot, suddenly expanded.

[Virus detected! Virus detected! Virus detected!]

[Running antivirus…]

Ruan Cha: ???

Seeing the persistent “Running antivirus” message on the panel, Ruan Cha felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. She had just disabled the arts-related tasks in the morning, and now the system was under a virus attack. Could it be that disabling the tasks inadvertently opened the door for the virus?

But then again, wasn’t the system already compromised by a virus, which is why it ended up in its current messy state? If it really had a way to eliminate the virus, why didn’t it act sooner?

Wait—

Ruan Cha suddenly sat up straight, her gaze intense as she stared at the panel.

Could it be that her own panel was initially virus-free, and her morning meddling with the arts-related tasks somehow allowed the virus to creep over from Ren Qingqing’s system?

“Did I screw myself over?”

After muttering to herself, Ruan Cha glanced at the antivirus status again. Unable to come up with a solution, she suppressed her anxiety and returned to her homework.

Apparently, the system heard Ruan Cha’s thoughts. Just as she was about to reach home, the “Running antivirus” message, which had been stuck there all afternoon, finally refreshed.

[Ding! The main system has been completely separated from Virus X. System 1128 is at your service!]

Ruan Cha stared blankly at the line of text on the panel, listening to a soft, sugary voice echoing in her ear. Her heart remained unshaken.

Who needs your service?! Can’t you just quietly exist as a tool?!

No sooner had Ruan Cha finished her internal rant than she caught a glimpse of why Ren Qingqing had suddenly become prettier. Her gaze locked onto the words “Idol System,” and her pupils constricted.

Could it be that Ren Qingqing’s rise as an idol in the novel was also due to the system?

Ruan Cha was about to dig deeper to understand Ren Qingqing’s situation when—

[Database updating. Please wait.]

“…”

You’re nothing but an outdated, sluggish old device.

When Tang Hua came downstairs, she saw Ruan Cha pouting, looking like she was stewing over something, and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Cha Cha, you’re back? Did someone upset you at school? Look at you—your little lips are so pouty, they could hold a tiny kettle.”

“Good evening, Aunt Tang.” Ruan Cha greeted her with a smile but quickly refuted, “No way, I’m not that impressive. By the way, didn’t you say you had a performance tonight?”

The Liang family members, including Old Master Liang, were usually busy. They had stayed home for a few days when the Ruan family first returned, but now everyone had gone back to their respective work.

Old Master Liang’s usual “work” consisted of drinking tea, playing chess, and fishing with his old friends. However, after what Old Master Shen said last Saturday, he had no choice but to prioritize dealing with Liang Qianling’s situation. He had been carefully planning how to discreetly assist Old Master Shen in treating her without raising any suspicion.

After all, the worst-case scenario for someone under long-term psychological suggestion was having their guard up.

Normally, the two elderly gentlemen would be conducting Liang Qianling’s first treatment session tonight.

Of course, Old Master Liang had also taken the matter more seriously because he noticed how busy Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao were, often not even returning home. He felt he couldn’t let Liang Qianling’s situation drag on any longer.

But after hearing Old Master Shen’s explanation, the family had mixed feelings, particularly Liang Zongqi. In his view, if the pendant’s only effect was amplifying negative emotions, didn’t that imply Liang Qianling already had the intent to manipulate his son?

In the past, the words Liang Qianling said at home might have all been her true feelings?

The presence of the pendant only amplified her inner scheming and brought it glaringly to the surface.

Living under the same roof for over twenty years, and realizing your own sister was wholeheartedly plotting against the family—who wouldn’t feel disappointed?

Tang Hua gently patted Ruan Cha’s head, her tone soft. “Something came up, so it’s been postponed to tomorrow. What were you upset about just now? Tell me, and Auntie will help you vent.”

Since she didn’t have a daughter of her own, Tang Hua had always been fond of the girls in the family. Initially, she should have been fond of Mengyu, but with Liang Qianling’s constant passive-aggressive behavior, Tang Hua had chosen to steer clear.

Now with Cha Cha around—so adorable and lovable—Tang Hua’s motherly instincts to dote on a daughter had been fully awakened.

Ruan Cha, hearing this, gave an embarrassed smile. Avoiding mention of the system, she came up with another reason. “Oh, it’s nothing, just that the homeroom teacher said we’re going on a farming practice trip on Friday. Five people from our class were picked, and I happened to get selected. It’s for three days, and I’m worried I’ll miss home.”

And honestly, just thinking about the time she had helped plant cabbages at home made her feel exhausted. Why farm in winter? Isn’t it better to stay in a heated room, snuggled under a blanket, watching dramas?

“Farming practice at Second High…” Tang Hua thought for a moment, recalling her two sons attending the same school for high school. They’d also done farming practice. “Ah, right, Second High always uses the Jintao Base for farming practice, twice a year. The earlier trip was for rice planting, and this second one—your Friday trip—should be much easier. You’ll be picking strawberries in a greenhouse and learning baking at the base.”

Ruan Cha froze and, seeking confirmation, asked, “At the Jintao Base?”

Tang Hua nodded. “Yes, the Jintao Base. The environment is great, and the facilities are excellent. I remember the dorms are two people per room. Both of your cousins had a wonderful time there back then.”

After answering, Tang Hua couldn’t help but laugh at Ruan Cha’s expression. “Have you heard about it before, Cha Cha? Not surprising, really. I think several high schools use it for farming practice.”

Ruan Cha: …

Not just heard of it—the name “Jintao” came from when I casually named it while eating peaches.

Back then, Dad had only mentioned buying a plot of land to build greenhouses for their family of three to pick strawberries when bored. He never said it’d be used as a farming practice base for high schools!