Ch 65: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

Due to Ruan Cha’s firm stance on dealing with love letters, the wave of confessions sweeping through Second High gradually died down after a week.

Of course, there were still some who confessed in person, like the persistent Chen Ji, but they were all met with the same rejection from Ruan Cha.

Initially, Ruan Cha thought she could finally enjoy some peace and quietly read a few books. However, on her way home after evening self-study, she unexpectedly ran into Xu Shen near the back gate of the school.

Looking at Xu Shen, whose face now bore a hint of despondency, Ruan Cha found it hard to reconcile this version of him with the once proud and defiant boy she remembered. “What’s the matter?”

Xu Shen had been waiting for half an hour but showed no signs of impatience. Lazily, he withdrew his hand from his trouser pocket, and when his gaze caught Fu Chen’s expression—one that seemed to say, “Pretend I’m not here”—he silently cursed. Fu Chen really had a knack for restraining him.

The next moment, Xu Shen’s gaze landed directly on Ruan Cha’s face, as if he was trying to discern something—perhaps irritation or dislike? Even he wasn’t sure.

His voice, slightly hoarse from smoking earlier, broke the silence. “Ruan Cha, if I said I liked you—”

Fu Chen: “…”

Fu Chen’s feelings were complex. He had planned everything so well. After skipping a grade, he and Ruan Cha would be in the same senior year class. Day after day, he’d subtly align their ideals, ensuring that when Ruan Cha thought about her future, he would be the first person who came to mind.

At the same time, he’d discreetly eliminate any classmates with romantic intentions. By the time they graduated, he’d confess, and ideally, they’d be engaged before university even began.

But Fu Chen realized his upbringing had made him accustomed to acting only when he was fully prepared. If Ruan Cha kept encountering straightforward confessions like those from Chen Ji and Xu Shen, he’d have to learn how to preemptively “dig up the competition” before confessing himself.

Xu Shen’s words startled Ruan Cha. Her mind jolted awake, and she instinctively blurted out the classic rejection line she had used just the day before on Chen Ji: “Impossible. No chance. Give it up.”

Xu Shen: “…”

Fu Chen: “…”

Even Ruan Cha thought her response was too practiced and might hurt Xu Shen’s pride. Awkwardly, she let out a dry laugh and hurried to add a reason that didn’t sound like part of a standard rejection template. “Xu Shen, I like people who are consistent. You just broke up with Ren Qingqing and now you’re confessing to me. It doesn’t seem sincere.”

Besides, considering how powerful the god of plotlines could be, who’s to say Xu Shen and Ren Qingqing wouldn’t end up entangled again someday?

Hearing Ren Qingqing’s name, Xu Shen frowned deeply. He wanted to say he didn’t like her, but the occasional stirrings of his heart before couldn’t be denied.

However, after watching a few episodes of Star Trainee, Xu Shen realized he no longer had feelings for Ren Qingqing. Even when he saw online comments criticizing her, he remained unaffected.

The only odd thing was his perception of her appearance. Sometimes, he felt Ren Qingqing wasn’t attractive; other times, watching her videos, he didn’t find her look out of place, as if she had always looked that way.

In contrast, seeing people frequently confess to Ruan Cha left Xu Shen feeling irritable. The sight of Fu Chen walking home with her after school only doubled that irritation.

The resentment and frustration he had harbored since childhood, from always being overshadowed by Fu Chen, resurfaced. Xu Shen desperately wanted to do something Fu Chen couldn’t achieve yet—

Like becoming Ruan Cha’s boyfriend.

“Ruan Cha, even if you reject me, there are some things I still need to—”

Before Xu Shen could finish, Fu Chen, who had been silent until now, pointed to the wall behind them. With the bright streetlamp illuminating the moss on its surface, his tone was serious as he asked, “Xu Shen, do you recognize that wall behind you?”

Ruan Cha turned her head to follow Fu Chen’s gesture and was suddenly reminded of the time she and Yu Zhiyan stumbled upon Xu Shen and Ren Qingqing kissing at that very spot.

She wasn’t the only one to recall it. Xu Shen’s memory was also jolted awake by Fu Chen’s pointed gesture. His already disheveled and frustrated expression, due to the lingering issues with Ren Qingqing, now carried traces of embarrassment and annoyance.

Regardless of whether he still had feelings for Ren Qingqing, confessing at the very place where he had kissed his ex was undeniably a terrible move.

Xu Shen’s gaze shifted, meeting Fu Chen’s eyes. For a moment, neither spoke, but their respective thoughts were perfectly clear.

Even after Ruan Cha and Fu Chen walked away and disappeared from sight, Xu Shen remained rooted to the spot as if nailed there. After a long pause, he pulled out a cigarette.

He scoffed to himself. It’d be a good idea to let Xie Changan—who constantly spread rumors in class about Fu Chen and Ruan Cha being close—see this. Fu Chen claimed he just wanted to be Ruan Cha’s “brother”? What a load of crap! Fu Chen clearly wanted to be her boyfriend!

Damn it!

Ruan Cha glanced back, confirming Xu Shen was no longer there, then turned to Fu Chen and thanked him. “Last week, you said you’d walk me home after school, and I said it wouldn’t be necessary. I didn’t think I’d actually run into someone blocking my way.”

Since adjusting her attitude toward studying, Ruan Cha had often become the last person to leave the classroom in Class One. Sometimes, she even considered applying for a dormitory to save time on the commute.

But she immediately dismissed the idea. Having a comfortable bed to sleep in was probably her last stand as a once-lazy “slacker.”

“No need to thank me, and besides—” Fu Chen chuckled lightly. In the dim evening light, his voice carried an unmistakable warmth. “Didn’t we agree to supervise and support each other? It’s only natural not to waste time.”

Lunchtime was no longer enough for Fu Chen. He wanted to make use of every moment, including the commute. While going to school together seemed difficult for now, walking her home was entirely doable—if he thickened his skin enough.

Meeting Fu Chen’s earnest gaze, Ruan Cha guiltily touched her nose. It turned out Fu Chen didn’t consider spending time with her a waste, yet she hadn’t included him in her “not wasting time” circle of close friends and family.

After a brief pause, she replied to make amends. “You’re right. Even if we skip grades and move on to senior year, we still need to stay focused and keep supervising each other.”

Fu Chen, satisfied with her answer, smiled gently, his eyes softening. “If you want, we can continue in university too.”

“…”

That… probably wasn’t necessary, right?

Ruan Cha thought the idea of being supervised by Fu Chen even in university would be incredibly stressful. But seeing the smile on his face, she silently swallowed her refusal.

Supervision, then.

After all, she had already excluded Fu Chen earlier, which was wrong. If she rejected him now and made him feel bad, that would be even worse—like using someone and then tossing them aside.

When Fu Chen saw that Ruan Cha didn’t object, a faint smile appeared in his eyes. Ruan Cha was truly thoughtful and adorable, making him want—

To hug her.

Of course, that thought stayed in his head. When they reached the parking lot, he kept his hands at his sides, watching her get into the car. Only after the Liang family’s car drove away did he ruffle his hair, shake his head, and get into his own car.

—

By the time Ruan Cha returned to the Liang residence, it was already 10 PM. She was momentarily surprised to see the whole family gathered in the living room. Then, noticing what was on the large TV screen, she suddenly understood.

“Oh, so episode five of Dear Life is out. I almost forgot.”

“It’s normal. Aren’t you busy studying?” Tang Hua scooted over to make room for Ruan Cha on the sofa, handing her a strawberry while she watched the end of the variety show. “The finals are the day after tomorrow, so make sure to rest at night. Don’t stay up late.”

Hearing this, the Liang family elder and Ruan’s parents nodded vigorously in agreement, with Ruan’s parents nodding the most enthusiastically.

They were baffled, though. On their last visit to the school, they noticed that Cha Cha had great relationships with her classmates. So why was she still so diligent with her studies?

Guessing endlessly, they couldn’t figure it out. Resigned, they put aside their slacker mindset and continued learning how to acquire companies and vineyards. After all, they had promised their daughter.

Their daughter was already exhausted from studying—if they broke their promise by the time finals ended, wouldn’t she be disappointed?

Thus, the three once-lazy members of the Ruan family, under a wonderful misunderstanding, all turned over a new leaf.

Completely unaware of their inner struggles, Ruan Cha sat down, took a bite of the strawberry on the fork, and replied with her mouth full, “I don’t stay up late. I always go to bed before midnight—it’s a habit. Staying up late might make me go bald.”

The others relaxed slightly upon hearing that Ruan Cha had everything under control.

The Liang family elder, looking at Ruan Cha’s slightly thin face, felt deeply distressed. He made a mental note to have the family nutritionist adjust her meal plan. The current one clearly wasn’t helping her gain weight.

Liang Cunjin, who had taken a break from work and decided to stay home for two days because he missed his sister, had been sitting cross-legged in the far corner. Watching the endless stream of comments on his tablet, he glanced at the oblivious Ruan Cha and chuckled. Sliding off the sofa in his slippers, he shuffled over.

“Sis, you’re not going bald. On behalf of the netizens, let me thank you. Look, after watching the show, they’re all fantasizing about swapping lives with you.”

Cough, cough, cough! Ruan Cha choked on her strawberry at Liang Cunjin’s words. Covering her mouth, she looked up at him in shock and confusion. “Swapping lives?”

Seeing her wide-eyed, kitten-like expression, Liang Cunjin couldn’t resist ruffling her hair before shoving his tablet into her arms. “See for yourself.”

The last episode of Dear Life had coincided with Ruan Cha’s 17th birthday. The Liang family elder had originally wanted to throw her a birthday party, but Ruan Cha insisted it was unnecessary since the show was being filmed. She suggested a simple family dinner instead.

Recalling the day, Ruan Cha frowned slightly. She didn’t think there was anything on her birthday that would make netizens wish to swap lives with her. But seeing Liang Cunjin’s confident look, she had no choice but to check the variety show clips posted on social media.

The moment she saw the first frame, her expression went blank. The next second, she was utterly disoriented. Why was her gift-unwrapping video included in the show?!

On her birthday, the elders’ gifts had arrived one after another. Since the boxes and packages were piling up, the Liang family decided to store them in the glass conservatory in the garden. Ruan Cha had unwrapped the gifts there, with the plan to leave the boxes outside and bring the gifts into the house afterward.

Ruan Cha distinctly remembered positioning herself in a blind spot during filming. The cameras should have only captured the doorway of the conservatory, not the interior. But the episode aired tonight had shown her unwrapping every single gift in full detail!

In the comments section, apart from those fantasizing about swapping lives with her, there were others meticulously analyzing the uniqueness of her gifts:

• Ahhhhh! I spotted a globally limited C&C classic bag—only three exist in the world!
• I saw a rare collectible figurine! It’s priceless—Cha Cha, just let me touch it, and I’ll do whatever you want!
• A painting by Master Bai Wu, featuring Cha Cha herself! Forget the seven-figure auction value; just the uniqueness alone makes me cry as a diehard fan.
• FYI, the instrument she unwrapped is museum-worthy.
• A private island as a birthday gift? With a personalized video tour? Cha Cha, is your family hiring?
• You’re all so basic. I’m drooling over that diamond-encrusted peach keychain (my brother says the car it goes with is the only one in the country). Cha Cha, do you need a driver since you’re underage?

The comments continued in the same vein, filled with envy and awe. Instead of feeling happy, Ruan Cha was overwhelmed with anxiety. She turned to glare at Liang Cunjin with an accusing look. “Brother, why was there a camera hidden in the conservatory? And it was in the flower rack!”

“Otherwise, I would’ve noticed it already!”

Liang Cunjin froze at Ruan Cha’s question, scratching his head awkwardly. “Last time, I was composing music in the conservatory. The production team wanted to document it, so they set up a camera inside. Later, I couldn’t come up with anything, and the sight of the camera annoyed me, so I stuffed it into the flower rack and hid it with some plants.”

After speaking, he realized something was off and glanced nervously at Ruan Cha. “Cha Cha, the night the production team asked if they should include it in the show, I sent you a message on WeChat. You didn’t reply, so I thought—”

He paused, guilt flashing across his face. I thought you approved.

Actually, it wasn’t exactly approval. Liang Cunjin vaguely remembered that Ruan Cha had sent back a symbol in response, but now it seemed like she might not have finished replying.

His voice lowered as he spoke, and with a miserable expression, he dropped to his knees on the carpet and raised his hand in a solemn vow. “Cha Cha, I was wrong. Next time, I promise to ask you in person. Hit me, scold me—whatever you say, I’ll do it immediately.”

The others in the room were stunned. So this was all a mix-up, and Ruan Cha hadn’t known anything at all!

Ruan Cha: “…”

It did seem like her brother had asked her, but she had been so exhausted from studying that day. When she saw Liang Cunjin’s message, she had been too tired to reply and might have fallen asleep mid-response.

The next morning, by the time she woke up, his message had been buried by others, so she forgot to check it again.

Ruan Cha pressed her lips together. “I have to admit, I saw your message. I planned to decline but fell asleep halfway through.”

“It’s not your fault, not at all.” Liang Cunjin waved his hands frantically, guilt practically written on his face. He had only agreed to let the clip air because he thought it would show how loved Ruan Cha was by her elders. But after seeing how some comments online had been twisted, he regretted it deeply.

Now that he knew Ruan Cha hadn’t even been aware, he wanted to slam his head against a wall, travel back in time, and slap himself for agreeing to the production team’s edits. “No matter what, it was my fault. Cha Cha, tell me what you want your brother to do, and I’ll do it.”

Ruan Cha leaned back on the sofa. “Anything?”

“Anything!”

“Alright.” Ruan Cha nodded. “In the next recording of Dear Life, can you dance the Seaweed Dance in the living room?”

The idol-turned-celebrity Liang Cunjin, who prided himself on maintaining his cool public image: “…”

But as he thought about his mistake, guilt swallowed him whole. With a decisive determination, he gritted his teeth and agreed. “I’ll do it! Not just the Seaweed Dance, I’ll also dance Three Little Bears! The child actors on my set love that one.”

Ruan Cha blinked in surprise. She had only been joking—after all, she bore some responsibility too. But since Liang Cunjin agreed so quickly, she couldn’t help but grow curious about seeing him dance Three Little Bears with her own eyes.

Seeing that Ruan Cha seemed appeased, Liang Cunjin leaned in, gossip glinting in his eyes. “Sis, I just have to ask—how did you stay so calm while unwrapping those gifts?”

It wasn’t about the price—money was just numbers to their family. But the uniqueness of the gifts! A string of rare, limited-edition items had appeared in that unwrapping session.

When Liang Cunjin saw the painting by Master Bai and the one-of-a-kind car, even he, the second son of the Liang family and a famous celebrity, felt genuine envy. Money couldn’t buy those connections!

Hearing his question, the anxiety in Ruan Cha’s heart flared up again, and her energy visibly deflated.

Honestly, after realizing how truly wealthy her family was, Ruan Cha no longer wanted to flaunt her lifestyle in public. After all—

The ones who had truly contributed were her parents!

As a mere slacker, what right did she have to make people envious?

And yet, with so many people sincerely envying her, Ruan Cha felt a pressing sense of responsibility. If she didn’t perform exceptionally well in the future, wouldn’t she be letting them down?

“Was I really that calm at the time?”

“You were incredibly calm.”

Ruan Cha saw the eager curiosity in Liang Cunjin’s eyes and, before heading upstairs, gave him a thoughtful answer. “I only realized from reading the comments that the gifts I’ve been receiving for years are all rare, limited editions. Thanks for helping me understand, Second Brother.”

Hmph!

Even a slacker could hold grudges!

Liang Cunjin: “???”

Now he wanted to swap lives!