Ch 68: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

WARNING: Chapters will be unedited from now on. Please read at your own discretion.

…

In a traditionally designed study, Father Fu was in the middle of a video call with employees from an overseas branch when he noticed Fu Chen pushing the door open.

His eyes flickered with surprise, but with his subordinates still watching, his expression remained stern and serious, exuding the kind of pressure that made people tense up.

Fu Chen didn’t say a word. He simply picked up a book and sat down in a chair, waiting patiently while the strict voice of Father Fu echoed throughout the study.

Less than half an hour later, the call ended.

Father Fu turned his head, eyes landing on Fu Chen, who was calmly flipping through his book, completely unbothered.

Crossing his hands and leaning back in his chair, Father Fu looked exasperated.

“Son, is this really the attitude you’re using to ask for help? Shouldn’t you at least pretend to be more respectful?”

He knew his own son well.

Fu Chen never interrupted his work unless there was something he couldn’t solve on his own—which meant he had come to ask the head of the family for assistance.

Fu Chen calmly closed his book and met Father Fu’s gaze with the seriousness of someone about to negotiate a business deal.

“Dad, I need you to investigate two people. I suspect they could pose a threat to Grandpa’s family.”

Father Fu, originally prepared to lecture his son, suddenly stilled, his expression darkening slightly.

“Tell me.”

“There are two of them—Yu Zhiyan and Yu Zheng—but it’s possible one or both of them have changed their names.”

After speaking, Fu Chen briefly summarized the key points from his previous investigation into Yu Zhiyan.

“I had Uncle Li look into him before. You know his abilities, but the records I received were clearly suspicious. Since your network is broader, I want to see if any documents have been altered or hidden.”

Fu Chen had never forgotten the connection between Ren Qingqing and Yu Zhiyan that day.

If the investigation turned up nothing unusual, then maybe he really was just overthinking it.

But to him, those documents—while they may have looked normal to others—felt too clean.

So clean that it was suspicious.

Father Fu had already mentally noted the key details.

However, as he looked at Fu Chen’s serious expression, he couldn’t resist teasing him—

“Son, be honest with me. Do you really think Yu Zhiyan is suspicious, or are you just jealous that he and Ruan Cha have a little secret?”

Fu Chen stood up, returned the book to the shelf, and adjusted his sleeves, smiling slightly.

“Dad, don’t you already know the answer?”

If he was really jealous, why would he bother asking his dad to investigate?

Finishing his sentence, Fu Chen left without looking back.

Father Fu shook his head with a chuckle.

“This kid… He’s so serious all the time. Who raised him to be like this?”

As soon as he said it, he paused, reaching up to rub his temples.

It had been over a decade—aside from the housekeeper, it had just been him and his son at home.

Who else could have influenced Fu Chen?

After a moment, he glanced at the framed family photo on his desk.

His fingers lightly brushed over the image of a gentle and beautiful woman, and a fond yet sorrowful smile appeared on his face.

Softly, he murmured—

“Honey, if you had been the one to raise him… what kind of person would he have become?”

Compared to the Fu family’s serious atmosphere, the Ruan household was a complete mess of excitement.

As soon as Ruan Cha stepped into the house, she spotted her parents both at home.

Before she could even feel happy, they dragged her straight into a room.

The ornate Russian carpet was covered in scattered items—

Stacks of documents, a few pieces of clothing, several bottles of wine, boxes of snacks, and random odds and ends all piled up chaotically.

Ruan Cha’s eyes widened in shock.

Her gaze shifted from the mess on the carpet to her parents’ faces, then back down to the pile of stuff.

Finally, she hesitantly pointed at the scattered items and asked—

“Mom, Dad… Are we moving back to the hometown for Lunar New Year?”

The room looked just like moving day.

Ruan Zhengfei waved his hand dismissively.

“No, we’re staying. Once you go off to college, your mom and I will head back to the hometown and enjoy a peaceful life together.”

“You dad’s right. We’ll stay here until you graduate.”

Ruan Cha: “…”

Dad, care to repeat that last part again?

So she wasn’t some beautiful product of love after all?

She was just… an accident?!

Neither Ruan Zhengfei nor Wei Jiao seemed to notice the silent accusation in their daughter’s gaze.

Instead, they excitedly pulled her down onto the carpet with them, their eyes sparkling.

“Cha Cha, look through everything! Tell us which clothes you like, which wine bottles look nice, which snacks you prefer—”

“Because whichever ones you choose, we’re going to buy out their companies.”

Before Ruan Cha even got home, her parents had already seen her grades on Weibo.

Were they happy? Of course!

After all, they had watched their daughter stay up late studying every night. Seeing her earn first place in the grade again made them feel that at least her hard work had paid off.

At the same time, though… they felt conflicted.

Their daughter had now ranked first twice, but they hadn’t even managed to buy a single celebratory gift—not a company, not a vineyard.

Two lifelong slackers, they clutched their heads and groaned in frustration.

Being ambitious is exhausting!

Talking about acquisitions is easy, but actually buying a promising investment took a ridiculous amount of preparation.

The complexity alone was enough to make their brains ache.

Ruan Cha stared at the pile of items on the floor and scratched her head in frustration.

She didn’t have time to read business management books, but judging by her parents’ confident expressions, buying a company seemed as easy as grocery shopping?

After examining the selection, she carefully felt the fabrics of the clothes, sampled the wine, and tasted the snacks.

Ten minutes later, she picked one of each, just to humor them.

Then, as if casually, she asked Ruan Zhengfei,

“Dad, with the New Year coming up, has Grandpa contacted you?”

For the past few days, System 1128 had been absorbing back the stolen functions that Virus X had once taken.

Now that she had a clear head, Yu Zheng came to mind.

The fact that he had been able to cut off his link to Virus X on his own meant he might have already noticed the existence of System 1128.

If Yu Zheng had taken precautions, then System 1128 could no longer be considered a trump card.

To Ruan Cha, if Ren Qingqing was just a minor villain, then Yu Zheng was the ultimate boss—

Someone with top-tier intelligence in information technology, combined with a deep knowledge of mysticism.

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

She could barely defend herself in the realm of science—but mysticism?

Something invisible, untouchable—if someone in her family was silently targeted, she might not even realize it.

Facing such a big boss, she had to be prepared.

• In science, System 1128 was a small part of her plan, while the antivirus program was the major defense.

• In mysticism, Grandpa Shen was her strongest support.

Her knowledge of Grandpa Shen’s involvement in mysticism came from her previous request for him to investigate Yu Zheng—

That was when she learned that Yu Zheng had ties to the field.

Afterward, Grandpa Shen had openly admitted that he had a deep understanding of residential feng shui and could even identify objects that carried “unclean” energy.

The only other possible backup was her grandfather—the one she had never met.

In the original novel, “Ruan Cha” had no grandfather.

But she did.

This difference probably meant that her grandfather had some key role to play in helping her.

Even if he couldn’t, she still wanted to meet him once—

To thank him for the gifts he had sent her every year.

They had never met, but somehow, his gifts had always been exactly what she wanted—

Like he could hear the wishes she made every Christmas Eve.

——

“Your grandfather…”

For the first time, Ruan Zhengfei, who was always so carefree, frowned.

“Your grandpa used to call every two months. We never knew what he was so busy with, but at least it wasn’t anything concerning.”

“But ever since we came back from your grandpa’s place, it’s been half a year, and he hasn’t called once.”

“He still sends texts every month, but all he ever says is that he’s busy and can’t meet up right now.”

——

Ruan Cha’s heart sank.

She suddenly thought of how, in her previous life, her grandfather had never existed.

Her fingers tightened instinctively as she grabbed her father’s arm, her face turning pale.

“Dad, do you think something happened to Grandpa?!”

“What if it’s like in those criminal cases, where someone keeps sending messages at intervals to make us lower our guard—so we don’t call the police?”

Seeing that Ruan Cha was truly frightened, Ruan Zhengfei reflexively reflected on himself.

Had he just sounded too serious?

Hurriedly, he reached out and patted her back gently.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Your grandpa is fine. The texts he sends are actually part of a word game we used to play when I was a kid.”

“I even taught you before, remember? Each word carries a meaning that only we understand—no one else could possibly figure it out.”

Wei Jiao nodded in agreement.

They had often played word games with Ruan Cha growing up.

“Your dad’s right. Even the neighbors back in town wouldn’t be able to make sense of them.”

However, Ruan Cha, having been influenced by the book’s events, remained firm when it came to matters involving family safety.

She shook her head.

“No. I think we need to report this. Just because Grandpa has been away for years doesn’t mean we should consider this normal. Under the current circumstances, this counts as a missing person case.”

Wei Jiao, who had just been helping Ruan Zhengfei convince their daughter, immediately switched sides.

Turning to Ruan Zhengfei, she said, “Feifei, I think Cha Cha’s analysis makes a lot of sense.”

Ruan Zhengfei: “…”

It wasn’t that he was careless.

It was just that…

The old man had gone a full year without calling before—this was nothing new.

The fact that he used to call every two months had been the result of endless pestering on his part.

Even when he did call, his grandpa would barely say a few words before hanging up.

Over time, he got used to it.

But now, looking at the worried expressions on Wei Jiao’s and Ruan Cha’s faces, a hint of unease began to creep in.

Could it be that his father really was in trouble?

That thought alone was enough to scare himself.

Without hesitation, he sprang up from the carpet, grabbed a coat from the rack, and hurriedly said—

“I’ll check on it right away. You two stay home and don’t worry.”

With that, Ruan Zhengfei rushed out the door.

——

Downstairs, as he passed the entrance, he caught sight of Liang Qianling and Song Mengyu, who had just returned with Elder Liang.

He didn’t even stop to greet them—he just nodded quickly and kept running.

Liang Qianling’s expression darkened with displeasure.

In this household, Wei Jiao’s husband really didn’t bother putting on any airs—not even the basic courtesy of acknowledging her presence?

She hadn’t been home for a while, and now that she was back, he couldn’t even stop for a second to say hello?

——

The Liang family had two daughters, and naturally, outsiders compared them.

From childhood to adulthood, Liang Qianling had always lived in her sister Liang Yue’s shadow.

Jealousy and resentment built up over the years—who ever heard of deep sisterly bonds in wealthy families, anyway?

In Liang Qianling’s opinion, the only fool in the family was Liang Cunjin, who ran off to become an actor.

If not for that, his two brothers, Liang Cunhuai and Liang Cunjin, would definitely be locked in an endless battle over the family business.

If she didn’t have true affection for the sister she grew up with for over twenty years, how could she possibly care about Wei Jiao, whom she hadn’t seen in over forty years?

Still—she didn’t openly mock her in front of Elder Liang.

Instead, she smiled politely.

“Dad, it looks like my brother-in-law had something urgent to take care of. If you or Third Sister ever need help, just let me know.

“The Song family may not be as powerful as ours, but we still have some useful connections.”

To be fair, Elder Shen’s intervention had worked somewhat.

After a month of guidance, Liang Qianling had learned how to conceal her irritation in front of others.

At the same time, her priorities had shifted.

She still thought her husband was decent, but not good enough for her to fully devote herself to him.

In the past, she had been blinded by sentiment.

Now, she knew she had to start looking out for herself.

And the Liang family—her maiden family—was not something she could afford to distance herself from.

——

Elder Liang glanced at Liang Qianling but didn’t respond.

He considered himself fair in how he had treated all three of his children.

When it came to managing the company, he had never favored sons over daughters.

Everything had been based on capability and personal ambitions.

His eldest son was competent.

His second daughter, Liang Yue, had always been passionate about art, uninterested in business.

She spent all her time immersed in painting.

As for his second son—

He wanted to run the company.

But he didn’t have the ability to do it.

So what could he do? Hand it over to him just because he asked?

During the days spent treating Liang Qianling with Elder Shen, Elder Liang had long seen through it—his second son had been led astray from a young age, and it was their fault for not correcting him in time.

“You came back with so many bags—what’s the matter?”

“There’s something I need to talk about.” Liang Qianling looked up and saw Wei Jiao and Ruan Cha coming downstairs. She quickly waved enthusiastically, “Third Sister, Cha Cha, I was just about to talk to you both!”

Ruan Cha studied Liang Qianling thoughtfully. Had Grandpa and Elder Shen finished the treatment? Whether her warmth was sincere or not, the Liang Qianling before her now was completely different from the one who had mocked her father in the study. From her expression to her gaze, it was like she had become another person.

Wei Jiao couldn’t be bothered to pretend at sisterly affection. “Second Sister, don’t call me Third Sister—it gives me goosebumps. Just call me Old Three like you used to.”

Hearing this, Ruan Cha immediately understood—Liang Qianling’s friendliness was all an act.

Ruan Cha had always found her family fascinating. Her father seemed carefree, yet he had an uncanny ability to make the right friends. In just a few days, he could be calling someone “brother” and chatting like they had known each other for years.

Her mother, on the other hand, seemed like she only knew how to grow cabbages. Yet, when it came to breeding crops, she didn’t just waste time—she somehow managed to grow cabbages that tasted better than everyone else’s. More importantly, her mother could read people perfectly.

Whenever her father assigned someone a task, he would always ask for her mother’s opinion first. If her mother said the person was unreliable, he would observe them again—and sure enough, that person would turn out to be a failure.

Now, seeing Wei Jiao’s attitude toward Liang Qianling, Ruan Cha knew immediately—whether she had undergone treatment or not, Liang Qianling still looked down on their family. Yet despite that, she was still trying to establish connections—so there had to be another reason.

Ruan Cha didn’t overthink it. She simply linked arms with her mother and headed downstairs, walking right past Liang Qianling without even sparing her a glance. They settled onto the sofa, each taking a cup of warm tea from the housekeeper and enjoying a sip.

Seeing their deliberate disregard, Elder Liang didn’t say anything. He had been absent for over forty years. He had no right to demand that the younger generation forgive and reconcile just because he was their elder. People his age shouldn’t make themselves a nuisance.

Liang Qianling felt irritated at being ignored by Wei Jiao, but she maintained her composure well, letting out a small sigh as she spoke with a tone of apology, “Third Sister, I came here with Mengyu to apologize to both you and Cha Cha. After you returned, we made several mistakes, and we were wrong. But no matter what, we are family by blood. I hope you won’t hold it against us.”

Throughout Liang Qianling’s speech, Song Mengyu kept her head lowered. Facing Ruan Cha, she only felt embarrassment—and deep down, jealousy. Because once again, Ruan Cha had topped the exams. Even her second brother’s variety show was clearly promoting her. The entire family revolved around Ruan Cha, while no one even noticed her!

Not only did the Ruan family own the Golden Peach plantation, but they also had the money to buy 2,000 pounds of salted fish and cabbages. They even donated an entire building to No. 2 High! Anyone with a keen eye could tell—for the past decade, Ruan Cha’s life had never been difficult. Her family had never needed to “make it up to her.”

As Song Mengyu listened to Liang Qianling apologizing to Ruan Cha and Wei Jiao, she honestly felt like something was wrong with her aunt.

Once, she had acted out violently in front of everyone. Now, she was causing a scene at the Song family’s home, arguing with her father.

Liang Qianling couldn’t hear Song Mengyu’s inner complaints. She simply patted her on the arm and urged, “Mengyu, say something.”

Song Mengyu glanced at her grandfather, who sat on the sofa, his expression unreadable—neither happy nor angry. Her hands clenched tightly as she softened her tone, “Cha Cha, about the moisturizer last time… I was thoughtless and made a mistake. I hope you can forgive me.”

“You can just hope for that in your heart. No need to say it out loud.” Ruan Cha closed the lid of her teacup, smiling. “If you say it, and others don’t want to forgive, then it just makes things awkward for everyone.”

Song Mengyu: “…”

She shouldn’t have come!

Hearing Ruan Cha’s words, Liang Qianling thought to herself that this girl had no manners, but on the surface, she still put on an apologetic face. “It’s fine, it’s fine. We’re family. A little misunderstanding will fade over time.”

With that, she opened the two boxes she had brought. “Dad, I know you like antiques, so I specially asked a friend to find a Northern Song peony-patterned long-necked vase for you to enjoy.”

Elder Liang looked at the pristine and elegant white porcelain vase in the box, feeling a mix of emotions.

His second daughter had been married into the Song family for nearly twenty years, and this was the first time she had brought something home—rather than taking things from home to the Song family.

Had what Elder Shen said about emotional manipulation really been that powerful? Had it truly blinded her completely to even the most basic family connections?

He felt disappointed that his second daughter had always harbored calculating intentions toward family.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but blame himself.

If Cha Cha hadn’t brought up hypnosis that day, he might have never realized how much his second daughter’s negative emotions had been amplified—how deeply she had been influenced by someone manipulating her emotions.

“I also got something for Third Sister and Cha Cha,” Liang Qianling continued. “I picked out a pair of jade bangles—one for each of you.”

Ruan Cha looked at the long-necked vase and the jade bangles on the table, her brows furrowing slightly.

That unsettling feeling she had felt when she first came to the Liang family crept up again—a suffocating sense of discomfort.

Elder Liang noticed that Wei Jiao and Ruan Cha remained silent. He simply smiled at Liang Qianling.

“You’ve put in the effort, Second Sister. I just hope you’ve truly reflected on your mistakes. Having some personal thoughts among siblings is normal—none of us are saints. But you must never harbor ill intent. Do you understand?”

“Dad, I understand.” Liang Qianling herself wasn’t sure why she had been so bluntly honest with her emotions before. Maybe she had really been blinded by rage when Wei Jiao’s family returned.

Ruan Cha withdrew her gaze from the two boxes and turned to Liang Qianling.

“Second Aunt, which store did you buy the jade bangles from? They look very pretty.”

Hearing Ruan Cha’s question, Liang Qianling was momentarily surprised.

In the past, she would have secretly mocked Ruan Cha for having no experience with luxury items.

But now…

The Ruan family was connected to Ye Zhi, and at the last banquet, Ye Zhi had personally offered to give Ruan Cha a set of three-color jade beads.

When it came to jade, how could Ruan Cha possibly not know her stuff?

The thought of the jade bangles made Liang Qianling feel even more guilty.

Unlike the long-necked vase, which was just a peace offering for Elder Liang, the jade bangles had a special purpose.

Liang Qianling discreetly observed Ruan Cha’s expression, but she only saw pure curiosity.

Forcing a gentle smile, she said, “I didn’t buy them from a store. I picked out the jade while traveling and had a master craftsman carve them into bangles.”

Ruan Cha didn’t ignore the uneasy feeling in her heart.

With mysticism still an unknown factor, she had to be extra cautious.

“Uncle Ye said that some jade artifacts need consecration. Second Aunt, did you have the vase and bangles blessed?”

“…Of course not,” Liang Qianling replied after a slight pause. “Consecration is a serious matter. Besides, when people wear jade, it nourishes the stone naturally. If you want them blessed, I can take you sometime.”

She felt increasingly irritated—it was just a jade bangle, why so many questions?

Elder Liang watched the exchange between the two and suddenly recalled something—he had never asked his second daughter where she had gotten the pendant Elder Shen had taken care of last time.

Adjusting his cane, he spoke, “Second, last time you were here, you dropped a teardrop-shaped pendant. I left it in the study, so you can take it before you leave.” After all, the pendant’s effects had already been removed by Elder Shen, and now it was no different from an ordinary accessory.

After a brief pause, he added, “By the way, where did you buy that pendant? Do you have any recommendations? I have an old friend—”

Before he could finish, Liang Qianling panicked and immediately cut him off.

“No!”

Realizing her abrupt reaction, she quickly composed herself, suppressing the tension in her expression before hastily adding, “I picked it up at a small shop while traveling abroad. I don’t even remember the name. Dad, if your friend likes it, I can ask around and try to find another one. If not, you can just keep the pendant I left behind.”

As she spoke, she stole a glance at Elder Liang, trying to gauge whether he had linked the pendant to the jade bangles.

Back then, she had loved her husband, Song Yun, deeply, but feared that having only one daughter wasn’t enough to secure his affection. Through a friend’s introduction, she met Yu Zheng and immediately asked him for a pendant said to enhance marital harmony.

The jade bangles were also something she had acquired from Yu Zheng.

Compared to the pendant, however, the bangles’ effects weren’t as pleasant.

Ruan Cha had been carefully observing Liang Qianling this whole time and instantly noticed her discomfort. Her heart sank.

She had recognized the pendant at first glance when she saw it in the study—it resembled one Yu Zheng had. That was how she had confirmed its connection to him.

However, the pendant’s purpose was to amplify negative emotions.

Judging by Liang Qianling’s reaction, she clearly wasn’t aware of this—or perhaps, Yu Zheng had fed her a false explanation. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have worn it so carelessly.

If, in her eyes, the pendant was harmless, then why had she gotten so nervous when Grandpa asked about it?

Ruan Cha’s gaze drifted back to the jade bangles.

It was highly possible that both the bangles and the pendant came from Yu Zheng.

First, she asked about the bangles. Then, Grandpa asked about the pendant.

Liang Qianling must have been afraid that they’d connect the two.

That raised a crucial question—

If she truly believed the pendant had beneficial effects, then when she went to Yu Zheng for a matching piece, why would she be afraid of being questioned?

Unless—

The bangles carried an undesirable effect, and Liang Qianling feared what would happen if they investigated further.

Elder Liang, lost in thought about what Ruan Cha had mentioned that night, hadn’t noticed Liang Qianling’s nervous expression.

As for Wei Jiao—she couldn’t be bothered to look at Liang Qianling at all, so she naturally didn’t notice anything either.

Originally, Liang Qianling had planned to bring Song Mengyu here to put on a show—to prove to Elder Liang that she had changed, so that the family would stop being so wary of her.

But just one simple question had left her so rattled that she couldn’t sit still any longer.

She hastily bid farewell and dragged Song Mengyu out the door.

Song Mengyu was completely bewildered.

Mom is acting so weird.

Why didn’t she discuss things with Dad before coming?

Wasn’t the whole point of visiting Grandpa to change his impression so they could start talking about business?

Why aren’t we even mentioning the deal anymore? Why are we leaving all of a sudden?!

After they left, Elder Liang looked at Ruan Cha and Wei Jiao, a trace of guilt in his expression.

“Jiao Jiao, Cha Cha, I didn’t do a good job raising Qianling in the past. I won’t interfere with how you treat her from now on, but if she ever targets you again, tell me immediately, alright?”

He wanted to see if his second daughter was truly capable of change.

“We’re not going to waste time telling you anything,” Wei Jiao waved dismissively.

“If she targets us, I’ll deal with it myself. No need to trouble Dad.”

Elder Liang: “…”

Ruan Cha stared silently at the two boxes on the table: “…”

Mom, not to alarm you, but I think we’re already being targeted.

We just dealt with one monster—now a new mini-boss has appeared?!