Ch 80: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

Ruan Cha stared at the text message on her phone, stunned. Grandpa always sent his New Year’s greeting on New Year’s Eve. When she hadn’t received it this year, she thought it was because he was in a remote location with no signal.

But now, the message had come through?

【Ruan Cha, I’m heading off to track Yu Zheng’s location.】

“Go ahead. Be careful.” Ruan Cha couldn’t help but remind it, worried Yu Zheng might try to scheme against the system again.

Once she had the system’s reassurance, her eyes returned to the phone screen. She tapped into the reply bar and slowly typed, “Happy New Year, Grandpa! Please take care of your health this year. If you have time, remember to call home more often. Mom, Dad, and I all miss you.”

She truly wanted to see her grandfather in person, but figured he must have his reasons for staying out of sight. So she didn’t reveal her emotions in the message.

To her surprise, Grandpa replied almost instantly. In the past, it usually took half a day for him to respond. Why was the connection so good this year?

【Grandpa: I’m in great health, no need to worry.】

Ruan Cha read the message twice, lips lifting into a bright smile. Her mood was instantly lifted. Not only had the magnetic field disrupted by Yu Zheng’s mysticism recovered this morning, but she also got a message from her grandpa. What a great start to the new year!

Her dad had been right—new year, new beginnings!

Right after finishing that message, another notification popped up—this one from Fu Chen.

【Fu the Excellent · Not a Slacker · Sharp-Eyed: Just got an email from the teacher—our advancement exam is set for the thirteenth of the first month, 9 a.m. Want me to pick you up?】

【Fu the Excellent · Not a Slacker · Sharp-Eyed: We can quiz each other on the way there. First time skipping a grade—I’m not feeling too confident.】

Not only had Fu Chen perfected the art of being shameless, but he was also completely unfazed about poking fun at himself. Saying he had no confidence? He said it with zero hesitation.

He had even felt like it wasn’t fair that he tied with Ruan Cha for first in the grade last semester—and had been trying to find an excuse to ask her for tutoring help, but nothing seemed convincing enough.

When Ruan Cha saw the first message, she was about to decline politely and say she’d take the car to school herself—after all, it wasn’t her first time going, and she didn’t want to trouble him.

But after reading the second message, she quietly deleted her half-written response and typed instead:

【Okay. Let me know on WeChat when you head out.】

She figured maybe Fu Chen really hadn’t reviewed well.

How else could someone who topped the grade in both freshman and sophomore years suddenly say he wasn’t confident?

(Fu Chen: There are other reasons.)

After replying, Ruan Cha remembered she’d be getting news from the system soon too, and headed out of the room in good spirits.

Since it was already late and only about two hours until lunch, she planned to drink half a glass of milk to tide herself over. But as soon as she left her room, she saw a stunning unfamiliar woman in the living room downstairs.

Jiang Yuxing had left Liang’s house on the afternoon of the first day to return to work after confirming the system really had a marketplace. So on the second day of the new year, aside from this unfamiliar woman, only her parents and the Liang family members were downstairs.

Holding the railing and peeking down, Ruan Cha saw her eldest cousin sitting shoulder to shoulder with the pretty woman. She immediately guessed who she was.

The one who had convinced her cousin to graduate early before the new year—the future cousin-in-law he kept mentioning!

Leaning on the railing, Ruan Cha admired the elegant woman for a while: shoulder-length waves, striking features, a red knit dress that made her look like a blooming rose.

“Our genes really are excellent,” Ruan Cha murmured, gazing at her good-looking relatives. Even Liang Qianling—who had been disowned by Grandpa—was considered a beauty among society ladies.

Grandpa once said Qianling resembled Grandma by about fifty percent, while her mom Wei Jiao had Grandma’s eyes and his own nose.

“My cousin is handsome, and his girlfriend is drop-dead gorgeous.”

She admired her family’s looks for a few more minutes from upstairs, then turned and headed down. Before she could reach the others, the woman—Yan Ruocan—spotted her.

When she first came to the Liang household, Yan Ruocan had been both nervous and a little uneasy. But the moment she saw Ruan Cha, her eyes curved, and she broke into a radiant smile. “Cha Cha, Happy New Year! First time meeting—you can just call me Sister Can Can.”

As she spoke, appreciation flickered in her eyes. Ruan Cha was even more beautiful in person than in photos—standing there like a little fairy.

Yan Ruocan had no siblings and had always wanted a younger brother or sister. Liang Sunjin was too old for her to develop that kind of sibling bond, but Ruan Cha was the perfect age—and quiet and sweet to boot. First impression: full marks.

Ruan Cha responded with the greeting, “Sister Can Can, Happy New Year.”

Tang Hua pulled Ruan Cha down to sit between her and Wei Jiao, smiling as she gently introduced, “Your Sister Can Can met your cousin while studying in the UK. Her family’s from Hai City, and it’s her first time visiting us.”

“She’d only just sat down when she asked where you were. Said she saw your photo in Sunhuai’s friend circle and always wanted to meet you.”

Hearing this, Ruan Cha gave Yan Ruocan another smile. In her heart, she figured Can Can’s desire to meet her probably had something to do with the fact that she had helped convince her cousin to graduate early.

Anyone who might have changed the course of events from the first timeline—Ruan Cha wanted to talk to them.

After all, in both of her dreams, she’d never personally witnessed the Liang family’s final outcome. It was only the first time, when she saw the book in her mind, that she’d pieced together the fates of her Liang family relatives and her own parents from between the lines.

Ruan Cha couldn’t figure out why her mother died or why her father went mad—and what role Yu Zheng had played in it all.

If she hadn’t known Yu Zheng existed, she might have chalked the Liang family’s tragedy up to the ramblings of the delusional Ren Qingqing.

But with Yu Zheng clearly involved—and having made multiple moves against the Liang family—Ruan Cha now believed that everything in the book likely stemmed from things Ren Qingqing had personally seen online.

While chatting with the elders, Yan Ruocan was a bit distracted, sneaking glances at Ruan Cha every now and then. Seeing the girl’s healthy, rosy complexion, she couldn’t help but breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

When she was burning with fever in her dorm, Yan Ruocan had a dream. The images were fragmented, most of them vanished the moment she woke up—but a few stuck with her vividly.

Like the fact that Ruan Cha had died young.

That day, just after class, Liang Sunhuai had gotten a call from home. The granddaughter the Liang family had just welcomed back—Ruan Cha—had been in an accident.

And Liang Grandfather, already bedridden with illness, deteriorated rapidly after her passing. His condition worsened, and it was clear he wouldn’t hold on for long.

Liang Sunjin and Liang Sunhuai, who had both gone to the UK after a car accident to clear their heads, booked tickets and flew back to China that very afternoon.

Yan Ruocan remembered how, after Ruan Cha’s accident, everything in the Liang family began to spiral downward—the poisoning incident at West Shore Hotel, an employee suicide, construction accidents… all the worst headlines and labels were suddenly pinned on the Liang family.

And all she could do was watch Sunhuai get mocked time and again by clients and industry peers. She watched him and his brother carry the weight of the family business after their father collapsed. And she could do nothing.

When she first woke up, groggy and disoriented, she asked herself in her heart:

If those fragmented dream pieces were truly glimpses of the future, should she stick by Liang Sunhuai and help him climb back from rock bottom—or break up with him and cut her losses?

But the moment the question left her heart, Yan Ruocan had laughed.

There was no letting go. She couldn’t let him go—no matter what might happen.

After her fever broke, Yan Ruocan immediately brought up graduating early with Liang Sunhuai. Their timeline was ahead of what she’d seen in her dream—Ruan Cha was safe and sound. If they returned earlier to keep watch, she could feel more at ease.

As she glanced at Ruan Cha chatting happily with Tang Hua and Wei Jiao, her smile as bright as ever, Yan Ruocan couldn’t help wondering—what could possibly happen to Ruan Cha that would lead to depression later on?

And the Liang family seemed different too. Grandfather Liang looked strong and healthy, and Liang Cunjin hadn’t been in a car accident. The whole family seemed happy and close.

Ruan Cha saw that Yan Ruocan was still chatting with Grandpa and figured there was no space to join in, so she turned to her dad. “Dad, Mom, I got a text from Grandpa this morning. He wished me a happy new year and said the gift he prepared is on the way.”

Hearing that, Ruan Zhengfei, who hadn’t received any text himself, couldn’t help feeling a little sour. “That old man treats you like you’re his only family. It’s like I’m adopted or something.”

Seeing her dad getting jealous, Ruan Cha shamelessly patted her cheek with exaggerated pride. “Well, can you blame him? His granddaughter is this adorable—it’d be weird if he didn’t like me.”

Wei Jiao stroked Ruan Cha’s hair with a chuckle. “Exactly. When you were born, your grandfather called right on the dot—less than a minute after.”

While she was chatting with Grandpa Liang, Yan Ruocan happened to glance over at the Ruan family’s smiling faces and couldn’t help recalling the fragments of her dream. In that timeline, it seemed Ruan Cha’s mother had been doxxed by some fan group online.

Yan Ruocan rubbed her temples. Her dumb brain—why couldn’t she remember more?

【Ruan Cha!】 the system’s voice rang in her mind, excited and sharp. 【I’ve locked onto Yu Zheng’s location! But there’s a firewall surrounding it. His mental domain is too strong—my current energy isn’t enough to break through.】

Ruan Cha had been reminiscing with her parents. The moment she heard the system’s voice, she snapped back to focus. She kept her expression neutral to avoid raising suspicions. “Is the locked area big?”

【Not really. There’s a row of townhouses in the southeast suburbs. Within the area I locked onto, there are three townhouse units. When I left, someone was already sweeping the area. Leading the team was that elder surnamed Shen who came to your house once—and a very elegant woman.】

Grandpa Shen?

Was he the one who restored the magnetic field in the southeast suburbs?

Ruan Cha had originally planned not to alarm Yu Zheng. She wanted to keep learning, wait until she had enough energy, and then have the system launch a surprise attack. But if Grandpa Shen was already moving, Yu Zheng would definitely notice. And—

Back in the study, Jiang Yuxing had said Yu Zheng forbade any contact between him and Yu Zhiyan. If Yu Zheng found out, he’d stop treating Yu Zhiyan and revoke Jiang Yuxing’s system access.

In all these years, Jiang Yuxing had only seen Yu Zhiyan three times—and not once had they been able to speak. He knew the reason well enough: Yu Zheng didn’t want him revealing anything about the system he was bound to.

Ruan Cha still couldn’t fully figure out Yu Zheng’s plan, but her instincts told her there was more to his ban on contact. Since there was no avoiding it now—if Yu Zheng was going to be alerted anyway—should she take some extra action?

She tightened her grip on her phone, a decision firming in her heart. Then she looked up at Grandpa Liang.

“Grandpa, there’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up. One of my classmates hasn’t been reachable for days. I’m worried… something might’ve happened to him.”