Ch 95: After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

As a hostage, Ruan Cha spent nearly two hours at the police station giving her statement. It wasn’t until 5 p.m. that she was finally allowed to go home.

Because a private doctor brought by Old Master Liang had already thoroughly examined her right after she was rescued from Yu Zheng’s apartment, confirming she wasn’t physically harmed, the whole family felt a little more at ease.

Besides the Liang family, Fu Chen also returned with Ruan Cha to the Liang residence. He sat to the right of Old Master Liang, directly across from Ruan Cha, and every time he looked up, he could see her.

One of Fu Chen’s hands was tucked behind his back, hiding the fact that his fingertips were still trembling slightly.

Writing code itself hadn’t been that exhausting. But under the pressure of the situation—both emotionally and mentally—even Fu Chen, normally composed, had felt overwhelmed and anxious. Yet, facing the worried Liang family, he could only maintain a calm front.

He had stayed calm while failing again and again, analyzing each setback until he pinpointed the key obstruction in the signal and finally discovered the location of Jinjiang Garden.

Still, even now, he felt his skills weren’t enough. If he’d been better, he could have caught the tricks Yu Zheng used earlier and Ruan Cha might have been rescued sooner.

Liang Cunjin, who had rushed back from a film set the moment he heard the news, blurted out the moment he got home, “Chacha, are you really okay? Nothing serious happened in that apartment?”

Everyone who had entered the apartment had been stunned by the scene: red strings with golden bells scattered messily, talismans all over the floor, bloodstains whose origin no one could determine, and strange formation patterns drawn on the furniture—it was dizzying to look at.

On the bed lay a pale, motionless woman. On the floor was Yu Zheng, who the police had been hunting for years. Of all the kidnappings they’d ever encountered, this was the first time the hostage had come out unharmed, while the kidnapper looked like a full-blown mental patient.

Liang Cunjin hadn’t seen the apartment with his own eyes. All he had were fragments of conversation from Liang Cunhuai over the phone. His imagination had filled in the blanks—probably making it even more terrifying.

Nestled between Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao, Ruan Cha felt her heart settle. Scratching her head at Liang Cunjin’s question, she sincerely replied, “Nothing serious. Didn’t the doctor already check? I’m totally fine. Yu Zheng wanted to swap my life for his dead lover’s. Then he pulled out a long, bloodstained red string and tried to bind me.”

As she spoke, she gestured to show the length of the string, keeping a serious face as she added nonsense, “But maybe he was too overconfident. After we got back to the apartment, he just tore the tape off my wrists. In the moment he let his guard down, I took out the mini self-defense baton Mom had specially prepared.”

While talking, she pulled out the mini baton that Wei Jiao had asked a friend to custom-make a few days ago and shoved it into a stunned Liang Cunjin’s hand. “Here, Second Brother, borrow it for now. You get stalked by sasaengs a lot, right? I’m worried something will happen to you. Keep it with you.”

To be honest, Ruan Cha hadn’t known if the baton would work on Yu Zheng. But in that situation, with no guarantee the system would be functional, she was ready to use it.

Yu Zheng probably never imagined that aside from a GPS chip, Ruan Cha was also carrying a high-tech mini baton made by Wei Jiao’s contacts.

Liang Cunjin: “…”

Can I post a pic of this baton on Weibo later tonight? Would fans say I’ve lost all sense of humanity?

As for Yu Zheng’s erratic behavior—rolling on the floor like he’d lost his mind—Ruan Cha had simply told the police she didn’t know. That after getting zapped by the baton, Yu Zheng suddenly went insane.

The police hadn’t doubted her. With all the bizarre objects found in Yu Zheng’s apartment, they even privately speculated he’d gone too far and been possessed by a ghost.

After giving a rough account of the incident, Ruan Cha looked at Old Master Liang. “By the way, Grandpa, did the police say where Yu Zheng would be detained? I think he knows some metaphysics—I’m worried a regular jail won’t hold him.”

Old Master Liang had kept his eyes on Ruan Cha the whole time. Seeing her joking so naturally, without any signs of trauma, he was slightly relieved. Still, he made a mental note to ask Old Master Shen to check in on her.

He remembered when Cunjin had been kidnapped—it took him a whole month to stop having nightmares.

“Your Grandpa Shen is handling Yu Zheng’s situation. When we were trapped in Jinjiang Garden, it was thanks to him that we found the apartment at all.” Old Master Liang still felt like he must’ve been seeing things that day.

In their social circle, the older generation certainly believed in feng shui. They even invited masters to choose family grave sites.

But belief aside, witnessing something truly beyond science with their own eyes had left them all deeply shaken.

Hearing Grandpa Shen’s name, Ruan Cha felt a bit more at ease.

At the police station, she had overheard officers saying they were planning to give Yu Zheng a psychiatric evaluation. With Grandpa Shen involved now, she didn’t have to worry about Yu Zheng faking mental illness to dodge charges.

Not that it mattered much if he tried. Her energy points were nearly full, and while Yu Zheng was locked up, she and the system had countless ways to keep him from hurting anyone else ever again.

Liang Cunjin looked down at the baton in his hands, listening to his grandfather, and suddenly thought of that weekend trip to Ruan Cha’s hometown.

He remembered how, in the car, he’d somehow missed the right turn on the main road—maybe he’d been seeing things?

Who would’ve thought a metaphysical master had really set up a camouflage formation?

“Chacha, we don’t need to worry about Yu Zheng for now. Do you want Grandpa to request some time off from school? Take a couple of days to rest at home?”

Fu Chen, who had been quiet since they arrived, finally spoke up too. “Chacha, I think you should at least tell everyone in the class group chat that you’re okay. Then stay home and rest for a few days. Otherwise, when you go back to school, you’ll be bombarded with questions.”

Ruan Cha, who had been about to refuse, paused: “…”

A few rounds of questioning.

By her homeroom teacher.

By Class One of Grade Twelve.

By Class One of Grade Eleven.

By Class Ten of Grade Eleven…

She swallowed, then smiled at Old Master Liang. “Grandpa, on second thought, I’ll stay home for a couple of days. I need a little rest.”

Seeing her agree, Old Master Liang beamed. “Alright, alright. I’ll have someone file the leave request. You just stay home and rest. This place is safe—your job is to relax and sleep. If anything happens, Grandpa’s here.”

“Mhm!”

Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao looked at the girl sitting between them, expressions complicated.

Now that they thought about it, Fu Chen really did understand Ruan Cha. One sentence from him had gotten their usually trouble-averse daughter to agree to staying home.

Ruan Zhengfei & Wei Jiao (in unison): “Our little piglet might’ve gotten lured out before she had a chance to trample anyone else’s cabbage.”

The two of them exchanged a glance but said nothing. Honestly, they both wanted Ruan Cha to stay home for a few days. Not just because she needed rest—they, as her parents, needed to see her a few more times with their own eyes to fully calm down.

Fu Chen, seeing her agree to rest at home, also felt relieved. He too feared she might carry some lingering trauma. Even now, the image of the apartment filled with red string, bells, and talismans still sent chills down his spine.

Not to mention—he’d seen the woman lying on that bed.

He didn’t even dare imagine what might’ve happened if Ruan Cha had truly been used for a life exchange. Would she have ended up just like that?

It had taken Ruan Zhengfei most of the day to finally calm his nerves.

He reached out and pinched Ruan Cha’s cheek. “Chacha, what have I always taught you? Didn’t I tell you to think calmly before acting? To avoid getting tricked? One classmate says a few words and you rush off to the back gate? You couldn’t have called your old man first?”

Back when they lived in the small town, Ruan Zhengfei and his friends had practiced just about every scam out there on Ruan Cha—from strangers calling, strangers offering candy, to familiar voices on the phone. Any trick that existed on the market, they’d walked her through it.

From a gullible little dummy, Ruan Cha had grown into a clever little fox. Not only was she immune to being tricked, she could even turn around and trap the scammer instead.

“The distance was too short,” Ruan Cha said, linking arms with Wei Jiao on one side and Ruan Zhengfei on the other. The three of them stood close together, and it made her feel incredibly safe.

“I was on the sports field at the time. It didn’t even take five minutes to get to the back gate. We were still at school—it’s not like they asked me to go to some downtown office building. And the one who came to tell me was a classmate, so I didn’t call.”

After speaking, Ruan Cha shook Ruan Zhengfei’s arm. “But don’t worry, Dad. I promise, when I’m in college, if I get a message like that again at school, I’ll call you and Mom right away.”

Truthfully, on the way to the back gate, Ruan Cha had considered calling. But the time it would take was so short that instead of calling, she had the system buy a protective shield for her.

What she and the system hadn’t expected was that Yu Zheng had not only found out she had a system—but had also identified it as the same 1128 system that had once been bound to him. As a result, the shield’s protective rebound ended up affecting only the men Yu Zheng had sent, while the mastermind himself remained unscathed.

Wei Jiao smiled and hugged Ruan Cha after hearing her promise. “It’s fine, as long as you remember for next time. And honestly, it’s your dad’s fault too. If he hadn’t been dawdling this morning, the two of us would’ve already been at school.”

Their Chacha was pretty easy to trick—not just because of the short distance or the fact it was a classmate who brought the message, but also because they’d already told her earlier that morning they’d come to see the school’s festival.

Most private cars were parked near the back gate, and since Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao were visiting for the festival, it made sense that they’d be coming through that way to find her.

Ruan Zhengfei: “…”

Okay, fine. My bad.

Old Master Liang, Liang Zongqi, and the others, seeing the Ruan family of three so relaxed, also let out a breath of relief. What had happened that day had truly been terrifying.

If Ruan Cha hadn’t had some tools on her, by the time they arrived, something terrible might really have happened. Thankfully, now they were all gathered safely at home—no one missing.

Seeing the relief on her family’s faces, Ruan Cha felt a twinge of guilt and lowered her head. Sure, she was unharmed, but the worry she caused them was real.

Getting dragged into the van had been unexpected. But even inside, had she really wanted to escape, she might have found the chance.

But once she realized what Yu Zheng was planning at the back gate and identified the components of the drug he used, she didn’t want to run anymore.

She wanted to end Yu Zheng before her energy pool hit full, before he could hurt anyone else again.

With the antivirus program, the system, and the leftover drug powder in her hand, she was confident she could protect herself.

Now that things were temporarily resolved, Fu Chen finally looked away from Ruan Cha and turned back to Old Master Liang. “Chacha just got home, and everyone’s been on edge all day. You all need rest. I’ll head back now.”

“We do, and so do you,” Old Master Liang said, remembering how focused Fu Chen had been earlier that afternoon, glued to the computer. His heart ached just thinking about it. “Xiao Chen, I’ll have the driver take you back.”

Fu Chen didn’t argue and nodded slightly. “Thank you, Grandpa Liang.”

Seeing he was about to leave, Ruan Cha quickly stood up from the couch. “Fu Chen, I’ll walk you out.”

On the way to the police station, she’d heard her dad mention that Fu Chen had played a huge role in locating Jinjiang Garden so quickly.

While everyone else had panicked, Fu Chen had kept calm and quickly broke through the interference Yu Zheng had set up, pinpointing the GPS signal.

Without Fu Chen’s help, it might’ve taken Grandpa Shen and the others another hour to find Yu Zheng’s apartment, and the police might’ve stayed stuck in traffic.

After leaving the apartment, Ruan Cha had spent the whole time being questioned by police or bombarded by her family. She hadn’t had a chance to properly thank Fu Chen.

It was getting late. Only a sliver of the setting sun remained behind the mountain range, casting a soft, warm orange glow across the sky.

Fu Chen looked up. For the first time in his eighteen years, he thought a sunset could be beautiful—warm and vibrant like an oil painting. Of course, it might also be because the person he cared about was safe and by his side, no longer in danger.

“Fu Chen—”

“Chacha—”

Their voices overlapped as they stepped outside the villa gate. Ruan Cha blinked, then chuckled. “You go first.”

Seeing her bright smile, Fu Chen felt his heart settle completely, like he was soaking in warm water. The coldness from earlier was gone. “Chacha, can I hug you?”

Ruan Cha: ???

Before she could respond, Fu Chen had already extended an arm, gently wrapping it around her shoulders in a quick, light hug.

A faint minty scent spread between them, clinging around Ruan Cha’s nose. But before she could process it, Fu Chen had already let go and stepped back.

The hug had lasted only a few seconds.

It had happened too fast for Ruan Cha to react. Her apricot eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Fu Chen’s face remained composed, but if one looked closely, the tips of his ears—half hidden by his hair—were slightly red.

He touched the spot behind his ear, feeling the heat on his fingertips. That brief hug, just a few seconds long, had still made his heart race.

Seeing that the Liang family’s driver had pulled the car out of the garage, Fu Chen met Ruan Cha’s gaze again and smiled slightly, his words clear and deliberate.

“Chacha, I’m sorry. I didn’t ask for your permission just now. I just really needed to confirm—you’re truly okay.”

“It’s late. I’ll head home. Rest well. I’ll message you on WeChat about school stuff.”

That sudden hug had knocked the “thank you” right out of Ruan Cha’s mind. She raised a hand and waved. “Be careful on the road, Fu Chen. And rest well tonight.”

“I will.”

As the car pulled away, Fu Chen kept his head turned, eyes on Ruan Cha until she disappeared from view. Only then did he glance down at his hand—it still held a trace of warmth and the faint scent of her shampoo.

Maybe others had thought he’d been calm throughout everything. But only Fu Chen knew how tightly strung he had been, how much willpower it had taken to sit still in front of that computer and analyze network signals without losing it.

When he stood in front of Yu Zheng’s apartment and saw Ruan Cha appear, whole and unharmed, he had almost wanted to throw all caution aside and hold her tight—just to make sure she was really, truly there.

As those thoughts swirled, Fu Chen slowly clenched his hand. He still hadn’t done enough.

Meanwhile, Ruan Cha, completely unaware of Fu Chen’s thoughts, stood still after watching the car disappear down the driveway. She had meant to go back inside, but as soon as she turned around, that brief hug replayed in her mind.

【Ruan Cha, I detected an increase in your heart rate.】

Ruan Cha: “…”

“If someone suddenly hugs you, of course your heart rate will go up.”

Even as she said that, her body was being very honest—lingering outside, letting the breeze cool her down.

Spring really had arrived—otherwise, why did her face feel just a little bit warm?

【……】

The system fell silent after being shut down by Ruan Cha. Truthfully, it had wanted to say: as a system, one without a heart, not only did it not feel anything from being hugged—

even if another system hugged it, it wouldn’t feel a thing.

The quiet system ran a quick search in its database, trying to match Ruan Cha’s reactions. After a minute, it finally dug out a fitting term.

【Shy.】

But after thinking it over, it chose not to display those two words on the antivirus program’s virtual panel.

Because based on how Ruan Cha usually acted, she didn’t seem like someone who could be shy!

As a system, it was truly a failure—couldn’t even identify the emotion with precision!

——

Two days later.

Everything Yu Zheng had done was fully uncovered by the police. It turned out that seventeen years ago, Yu Zheng had been involved in the death of a person.

At the time, due to limited resources, the killer had never been caught and the case became a cold one.

And while Ruan Cha wasn’t physically harmed during the kidnapping, Yu Zheng’s sabotage on the main overpass road had led to a five-car collision, resulting in two people seriously injured and three with minor injuries.

The severity of the incident made it particularly heinous.

With secret guidance from the system and Ruan Cha, the police found two small bombs in the western district villa they had initially searched.

In no time, the charges against Yu Zheng snowballed into a monstrous mess—no matter how capable he was, there was no way to clear his name.

As for the media, they tried to dig up some clues from the students of No. 2 High School who had witnessed the event.

But before they could fully investigate the kidnapping or show up at the police station for interviews, that very evening—

Liang Cunjin posted a photo of himself with Ruan Cha on social media, arm around her shoulder, proving she was doing just fine.

It gave entertainment reporters zero chance to flaunt their “investigative skills.”

【Ding! The neuroscience drug development team has completed a crude version of formula A1 from your submitted report. Congratulations, Ruan Cha! You’ve earned 400 knowledge points!】

Ruan Cha, while sorting her books for school the next day, was startled by the 1128 system’s sudden announcement.

Delighted, she asked, “1128, did you say they actually developed the A1 drug?”

In the neuroscience report she had submitted, formula A1 was highly effective in treating Parkinson’s syndrome—significantly reducing symptoms like limb tremors.

Given how many people worldwide suffered from Parkinson’s—not just domestically, but globally—and with no definitive cure available, this was no small matter.

The system had assumed she’d ask about energy points first, but since she was more interested in the drug, it responded obediently:

【Yep, the A1 drug. Though it’s been developed, it still needs 6 to 12 months for clinical trials. The current version is crude—only a higher-quality version would have real therapeutic effects.】

Ruan Cha’s excitement dimmed just a bit. “1128, so we got 400 energy points?”

【Correct! Ruan Cha, we can—】

“Attack Yu Zheng!”

【Attack Yu Zheng!】

The girl and the system spoke in perfect unison, their voices laced with a shared kind of excitement that only the two of them could understand.

Ruan Cha plopped into her chair and looked at the mochi-like form of the system. “Yu Zheng’s locked up in that special prison Grandpa Shen arranged. 1128, are you confident? Will they find out?”

【After Yu Zheng was captured, I searched his apartment and recovered the dismantled control panel. Right now, in this plane, no one—not even Yu Zheng—can detect me.】

Worried Ruan Cha might not believe it, the system added:

【You don’t need to worry. I’ve run thorough diagnostic scans. When Yu Zheng was detained, I quietly investigated everything and wasn’t detected.】

【Also…】

The system hesitated slightly, remembering what had happened in Yu Zheng’s apartment.

【Even if I were discovered, it wouldn’t lead back to you. I’ve locked my location to the original plane using the control panel. There’s no trace linking me to you.】

Ruan Cha rested her cheek in her hand and thought aloud, “So the control panel’s your actual body? Then everything Yu Zheng did to it earlier… doesn’t that mean—”

【Ruan Cha, I want to kill Yu Zheng.】

The system really did want to. Her guess wasn’t wrong: the control panel completed the system’s physical structure. Once it had a true vessel, its mobility and flexibility had multiplied.

In the past few years, without the panel, the system had always felt incomplete—like something was missing.

Ruan Cha nodded. “Go ahead. Besides, the last batch of drugs we swapped in is all used up. Yu Zheng’s been conscious for a whole day now. If he’s pieced things together by now, he might really start scheming again.”

As soon as she finished, the mochi-like system transformed into a flash of silver light and shot off.

Within three seconds, the antivirus program’s display lit up.

On the palm-sized screen, the special cell where Yu Zheng was being held revealed itself in full—from the outside inward.