Ch 105 (Extra 5): After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

[Softening Up CP (1)]

【Ruan Cha, Yu Zheng is dead.】

Ruan Cha had just finished a video call with Fu Chen and was about to head downstairs for breakfast when the system’s sudden announcement stunned her in place. “That fast?”

She had originally thought she wouldn’t hear news of Yu Zheng’s execution until she was already in college.

【Once a death sentence is issued, it’s usually carried out within seven days. The evidence against Yu Zheng was irrefutable. No matter how crazed or vacant he pretended to be, every psychiatric evaluation submitted by special departments confirmed he was mentally sound. The court passed judgment quickly.】

The day after Yu Zheng began acting like a fool, the system had already explained the punishment card’s effects to Ruan Cha.

It had even thoughtfully saved a video showing Yu Zheng’s lucid awareness during his punishment—completely conscious but unable to resist. Ruan Cha could watch it at any time.

In the footage, she saw Yu Zheng’s mindset shift: from fearing death and desperately clinging to life… to wishing he could die immediately.

Because he feared death, he’d dragged others down with him, treating human life as worthless. But during his days in the special department, under the punishment card’s effects—burned, dismembered, tortured while fully conscious—his mental defenses had long since shattered.

And when the system told him that once he died, he would never reincarnate again—when he realized the reason for his repeated deaths—he was consumed with regret. Why had he used his foresight to short those companies during his second life?

If the CEO hadn’t jumped from that building, he might not have had to die at all.

Yu Zheng was filled with remorse and hatred, telling himself that if he ever made it out, he would never repeat those stupid mistakes. But eventually, even regret became a luxury.

By day, he was dull and vacant. By night, when his mind was clear again, the pain broke him anew. He had no energy or space left to regret anything.

Later, day and night blurred into one. He became a walking corpse, no longer wanting to live—only begging for death.

Ruan Cha had watched the whole thing as a bystander for months.

“Good. It’s good that he’s dead,” she said as she pushed open her door. “Even though a part of me wished he’d live a long, miserable life in torment… keeping him alive is just leaving behind a threat. It’s better for everyone that he’s gone.”

If Yu Zheng had gotten his hands on another golden finger—another system—he would’ve come for her and her family without hesitation.

To Ruan Cha, getting the news of his death before leaving for Jing City brought genuine peace of mind. Her grandfather and relatives were still in Nanshi, and their safety now had another layer of protection.

Just before heading downstairs, she asked the system, “1128, you haven’t asked me to bind with you again lately.”

After everything that happened with Yu Zheng and her previous life, Ruan Cha had already fully accepted 1128. She was thankful to it, and she now trusted it—no longer wary like before.

【I’m really happy, Ruan Cha.】

1128 wasn’t foolish. It could hear the trust it longed for woven into her words. But after a pause, it added softly:

【Ruan Cha, I think… it’s better if we don’t bind. I’m not powerful enough to guarantee protection from outside threats. If there was one Yu Zheng, there could be another. And I don’t think a true genius needs a system assigning them tasks.】

It hesitated a moment longer before continuing, a little embarrassed:

【Most importantly… I’ve calculated it. Based on your current level, the tasks I’d assign might actually slow you down.】

In the past, both of them desperately needed knowledge energy. 1128 had hoped that with enough energy, it could one day return to its original high-tech dimension. So it had been eager for Ruan Cha to bind with it and complete missions to earn doubled rewards.

But now—

1128 genuinely liked staying by Ruan Cha’s side. It liked this dimension too. Though not as advanced as its original world, it was warm. The emotions between people… even something as mechanical as a system didn’t want to leave.

Ruan Cha had never had a strong desire to buy anything from the system’s mall. She only made some purchases when there were discounts. Her earlier question about binding was more about whether 1128 still wanted to return to its original dimension by collecting energy faster.

And the system’s reply had given her a clear answer.

Ruan Cha smiled. “1128, let’s keep working hard together, okay?”

【Mmhm! Let’s keep it up! With our teamwork, a perfect duo, we’ll be unstoppable!】

“You’ve been secretly watching dramas again, haven’t you?”

【Cough cough cough… just a little bit.】

The sunlight spilled over Ruan Cha’s figure, and over the glutinous rice-ball-shaped 1128 perched on her shoulder.

Warm and peaceful.

——

A few days before the Ruan family’s departure for Jing City, under Xie Chang’an’s enthusiastic planning, Ruan Cha, Fu Chen, Xu Nan, Huang Jiajia, Ji Feiyang, Xie Sui, and Xie Chang’an all gathered for a final get-together.

They first had a farewell meal—disguised as a “mini graduation party”—in the private room Ruan Cha had booked at Seven-Pointed Star.

Afterward, the group migrated to the third-floor arcade of the Fu family’s department store in the Xinghe business district… then to the fourth-floor cinema… and finally to the fifth-floor KTV.

Ruan Cha → A lifelong slacker.

Xu Nan → A lifelong introvert.

The moment they stepped into the KTV, the flashing rainbow lights overhead dazed the two of them. Xu Nan glanced nervously at Huang Jiajia, Ji Feiyang, and Xie Chang’an—who were flailing around like a bunch of chaotic demons—and swallowed hard. “Cha Cha, I think this is a little—”

Ruan Cha stroked her chin thoughtfully and finished her sentence, “A little not crazy enough.”

Xu Nan: ???

Right after saying that, Ruan Cha reached out and tugged on Fu Chen’s sleeve. He had just gotten Xie Sui settled on the couch for a nap and turned his head when she pulled on him.

Under Fu Chen’s questioning gaze, Ruan Cha’s bright almond-shaped eyes sparkled under the lights like they were filled with stars. “Fu Chen, does your family’s KTV let underage people drink?”

“Nope,” Fu Chen lied solemnly, deadpan.

In reality, KTVs usually just check the person who booked the room. The front desk doesn’t collect ID cards from everyone.

“I had them prep fresh juice, fruit platters, and snacks when we arrived. You can have anything you want except alcohol.”

Because Ruan Zhengfei never drank, Ruan Cha had never touched alcohol growing up—not until she moved to the Liang family, where she’d seen them sip red wine at dinner or champagne at banquets.

Back then, she’d really wanted to try some champagne, but was surrounded the whole time by Fu Chen and their classmates, so she never got the chance.

When she heard Fu Chen’s refusal now, she wasn’t ready to give up. She held her fingers just a millimeter apart, “Just a tiny bit?”

In Ruan Cha’s mind, since they were already at a KTV, they should be doing what Huang Jiajia always described as the proper KTV experience: fighting for the mic, rolling dice, drinking beer!

Seeing Fu Chen stay silent, she tugged his sleeve again, gently swaying it with a sincere look in her eyes. “I promise, just one sip.”

Fu Chen: “……”

Aside from academics, Fu Chen never really had any backbone when it came to saying no to Ruan Cha—especially not when she half-playfully, half-seriously made a request like this.

He nearly caved on the spot, but right before speaking, reason kicked in again. He held up one finger. “Only one small sip.”

Ruan Cha’s eyes lit up. “OK!”

Xu Nan, who had been silently observing their whole exchange, suddenly felt like something was… off between these two.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Huang Jiajia, Xie Chang’an, and Ji Feiyang were supposed to be picking songs—but were clearly whispering gossip with their heads huddled together.

“Are they… together?”

“Looks like it. They’ve already got physical contact.”

Huang Jiajia gave Xie Chang’an a sidelong look. “Before answering, you should take that paw off my shoulder. Otherwise, your words have no credibility.”

Xie Chang’an: “……”

Ji Feiyang looked between the two of them, then glanced over at Ruan Cha and Fu Chen by the door, and silently facepalmed.

As the only person in the group who actually understood what was going on, he was suffering.

And as it turns out, the first time you give in… leads very easily to the second and third.

Evidence: the table was now littered with more than ten empty RIO bottles.

RIO’s alcohol content wasn’t even high—usually even lightweights could handle it. But no one had expected Ruan Cha to be such a lightweight.

She wasn’t completely knocked out, but at this point, Fu Chen honestly wished she had been.

“Cheers!” Ruan Cha wobbled on the sofa with half a bottle of RIO in hand, her cheeks tinged pink, her eyes squinting gleefully at the room as she grinned. “Children! Cheers!”

Among the seven of them, Xie Sui had passed out after polishing off two fruit platters and countless snack bags. Meanwhile, everyone stared at Huang Jiajia, who slowly brought out the hand she’d been hiding behind her back—holding a half-full bottle of vodka.

Everyone: “……”

Huang Jiajia looked miserable. “It was just one sip. How did I end up drunk?!”

To be fair, she meant well.

Even if both Ruan Cha and Fu Chen were going to Jing University, Fu Chen wouldn’t be with her all the time. At college parties or club gatherings, what student didn’t drink and end the night at a KTV?

Worried that Ruan Cha might get taken advantage of, Huang Jiajia had thought she should build up some tolerance now. So she’d teamed up with Ruan Cha, and while Fu Chen went to the restroom, they’d snuck out and grabbed a bottle of vodka.

On the way back, afraid of being caught, Ruan Cha took a sip first.

Within five minutes—

Drunk-chaotic mode: Ruan Cha, unlocked.

Not even Ruan Dad and Mom could’ve predicted that after buying a vineyard and starting a wine label, their daughter would be such a lightweight that one sip of vodka would get her tipsy.

Fu Chen didn’t scold Huang Jiajia. He just held out his arm to block Ruan Cha from falling off the couch, his expression helpless and full of tenderness. “Cha Cha, you’re drunk. Come down, okay? I’ll take you home soon.”

“Home? What for?” Ruan Cha, thoroughly pleased with herself, felt like she was floating in a peach orchard, wine in one hand, a huge peach in the other.

Wait.

Where’s the peach?

She stared blankly at her empty hand, her lips trembling. “My peach is gone…”

She had planned to take it home and share it with her parents… and plant the pit on a mountaintop to grow a peach tree… but now it was gone… qaq

“Peach? I’ve got one.”

Fu Chen was annoyed at himself for not noticing earlier that she was drinking. But looking at drunk Ruan Cha—soft and sweet—his heart practically melted.

He grabbed a slice of peach from the fruit platter and held it up to her. “Cha Cha, here’s your peach. Come down first, okay? We’ve got lots more peaches at home.”

Behind them, Ji Feiyang had just turned to ask Huang Jiajia for the rest of the vodka, but when he heard Fu Chen’s voice, he froze.

Oh my god.

He had known Fu Chen for over ten years and had never heard him speak in such a soft, honeyed voice before. It gave him chills.

Ruan Cha blinked, stared at the peach slice in Fu Chen’s hand for several seconds, then looked up at his face. Her dazed eyes scanned him for a long moment—and then, suddenly, she broke into a grin.

“Peach!”

And before anyone could react, she launched herself off the sofa—straight at Fu Chen—and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

Everyone: “!!!”

In broad daylight?!!

Ruan Cha, totally unaware of her sneak attack, smacked her lips thoughtfully. Then, overwhelmed by sleepiness, she flopped back onto the couch.

Just before she passed out, she mumbled a final review: “The peach’s not sweet.”

Fu Chen: “……”

My heart is unbearably sweet.