Ch 108 (Extra 8): After My Mother Returned to the Rich Family

[Softening Up CP (4)]

At 9:40 p.m., the evening lecture finally ended. Ruan Cha stretched lazily and hooked her arm through Fu Chen’s as they exited the classroom—only to run into two of her suitemates who had just finished their own class next door.

“Whoa, Fu Chen came to keep Cha Cha company in class?” one of them teased, then clutched her stomach dramatically and glanced at the other. “Bao’er, didn’t I just say I was kind of hungry? Now I’m suddenly full. Burp.”

The other roommate looked at Ruan Cha and burst into laughter, quickly chiming in, “Must’ve been fed a full serving of dog food.”

Ruan Cha let go of Fu Chen’s arm and gave each of them a light smack on the arm. “Cut it out, both of you. Who was the one showing off last night after buying congee with her boyfriend, huh? You can’t act like you’re full now.”

While Ruan Cha chatted with her suitemates, Fu Chen stood quietly behind her, holding her books, his gaze never straying from her face.

“We’re going to Starlight Park for New Year’s. You two want me to bring back anything—” Before Ruan Cha could even finish her sentence, both girls shot their hands into the air, as if afraid she’d change her mind halfway through.

“Xu’s mochi and almond biscuits, thank you!”

“Jasmine flower cake from the shop diagonally across from Drum Tower, thank you, sweet and lovely Cha Cha!”

Normally, those shops would close around 9 p.m., but with the huge crowds coming to Starlight Park for the New Year countdown, the owners had decided to stay open until 1 a.m.

The snacks they mentioned were from some of the city’s oldest and most beloved stores, known for their long lines and singular locations—each only had one branch in the entire country, and that was in Starlight Park.

Starlight Park sat just a district away from Jing University, named for its stunning light bridge that sparkled like a galaxy. On New Year’s Eve, there would be not just a countdown, but also a grand light show and drone performance.

Logically, the place should have been packed with people hours ahead of time, as most would arrive early to secure a good view. But—

The Liang family owned the West Horizon Hotel in the park, and its presidential suite—arguably the best vantage point—had been reserved for Ruan Cha in advance. Meanwhile, the Fu family owned a department store in the same area, and the rooftop of its chic lounge bar was also reserved for the two of them.

When Ruan Cha’s suitemates learned she wouldn’t need to jostle through the crowd for a good spot, they weren’t surprised—but it still hit a little differently.

At school, Ruan Cha went everywhere with them—same meals, same routines—and dressed for comfort rather than brand names. With one of their roommates being a verified rich second-gen, the comparison made Ruan Cha seem like she came from an ordinary, middle-class family.

—Seemed.

Seemed, their butts!

After the three roommates, not usually ones to follow variety shows, stumbled across an online post and binge-watched Ruan Cha’s episodes on Dear Life, they could only shake their heads.

Some people really could hide their shine.

Looking so low-key and grounded, but their family was basically overflowing with wealth!

If they hadn’t seen it for themselves, they never would’ve believed the sweet, down-to-earth Ruan Cha had been raised by doting parents and had the powerful Liang family as her maternal background.

When the four of them went shopping, Ruan Cha would always rush toward sales, clip coupons when shopping online, and compare shipping deals before buying anything.

Girl, your spending habits are way too un-rich!

“I’ve noted it down,” Ruan Cha grinned, flashing an “OK” sign. “But if the line’s too long, I’m bailing. Snacking before bed just puts on weight anyway—think of it as me helping you two diet.”

“Fair, fair,” one of them said quickly. “If you actually manage to get them, we’ll just pay you back through WeChat.”

To them, yes, Ruan Cha was rich. But that didn’t mean she had to foot every bill. Treating people out to meals was one thing—asking her to run errands was another.

Then one of the girls leaned in and whispered, “Cha Cha… so did you two end up picking the hotel or the lounge bar?”

“The hotel,” Ruan Cha answered calmly. “We already had a fruit platter set up on the balcony—it’s right across from the big clock tower. Makes the countdown more ceremonial. Plus, it’s a perfect angle for watching the drone show.” She patted her roommate’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, if I can get your snacks, I’ll definitely bring them back.”

Roommate: “……”

We’re not worried about the snacks, Cha Cha. We’re worried you’re spending the night in a hotel!

“Cha Cha, I know you’re eighteen now, but you’re still so young—we really shouldn’t rush into things—” Her roommate trailed off mid-sentence as she met Ruan Cha’s pure, wide-eyed gaze. Her voice just… died.

It suddenly felt like if she kept going, she’d be the one leading Ruan Cha astray.

Among the four of them, Ruan Cha was the youngest. The other three always looked out for her. Fu Chen definitely seemed reliable—he wasn’t flirty at school, and he didn’t even glance at other girls.

Still, the thought of the two of them—just the two of them—alone in a suite… let’s just say it conjured a few not-so-wholesome images.

The roommates weren’t prudish. They didn’t bat an eye at other couples booking hotels near campus.

But when it was Ruan Cha… something just felt off.

—Like Fu Chen was seducing a high schooler.

Ruan Cha waited for her roommate to finish, but nothing came. She glanced at her watch—it was getting late—so she waved cheerfully. “We’re heading to Starlight Park now! You two better head back to the dorm after the countdown. It’s freezing tonight.”

The girls didn’t say anything else, but while Ruan Cha remained oblivious, Fu Chen had guessed a bit of what they were thinking. He couldn’t help smiling—both at their overprotectiveness, and at how lucky Cha Cha was to have such genuine friends in college.

Right before they left, Fu Chen turned to Ruan Cha’s two roommates and said meaningfully, “After the countdown and the show, Cha Cha and I will be heading back. Would you mind leaving a light on for us?”

The roommates immediately understood what he meant and smiled, waving their hands. “No trouble at all—we’ll be waiting for Cha Cha to bring back the late-night snacks.”

After Ruan Cha and Fu Chen disappeared from view, the roommates looked at each other and exchanged a helpless grin.

“Stuffed with dog food.”

“I’m already in a relationship, but man, that was a full meal.”

There were plenty of students exiting campus. All they needed to do was scan their student cards. As they stepped outside, Fu Chen turned his head toward Ruan Cha. “Cha Cha, are your hands cold?”

Ruan Cha had been scanning the area to see where their car was parked, and was just about to say “not really” when something suddenly occurred to her.

Without missing a beat, she slipped one of her hands into Fu Chen’s down jacket pocket with a perfectly straight face. “Cold. Super cold. The kind of cold that desperately needs someone else to warm it.”

【……】

【Ruan Cha, I just finished adjusting your body temperature. What a waste.】

Beijing’s winter was far colder than Nanshi’s, with temperatures dropping close to minus ten. The system had been kind enough to auto-adjust her internal temperature when it saw her bundle up.

It didn’t expect…

That Ruan Cha would just blatantly ignore it.

But Ruan Cha hadn’t forgotten. She quickly replied in her mind, “1128, turn it off—fast! If Fu Chen touches my hand and it’s not cold, he’ll totally see through my excuse!”

【……qaq】

No wonder other systems didn’t like it when their hosts got into relationships. Watching their host act all lovey-dovey with someone else was depressing—even for a heartless AI.

The system shut off the adjustment in time, but it wasn’t instant. When Fu Chen took her hand inside his pocket, he could still feel the faint warmth.

Not knowing a system was behind it all, he just assumed it was due to her natural body temperature. His expression didn’t change as he nodded. “Yeah, a little cold.”

【……】

Ruan Cha was briefly stunned by how smoothly he played along. Then she grinned and gently tightened her hold on his hand.

Only Fu Chen could match her performance so flawlessly—back in high school, and now in college too.

Once they got in the car, Fu Chen didn’t ask her to take her hand back. “Should we call your parents?”

“I already video-called them at lunch. What about you? Did you talk to Father Fu?”

Ruan Zhengfei and Wei Jiao had returned to their hometown in mid-December after spending three months in Beijing. Now that they were confident Ruan Cha was doing well at school, they could return without worry. Plus, it was time to harvest the cabbages, and Wei Jiao needed to start the next round of breeding.

When Ruan Cha called them at lunch, her dad even grumbled half-jokingly over video chat—saying if they were still in town, there’s no way they’d let her go out with Fu Chen this late.

So in a way, the outing had already been “reported” to both sets of parents.

Fu Chen, thinking about those three months watching Ruan Cha with her parents, lowered his gaze slightly. Compared to that, his relationship with his own dad… felt distant.

(Father Fu: Hmm.)

“I sent a text,” he replied. “Said—”

“Text isn’t enough.”

Before he could finish, Ruan Cha pulled out her phone and looked at him with bright, serious eyes. “If we’re out, our families are bound to worry. They need to see us, not just read a message. Plus, if someone’s sick, you can’t always hear it in their voice. So—we need to make video calls a habit.”

Fu Chen: “……”

Both he and Father Fu were reserved by nature. He remembered that when his dad had gone abroad for two weeks during his childhood, they didn’t even make one phone call, let alone video chat.

But looking at Ruan Cha’s shining eyes, and remembering how his dad had sat alone in the study before he left for Beijing…

Fu Chen hesitated, then made the video call.

“Ah Chen? What is it?”

Father Fu appeared onscreen, still in his study and wearing the same shirt—probably just finished a video conference. He blinked, momentarily thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Fu Chen shook his head. “Nothing really. Cha Cha and I are heading to the park for the New Year countdown.”

“Hello, Uncle Fu!” Ruan Cha leaned into the frame, beaming. “We wanted to wish you Happy New Year in person. We were afraid you’d be asleep when midnight hits, so we thought we’d call now while we’re still on the way.”

Father Fu instantly understood everything just from that one sentence. He chuckled silently inside but kept a straight face. “Mm, mm. Happy New Year, Cha Cha. You two enjoy yourselves at the park. If anything comes up, let Ah Chen handle it. I’ll tell you now—Ah Chen, he—”

Fu Chen listened expressionlessly as his father started roasting him to Ruan Cha, thinking how immature he was—but still, he didn’t interrupt, dutifully holding the phone so the two could chat.

Honestly, some of the things his dad was recounting—

He barely remembered them himself, but they weren’t bad memories to revisit.

Maybe it was the rare surprise of a video call, or maybe he was just in a good mood—but Father Fu ended up chatting with them all the way to the park, only saying goodbye once they arrived and leaving them the rest of the night to themselves.

Once they got there, Ruan Cha dragged Fu Chen around the park, then lined up to buy the snacks her roommates wanted. Before long, it was 11:30 p.m., and the two of them headed to the reserved presidential suite at West Horizon Hotel.

The hotel stood right at the edge of the Starlight Park light bridge, offering a breathtaking panoramic view. Standing on the top-floor balcony, with glass all around, gave one the illusion of standing on the edge of the galaxy.

Inside, it was warm. But the balcony was icy cold, with a strong night wind blowing. Wrapped in their down jackets, the two of them stood side by side, gazing out over the glowing, bustling park.

The plaza below was packed with people—waving glowsticks, holding balloons, all eagerly waiting for the big clock’s minute hand to hit twelve.

Leaning on the railing, Ruan Cha rested her chin in her hands, staring across at the giant clock. Just two more notches to go. Some people couldn’t wait and had already started counting down.

“Fu Chen, once the countdown starts, there’s something I want to do.”

“Oh?” He looked over. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” She turned toward him, tilting her head with a playful smile. “Remember the candy I gave you in class? Did you guess why I gave it to you?”

Fu Chen’s smile deepened. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer. “I did. I think… I figured it out.”

Ruan Cha: “???”

Figured it out?

She was just about to ask what he meant when—

DONG!

The clock began to chime.

It was midnight. The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter. Strangers, friends, lovers—everyone was celebrating the start of a new year.

“I figured…” Fu Chen leaned in slightly, his voice tender and warm, “you wanted to see which was sweeter.”

The next moment, Ruan Cha’s eyes widened.

Her heart seemed to stop.

Before she could say a word, his lips met hers—soft and warm, with a faint taste of mint—stealing her breath along with her thoughts.

The music, the wind, the lights—none of it could compare to the sweetness and gentleness pressed against her lips.

Just as she was starting to recover from the daze, Fu Chen began to pull back. But she wasn’t ready to let go.

With a bold little huff, she reached up, tugged the fur-lined hood of his jacket down over his head, and used both hands to pull him close again.

Right before she kissed him again, she whispered, “You’re sweeter. I need another taste.”

Fu Chen nearly burst out laughing. But he followed her lead, tugging her hood down too, their faces hidden within the fluffy lining.

And as their breath mingled once more, the fur of their hoods intertwined.

Mmm.

Nice and warm in here.

He wouldn’t mind kissing his Cha Cha like this forever.