Chapter 43

Ruan Xinyi had no idea what Uncle Cheng and Aunt Zhou were discussing in the kitchen. At this moment, her attention was entirely on the dining table. As soon as Ruan Su sat down, she eagerly handed her a bowl and chopsticks.

Before Ruan Su could say anything, Ruan Xinyi had already served her a bowl of seafood porridge, cooled to the perfect temperature, and handed it over along with a napkin, treating her with great care and respect.

Ruan Su gave her an odd look. She picked up the small porcelain spoon and stirred the steaming porridge lightly. Then, without taking a bite, she rested the spoon on the edge of the bowl and asked in a neutral tone, "In a good mood today?"

As the saying goes, when someone is unusually attentive for no reason, they’re either scheming or guilty.

But Ruan Su suspected that Ruan Xinyi's unusual behavior this early in the morning had something to do with what happened last night.

"Huh?" Ruan Xinyi sat down across from Ruan Su, restraining her smile slightly. She chuckled and said, "Not really, I just wanted to come home early and have breakfast with Mom."

Ruan Su smiled noncommittally. Right in front of Ruan Xinyi, she picked up her phone and tapped the screen twice with her slender index finger before casually asking, "You were drinking pretty late last night?"

"I didn’t drink much, just a little," Ruan Xinyi replied, popping a steamed dumpling into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up.

"Oh." Ruan Su continued tapping on her phone, her thumb moving swiftly across the screen, as if she were chatting with someone. After a while, she finally put it down and sipped her porridge elegantly. "I have a business trip next Thursday. I’ll be back Saturday night."

"Alright," Ruan Xinyi nodded to show she understood.

Ruan Su dabbed the corner of her lips with a napkin before casually adding, "If you're free, help me water the roses in the backyard."

The backyard rose bush had been there for as long as Ruan Xinyi could remember. Over the past ten-plus years, it had grown from a tiny plant into a flourishing, sprawling bush. Every blooming season, it would burst into vibrant flowers.

"Sure," Ruan Xinyi responded softly. As she lifted her eyes, she noticed that Ruan Su had picked up her phone again. She wasn't sure what she had seen, but a light chuckle escaped her lips, and even her eyes carried a trace of amusement.

Curious, Ruan Xinyi bit the tip of her small porcelain spoon and asked, "Mom, did you see something funny?" Her mother was smiling so happily that it was making her curious too.

Ruan Su coughed lightly and replied in a serious tone, "I'm teasing your aunt."

Ruan Xinyi: "???"

Baffled, she asked, "Why are you teasing her?"

Setting her phone down, Ruan Su sat up straight and answered solemnly, "Because it's fun."

Ruan Xinyi: "..."

It was pretty amusing—unfortunately, for now, only Ruan Su could enjoy the fun. She couldn't let Ruan Xinyi in on it just yet.

Noticing the fleeting look of frustration on her daughter's face, Ruan Su toned down her laughter and explained, "I was just asking your aunt when she'll be coming back."

"And?" Ruan Xinyi wasn’t particularly affected by the news. To her, this was just an ordinary visit from a distant relative she hadn’t seen in years.

Wait—no. They weren’t even related by blood, so not even a distant relative.

"Didn't she already come back before?"

Ruan Xinyi couldn't recall much from when she was younger, but hearing them talk about her aunt now made her feel a little awkward—especially when facing that particular aunt.

Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind: at worst, she'd just treat her like any other elder.

Seeing how indifferent Ruan Xinyi was, Ruan Su was slightly surprised. But she didn’t press further, assuming that her daughter still didn’t know her boss was actually her aunt.

Well, that would make things even more interesting later.

"She returned earlier to settle her job," Ruan Su continued after a pause. "I asked her about it. Since she just joined the company, she's been quite busy. She’ll come back for a few days once things settle down."

Ruan Su observed her daughter's expression closely. "Ruan Ruan, when that time comes, you should visit home more often and spend time with your aunt."

Ruan Xinyi reluctantly mumbled, "Oh. Got it."

In her mind, she thought: I’ll be busy chasing after my love. Where am I supposed to find time to entertain this aunt?

Thinking ahead, she cleverly left herself some wiggle room. "I'll try. If it's on a weekend, I should be able to come home. But I can't guarantee it—what if my professor needs me?"

Ruan Su didn’t reply, but in her mind, she rolled her eyes gracefully.

As if I can't see through your excuses, you little rascal.

---

After breakfast, before Ruan Xinyi could clean up, Aunt Zhou had already taken over the task.

Lifting her chin slightly, Ruan Su said to Ruan Xinyi, "Come take a walk with me."

"Okay," Ruan Xinyi responded gently.

They didn't walk far, just strolled along the small path outside the villa for about ten minutes before heading back.

At that moment, the sunlight piercing through the clouds suddenly intensified. The green leaves reflected the bright light, making it somewhat dazzling.

Ruan Xinyi raised a hand to shield her eyes and stepped aside to avoid the glare bouncing off the leaves ahead.

Ruan Su let out an almost imperceptible sigh and pushed open the front gate of the villa, stepping inside first.

The front yard had a cobblestone path that led directly to the backyard.

Walking on the uneven cobblestones, Ruan Su moved at a leisurely pace.

"Ruan Ruan, do you remember tripping on this path when you were little?"

Ruan Xinyi furrowed her brows, trying to recall, but eventually shook her head in confusion.

"You were walking too fast and didn’t notice a stone sticking out. You tripped and scraped your knee badly—it bled a lot." Ruan Su stopped at a small bend. "Right here."

"I... don't remember." Maybe she had healed well as a child since there weren’t any scars left on her knees now.

Ruan Su chuckled and kept walking. "What I remember most is that you didn’t cry, just kept complaining about how much it hurt."

Scratching the back of her head, Ruan Xinyi asked skeptically, "Not even when you disinfected it?"

"Oh, you cried then." Ruan Su nodded in realization. "Like flipping a switch—one moment you were fine, the next you were wailing. You even demanded Uncle Cheng dig up this whole path."

Ruan Xinyi: "..."

Stopping in front of the now nearly human-height rose bush, Ruan Su observed how it had bloomed even more vibrantly since last week. The brilliant red petals stood out, resembling a burning bonfire.

She gestured to a certain height and said with nostalgia, "When it was first planted, it was only this tall."

Unaware of the deeper significance, Ruan Xinyi simply commented, "This rose bush must be over ten years old by now."

"More than that." Ruan Su gently plucked a flower, rolling it between her fingers. The contrast made her knuckles appear even paler. "This year marks the twenty-fourth year."

After a moment, she handed the flower to Ruan Xinyi and said softly, "Let’s go back."

---

Biting down on the small plastic spoon that came with her meal, Wen Xihan expressionlessly opened the photo Ruan Su had sent her.

The difference was glaring when compared side by side.

The seafood porridge lacked freshness, carrying an indescribable fishy taste. It was overly thick and slightly colder than it should be, making the entire bowl appear even greasier. The steamed dumplings fared no better—when she lifted the lid, condensation had pooled inside, with half of it dripping directly onto the food. Worse still, they had been sitting for too long, causing the dumpling skins to dry out in patches.

Glancing again at the beautifully arranged breakfast in the photo, Wen Xihan picked up a dumpling with barely concealed disdain. She didn’t even bother dipping it into the provided sauce before putting it straight into her mouth.

Not good.

Truly awful.

Half the dumpling skin was dry, while the other half was unpleasantly soggy. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the filling didn’t taste fresh either, leaving an odd aftertaste.

Pulling the trash bin closer, Wen Xihan dumped the entire takeout meal inside.

Even after rinsing her mouth multiple times with warm water, the strange taste lingered.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she grabbed some snacks, eating several pieces of candy before finally feeling somewhat better.

As the sweetness spread through her mouth, Wen Xihan pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a wry chuckle. What was she going to do? That little brat had completely spoiled her palate…

---

That evening, after dinner, Uncle Cheng offered to drive Ruan Xinyi back to her apartment.

Not wanting to refuse his kindness, Ruan Xinyi accepted, letting Uncle Cheng drive his Phaeton while a bodyguard followed in another car.

Along the way, Uncle Cheng casually chatted with Ruan Xinyi about her job—asking about her boss, her colleagues, and how she was getting along with them.

Ruan Xinyi answered truthfully but selectively, sharing only the positive aspects. She even made sure to shower her boss with praise from head to toe.

The moment Uncle Cheng heard this, he immediately marked the boss as a prime suspect. However, upon learning the boss was a woman, his wariness faded, and he even threw in a few compliments of his own.

Feeling pleased, Ruan Xinyi was happier than if she had been praised herself. Encouraged, she eagerly continued the conversation.

By the time Uncle Cheng parked the car, he had gathered no useful information.

After watching Ruan Xinyi go upstairs, Uncle Cheng remained standing outside for more than ten minutes.

The bodyguard, standing silently behind him, couldn’t help but whisper, “Butler Cheng, aren’t we leaving?”

Uncle Cheng looked up at Ruan Xinyi’s floor. Seeing the lights on in the unit across from hers, he frowned and said coldly, “Find out who lives across from Miss Xinyi.”

He had personally handled the purchase of this apartment. At the time, the unit across the hall had been unsold.

Originally, he had planned to buy that unit as well once Ruan Xinyi moved in, but with everything going on, he had completely forgotten about it.

“Yes, Butler Cheng.”

Just as Uncle Cheng was about to turn and get into the car, a figure emerged from the entrance, carrying a bag of trash. The sight made him freeze.

His gaze swept over the woman—dressed in casual loungewear with a simple trench coat draped over her shoulders. She looked incredibly familiar.

As she walked closer, her features became clearer. Uncle Cheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. Testing his guess, he hesitantly called out:

“Second Miss?”  

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Translator's Note:

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