Ruan Yu turned around and saw Xu Huaishi.
She had known Xu Huaisong wasn’t an only child, but she wasn’t sure exactly how much younger his sister was. Now, seeing Xu Huaishi in the standard high school uniform of Su Province, she had a rough idea.
Probably around sixteen or seventeen.
A bad feeling instantly rose in Ruan Yu’s heart.
Didn’t Su City No. 1 High School’s history museum have her photo? Could Xu Huaishi possibly be studying there?
Ruan Yu smiled at her. “I can handle this. Don’t you want to go chat with your brother?”
“What’s there to talk about with him?” Xu Huaishi muttered. “He’s way too much—how could he ask a guest to wash fruit?”
Ruan Yu had found it odd earlier, but now she understood.
Xu Huaisong probably had something to discuss with his family and, seeing her standing there awkwardly, had deliberately sent her away for a bit.
But in his eyes, was she really that oblivious? She’d been planning to leave anyway.
Xu Huaishi followed her to the pantry, set her phone aside, and rolled up her sleeves.
Ruan Yu’s gaze inadvertently swept over the phone screen and noticed that the lock screen wallpaper was a photo of Li Shican—a tall, lean figure in a basketball jersey standing on the three-point line, an orange ball in his palm.
Noticing her glance, Xu Huaishi grinned and introduced proudly, “My ‘boyfriend.’”
Ruan Yu froze, then caught on from her playful expression. Oh—a fangirl.
Xu Huaishi helped her unpack the fruit basket, pulling out apples and plums to wash.
Seeing how skilled she was, Ruan Yu asked casually, “Do you do chores often?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “All thanks to my brother’s tyranny.”
Ruan Yu blinked. “But hasn’t he been in the U.S. all this time?”
“He still finds ways to torment me.” Xu Huaishi sighed, lowering her voice. “Remote control, like a devil.”
Ruan Yu chuckled, but when her eyes landed on the school uniform again, her sense of crisis flared. “Which high school do you go to?”
“Su City No. 1 High.”
The moment the words left Xu Huaishi’s mouth, she inwardly winced. Was this breaking her brother’s order to “keep your mouth shut”?
She cautiously glanced at Ruan Yu, only to find her looking even guiltier than she was.
Well, they were both victims of Xu Huaisong’s dictatorship—who was better off than whom?
With that thought, Xu Huaishi felt even more apologetic. “Sis, has the case you entrusted to my brother been resolved?”
“Almost. Just waiting for the trial.”
“Any difficulties?”
“We’re missing a piece of evidence we originally planned to use, but it’s not a big deal.”
Xu Huaishi softly hummed in acknowledgment.
That missing evidence was supposed to be the proof of the outline transaction—which she was meant to provide to the court. But since the whole thing was fabricated, she couldn’t produce transaction records, and Xu Huaisong had strictly forbidden her from committing perjury.
So all she could do was claim she couldn’t provide it.
Luckily, her brother had obtained a phone recording as alternative evidence. And Ruan Yu, focusing on the main conflict with “Su Cheng,” hadn’t pressed her further.
Unable to apologize directly, Xu Huaishi just said, “Don’t worry, leave any trouble to my brother. He’s really capable.”
Ruan Yu nodded. On their way back, Xu Huaishi, curiosity piqued, asked, “Sis, you’re so pretty—do you have a boyfriend?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Then what kind of boyfriend are you looking for?”Ruan Yu pondered for a moment before joking, "Just as sweet-talking as you are."
Xu Huaishi's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no, her brother was completely out of the running now.
After putting down the fruit, Ruan Yu excused herself to leave.
Though Tao Rong and Xu Huaishi both politely urged her to stay a while longer, having an outsider amidst a family gathering would inevitably feel awkward, so she left anyway.
With only the three of them left in the hospital room, Xu Huaishi immediately started gossiping: "Bro, did you secretly come back this time because of Senior Ruan?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Xu Huaisong shot her a glance, then looked at Tao Rong, who was utterly confused.
Xu Huaishi stuck her tongue out at him and clung to Tao Rong's arm. "Mom, let me tell you—Bro is chasing that sister who was just here."
Xu Huaisong coughed and frowned.
Tao Rong was both surprised and curious, her eyes quickly welling up with tears. "Huaisong... are you planning to come back?"
He lowered his gaze. "Not sure yet."
"Oh..." Tao Rong smiled faintly before suddenly standing up. "I'm going to the restroom."
Xu Huaishi released her arm and waited until she left the room before whispering, "Bro, did I say something wrong?"
Xu Huaisong glared at her. "You know you did."
"But I was just stating facts! If you don’t plan to return to China, why are you messing with Senior Ruan? Or are you planning to lure her to the U.S. with you? Mom really, really wants you to come back—can’t you at least give her some hope?"
"Why give hope for something that might not happen?"
Xu Huaishi let out an exaggerated "Oh!" of realization. "So you mean you’ll only come back if you succeed in chasing Senior Ruan? Well, just you wait—Mom’s already decided she’s going to be her daughter-in-law."
Unaware that she had already been earmarked as a potential "daughter-in-law" by the Xu family, Ruan Yu—having narrowly escaped the "public trial"—vowed to avoid Xu Huaisong at all costs until the court hearing.
Three days later, Liu Mao brought good news: the defendant had completely given up, failing to even submit a defense statement. The court had already set the hearing date—just one week away.
With the case nearing its conclusion, Ruan Yu relaxed and decided to visit her parents in the suburbs.
Ruan's father and mother were retired teachers. In their youth, they had volunteered in rural schools, enduring all kinds of hardships. Devoted to their cause, they only settled down late in life, teaching at Su City No. 1 High School before finally having a child. After retiring early when Ruan Yu graduated high school, they moved with her to Hangzhou to enjoy their golden years.
Hangzhou was a livable city, especially the suburbs. After graduating, Ruan Yu had initially wanted to move there too—the peace and quiet would be perfect for writing—but her father shooed her away, asking if she planned to become a nun by living with them in their retirement.
So she ended up renting a place in the city instead.
When Ruan Yu arrived home, her mother was busy in the kitchen while her father, wearing reading glasses, was meticulously trimming the plants in the yard. Spotting her, he immediately called out, "Yuyu, how’s it going with Xiao Liu lately?" He handed her a pair of pruning shears.
Setting her bag aside, she took the shears and stepped forward to help. "He’s a nice guy," she said.
Ruan Chengru’s eyes lit up briefly—until she added, "As a friend, he’s great."
His expression dimmed. "Oh," he muttered. After a pause, he hinted, "Being a lawyer is a good profession. If you ever run into trouble, he could stand up for you."Ruan Yu had never told her parents about her pen name, knowing her father had poor mobility and her mother had heart issues. She didn’t want them getting worked up over the messy drama in the online fiction world.
But the way Ruan’s father spoke made her wonder—did he actually know everything already?
She dodged the question with a vague reply, “Are you really that eager to see your daughter run into trouble?”
Ruan Chengru kept a stern face as he snipped the garden shears, shifting the topic. “Your mother and I have been thinking of making a trip back to Su City in the next couple of days.”
“It’s almost the rainy season. Your rheumatism will act up again—why bother traveling back and forth?”
“The old house is getting demolished next month. Your mother keeps flipping through those old photos, so I figured we might as well make the short trip.”
“Then I’ll go back with Mom. You should rest at home.”
Ruan Chengru neither agreed nor disagreed, simply instructing her to take good care of the plants before turning to head inside, rubbing his lower back. In the kitchen, he whispered to Ruan’s mother, “Yu Yu said she’ll go back to Su City with you. What do you think—should we give Xiao Liu a heads-up so he can make a good impression?”
Author’s Note:
Song Song: No, this is my chance.
Folks, I wrote this chapter amidst the neon lights and boozy chaos of a bar—I’m really going all out for you guys. Will make it up with a meaty chapter tomorrow, don’t abandon me. TT
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