Chapter 27: It’s Perfect, Except for the Price

“Yuanyuan, here’s three hundred yuan for you.” Cheng Huaien handed the money to Cheng Yuan. “Thank you for buying me the clothes, I really like them.”

“Dad, since I bought them for you, why are you giving me money?” Cheng Yuan blinked, patted the black bag beside her, and said, “The clothes inside can be exchanged for over a thousand yuan. I’ll pay you back the original amount when I do.”

“Yuanyuan, just keep this as pocket money. Consider it a reward from your dad—my daughter is truly amazing!” Cheng Huaien looked at Cheng Yuan with pride. Their relationship hadn’t always been good; they used to argue whenever they met. Even though he’d vaguely suspected the truth, he’d never dared voice it, fearing it would shatter their fragile peace and revert them to their old ways.

Now, Yuanyuan had bought him clothes, sweetly called him “Dad,” and looked at him with eyes full of trust and affection. The smiles on her face were more numerous than all the smiles he’d seen in his entire previous life combined.

He cherished their current dynamic.

“Thanks, Dad!” Cheng Yuan accepted the money briskly, tucking it into her pocket with a grin. She began planning to buy her father clothes and shoes more often—he would surely be delighted.

Suddenly, Cheng Yuan remembered the cake she had bought. She hurried back to her room and said, “Dad, when I went to town today, I passed a cake shop with the most beautiful cakes.”

Cheng Huaien’s expression deepened when he saw the cake. He smiled and said, “I’ll buy you a big one for your birthday next year.”

“Okay.” Cheng Yuan took out the cake, cut two slices, arranged them on a plate, and prepared to take them to Aunt Yu’s house next door.

Cheng Huaien watched the two slices on the plate, which barely filled a quarter of the space. It seemed a bit stingy, but this southern-style cake was Yuanyuan’s favorite.

“Dad, Yu Qing is already overweight, so he shouldn’t eat cake. This is for Aunt Yu. It’s plenty for just her,” Cheng Yuan explained, absolutely refusing to admit she was being stingy.

When Cheng Yuan delivered the plate to Aunt Yu’s house, the older woman was pleasantly surprised. She quickly declined, “Yuanyuan, keep it for yourself. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.”

“We have plenty at home, Aunt Yu. This cake is delicious, but Yu Qing should eat less of it. Too much can make him gain weight,” Cheng Yuan kindly warned.

Aunt Yu immediately agreed, “Alright, I won’t let him have any. He’s been running with you every day lately and looks much more energetic. Thank you, Yuanyuan.”

When Cheng Yuan returned home, she found Cheng Huaien holding the cake box, gazing at it.

“Dad, let’s eat cake!” Cheng Yuan eagerly cut a piece for him and immediately began eating with a fork, skipping the plate entirely.

The combination of creamy frosting and soft cake was heavenly, just as she remembered. Apart from the price, it was perfect.

Satisfied, Cheng Yuan declared, “Delicious!” She looked up and noticed Cheng Huaien hadn’t touched his piece. “Dad, why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m saving it for you,” Cheng Huaien replied, his eyes fixed on his daughter’s smile. He wished he could give her the world. “Yuanyuan, when you get into a Shanghai university, we’ll buy a house there and settle down.”

“I can’t finish all this, Dad. You work hard, and I’ll support you! I believe you can do it!” Cheng Yuan clenched her fists in encouragement. After finishing the cake, feeling a bit full, she took her Chinese textbook to the courtyard—the perfect place to memorize her lessons.

In the courtyard, Cheng Huaien cracked eggs, listening to the clear, rhythmic sound of his daughter’s recitation. To him, her voice sounded especially sweet.

In the quiet of the night, Cheng Yuan went to bed promptly at midnight. As was her habit, she touched her jade pendant, waking the sleeping beauty. She then turned over and drifted back to sleep, always sleeping more soundly after disturbing him, free from even the slightest nightmare.

In Hai City, Jun Nanye had only been asleep for a few minutes when he was jolted awake. That brief moment of deep sleep had been a lifeline for his insomnia, but the woman who woke him every day…

Jun Nanye gritted his teeth in fury. How could she bear to wake him like this every time?

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since that first rude awakening, it had become his daily torment. He had grown accustomed to the half-awake, half-asleep state of his insomnia, but now…

Having tasted a full night’s sleep, he could no longer tolerate his insomnia. He had tried everything to stop her from waking him. Her sweet voice, when she called him awake, sounded like a monk chanting sutras. Sometimes she would shove him roughly, other times tickle him with her hair.

If I ever catch her, he vowed, I’ll make her understand what it’s like to go days without sleep!

Jun Nanye rose and glanced at the clock: 12:20 AM. How can I find that woman?

He grabbed a bottle of red wine from the cabinet. The aroma filled the room, but after finishing it, he still felt wide awake. He decided to work until exhaustion finally brought him a few hours of sleep.

Cheng Yuan slept soundly, completely unaware that the “sleeping beauty” she woke up every morning was suffering from insomnia, his dark circles growing deeper each day. She was lost in a sweet dream.

Next door, Cheng Huaien couldn’t sleep at all. Under the lamplight, he repeatedly examined the southern-style cake box.

He had returned on the day Yuanyuan was attacked. He kept telling himself to stay calm, but when he saw those thugs harassing her, he couldn’t hold back. He told himself that as long as he didn’t cripple anyone, he wouldn’t end up in prison again.

But then Yuanyuan’s screams, the sight of her being stabbed—everything spiraled out of control. In the chaos, he hadn’t stopped to think about what had changed.

Now, he understood. It was Yuanyuan’s shout that had stopped his club mid-swing.

Yuanyuan hadn’t done well in her senior year of high school, barely managing to get into a vocational college. She couldn’t find a job and, disliking the low wages, went to Hai City to work alone.

Logically, now that he was back, Yuanyuan should have been the same as before. But she wasn’t.

Yuanyuan loved studying now and no longer resented Aunt Yu next door. When Aunt Yu fell ill recently, Yuanyuan took her to the hospital and even urged her to show the X-rays to Yu Qing.

Today, when Yuanyuan went to the city to sell clothes, Cheng Huaien’s suspicions reached their peak. Now, staring at the cake box, he was ninety percent certain that Yuanyuan, like him, had been reborn.

Cheng Huaien stroked the cake box, a grin spreading across his face. I can’t let Yuanyuan find out I’ve been reborn, he thought.

The next morning, Cheng Yuan woke up early to go for a run. Yu Qing stood at the doorway, his legs itching to go to school instead of running, but he couldn’t bear to leave.

“Oh, you’re up early today?” Cheng Yuan greeted him. “About those clothes—I talked to my dad yesterday. We’ll have two hours this evening to sell them together.”

“Okay. After lunch, meet me in the bamboo grove. I’ll help you catch up on your studies.” Yu Qing had spent the entire night wondering how to thank Cheng Yuan. Finally, he realized that since Cheng Yuan’s grades weren’t great and she wanted to get into Hai University, he could offer to tutor her.