Chapter 20: A Stepmother Brings a Stepfather

“Right, I must’ve remembered wrong,” Cheng Huaien said with a smile, giving Cheng Yuan a gentle look. “Go on, take a bath and get to bed early.”

“Okay.”

Cheng Yuan didn’t think much of it. “Dad, you should go to bed early too. Good night.”

After saying goodnight, she bathed and returned to her room to finish her homework. Right at midnight, she climbed into bed.

Next door in the guest room, Cheng Huaien finished boiling tea eggs and submerged them in the marinade, planning to reheat them in the morning. Lying in bed with his hands behind his head, he began thinking about how to teach Aunt Yu to make tea eggs. Once she got the hang of it, he’d buy a coal stove—ideally one with wheels—so she could sell them easily.

He’d focus on stir-fried noodles from then on.

When he’d saved enough, he’d open a small restaurant. Even if it wasn’t flashy, steady business would eventually bring in tens of thousands. Then he could open a bigger place in Hai City, find Xiaoxiao, and reunite their family.

With these hopeful thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.

Cheng Yuan, on the other hand, had trouble falling asleep. She noticed a strange pattern—on nights when she didn’t touch the Jade Pendant, sleep was elusive. But whenever she woke the Sleeping Beauty, she’d instantly drift off and sleep soundly till morning.

Reaching for the pendant, she slipped into a half-dreaming state—and saw him again.

She’d already examined the Sleeping Beauty from head to toe. He was undeniably handsome, though she had never seen his eyes. Every time he opened them, she’d instantly fall asleep.

She was starting to wonder if this pendant was really useless. Was her only purpose just to keep waking this guy?

Leaning against the cold bed, she gazed at his increasingly prominent dark circles. She poked his hand and mumbled, “Sleeping Beauty, Sleeping Beauty. In fairy tales, it’s a kiss from a prince or princess that breaks the spell. In your case, it’s me. I actually feel kind of bad for you. Do you even exist in the real world?”

Murmuring to herself, Cheng Yuan didn’t dare lie on the icy bed again. Last time, she’d woken up sore all over.

“Wake up!”

“…”

“The sun’s already high in the sky!”

“…”

When he didn’t respond, she resorted to tickling his face with her hair. As expected, the moment he stirred, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

“You better pray I never find you.”

Jun Nanye opened his eyes, dark circles framing his deadly serious gaze, filled with murderous intent.

Ever since learning the legend of the Jade Pendant might be real, he’d been falling into deep sleeps and waking up to the same voice—her voice. He was certain it was a woman, even if her tone was sweet as a songbird. He hated it.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jun Nannye, a man used to controlling everything, couldn’t stand this helplessness.

What was he supposed to do?

Cheng Yuan woke up refreshed at 5:30 AM. Just as she stepped out of the house, she ran into Yu Qing.

“Morning!” Cheng Yuan greeted him cheerfully. Her bangs, which she had been growing out for ages, were finally long enough to pin back, revealing a smooth forehead and bright, clear eyes. Her crescent-shaped brows and sharp features glowed faintly in the morning light.

Yu Qing quickly looked away. “Morning.”

“Out for a run?” he asked.

“Yeah, I run every morning before school,” she said, checking her watch. She picked up her pace—after ditching Bei Xiaolin yesterday, she knew she owed her an apology and couldn’t skip again today.

Yu Qing followed quietly.

“Trying to lose weight?” Cheng Yuan asked, glancing at him. She couldn’t help but notice the extra weight around his midsection. He really should.

Yu Qing’s ears turned red. He’d originally wanted to thank her again and talk about making up for missed lessons, but she had suddenly dashed off. Now, being asked about his weight so bluntly, he muttered, “Yeah, I’ve put on a bit.”

Cheng Yuan: “…”

Just a bit? Dude, that’s a whole lot.

Bei Xiaolin nearly fell over when she saw Cheng Yuan running up with Yu Qing trailing behind.

“Yuanyuan, why is he running with you? Didn’t you two hate each other?” As Cheng Yuan’s best friend from high school, Bei Xiaolin was well aware of her past complaints—especially about her “stepmother.”

“Ahem… Actually, Aunt Yu’s pretty nice,” Cheng Yuan replied sheepishly. When she was younger, she’d been against having a stepmother, afraid it would bring a stepfather too. So she’d instinctively disliked any woman who got close to her dad.

But come to think of it, Aunt Yu had never shown any ulterior motives. She’d helped them without trying to cozy up to her father.

“Really?” Bei Xiaolin said with a sly tone, glancing back at the gasping Yu Qing. She leaned in close and whispered, “Who says a stepmother always brings a stepfather? Who says he wants to be your stepbrother?”

“Bei Xiaolin!” Cheng Yuan clapped a hand over her friend’s mouth and shot a quick glance at Yu Qing, who was still far behind. Only when she was sure he hadn’t heard did she lower her voice. “Xiaolin, this is too complicated to explain now. I’ll tell you everything at school.”

She slowed her pace until Yu Qing caught up. “Yu Qing, your breathing’s all wrong. You need to find a rhythm. Don’t gasp—breathe through your nose.”

Yu Qing had always dreaded gym class. If not for the thought of embarrassing himself in front of Cheng Yuan, he wouldn’t have put himself through this at all. But now, with his lungs burning and his legs aching, he could barely keep going.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yuan and Bei Xiaolin ran effortlessly, still chatting. I’m a guy, he thought. I can’t let them outrun me.

But the harder he pushed, the worse it got. His breathing grew ragged, his legs like lead, each step sending a painful jolt through him.

“Match my pace,” Cheng Yuan said. “Close your mouth. Inhale—one, two, three. Exhale—four, five, six.” She guided him just like she had when she first taught Bei Xiaolin.

Sure enough, regulating his breathing made his throat feel less raw.

The school gate came into view.

As they approached, Yu Qing finally slowed to a walk. After a few deep breaths, he felt a bit more human again.

“Yu Qing, the worst thing for losing weight is inconsistency. Let’s run together again tomorrow. Keep it up!” Cheng Yuan encouraged him.

Yu Qing’s legs nearly gave out. He barely stopped himself from tumbling down the stairs. Watching Cheng Yuan’s retreating figure, he shuddered. Again tomorrow? Seriously?

“Hahaha~”

Back in the classroom, Bei Xiaolin was laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her seat. “Yuanyuan, you should’ve seen Yu Qing’s face—it was like he’d seen a ghost! I bet he doesn’t want to run at all. He just wants an excuse to talk to you!”

“Come on, fess up. There’s nothing going on between you two, right?” She leaned closer, eyeing Cheng Yuan’s new hairstyle. “By the way, you look so much better with your bangs pinned back. It makes you look fresh and full of energy!”

“Sis, please—let me call you Sis,” Cheng Yuan groaned. “I’m counting on him to help us catch up in our studies.”

“Don’t count me in!” Bei Xiaolin cut her off immediately.