Xu Wenyin hadn’t been to Yu County for nearly two years. She noticed that there had been significant changes there. At first glance, she saw several tall buildings that hadn’t existed before, each around thirty stories high.

Moreover, the roads were much wider, and there were many areas undergoing construction and renovation.

Fortunately, with Xu Youyou growing up, Xu Wenyin found that her time was gradually increasing bit by bit. Though it was slow, every extra second and every additional minute counted.

Compared to costly points, it was free after all.

Now, Xu Wenyin’s free time, precise down to the second, amounted to two hours, forty-six minutes, and twenty-three seconds. Rounded up, it was almost three hours!

With the journey from Jiang City to Yu County typically taking only two hours without traffic, the mother and daughter arrived smoothly. However, on the day of their arrival, they still checked into a hotel.

The time was only enough for the journey, but not sufficient for a visit to the orphanage.

“Do you still remember this hotel, Youyou?”

The familiar room stirred up many memories for Xu Wenyin.

It was in this very place that she nearly starved Xu Youyou!

“Remember, remember! Youyou remember~”

This was the first place where Xu Youyou stayed after leaving the orphanage. At that time, she thought it was so big and beautiful.

Now, looking back, she realized that it wasn’t as big as she had thought, nor was it as beautiful as she had imagined it to be.

Did she get it wrong?

Unaware of the concept of memory embellishment, Xu Youyou quickly found herself looking forward to seeing Grandma Wu again tomorrow after arriving at the familiar room.

“Mom, will Grandma Wu be surprised~”

“She definitely will be.”

It has been a month since they last video chatted with Grandma Wu, and this time they didn’t give her any advance notice for their visit.

Otherwise, Grandma Wu would surely nag them a lot.

Xu Wenyin wasn’t afraid of trouble; she was afraid of being nagged. It was like how even though she didn’t need to sleep if someone kept nagging in her ear, she would start feeling drowsy.

At night, after Xu Youyou had fallen asleep, Xu Wenyin continued with the investigation work that Qin Yiren had entrusted to her.

When Qin Yiren had told her about the matter some time ago, Xu Wenyin instantly understood the reason why the task’s progress bar had increased by 10%.

Ruan Rourou was definitely capable of doing such a thing!

As a standard protagonist in an angsty story, Xu Youyou needed a wicked mother-in-law.

Ruan Rourou naturally fits the role of a seemingly gentle and kind, but actually scheming and malicious, evil mother-in-law.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to defeat the other two women and successfully become the wife of Lu Weiyao, the eldest young master of the Lu family.

After all, Ruan Rourou’s background was quite ordinary, and her family could only be considered comfortably off. In the eyes of Old Master Lu, who had high expectations for Lu Weiyao, such a person wasn’t worthy of his son.

But Ruan Rourou managed to pressure Lu Weiyao by threatening suicide and ultimately succeeded in securing her position by giving birth to Lu Haoyu, the eldest grandson.

Over the years, she had gained the approval of many relatives of the Lu family, including Old Master Lu.

Xu Wenyin knew that the 10% increase in the task progress indicated that a major plot point in Xu Youyou’s future had been completely altered or partially changed.

Ruan Rourou naturally belonged to one of those tragic plot points as well.

This person, despite being from an ordinary background herself, looked down on Xu Youyou intensely. Not only did she sow discord and misunderstandings between Xu Youyou and Lu Haoyu, but she also caused the death of Xu Youyou’s first and only child.

This ‘grandmother’ had no intention whatsoever of letting a lowly woman give birth to her grandson.

Her method was so ruthless that it rendered Xu Youyou permanently incapable of being a mother.

But in the end, when everything was exposed, as the mother of the male protagonist, she didn’t receive any severe punishment. She just shed a few tears, causing Lu Haoyu to furrow his brows and say to Xu Youyou, “My mom knows she was wrong. She’s my only mom, Youyou, please forgive her.”

The hell? Do other people have two mothers?

He actually had the nerve to say that?

His mother intentionally harmed others, okay?!

She should be put into prison!

Forget it, Xu Wenyin couldn’t expect logic in angsty novels.

Anyway, with her around, Ruan Rourou was definitely in for a tough time!

But the tricky part was, unlike those side characters who don’t even have a name like Wang Yaojin, Ruan Rourou was after all the mother of the male protagonist.

She’s got a storyline, dialogue, and quite a substantial presence in the narrative.

In other words, the rules of this world would pay more attention to her. If Xu Wenyin delved too deeply, there’s a high chance she would get noticed.

Luckily, she had a backup!

She had only used one of her three chances to ask Ace’s help. She still had two left.

Under her relentless guidance, Ace’s skills have improved considerably compared to a year ago. If he couldn’t uncover something, trying to do it herself would also likely get her to be noticed by the rules of this world.

This little helper must be put to good use indeed.

【I found out she has an overseas account, and not long ago, she transferred a million yuan from it.】

Seeing the words appear on the screen, Xu Wenyin manipulated them with her mind.

Soon, Mu Heyao received Xu Wenyin’s new instructions. He continued his investigation to see if Lu Weiyao had any involvement in these matters, whether he was genuinely unaware or using others as a tool to achieve his goals.

At the same time, Mu Heyao didn’t utter a single unnecessary word.

He had no curiosity about why Xu Wenyin was investigating Ruan Rourou and Lu Weiyao, as he viewed it merely as a teaching exercise.

After all, in the process of investigating others, he also learned a lot himself.

It’s just that he never found another opportunity to have a face-to-face showdown with Xu Wenyin, which was a source of regret for Mu Heyao.

Despite feeling that he had improved significantly, Mu Heyao still felt like he was far behind Xu Wenyin. Her knowledge seemed to have no end, making even Mu Heyao, who had been hailed as a genius since childhood, feel a slight sense of defeat.

And Xu Wenyin was very busy, so they couldn’t communicate in real-time often. It might take until the next day or even the third day to discuss and find answers to any questions.

This was frustrating for Mu Heyao, who looked forward to discussing things with Xu Wenyin every day.

He wanted to bring Xu Wenyin to his side. Why does she have so much to do? If he could help her sort out those matters, maybe they could both focus on researching AI.

“Knock, knock, knock—”

Mu Hesen, Mu Heyao’s older brother and also the current head of the Mu family, walked in.

“Why the long face?”

Facing his brother’s concern, Mu Heyao turned his head away, clearly indicating he didn’t want to talk.

“Oh, I see. In that case, I’ll just go to Hua Country by myself next month.”

As soon as Mu Hesen finished speaking, Mu Heyao’s head snapped around, his eyes shining with excitement.

“I’m going as well.”

“Go where?”

“Hua Country! Jiang City!”

“To see that woman named Xu Wenyin?”

Mu Heyao nodded. “I want to stay a few more days this time.”

Hey, his brother even wanted to stay.

Mu Hesen shook his head inwardly, deliberately wearing a troubled expression on his face. “That won’t do. My destination is the capital.”

Mu Heyao: “……I’ll go by myself then.”

“Hahaha, gotcha.” Seeing his younger brother starting to get anxious, Mu Hesen burst into laughter, trying to lighten the mood. “Feeling better now?”

Occasionally teasing his silly brother was one of Mu Hesen’s sparse amusements.

On one side, there was camaraderie between the brothers, while on the other side, as the investigation deepened, both Qin Yiren and Lu Weizheng’s moods were far from pleasant.

With the upcoming Spring Festival, even the mayor would have a few days off.

Lu Weizheng didn’t go back home for the holiday last year, but this time he would definitely make a trip to the Lu family. However, based on the current information he had, perhaps this Spring Festival…… the atmosphere at the Lu family’s celebration would be quite subdued.

———pr

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

“Grandma! Youyou misses you so much!”

Xu Wenyin drove there by herself this time. It wasn’t until they were almost at the orphanage that she suddenly asked Xu Youyou to call Grandma Wu.

As expected, the old lady was pleasantly surprised but also couldn’t resist saying a few words out of habit. However, Xu Wenyin’s reminder about driving safely and not being able to answer the phone promptly put an end to the conversation.

She genuinely feared the old lady’s nagging.

However, as soon as the mother and daughter got out of the car, they spotted Grandma Wu waiting at the entrance of the orphanage.

The gate seemed to have been repainted, looking a bit fresher. However, at a glance, there didn’t seem to be any significant changes inside.

Over nearly two years, Xu Wenyin had donated a total of five hundred thousand to the orphanage. With that amount, it would certainly be enough to improve the surroundings.

But Grandma Wu still chose to spend most of the money on the children.

After all, many of the children in the orphanage would suffer from illnesses, and treating it was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much money they have, it’s never enough.

“My dear!”

Grandma Wu embraced Xu Youyou as she rushed towards her, giving her a couple of playful bounces. “Youyou have grown taller, quite a bit taller!”

During their usual video calls, only the face was visible so it’s hard to get a sense of someone’s height. Now, seeing the child in person, Grandma Wu was truly surprised to realize just how much taller the little Youyou had grown.

Seeing her healthy complexion, Grandma Wu could tell that Xu Wenyin had been taking very good care of her.

Indeed, it takes a real mother’s love.

If Youyou had been adopted by the Zhou couple back then, who knows what kind of situation she would be in now?

Anyway, from what Grandma Wu had heard before, it seemed that Zhou Weimin wasn’t doing well in Jiang City and had been criticized by people nationwide.

“Youyou will surpass Grandma’s height soon.”

Even though they hadn’t met face-to-face in nearly two years, there was no sense of unfamiliarity between them. Hearing Xu Youyou say that, Grandma Wu nodded happily. “Youyou’s Mom is tall, so Youyou will definitely be taller than Grandma.”

“Alright, alright, it’s cold here. Let’s go in and talk.”

As soon as Grandma Wu finished speaking, Xu Wenyin started to take things out of the car trunk. “Grandma, these are just a little something from Youyou and me. Take whatever you can use, and if there’s anything you don’t need, feel free to share it.”

Xu Wenyin didn’t bring anything specific for the children at the orphanage, at most just some chocolates, cookies, and candies.

But the things she brought for Grandma Wu were carefully selected, including down jackets and nutritional supplements.

“Oh my, I haven’t even finished what you sent me last time.” Grandma Wu looked at the packages in front of her, feeling both delighted and concerned. “Making money isn’t easy, and Youyou will have plenty of expenses in the future. Don’t always spend money on me!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll earn more.” Xu Wenyin smiled. “Money is meant to be spent. Otherwise, what’s the point of it?”

Grandma Wu shook her head as she listened to Xu Wenyin’s words. Young people nowadays are really different.

However, Xu Wenyin wasn’t her own child after all, so it’s normal for there to be differences in mindset between generations. Grandma Wu also understood the principle of not going overboard.

She didn’t say much more, just quietly planning in her heart. With her retirement pension of two thousand yuan each month, she decided she would save up and buy two gold bracelets for Youyou and Youyou’s mom when the time came.

It was a thoughtful gesture on Grandma Wu’s part. It’s always a good idea to save up gold items since they could come in handy in emergencies.

Walking into the orphanage, the familiar environment triggered some vague memories for Xu Youyou. She remembered the slide.

She used to love playing on it, but unfortunately, there were too many other children who liked it too, so Xu Youyou rarely got a turn.

She wasn’t the type to compete with others for things.

Sensible children always end up at a disadvantage in orphanages.

But it’s okay. Now, in the garden of the villa, there’s not only a swing but also a slide. She could play whenever she wanted.

Xu Youyou doesn’t have to envy other children anymore.

“Xu Youyou?!”

A sound of surprise rang out.

In winter, the children in the orphanage mostly stay indoors. However, unlike previous years when they gathered together to warm themselves around human bodies and two old-fashioned electric heaters, it was different now.

This year, thanks to the money sponsored by Xu Wenyin, Grandma Wu bought two more air conditioners, allowing the children to play indoors to their heart’s content.

Right now Xu Youyou and Xu Wenyin were walking down the corridor towards Grandma Wu’s office. The sudden appearance of the child was probably because she had come out to use the restroom.

Taking a glance, Xu Youyou realized that the person in front of her was probably a few years older than her. However, while the other person remembered her, she couldn’t recall who she was for a moment.

She seemed…… somewhat familiar.

“Huahua?” Grandma Wu’s call triggered Xu Youyou’s memory.

It was Huahua, the one who snatched her chicken drumstick!

Xu Youyou remembered so clearly because that was the day her mother came to her rescue like a hero.

Xu Wenyin also remembered this Huahua, the child who led the charge to steal her baby’s chicken drumstick!

Although Grandma Wu compensated Xu Youyou with another one afterward and punished Huahua and a few others to do some chores, it was impossible to just smile and forget about the grudge.

Xu Wenyin was quite petty. As soon as she saw Huahua, her smile disappeared instantly. She didn’t bother pretending to be polite by offering candies or exchanging pleasantries with the child.

Huahua took the initiative to step forward and carefully scrutinized Xu Youyou. She tried to conceal her envy with a facade that she thought was well-disguised, however, the adults present could see through it. “You’re doing quite well, aren’t you?”

Indeed, compared to Huahua’s slightly faded cotton coat, Xu Youyou looked very delicate, like a lovely little fairy in her outfit.

Moreover, Xu Youyou completely carried off the well-fitted and beautiful clothes herself, giving a feeling that they looked even better because she wore them.

In addition to her clothes, Xu Youyou’s whole outfit was very detailed from head to toe. Her intricate and elaborate hairstyle and hair accessory, the bracelet on her wrist, and the brand-new leather shoes on her feet all exuded an aura of a wealthy child.

It was evident that Xu Youyou had been living well these past few years!

Hateful! Why?!

Huahua couldn’t control her jealousy.

When she was in the orphanage, Xu Youyou was adored by many adults for being cute. They would give her extra candies, and she also had the most families wanting to adopt her.

At that time, Huahua really disliked Xu Youyou, from the bottom of her heart.

Huahua was a rare child in the orphanage, with fully functional limbs and good health. However, even though she was now in the second grade of primary school, she still hadn’t gotten adopted.

It’s not that any adoption attempt had failed; rather, no one had ever wanted to adopt Huahua.

She was also very clear on the fact that even when she was a few years younger, no family was willing to adopt her, not to mention that she was getting older now.

The reason was very realistic; Huahua wasn’t attractive-looking at all, not even considered ordinary.

Although society has always emphasized inner beauty and not judging people by their appearance, the truth was, who doesn’t like handsome men and beautiful women?

People who want to adopt not only hope for a healthy child but also wish for the child to be beautiful. Even if not exceptionally beautiful, at least they should be decent-looking, right?

Otherwise, they would rather wait a bit longer or find another orphanage.

Actually, Huahua didn’t grow up in the orphanage since the start. She was abandoned by her biological father at the doorstep when she was five years old.

The reason was simple: not only did he disdain her for being a girl, but he also found her ugly.

In that ‘father’s’ mind, it wasn’t that he couldn’t afford to raise a girl, but rather, how could such an ugly girl ever get married? And if she couldn’t get married, how could he receive a dowry?

So, raising this daughter would be pointless, wouldn’t it?

Don’t talk about how girls can also achieve success and earn money; Huahua’s father didn’t want to gamble on such a slim chance after spending decades raising her.

He believed that raising her until she was five years old was already more than enough. He didn’t want to spend another penny on this daughter ever again.

So, from a young age, Huahua knew that she was abandoned because she wasn’t good-looking.

If she were as beautiful as Xu Youyou, would things have been different?

This longing gradually turned into obsession, then slowly evolved into jealousy towards those who were good-looking, and in the orphanage, the most beautiful child was Xu Youyou.

Seeing Xu Youyou being rejected for adoption time and time again was when Huahua felt the happiest.

See, what’s the use of being good-looking if no one wanted her in the end?

Due to Grandma Wu, Huahua didn’t dare to openly bully Xu Youyou, but she often spoke ill of Xu Youyou in front of the other children.

Children were easily misled, and Xu Youyou became sensitive and insecure due to repeated failures in adoption. She didn’t like to talk and often kept her head down.

As time passed, Xu Youyou was indeed excluded from all the small groups by everyone, and no one even bothered to invite her to play games together.

So even though Huahua was punished by Grandma Wu for snatching Xu Youyou’s chicken drumstick, she was still very happy. She just hated people who looked good!

But Xu Youyou still left; it was said that her biological mother came to find her.

How ‘great’! Because she’s beautiful, her mother even came looking for her.

Unlike Huahua, when she was abandoned, her own mother didn’t say a word and even often scolded and hit her.

It’s not at all like Grandma Wu said; not all parents love their children.

They only like good-looking children!

When Xu Youyou left the orphanage, many children gradually forgot about her, but Huahua always remembered.

And from time to time, she would curse Xu Youyou in her heart, hoping that she wouldn’t have a good life.

Unfortunately, this wish shattered as soon as she saw Xu Youyou again.

Faced with Huahua’s bitter words, Xu Youyou looked at her strangely and said, “Of course, Youyou is doing well. Aren’t you?”

If she remembered correctly, Huahua seemed to have many friends in the orphanage, much better than she did at that time.

Xu Wenyin: “Pfft!”

Sorry, she just couldn’t help it.

But when she saw Xu Youyou asking that question with such earnest curiosity, she really wanted to applaud on the spot.

They say naturalness conquers all, and Xu Youyou seemed to be a great example of that.

She didn’t mean to mock Huahua, but ironically, the effect was even better than if she had done it intentionally.

Just look at Huahua’s flushed face.

Huahua yelled, “You’re the one who’s not doing well! Do you think having a mother makes you great? You still don’t have a father! You—”

“Huahua!” Grandma Wu interrupted, frowning. She had also noticed.

The child harbored deep jealousy towards Xu Youyou.

“But having Mom is enough for me.” Xu Youyou’s smile perfectly embodied what happiness meant, completely unaffected by Huahua’s words.

“That’s right, Youyou is my precious baby.” Xu Wenyin smiled as she picked up Xu Youyou and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Our Youyou is the most adorable child, that’s why everyone loves her.”

Back when she was in the acting class at system school, her grades were excellent. Huahua’s jealousy was evident in the little kid’s eyes, and Xu Wenyin saw right through it.

Since she was jealous, Xu Wenyin felt even more compelled to show off.

Xu Wenyin felt no guilt picking on a child; she wasn’t a savior who had to consider everyone’s happiness.

She only cared about Xu Youyou!

Facing her mother’s straightforward praise, Xu Youyou blushed slightly.

However, she also had a happy smile on her face. Who doesn’t like being praised? Especially when it comes from her mother!

Xu Youyou gathered up her courage and said, “Mom, you’re also the best mom in the world!”

It’s truly a heartwarming scene of a mother and daughter happily getting along, one that would surely bring a smile to anyone’s face.

While Grandma Wu smiled, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at Huahua’s behavior.

Was this child really beyond help?

Grandma Wu had already received two complaints from the primary school teachers, stating that Huahua intentionally bullies the pretty girls at school, and bluntly expressing the hope that Grandma Wu would do something about it.

Otherwise, if it continues, even though Huahua’s still just a child now, once she really makes a big mistake, it would be too late.

Grandma Wu had taught and advised the child, yet although Huahua superficially agreed, it seemed that it hadn’t had any effect.

But she’s still so young, and Grandma Wu couldn’t really give up on the child. Her caring heart was at a loss for a better solution.

“Huahua, go back!”

To prevent Huahua from making any more extreme moves, Grandma Wu had to let her go back first. She would handle the matter herself after Xu Wenyin and Xu Youyou left.

Despite not wanting to leave, Huahua still had a natural respect for Grandma Wu.

She also knew that at her age, being kicked out of the orphanage would only make her life even worse. So, after nodding with her head down, Huahua ran away.

“Youyou, Youyou’s Mom, I’m sorry,” Grandma Wu apologized with regret. “It’s my fault for not teaching the child well.”

Xu Wenyin gently patted Xu Youyou’s head and said nonchalantly, “It’s okay. After all, our Youyou is indeed very good. It’s normal for others to be jealous.”

But they could only envy Xu Youyou because she would just get better and better in the future.

Grandma Wu smiled awkwardly. She was momentarily at a loss for words.

Actually, from Xu Wenyin’s perspective, Grandma Wu, as the director of the orphanage, was perhaps too lenient. Since kind words of advice didn’t seem to work on children like Huahua anymore, it’s better to let her experience the cruelty of the outside world.

By then, perhaps she wouldn’t have the leisure to envy others all day long.

But Grandma Wu’s personality was already set, and it’s almost impossible to change it. Xu Wenyin also doesn’t want to worry about this matter.

She came there this time to let Grandma Wu focus on getting better. After all, Grandma Wu had been kind to Xu Youyou, and ensuring that this elderly person has a happy old age could be considered repaying that kindness on Xu Youyou’s behalf.

This way, it can also avoid the plotline in the original work where Grandma Wu was used to blackmail Xu Youyou. Although Xu Wenyin felt that with her there, such a thing would definitely not happen.

However, just in case, it’s better to let the elderly receive early treatment.

“As for the orphanage, Grandma, you don’t need to worry.”

“I’ve hired two people who will be responsible for managing the entire orphanage. They will supervise each other and work together. You don’t have to be afraid of them doing anything wrong. Moreover, you can also come often to check on things.”

Grandma Wu was almost seventy years old, and at this age, many things were beyond her ability. She had also thought about handing over the orphanage to a reliable person, but she hadn’t found a suitable candidate.

Unexpectedly, Xu Wenyin even considered this aspect.

Grandma Wu felt that there were still many good people in the world. It’s truly fortunate that Youyou have such a mother.

In the end, Grandma Wu agreed to Xu Wenyin’s suggestion.

However, arranging personnel might have to wait until after the Spring Festival. Xu Wenyin doesn’t need to personally review those matters; she could simply hand them over to the professionals.

As long as one was willing to spend money, those were all small matters.

After they left the orphanage, there were discussions about the mother-daughter pair for two days. The adults thought Xu Wenyin was really amazing, being able to carve out a place for herself in Jiang City on her own.

The children, on the other hand, envied Xu Youyou for being able to reunite with her biological mother and live a good life.

Those words of envy reached Huahua’s ears, making her curse Xu Wenyin and her daughter several times in her heart.

However, such curses would not affect Xu Wenyin and her daughter. As long as they were living well, it would be the greatest counterattack to those curses.

Since they rarely visited Yu County, Xu Wenyin decided to spend two days there with her daughter before returning.

Moreover, they didn’t return to Jiang City in one go. Instead, they traveled a bit each day, spending two days in nearby towns. If they encountered traffic jams, they would spend a few more days exploring. After all, there was no rush.

With nearly three hours of free time each day, if planned well, they could sightsee and do a lot.

The children worked hard all year, so of course, it’s important for them to balance work and rest.

Therefore, when the mother and daughter returned to Jiang City, it was just two days before the Spring Festival.

Qin Yiren’s family had already returned to the capital yesterday.

Thinking about how she had already sent Ace’s latest investigation results to Qin Yiren this morning, as well as what Qin Xiao and Lu Weizheng had found, Xu Wenyin was confident that the Lu family would definitely have a ‘wonderful’ holiday.

However, the more chaotic the Lu family became, the happier Xu Wenyin felt.

Feeling that she would soon be able to watch a big show, Xu Wenyin also took the opportunity to teach Xu Youyou some new life lessons.

The content included ‘a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle’ and ‘a girl without money can only get married’, among others, aiming to prevent Xu Youyou from becoming obsessed with love in every aspect.