Chapter 18

Ruan Miao and Fang Zhi suddenly formed a bond. Perhaps because they were both somewhat marginalized at school and had similar interests, they quickly became friends. Fang Zhi even offered to help Ruan Miao with his studies. Ruan Miao was delighted but knew Fang Zhi's time was valuable and didn't want to take advantage of it. Instead, he borrowed Fang Zhi's notebook.

With the notes of the third-ranked student in the grade, Ruan Miao was in a great mood all day.

Xi You watched him with some dissatisfaction, clearly upset that Ruan Miao seemed to forget about him after making a new friend. But Ruan Miao was too busy photographing Fang Zhi's notes to pay Xi You any attention.

"Ruan Miao, someone is looking for you outside," Sang Wei gently knocked on his desk, smiling. "She's waiting downstairs."

"Looking for me?" Ruan Miao was puzzled. He returned Fang Zhi's notebook and followed Sang Wei's directions downstairs, wondering who would come to see him at this hour. Could it be someone the original owner had provoked?

As he descended from the third floor, he saw a figure standing at the stairwell. From the height, it seemed to be a woman.

"Who are you?" Ruan Miao asked cautiously. Even though it was on school grounds, he remained vigilant.

The woman turned around, her face illuminated by the streetlight. It was an extremely beautiful face, no longer youthful but still showing signs of natural beauty. She must have been stunning in her youth.

Seeing Ruan Miao coming down, she walked forward excitedly and softly said, "Miao Miao, Mom finally gets to see you."

Ruan Miao froze, all words stuck in his throat. He hadn't forgotten how Zhou Yuancen stopped contacting him after he hung up on her last time. Who could have expected she would suddenly show up at his school?

So what should be done now?

Zhou Yuancen covered her mouth and took a few more steps forward, gently hugging Ruan Miao with some choked sobs: "I haven't seen you for over half a year. Every time I came before, you refused to see me. I couldn't get into the He family's house…"

Ruan Miao allowed her to hug him, afraid that pushing her away might make her suspicious. He forced himself to remain calm and patted Zhou Yuancen's back: "Don't cry anymore."

Zhou Yuancen wiped her tears, letting go of Ruan Miao, and then, with teary eyes, touched Ruan Miao's face. She wanted to say that he had lost weight, but feeling the soft flesh on his face, she concluded that he must be doing well recently. With tears and a smile, she said, "Miao Miao, you've gained some weight."

"Yes," Ruan Miao responded, "I have a big appetite."

"It's good that you've gained weight," Zhou Yuancen said with relief. "Come on, let's go out for a walk. I came specifically to see you tonight."

Ruan Miao really wanted to refuse but couldn't find a good reason. After all, this was his biological mother. It had been over half a year since she last saw her son, and she had come all the way at night. He couldn't bear to send her away.

But what if going with her exposed some flaws? After all, they were biological mother and son. Many details might reveal differences. Besides, what if she brought up dealing with He Shangye again?

"Miao Miao, I know you're still upset, but it's been a long time since we've seen each other. Just for the sake of how hard it has been for me, come with me for a bit," Zhou Yuancen said with some sadness. "We haven't had a proper conversation in a long time."

Ruan Miao had no choice but to follow her out of the school gate, deciding to speak as little as possible and try not to say too much to avoid exposing anything.

Zhou Yuancen drove herself. She placed Ruan Miao in the passenger seat and then slowly drove away from the school gate. Ruan Miao didn't know much about cars but felt that Zhou Yuancen's car was likely expensive. Her clothes also seemed to be of good quality, suggesting she wasn't struggling financially.

He quietly observed from his seat without initiating any conversation. Perhaps the original Ruan Miao didn't like to interact with Zhou Yuancen much, so she didn't suspect anything. The car gradually headed towards the commercial district. Ruan Miao wasn't sure where she was taking him. When they reached a red light, he couldn't help but say, "I can't be out too late."

"I know," Zhou Yuancen said, holding the steering wheel. "We're just going to have a meal. It won't take long. I'll take you back afterward."

Ruan Miao felt relieved.

The car stopped in front of a high-end restaurant. Zhou Yuancen got out, and a valet quickly came over to take the car. Ruan Miao followed her inside. She seemed to frequent this place, as she had a gold card.

The waiter, familiar with the process, led them to a private room and then brought two glasses of lemonade and warm towels before leaving. Zhou Yuancen handed Ruan Miao the menu and said gently, "Look and see what you want to eat."

Ruan Miao had just eaten three large meat buns, two bowls of eight-treasure porridge, and a serving of pan-fried dumplings for dinner. He wasn't hungry at all, so he pushed the menu back: "I'm full. You can order."

Zhou Yuancen then rang the bell, called the waiter back, and skillfully ordered several dishes. Ruan Miao took out his phone to check the time; there was still an hour and a half until the end of school. He had asked Xi You for leave.

After sending the message, Ruan Miao looked up to see Zhou Yuancen gazing at him thoughtfully. He pretended to be calm and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Miao Miao, I've never seen this hairstyle before," Zhou Yuancen sighed. "When you were little, you hated having your hair cut short, saying it would look ugly."

"That was before," Ruan Miao explained. "Besides, it wasn't intentional. The barber didn't get it right."

Zhou Yuancen nodded and didn't dwell on the topic. She picked up her water glass to take a sip, coughing a few times and looking a bit weak. Ruan Miao hesitated whether to express concern but was interrupted when Zhou Yuancen said, "I know you're reluctant to do what I ask, but I understand that you're in a difficult position."

"But don't you remember how we used to live? You wouldn't want to be looked down upon again, would you?"

"You're turning eighteen next year. If we don't do something, He Shangye will definitely drive you away. You're not like He Shanglu; he's his real brother."

Ruan Miao quietly listened to Zhou Yuancen's ramblings. When she spoke about these things, a fierce expression appeared on her face, which seemed out of character for her, as if all her hatred was directed at the He family.

Ruan Miao could somewhat understand. From the information conveyed in her words, it seemed that Liang Rui, their father, had wronged her and refused to acknowledge it after she became pregnant, fearing that the He family's eldest daughter would abandon him. This led him to do many things to drive them away, forcing Zhou Yuancen to hide in her hometown and leave Ruan Miao to be raised by his grandmother.

It wasn't until Ruan Miao was fifteen that she dared to bring him back and tried everything to get him into the He family, hoping they could have a stable life. But He Shangye told her it was impossible to support him for life and that he had to be independent by eighteen at the latest.

Thus, Zhou Yuancen became embittered.

Ruan Miao sympathized with her but felt unqualified to advise her to let go, as he hadn't experienced Zhou Yuancen's suffering. Even though being a mistress was wrong, everyone should be responsible for their actions. He had no right to counsel anyone.

"We don't need to rely on the He family's wealth. Once I find a good job, I can still support you in your old age," Ruan Miao said. "Don't worry. I may not make a lot of money, but I can still ensure you have a comfortable life."

Zhou Yuancen was taken aback and then, with red-rimmed eyes, said fiercely, "Why should I?"

"Liang Rui ruined my life! Do you know how much a lifetime is worth? Now he wants to drive you out of the house—that's impossible!"

"But it's not the He family's fault," Ruan Miao reassured her. "Whether it's He Shangye or the former eldest daughter of the He family, this matter essentially has nothing to do with them. You shouldn't take revenge on the entire He family."

Zhou Yuancen gritted her teeth, her hands clutching the tablecloth tightly, her red nail polish nearly cracking: "How is it unrelated? He relies on the He family to be where he is today. As long as the He family doesn't fall, he will always be carefree!"

"Now he's enjoying life abroad while I, while I…"

Zhou Yuancen's emotions appeared very agitated. Ruan Miao, fearing she might harm herself in a moment of impulse, quickly held her hand and said, "Don't be angry. Let's calm down first and talk later, okay?"

He wasn't very good at comforting people, but Zhou Yuancen seemed to consider something and soon calmed down. She looked at the hand Ruan Miao was holding, and after a long moment, covered it with her other hand, murmuring softly, "Miao Miao, you haven't been this affectionate with me in a long time."

Ruan Miao felt a pang of sadness. He wasn't sure whether to sympathize with her or the original Ruan Miao. Clearly, this mother and son weren't on the same page. Although they were related by blood, there seemed to be a vast distance between their hearts. Otherwise, why would the original Ruan Miao be so distant from his mother?

"As for the He family, I have my own plans. Please don't interfere for now, okay?" Ruan Miao said cautiously. "You know I'm just one person. It's hard enough to survive in the He family. Can you understand that?"

Zhou Yuancen hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself. After a long time, she finally said, "Okay."

"But don't make me wait too long. I believe you're a good child. You will definitely find a way to bring disgrace to the He family, won't you?"

Ruan Miao didn't know how to respond. He couldn't understand her fixation on revenge against the He family. After all, what flaws could the He family have that would lead to their downfall? He Shangye was a very upright person.

"Heh." Zhou Yuancen sneered, seemingly seeing through his thoughts. "He Shangye's methods are certainly more sophisticated than Liang Rui's, but Liang Rui did a lot of harm in the past and almost ruined the entire He family. I still have quite a bit of evidence against him."

"However, after He Shangye took over, he decisively drove him out of the country and cleaned up most of his deeds. That's why he's barely hanging on now."

"I don't believe he won't leave any trace!"

Seeing Zhou Yuancen getting agitated again, Ruan Miao sighed, "I'm going to the bathroom."

He opened the door to the private room, wanting to get some fresh air. He felt stifled in front of Zhou Yuancen and didn't know how to communicate with her.

Ruan Miao walked down the stairs and happened to run into He Shangye coming up with a few people. They bumped into each other.

He Shangye's eyebrows lifted slightly, clearly surprised to see Ruan Miao here instead of at school.

"Hello, Brother." Ruan Miao quickly explained, "I came here with my mother for a meal."

He Shangye nodded and then turned to the people accompanying him, saying, "You go ahead. I'll talk to my little brother for a moment."

Ruan Miao was a bit surprised. This was the first time He Shangye introduced himself as having a younger brother outside.