RAHHSFL - Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Ruan Nan tiptoed into the house. Her father, Ruan Huyue, was alone in the living room, reading the newspaper. Seeing her return, he took a sip from his teacup. "Back?"
"Yes."
"Junior high classmate?"
"High school."
"Oh, high school." Ruan Huyue nodded, pondering for a moment. "I don't recall you ever being so close to any high school classmates. Are you dating?"
Ruan Nan glanced at him. "Do you even know who I'm close to now?"
Ruan Huyue was taken aback. Ruan Nan didn't elaborate, simply saying, "A girl."
"Oh, oh, a girl, a girl. The one who went to the concert with you?"
"Yes."
"You two are really close then. I remember you never liked these things before. Remember when we were in Spain, watching the opera? I was holding you, and when the dancer in the red dress appeared, your little face immediately scrunched up..."
The light fell on Ruan Huyue's slightly overweight figure. Middle age, constant business dinners, even a high-ranking position couldn't prevent weight gain. Ruan Nan vaguely noticed a few strands of gray at his temples.
He was talking about something from Ruan Nan's early childhood.
So young that her mother was still alive. The three of them had lived in Spain, and even though she hadn't understood much of the language, it didn't matter, because they were together, a strong and supportive family unit.
Silence fell over the room. After a while, Ruan Nan lowered her eyes. "Will you be too busy to go again this year?"
Ruan Huyue took a moment to process her question. "I'll go, I'll definitely go this year. I'll book the tickets in advance..."
Ruan Nan's eyes widened. Before she could say anything, someone started unlocking the door. Ruan Huyue quickly stood up. Ruan Nan turned to look. Gu Ying entered, pulling a small suitcase, a coat in her hand, followed by the driver carrying a small child.
"Daddy!" the three-year-old son chirped.
Ruan Huyue hurried over, scooping his son into his arms. "Did you miss Daddy?"
"Yes!"
Ruan Huyue affectionately pressed his forehead against his son's small head, then turned to Gu Ying. "Why are you carrying so many things yourself?"
Gu Ying smiled softly and shook her head. "I brought your winter clothes. It's cold here.”
"You could just buy more. No need to trouble yourself."
Despite his words, Ruan Huyue gestured for Driver Liu to put the suitcase aside.
"New clothes aren't comfortable. You're used to these ones."
Ruan Nan watched the happy family scene, standing there for a moment. Just as she was about to turn and leave, her father called out, "Nan Nan, Aunt Gu bought you some new clothes. Come and have a look.”
Ruan Nan froze, then looked coldly at Gu Ying. The woman, not yet forty, was tall and slender with well-maintained skin, her face almost devoid of excess flesh, her thinness hinting at a shrewd, almost harsh quality.
A quality that seemed to disappear whenever she looked at Ruan Nan's father.
But Ruan Nan could see through it.
In this first encounter in nearly a year, Ruan Nan hesitated. Gu Ying put on a warm smile and pointed to the suitcase. “Nan Nan, it’s right here, in your favorite white.”
“I don’t like white,” Ruan Nan replied coldly.
“It’s alright, if you don’t like it, we’ll buy more. No matter which mall, as long as Nan Nan likes it, we'll go shopping,” Ruan Huyue interjected, placating her like a child.
“No need, Dad. I’m going upstairs.”
As Gu Ying was about to open the suitcase, the three-year-old in Ruan Huyue’s arms suddenly pointed at Ruan Nan and shouted, "Bad person!"
Ruan Huyue was startled, bouncing his son slightly. "Zai Zai, what nonsense are you saying? Where did you learn such things?"
"Bad person!" the child repeated.
Ruan Huyue was about to offer a pretend reprimand when Ruan Nan, suddenly recalling how Qin Juran had dealt with the bratty kid at the concert, looked at the three-year-old and said seriously, "You are."
"?"
Both Ruan Huyue and Gu Ying were stunned. Ruan Nan continued to stare at the child, giving a slightly unsettling, crooked smile. "People who call others names wet the bed at night. And the big bad wolf comes for them."
The little boy burst into tears. Ruan Huyue looked bewildered. "Nan Nan, why did you scare your brother? He's just a child..."
Ruan Nan shrugged, giving a cynical smile. "I'm just a child too.”
As Ruan Nan turned to leave, Gu Ying, instead of immediately comforting her crying son, opened the suitcase and took out a cream-colored coat. Walking over to Ruan Nan, she held it up against her. "This coat will be perfect in a couple of days.”
She acted as if she hadn't been bothered by the previous incident. Ruan Nan looked suspiciously at Ruan Huyue, who lifted his chin, still soothing his son, almost pleading, "Nan Nan, Aunt Gu specially picked this out for you. Try it on.”
Gu Ying held the coat in the air, the atmosphere in the room thick with awkwardness. Ruan Nan glanced at Ruan Huyue again, frowned slightly, then took the coat and put it on.
There was a full-length mirror in the living room. Gu Ying, acting like a true elder, fussed over her, adjusting the shoulders and collar.
Ruan Huyue looked at his daughter in the mirror. "My daughter is beautiful, she looks good in anything. Nan Nan, do you like it?"
The coat was an expensive brand. Gu Ying seemed to be staring at the mirror, waiting for her answer. Ruan Nan glanced at her and gave a curt, awkward nod.
Ruan Nan felt momentarily disoriented. She had disliked Gu Ying so much, and Gu Ying had always acted so meek in front of her father, making Ruan Nan feel like an outsider in her own home. How had things changed so much in a year? Could it be, as Qin Juran said, that no conflict was truly immutable?
Before Ruan Nan could speak, Gu Ying smiled and asked, "Nan Nan, you said you didn't really like white?"
"Yes."
"Is that so?" Gu Ying moved closer, looking at the girl who was slightly shorter than her in the mirror. "But Auntie saw your friend wearing a white coat just now. You even looked down at her coat. Auntie thought you liked white."
There was a strange glint in Gu Ying's eyes. Ruan Nan felt a chill run down her spine. She turned and stared at Gu Ying. "You saw?"
Gu Ying smiled and nodded, stroking Ruan Nan's sleeve. "I saw everything. This is the girl you got tickets for, to go to the concert, right?"
"She's quite pretty."
"Which girl? Do I know her?" Ruan Huyue chimed in from the side.
Gu Ying chuckled at him. "Nan Nan's friend, how would you know?" She gave Ruan Nan a meaningful look. "Nan Nan cares so much about this friend, she probably wants to hide her from us."
With that, she picked up her son from Ruan Huyue’s arms and swept away, leaving Ruan Nan standing there, her hands clenched into fists inside her sleeves.
On New Year's Eve, the Qin family woke up early. Qin Haotian, freshly dressed in his new clothes, was about to head to the kitchen when Zuo Yanzhen scolded him playfully.
Qin Juran smiled and walked over, giving him a sympathetic look. Qin Haotian grabbed her and, deliberately loud enough for Zuo Yanzhen to hear, asked, "Ranran, aren't you inviting Nan Nan over for New Year's Eve dinner?"
"She might not be free. Her family probably has their own gathering."
"They definitely eat early. She can come to our place for the real feast after. Dad will take you to watch the bonfire and set off firecrackers. They definitely don't have bonfires in her fancy neighborhood."
Before Qin Juran could reply, Zuo Yanzhen interjected. "You're so eager. She’s seen it all before. Ranran hasn’t even invited her, what are you rushing for?"
Zuo Yanzhen left. Qin Juran and Qin Haotian exchanged a look. He shrugged, and Qin Juran nodded understandingly. Again, not all parents were like Qin Haotian. Forget Ruan Nan's father, even Zuo Yanzhen might not be accepting.
Qin Juran followed her mother outside. Zuo Yanzhen was about to water the plants with a spray bottle. Qin Juran took it from her. "Mom."
"What is it, Ranran?"
"Do you... dislike Ruan Nan?"
Zuo Yanzhen paused. "It's not that I dislike her."
"Then are you still angry about what happened in high school?"
Zuo Yanzhen sprayed the plants a couple of times. "Ranran, I'm not angry. I just feel like we're not the same kind of people. I've been to your parent-teacher meetings. I know how rich her family is. I'm not worried you’ll pick up bad spending habits, I’m just worried you’ll feel uncomfortable around them.”
Qin Juran considered the meaning of "uncomfortable." "Are you afraid I'll feel inferior, that they’ll look down on me?"
Zuo Yanzhen nodded. "Nan Nan is good to you now, I know. But what if one day she isn’t? I’m afraid you’ll be the one who gets hurt.”
Zuo Yanzhen had a way of twisting even straightforward words. Qin Juran was both amused and exasperated. "That won't happen, Mom. Ruan Nan and I... you could say we started off on the wrong foot. The worse our relationship was then, the better it is now. She's been helping me a lot with my company recently. We might even be business partners in the future, working together for the rest of our lives."
Qin Juran smiled gently. Zuo Yanzhen could see that this friend was special to her daughter and, pursing her lips, didn't say anything more.
"Mom, do you think that because Ruan Nan is rich, she's like a little princess, has seen and experienced everything, and is much happier than us?"
"It's not about happiness. I just feel that our ordinary family can't really offer her anything, and I don’t want her to think we’re taking advantage.”
"Mom." Qin Juran lowered her head slightly, looking at Zuo Yanzhen, who was a bit shorter than her. "Ruan Nan's mother passed away when she was very young."
Zuo Yanzhen almost dropped the watering can.
"Her father remarried and had two sons with his new wife. Their relationship isn't good."
The classic evil stepmother trope – Qin Juran didn't need to elaborate; Zuo Yanzhen could picture it. No matter how rich, a young girl losing her mother would be incredibly lonely.
"Actually, Nan Nan envies me. I consider her a very important person in my life. She's generous with her money and doesn't flaunt her status. I also want to share my love, the warmth of our family, with her.”
"So, Mom, I hope you can be like Dad and not be so wary of her.”
Zuo Yanzhen was still reeling from Qin Juran's words. Qin Juran finished watering the plants and left.
That evening, after the New Year's Eve dinner was ready, Qin Juran heard that Ruan Nan's family had all returned, so she didn't insist on her coming over. The Spring Festival holiday was short; they had to return to S City on the eighth day to continue their projects. The time for reunion was precious and fleeting.
After dinner, Qin Haotian told his children to stay up late so they could go out together at midnight to circle the bonfire and welcome the gods. Zuo Yanzhen, sensitive to the cold, wouldn't be joining them.
Back in her room, Qin Juran was checking emails on her computer when her phone vibrated. It was a text message.
Qin Juran opened it. It was from an unknown number, with only one line: [Happy New Year. Gather your inspiration. Resume your projects when you're well-rested.]
Qin Juran thought for a moment. [Thank you. Happy New Year, Mr. Qin.]
It must be Qin Yuan.
After a while, he replied: [Spending time with family?]
[Yes. Mom made a whole New Year's Eve feast. Later, I'm going out with Dad and my brother to circle the bonfire.]
Qin Yuan looked at his phone, his brows furrowing imperceptibly. Every message from Qin Juran seemed to mention "parents," intentionally or not.
He had investigated more than once; the couple who ran the small restaurant were completely unaware of the baby swap, and Qin Juran couldn't possibly know either.
A very clever child.
[Are you spending Spring Festival with your family too, Mr. Qin?] Qin Juran asked.
[I'm in Switzerland for a meeting.]
[Alone.]
Qin Juran stared at her phone, suddenly remembering her biological father from her past life. Every New Year, he would video call her from some far-off country. She lowered her eyes. Outside, Qin Haotian was calling for her and her brother to go out. She quickly called back in agreement and replied to Qin Yuan:
[Then I won't disturb you further, Mr. Qin. Until we meet again.]
Qin Juran followed Qin Haotian out the door. Qin Julai was holding a half-empty box of leftover cigarettes from a customer. The three of them walked to a wide-open space. Qin Julai placed two large firecrackers on the ground. "Sis, are you brave enough?"
Qin Juran, bundled in her down jacket, listened as the deafening sounds of firecrackers and fireworks filled the air around midnight. "Brave enough for what?" she shouted back.
Qin Julai shouted in reply, "To light them. These are powerful. You have to cover your ears.”
Seeing Qin Julai's mischievous grin, Qin Juran played along, shaking her head. He looked smug, about to light a cigarette to ignite the firecrackers, when a gust of cold wind blew the smoke into his throat, making him cough violently.
Qin Juran patted his back, laughing. When Qin Julai finally wiped the tears from his eyes, Qin Juran took the cigarette box from him, deftly plucked one out with two fingers, put it between her lips, and took a light drag. The bright orange tip glowed conspicuously as she walked to the firecrackers, lit them, and calmly stepped back. Qin Julai watched, stunned, as she blew out a perfect smoke ring.
After setting off the firecrackers, they went to circle the bonfire. Considering the danger of fireworks, Qin Juran didn’t even think of driving.
Zuo Yanzhen waited at home for a long time. The sound of firecrackers outside was so loud, it drowned out the television. Qin Haotian took a few pictures of his children and sent them to the family chat group. Zuo Yanzhen turned off the TV in the bedroom and zoomed in on the photos.
After a long while, the firecrackers subsided. Zuo Yanzhen checked the time; it was past midnight. She wondered where they had gone and why they hadn’t returned.
Around 12:20 a.m., Zuo Yanzhen thought she heard knocking. Qin Haotian had taken the key when he left. She listened carefully again but heard nothing.
This happened a couple of times before Zuo Yanzhen finally couldn’t take it anymore. She went to the door and called out, asking who was there. She faintly heard a girl’s voice and, assuming it was Qin Juran, quickly opened the door. Standing there was Ruan Nan, wearing a down jacket, looking anxious, her eyes slightly red, as if she’d been crying. Seeing Zuo Yanzhen, she seemed to swallow whatever she was about to say.
They stood there in silence for a moment. Ruan Nan lowered her head, her nose red from the cold, and said awkwardly, "Auntie, sorry to disturb you so late. Is Qin Juran home?"
"She went out, hasn't come back yet."
"Do you know when she'll be back?"
Zuo Yanzhen estimated, "Probably a little while longer."
Zuo Yanzhen wasn't tall, but years of hard work gave her a capable air, unlike Qin Haotian's affable nature.
Ruan Nan knew that Qin Juran's mother had always disliked her because of the high school incident. Even when calling Qin Juran, she would go outside to speak privately. Ruan Nan nodded, not wanting to cause any further trouble. "Okay, I have something to ask her. Since she's not here, I won't disturb you any longer.”
As Ruan Nan turned to leave, Zuo Yanzhen's sharp eyes noticed that, beneath her down jacket, she was practically bare-legged. "Did you come from home?" Zuo Yanzhen suddenly asked.
"Uh, yes." Ruan Nan wasn't sure what she meant.
Seeing Zuo Yanzhen staring at her legs, Ruan Nan took a step back, offering a clumsy explanation, "I got my shoes and socks wet on the way..."
"How do you get your shoes and socks wet while driving?" Zuo Yanzhen saw right through her lie.
"..."
Without letting Ruan Nan explain further, Zuo Yanzhen grabbed her cold hand, frowning. "I hate to see young girls with cold legs. Come inside and warm up.”
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