The Sour Plum Girl [Rebirth] - Chapter 10

Song Song’s gaze remained fixed on her every move, her lips pressed into a thin line, her lowered hand unconsciously clenching into a fist.

When the other girl’s gaze shifted toward her, Song Song instinctively lowered her head again, burying all her emotions.

The taxi door was still open. Song Yiran looked at her in confusion. “Song Song, what are you doing? Aren’t you coming up?”

Instantly, Song Song lifted her eyes. The rims of her eyes were flushed red as she asked in disbelief, “I’m supposed to come up too?”

She had thought Song Yiran wouldn’t bother with her anymore. She had said there wouldn’t be a next time.

Song Yiran let out a light laugh. “Of course. Otherwise, how are we supposed to go home?”

Home?

It was an unfamiliar word, but coming from Song Yiran’s mouth, it sounded familiar and gentle.

Under the driver’s urging, Song Yiran shifted over and reached out, pulling Song Song inside with a firm tug. Then, she gave the driver the address.

In the taxi, Song Yiran told Song Song about Ms. Song’s habits, and Song Song listened in silence. Song Yiran had also sent a message to Ms. Song in advance.

“Ms. Song, congratulate me. I’ve brought Song Song home.”

From the corner of her eye, Song Song saw the content of the message. Song Yiran’s profile was radiant with a smile. Soon, a reply came back in the form of an emoji a cat giving a thumbs-up.

Following that was a long string of text, all of it praising Song Yiran and expressing excitement about meeting her.

Song Yiran wasn’t being scolded or treated with coldness; she was being met with warmth.

Song Song stopped looking at the phone. Instead, she leaned back against the seat as if all her strength had left her, her eyes fixed on that fair face.

They were flowers grown in different soils, having never seen each other’s land, yet they had crossed paths in a strange, uncanny way.

Because of this, Song Song had thought Song Yiran was cutting ties with her, while Song Yiran’s logic was simply that Song Song had agreed to go home with her.

Song Song remained very quiet throughout the journey. Whenever Song Yiran looked at her, she only offered a faint smile, her other emotions unreadable.

After getting out of the car, Song Yiran led her toward her small villa. Her neighborhood was very famous in Yuncheng, known as a residence for the wealthy.

Song Song followed silently behind her.

When they reached the doorstep, Song Yiran saw that the lights were still on and knew Ms. Song was waiting for her. A smile appeared on her face. “Let’s go. My mom is very easy to get along with. You don’t need to worry.”

Song Song nodded. “I will try my best to find a place to stay and move out soon.”

She had been in a daze the whole way. Now that her consciousness had cleared, she felt she had been too impulsive. She shouldn’t be a burden to her, but since they were already here, it wasn’t right to refuse.

“Until then, I will handle the housework. I won’t cause you too much trouble.”

Her tone was serious, and Song Yiran noticed her lowered hand was unconsciously rubbing against her side. It was a sign of restlessness as if she wanted to flee but was forcing herself to stay.

Song Song didn’t want to trouble her, and now that she had to, she wanted to use housework to alleviate the psychological burden.

Song Yiran, of course, wouldn’t refuse.

“Then I’ll leave the housework to you. Usually, the nanny handles everything, but she’s been on leave lately, and things have been quite a mess these past few days. I feel much more at ease with your promise.”

“You don’t need to be in a rush, either. There have always been empty rooms at home. My mom even talked about renting them out before.”

She joked, and then, as if remembering something, she asked, “Do you know how to drive? Do you have a license? It’s a bit of a distance from here to Chuyu.”

Seeing her nod, Song Yiran continued, “There’s a car at home that the nanny used to use for grocery shopping. When you go to Chuyu later, you can drive that. You can also take me along or help with the groceries.”

“Until those people settle down, stay here with peace of mind. Consider it my compensation to you after all, you saved me.”

Song Yiran mockingly put her hands on her hips with a look of feigned displeasure. “I’m not the type who likes to owe people favors.”

“Also… about the collaboration, this time will be quite troublesome. It’ll be more convenient to revise the drafts if you live here.”

“I’ve arranged everything.”

After making sure there were no issues, Song Yiran looked at Song Song and asked, “Do you have any questions?”

Song Song shook her head. “No.” She had already felt a sense of relief that the other girl had agreed to her request.

“Then let’s head in. It’s quite cold out here.” Song Yiran made a show of rubbing her arms as if she were shivering.

“Mm… okay.”

Seeing Song Song nod obediently, Song Yiran burst into a laugh. She turned away, twisted the doorknob, and walked in.

The door wasn’t locked tight. Song Yiran began changing her shoes in the foyer.

Warm light radiated around her. Song Song gazed at the light spilling out. This was a very cozy villa; roses and plum trees were planted in the courtyard.

The air carried a light fragrance, completely different from the atmosphere of the place where she lived.

She felt a momentary trance. Song Song had stayed in other people’s homes before, and it hadn’t been a pleasant experience.

After Song Yiran changed her shoes, she glanced back at her in confusion. “Song Song… why are you dazing off? Come in…”

Hearing the voice, Song Song immediately snapped back to reality and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

After silently shutting the door, Song Song’s eyes scanned the shoes on the floor. She stood there, tall and slender, looking somewhat awkward.

Song Yiran pulled a pair of blue slippers with a butterfly pattern from the cabinet.

“They’re brand new. They just happen to be your size.”

Astonishment flickered in Song Song’s eyes. She took them and leaned over to change into the slippers.

Since her rebirth, Song Yiran had planned everything. The slippers had been prepared long ago, as had the items in the room. She looked down at Song Song’s every move, feeling curious about her reaction when she saw the room.

Once she finished changing, Song Yiran led her inside. At that moment, only Ms. Song was in the living room, curled up on the sofa watching an outdoor reality show.

“Mom, I’m back. Don’t you have any reaction?”

“What kind of reaction do you want?” Ms. Song replied, sounding quite exasperated. But when her eyes landed on Song Song, who stood a head taller behind her daughter, her expression paused.

Meeting Ms. Song’s gaze, Song Song’s fingertips tightened involuntarily. Her eyes lowered, making her look like a child who had done something wrong.

Seeing this, Ms. Song immediately stood up and walked over with a kind smile. “You must be Song Song. Ranran talks about you in my ear all the time. As expected…”

She looked Song Song up and down before concluding, “You really are a beauty.”

“You look very likable.” With that, she enthusiastically grabbed Song Song and began introducing the house.

Song Yiran’s face immediately flushed red. “Mom, be serious.”

She looked at Song Song with a sense of shame, but Song Song had frozen, her expression blank. Song Yiran felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

I forgot to tell Mom that Song Song doesn’t like physical contact!

She hurriedly followed Ms. Song to stop her, but then she caught the reassuring look Song Song sent her way. It seemed she didn’t actually mind. Seeing this, Song Yiran breathed a sigh of relief.

Ms. Song took Song Song through every room, introducing everything in the house and chatting about this and that. Song Song kept a smile on her face the whole time, responding politely.

After the introduction, Ms. Song said warmly to Song Song, “In the future, if you need anything, just tell Auntie Song. My Ranran has a bad temper, so please bear with her. I’m going to be busy lately and won’t have time to look after her. I’ll feel much more at ease with you living here.”

Song Song nodded beside her. As they spoke, Ms. Song let out a yawn, said goodnight to both of them, and returned to her room.

Song Yiran stood next to Song Song, looking helplessly at her mother’s retreating back. She said in a low voice, “Don’t mind her. My mom is just like that. She’s just talking nonsense, don’t take it seriously.”

“Mm… I won’t take it seriously.” Song Song looked at Song Yiran with a faint, knowing smile.

She added, “Your personality is very good!”

Song Yiran: “…”

Song Song’s room was directly across from Song Yiran’s. She pointed to a half-open white door and said, “You’ll stay here from now on. If you need anything, find me; I live right across.”

She pointed to her own room and walked over. Opening her door, she said, “I won’t join you for the tour. Everything inside is new. Take a look yourself, and tell me tomorrow if you need anything else; I’ll go buy it for you.”

“I’m going to sleep now. Goodnight, Song Song.” Song Yiran waved at her with a smile, and Song Song waved back, appearing a bit dazed.

After Song Yiran closed her door, the world seemed to fall silent.

Song Song turned back to the white door frame and slowly pushed the door open. The room had a balcony, and a bed was placed near the window, looking exceptionally soft.

The gauze curtains drifted in the wind. The walls were painted a celadon-white color, the bedding was a mix of blue and white, and the wardrobe was behind the door a warm-toned, European-style floor-to-ceiling closet. Beside it, a laptop sat on a dressing table.

The entire room was styled in pale blue, carrying a warm and cozy tone. Whether by coincidence or not, it matched her preferences exactly.

In front of the laptop was an exquisite keyboard—the keys were completely transparent.

Song Song’s body stiffened. She walked forward slowly, her fingertips stroking the keyboard. A crisp click sounded as she pressed a key.

She had gone to shops to listen to that sound and look at that design countless times.

Song Song had two wishes for her nineteenth year: one was to save enough money for university, and the other was to own the mechanical keyboard she loved.

She pulled out the blue chair and sat down, slowly pressing the power button of the laptop. As it turned on, she saw the words on the screen: “Song Song’s Induction Reward.”

Induction?

Did it refer to their collaboration?

She looked around the room once more. Everything revealed meticulous planning; it wasn’t a coincidence. It had been prepared specifically for her!

Astonishment flooded Song Song’s eyes, and a feeling began to climb up into her chest. She felt a surge of warmth.

The laptop screen was a blank white page with those seven words. She moved the mouse, placing the cursor below the text. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, typing into the input field: “Song Yiran, you really are a… strange person.”

The pleasant clicking sound made her exceptionally excited. The tactile sensation at her fingertips made her tremble uncontrollably. The only sound in the entire room was the rhythmic tapping of the keyboard.

In front of the half-open door, Song Yiran was leaning against the frame at some point, quietly peeking inside.

Under the clear light, Song Song sat there upright and focused. At this moment, Song Yiran knew she was happy. The occasional tilt of her head and her faint, ethereal smile were all signs that she was satisfied with the arrangements.

In her previous life, Song Yiran had seen the great author Song Song mention that when she was nineteen, she had desperately wanted a keyboard of her own. But back then, such a transparent keyboard was an expensive luxury for her. By the time she finally got one, she no longer had the same heart for it. That object she once loved so much eventually ended up thrown into a storage room.

When one waits too long for something, they eventually become numb to it.

Since her rebirth, Song Yiran didn’t want her to be disappointed. She wanted to take good care of her, to turn her past regrets into reality, and to ensure she could go to university.

In the future, “Chumeng Editor” might cease to exist, but Song Song would remain. That was enough…

She wore a triumphant smile, her eyes curving into crescents as she cautiously pulled the door shut and tiptoed back to her own bedroom.

She flopped onto her soft bed, breathing in the sweet scent of the blankets like a satisfied kitten. After a moment, she took out her phone and wrote in her notes app:

Tasks to Complete:

1. Bring the great Song Song home. (50% Complete)
2. Prevent Ms. Song from going bankrupt. (33% Complete)

Next, Song Yiran must remember to keep up the good work!

She stared at the words on her phone, dazing off. As for those thugs, Song Yiran had many ways to deal with them, but there was no need to worry about them for now. Those people could actually serve to stall Song Song. As for the matter of renting a house, Song Yiran would definitely find a way to sabotage it; she had no intention of letting Song Song move out.

And she certainly wouldn’t let Yu Mo move in.

If she told Song Song her motives directly, she would look like a bad person. After all, Yu Mo was closely related to her. No matter how much she disliked him, she couldn’t just refuse to help. She couldn’t very well talk about things he would do in the future; Song Song would probably just think she had lost her mind or was acting out like a spoiled rich girl.

Argh…

How could she make it sound logical and reasonable? Song Yiran felt a massive headache coming on.

But for now, the most important thing: stop Song Song from renting a house!

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