When the Male Lead Finds Out I’m the Transmigrator Trying to Win Him Over - Chapter 20

A year after Yun Ruo disappeared.

To the outside world, it looked like Meng Tingmo and Yun Ruo were already divorced, just not publicly announced. After all, at any event requiring the presence of the Meng family, “Mrs. Meng” was never seen again.

But Mrs. Meng had left behind a son.

It was said that the Meng family treasured this grandson dearly—no photos ever leaked, and wherever he went, the place was cleared out.

Even people within the circle rarely saw him.

Meng Tingmo worked at the company until nine in the evening. Over the past year, under his leadership, the Meng Corporation flourished with unstoppable momentum, drawing endless praise from the media—while employees cried bitterly behind the scenes.

He had turned into a workaholic, doing nothing but working or commuting to work. In a month, he might only take one or two days off, and even then, it was only to accompany his son. If it weren’t for the generous overtime pay, most of them would have already quit.

“You’re working this late again—don’t you care about your health?” Mrs. Meng followed her son around, chattering endlessly. “I really don’t understand you. You were never this hardworking before. Don’t tell me you’re doing this for your child—our Meng family isn’t short on money.”

“When Yun Ruo was still around, you couldn’t wait to come home early every day. Now she—”

Mrs. Meng stopped abruptly.

Yun Ruo’s name had become a taboo in their household.

Sure enough, the moment Meng Tingmo heard her name, his expression immediately darkened. He had originally wanted to comfort his mother with some gentle words, but in the end, all he said was: “I’m not tired. I’m fine.”

“Where’s Xiao Han?”

“He’s already asleep.” Mrs. Meng sighed inwardly. Working overtime until this late, he didn’t even have time to play with his own son. What was the point of it all?

“I’ll go check on him.” Meng Tingmo turned to go upstairs. Little Meng Feihan had his own caretaker, and after a year, he had grown into a healthy, chubby boy.

“Tingmo.” Mrs. Meng stopped him, looking hesitant. What she wanted to say, she didn’t really want to—but she needed to understand her son’s true thoughts.

“Today Aunt Zhang held a gathering. Her daughter just came back from studying abroad. Do you want to meet her?”

Meng Tingmo paused, almost laughing. Yun Ruo had only been gone for a year, and already these people were—

Why was he thinking about Yun Ruo again?

He didn’t love Yun Ruo. If others wanted to introduce him to someone else, there was nothing wrong with that.

Only, only…

“I’m not in the mood for this.” He gave himself an excuse. “Xiao Han is still young. I’m not interested in dating.”

He went upstairs.

Mrs. Meng didn’t follow, only sighed and sat down on the sofa. Yun Ruo had only been gone for a year. She had never wanted her son to move on so quickly.

That would be too heartless.

But Meng Tingmo’s condition wasn’t good. She didn’t voice it aloud, but in her heart, she knew it was because of Yun Ruo.

Only Meng Tingmo himself was too blind to see.

He kept saying things like, “I don’t love her” and “I want a divorce.” And now look—serves him right to be alone.

“When will Yun Ruo come back?”

Her soft sighs faded into the air.

More than one person had asked Meng Tingmo that same question—“When will Yun Ruo come back?” Feng You and the others didn’t know the truth. They only thought Yun Ruo had been so heartbroken by him that, after giving birth, she left far away, with no clear date of return.

For a long time, Meng Tingmo was nailed to the pillar of shame.

Every time Feng You saw him, he would curse angrily.

“If it weren’t for Xiao Han, I’d never set foot in your house again!”

“Letting Yun Ruo go right after she gave birth—you’re not even a man!”

Meng Tingmo didn’t argue back—he accepted it all silently.

Let them curse. He wasn’t losing any flesh from it.

Sitting by his son’s little bed, Meng Tingmo watched Feihan sleep sweetly, his lips moving slightly from time to time.

After carefully washing his hands, he reached out and touched the boy’s small, soft cheek. His gaze inevitably fell on the boy’s delicate brows.

He resembled Yun Ruo—so refined, so handsome.

The faint smile froze on Meng Tingmo’s lips. Yun Ruo again—always Yun Ruo. It had been a year, and he still hadn’t forgotten her!

Clutching his chest, the pain surged again—the same pain that forced him to numb himself every day with work. Why? Was Yun Ruo’s “control” over him still not gone?

Meanwhile, Yun Ruo was checking her final exam results.

She had almost forgotten—this version of her had just finished her first year of university. After exams, she had gone home, still unsure of how well she had done.

Opening the grade sheet—rows of high scores.

【Ruo Ruo, your grades are amazing.】 The system chirped happily. Its second host had been a poor student, barely scraping by every exam—always passing by just a point or two.

【This is different from before.】

“Before” referred to the world where Meng Tingmo existed. After crossing into that world, she had been so consumed with pursuing him that her studies became sloppy.

She had graduated college but barely experienced real college life.

“A bit of a regret,” Yun Ruo murmured, recalling her eighteen-year-old self who had only spent one year in university. That year had actually been fulfilling.

She studied diligently, worked part-time jobs seriously, and sometimes went out with her roommates to see new things. Her grades were good enough for scholarships. If circumstances allowed, she had even planned to pursue graduate studies. She had so many things she wanted to do—the world outside had barely been explored.

Here, her focus was herself, not Meng Tingmo.

It felt so good.

【So, can we finally talk about what happened in the other world?】

Yun Ruo nodded.

It had been a month since she returned. A month of emptiness—never once comforted, only hollow inside.

The system began telling her the truth honestly. When it first brought her back, she had been too “fragile.” It hadn’t dared mention anything.

“…So it really was a system breaking the rules and misleading Meng Tingmo and the others—making them think I was fake and greedy?”

【You could put it that way.】

Yun Ruo’s lips curled faintly. She wanted to laugh—but the memory of lying helpless on the operating table crushed her.

She couldn’t laugh.

There was no real evidence—just a dream.

He hadn’t even been willing to listen to her explanation. He had treated even her explanations as lies.

In eight years, Meng Tingmo had hurt her many times. But never had she felt so powerless.

The one she loved most had hurt her the deepest.

【Do you want to go back and see them?】

Yun Ruo’s face was blank. “See who?”

【…Anyone you knew there.】

“No.”

The thought made her sick.

She counted her remaining money. She had spent the summer playing around instead of working part-time to save for next semester’s expenses. Now she only had enough for tuition.

Whatever—she was going to die soon anyway. Tuition money was meant to be spent.

“Maybe I should take out a loan?” she even joked.

Live recklessly for a month, then die in a car accident—no need to repay.

【You seem more carefree than before.】 The system mused. Then paused. 【No—this is who you always were.】

A lonely girl who had always struggled to survive—without humor to lighten her heart, how could she have endured this world?

Yun Ruo had always been shy and insecure, but never wallowed in self-pity. If no one played with her, she played alone. Over time, she learned to accept things.

Those five years entangled with Meng Tingmo hadn’t made her grow—they had only made her more dependent.

And Yun Ruo realized this clearly.

Standing on a hilltop, battered by the storm winds before heavy rain, she recognized for the second time how wrong she had been.

The first time had been the night she gave birth—when she told herself she had brought this upon herself.

She let the summer storm drench her completely. Within minutes, she was soaked through. With no one else on the mountain, she walked down alone. There was no cold medicine at home, so she boiled herself ginger soup.

She had once boiled the same ginger soup for Meng Tingmo.

“All wasted on a dog.”

The system hesitated. Lately, Yun Ruo mentioned Meng Tingmo often.

It seemed that whatever she did, he would still come to mind.

But…something was different. Before, it had been full of love. Now, it was indifferent—like mentioning a stranger.

Just casual words.

【That’s a good sign.】 the system thought.

“What good sign?” Yun Ruo asked, confused.

【I mean—good things are coming.】

The system scrambled for an excuse. But it wasn’t exactly a lie. Its report had finally been answered.

After bringing Yun Ruo back, it had filed a complaint against Jiang Yufei’s system, writing a 3,000-word letter to the main system describing how its poor host Yun Ruo had been nearly destroyed by the money-grubbing System 5499, how tragic and unfair it was, how kind and good she was, and so on.

After investigating, the main system concluded that Yun Ruo could be given another chance.

【Do you want to live—in this world?】

To truly live for herself.

After graduating, Yun Jia didn’t join the Meng Corporation. Instead, he started his own business, working as tirelessly as Meng Tingmo—often until dawn.

After washing up one night, unable to sleep, he sat on the sofa and dialed a number that would never connect.

“Sorry, the number you dialed is powered off.”

He lowered the phone. The word “Sister” glowed on the screen.

He had called Yun Ruo countless times. Not once had she answered.

Once, running into He Xitong on the street, he couldn’t help but bring up Yun Ruo. He Xitong said, “Maybe she went somewhere no one can ever find her.”

“But her mission isn’t finished.”

He Xitong sneered. “What mission? A money-grabbing mission? All because of a dream?”

Yun Jia clenched his fists.

He didn’t believe in dreams. He just wanted a reason—a reason to hope Yun Ruo might still come back.

Because if the dream wasn’t real, and she had no mission left to complete…then she would truly never return.

It was what he deserved. He had broken her heart.

The next day, Yun Jia took a rare day off to visit little Meng Feihan at the Meng family estate.

It had been two years since Yun Ruo’s departure. Feihan had never once seen his mother.

There were no photos of Yun Ruo in the old house. Meng Tingmo forbade it. He didn’t allow anyone to show them to Feihan either.

Yun Jia thought Meng Tingmo was just stubbornly holding out.

He himself had long since figured it out. Even if the dream was true, so what? He didn’t believe his parents’ and sister’s deaths were caused by the “transmigrated” Yun Ruo. She had been sincere in her love. He should be grateful.

If she hadn’t crossed over, leaving behind only a sixteen-year-old version of him—a spoiled boy who partied and failed his grades—he couldn’t imagine what kind of person he’d be today.

When others praised him for his accomplishments, he could only smile bitterly. He knew exactly where his so-called “excellence” came from.

It all came from Yun Ruo.

Now, at two years old, little Meng Feihan had inherited the best genes of both parents. Everyone who saw him called him beautiful.

He was a quiet child—rarely crying or fussing. He spent most of his time calmly reading or drawing.

He wasn’t like Meng Tingmo, who, despite his aloof façade, had always been the leader of his crowd, roaming around noisily.

Nor was he like Yun Ruo, who, though shy, wasn’t withdrawn, and could open up among familiar people.

Feihan treated everyone the same way.

“Mommy.”

Yun Jia almost thought he misheard. Did Feihan just say “Mommy”?

Since Yun Ruo wasn’t there, Feihan only ever called out “Daddy,” “Grandpa,” or “Grandma.” Out of deference to Meng Tingmo, no one taught him the word “Mommy.”

What was the point of saying it, when she wasn’t here? It would only bring more sorrow.

“Xiao Han, do you miss Mommy?” Yun Jia crouched down to meet his eyes.

Feihan didn’t answer. At two, he could only form short phrases. He didn’t understand much.

But Yun Jia took out his phone and pulled up a photo of Yun Ruo. He held it in front of Feihan. “This is Mommy.”

In the photo, Yun Ruo’s smile bloomed like a flower.

“What are you doing?!”

Unfortunately, before Feihan could look closely, Meng Tingmo appeared. Furious, he snatched the phone away.

Yun Jia didn’t get angry.

He just sneered, the sound unclear whether it mocked himself or his brother-in-law. “Brother-in-law, why such a strong reaction? Could it be you still haven’t forgotten my sister?”

“Didn’t you say you hated her? If your hatred is still this deep—two years later—maybe it’s because you can’t let her go?”

Support