When the Male Lead Finds Out I’m the Transmigrator Trying to Win Him Over - Chapter 48

Yun Ruo didn’t chat with Jiang Yufei for long.

Their relationship had never been particularly harmonious. Even now, with no desire to argue, they couldn’t find much to talk about.

It was Jiang Yufei who spoke first: “I’m sorry.”

She should have apologized to Yun Ruo long ago. In the years since the Greed System had left, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she had been wrong. She secretly blamed herself for having fallen under the system’s influence, but the damage had already been done, and Yun Ruo had disappeared. She hadn’t even been able to find her to apologize.

Later, when Yun Ruo reappeared, Jiang Yufei became timid again—afraid Yun Ruo would not forgive her, which was reasonable, and afraid she shouldn’t disturb her anymore.

After all, Yun Ruo might not even want to see her.

That was why, when Yun Ruo had followed Han Qi to inspect the construction site, Jiang Yufei had avoided her.

“It’s okay,” Yun Ruo said. He Xitong was nearby trying on clothes, so she took the chance to chat with Jiang Yufei, but would need to meet He Xitong afterward.

Jiang Yufei was surprised at Yun Ruo’s straightforwardness.

Yun Ruo tugged at the corner of her mouth: “You were the one who helped me when I was in trouble back then.”

She remembered Jiang Yufei holding her hand on the way to the hospital, urging her to hold on. Jiang Yufei didn’t have ill intentions, but wasn’t completely innocent either. In a sense, she had been a victim too, misled by the Greed System.

“Where are you working now?” Yun Ruo asked casually, as if chatting with an old friend over tea.

“At a design institute,” Jiang Yufei lowered her head. After the Jiang family went bankrupt, she hadn’t gone abroad and stayed in Bin City to work. Her father had tried to rebuild his career but had only achieved moderate success.

Recently, her father planned to move north, saying friends there could help, and would take the family along. If they left, they probably wouldn’t return to Bin City.

“Honestly, I’m still a bit confused about everything. I knew something was strange back then, but I never knew the full truth.”

Jiang Yufei looked uneasy: “Can you tell me the complete truth?”

Yun Ruo studied Jiang Yufei for a while. She no longer carried her former arrogance and even seemed somewhat timid, but her desire to know the truth was urgent.

“Okay, I’ll tell you the truth.”

She needed Jiang Yufei to help her with something.

In just a few minutes, Yun Ruo explained everything that had happened back then. Jiang Yufei listened in stunned silence, and by the end, she was both angry and anxious: “So it was really the system deceiving me? It said I failed because you used improper means to control Meng Tingmo, and I believed it outright?”

Knowing the truth, seeing what she had done to Yun Ruo back then, Jiang Yufei felt utterly ashamed.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t expect… I really… I’m sorry…”

“I said it’s okay,” Yun Ruo stood up. She had said all she needed to say. “I just don’t want you to keep misunderstanding me.”

“You’re leaving?” Jiang Yufei got up as well. “If you forgive me, at least let me make it up to you. Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”

Yun Ruo shook her head: “When I say ‘it’s okay,’ it’s not because I forgive you.”

She was leaving this world soon, so she didn’t have the time or energy to argue with Jiang Yufei.

“I just don’t want to become who you were back then.”

Jiang Yufei was taken aback.

Yun Ruo picked up her bag and left: “You think you were hurt, so you try to get even. I don’t want to be that kind of person.”

What can torment a person forever isn’t external pressure—it’s guilt.

It’s being unable to forgive oneself.

For example, Jiang Yufei.

Hearing Yun Ruo say, “I don’t want to become who you were,” Jiang Yufei realized everything. Her body swayed twice, as if she could barely stand. She wanted to follow Yun Ruo but didn’t dare take a step, eventually collapsing back on the table and crying uncontrollably.

Yun Ruo didn’t stop.

“Er’er, temporarily lift her restriction,” she said.

Besides Jiang Yufei, Meng Tingmo also needed to know the truth.

After saying goodbye to Jiang Yufei, Yun Ruo went shopping with He Xitong as usual. She even helped pick a coat for Han Qi. When paying, she sighed: “I said I’d save some money from working a few months, but now it’s all gone in one go.”

“You could go to the underground market,” He Xitong said, hands on her hips. She had gone with Yun Ruo during college and knew you could get clothes there for around a hundred yuan. “Just buy him a T-shirt. If it’s too expensive, get some underwear—it’s cheaper.”

Purely joking—she didn’t think Yun Ruo would actually buy that.

Sure enough, Yun Ruo didn’t dare buy it; the gesture would have been too provocative.

After buying for Han Qi, she bought for Meng Feihan as well. Her accumulated money was completely spent, leaving only a little, with which she bought He Xitong a scarf.

“Don’t just go for style from now on,” she said, handing the scarf over. “You’re getting older, not like the youngsters.”

“Who’s getting older?” He Xitong said, faking indignation, touching the scarf repeatedly.

Ah Ruo still had her in mind.

In the afternoon, Yun Ruo played with Meng Feihan. She couldn’t assemble a model as quickly as Han Qi could, but Meng Feihan didn’t mind.

“What’s this?” Meng Feihan took out another gift bag, which contained a present Yun Ruo had given him. He opened it to find a plush lion.

Most of Meng Feihan’s toys were “cool” and adults assumed he wouldn’t like childish things, so he rarely received plush toys.

Yun Ruo said: “It’s a ‘Heartfelt’ plush.”

Meng Feihan looked puzzled.

Yun Ruo pinched his cheeks: “If you have any heart matters you can’t tell us, just tell it to this plush.”

Secret thoughts he couldn’t share with adults? Meng Feihan gripped the toy tightly—he seemed to understand.

Like wanting his parents to reconcile, wanting the family to always be together, yet not being able to say it aloud.

Yun Ruo looked at Meng Feihan solemnly putting the plush on his bedside, then felt it was too far and finally placed it on his pillow. She smiled—there was even a short voice message inside.

Meng Feihan might never discover it, but it didn’t matter.

As long as he was happy.

When leaving the Meng residence that evening, Yun Ruo ran into Meng Tingmo returning from an engagement. She didn’t look at him and walked past; Meng Tingmo reached out, but grasped nothing.

He retracted his hand, feeling an indescribable pang in his heart.

At nine o’clock that night, Meng Tingmo stood by the window, drinking alone, repeatedly reflecting on the past, unable to understand how his life had come to this.

His phone rang, displaying a call from Jiang Yufei.

He hung up. They hadn’t been in contact for years. Soon after, a message came in:

“I’m Jiang Yufei. I just want to see if I can tell you the truth about back then. This is my last attempt. The dream back then was fake, I made the system fabricate it…”

Meng Tingmo’s eyes fixed on the screen, his previously indifferent expression instantly disappeared.

Han Qi’s car was parked not far away.

He had promised to pick up Yun Ruo today. Han Qi had been calling since 4 p.m.

Yun Ruo said she was at the Meng residence: “If you come, what if you run into Meng Tingmo?”

Han Qi now had no respect for Meng Tingmo: “The one with no face is him.”

Yun Ruo could only agree. When leaving the Meng residence, she got into the car. Han Qi had the window down and leaned over to fasten her seatbelt. Yun Ruo looked at his face; the sharp, clear features were strikingly handsome.

“Han Qi,” she called, poking his face.

“Hmm?”

“You look really handsome today.”

“?”

Han Qi released the seatbelt, unsure what she meant: “You want to do it here?”

“What do you mean?” Yun Ruo replied.

Han Qi: “A kiss.”

Yun Ruo pushed his head away.

Meng Tingmo had just entered, who knew if he would come out? Besides, Meng’s parents hadn’t returned yet. What if a kiss was seen by the elders—she meant, she still had to see people.

“So you’re worried about the Meng elders?” Han Qi mused. “Looks like you’re not afraid of Meng Tingmo seeing.”

“Naturally,” Yun Ruo said.

Han Qi showed a somewhat pensive expression: “So you’re not afraid of him seeing, and you don’t care if I get hit.”

Yun Ruo held his hand; he seemed easily placated. “I bought you a gift.”

Han Qi raised a corner of his mouth: “This time it’s a box of biscuits or a box of braised snacks?”

“Neither,” Yun Ruo, distracted by choosing a restaurant and recalling He Xitong’s words, said unconsciously: “It’s underwear—”

If it weren’t underwear, she wouldn’t have bought it!

Realizing her slip, she immediately looked at Han Qi, just as the traffic light turned red. Han Qi’s eyes widened in shock.

“You—” They both spoke simultaneously.

Yun Ruo was flustered: “What did you say?”

Han Qi thought: “You know the size?”

Yun Ruo: …

“I don’t know the size.”

Han Qi: “Then you—?”

Yun Ruo, expressionless: “So I didn’t buy it.”

Han Qi looked away. He guessed she had misspoken. Even at her age, she wasn’t that open.

He teased her: “If you need it, I can provide it.”

Yun Ruo crossed her arms in front of her chest in a big X.

Changing the subject quickly, she asked: “Aren’t you working overtime today?”

“Yes,” Han Qi replied. He was just picking her up for dinner; after dropping her home, he would return to the office.

Yun Ruo chose a nearby restaurant: “Why bother?”

At the traffic light, Han Qi stopped the car again: “Consider this a weekend date.”

Yun Ruo didn’t know what to say. The system was good at this: [Love brain]

Amid the distraction, Han Qi forgot to ask what the gift was. Yun Ruo didn’t mention it; giving clothes wasn’t a big surprise. He would naturally see it when he got home.

After dinner, they went their separate ways. Yun Ruo returned home to spend her remaining holiday; Han Qi went back to work.

At 8 p.m., Han Qi, busy at the office, felt restless. He remembered the gift and wanted to rush home. But the documents piled up like a mountain, so he suppressed the urge.

At 9 p.m., Meng Tingmo received Jiang Yufei’s message and learned the truth about the Greed System.

At 9:30 p.m., Han Qi finally finished work and drove home. Upon entering, he saw Yun Ruo holding a men’s coat, examining it.

“You’re back?” Yun Ruo raised the coat, then went to drink some water. She had intended to bring the coat upstairs to him but ran into Han Qi.

Seeing the coat, Han Qi’s eyes lit up; he put his car keys on the counter and leaned against it: “A gift?”

Yun Ruo nodded.

Han Qi took off his coat.

Yun Ruo thought he was going to try it on: “Try it on and see if it fits. I didn’t know your exact size and didn’t want to buy the wrong one.”

“Of course I should try it,” Han Qi said. Washing his hands, he came to Yun Ruo, stretching his arms out: “You put it on me.”

Yun Ruo froze, staring at Han Qi.

After a few seconds, seeing she didn’t move, Han Qi gestured: “Come on, put it on me.”

First the left sleeve, Han Qi cooperated as she helped, then she circled around for the right sleeve. After straightening the back and collar, she stepped back and looked satisfied.

Just as she was about to compliment him, her phone rang.

Both looked at the phone on the sofa.

Yun Ruo saw “Meng Tingmo” on the screen and paused. She bent down to pick up the phone.

As she answered, Han Qi’s face turned toward her, and he kissed her deeply.

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