When the Villain From an Angsty Novel Transmigrates Into a Sweet Romance [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 22.2

For a moment, Fang Yuqing couldn’t even care about the pain on her tongue. She forced herself to calm down, took a bite of food, acted as if nothing were wrong, and nodded. “Alright, then I’ll go to Uncle Chi’s restaurant to eat tomorrow evening.”

“When the time comes, if you’re not busy, remember to help your Uncle Chi out a bit. I heard him say an employee took leave.”

Fang Yuqing obediently agreed. As she ate her food, it tasted like chewing wax. Finally, she couldn’t resist looking at Meng Ruyan and asking, “Can I go shopping with you? Early autumn is coming soon, and I want to buy some new clothes.”

Meng Ruyan’s hand picking up food paused, a wave of complex emotions washing over her heart. She said, “Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“No, it’s a day off. Because I have to go abroad with the manager next week, they gave me an extra day off to give me time to pack my things.”

This was, of course, a lie. Fang Yuqing just wanted to test out Meng Ruyan’s thoughts.

She detected Meng Ruyan’s hesitation, and the tightly wound string inside her suddenly relaxed. She really hadn’t guessed wrong; the person speaking to her on the phone indeed possessed some history with her.

Fang Yuqing accepted this reality. Having drunk her sorrows and aired her grievances, there was nothing she couldn’t see through. What she minded wasn’t her background; what she minded was that she and Meng Ruyan shared no blood relation, unable to accept that the mother who doted on her in every possible way was actually not her biological mother.

She couldn’t bear to keep making things difficult for Meng Ruyan, so she broke into a wide smile. “I think I won’t go after all. What sense does it make for you to bring a kid along when you’re shopping with your friend? You can accompany me another day instead.”

Meng Ruyan let out a sigh of relief, blinked her eyes, and revealed a loving smile, saying indulgence, “Alright, when the time comes, Mom will pay; you can buy whatever you want.”

“Great! Then my wallet can save another sum of money for buying a house.”

“Aren’t you going to live with Mom?” Meng Ruyan asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t know how long Sister will live here, but there will come a day when she has to return to her own home. It’s not very good for me to stay here alone either. This house was bought by the two of you, and I’m not a child anymore, so how can I keep living here.”

Most importantly, she had no plans to get married in the next few years. If she stayed at home, wouldn’t she be constantly nagged by her mother? So it was better to save up money to buy her own little nest.

Meng Ruyan knew that children couldn’t be managed once they grew up. Besides, Fang Yuqing had held her own ideas since childhood; she had even chosen her major by herself. She smiled with a complex expression. She truly was that person’s child after all; her linguistic talent was completely inherited from her.

“Alright, everything will be according to you.”

“Mom, I…”

Fang Yuqing’s words cut off halfway as the phone resting to the side began to ring. She said in pleasant surprise, “Mom, let me answer a call first, it’s Sister calling.”

Meng Ruyan couldn’t help but chuckle, nodding her head without disturbing her.

This treatment, which normally never happened, truly left Fang Yuqing overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. Even her tone of voice softened considerably, deeply afraid that an unpleasant word might cause Chi Xia to hang up.

“Have you eaten yet, Chi Xia?”

She initiated the conversation, and Chi Xia pursed her lips, not knowing how to deal with her.

Chi Xia’s silence instantly allowed Fang Yuqing to read the deep meaning behind it. She said, “Not even eating food, what are you trying to do? Cultivate into an immortal? Today I ate the food Mom made—there are ribs, chicken wings, and a certain someone’s favorite seafood. Too bad that certain someone isn’t here.”

Meng Ruyan stifled a laugh. There were only the two of them at home, so how could they eat so sumptuously? There was no seafood, though there were plenty of ribs and green vegetables.

Hearing her description, a wave of protesting hunger indeed surged from Chi Xia’s stomach. She pressed her forehead and said in a calm voice, “Tan Qing, help me order a takeout.”

Tan Qing was Chi Xia’s assistant, traveling along on the business trip. A problem with the capital chain had arisen at the branch office here, and it was only when the head office people discovered the situation that they hurriedly reported it to Chi Xia. Thus, without even eating breakfast, Chi Xia had rushed to the office and then driven to the city where the branch office was located.

Her phone was always on silent while she worked. Having just finished a meeting, Chi Xia picked up her phone and saw the message sent by Fang Yuqing, knowing that she was threatening her. She let out a cold snort, intending to go find trouble with her; she absolutely had to make Fang Yuqing understand that a debt of gratitude is the hardest to repay.

But before the battle could even begin, she was lured away by delicious food.

Chi Xia said calmly, “A person who owes a debt speaks with much more confidence than before.”

“Owe… owe a debt?” Fang Yuqing asked completely bewildered.

“You don’t actually think this account between us can be completely wiped clean just by you agreeing to one thing, do you? Going to the bar, I didn’t touch a single drop of water, specifically asking for ice water just so I could drive. And the result? Afterwards, I acted as a driver and a part-time nanny. Not to mention supporting you into the room, I even had to force you to wash up, which was more tiring than me pulling an all-nighter for overtime. Fang Yuqing, you owe me quite a lot of debts.”

Fang Yuqing was rendered speechless, muttering, “Then tell me, what should I do to satisfy you.”

“Write a diary entry every day, no word count limit, to reflect on yourself.”

“Hey, are you bullying me or what!” Fang Yuqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Who on earth behaves like this, making someone write a diary do you think you’re assigning homework!

Chi Xia waved her hand at her assistant, signaling her to leave the office first. Facing the window herself, she teased, “Taking pleasure in bullying you, isn’t that what I always do?”

Fang Yuqing curled her lips in disdain. “Write a diary? Fine, Teacher Chi, I will write it properly.”

“Send it to me every day.”

Fang Yuqing roared at the phone, “Nasty ghost! Goodbye!”

Chi Xia, possessing foresight, had held the phone far away to avoid Fang Yuqing’s roar. Seeing that the other party had already disconnected the call, Chi Xia hooked the corner of her lips and said, “Nasty already?”

Her finger moved, sending a message to Fang Yuqing.

It’s fine if you don’t want to write it. I heard you waited for a long time before finally getting your hands on that newly purchased bag. How about…

Fang Yuqing immediately pulled a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn in attitude, replying to her in a perfectly gentle manner.

Sister, I will write it. It will be sent to you right on time every day.

Chi Xia chuckled softly. “Without scaring you, you just won’t listen.”

She was happy, but Fang Yuqing had already clenched her fists tightly.

Seeing them bickering again, Meng Ruyan thought nothing of it, calmly finishing her rice and leaving a sentence: “No need to wash the dishes today, write your diary properly.”

Refusing to accept this, Fang Yuqing slapped the table, but she herself couldn’t help laughing out loud first. “Mom, even you are bullying me!”

She glanced sideways at Fang Yuqing. “Getting drunk late at night, do you still think you’re in the right? It’s not that I won’t let you drink, but less is better.”

Fang Yuqing fiercely stabbed a piece of rib, entirely treating it as Chi Xia.

If she knew, she wouldn’t have cared about her!

Starve her for a few meals and see if she still has the leisure to bully her.

Isn’t it just writing a diary? If I must write it, I’ll write it, who’s afraid of whom!

She would deploy the fighting spirit used for writing a thesis to complete it!

The breath of summer quietly ushered in its finale, and early autumn began to slowly blend into human life.

The weather provided the most direct indication; it was clearly still a bit scorching yesterday, yet upon opening one’s eyes again, one found autumn rain mixed with cold air sweeping over.

Standing by the roadside, Fang Yuqing waved to Yu Rao, saying, “It’s raining, you should head back quickly too. Thanks for the ride.”

Yu Rao glanced at the name of this restaurant, asking back, “Is this the restaurant opened by Manager Chi’s father?”

“Yes, Uncle Chi’s culinary skills are excellent. If you weren’t busy today, I would have wanted you to come try the signature dishes.”

Yu Rao also found it a pity, saying, “Next time.”

“Then goodbye.” Fang Yuqing watched Yu Rao roll up the car window and drive away. Walking to avoid the puddles, she shook her umbrella, placed it on the umbrella stand by the door, and called out, “Uncle Chi.”

“Qingqing is here? Tell me what you want to eat, I happen to be free.”

Due to the rain, there weren’t many people coming out to eat, so Chi Changhai got a breather.

Both of them truly regarded each other as family, treating each other with sincerity, so naturally, there was no awkwardness or estrangement.

While Chi Changhai was busy working in the back kitchen, Fang Yuqing even served as a waitress once. The aroma of food in the restaurant and the sound of people talking made this rainy evening rather lively.

Trivial matters enveloped Fang Yuqing, leaving her with no mind to think further about Meng Ruyan and that person. Since she had already let it go, she would learn to put it down, maintaining the peace of the current status quo.

The sound of rain pattered continuously, striking the leaves and bringing a noisy clamor.

The woman, whose brow bore traces of illness, flipped through the photo album brought by Meng Ruyan. She touched Fang Yuqing’s face with her finger and said to Meng Ruyan, “You were right not to bring her.”

Meng Ruyan looked as though she had just cried, saying in a low voice, “Sister Siyi, Qingqing is a very good child, do you really not want to meet her once?”

Qiao Siyi was Meng Ruyan’s childhood neighbor who had helped her out countless times. The Meng family favored boys over girls and didn’t value Meng Ruyan, so Qiao Siyi had silently aided her, encouraging her to study hard and leave that kind of family behind.

Qiao Siyi’s parents had made their fortune midway through life, and even though they moved away from that city, she never broke contact with Meng Ruyan. She noticed Meng Ruyan because she shared a similar family atmosphere. She never believed she was inferior to men. After graduating from university, she requested to work at the family company, but her father refused, preferring to arrange for his nephew to join the company rather than let Qiao Siyi intervene, only telling her to enjoy her blessings and obediently get married.

She contended with her father for a long time, and he finally granted Qiao Siyi’s request.

Qiao Siyi possessed outstanding abilities; in her view, there was no need to hide her light under a bushel, as the company would sooner or later be hers.

But Qiao Siyi had underestimated her cousin’s viciousness, who dared to do anything to seize the family property.

A car accident took her husband’s life. Qiao Siyi and her father, who were riding in the same car, ended up with one suffering a broken body and the other paralyzed in bed. The final result was merely the drunk driver being sent away to prison.

Later, Meng Ruyan took the child away, naming her Yuqing, hoping she would meet the most beautiful sunny day at every moment.

In the blink of an eye, over twenty years had passed.

Qiao Siyi’s body was a lamp running out of oil; being able to survive that car accident was a miracle in itself. Not only that, but that child had safely grown into an adult, leaving Qiao Siyi feeling immensely gratified.

Therefore, upon hearing Meng Ruyan’s words, she said without hesitation, “Qiao Zhenmin is a ruthless person. My choice not to acknowledge Qingqing is my way of telling him that I will no longer fight for the Qiao family fortune. This place is a wolf’s den, why bring the child back into it?”

“But… this is unfair to you.”

A warm smile blossomed on Qiao Siyi’s pale face, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes carrying a tranquil beauty. That car accident seemed to have stripped away all the resilience inherent in Qiao Siyi’s bones; she had become completely detached from worldly struggles, no longer possessing her former sharp edge.

“I am very grateful to you. Thank you, Ruyan.”

“Sister Siyi, don’t say that.” Meng Ruyan covered her face and began to weep. Qiao Siyi raised her hand to stroke her hair, saying, “To be able to live until now is already a blessing from heaven. Go home early, the rain is getting heavier.”

Meng Ruyan couldn’t utter a word for a long time, her choking sobs causing Qiao Siyi to smile helplessly.

She had already encountered death during the car accident. If it weren’t for her inability to stop worrying about Qingqing, she probably wouldn’t have held on either.

By the time she returned home, Fang Yuqing had already gone to bed early, feeling drowsy.

The desk lamp was lit, and a fountain pen rested upon the open diary. The date inside the contents was a few days later, not the present. It appeared Fang Yuqing had already written a week’s worth of diary entries ahead of time.

Thus, on Saturday, Chi Xia received the photos of the diary pages taken by Fang Yuqing.

Stirring her coffee, Chi Xia casually opened her phone.

The next second, the spoon clattered to the ground.

Chi Xia abruptly stood up, pointing at her phone with a flushed face. “Outrageous!! Fang Yuqing, you are too much!”

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