Who Wouldn't Want to Be a Wealthy Stepparent? - Chapter 10

This time, Mrs. Rong quickly recounted the entire incident before concluding, “Thank goodness Cheng Leyan was there. Thank goodness he reacted quickly, smashed the door to the control room, and closed the mall entrance. That gave him enough time to find Zhuozhuo.

“Wangzhi, truly—if it weren’t for Cheng Leyan, if he had been timid and hesitated to act, or if his reaction had been a second slower, Zhuozhuo would have been taken. No one knows what would have happened next.”

Through Mrs. Rong’s words, the thrilling events of the day were replayed before Rong Wangzhi’s mind.

Mrs. Rong continued, “And… Wangzhi, the person working from the inside with the kidnappers might actually be Auntie Zhang.”

She took a deep breath before slowly finishing: “She raised you. I trusted her too much, so after your accident, I let her take care of Zhuozhuo. But she… she actually… she abused him, scolded him, and threatened him. Zhuozhuo becoming so thin, his speech worsening, him becoming so easily frightened and anxious—it was all because of Auntie Zhang.”

“Wangzhi, I failed Zhuozhuo, and I failed you.”

Rong Wangzhi felt as if an invisible giant hand had suddenly gripped his heart.

The Auntie Zhang in his memory was still that gentle woman who cooked sweet soup for him.

How could this be!?

Mrs. Rong wiped her tears and went on, “The police are investigating. I’ll let you know when there’s more news. It was Cheng Leyan who suggested there was something wrong with Auntie Zhang. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know how much longer I’d have been fooled while Zhuozhuo suffered.

“Zhuozhuo was terrified today and kept clinging to him. He just kept holding him without a hint of impatience. I saw it all. Wangzhi, for what he did for Zhuozhuo, I will be eternally grateful to him.”

Mrs. Rong’s words resonated within Rong Wangzhi’s heart.

His extremely poor first impression of Cheng Leyan had mostly come from his own assumptions. Now, it seemed he had been wrong.

To think of locking the doors from the control room in such a short time and executing it without hesitation required brains, decisiveness, and courage.

Is this the real Cheng Leyan?

Perhaps the real him isn’t as contemptible as I thought?

Mrs. Rong’s tone suddenly shifted: “But, Wangzhi, Cheng Leyan is still very odd. I suspect he might be sick. Do you know what he used to smash the control room glass today? It was that… that…”

After several attempts, she finally forced out: “A super large, fake… whatever-you-call-it. He actually carries it around! Later, he used that thing to thump the two thugs so hard they’re in the hospital. They’re still unconscious.

“He seems like a pervert. When… when you wake up, are you going to blame me for finding you a pervert?”

Rong Wangzhi’s head was filled with question marks, wondering what “fake whatever-it-is” his mother was talking about. Suddenly, a “ding-dong” sounded in his head, followed by the joyful voice of System 250.

System: Completed, completed! Host! The mission ‘Your lover used the special prop Flying Giant Dck, triggering a special effect’ is complete!!! Damn, even this mission got finished Host, you truly are gifted! And that wife of yours is a total lucky star!!! You get points just for lying here!

The system suddenly had a realization: Wait, getting points just for lying here… Is this the correct way to work in the R-18 department?

Rong Wangzhi: “…”

I take it back! The real Cheng Leyan is even more contemptible than I imagined!!

Why would he carry such a thing with him!

Why!?

It couldn’t possibly be because he likes it, could it!?

And this hellish mission… how on earth can I get this system out of my brain!?

The system continued: The rewards include points and a buff. You will… you will… actually, don’t worry about the rewards for now, tee-hee.

Rong Wangzhi: Speak.

System: Uh, okay. The reward is ‘You will possess logic-defyingly perfect long eyelashes that will make your lover feel irresistible pity.’ Duration: 24 hours.

Rong Wangzhi: “…”

Mom, are you sure he’s my lucky star? He’s more like my doom!

He now only wished his mother would leave and that he would lose consciousness quickly out of sight, out of mind.

Yes, exactly.

Coincidentally, Mrs. Rong’s assistant knocked on the door, saying there was an important call she needed to take.

Mrs. Rong left temporarily. But she didn’t go home as Rong Wangzhi hoped; she returned to the ward a few minutes later.

And then she saw her son’s face on the bed.

Mrs. Rong’s eyes widened, her pupils vibrating in shock: What. Is. This???

These long, curved, thick things… what are they?

Mrs. Rong was speechless with shock. She couldn’t help but reach out and give her son’s long, curved, thick eyelashes a tug.

They didn’t budge.

It was as if they were welded to his eyelids.

Mrs. Rong’s mouth twitched. She even wondered if she was hallucinating. Finally, she hurriedly added Cheng Leyan on WeChat—for the first time, she had a strong urge to talk to him.

Cheng Leyan’s profile picture was a cat in sunglasses counting money, and his nickname was “Dripping with Oil.” After accepting the request, he first sent a sticker of a cat throwing money with the text “Wealth for all who see this.”

Mrs. Rong quickly snapped a photo of her son and sent it over: Look at his eyelashes! What happened? Were they like this yesterday!?

Cheng Leyan was also shocked: [No way! Those aren’t eyelashes; he’s got two giant fans glued to his eyes!

Mom, what is this hospital doing? Are they offering eyelash extensions now?? Why did they give him extensions?

Are they crazy? One nursing home gives him lipstick, and this hospital gives him eyelashes. What is this! Is it a tradition here to dress up vegetables?

Mrs. Rong: There is no such tradition! I’m going to check the surveillance. Are you coming?

Cheng Leyan: Wait for me for half an hour. I’m driving over now.

Mrs. Rong: Don’t drive. I’ll send a helicopter for you!

Ten minutes later, Cheng Leyan and Mrs. Rong were standing over Rong Wangzhi, staring at his eyelashes and marveling in wonder.

Cheng Leyan even called Zhuozhuo over to look.

Ah… so there were three people circling Rong Wangzhi, staring at his eyelashes and marveling.

Rong Wangzhi took a deep breath and spoke in his mind: System.

How about we talk again? What exactly do you want in exchange for leaving my body?

Leaving was impossible.

250 shrank back, silently hugging its chubby self inside Rong Wangzhi’s brain.

After a lot of pointing and prodding at the eyelashes, Mrs. Rong expressed her confusion: “But I just checked the surveillance. The signal cut out for about ten seconds, and when it came back, Wangzhi’s eyelashes were like this.”

Cheng Leyan said, “Ten seconds isn’t enough time for extensions! Mom, do you thinkcould Mr. Rong be possessed by a spirit?”

Mrs. Rong: “…What kind of spirit?”

Cheng Leyan: “An Eyelash Spirit.”

Mrs. Rong thought “Are you insane?” on one hand, but on the other, she felt “If ‘bringing luck’ is a thing, then the existence of an Eyelash Spirit seems plausible.”

Finally, she decided to call Master Liu today to ask about it.

However, a very strange feeling welled up in Cheng Leyan’s heart: System-Dad, is it just me, or do my husband’s eyelashes feel weird? It’s like… I’m looking at money.

419 said: [Host, I think it’s weird too. Those eyelashes look super familiar! There’s a buff that creates this effect. One of my previous hosts got it once. You have no idea his love interests went absolutely feral when they saw them.

Cheng Leyan: Huh? I know what a ‘love interest’ is, but why was it plural?

419: Don’t worry about details. Anyway, it feels so strange. Could there be a former colleague of mine from the R-18 department in this guy?

But then it looked at Rong Wangzhi’s 188cm height and his heroic, handsome face. The system silently shook its head. R-18 systems are almost always bound to the “Shou” bottom. Who would be crazy enough to bind to such a dominant “Gong” (top), and a vegetable at that? Impossible.

If anything, it would be bound to someone like its own host—fair-skinned and pretty.

Mrs. Rong checked the time. She had been feeling guilty about Auntie Zhang, but being distracted by Rong Wangzhi’s ultra-long eyelashes had actually diluted those emotions.

She asked, “Cheng Leyan, have you and Zhuozhuo eaten?”

Cheng Leyan said, “Not yet. I rushed over as soon as I got your call. Our baby Zhuozhuo must be hungry too. Come here, let Daddy see if Zhuozhuo’s tummy is growling. Oh~ no growling yet.”

Mrs. Rong: “…No, Cheng Leyan, I’m asking a favor. Can you stop using that baby voice? I’m getting goosebumps.”

Cheng Leyan laughed: “Mom, I definitely won’t use it with you. How about we eat together? Mom, let me tell you, I’ve found a dish that Zhuozhuo absolutely loves! It’s awesome, fantastic, incredible. Mom, you’ve probably never had it. Why don’t we go try it together?”

The comatose Rong Wangzhi breathed a sigh of relief as they finally moved their attention away from his eyelashes.

But hearing Cheng Leyan call her “Mom” and the boy “Baby Zhuozhuo” made him feel a bit uncomfortable.

In the past, he and Mrs. Rong had a harmonious mother-son relationship, but it was very formal and distant or rather, the entire atmosphere of the Rong family was one of extreme propriety. He couldn’t remember the last time he had called Ms. Zheng “Mom” so affectionately.

However, he knew his mother very well.

Ms. Zheng was stubborn and very difficult to please; even his father couldn’t handle her. How could she be fooled by a few sweet words?

Eat dinner with him?

Impossible.

The next second, his mother said: “Fine, it’s about that time. Let’s go together.”

Rong Wangzhi: “…”

Ms. Zheng, are you trying to embarrass me?

Mrs. Rong asked kindly, “What kind of restaurant is it? Since Zhuozhuo likes it so much, maybe Grandma should buy it?”

Cheng Leyan: “Hahaha, Mom, this one might be hard to buy. It’s a foreign company.”

Mrs. Rong: “What about it? Who says a foreign company can’t be acquired? Which one is it?”

Cheng Leyan: “KFC.”

Mrs. Rong: “???”

Thanks, but that really is hard to acquire.

However, Cheng Leyan looked at the date and gasped: “Oh, wait! We can’t eat KFC today!! It’s not ‘Crazy Thursday’! Why would we eat KFC today? Oh, Mom, Zhuozhuo, let’s go to McDonald’s instead! We can order a ‘Poor Man’s Meal.’ It’s a great deal.”

Mrs. Rong: “What kind of ‘Poor Man’s Meal’?! I am not eating a ‘Poor Man’s Meal’! Is there a ‘Rich Lady Meal’? I want the ‘Rich Lady Meal’! Cheng Leyan, show some ambition! This meal is on me, okay? No ‘Poor Man’s Meals’ allowed!”

Zhuozhuo: Ah? So only our family are ‘poor guys,’ and Grandma is actually a rich lady?

Cheng Leyan: “Mom, you are my real mother! If you’re treating, how could I refuse? How about this: a ‘Rich Lady Meal’ for Mom, a kid’s meal for Zhuozhuo, and I’ll have the ‘Poor Man’s Meal’ myself.”

Mrs. Rong: “No! You’re eating the ‘Rich Lady Meal’ too! In the future, do not mention the words ‘Poor Man’ in my presence!”

Zhuozhuo: Ah? Since Grandma is a rich lady, is she going to lead our family out of poverty and toward wealth too?

The three of them chatted as they walked away. The last thing Rong Wangzhi heard was the sound of the door closing.

He didn’t know what his mother’s state had been during the year he was a vegetable, or if she had cried. He didn’t know how she felt or how much pain she was in when she came to his bed to talk to him while he was comatose.

But now, hearing his mother’s tone—though it was full of annoyance and complaints it finally made him breathe a sigh of relief.

This—it was pretty good.

He felt this was nice.

His consciousness began to sink again.

When will I be conscious next? He was actually looking forward to it.

Well then, see you next time.

250: See you next time, Host! I’m looking forward to it too!!

Rong Wangzhi: …Shut up. I’m not looking forward to you.

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