“Here, let me take a look.” Lin Zhiyu took the test paper and noticed it contained a very simple and typical high school trigonometric function question, making him to frown slightly.
“How is it, brother?” Lin Zhaoqiu asked obediently from the side. “I think there’s nothing wrong with my teaching. Why can’t she always solve these basic problems?”
“Maybe her mathematical logic hasn’t developed yet. High school can be quite difficult if the foundation isn’t solid,” he explained.
Zhao Hua had barely scraped through elementary and junior high school in the mountains. She had to manage chores like laundry and cooking every day, leaving her little time for study. If the teachers weren’t effective, it might have led her to adopt incorrect logical methods.
“Qiuqiu, if you really want to tutor Zhao Hua, I suggest starting with junior high school material and taking it slow. Otherwise, she might not be able to digest the content.”
Lin Zhiyu returned the test paper to Lin Zhaoqiu.
“Okay, Xiao Hua has it tough. If she hadn’t been switched at birth, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Everything she has experienced in the past eighteen years has profoundly shaped her. Ruan Jiaojiao has enjoyed so much privilege, thanks to the top resources available to her, yet she has the nerve to claim she has suffered in front of everyone,” Lin Zhaoqiu said, leaving with a huff.
Lin Zhiyu suddenly pondered a question, and the more he thought about it, the tighter his brows became. How did Ruan Jiaojiao and Zhao Hua get mixed up in the first place?
He gazed out the window at the dim glow of the streetlights and began to review every detail from the original book in his mind. The plot had long been etched into Lin Zhiyu’s memory, thanks to his photographic recall. However, he couldn’t remember the specific details clearly, only a brief mention:
—Zhao Hua’s mother was delivering orders with her husband in City L when she unexpectedly gave birth prematurely. The nurse at the local township hospital mistakenly reported the wrong two babies.
A nurse’s error? Lin Zhiyu’s expression grew subtle.
Why did he feel that it wasn’t that simple? If it were merely a mistake on the nurse’s part that led to such a significant issue, why didn’t the Zhao family hold them accountable when they retrieved the wrong child?
Did the Zhao family not know? Or was there another secret?
The Ruan family hadn’t taken any action against the nurse, which seemed odd.
Lin Zhiyu took a sip of cool boiled water to moisten his throat, hoping to clarify his thoughts. He couldn’t uncover the reason behind this now, but if he had the opportunity in the future, he would certainly investigate.
After putting down the water glass, Lin Zhiyu closed the curtains, washed up, and went to bed.
—
Early the next morning, Lin Zhiyu had breakfast and headed to work. As he opened the car door, he felt a strange twitch in his right eye.
The left eye twitched for money and the right eye for disaster. Rubbing his eyes, Lin Zhiyu dismissed the superstitious thought and quickly started the engine, stepping on the accelerator.
The drive to the Academy of Biochemical Sciences was smooth, even quicker than usual.
Lin Zhiyu chuckled to himself, thinking that perhaps this superstition wasn’t true after all. He had expected traffic today, but despite the twitching, he didn’t let it bother him. Picking up his office bag, he hurried to the laboratory to begin his day.
—
At the airport, dozens of miles away, Ruan Jiaojiao stepped out of the terminal wearing a shimmering, waist-cinching dress and sunglasses.
It had been a long time coming… China. After leaving five months ago, this was her first time setting foot on Chinese soil again.
“Jiaojiao! Jiaojiao!”
Two elegantly dressed girls waved excitedly. They were Hu Liya and Jiang Shiwan, who had been invited to the banquet where Ruan Jiaojiao was introduced to the world.
Their family backgrounds were far less prestigious than the Zhao family’s, so they had always supported Ruan Jiaojiao. After her return to the Ruan family, they made every effort to win her favor.
“Jiaojiao, you’re back! I missed you so much…”
“Oh, me too! I missed you so much, Jiaojiao! You look stunning! Your grace and temperament are just amazing—it’s killing me!”
Neither girl believed the Ruan family had serious issues, nor were they inclined to distance themselves from Ruan Jiaojiao.
What status did the Ruan family hold in the world? It was laughable that those who criticized them were likely poor and couldn’t even afford a million. They simply hated the rich.
“Jiaojiao, what made you suddenly think of coming back to China? I was really surprised when I got your news,” Hu Liya asked, eyeing Ruan Jiaojiao with curiosity, particularly about Ruan Yanwei, Jiaojiao’s fifth uncle.
Ever since she met Ruan Yanwei in Country M and had such close contact with him, she had become infatuated with the man who possessed both charm and charisma.
In her dreams, he was always leaning down to kiss her…
She thought about how such an outstanding director now faced a ruined career, blaming it all on the critics and Lin Zhiyu.
What was wrong with her Brother Yanwei?!
Surely, some anti-fans and opponents were manipulating public opinion against him. Perhaps the same opponents had deliberately framed him and taken photos out of context.
He was just so talented that it made others envious—not only fellow directors but probably actors who lost awards to his films.
Brother Yanwei was miserable.
Hu Liya pondered for a moment before finally asking Ruan Jiaojiao, “Jiaojiao, how is your fifth uncle, Yanwei? Is he… feeling particularly uncomfortable now that someone is hurting him?”
Ruan Jiaojiao glanced at Hu Liya, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face.
“That’s my fifth uncle. You can’t call him ‘brother.’”
Embarrassed, Hu Liya quickly replied, “Jiaojiao, I… I just slipped up! It was a slip of the tongue!”
She had always thought of him as “Brother Yanwei” in her mind, but it had unintentionally slipped out loud. Ruan Jiaojiao, however, understood perfectly but didn’t want to elaborate. Too many people were drawn to her uncle, but they were all rather useless.
“Uncle Wu hasn’t been doing well lately…” Ruan Jiaojiao paused before adding, “It’s not good.”
Hu Liya felt a pang in her heart and wanted to ask more, but Ruan Jiaojiao seemed unwilling to share. Instead, she said, “I want to visit our high school alma mater.”
“Okay, okay, let’s go back to our alma mater,” Jiang Shiwan chimed in eagerly.
As she spoke, she looked around mysteriously and said, “Jiaojiao, did you know that so-and-so is also studying at our alma mater now? But her grades are terrible! I heard from my brother that she isn’t even average in the class—far behind you.”
Ruan Jiaojiao’s expression remained neutral. “You mean Zhao Hua?”
Jiang Shiwan wasn’t sure how Ruan Jiaojiao felt about the topic and regretted bringing it up. She nodded cautiously.
Ruan Jiaojiao frowned slightly and replied thoughtfully, “This is already tough for her. Given her background, that’s probably the best she can do after staying up late to study. There’s no need to ridicule her.”
“Yes, Jiaojiao, you’re right,” Jiang Shiwan said quickly. “But you’re too kind! She caused you so much harm back then. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have been so upset during that time.”
“That’s true,” Hu Liya added.
“It’s not important,” Ruan Jiaojiao said, her demeanor surprisingly kind and generous, sighing softly. “But it’s not good for her to study like that. It may not improve her grades. Even if she does, it won’t matter; her overall quality is too low. I’ve seen this in Country M. Real first-class students and people have a very high overall quality. Besides studying, they need to learn many other things, like musical instruments and horsemanship—it’s just the basics.”
“Right, she can’t learn enough,” Hu Liya agreed.
“Okay, let’s not mention her anymore.” Ruan Jiaojiao let out a breath as if finally feeling more at ease. Her expression brightened considerably.
Knowing that Zhao Hua’s life was difficult and that her family situation was far worse than hers, Ruan Jiaojiao felt that life was indeed fair.
This time, when she returned to China, she came back alone without telling her grandfather, uncle, fourth uncle, or fifth uncle. They were either too busy or uninterested, so she had simply booked a ticket and flown back.
Ruan Jiaojiao headed to her high school alma mater first, but as she walked along the road in front of the school, she suddenly stopped.
Her eyes fell on the newly updated honorary alumni list displayed outside the school, where Lin Zhiyu’s face shone handsomely and clearly.
She clenched her fists, a surge of emotion rising within her.
“Jiaojiao?” Hu Liya followed her gaze and, upon seeing Lin Zhiyu’s face, was momentarily stunned. She and Jiang Shiwan exchanged glances.
Neither Hu Liya nor Jiang Shiwan knew about Ruan Jiaojiao’s confession to Lin Zhiyu; they only knew there had been a rift between him and the Ruan family.
“Jiaojiao, let’s call the teacher first. It’s a bit strict to enter the school now—you need to be accompanied by a teacher. If they know you’re back, they’ll be thrilled! No one in our class would be more shocked and happy than them!” Jiang Shiwan said with a smile, unaware of Ruan Jiaojiao’s true feelings.
“Forget it. I suddenly don’t want to go in. I want to check out Ronghua Golden Plaza instead. Let’s go,” Ruan Jiaojiao said, turning away.
“Wait, what?” Jiang Shiwan and Hu Liya were left speechless. Why had they come all this way only to skip visiting their alma mater?
Their school was dozens of kilometers away from both the airport and Ronghua Golden Plaza.
However, they dared not question her and hurriedly followed.
“Jiaojiao, why are we going to Ronghua Golden Plaza? It’s just office buildings and work areas—there’s nothing to do there,” Hu Liya said.
“Yeah, Jiaojiao,” Jiang Shiwan agreed.
Ruan Jiaojiao walked on without replying, maintaining an expressionless demeanor. She called for a ride-hailing service.
Jiang Shiwan and Hu Liya exchanged glances but didn’t dare to ask any further questions, following obediently.
It was one of the busiest times in the capital, and it took them an hour and a half to reach Ronghua Golden Plaza. Ruan Jiaojiao recalled that the address she had from Hua Yu Tang was on the sixth floor of this building.
Xie Youzhou had rented almost an entire floor there.
The thought that he had rented instead of bought the space and that he hadn’t built it himself, depressed Ruan Jiaojiao a little. But recalling what she had heard that day reignited her courage.
Although she and Xie Youzhou had never exchanged words or formally met, she felt there was a misunderstanding between them.
She needed to clear up that misunderstanding.
