Chapter 3
Ruan Yu couldn't understand why such a bizarre event—dying and returning to the past—would happen to her.
However, her past life was a bizarre nightmare for her – she was powerless, constantly hitting walls, and no matter how hard she tried, there seemed to be no way out; on the contrary, she only sank deeper and deeper.
Despair accumulates little by little, and being ignored on your birthday is just the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
After taking an overdose of sleeping pills that night, she thought that once she endured the excruciating pain and suffocation, she would be free. But instead, she returned to the dusk when she was taken back to the Wen family!
Besides, just after arriving at the Wen family, many things happened that I had never experienced in my previous life.
In her memory, this day was gloomy and oppressive. The indifference and disdain of her biological parents almost shattered all her illusions about blood ties and family affection.
In the end, only Wen Yun was considerate enough to think of her needs, allowing her to find some warmth in this unfamiliar "home".
However……
However, much later, she belatedly realized that Wen Yun was the one who hated her the most.
Everything Wen Yun said and did was a trap that led her to her death, step by step dragging her into a hell from which she could not escape.
Having been given a second chance at life, she was completely heartbroken and had no intention of letting anyone who had hurt her get away with it.
But now she discovers that Wen Yun in this life seems to have undergone a drastic personality change.
When she was led to the bathroom door on the second floor, Ruan Yu felt a little lost and didn't even know how to face Wen Yun beside her.
The hatred I felt for this person seemed to start from the moment she handed me a tissue in the car, and time and time again, it all felt like hitting cotton.
Wen Yun had no idea what Ruan Yu was thinking. Seeing her standing at the door in a daze, she couldn't help but call out to her, "Xiao Yu?"
"Hmm!" Ruan Yu snapped out of her reverie. "I'm listening."
"Let's go into the bathroom and take a look." Wen Yun gestured for you to enter. "If you find any toiletries or equipment you've never seen before, you wouldn't mind if I showed them to you, would you?"
"Thank you, I don't mind." Ruan Yu quickly agreed and went inside.
She didn't show any familiarity with the place. After scanning the bathroom, she looked at Wen Yun and said softly, "I just want to take a shower. What should I do?"
“Just use the shower!” Wen Yun quickly pointed to it for her. “Look, this is the switch to control the water temperature. Adjust the temperature by the color.”
When Ruan Yu tried it out, she went to the table next to her and picked up a small bottle. The bottle was covered with foreign languages and it was the shower gel that the original owner often used.
"This is body wash. You can lather it up in your hands and use it. You can also try using a bath sponge next time." Wen Yun handed the small bottle to Ruan Yu. "But it lathers up really well, so remember not to squeeze out too much!"
As Ruan Yu was checking the shower gel, the housekeeper dragged her suitcase over and stood at the door, gently reminding her, "Miss Yunyun, Miss Xiaoyu hasn't had time to buy new underwear and loungewear."
Wen Yun was very familiar with this line. In the original story, the original owner's answer was to let the protagonist wear the loungewear he brought. However, the protagonist's loungewear was not only outdated in style, but also looked very shabby. When the protagonist appeared in front of Wen's parents wearing it, he was naturally met with disdain.
"Then Xiaoyu can wear my pajamas for now," Wen Yun said without hesitation. "Thank you, Aunt Ge!"
Watching the housekeeper leave, Wen Yun noticed that Ruan Yu was gripping the handle of her suitcase, seemingly at a loss. She quickly said, "It's alright, just tell Aunt Ge your size, and you'll have new clothes in a couple of days."
"Thank you." Ruan Yu nodded slightly.
"Don't be so polite. You can call me Yunyun from now on. We're family, no need to be so formal."
Wen Yun blurted it out, only to realize that the original owner was the fake heiress who had usurped the place. She cursed herself for her slip of the tongue and was about to explain when she looked up and saw Ruan Yu smiling innocently. The words of explanation immediately stuck in her throat.
...Never mind, if she treats the protagonist better in the future, she can still shamelessly act as a family.
"Take your time washing, no need to rush." She said hastily, turned and walked out of the bathroom. After thinking for a moment, she went downstairs and returned to the living room.
According to the original text, the reason why the protagonist's biological parents disliked him so much was largely due to the original owner's "influence".
Since the original owner could smear the protagonist in front of Wen's parents, she could certainly do the opposite and take the opportunity to praise the protagonist.
When they reached a short distance from the elderly couple, Wen Yun called out "Dad, Mom" in a sweet voice again. She sat down affectionately next to her mother, put her arm around her, and said, "Xiaoyu is such a good girl. Her voice is so gentle and soothing. I couldn't help but talk to her a few more times. You should forgive me, right?"
-
Outside the bathroom, Ruan Yu quickly picked out the underwear she needed to change into, wrapped it in a short-sleeved shirt, and placed it on the shelf.
After pulling her suitcase, she looked around and finally fixed her gaze on her face in the mirror.
Everything here was unfamiliar to her.
The bathrooms on the second floor are all separate, with a total of five. Four are private bathrooms, and the extra one is for relatives and is usually left unused.
As for the bathroom on the first floor, it's a public bathroom that the housekeeper, nanny, and bodyguards can all use; it was also where she took a bath in her previous life.
Each member of the Wen family has their own private bathroom on the second floor.
However... she was not included in "every family member".
Recalling the faces in the villa, the disdainful looks they gave her, and the things they did to her, Ruan Yu frowned and pressed her stomach. She felt a lingering pain from the medication she had taken in her past life. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her breathing became rapid.
"Miss Xiaoyu."
The butler's voice came from behind, "Miss Yunyun's loungewear has been brought."
Ruan Yu quickly put her hand down, turned around and gave the housekeeper her usual impeccable elegant smile, watching her hang a nightgown in the wardrobe.
It was a conservative, cream-white long dress.
“Miss Yunyun doesn’t want her gifts to be taken lightly,” the butler reminded her meaningfully.
"Yes, I will definitely cherish this dress." Ruan Yu forced a smile.
The bathroom door closed tightly, and Ruan Yu's smile vanished instantly as she pressed her aching stomach again.
She belatedly realized that this was probably a stress response after suffering severe psychological trauma.
After a while, she turned on the valve and let the warm water flow over her. Her gaze fell on the nightgown in the wardrobe, and she couldn't help but recall the words Wen Yun had said before getting out of the car.
"This has always been your home."
"We must find a way to get a room on the second floor."
In this life, does Wen Yun truly want to be good to her?
But she quickly denied the speculation.
When she first came to the Wen family in her previous life, she thought the same thing, but reality has proven that all that care was just a trap set by Wen Yun.
—She knew she longed for this kind of care, so she did it on purpose.
Taking a deep breath, Ruan Yu continued to rinse her body.
She had to stay vigilant and absolutely could not be deceived by Wen Yun again!
-
Wen Yun, who was praising Ruan Yu to her parents, suddenly sneezed without warning.
Startled, Wen's mother quickly touched her forehead and took out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.
Wen Yun's parents died early in her previous life, and she had never received such care before. She was immediately very nervous, so she quickly took the handkerchief, carefully wiped her face, and said in a well-behaved tone, "Thank you, Mom."
"Is Yunyun tired?" Wen's mother took back the handkerchief and asked with concern, "I told you before that the driver and bodyguards would go to pick her up, and you could just stay at home with us and wait."
Although she already knew how outrageous the two elders' favoritism towards the original owner was, Wen Yun still felt quite uncomfortable hearing these words now.
So she straightened her back and said seriously, "Mom, if the baby hadn't been switched at birth, I would be the one living in the countryside all these years, not Xiaoyu."
“I visited Xiaoyu’s home. She has had such a hard life. She lost her adoptive parents when she was young and was raised by her elderly grandparents. As soon as she was old enough, she started helping with chores at home.”
“Yunyun…” Mother Wen hesitated, then clenched her handkerchief tightly.
“Mom, Xiaoyu suffered so much for me, and I feel so sorry for her. So I want to go and bring her back myself, and I want to tell her that she still has a mom and dad to rely on, and that her mom and dad will love her very much.”
Seeing that her mother didn't object, Wen Yun pressed on, saying, "After she goes home, she can be like me, able to be spoiled by her parents and have the best education and living environment."
As she spoke, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and her vision blurred with tears. She took the opportunity to blink, sniff, cover half her face, and choked out, "Mom and Dad, I'm sorry, I... I lost control..."
For a moment, the living room was very quiet, with only her soft sobs audible.
On the surface, Wen Yun's performance was full of emotion, but in reality, her heart was pounding and she was extremely nervous. Just as she was thinking about what to say next, a cool handkerchief touched her cheek.
"Yunyun, don't cry. Mommy was just thinking too little. Mommy didn't mean to say those things!" As Wen's mother wiped away her tears, her own eyes welled up with tears as well. "Mommy really didn't know Xiaoyu was having such a hard time. Can you forgive Mommy?"
Wen Yun:......
She suddenly understood why the original owner of this body was a manipulative woman.
After agreeing with a sob in her voice, Wen Yun secretly glanced at her father, who had been sitting to the side the whole time.
From the moment we started talking until now, it has been Wen's mother who has been communicating with her, while the father has been acting like a detached outsider.
Is he really a cold-blooded capitalist?
After a moment's thought, Wen Yun asked her father expectantly, "Dad, could I let Xiaoyu use my art studio as her bedroom?"
Mr. Wen was taken aback and looked at her in surprise.
“I haven’t painted for years, so it’s a waste to leave that studio there,” Wen Yun explained. “Besides, Xiaoyu is so thin! I heard that thin people are deficient in Vitamin D and need to get more sun. The sun is great there in the studio.”
The original owner's studio was also on the second floor. It was very spacious, with plenty of room even after placing a large bed. The desks and cabinets were designed in a grand style, and the layout could be freely arranged. There was also a floor-to-ceiling window that provided excellent natural light.
Seeing that her father was lost in thought, looking away and not responding for a long time, Wen Yun deliberately said cautiously, "I'm sorry, Dad. I said something willful. Are you angry with me?"
"Why are you angry? Do you think I don't know your temper?" Mr. Wen laughed and said slowly, "But after the renovation, it will take at least three months to ventilate. Until then, Xiaoyu will have to stay in the guest room."
Wen Yun had been waiting for these words, and immediately smiled so broadly her eyes crinkled. She even clapped her hands happily: "I knew Daddy was the best!"
A note from the author:
Ruan Yu: Does she genuinely want to be good to me?
Wen Yun: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! [Nodding frantically]
Chapter 4
Smelling the faint scent of shower gel lingering on her skin, Ruan Yu glanced once more at the nightgown in the wardrobe.
In her past life, she met her biological parents wearing clothes she brought from the countryside. Now she couldn't help but wonder: if she changed into even prettier clothes to meet her parents, would the way she was treated be different from how she was treated in her past life?
A tiny spark of expectation flickered in her heart, but she quickly and ruthlessly extinguished it.
She was well aware of how unattractive her biological parents were to her current appearance. Her skin was dark and rough, and she was thin due to malnutrition. No matter how expensive her clothes were, people would still immediately recognize her as a country bumpkin.
After changing into her nightgown, Ruan Yu put on the new summer sandals brought by the housekeeper, put her clothes into the laundry basket, and then leaned her suitcase against the door where it wouldn't get in her way before going downstairs to the living room.