Chapter 4: The Love-Struck, Illiterate Son

“This story… it’s a long one. I can’t explain it in just a sentence or two.”

“Then use three sentences.”

“…”

And so, it began. Amidst Shu Lingchen’s stuttering and hesitating, Shu Shu managed to piece together the sequence of events.

As it turned out, Shu Shu’s departure back then had been far too sudden. Because no other relatives could be contacted, and because Shu Lingchen was vehemently opposed to going to a children’s welfare institution or a foster home, the neighborhood property management office had stepped in to look after him for a period of time.

But that care was only temporary.

Just as the property managers were scratching their heads in frustration, a young nanny working for a family living across the hall in the same building volunteered: “I don’t have much to do after my shift anyway. How much trouble could it be to look after a child? I’ll just consider it my good deed for the day; it’s no trouble at all.”

…

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After listening, Shu Shu nodded with an air of profound realization:

“Oh~~ So, to put it simply: a gambling dad, a sickly mom, a broken girl, and then you—with your exploding ‘savior complex’?”

Seeing no sign of anger from Shu Shu, Shu Lingchen breathed a sigh of relief. He then put on a proud expression, as if he thought his actions were incredibly cool and was waiting for praise. “Yes.”

Shu Shu immediately raised her hand and delivered a massive smack to his forehead.

“Yes, your head! Shu Lingchen, is your brain filled with cement?! Can’t you see that the nanny and her daughter just wanted to seize the house? They made up an excuse just to kick you out!”

“…Ah, how could that be? Auntie Chu and the others are just staying there temporarily.”

Right, “temporarily.”

Who the hell “temporarily” stays for six or seven years!

Shu Shu opened the Tieba forum again and pulled up all of Chu Lian’s selfies. She zoomed in on the top right corner and showed it to Shu Lingchen. “Do you see anything now?”

If they were just temporary guests, how would they dare to flaunt the homeowner’s belongings so blatantly, acting as if everything belonged to them?

As a result, Shu Lingchen said, “It’s just some selfies of a young girl. I’ve seen them all and even liked them. I don’t see the problem.”

Shu Shu took a deep breath and showed him the comments in the thread—the ones calling him a “poor loser” trying to cling to the “wealthy heiress” Chu Lian.

This Chu Lian was living in Shu Lingchen’s luxury home, flaunting his luxury goods, and yet she was stepping all over Shu Lingchen to build her “rich girl” persona!

Shu Lingchen merely sneered. “A bunch of trash. I can’t be bothered to deal with them.”

“…………”

Shu Shu went completely silent. She began looking around the room.

“Mom, what are you looking for?”

“A rope,” Shu Shu said. “A rope that can help someone ‘restart’ their life—specifically, a rope to strangle you, you little idiot!”

Shu Lingchen shrank back. “You’re misunderstanding. I was the one who suggested moving out. Auntie Chu and the others never mentioned a thing from start to finish…”

At this moment, Shu Shu was finally certain.

Her son must have been fed ten tons of “stupid pills” by that nanny.

There is no reasoning with an idiot.

Thus, Shu Shu chose to walk into the kitchen, grab a meat cleaver, and head for the door.

“I’m going back to Yujing Garden right now to hack those two to death!”

The world had truly gone to the dogs. The nanny’s daughter had become the “young lady of the house,” while the actual owner had become a “poor loser”!

Hearing this, Shu Lingchen rushed to block her. “Calm down!”

“Move.”

“No! You can’t hurt Chuchu and Auntie Chu!”

Shu Shu looked up and saw the genuine nervousness and protectiveness in Shu Lingchen’s eyes.

—Her son liked Chu Lian.

But hadn’t he just been rejected this afternoon?

Shu Shu sensed something was off. She dropped the knife, snatched Shu Lingchen’s phone, and sure enough, found Chu Lian pinned at the top of his WeChat.

She tapped into the chat interface. The latest conversation happened right after the confession:

Shu Lingchen: “Chuchu, did you reject me because of that Shi Jin? Do you like him? [Hurt.jpg]”

Chu Lian: “It’s not like that, A-Chen. It’s just that you were so sudden today, I was a bit startled and didn’t know how to react for a moment. I’m sorry I made you sad. I only think of Shi Jin as the class monitor. If you’re angry, I’ll never appear in front of you again. [Crying.jpg]”

Shu Lingchen had clearly panicked: “Chuchu, don’t! How could I ever be angry with you? It was my fault today. I was too reckless and didn’t consider your feelings!”

Chu Lian: “A-Chen, I don’t blame you.”

Shu Shu was stunned. Wait, she’s “forgiving” him now?!

Just then, a new message from Chu Lian arrived. It was a screenshot of the Tieba forum.

She said: “A-Chen, someone posted about you on the forum. I’ve clarified things to everyone on your behalf. [Heart Heart Heart.jpg]”

Hearing the notification, Shu Lingchen hurried to take his phone back from Shu Shu.

He replied with touched emotion: “Chuchu, you’re so kind. [Rose Rose Rose.jpg]”

Shu Shu: “…………”

She was truly, deeply speechless.

The real fraudster was right here!

Shu Shu grabbed Shu Lingchen by the shoulders and shook him violently.

She muttered, “Stupid demons and clumsy ghosts, go away! Stupid demons and clumsy ghosts, go away! Leave my son’s body! Leave my son’s body!”

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a dozen books on the desk in the “bedroom” he had prepared for her. Looking closer, they were the ones she used to read often.

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately walked into the room.

“Did you bring these from Yujing Garden?”

Shu Lingchen, recovering from his dizziness, nodded weakly. “…Yes.”

He had originally kept them by his side as a memento because these were the books he remembered his mother always having in her hands.

Shu Shu flipped through the books and asked, “Is there a copy of A Brief History of Time?”

“Huh?” Shu Lingchen scratched his head, completely baffled. “Why would I have a brief history of picking up poop? Why are you asking me to pick up poop?”

(Translator’s Note: In Chinese, “Time” (shíjiān) sounds like “Picking up” (shí), and “Brief History” (jiǎnshǐ) sounds like “Poop” (jiǎn shǐ).)

“…………”

Shu Shu’s hand stopped. She fell silent for a full ten seconds before looking up. “Shu Lingchen, just… read a book!”

Shu Shu felt like she desperately needed some fast-acting heart medication.

Fortunately, she found A Brief History of Time. Tucked between the pages, she found exactly what she was looking for.

—A sleek, black-and-gold card.

She grabbed the card and turned to leave.

“Mom, where are you going now?”

Shu Shu replied expressionlessly, “Oh, I suddenly feel like I’ll probably be angered to death if I stay here after my rebirth. So, I’ve decided to transmigrate back. Goodbye, son. Don’t miss me. I will become a star in the sky and watch over you forever.”

Then, she slammed the door and left.

Shu Lingchen: “???”

…

Half an hour later.

Shu Shu was lying comfortably on a chaise lounge in a five-star hotel’s presidential suite.

In her hand was a brand-new, latest-model iPhone she had just unboxed.

She opened a downloaded app.

A prompt popped up on the screen:

Welcome back, Distinguished Black Gold User.

One of Shu Shu’s life mottos was: Never put all your eggs in one basket.

She had an account with assets managed specifically by a team of professional managers. This account was isolated from debts and fell outside the scope of inheritance.

This account didn’t recognize a person; it only recognized the card and the service password.

Thirteen years had passed, and the money inside had grown several times over.

And so, Shu Shu transformed from a wealthy woman into a wealthy woman (Plus Edition).

Although she had already devoured four green rice balls in the evening, it didn’t stop her from having a lavish seafood supper.

As she gnawed on an Australian lobster, she thought:

Her son becoming a “love-brain” simp and an illiterate fool was largely her responsibility for “leaving” so early.

After all, he was her own cub. She couldn’t just throw him away.

She still had to try and save him—to bend him back into shape.

The iPhone beside her lit up, and two new messages popped up:

1. Ms. Shu Shu, your new ID information has been updated and verified. (Attached was a screenshot of the front and back of an ID card showing her as eighteen years old.)
2. Student Shu Shu, your school enrollment procedures have been completed. Please arrive at Anshi No. 3 Middle School by 7:30 AM tomorrow for class.

---

Sansukini: Her son is so “pure.”