Chapter 9: Aunt Ruan's Blurred Boundaries Between Inside and Outside

“Careful now.”

Seeing no more sounds behind him, He Chen didn’t pay it much mind and simply reminded her.

Yet this casual remark infuriated Ruan Liuzheng, who sat in the back seat, her thoughts wandering back to He Chen’s sudden stop when they entered campus that morning.

She knew it was to help Lin Miaomiao, not like those ruffians who deliberately sped up and slammed on the brakes to take advantage.

Still, hearing He Chen’s words now stirred a flurry of uneasy thoughts in her mind.

What did he mean? Was he implying that her figure wasn’t as good as Qiu Ya’s, that even being taken advantage of would be a loss for her?

Lacking elasticity, did it hurt when she was bumped?

Unaware of the rich inner drama in his sworn sister’s heart, He Chen rode straight into the neighborhood, parked downstairs, and turned around only to find she had already disappeared.

After locking his bike and about to head upstairs, he saw Lin Miaomiao standing by the first-floor window, calling out loudly, “He Chen, come to my house for lunch! My mom has prepared lots of delicious food just for you!”

“No need.” He Chen politely declined.

“He Chen, come on! I’ve heard what you did for Miaomiao today. Auntie is very grateful and hopes you won’t mind her cooking,” Lin Miaomiao’s mother approached, standing behind her daughter with a warm smile.

“You’re too kind, Auntie.” He Chen smiled back at the friendly face.

After all, he had grown up watching “My Own Swordsman” so many times—nearly twenty viewings—and had a fondness for the charming Tong Xiangyu, instinctively not seeing her as an outsider.

“Where’s Ruan Liuzheng? I’ll go get her!” Lin Miaomiao slapped her forehead and dashed upstairs to fetch her.

He Chen went up first to his room, found Aunt Ruan absent, while Lin Miaomiao slipped into Ruan Liuzheng’s bedroom, chattering excitedly to coax her down for the feast. After a moment’s thought, she dialed Aunt Ruan’s number.

Once the phone rang, the room fell silent.

After a brief exchange, He Chen hung up and told the two girls waiting for news, “Aunt Ruan won’t be back for lunch today. Let’s go bother Aunt Wang and Uncle Lin.”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Lin Miaomiao eagerly grabbed Ruan Liuzheng’s hand and headed out.

“Did your mom say anything else?” Ruan Liuzheng probed as they walked.

“What else?” He Chen teased from behind, “Would you be happy if Aunt Ruan scolded me?”

Ruan Liuzheng pouted, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Disrespecting a teacher deserved a scolding, no matter how justified, yet her mother hadn’t even mentioned it. What was that about?

Such blatant favoritism.

Downstairs in the rented apartment where Lin Miaomiao’s family lived, her mother, Manager Tong—Wang Shengnan—was bringing dish after dish from the kitchen.

The table was laden with an array of dishes worthy of a grand feast.

“Sit, sit. Lin Miaomiao, you host your classmates properly.” Wang Shengnan urged, warning her daughter, “Don’t just eat by yourself!”

“They’re family; no need for formalities!” Lin Miaomiao waved it off but still pulled Ruan Liuzheng close, handing her a chicken leg in the very Indian style of eating, urging her to try it.

“Try my mom’s roast chicken—it’s delicious!”

After some pleasantries, everyone began eating. Seeing He Chen savor his meal, Wang Shengnan asked with some concern, “Is Professor Ruan usually very busy? How do you all manage meals?”

“We used to eat at the university canteen,” He Chen explained. “Now that we’re in senior year, after moving here, Aunt Ruan planned to keep bringing lunch from the canteen. Today was the first day of school, plus the incident this morning, so she didn’t make it.”

“Professor Ruan and Qian Sanyi’s mother upstairs really look alike,” Wang Shengnan laughed.

“Of course!” Lin Miaomiao munched loudly, still teasing her own mother. “Just look at Aunt Ruan and Aunt Pei—they’re completely different from you. If it were ancient times, they’d be genuine young ladies skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. How could they ever be involved in the kitchen?”

“So I’m stuck making delicious food for you little glutton, getting all smoky and dirty, only to be despised for not being a delicate lady untouched by worldly chores!” Wang Shengnan scolded her daughter with mock irritation.

Lin Miaomiao smiled sweetly, showering her mother with praise as her favorite mom.

He Chen laughed along. “Who isn’t a young lady? Aunt Wang would definitely be one in ancient times!”

Manager Tong had been an authentic young lady back then.

The meal was a joyous occasion for all. He Chen and Lin Miaomiao devoured the extra dishes Wang Shengnan had prepared.

Lin Miaomiao, already full, leaned back in her chair watching He Chen eat with elegant efficiency that far surpassed her own. It seemed his stomach was bottomless. She looked at him with utmost admiration.

“He Chen, this is the first time I’ve met someone who can out-eat me. You’re amazing!” Lin Miaomiao gave a thumbs-up.

“It’s mainly because Aunt Wang’s cooking is so delicious,” He Chen replied with a smile.

In truth, his appetite had soared ever since he awakened his Crane Longevity technique.

“Good appetite is a blessing! If you like it, Auntie will make you more,” Wang Shengnan said happily, getting up to get He Chen seconds, but he politely declined.

After more small talk, He Chen took his leave.

“Are you going back to practice? The Turtle Breathing technique?” Lin Miaomiao asked excitedly.

He Chen glanced at Ruan Liuzheng and nodded to Lin Miaomiao.

The Crane technique was practiced outdoors near pine trees and was not a secret, but Turtle Breathing was a quiet, meditative skill, almost like sleeping meditation—hard for outsiders to know about unless told.

Ruan Liuzheng avoided He Chen’s gaze.

Indeed, it was she who had let it slip, albeit only in complaints to her close friend Xia Xue. She never imagined it would reach Lin Miaomiao’s ears—now it seemed everyone knew.

He Chen declined Lin Miaomiao’s request to watch him practice Turtle Breathing, citing its quiet nature. He returned to his room, tidied up, closed the door, sat cross-legged, and formally began his training.

No school in the afternoon.

Having just dealt with an energetic Lin Miaomiao, Ruan Liuzheng lay on her bed, unable to stop dwelling on the matter. How could her mother say nothing harsh after He Chen’s actions? It was simply unacceptable.

Finally, evening came and her mother returned. He Chen, as usual, went to practice under the pine tree. Ruan Liuzheng nestled beside her younger sister Ruan Lu, feigning affection for a while before cautiously broaching the topic.

“Why are you defending He Chen?”

Ruan Lu turned to her adopted sister with a strange look. “His approach was masculine and full of manly spirit. That’s a real man! He lives up to his heroic appearance and deserves to be the pillar of the family. I’m already very polite and restrained not to praise him in front of your teachers.”

...

Ruan Liuzheng felt deeply wronged and absurd.

Her mother’s education was nothing like this.

If she dared to talk back to a teacher like He Chen, her mother would never react this way.

And what pillar of the family?

She was her mother’s own daughter. He Chen hadn’t even formalized the adoption—he was just a guest. How could he leapfrog over the only child and become the family’s backbone?

Was her mother blurring inside and outside?

Seeing her daughter’s pitiful, delicate face, Ruan Lu frowned, straightened her sister’s collar, buttoned it up tightly, and reminded her again, “He Chen is your brother. You must always remember that!”