A Self-Cultivation of a Stand-in [Transmigration GL] - Chapter 11

The next morning, when Yu Zhezhi woke up, the sky was just beginning to turn gray with the first light of dawn.

Walking out of her room, she found Hua Luoyue already sitting on the balcony in front of the living room, reading a book.

Hearing the movement of the door opening, Hua Luoyue instinctively turned her head. Her eyes met Yu Zhezhi’s gaze, and her eyes crinkled into a gentle smile.

“Good morning, President Yu.”

After greeting her, she put down her book and walked toward the kitchen.

“I’ve made a bowl of congee and some vegetable-filled buns,” Hua Luoyue said as she relit the gas stove to reheat the congee. “There’s also milk and side dishes in the fridge. If there’s anything else you’d like to eat, I can go out and buy it for you.”

Yu Zhezhi didn’t even have time to finish a yawn; she stood there with her mouth agape for a moment. Even at a five-star hotel, she might not receive such “thoughtful” service.

However, Hua Luoyue’s expression was mild, without a hint of resentment. Yu Zhezhi certainly hadn’t demanded that she hand-make breakfast.

Yu Zhezhi’s brow twitched. “Did you wake up early specifically to make this?”

She was a light sleeper, yet she had heard almost no noise from outside, nor the sound of an alarm. It was clear how cautious Hua Luoyue had been.

But this cautiousness didn’t move Yu Zhezhi; instead, it made her feel that Hua Luoyue was trying too hard to please her. Not long ago, the girl had been glaring at her as if she were being coerced into something.

Hua Luoyue shook her head and simply said, “I only heard that President Yu prefers lighter flavors, so I prepared a little according to my usual habits.”

She usually woke up early anyway; by now, she had already finished a set of practice exam questions. However, with Yu Zhezhi suddenly showing up, she felt she had to put in a bit of effort. Otherwise, holding onto so much of the woman’s money would weigh too heavily on her conscience.

Hua Luoyue had a very strong sense of duty, much like a service industry worker. As for whether Yu Zhezhi liked it or might misunderstand her intentions, that was outside her scope of concern.

Yu Zhezhi’s eyebrows shot up, but she said nothing in the end. After washing up, she sat down at the table. Hua Luoyue had already served the congee.

But there was only one portion of breakfast on the table. Hua Luoyue went back to sit by the coffee table on the balcony, lowering her head to flip through her book.

The window was open only a crack. The breeze occasionally ruffled the stray hairs around her face, veiling her serious, downcast eyes.

Yu Zhezhi’s knuckle accidentally brushed against the warm bowl of congee. She instinctively pulled her hand back, and the warmth snapped her into clarity.

—Hua Luoyue was not her.

Yu Zhezhi picked up her chopsticks as a cover, then paused and asked Hua Luoyue, “Aren’t you eating breakfast?”

Hua Luoyue looked up at her and smiled. “I’ve already eaten.”

“Oh…” Yu Zhezhi felt as if she’d been burned; she lowered her head and pretended to eat seriously, but her gaze occasionally drifted toward the balcony uncontrollably.

Hua Luoyue’s attention seemed entirely fixed on the book. Yu Zhezhi couldn’t see exactly which one it was, but she could see a row of books on the simple shelf nearby for etiquette and piano classes. Some had been specifically prepared by Li Yunting and shown to Yu Zhezhi before being purchased.

Those books showed signs of being flipped through, and two had bookmarks tucked inside.

Although she hadn’t developed much grace due to her family background and her grades weren’t outstanding, currently, it seemed Hua Luoyue at least had the merit of being “obedient.” Even if she was just putting on a show, she was sending a signal that she would follow instructions.

Because of this, Yu Zhezhi’s mood suddenly improved. As long as she stayed obedient…

Yu Zhezhi didn’t follow that train of thought any further. When it was time to leave, her attitude was noticeably softer, and she even took the initiative to say goodbye.

Hua Luoyue watched her to the door, not quite understanding the reason for the woman’s shift in mood. But she didn’t overthink it. She gave a polite smile and a slight nod. Once the door closed, she sat back in her original spot and continued reading her foreign-language book.

Even a benefactor shouldn’t interrupt her studies. Money and love might not last forever, but skills do. Yu Zhezhi had solved her urgent crisis, and while she felt the woman was a bit of a “wealthy fool” worth being grateful to, it didn’t mean she intended to be dependent on her for life.

Sooner or later, she would leave.

In the neighboring City K.

The elder Cai brother took his sister out for a meal and, under their parents’ repeated urging, took her to buy winter clothes for the changing season. Cai Xinyue, however, was completely uninterested in shopping.

“I can buy them myself! Besides, didn’t I buy several pieces last winter? I barely wore them. I’ll just find them and wear them again…”

Hearing this, Brother Cai got angry. “You have the nerve to say that? Look at what you’re wearing!” He pointed at his sister’s thin jacket and ripped jeans with a look of disgust. “People who don’t know us would think our family are beggars. Aren’t you afraid of freezing your joints?”

He kept grumbling while forcibly pulling her toward the mall. “Besides, you bought so many but won’t wear them. Weren’t you complaining they were ugly? This time, we’ll pick what you like, okay?”

Cai Xinyue resisted passively for a while, but eventually gave in to her brother’s strength and shuffled toward the mall. Halfway there, she saw something and suddenly stopped.

Brother Cai was about to scold her when he was caught off guard as his sister pulled him into a nearby corner. She then peeked out stealthily like a thief.

“What are you doing now?” Brother Cai condemned her with his eyes.

“Shh…” Cai Xinyue glared back at him, then quickly poked her head out again.

A somewhat familiar face stepped out of a car and was led toward a restaurant that looked incredibly expensive. It looked like Hua Luoyue’s “sister.”

Cai Xinyue recognized her quickly; that beautiful face was hard to forget after seeing it once. They had only met that one time, so she had to debate whether it was even worth going over to say hello.

What truly made Cai Xinyue pause was the greeting she overheard. A middle-aged man in a suit bowed slightly to the young woman and respectfully called her “President Yu.” This was followed by praises like “young and promising” and “a person of great talent.”

I didn’t expect Hua Luoyue’s sister to be so impressive, Cai Xinyue mused. Then she heard the man ask President Yu with some surprise:

“So President Yu is already married? That was fast. I imagine your partner must be a perfect match made in heaven.”

President Yu only smiled. “Yes. It was quite recent. I’ll certainly bring her out to meet everyone when there’s a chance.”

As they walked further away, the rest of the conversation became muffled. Cai Xinyue didn’t follow. Her eavesdropping left her brother baffled.

“When did you develop a habit for listening at walls? Do you know her?”

“My classmate’s sister, I met her a few days ago,” Cai Xinyue explained. “Just a bit curious.”

“I thought you either had a crush on her or a grudge.”

“As if…” Cai Xinyue pursed her lips.

“I’ve never seen you so interested in anyone before. You pretended not to recognize your middle school classmate on the street the other day and ended up making them cry at our front door. Have you forgotten that so soon?”

“She was bordering on sexual harassment, okay? I’m very polite to others,” Cai Xinyue retorted indignantly. “I just don’t want to be pestered by lunatics.”

Brother Cai didn’t want to go in circles over old news. He took advantage of her distraction to pull her into the mall, whispering instructions. “Since it’s your classmate’s sister, she has nothing to do with you. People like that look like trouble you can’t afford. Keep your distance in the future.”

“I know…” Cai Xinyue gave a perfunctory reply, but her mind was elsewhere.

She hadn’t expected Hua Luoyue’s sister to be married despite looking so young. But from another angle, since she already had her own family, she probably wouldn’t spend much energy on a “cheap” relative like Hua Luoyue. In the future, if any emergency happened, Hua Luoyue might not be able to rely on this sister who had only recently appeared.

Cai Xinyue felt a bit sorry for Hua Luoyue and thought she should pay more attention to her from now on. A girl living alone off-campus—no one would know if something went wrong.

I’ll consider it a return for her help, Cai Xinyue decided. She finally perked up a bit, took the pile of jackets her brother shoved at her, and walked toward the fitting mirror.

When Hua Luoyue saw the messages from Cai Xinyue, her piano lesson had already ended. She saw the teacher off and stopped by the courier station inside the residential complex on her way back.

While waiting for the staff to look up recent delivery records, she opened her phone. Cai Xinyue had sent quite a few messages: mentioning she ran into Hua Luoyue’s sister (accompanied by a blurry photo of a back), asking if she had any dietary restrictions so she could bring some home-cooked food the next day, and finally setting a time to meet.

Hua Luoyue looked at the photo of the back twice. She couldn’t precisely tell if it was Yu Zhezhi or not. What a coincidence, she thought.

In truth, she wasn’t particularly concerned about where Yu Zhezhi appeared. She scrolled down and replied to the other messages.

“There does seem to be a record,” the courier staff member called out to Hua Luoyue. “It arrived a few days ago—around Wednesday evening. A standard package sent from City A. But the records show it was signed for by the recipient almost immediately after arriving. Do you not remember it?”

Hua Luoyue asked, “What time?”

The staff member squinted at the time. “7:13 PM.”

Hua Luoyue shook her head. “I had a night class on Wednesday. I didn’t leave school until 9:00 PM.”

The staff member had no choice but to ask for her contact information, saying they would investigate further and contact her once they found a lead.

Leaving the courier station, Hua Luoyue thought about the “ring” Yu Zhezhi mentioned last night—likely a prop for their charade. Since it was sent via standard mail, it probably wasn’t a particularly expensive or rare design.

But whether to find it or replace it was something Yu Zhezhi would have to consider.

Hua Luoyue was just about to message Yu Zhezhi about it. Stepping out of the elevator and looking up, she saw a familiar person standing nearby.

A notification chime rang from the person’s hand.

“President Yu…” Hua Luoyue was surprised and confused. “What are you doing standing outside the door?”

Yu Zhezhi said, “I’m waiting for you.”

Anyone else might have been moved by those words, but Hua Luoyue was already wondering if something had gone wrong.

Yu Zhezhi simply held out her hands and said, “I don’t have a key.”

Hua Luoyue: “…”