A Self-Cultivation of a Stand-in [Transmigration GL] - Chapter 12

Hua Luoyue silently crossed off various mental theories about “President Yu turning over a new leaf, attaining enlightenment, and deciding to kick this substitute out to start life anew.”

She pulled her keys from her pocket, unlocked the door, and invited Yu Zhezhi inside.

Assistant Li had specifically arranged this apartment. Hua Luoyue only had two keys; the rest were naturally with the assistant and Yu Zhezhi. However, Yu Zhezhi had come out without her keys. It was unclear if she had come here on a whim or had simply forgotten to bring them.

As if reading Hua Luoyue’s thoughts, Yu Zhezhi knit her brows slightly and asked, “You didn’t change the locks?”

“No…” Hua Luoyue replied.

Assistant Li was meticulous. When she found the apartment, she surely would have arranged for the locks to be changed. Considering Yu Zhezhi would be coming by, Hua Luoyue hadn’t bothered to waste energy on the matter. The complex’s excellent security and ubiquitous surveillance were also reasons why she wasn’t particularly worried.

Yu Zhezhi, however, didn’t see it that way. Hearing this, she spoke decisively: “Call someone over to change the locks now.”

Hua Luoyue shot her a questioning look.

“I’ll reimburse you,” Yu Zhezhi added.

Since the benefactor had spoken, Hua Luoyue had no choice but to comply. The two of them had barely stepped foot inside the apartment before turning around to head back downstairs.

There was a professional locksmith company right inside the complex—fully registered and vetted. After walking a few steps, they found the shop. Once the locks were changed, Yu Zhezhi didn’t take a single key. She tossed them all to Hua Luoyue. “Keep them safe yourself.”

“Then if President Yu comes in the future…” Hua Luoyue began.

Yu Zhezhi interrupted her. “This is your home, not mine.”

Hua Luoyue dazed for a moment.

Perhaps realizing her tone was a bit harsh, Yu Zhezhi paused and softened it slightly. “I have no shortage of places to live. But if something happens to you because of a moment’s negligence, it will be a major headache for me.”

She didn’t want to gain a reputation for being “bad luck for her wife” for no reason. But ultimately, it was for Hua Luoyue’s safety. Regardless of the motive, this was a display of Yu Zhezhi’s generosity and attentiveness. Hua Luoyue didn’t argue further and nodded.

With the lock-changing interlude over, Yu Zhezhi took Hua Luoyue out for dinner that evening to a newly opened high-end Western restaurant in City X.

It wasn’t for the sake of romance, but rather to correct Hua Luoyue’s etiquette and briefly brief her on the people currently close to the Yu family. Originally, Yu Zhezhi had intended to keep her as a “hidden beauty.” Acting in public with an unfamiliar person wasn’t easy; the more they said, the more likely they were to make mistakes.

Furthermore, Hua Luoyue had previously seemed somewhat small-minded. During their first few meetings, she hadn’t dared to look people in the eye when speaking privately, let alone at a public banquet. But after her recent social rounds, Yu Zhezhi realized that the human instinct for gossip could never be fully suppressed. Instead of being secretive and letting people find clues, it was better to prepare openly.

Most importantly, according to feedback from the etiquette teacher, Hua Luoyue was progressing rapidly. She was no longer so flustered that she couldn’t speak when meeting people.

However, some things an etiquette teacher couldn’t teach.

“If you run into a Miss Xu or a Young Master Zhou in the future, steer clear of them. As for the rest, if anyone tries to bait you with words, just say you don’t handle those matters and need to ask me.”

Yu Zhezhi didn’t go into too much detail. Hua Luoyue listened quietly for a while and managed to grasp the general gist of her current situation.

The main plot of the original story wouldn’t officially start for another three years. Currently, Yu Zhezhi was a legendary figure in her circle, but her status wasn’t as unshakeable as it would be later. In some areas, she still had to swallow her pride and follow others’ leads. There were some people she absolutely couldn’t offend, but as for certain “clowns,” it didn’t matter if she retorted directly.

Of course, for a decorative prop like Hua Luoyue, it was safest to say little, do little, and have minimal contact with others.

Hua Luoyue showed an excellent listening attitude, and Yu Zhezhi unconsciously spoke a bit more than planned. When she stopped to drink water, she noticed Hua Luoyue staring at her intently.

Yu Zhezhi instinctively raised her glass higher, covering her chin, and asked, “Is there anything else you don’t understand?”

Hua Luoyue shook her head.

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just feel… it hasn’t been easy for President Yu, either.”

Yu Zhezhi’s movements paused. She looked up at Hua Luoyue, unable to determine if this was a polite compliment or genuine empathy. For anyone who wanted to climb to the top, the word “easy” didn’t exist in their dictionary.

Others jokingly called Yu Zhezhi a genius, a blessing the Yu family had earned over eight generations. It was as if they wiped away all her hard work and endurance in an instant. Yu Zhezhi was indeed a business genius, but geniuses were human first. She had no supernatural ability to make success line up at her door with a mere thought.

In fact, she had suffered from insomnia due to failure and anxiety, and she had swallowed her pride amidst the contempt and hostility of others while maintaining a friendly smile. She had flown all over the world for a single deal, sleeping less than three hours a day and practically living in the office or on planes.

Naturally, there were many helpless compromises and frustrations. Others complimented her on being young and promising, and she accepted it, never complaining about her hardships. She felt the struggle was worth it. She didn’t force herself to do things she hated for anyone else; it was her goal, her ambition, her lifelong desire.

Among the voices of praise or slander, only one person had ever told her that ambition and desire were not shameful. And until today, only one person dared to say to her face that it hadn’t been easy for her.

However, Hua Luoyue seemed to have just said it in passing and didn’t follow up. Yu Zhezhi didn’t want to act like she cared too much about a polite remark. In the end, Yu Zhezhi became somewhat absent-minded.

Hua Luoyue looked at the sky outside and took the initiative to suggest: “We should head back and rest early.”

Yu Zhezhi nodded. They weren’t familiar to begin with, and Yu Zhezhi didn’t particularly “like” Hua Luoyue as a person. Putting the contract aside, they had little to say to each other even in the same room, so they both turned in early.

Before bed, after pouring water in the living room, Hua Luoyue asked one more question before turning off the lights: “President Yu, what would you like for breakfast tomorrow?”

Yu Zhezhi was going to say it wasn’t necessary, but after a moment’s hesitation, she said: “Plain noodles with a poached egg.”

Hua Luoyue turned to check the cupboards and fridge, relieved that there were still supplies. After saying goodnight, she took her water back to her room. Yu Zhezhi stood at the door for a long time, staring in the direction Hua Luoyue had gone.

She couldn’t figure out what was going on with Hua Luoyue’s attitude. Was it sycophancy? Or… acting?

It took so long that the glass in her hand began to feel icy cold before Yu Zhezhi snapped out of it. When did I become the one obsessing and feeling anxious about this relationship? This was just a temporary substitute tool. Did she really think they would have a “future”?

Yu Zhezhi took a sip of cold water to calm her nerves and turned back into her room.

The night passed in silence. When she woke up the next morning, Hua Luoyue had indeed already eaten her own breakfast. Seeing Yu Zhezhi open her door, she went into the kitchen to prepare Yu Zhezhi’s portion.

Yu Zhezhi didn’t have to rush today. Since the noodles took a bit longer, she could finally sit and watch Hua Luoyue’s movements. She clearly cooked often; her gestures were practiced and skilled. Steam rose from the stove, and soon a layer of white mist formed on the glass door of the kitchen.

This hazy, domestic atmosphere was a distant memory for Yu Zhezhi. But it wasn’t as off-putting as she had expected.

Hua Luoyue brought out the bowl of noodles, then went back for a glass of hot soy milk, pushing them both in front of Yu Zhezhi. Yu Zhezhi picked up her chopsticks, noticed the cartoon “Cheese Cat” pattern on the girl’s apron, and offered a rare compliment: “It’s quite cute.”

Without shifting her gaze even slightly, Hua Luoyue immediately replied, “I think so too.”

The unhesitating answer made Yu Zhezhi pause. She began to wonder if she had misunderstood something. But Hua Luoyue had already turned away to clean up the kitchen. Yu Zhezhi hesitated with her chopsticks for a long time before finally starting on the hot breakfast. Plain congee was hard to judge, but a simple bowl of noodles easily revealed the quality of a cook. Hua Luoyue was clearly quite skilled.

Maybe it’s okay to come by for a meal when I’m free in the future—at most, I’ll just reimburse her for the grocery costs, Yu Zhezhi thought to herself.

After breakfast, Yu Zhezhi prepared to return to City A. Hua Luoyue walked her all the way downstairs and then took the opportunity to head toward the complex gate. Cai Xinyue had messaged her earlier saying she was on her way back to City X and was bringing some home-cooked food for Hua Luoyue to try, after which they could find a place to practice.

Just as she reached the gate, the courier station staff called her. They had caught the person who took the package on surveillance. It was an eight or nine-year-old child whose parents weren’t around, so she had snuck out to play. She had picked through the pile of newly unloaded packages and grabbed one at random.

According to the memory of the receptionist on duty that night, the child had sworn the name on the box was her mother’s. Since the box was small, the receptionist assumed it wasn’t anything too important and didn’t think much of it, letting her take it.

“We’ve already found the child’s guardian. She said she’ll bring it over to you personally in a bit. Is now convenient for you?”

Hua Luoyue checked the time and said “Yes.”

So, when Cai Xinyue arrived at the complex gate and hopped out of a taxi, she heard a cacophony of wailing nearby. An eight or nine-year-old boy was being held over his mother’s lap and getting his bottom smacked. The mother kept lecturing: “I’ll teach you to steal things! I’ll teach you!”

Hua Luoyue looked awkward. Under the gaze of the onlookers, she had to try and intervene: “Just a few words of education is enough, don’t hit him in public. It wasn’t actually anything too important…”

If she hadn’t spoken, it might have been fine, but those words made the young mother even angrier, her voice turning shrill.

“Do you know how much that diamond ring cost?! I couldn’t pay you back even if I sold you!” The young mother then pointed at Hua Luoyue, lecturing her son: “And such an important token—if it’s lost, what are you going to give her to make up for it?!”

Cai Xinyue, who had just arrived, only heard those last few sentences. For a moment, she didn’t react, looking from the mother and son to Hua Luoyue.

“You’re getting married?” Cai Xinyue asked in shock.