After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 7

After hanging up the phone, Ren Xuan began to learn about the original and true mistress of this house. She wondered where the real “Ren Xuan” had gone after she took her place.

The question flashed through her mind, but she quickly focused on understanding her predecessor.

The original “Ren Xuan” was an extremely self-disciplined person; she was organized, never procrastinated, and lived a clean private life dedicated to work. Her computer and phone showed that aside from business, she contacted her younger sister and a few friends the most. She had no bad habits—except for that “White Moonlight” in her heart.

Regarding this White Moonlight, Ren Xuan found it almost absurd: there wasn’t a single photo of the person on the phone or computer.

The White Moonlight had visited the Ren house once when “Ren Xuan” was a child; that one glance was enough to capture her heart forever. Ren Xuan searched the bedroom inside and out, feeling that the original host’s devotion was actually quite perfunctory. There were no mementos at all; she relied entirely on memory. The White Moonlight probably didn’t even know someone was pining for them. No wonder no one knew except for a few close friends.

This won’t do, Ren Xuan thought, recalling the process the System required her to follow. She gestured around the room; some things definitely needed to be added.

The next evening, Ren Ke—wearing a bunny backpack—entered the house joyfully. She spotted her sister immediately and pounced into her arms before even putting her bag down.

“Sister, Sister! I’m back!”

“Mhm.” Ren Xuan smiled and nodded. Ren Ke was nine years old and in the third grade, already 1.4 meters tall. It was a bit of a struggle for Ren Xuan to lift her up completely. Stroking her little head, Ren Xuan asked, “Did the teacher do your hair?”

“Teacher Li did it.” Ren Ke nodded vigorously. Seeing that her sister rarely had time for such small talk, she excitedly chattered on. “Sister, Teacher Li is amazing! Everyone in class likes her…”

Ren Xuan sat on the sofa, listening to Ren Ke’s non-stop talk about school, her friends, and the recent field trip. Ren Xuan nodded and smiled, occasionally chiming in.

“Tired from playing?” Once Ren Ke had finished most of her story, Ren Xuan suggested, “Go upstairs and take a bath first.”

Ren Ke was an obedient child. Even though she had more to share, she said, “Okay, Sister, I’m going up now.”

“Go ahead,” Ren Xuan said softly. Ren Ke’s little legs moved fast, and she vanished up the stairs in moments.

Tapping her index finger on the coffee table, Ren Xuan quickly formed a plan.

6:00 PM, Xingzhi Primary School.

The area in front of the gate was already crowded with layers of parents. They peered into the campus, hoping to see their children emerge at any second.

Lin Shuyan stood far off under a tree at a corner; this was her agreed-upon meeting spot with Xiao Ke. Every Thursday after school, she would meet Xiao Ke here.

Xiao Ke and Lin Shuyan were from the same orphanage. They had been close since childhood, and Lin Shuyan treated her like a younger sister. When Lin Shuyan finished her nine years of compulsory education, she started working to earn money, while Xiao Ke remained at the orphanage. Later, Xiao Ke was adopted, and their meetings became infrequent until they reunited at this school.

Since learning Xiao Ke attended this primary school, Lin Shuyan made a pact to see her every Thursday. It was ten minutes past dismissal, but Xiao Ke hadn’t appeared yet. Lin Shuyan wasn’t worried—delays happened at school. As she waited patiently, a voice suddenly cut in.

“Shuyan!”

Lin Shuyan stiffened, instinctively wanting to hide. But Ren Xuan had already spotted her; there was nowhere to run. Besides, she couldn’t hide.

“Miss Ren,” Lin Shuyan greeted stiffly.

Ren Xuan didn’t speak immediately. To break the awkward silence, Lin Shuyan looked at the passing crowd and added dryly, “What a coincidence. Is Miss Ren here too?”

Hearing this formal address, Ren Xuan’s brow twitched. She didn’t dwell on the title and simply smiled. “I’m here to pick up my sister. And you, Shuyan?”

“I’m… seeing someone,” Lin Shuyan said, her voice lacking confidence. Ren Xuan’s appearance had caught her off guard. What surprised her even more was that even though she was wearing a hat and a mask today, Ren Xuan had recognized her and said hello.

If I had seen her first… Lin Shuyan thought, I probably would have run.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see her, nor was it ingratitude. Lin Shuyan simply felt that she shouldn’t be associated with someone like Ren Xuan.

Good news stays indoors, but bad news travels a thousand miles.

The video of Zhang Ming being dragged away by his wife’s ear had already become a joke. As a partial participant in that event, Lin Shuyan’s first reaction was the fear that she, too, had become a laughingstock.

She had spent several anxious days too afraid to leave her house. Fortunately, the incident hadn’t spread across the internet; it was only being whispered about as gossip within the entertainment circle. As for her, not a single word about her involvement had leaked out. This was the only reason she dared to come see Xiao Ke.

“How old is your brother or sister?” Ren Xuan asked, feigning ignorance.

“It’s a sister,” Lin Shuyan thought for a moment and shook her head. “Well, sort of. She’s twelve.”

“My sister is nine, in the third grade,” Ren Xuan introduced. “I happened to have time to pick her up today. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

Indeed, Lin Shuyan thought, her gaze drifting. From Tong City to Yecheng, she had encountered Ren Xuan once again. Two people from completely different worlds had met twice in a single week.

“Sister! Sister!” Seeing Ren Xuan from a distance, Ren Ke waved across the crowd, her arms flapping like an excited bird.

“Sister, why do you have time to pick me up today?” Happiness came suddenly for Ren Ke. Ren Xuan had been so busy for the past two months she was barely a ghost in the house; being home the last few days was already a treat, let alone waiting at the school gate.

“I was just passing by your school.” Ren Xuan smiled and took the small backpack. It was only when Ren Ke skipped to her side that she noticed the other lady.

Though she couldn’t see her face clearly, the stranger’s figure and eyes screamed “beauty.” “Sister, who is this pretty sister?”

“This is Sister Lin. You can also call her Sister Yan,” Ren Xuan said.

“Sister Yan.” Ren Ke chose the name she felt was more intimate. “Are you my sister’s good friend?”

“No… No, I’m not,” Lin Shuyan shook her head.

That’s not right, Ren Ke thought, looking between her sister and Lin Shuyan. She stood by her observation. “Sister Yan, your eyes are so beautiful!”

“Miss Ren is much more beautiful,” Lin Shuyan said from the heart. The little girl before her had two braids and a sky-blue dress; she was poised and noble, like a little princess from a fairy tale.

“Sister Yan, my name is Ren Ke. You can call me Keke,” she added. “That’s what my sister calls me.”

Lin Shuyan didn’t expect Ren Ke to be so familiar, reminding her of her first meeting with Ren Xuan. Before she could daze out, Xiao Ke walked over. Seeing people with Lin Shuyan, Xiao Ke didn’t interrupt immediately but watched from a short distance.

“Shuyan,” Ren Xuan called out. Hearing the intimate name, Ren Ke became even more certain that this pretty sister was connected to her own sister, even if she’d never seen her before.

Did Sister just meet her recently? But why do they seem so familiar?

Ren Ke tilted her head, suddenly remembering an idiom Teacher Li had taught: “White-headed as new, but a chance encounter feels like an old friend.”

“Is that little girl your sister?” Ren Xuan’s gaze rested on the figure under the banyan tree two meters away.

“Xiao Ke.” Having not seen her for a week, Lin Shuyan couldn’t suppress her excitement and ran to her. Xiao Ke looked at Lin Shuyan, then at the two ladies who possessed such extraordinary poise and attire.

She was in the sixth grade and had a good memory; she quickly realized who was standing with her sister. “Hello, Miss Ren.” When pulled toward them, Xiao Ke took the initiative to greet them before Lin Shuyan could introduce her.

“You know me?” Ren Ke blinked curiously. They were students at the same school, but this girl was clearly not in her grade—her uniform marked her as a sixth-grader. Am I really that famous? Ren Ke scratched her head, a bit bashful.

Lin Shuyan was also surprised that Xiao Ke recognized the Ren sisters.

“Miss Ren is the one sponsoring my education,” Xiao Ke explained.

So that’s how it is, Ren Ke understood.

The Ren family sponsored many underprivileged children every year. Many high-achieving children attended the Xingzhi Primary School funded by the Ren Group, where tuition was free and food and lodging were subsidized. Ren Ke had a classmate like that; the parents had once thanked Ren Ke for a long time, making her so overwhelmed she had to make an excuse to run away.

“You must be very talented,” Ren Ke said, then looked back at her sister. Lin Shuyan gave a simple greeting with Xiao Ke and signaled to Ren Xuan that she and Xiao Ke had things to discuss.

As the two “sisters” talked under the tree, Ren Xuan held the backpack, her gaze drifting over to them occasionally. Ren Ke followed her sister’s line of sight. When Lin Shuyan stopped talking, Ren Ke immediately trotted over. “Sister Xiao Ke, I want to buy ice cream over there,” she pointed to a spot a dozen meters away. “Sister Xiao Ke, will you come with me?”

Xiao Ke looked to Lin Shuyan for permission. Just as she was about to nod, Ren Ke grabbed her hand and led her away.

“The driver will look after them,” Ren Xuan said, walking to Lin Shuyan’s side to reassure her.

“Mhm.” Lin Shuyan nodded, then heard Ren Xuan ask, “Would you like to sit in the cafe across the street for a bit?”

“Okay,” Lin Shuyan agreed.

They both ordered coffee, and Ren Xuan spoke first. “When you went back, did she make things difficult for you?”

There was no need to name names; they both knew who “she” was. Lin Shuyan gave a bitter smile. “No.” Lin Shuyan had been discovered by a scout and signed to Xingyu, the company where Zhao Meili worked.

In the beginning, Zhao Meili wasn’t particularly good or bad to her. Back then, Zhao Meili was still a newcomer herself, only three years more senior than Lin Shuyan, and was suppressed by senior managers. The resources she got were mediocre.

Zhao Meili had managed several artists, but only Bai Zhanyan had managed to make a name for herself in the domestic circle. Since then, Zhao Meili had poured all her efforts into her, treating Lin Shuyan as an afterthought.

Fortunately, Lin Shuyan had endured these four years. After the Zhang Ming incident, Zhao Meili likely wouldn’t stir up trouble for a while. She would spend this month in peace. Regardless of whether another company signed her, Lin Shuyan would not stay at Xingyu.

“I remember you mentioned your contract expires in a month.” Ren Xuan pulled a card from her bag. “Are you interested in this?”

Lin Shuyan looked down.

On the card was a company name. Two large characters were particularly striking. It was…

Lin Shuyan’s heart screamed the name.