No one understands a mother better than her own child. After learning that the girl next door had starved herself to the point of fainting, Jing Lan constantly worried about her. Whenever she was home, she would always prepare an extra portion of meals for the girl next door.
In her words, the girl was still just a child, struggling alone far from home. Meeting her was fate, and if she could lend a helping hand, she would.
Oh, and she had already “investigated” the girl’s background.
The girl’s name was Qiao Yu, and she was eighteen years old.
Her parents had died in a car accident when she was young, and she had been living with her grandmother ever since.
Her grandmother, already advanced in years, had suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and passed away a month ago.
To avoid burdening her uncle, the now-helpless Qiao Yu moved out of her grandmother’s house. With the small savings her grandmother had left her, she traveled far from home and arrived in their city.
She suffered from social anxiety, so she took on freelance illustration work online, barely managing to support herself.
While the sentimental Jing Lan sighed over Qiao Yu’s unfortunate circumstances, Gu Chenshi remained somewhat skeptical.
He recalled Qiao Yu’s suspicious and wary demeanor during their first meeting, which made her seem more like a down-on-her-luck heiress hiding from pursuers rather than an orphan.
That said, whether she was a helpless orphan or a fallen heiress, one thing was undeniable: she was truly a beauty, one in ten thousand.
Living right next door, with such a convenient opportunity, Gu Chenshi should have been excited.
However, due to his tragic experience as a “simp” in his past life, he had developed a psychological shadow. Whenever he saw a beautiful girl, he would instinctively feel wary and resistant. That was why he hadn’t been blinded by Qiao Yu’s stunning beauty and had maintained enough rationality to analyze the possibilities surrounding her.
Still, he kept these thoughts to himself. He didn’t dare voice them out loud, or Jing Lan would scold him for lacking empathy.
He tactfully reminded her, “Mom, don’t be so quick to pour your heart out to her. Don’t forget, she lied to you.”
Jing Lan waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, how can you call that lying? It was my own fault for not realizing she was a girl. She didn’t correct me because she didn’t want to embarrass me. It’s not her fault, not her fault at all.”
Gu Chenshi countered, “But she’s clearly eighteen, yet she told you she was twenty. That’s an undeniable fact, right? I was there too. Isn’t that lying?”
Jing Lan replied, “Oh, that? What’s the big deal? She apologized to me afterward. She just wanted to appear more mature, so she deliberately added two years to her age. Some people with wrinkles all over their faces still insist on being called ‘big sister.’ It’s the same thing, the same thing.”
Gu Chenshi rolled his eyes dramatically. “Mom, don’t get mad at me for saying this, but someone like you wouldn’t survive a single episode in a palace drama—no, not even one episode. You’d probably get your character killed off within a minute, completely clueless.”
Jing Lan laughed and swatted him playfully. “You brat, are you implying your mom is foolish? I’m your mother, and your intelligence comes from me. If I’m a big fool, then you’re a little fool.”
Gu Chenshi retorted, “Who says I have to take after you? Maybe I take after Dad.”
As the mother and son were bickering, someone knocked on the door.
Qiao Yu stood awkwardly outside.
Gu Chenshi hadn’t had time to wipe the smile off his face, so when he looked at her, his eyes still held a hint of amusement.
Qiao Yu glanced at him uneasily and asked softly, “Excuse me, is Auntie home?”
Gu Chenshi turned his head and said, “Mom, it’s for you.”
Jing Lan warmly invited Qiao Yu inside.
Qiao Yu shyly handed the shopping bag in her hand to Jing Lan. “Auntie, this is a sweater I bought for you. See if it fits.”
Jing Lan was taken aback. “A sweater for me? Oh, you silly child, life away from home is already tough enough. How could you spend money so carelessly?”
Qiao Yu smiled bashfully. “It didn’t cost much, Auntie. Please just accept it.”
“No, no, how can I do that? How could I possibly take something from you?” Jing Lan refused outright. “How about this—how much did you spend? I’ll give you the money. That should be fine, right? You’re still young, and there will be plenty of places to spend money in the future. Don’t waste it.”
Qiao Yu shook her head, unwilling.
Watching them push the gift back and forth, Gu Chenshi couldn’t take it anymore. “Mom, it’s just a sweater. Just accept it.”
Gu Chenshi felt that if Jing Lan kept refusing, Qiao Yu might burst into tears.
Qiao Yu gave Gu Chenshi a grateful look.
Seeing no other way, Jing Lan finally accepted it. “This sweater looks nice. Child, you must have spent quite a bit on it, right?”
Qiao Yu shook her head. “Not much, just… just over a hundred…”
Jing Lan sighed. “Child, you’re about the same age as my son. I genuinely see you as a child, which is why I treat you well. I treat everyone like that, so please don’t feel burdened.”
Qiao Yu said softly, “Auntie, I bought you clothes because I find you especially kind. I don’t have any other intentions…”
Jing Lan laughed heartily. “You find me kind, and I find you kind too. Seeing you feels like seeing my own daughter. Ah, what a pity—I always hoped for a daughter back then, but I ended up with a stinky boy!”
Gu Chenshi pretended to be displeased. “Mom, what’s wrong with a stinky boy? A stinky boy can be just as caring.”
Qiao Yu bid farewell. “Auntie, I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll head back now.”
After successfully giving away the sweater, she seemed subtly pleased, her steps noticeably lighter.
Jing Lan sighed with emotion. “I never thought that even though I don’t have a daughter of my own, I could receive a gift from someone else’s daughter. It feels truly wonderful.”
Gu Chenshi remained silent, thinking of his absurd past life and feeling deeply ashamed.
“Mom, once I can earn money in the future, I’ll definitely make sure you and Dad live a good life.”
Jing Lan smiled. “Your dad and I will have pensions later on. We don’t need you to worry about us. You just need to live your own little life well in the future.”
This only made Gu Chenshi feel even more worthless.
Jing Lan took out the sweater Qiao Yu had bought and tried it on. Surprisingly, Qiao Yu had chosen quite well—the size was just right.
“This sweater is so soft and comfortable to wear. The quality for over a hundred yuan is really good. It was worth buying. I never realized that child had such good taste.”
Jing Lan admired herself in the mirror, sincerely praising it.
Meanwhile, Gu Chenshi thought of the pink scarf he had retrieved from the trash can.
He couldn’t explain what mindset he had when he picked up that pink scarf.
Perhaps he felt that even if Lin Ranran didn’t like it, it was something he had painstakingly knitted stitch by stitch, investing a great deal of time and effort. Others might disdain it, but he couldn’t bring himself to.
Gu Chenshi mocked himself, thinking that perhaps the real reason he had picked up the pink scarf was that subconsciously, he wanted it to constantly remind him not to be a mindless simp anymore in the future…
Provided by the great author, Irritable Little Pumpkin: “School Belle, Don’t Cry, My Devotion Isn’t Worthy of You.”