As Wen Ying looked at him, Wen Dongrong cleared his throat.
“Xiao Ying, you did really well on this entrance exam. I’m proud of you—not just because you scored 578, but because you pushed through illness to take the exam and achieved this result. It’s a testament to your willpower overcoming adversity! When you enter the provincial key school, you’ll face even more challenges. I hope you can tackle them like you did this exam—working hard to win, overcoming obstacles, and securing a bright future for yourself!”
Ha, this was the father Wen Ying knew so well.
Wen Dongrong wasn’t entirely wrong. Scoring 148 in English was indeed a triumph of willpower over “illness”… At 31, having fended for herself in the world for years, Wen Ying’s resolve was naturally stronger than that of a teenage girl.
It wasn’t surprising that 31-year-old Wen Ying could do it. That 16-year-old Wen Ying couldn’t wasn’t something to judge too harshly—she lacked those 15 years of life’s tempering, after all.
Familiar lines, familiar dad. Wen Ying smiled.
“Dad, I understand.”
Chen Li and Deng Shangwei stayed quiet. Chen Ru coughed once. “Your dad’s right. You did well this time, but don’t get cocky over one exam. 578 is enough to get into a key school, but compared to the city students in Rongcheng, it’s nothing special. Once you’re there, you’ll see it’s a place full of hidden talents!”
Chen Ru paused, eyeing Wen Ying’s new clothes and her unusually neat, smooth hair. She frowned.
“When you’re at the key school, focus on studying. Don’t copy others with all that comparing and dressing up. For a student, the most important thing is learning—that’s all you should compete in. The more time you spend on your appearance, the less you have for studying. Did you hear me?”
Wen Ying glanced down at her outfit.
A lotus-pink short-sleeve top with a subtle waistline, paired with faded, slim-fit jeans and white canvas shoes.
On the streets of Rongcheng, this was standard—nothing flashy, just well-cut and quality fabric. Wen Ying didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, but it clearly clashed with the style Chen Ru usually bought for her.
So, since she didn’t flop the entrance exam, her mom found a new angle to nitpick?
Wen Ying knew she could play along if she wanted—nod to Chen Ru’s tune and be the obedient daughter. After years of navigating the world, she’d mastered saying what people wanted to hear.
She could even hide her own tastes, wearing those oversized, shapeless, design-less tees during Chen Ru’s visit, reverting to the genderless “Wen Ying” of old.
Like her teenage years—no celebrity posters, no vanity, a room so plain it was suffocating.
The stifling feeling hit her full force.
Wen Ying fell silent.
“Big Sis, Xiao Ying isn’t—” Chen Li started, only to be cut off by Chen Ru. “If I don’t set her straight, she’ll be in Rongcheng for three years of high school with me and her dad unable to watch her 24/7. What if she goes astray? Look at her—every time I painstakingly teach her, she just clams up. I’m her mother—would I ever harm her?”
Chen Li was stunned.
Watch Wen Ying 24/7 for what?
She wasn’t a toddler or a prisoner needing that level of supervision…
Wen Ying suddenly looked up. “I said something—would you and Dad even listen?”
Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru both turned to stare at her.
Chen Ru’s face was one of shock.
After a beat, that shock morphed into anger.
“See? I told you—she’s even talking back now! Does she think scoring well this time means she can do whatever she wants?”
Deng Yaomei peeked from the kitchen doorway.
Wen Ying’s mom was so fierce!
Why wasn’t she satisfied when Wen Ying had done so well?
Deng Shangwei frowned tightly. “Sis, drop it. Today was supposed to be a happy celebration. Don’t hold it against Xiao Ying over this—why bicker with a kid… Xiao Ying?”
He shot Wen Ying desperate signals.
—Use that charm you worked on Fang Jie’s staff with and smooth things over with your mom!
Wen Ying didn’t take Deng Shangwei’s cue.
She realised escaping wouldn’t work.
Looking calmly at the fuming Chen Ru, she asked seriously, “Mom, didn’t you tell me to speak up if I had something to say? I just want to know—if I have a different opinion and voice it, will you and Dad listen?”
She couldn’t avoid it, so she’d try communicating.
It might not work… but at least she’d have tried.
You couldn’t swap out biological parents—severing ties via newspaper wasn’t legally recognised.
Parents had a duty to raise minors; kids had a duty to care for aging parents. Blood ties couldn’t be cut.
To Chen Ru, Wen Ying’s calm was defiance.
Being “contradicted” by her daughter in front of Chen Li, Deng Shangwei, and the nanny turned Chen Ru’s neck red with fury.
“Your wings have hardened, huh? You—”
Wen Dongrong gripped his wife’s trembling hand. “How dare you talk to your mom like that? Apologise to her now!”
Wen Ying wiped her mouth with a tissue and stood.
“Sorry, I don’t have much appetite. I’m going to prep for afternoon tutoring. Enjoy your meal.”
She’d expected this, so the disappointment wasn’t deep.
Just a pity about the table of good food—Deng Yaomei’s efforts wasted.
Wen Ying got up quickly, grabbed her books from her room, slung her backpack on, and left.
Neither Wen Dongrong nor Chen Ru had anticipated this.
Chen Li stood to chase after her.
Deng Shangwei was utterly dejected.
Lunch was meant to celebrate Wen Ying—how did it turn into this?
“Sis, Brother-in-law, don’t be too mad. I’ll go downstairs and check on her. I’ll… talk to Xiao Ying properly.”
He’d almost said “teach Wen Ying a lesson” but couldn’t bring himself to. Watching from start to finish, he couldn’t pinpoint where Wen Ying had gone wrong.
In Chen Li’s living room, only Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong remained.
Deng Yaomei hid in the kitchen, not daring to make a sound.
She wanted to rush out and comfort Wen Ying, but instinct told her that doing so now would only enrage Wen Ying’s parents more. Whenever Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong visited, Deng Yaomei stayed off the dining table—she was just a hired nanny with no place meddling in family matters.
Chen Ru’s face flushed red, her chest heaving as a torrent of complaints poured out.
“Look at her—I only said a couple of things, and she reacts like this, storming off mid-meal. Who’s she showing that attitude to?”
“I thought she’d matured, but it was all an act! Barely a few days in Rongcheng, and she’s talking back. Can we even control this kid anymore?”
“And her aunt and uncle spoil her too much. She thinks her own parents are out to ruin her. Look at what she’s wearing—gaudy and frivolous, not a shred of a female student’s simplicity!”
The more Chen Ru spoke, the angrier she got.
Her child changing so drastically couldn’t be her or her husband’s fault.
It had to be Chen Li and Deng Shangwei’s coddling—no other explanation.
Wait—Wen Ying suddenly caring about her appearance… could it be early romance?!
The thought hit Chen Ru like a revelation. “…No wonder.”
