Chapter 46 - Chapter 46 The Engagement

"Poor trash relatives" kept getting thrown in her face. Fang Xinxin was so angry her face twisted, but she could do nothing—Ruan Shuqing was clearly harder to deal with than Ruan Xingchen. She pinned all her hopes on Ruan Xingchen, wishing she'd grow a backbone and kick this girl out. Ruan Xingchen's heart sank. "Did Mr. Ruan say this?" A flash of guilt crossed Ruan Shuqing's eyes, but she'd come this far; there was no backing down. She lifted her chin haughtily. "Naturally!" Ruan Xingchen lowered her gaze, her hands at her sides tightening slightly. "I understand." "Good." Ruan Shuqing glanced at Fang Xinxin. "Be gone from here by tomorrow morning, both of you. If I still see you here when I come back, don't say I didn't warn you!" With that threat hanging in the air, Ruan Shuqing didn't linger. She hummed a cheerful tune and left. Silence fell over the apartment again. Fang Xinxin's eyes burned with hatred and rage. "Ruan Xingchen, how could you be so useless!" Ruan Xingchen looked at her expressionlessly. "If you're so capable, why don't you chase after her?" Fang Xinxin choked, gritted her teeth, and snapped unwillingly, "You're both Ruan daughters, but I've never seen one as cowardly as you. Getting chased out of your own home—you're just wasting air living." The memory of Ruan Shuqing's arrogant, peacock-like attitude made her fume. Ruan Xingchen saw no point in arguing with her and simply turned and went back to her bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her. Looking around the room she'd carefully decorated over the years, her throat tightened. The Ruan family had given her an empty apartment, nothing more. Every piece of furniture had been added little by little—some from Lu Xiaobai and Jiang Heng, others bought with money she'd earned from part-time jobs. Now the apartment was being taken back just like that. Where was she supposed to put all her things? She considered calling Ruan Jiancai to confirm, but she didn't even have his number. His assistant had always contacted her; she'd never reached out to the Ruan family on her own. And she wasn't about to start now. Fang Xinxin didn't have many belongings. By noon, Fang Rong and He Xiuzhen had come to help her move out. As the three stepped out the door, Ruan Xingchen emerged from her bedroom. He Xiuzhen spat on the floor, "Such bad luck. Just like her mother—totally worthless!" Ruan Xingchen froze and lifted her eyes to He Xiuzhen. He Xiuzhen flinched, but remembering Fang Xinxin was homeless with more than half a month left of summer break, she glared right back. "What are you looking at? Did I lie? Your mother was the same—climbed into a man's bed, and still ended up letting him marry someone else!" Ruan Xingchen frowned and walked slowly toward her. Fang Rong stepped in front of He Xiuzhen, snarling, "What do you think you're doing?" "Uncle." "Don't you dare call me that! Don't pretend we're related!" Ruan Xingchen ignored their sudden hostility and held out a piece of paper. "This is the property management and utility bill for the past month and a half. My share is already paid. Please settle the rest when you go downstairs." With that, she closed the door, shutting them out. Muffled curses drifted in from the hallway, crude and vicious. Calmly, Ruan Xingchen took out her phone and called property management. "Hello, this is resident 1103, Ruan Xingchen. There are some strangers yelling and swearing outside my door. Could you please handle it? Thank you." She paid them no more mind and headed into the bathroom. Lu Xiaobai was gone, Lu Jingyuan was away. Whatever happened, she had to fix it on her own. People grew up. She could learn to grow up too. She ate a quick lunch, then went downstairs to the supermarket and bought two empty cardboard boxes. Back home, she began packing. From a metal box under her bed, she took out her bank card and ID. She put the metal box, gifts from Lu Xiaobai, and other small items into one box—she could take it to Lu Jingyuan's 12th-floor apartment for temporary storage. Clothes, daily necessities, and her laptop went into a small rolling suitcase to take with her. By evening, Ruan Xingchen was dragging her pink suitcase downstairs. Someone waiting not far from the building saw her come out and immediately dialed a number. "Mr. Jiang, she's left the apartment… Yes, she has a rolling suitcase and a violin on her back." After leaving Wutong Apartments, her first priority was a temporary place to stay. She didn't feel safe in cheap motels, and she was used to this area and didn't want to move far. She checked into a nearby hotel, planning to find a proper rental soon. Unfortunately, no units were available in Wutong Apartments; otherwise she would have rented one herself. She spent one uncomfortable night in the hotel. Early the next morning, Ruan Xingchen headed out to hunt for an apartment. It was June, and the sun blazed overhead. She walked and stopped, asking nearly everywhere nearby, but for some reason, every place was fully rented. After dinner, she dragged herself back to the hotel, planning to look farther away the next day. The person following her in secret watched her enter the hotel, then called Jiang Heng. "Mr. Jiang, she's back at the hotel. As you arranged, she couldn't find any rentals." The man's gentle yet icy voice replied, "Understood." Hanging up, Jiang Heng drained his glass of red wine. Staring at the empty cup, he murmured, "I know you'd never accept help if I offered directly. So I have to force you to come to me. Don't blame me, Xingchen." She could afford the hotel for now, but it wasn't a long-term solution. Ruan Xingchen went out early every morning to look for housing, expanding her search area further each day. But it was as if she was cursed—everywhere was fully booked. The only place with vacancies had a landlord who stared back and forth between her and her ID, then asked, "Little girl, are you really an adult? We rent legally; I can't just rent to minors." No matter how she explained, he refused to rent to her. Night fell again. Ruan Xingchen stood dazedly on the busy street. If she could, she would have called Lu Xiaobai and asked what to do. But she was afraid Lu Xiaobai would worry and rush back without thinking. Ruan Xingchen wiped her eyes and was about to keep walking when a black sedan pulled up in front of her. Recognizing the person in the back seat, she hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and got in. Ten minutes later, they arrived at a Western restaurant. The woman sat down first, and Ruan Xingchen took the seat opposite. She ordered two hot drinks. Once they arrived, she took a small sip and looked up at the girl across from her. The girl had a delicate face, twin ponytails, and a frilly lace princess dress, making her look younger than she actually was. Her big dark eyes were pure and clear—clearly a girl with little experience and no scheming. As a daughter-in-law, she would have been acceptable. But as the future mistress of the Jiang family, someone this innocent simply wasn't suitable. The woman didn't beat around the bush. "You're not right for Aheng." Ruan Xingchen pressed her lips together and said nothing. She'd known what this was about the moment she saw Mrs. Jiang. She'd always known she wasn't right for Jiang Heng, never even thought she was. So the words didn't sting deeply—only a faint sadness lingered. "Aheng has an older brother. In noble families, brothers fighting for power is unavoidable. Marrying you would do him no good; you would only become a burden." Mrs. Jiang pulled a prepared check from her bag. "I heard the Ruan family has abandoned you, and you're looking for a place to stay." Ruan Xingchen stayed quiet, listening. "This is one million. It'll last you a long time. My condition: end your engagement to Aheng, return the engagement token, and never bother him again." Ruan Xingchen lifted her eyes, meeting Mrs. Jiang's gaze steadily, and spoke slowly and seriously. "I have never bothered him." She'd never chased Jiang Heng, never even contacted him first. Mrs. Jiang replied softly, "Does that matter?" Ruan Xingchen lowered her eyes and fell silent. They were from different worlds. She'd never liked him. The engagement had only been a childish promise between their families. Ending it would be simple. Her hand trembled slightly as she picked up the check. Swallowing the tightness in her throat, she whispered, "Okay." She'd kept the Jiang family's engagement token in the metal box all these years. Afraid she might back out, Mrs. Jiang drove her back to Wutong Apartments and waited downstairs while she retrieved it. Stepping into the elevator, Ruan Xingchen automatically pressed 11. Only when the doors opened did she realize she'd pressed the wrong floor. She paused, then stepped out. She pulled out her key and tried the lock, as expected—Ruan Shuqing had already had it changed. She went up to the 12th floor, took the token from the metal box, and didn't linger. She took the elevator back down. After handing over the token, Mrs. Jiang didn't leave right away. Her cold expression softened slightly, and she hesitated. "I arranged this termination on my own. As for Aheng…" Ruan Xingchen pressed her lips. "I understand, Mrs. Jiang." Satisfied, Mrs. Jiang nodded and drove away. Watching the black car disappear, Ruan Xingchen took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts to Jiang Heng's number.