The Useless Stepmom Brings Her Kids to Reality TV Shows to Photograph Them

Chapter 242: You Look Beautiful When You Smile

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Luan Rongrong and Xie Wanyu had been roommates for only half a month, but she trusted Xie Wanyu.

“You know Wanyu, we are similar,” said Rongrong. “It’s the same for me. The column under “Father’s Name and Information” is empty.”

Xie Wanyu’s eyes widened in the dark. ‘Does she know about my past?’

“You were brought up by your grandma,” said Rongong. “I was brought up by my grandma too.”

Luan Rongrong sensed that Xie Wanyu was surprised. “Wanyu, we are both transfer students. It’s not hard for me to find out about you. We are so lucky to be roommates. When I was in Tongzhou, I always moved from one school to the next. I cried a lot about it because other students were always mean to me. Grandma used to say that they wanted to make me feel sad and wanted to see me cry. If I did, it would mean they won. So, I always tried to smile.”

Luan Rongrong sat up in her bed. When the teacher asked her to fill in her parent’s information in the form, she had accidentally seen Wanyu’s form. She had felt like Wanyu was just like her when she saw the empty column. She didn’t know if they had the same kind of life, but Rongrong got the feeling that Wanyu, too, didn’t have a happy childhood.

Xie Wanyu also sat up and turned on the small lamp on the bedside table.

“I haven’t seen my father since I was ten,” said Rongrong. She smiled bitterly. “My mother never told me much about him. She would only say that he was a good man and that he would come back someday. After that, she went to Nan Guang to work and left me with my grandma. My grandma would tell me the same thing. ”

Xie Wanyu felt connected to Luan Rongrong because her story was similar. Maybe that was why she wanted to open up. “My grandma would say the same. She told me my father was a good man. You are luckier than me, though. You still have a mother.”

Xie Wanyu wrapped herself tightly in the blanket. She trembled.

Luan Rongrong leaned over and held her hand. “Wanyu…”

Xie Wanyu had heard from the neighbor that her mother was a lawyer. However, she distorted the truth to win cases for money. Once, someone had attacked her mother, and her father had beaten up that person. He was arrested because of it.

Xie Wanyu was reluctant to tell Luan Rongrong everything. She kept it to herself. As time passed, Xie Wanyu felt that her parents were bad people.

“Go to sleep now…,” said Xie Wanyu softly.

“Wanyu, you have to smile more. You look beautiful when you smile. Grandma used to say that luck always follows girls who smile.”

“Alright,” said Wanyu. “Goodnight now.” Wanyu bit her lips under the blanket to stop herself from sobbing out loud.

It was the end of September. Yun City had entered late fall.

Li Zexuan got up early in the morning and put on a thick coat. He was eager and happy today. He would be going home!

In the afternoon, when the school bell rang, he carried his bag and hailed a taxi at the school gate.

At the Li family’s house, Auntie Huang had prepared a lot of dishes. Li Zexin and his friends had already arrived. Everyone was in the living room.

Preserved Egg took out a few books from his bag. Yesterday, he had let slip that he would be meeting Li Zexuan. So, several students, mostly girls, had given him their notebooks to ask Li Zexuan for an autograph.

In the past, many students begged Li Zexin to do this for them. But he firmly refused. However, sometimes, out of pity, he would bring a few books home to have them autozraphed bv Li Zexuan.

As time passed, Li Zexuan rejected them so brutally that no one dared ask him anymore.

When Li Zexuan passed by a stationery store, he bought a few test papers. He still had to keep up appearances. He had blatantly lied, after all.

In the living room, Lin Wan called Li Yanchen. He was still waiting for his flight. He told her he might reach home early the next morning.

A car drove into the courtyard. Li Zexuan finally arrived! He heard noises from inside the house. “What’s going on?” he muttered.

The door was unlocked, so he strode in. There were several people inside. They looked like middle school students.

They all turned around to look at Li Zexuan at the door.

“Big brother, you’re here!” Li Zexin was acting all upset before with the prospect of his brother’s visit, but now she rushed to him happily.

Li Zexuan looked at his younger brother with a questioning glance.

“These are my friends,” said Li Zexin. “That is Preserved Egg, Big Mouth, and Chubby Jiang. They are here to freeload on a meal again.”

“How can you call this “freeloading”?” said Big Mouth. ‘We already paid for the trouble!”

“What? They paid?” Li Zexuan wondered if his house had become a nursery to look after children.

“Young master, it’s time to eat. Please take a seat, ” said Auntie Huang.

“Li Zexin, tell me you aren’t exploiting Grandma Huang’s money to collect money to buy your own gadgets,” said Li Zexuan.

“He is quite good at business,” said Preserved Egg. “During the Mid-Autumn Festival, he brought some old and dusty books. He sold them at double the price!”

“Preserved Egg, look! Your favorite fried lemon chicken feet!” said Li Zexin. “Come and sit here.” He was scared his friend would expose his secret.

“What?!” Lin Wan and Li Zexuan asked at the same time.

“It’s nothing. I’m just a thrifty person,” Li Zexin said.

“Brother, please take a seat. We still have to attend the evening self-study after we finish eating here. We can’t be late for today’s exam review,” said Li Zexin hurriedly.

Everyone sat down at the dining table.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival Charity sale, Li Zexin had sold off all the things he had brought along. However, the total amount he had was only slightly more than 1000 yuan. He had taken some books from his father’s study to sell them.

He deliberately chose old and dusty books. The kind of books nobody would miss. He had marketed them as “Collector’s Edition” and sold them at a good price. Li Yanchen had not realized that he had fewer books than before in his study.

He had asked his friends what their mothers usually liked. It seemed they liked nice bags. Li Zexin had checked the price for the bags. T was at least a few thousand yuan. He was saving up his monthly pocket money of 2000 yuan, plus the money he had earned by selling his father’s books, to buy a bag.

Lin Wan’s birthday was coming, and he wanted to give her a nice bag.

After the meal, Preserved Egg and the others hovered around Li Zexuan, asking him for an autograph. Li Zexuan had no choice but to agree to their request. He had something to discuss with Lin Wan, and they weren’t leaving him alone.

After Li Zexin left with his friends, the house felt empty. Li Zexuan dragged Lin Wan to the garden to talk.

Lin Wan held a cup of goji berry tea in her hands. Li Zexuan fidgeted. He was sitting on a chair in the garden.

Lin Wan grew impatient. ‘What is it? If you aren’t going to tell me, I am leaving.”

Li Zexuan was still mulling over what to say. He saw that Lin Wan was really turning away.

“Ms. Lin, please don’t leave! I met someone in the past two days,” he blurted out.

“Oh?”

“A girl. She is in Year 2, like me. I even started a conversation with her. But she seemed so afraid. Do I look that scary?” He blurted everything out before he lost his nerve..