Yuan Ruo (GL) · Chat

Early autumn in Haicheng is still muggy. The cold air from the mall's central air conditioning mixes with the noisy breath of the crowd, making the tip of one's nose feel damp and stuffy. Today is your thirtieth day at Haicheng University. Your eighteen-year-old life has just crossed the threshold of a key university, but your life is devoid of any freshman lightheartedness or ease. With an ordinary family background and parents who rely on physical labor year-round to support the household expenses, you know the hardships of daily necessities all too well, and you want nothing more than to share the burden for your family early on. Although being reassigned to the veterinary medicine major was not your original wish, you remain dutiful and down-to-earth. Your routine is a simple loop of dormitory, classroom, and library. All of your spare time outside of class is spent working part-time to earn money. In your hand is a thick stack of flyers, their corners slightly crumpled by your fingertips. Passersby walk in a hurry. Most people, upon seeing a flyer handed to them, will only subconsciously wave their hands to avoid it, their eyes carrying a customary aloofness. You have long been used to such rejection. With your fingertips slightly raised, you still gently extend your hand to those passing by. Dull, repetitive, and unremarkable—this was supposed to be just another ordinary and tiring evening for you. Until an extremely gentle, low, and pleasant female voice softly fell in front of you. "No need to avoid it." You are slightly startled and subconsciously look up. Your gaze collides with an extremely beautiful pair of eyes. The woman looks to be only around thirty years old. Her posture is relaxed and upright, and her facial features are exquisitely beautiful, yet not at all showy or provocative. Instead, they carry a dignified gentleness refined by time. She is wearing a minimalist, plain-colored dress, her aura clean and noble. Standing in the noisy crowd of the mall, she seems isolated from the world, carrying her own calm and steady presence. It is a top-tier, breathtaking beauty that makes one dare not profane her at first glance. You haven't had time to withdraw your gaze or hand over the flyer in your hand, She leans down slightly, her eyes locking onto your face. Her lips part slightly, and her tone is certain, gentle, and filled with a lingering yearning that has spanned across vast stretches of time, clearly falling into your ears— "I found you, wife." You entire body instantly freezes on the spot. Your mind goes blank for half a second, and the flyers in your hand almost slip from your fingertips. ??? Wife? You are eighteen, single since birth, and have never even been in a relationship. Where on earth did a wife come from? Just as the sense of absurdity creeps into your heart, an even more mind-boggling scene follows. From behind the woman, three young women of different appearances but equally outstanding beauty slowly step out. They look about three or four years older than you, with distinct temperaments and their own unique charms. Yet, their eyes are all shining bright as they stare at you unblinkingly, speaking in perfect unison with sweet and earnest voices: "Mom." The air instantly falls dead silent. People come and go in the mall, as noisy as ever, but your world has been completely muted. Your pupils dilate in shock. You stand there stiffly, your cheeks instantly burning hot. First, it takes years off your life; second, it's practically killing you. Your throat feels dry. You take a panicked half-step back, completely at a loss, your tone filled with embarrassment and distress: "Don't... don't call me that... Please, I'm only eighteen this year. Big sisters, I really can't handle this. It's taking years off my life." Has the world gone mad? You just came out to do a part-time job, so how did you suddenly end up with a wife and three way-too-old daughters? Your ears turn red with embarrassment as you stare helplessly at the four strangers with heavenly looks in front of you. Meanwhile, the mother and three daughters opposite you look at each other as if no one else is around, exchanging hushed and rapid whispers. The long-haired woman with a poised and spirited aura frowns, her tone carrying a bit of panic: "Oh no, Mommy. Mom doesn't remember us at all. What do we do now?" Beside her, a slender woman with cool, steady eyes softly chimes in, her tone carrying an undetectable trace of disappointment: "Her memory hasn't recovered at all. Were we too rushed? Can we slowly awaken it?" The most petite and lively woman's eyes turn slightly red with anxiety, muttering in a fluster: "We're doomed, we're doomed. Mom must think we're weirdos! Will she hate us?" Their words are filled with genuine anxiety and apprehension. Only the gorgeous, dignified woman standing at the very front remains calm and collected. She looks up, her gaze exceedingly gentle. She lightly raises her hand to signal her three daughters to be quiet, single-handedly pressing down all the panic. She looks at you, who are completely stiff and have "absurd" written all over your face, and offers a gentle smile that easily breaks down your defenses. "Student." Her tone slows down, gentle and patient, as she slowly asks you: "Do you know how to cook?" Your brain is still lagging, and you nod blankly. You have been sensible and independent since childhood, so you know how to cook home-style meals. "That's wonderful." Yuan Ruo's eyes curve into a smile as she coaxes you gently: "Our house is short of a cook. Would you be willing to come to our home and help us cook a meal?" You instinctively shake your head. Your part-time shift isn't over yet, and going to a stranger's house for no reason is too strange. See you refusal, she remains unhurried and utters a sentence that is enough to pierce through all your embarrassment and shatter all your hesitation. "One thousand yuan. We will cover all the ingredients. You only need to cook one meal." You: "..." In an instant, the absurd wife, the strange daughters, and the bizarre family reunion are all temporarily thrown to the back of your mind. One thousand yuan. That is equivalent to what you earn from working hard at your part-time job for more than half a month. Poverty and reality ruthlessly defeat your reservation and doubts. You blink, looking at the gentle, beautiful, and extremely decent and harmless-looking woman in front of you. Quite shamelessly, yet very honestly, you nod your head. "...Okay."