Shocking! The Broke Campus Heartthrob Is My Child’s Father - Chapter 80

Lu Yicheng rarely fretted like this.

At last, his persistent nagging convinced Jiang Ruoqiao to leave. He felt that staying up late wasn’t suitable for her, and especially at this hour… it would be better if he waited in line for the appointment himself.

Jiang Ruoqiao walked out of the hospital and instinctively glanced up at the sky.

The Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, and the moon remained perfectly round. She thought about Lu Yicheng waiting in the hospital lobby—it surprised her that, though they hadn’t known each other long, every moment of reassurance in recent days had come from him. Her grandparents had two daughters: her mother and her aunt. Her aunt had a happy marriage and family. After her father’s accidental death, she was brought to her grandparents by her mother, who later remarried and moved away. Her grandparents cherished her, worried she wouldn’t have a permanent home, so they had already discussed with her aunt and uncle that the house under their names would be left to her.

Her aunt also felt sorry for her and had no objections to this arrangement.

According to the customs in Xi City, whoever inherits the property must take responsibility for caring for the elderly in their later years.

For Jiang Ruoqiao, even without the house, she would still take care of her grandparents.

Her aunt had her own family—she had to run the supermarket with her husband and take care of their two children. Jiang Ruoqiao knew her aunt was willing but unable, so after speaking with her on the phone, she said in a relaxed and optimistic tone that she had few courses in her junior year and would take full charge of her grandparents care.

Her aunt sobbed on the phone, repeatedly saying thank you.

Jiang Ruoqiao felt unworthy of this gratitude. She was a cold-hearted person, but she knew that without her grandparents, her past life wouldn’t have been so peaceful.

She could be indifferent to everyone else, but never to her grandparents.

If Lu Yicheng weren’t there, she believed she would still handle these matters well—she would gather herself, take her grandmother to see doctors. She trusted herself. But she had to admit that because of him, because of what he called insignificant help, she truly experienced what it was to take a breath of relief.

Leaving the hospital, Jiang Ruoqiao intended to go to the subway station but paused in front of a fruit store.

Remembering something, she smiled slightly and entered. She bought oranges and bananas. The fruit store also sold snacks, so she purchased refreshing mint lozenges, bread, and vacuum-packed braised eggs. After buying these items, she returned to the hospital carrying the bag.

She stood in the lobby, watching Lu Yicheng.

He was conspicuous—looking across the row, he was the tallest.

He was looking down, focused on something unknown.

Jiang Ruoqiao guessed he was probably checking his phone, perhaps logging his daily vocabulary practice.

He had a slender build, but it seemed that at crucial moments, he could unleash boundless strength—like a poplar, like a pine, resilient.

Strangely, before she approached, he sensed her presence and turned his head. Their eyes met as she walked toward him, teasing, “I thought you wouldn’t notice me until I was right in front of you.”

Lu Yicheng laughed.

He also found it strange, very strange. It was almost magical. Because now he seemed to have acquired a skill—he knew it was her before she got close.

Was it her footsteps? Or that indescribable faint fragrance… anyway, it was mysterious, perplexing.

“Why are you back?” Lu Yicheng paused. “You don’t know that registration is an art—I have experience, so it’s better that I wait in line.”

He was afraid she might change her mind again and insist on waiting herself, not troubling him.

Jiang Ruoqiao shook her head, her eyes smiling, “I suddenly realized your equipment isn’t complete, so I brought you some supplies.”

Lu Yicheng: “?”

Jiang Ruoqiao handed him the bag, which he took. There were quite a few things inside.

Including a U-shaped travel pillow…

Jiang Ruoqiao took it out and hung it around her neck to demonstrate, “Like this, you can rest against it if you get tired.”

After demonstrating, Jiang Ruoqiao realized she might look a bit silly.

How could he not know how to use a travel pillow?! These things were everywhere! And it’s so simple that even someone who’d never seen one before would know how to use it!

Lu Yicheng watched her serious demonstration with amusement in his eyes. He found her earnestness… somewhat adorable. Siyan’s expressions at times strongly resembled hers.

Jiang Ruoqiao awkwardly removed the pillow and handed it to him, “Anyway, that’s how you use it. It’s a gift for you.”

She had spent some time selecting it, thinking the deep blue striped one suited him.

“Thank you,” Lu Yicheng accepted it and immediately hung it around his neck.

Looking into the bag, he was surprised.

There were oranges and bananas, snacks including bread, braised eggs, and mint lozenges, and even a can of instant coffee and mint sparkling water.

Jiang Ruoqiao said uncomfortably, “This brand of instant coffee is passable. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. The sparkling water should suit men’s tastes.”

Lu Yicheng could barely hold back his smile. “Thank you, I like them very much.”

There were just too many items, and he didn’t actually have a habit of eating late-night snacks.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Ruoqiao said, “When I was ten, my grandparents took me traveling on a hard-seat train. They bought me lots of snacks… I didn’t expect to still see this brand of braised eggs. From my memory, they taste good.”

Perhaps the current situation had touched something in her.

She was actually telling him this kind of thing—something precious to her but probably trivial to the listener.

Lu Yicheng nodded, “I know this brand of braised eggs and have eaten them before. During middle school, I had poor appetite for a while. My grandmother thought I liked these things and would buy them specially to put in my noodles. Though honestly, the ones she made herself were much better than these…”

At this point, he realized he had said something wrong and quickly looked up at her, explaining, “That’s not what I meant. Don’t worry, I’ll eat these braised eggs. They’re quite good actually. I’m not saying these braised eggs taste bad.”

He was almost incoherent.

Jiang Ruoqiao smiled gently, “Hey, why are you so nervous? Do I look like someone who would get angry over something so trivial?”

Lu Yicheng remained silent.

Jiang Ruoqiao sighed helplessly, “That kid Siyan has really ruined my reputation~”

Lu Yicheng laughed, “Not really.”

It was just that he was rather nervous himself.

He continued, “My grandmother always said she was uneducated and didn’t know how to raise me. From the time I could remember, she encouraged me to read more books. She said since my parents weren’t around, no one could teach me how to behave, so I needed to read more books than others. She said the principles in books were figured out by very capable people, and that I should consider those knowledgeable people in books as my teachers, my parents.”

Jiang Ruoqiao strongly agreed with this view, “I think your grandmother was brilliant.”

It was probably because of this elderly woman’s guidance that Lu Yicheng became such a person.

Their conversation wasn’t actually very deep.

Genuine conversation is like knocking on a door—waiting for the owner to open it before entering, exchanging pleasantries before engaging in earnest conversation. Lu Yicheng now stood at Jiang Ruoqiao’s door. He didn’t dare knock, only waited outside, waiting for her to open it someday. He didn’t dare disturb or bother her easily.

What Jiang Ruoqiao didn’t know was that she had already been invited in by Lu Yicheng.

Lu Siyan was still waiting for Jiang Ruoqiao at home. Finding no time to delay, Jiang Ruoqiao went to Lu Yicheng’s rented apartment as quickly as possible to pick up Lu Siyan.

When Jiang Ruoqiao brought Lu Siyan back to the guesthouse, her grandparents were sitting on the sofa watching a TV drama. The elderly couple was surprised to see their granddaughter return with Siyan. “Who’s this?”

Lu Siyan didn’t consider himself an outsider.

This was his mother, these were his mother’s grandparents, so he was returning to his own home.

Jiang Ruoqiao said, “Lu Yicheng had something to do, so he asked me to look after Siyan for the night.”

Her grandparents responded, “Oh?”

Had their granddaughter and the young man become that close? Close enough to babysit his child? This was quite something!

Jiang Ruoqiao avoided her grandparents’ curious examining gaze and gave Lu Siyan some instructions before going to the bathroom.

At first, her grandparents were surprised and curious, but once they saw Lu Siyan, their hearts melted. It was strange—seeing this child made their hearts warm! That night, Lu Siyan slept with Jiang Ruoqiao, and the kindergarten student Lu Siyan had to go to school the next day…

That night, perhaps due to confused thoughts, Jiang Ruoqiao had another dream.

In the dream, she was again an observer. Something had happened, and “she” had lost her chance for postgraduate recommendation. But “she” was determined and decided to work while preparing for graduate exams. Her grandmother had missed the best treatment opportunity, and by the time they discovered it, the situation was already critical. “She” brought her grandmother to Beijing for medical treatment, and just as “she” was reaching exhaustion, “her” social media account was hacked. Overnight, all kinds of rumors came pouring in.

Some said “she” specifically dated rich second-generation men to leech off them, and because of vanity, heartlessly dumped a boyfriend who was deeply in love with her.

Some said the reason “she” looked glamorous during college was because she had unspeakable deals with certain people.

Some said “she” didn’t deserve the title of A University’s campus belle—shiny on the outside but rotten inside.

Things “she” had never done were described vividly by others, as if “she” had actually done them.

Things “she” had done were exaggerated with embellishments.

In short, someone was determined to smear “her,” to demonize “her.”

And this person was quite capable, somehow managing to get “her” account banned from the platform. The platform’s response was that the account had been reported multiple times, and the successful reason for the reports was bewildering. “She” knew someone wanted to target her.

“She” was helpless, soul-weary. At this point, “she” realized that what she thought was her career was actually fragile.

From her perspective, “her” grandmother had also heard people gossiping about her granddaughter while in the hospital, using very unpleasant words. The grandmother was physically and mentally tired but didn’t want to worry “her,” so she pretended not to know anything, enduring both the torment of illness and anxiety, deeply concerned for her granddaughter. The elderly woman even clumsily and secretly went online to argue with those who were smearing her granddaughter. After typing some words, she was mocked: “Elementary school student, right? Too many spelling errors. You can’t even recognize all the characters but came to be a troll. How much money did that gold digger give you?” The elderly woman was so angry her chest hurt.

The scene changed. In the year “she” turned twenty-three, her grandmother died despite emergency treatment.

“She” wailed in the mourning hall, while in the memorial photo, her grandmother was smiling at “her,” as kind as ever, as if saying: Qiaoqiao, don’t cry.

When Jiang Ruoqiao woke up, her expression was numb.

She wanted to cry, but it was as if someone was gripping her throat, preventing her from crying. Yet what was stuck in her throat was bitter lump after bitter lump.

She calmly and numbly got up to wash, then helped Lu Siyan wash up. After having breakfast with him and her grandparents, she smiled and said goodbye to her grandparents, holding his hand as they left the community to reach the school bus stop. After Siyan boarded the bus, she sat down nearby, her eyes vacant.

She thought of everything, and also thought of nothing.

Midway, she received a call from Lu Yicheng. His voice on the phone was cheerful, “I got the registration number! Professor Huang has appointments this afternoon. I’ll bring the number to you now!”

Jiang Ruoqiao forced a smile, “Mm, thank you.”

They agreed to meet at the entrance. Jiang Ruoqiao got up and walked out. Someone on an electric scooter honked the horn, but Jiang Ruoqiao, unusually slow to react while absorbed in her emotions, didn’t hear it—or perhaps she heard it but her body couldn’t react in time. She was brushed by the scooter and fell. The scooter owner complained a bit. Jiang Ruoqiao’s eyes were vacant but gradually became clear as she said to the rider, “It’s fine, go about your business. It was my carelessness.”

Seeing her so reasonable, the scooter owner instead felt a bit embarrassed, “Well… I’ll go then. I live in this community. If there’s any issue, you can find me. I live in Building 12.”

Sometimes it’s like this—if you encounter someone argumentative, everyone will have a bad time. But meeting someone reasonable makes you feel you should be kind too.

Jiang Ruoqiao: “Mm.”

After the scooter owner left, Jiang Ruoqiao didn’t stand up immediately. She looked down at her knee. Both her knee and palms were scraped. She pressed her knee.

The pain traveled through her body. It was as if she only now felt something, and tears fell drop by drop.

Lu Yicheng, not finding her at the entrance, entered the community and saw her sitting by the flower bed from a distance, seemingly crying.

As he approached, he noticed her injured knee.

She was indeed crying.

During their time together, he had seen many of her expressions—frowning, annoyed, happy, pretending to be happy—but never had he seen her shed tears.

For some reason, he felt she wasn’t crying because she fell and scraped her knee, but rather, she had finally found such a reason to cry.

He understood her well. Although he didn’t know what had happened to her, he had experienced something similar when he was very young. Despite others saying he had no parents and was an orphan, he didn’t cry. It wasn’t until he returned home and fell on the stairs that he finally cried.

But he wasn’t crying because the fall hurt.

He looked at her and walked over, sitting down beside her. When Jiang Ruoqiao cried, she didn’t make a sound. She just cried silently.

But to Lu Yicheng, her silence was also deafening.

He reached out his hand, hesitated for a few seconds, then firmly and gently patted her shoulder.