High school, after-school time.

Zhong Rou opened the window, stretched out her hands, felt the rhythm of the rain, and smiled broadly.

Wenqing asked, "Rou Rou, are you very happy?"

“Yes!” Zhong Rou nodded. “My parents are gone, my biggest nemesis is gone, and I have become a bird that flies freely again.”

Just then, Zhong Rou's rival, Lu Rixing, who had confessed his feelings to Zhong Tingyue last time, and his two henchmen walked over. Seeing Zhong Rou recklessly getting soaked in the rain, Lu Rixing said to his two henchmen behind him, "See that? This is what happens when people only focus on physical exercise and don't pay attention to their intelligence. Their brains are fried. They're as happy as monkeys when it rains."

The two henchmen nodded to each other, agreeing with Lu Rixing.

Wenqing, standing beside him, had a faint smile on her face.

Zhong Rou, who was enjoying the downpour, suddenly turned around, her eyes fixed on the three people like the sun. She twisted her neck and cracked her knuckles, making a sound like bones clashing.

Seeing Zhong Rou charging towards the three of them like a tiger descending the mountain, Lu Rixing's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling: "What are you doing? Trying to hit someone? Don't forget what your mother said back then: if you bully me, I can tell your mother anytime."

When Gao Ruoyun came to the school, she heard about Zhong Rou's academic performance and knew how domineering and capable her daughter was. In front of everyone, she said that if Zhong Rou ever bullied a classmate, she could give her anytime and she would definitely help her get justice.

Because of Gao Ruoyun's words, Zhong Rou has been ridiculed by Lu Rixing a lot these days.

Upon seeing Zhong Rou today, Lu Rixing couldn't help himself and immediately began to belittle her. Zhong Rou smiled and said calmly, "I have good news for you. My parents have passed away."

Good news? Bad news!

Oh no!

In an instant, Lu Rixing felt as if the sky had fallen.

His biggest backer is gone.

Zhong Rou Niang, why didn't you say goodbye when you left!

The two henchmen beside her exchanged glances, and as Zhong Rou walked forward, they quietly took several steps back and left.

Zhong Rou said softly, "Don't worry, I'll go very lightly. I guarantee you'll avoid me for the next month."

Night fell, and evening self-study ended.

Wen Qing and Zhong Rou left the classroom, and Lu Rixing rushed in front of them, glaring angrily: "Zhong Rou, you unwanted tomboy, you wait for me, one day I will get my revenge."

After saying that, Lu Rixing scrambled his legs and fled the scene at the fastest speed he had ever run. After running more than a hundred meters, he suddenly realized that no one was chasing him. He turned around and saw Zhong Rou walking unhurriedly, seemingly not angry about it.

Just as Lu Rixing was about to continue his mockery, Zhong Rou took a large step forward. The former, like a startled rabbit, continued to run away, seemingly mocking her.

Watching that swiftly moving figure, Zhong Rou pouted: "Idiot!"

The downpour continued, and Wenqing and Zhong Rou walked home with their umbrellas. Halfway there, Zhong Rou dropped the umbrella, still feeling the raindrops on her body, and enjoyed the atmosphere of the heavy rain.

Wen Qing looked at Zhong Rou and smiled quietly.

... ...

The following day, after a day of torrential rain, the sky seemed to have been washed clean, a clear, azure blue.

When Chu Fang woke up, he looked at the rising sun in the east and felt quite happy.

These past few days, he had put a lot of thought into entertaining both sets of parents and maintaining a good image. Now that the elders had left, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt much more relaxed.

He lay in bed, admiring the scenery outside and feeling the changing winds and clouds.

Suddenly, I felt a bright gaze. When I turned around, I saw a face so exquisite it was almost perfect. Every inch of it exuded an indescribable charm. The forehead was full and smooth, and the two crescent-shaped eyebrows were delicate and beautiful. The eyes were as deep as the sea, filled with infinite tenderness.

"Mr. Chu, you must be very tired these past few days."

"Um."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help you."

Chu Fang tossed a strand of her hair and said, "I should be the one apologizing. My mother has caused you a lot of trouble."

Not only was Chu Fang tired, but Zhong Tingyue was in the same boat, even under more pressure, because she also had a hostile mother named Chu.

Actually, dealing with Chu's mother is quite tiring. She not only has to appear calm and collected, but also has to take into account Chu's mother's simple-minded thoughts.

This is not a good job.

The key to merging the two families into one lies in the role of Chu Fang and Zhong Tingyue as facilitators.

"Never mind, I won't say anything more."

The two chatted for a while, then got up together and opened the door to see Zhong Rou rubbing her eyes as she came out.

Compared to their previous shyness and attempts to hide their feelings from Zhong Rou, the two now appear much more open and confident.

Since their relationship was already established and they were a couple approved by their parents, there wasn't much privacy involved in sharing a room and bed.

"Brother-in-law, I want to eat stir-fried noodles." Zhong Rou's voice was soft and sweet, with a touch of childishness, not at all like the 'all-powerful heroine Zhong'.

"No problem," Chu Fang agreed.

The Central Plains region has a highly developed noodle-making culture, which has given rise to many different noodle dishes. "Stir-fried noodles" is one such dish, made with handmade noodles and topped with a stir-fried sauce. It is fragrant, delicious, and exceptionally tasty.

Chengdu is a major rice-producing region, and Chu Fang didn't particularly like noodles. However, after spending a lot of time with Zhong Tingyue, he discovered that noodles had a unique flavor, not only in terms of taste but also in the feeling of kneading the dough. The sense of accomplishment from kneading flour into dough and then making noodles brought him great joy.

Zhong Tingyue took Zhong Rou to the bathroom to wash up. The latter coughed a few times, and the former frowned slightly: "I told you, use an umbrella when it rains heavily, don't go home without an umbrella, or you'll catch a cold."

She knew her younger sister had a problem: she wouldn't use an umbrella during a downpour, and she would still get soaked. The family had told her countless times, but Zhong Rou hadn't changed.

"I don't have a cold, my body is in great shape. Believe me or not, I could do a hundred push-ups right now." Zhong Rou patted her chest. "Besides, when it's pouring rain, the umbrella is useless. You'll still get soaked. It's better to just let the rain fall."

Zhong Tingyue: "... ..., you have too many excuses."

"That's right! Hehe, just kidding."