Chapter 8: The Disappearing Spider Web
After dinner, Yu Xin returned to her room. There wasn’t much homework today, but she planned to review what she had learned and preview the upcoming lessons.
Back when she was in that other household, there had always been endless chores to do. She could only snatch bits of time to study while at school, and over time she developed the habit of preparing lessons in advance.
After organizing her notes, she noticed the fountain pen’s packaging bag on her desk and took the pen out.
The barrel was a vibrant teal color, looking fresh and clean. When Yu Xin tested the pen, simply holding it made her feel that her scarred fingers didn’t suit it.
But Jiang Chuchu had said, “If you like it, then it suits you.”
Still, she thought her handwriting was too ugly to be worthy of such a nice pen.
Gu Qinghuan had told her, “When your handwriting becomes beautiful, you can say it was this pen that helped you practice — if it were mine, I’d be proud of it.”
Gu Qinghuan had said it seriously, “It’ll accompany you as you improve.”
In the end, Yu Xin decided to use it.
A knock came at the door, and a servant’s voice sounded from outside, “Miss, the master and madam are back. They want you to come down to see them.”
It was the first time Yu Xin had ever been called “Miss.” Normally, the servants just addressed her as “you.”
She put down the pen, walked out of the room, and went downstairs to the living room to meet her parents.
The two of them were already sitting on the sofa. When Yu Xin came down, their assessing gazes fell upon her.
“Xiao Xin, did you come back today in a classmate’s car?”
Yu Wenli kept his expression neutral as he looked her over. He knew this daughter who had been brought back was in the same class as the Jiang family’s beloved jewel, but he hadn’t expected her to have the ability to ride in the same car.
Yu Xin’s throat felt a bit dry. She took a quiet breath and said, “Yes, it was my classmate who sits in front of me. Her name is Jiang Chuchu.”
Cui Wanning, remembering the butler mentioning Yu Xin had come back carrying a bag, feigned casualness as she asked, “Did you go shopping with her?”
Yu Xin nodded, “Mm. She didn’t like my handwriting and told me to practice more, so I asked her to take me to pick out a fountain pen and teach me calligraphy.”
Yu Wenli frowned slightly, displeased that Jiang Chuchu’s attention to Yu Xin came only because of her ugly handwriting.
Forget it — he’d long known this daughter had no qualities to show off. If Jiang Chuchu truly admired something about her, that would be abnormal.
Cui Wanning shot her husband a look, warning him not to get angry. That’s the Jiang family’s young lady — if there’s a chance to form a connection, it should be taken.
She glanced at Yu Xin, who stood timidly, and felt a pang of regret. Why did it have to be this daughter who caught Jiang Chuchu’s eye? With this useless demeanor, she’s nothing compared to Yuanyuan — truly headache-inducing.
She softened her voice as much as she could, “Since Miss Jiang is willing to teach you, you must study hard.”
“Mm.” Yu Xin nodded obediently.
Yu Wenli’s gaze fell on Yu Xin’s bare wrist, recalling the watch he had exchanged for his younger daughter, Yu Yuan. He added, “I’ll put some money on your card later. If you need anything, buy it yourself — don’t lose face in front of others.”
“I understand,” Yu Xin replied.
Waving her off, Yu Wenli dismissed her.
Back in her room, Yu Xin had barely sat down when she received a bank text notification — the transfer had already arrived. Fifty thousand yuan. Balance: 50,277.43 yuan.
When she had first been brought home, Yu Wenli had given her a bank card, saying her allowance would be deposited there. She’d never had her own card before and didn’t know how to use it. Her older brother Yu Jinxin had offered to “teach” her — but instead of going to the bank, he had taken her and Yu Yuan shopping.
That day, every expense had been charged to her card. All she had actually received for herself was a backpack that came as a free gift when buying a suitcase for Yu Yuan.
The original 100,000 yuan in the card had dwindled to only a few hundred.
Later, she went to the bank herself. The manager there was friendly and taught her how to change the password, withdraw money, and even suggested linking the card to an online payment account to shop online.
With the few hundred yuan left, she bought all the stationery she needed for school, ending with less than 300 yuan remaining.
Now, in under ten minutes, she suddenly had fifty thousand more.
Yu Xin held her phone, unsure how to feel, when a message popped up:
Gu Qinghuan: [Picture]
Gu Qinghuan: Look! My dinner!
Gu Qinghuan: This fried rice place is so good! But the owner’s son isn’t great at cooking — luckily, today the owner made it himself
Gu Qinghuan: Next time, my treat.
Suddenly energized, Yu Xin took a screenshot of her bank notification and sent it to Gu Qinghuan.
Yu Xin: [Picture]
Yu Xin: I’ll treat you! I have money now!
Right after sending it, she felt uneasy. Would this seem too boastful? After all, this wasn’t money she earned herself — it was thanks to Jiang Chuchu’s influence…
Gu Qinghuan’s reply broke her thoughts:
Gu Qinghuan: [Thumbs up emoji]
Gu Qinghuan: Then I want the deluxe beef-and-ham gravy fried rice! And a glass of sour plum juice!
Gu Qinghuan: Quick, show Jiang Chuchu how rich you are — next time, you get to swipe the card before she does!
With a soft plop, Yu Xin realized she was crying.
Biting her lower lip, stifling her sobs, she sent the screenshot to Jiang Chuchu as well.
When Jiang Chuchu had offered to teach her calligraphy, she had also added her on WeChat.
Yu Xin: My family gave me money. Thank you.
Jiang Chuchu: Why thank me?
Jiang Chuchu: The Yu family is so stingy! Only fifty thousand?
Jiang Chuchu: Don’t rush to pay back the pen money. Fifty thousand is nothing.
Jiang Chuchu: Let me know when they give you two hundred thousand instead.
Yu Xin wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. All those years of grievances — like a spider web wrapped around her, suffocating her — suddenly seemed to vanish.
Meanwhile, at the Jiang villa, Jiang Chuchu lay on her bed, staring at Yu Xin’s screenshot. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She jumped up, barefoot, and ran straight to the study.
Her father, Jiang Youwei, was in there reading documents. Seeing her come in barefoot, he quickly called for someone to bring her slippers, “My little ancestor, why are you running in here like this!”
Squatting in front of a cabinet, Jiang Chuchu began rummaging without looking back, “I’m looking for a copybook. The one Grandma gave me for calligraphy practice — do we still have it?”
“We should,” Jiang Youwei recalled, then urged her when the slippers arrived, “Put these on first, don’t catch a cold.”
She stood and slipped them on, letting Aunt Wu take over the search.
“I remember seeing it when we were sunning the books,” Aunt Wu said. “I’ll find it in a moment.”
Jiang Chuchu, now idle, sat in the rocking chair.
“Why do you need the copybook?” Jiang Youwei asked.
“To lend to a classmate,” Jiang Chuchu said. “The girl who sits behind me has ugly handwriting. I promised to teach her.”
Jiang Youwei was about to wonder if this classmate was trying to get close because of the Jiang family, when she asked, “Dad, do you know the Yu family?”
“Your seatmate is from the Yu family?” Jiang Youwei thought for a moment. Among the Yu brothers of this generation, he had only had brief dealings with the eldest, Yu Wenli; he didn’t know the others well.
“Qin Yue said she is,” Jiang Chuchu said, blinking. “Her name is Yu Xin. Dad, help me check her out, okay?”
This surprised Jiang Youwei — his little ancestor was actually taking the initiative to learn about someone else.
He noted Yu Xin’s name and readily agreed, “I’ll check for you tomorrow.”
Satisfied, Jiang Chuchu felt her irritation fade somewhat.
Yu Xin’s screenshot hadn’t been cropped — she had seen the previous three transactions. Over more than two months, there had only been three purchases:
From 362.57 yuan → 337.72 → 292.25 → 277.43.
The more she thought about it, the more it made her fume.
If Qin Yue knew the Yu family’s name, then they must be wealthy.
If they’re wealthy, why don’t they give her money to spend?!
Jiang Chuchu silently ground her teeth — she was going to get to the bottom of this.
Actually made me tear up 🥲 I just feel that this is the most genuine story I have ever read in awhile. It’s not too much or unrealistic.
Kind and warm. The protagonists aren’t too dominating or stubborn or perfect. I love it.
Thank you translators :))