Chapter 109: Bai Family

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Bai Family

"I’m divorced." Deng Yuyuan’s tone was completely flat.

Tuantuan felt the counselor’s complicated, sympathetic gaze fall upon her and tilted her head in confusion. Tuantuan figured that while her dad didn’t have a wife who wanted him, she certainly had a mom who wanted her!

"That’s not a bad thing. Keep your chin up and study hard," the counselor comforted her. "I know many women who focused entirely on being wives and mothers after getting married. In the end, their husbands achieved great success, and they had happy families. However, they could have had careers just as successful as their husbands’. I can’t say whether those choices were right or wrong, but you don’t need to drown in the sorrow of divorce. Without the burden of a family dragging you down, you might be able to go even further."

"To be honest, I’m actually quite happy after the divorce," Deng Yuyuan replied truthfully.

The counselor was left momentarily speechless. His son then chimed in to interrupt. "Dad, Tuantuan should be calling you ’Uncle.’" They exchanged a few more pleasantries before the counselor left.

The young man’s name was Chu Tiankuo. They had only just met, but he had already hit it off with Tuantuan. Deng Yuyuan didn’t feel comfortable bringing Tuantuan along to buy supplies, so she left Tuantuan in the room with Chu Tiankuo to play with toys and wait for her to come back.

"Thinking of my departure, through a thousand miles of misty waves, where the heavy evening haze meets the vast skies of Chu," Deng Yuyuan murmured to herself as she walked to buy supplies.

She wondered why an educated person would give their son such a name. Although it sounded grand and majestic, its underlying meaning wasn’t particularly auspicious. This line from Liu Yong’s poem "Bells Ringing in the Rain" painted a vast and expansive scene, yet its core tone was one of sorrow and loneliness. It carried a deep, alienated sense of destiny—of leaving everything behind and traveling far away with the weight of the past. Perhaps it held another meaning, or maybe it was chosen by an elder who simply didn’t understand poetry.

The small campus store was packed to the brim. The items sold here were mostly of basic quality. Deng Yuyuan bought a bucket and some daily necessities. Carrying them in her hands, she didn’t head back immediately. Instead, she took the opportunity to stroll through the entire campus and familiarize herself with the layout.

A notice was posted at the cafeteria entrance, listing the operating hours and stating that takeout boxes were not provided. Students and faculty who needed to take their food to go were asked to bring their own containers.

Along the way, aside from the students, there were also friends and relatives accompanying them on their campus tours. Deng Yuyuan noticed that quite a few of the registering freshmen were married, and their ages varied greatly. Among them, she was actually considered young.

"Mom, I wonder where Xiao Ying went. Even if she didn’t take the college entrance exam, it would have been nice to bring her along for a tour. It could have motivated her to work harder next year." The girl standing opposite Deng Yuyuan looked to be in her late teens. She was holding a woman’s arm, and though her voice was sweet and charming, there was undisguised malice in her eyes.

"Miao Miao, you’re just too kind-hearted," the tall man next to her advised. "She probably didn’t take the exam because she was feeling guilty. Who knows if she got her previous first-place grades by cheating."

The young girl stuck out her tongue. "Zhenglin, I won’t allow you to talk about Xiao Ying like that! Even though Xiao Ying hangs out with those street thugs, it doesn’t mean she’s a bad person!"

"Alright, alright. Let’s not talk about these things on such a good day," Mrs. Bai said, patting her precious daughter’s hand. "Your brother is right. You are just too kind. Thankfully you’ll be a day student, otherwise my heart would ache to death. While you’re in college, you absolutely must not let yourself be deceived by people with bad intentions. Bai Ying is always bullying you, yet you still speak up for her. You really are a silly girl."

Bai Miaomiao grabbed her mother’s hand to act coquettishly, and in doing so, accidentally bumped into Deng Yuyuan, who was walking past.

"Ah, I’m sorry," she gasped, covering her mouth.

Deng Yuyuan’s shoulder was lightly bumped, and her footsteps paused for a moment.

"It’s fine," she said. Her voice was calm, devoid of any displeasure. Her gaze naturally fell on the other girl’s face, and with a slight nod, she let the minor accident pass.

In that brief moment, Bai Miaomiao got a clear look at her face. Her skin was as pale as fine porcelain, emitting an almost cool, translucent glow under the light. Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped—neither too thick nor too sparse—arching gracefully before tapering off naturally into her temples. But the most striking feature was her eyes. Their color was slightly darker than most, a clear, deep ink-black. It was a vivid, breathtaking beauty, yet it felt as distant and untouchable as a thin layer of snow resting on a far-off mountain peak.

Bai Miaomiao completely forgot to respond. When someone was this exceptionally perfect, it was impossible for others to even muster up a hint of jealousy.

Bai Zhenglin stepped forward, wanting to introduce himself, but to his surprise, Deng Yuyuan walked away incredibly fast and quickly disappeared into the crowd. He gazed wistfully in the direction where Deng Yuyuan had vanished.

Bai Miaomiao teased, "Mom, look at Zhenglin. I’m afraid I might be getting a sister-in-law soon."

"Mhm." Bai Zhenglin didn’t deny it. Instead, he made a request of his sister. "Next time you run into her, do me a favor and make friends with her. Help me play matchmaker."

"Leave it to me!" Bai Miaomiao still had that sweet, charming smile on her face as she watched the direction where Deng Yuyuan had disappeared. However, a thin layer of ice seemed to suddenly form in the depths of her eyes.

She had gone through so much trouble to drive Bai Ying away, and it certainly wasn’t to welcome another mistress into the house. If a woman like that really married into the family, where would there be any room left for Bai Miaomiao in the Bai Family? Her mother’s gaze, her brother’s attention, and even the comparisons from outsiders... all the focus and doting she currently possessed and took for granted would likely be divided once again.

Mrs. Bai was also very satisfied with Deng Yuyuan’s appearance. "But you need to look into this girl’s family background first. It would be terrible if she turns out to be a bad woman who tries to latch onto our family."

"Don’t worry, Mom," Bai Miaomiao replied with a beaming smile. She thought that this woman had better pray she had some dark secrets. Otherwise, Bai Miaomiao would just have to create some for her.

"Uncle Chu, you are the second prettiest person Tuantuan has ever seen!" Tuantuan stared at Chu Tiankuo’s face without blinking. She curiously reached out to touch it and found that it was actually warm. It was real!

Chu Tiankuo smoothly pulled her little hand away. "Tuantuan hasn’t washed her hands yet. You can’t touch my face right now." Before Tuantuan could react, he continued, "Is Tuantuan’s mom the prettiest person in the world?"

Tuantuan nodded vigorously.

"Oh? Did Tuantuan and Mom come here just the two of you? Was there an uncle accompanying you?"

Tuantuan shook her head, then nodded.

Chu Tiankuo narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a hint of almost scrutinizing sharpness.

"We met an uncle and auntie when we got here, and they let Tuantuan and Mom stay with them for two days! Tuantuan also met Brother Xiao Shu and Brother Xiaoqi. The candy I had today was a gift from Brother Xiao Shu!"

So the man was married. Chu Tiankuo breathed an inward sigh of relief.

His sharp ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps, so he swiftly changed the subject. "The stray cats and dogs on campus haven’t been fully cleared out yet. If Tuantuan runs into them, you shouldn’t try to play with them. These animals are different from the domestic cats, dogs, chickens, and ducks in the village. They are wild and aggressive. If Tuantuan gets bitten, you could very easily die."

The yellowish-brown stray dog that could "very easily make people die" was currently following right on Deng Yuyuan’s heels as she came upstairs, its tail wagging joyfully. It didn’t look the least bit wild or aggressive; in fact, it was rather endearingly goofy.

Tuantuan immediately bristled with indignation. "Mom, you can’t be greedy! You already have a little puppy like Tuantuan!"