The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 686 - 685: Running Away from Home

Chapter 686: Chapter 685: Running Away from Home

"Jingshu, why are you here?"

Seeing Ren Jingshu outside the door, Zhao Yun was both surprised and delighted.

"Do you have time? I have something to discuss with you."

"Yes, wait for me, I’ll change my shoes."

"Mm."

Having returned to the living room, Zhao Yun immediately began to fret, running his hands through his hair.

Coming over so late at night, she must be wanting him to spend her birthday with her, but he didn’t have even a single yuan on him, and now it was too late to get money from Pei Ziheng.

Looking at Shen Hongmei knitting on the living room sofa, Zhao Yun steeled himself and approached her.

"That is, Aunt Hongmei, could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back in a few days."

After speaking, his face was flushed red.

Shen Hongmei wasn’t much older than him, and asking her for money felt rather awkward.

Shen Hongmei was amused by his awkwardness, "Taking money is no problem, but what do you need the money for?"

"A classmate asked me for help with something."

Hearing this, Shen Hongmei didn’t pursue the matter further and told him to go upstairs to get it himself.

She was four months pregnant and it wasn’t so convenient for her to go up and down the stairs.

After Zhao Yun went upstairs, Shen Hongmei sent Aunt Deng outside to take a look at the classmate Zhao Yun mentioned.

Someone looking for him so late at night, and asking for money, as a stepmother she couldn’t help but be concerned.

"She is quite a pretty girl, probably the young master’s girlfriend?"

Seeing Aunt Deng’s gossipy look, Shen Hongmei was just about to go have a look when Zhao Yun came bounding down the stairs with a clatter.

"Aunt Hongmei, I’m heading out."

"Come back early, and take your pager with you."

"Got it."

After Zhao Yun left, Shen Hongmei hurriedly asked Aunt Deng to help her up to the second floor.

Standing on the second-floor balcony, Shen Hongmei looked at Ren Jingshu’s silhouette, muttering to Aunt Deng, "She’s quite tall."

"That face is so pretty, fair and delicate, with big eyes and a high nose bridge. In all my years, I’ve barely seen a few as good-looking as her."

When Zhao Dafa came home a short while later, Shen Hongmei told him about this as if it was an amusing anecdote.

"That little rascal, still not settling down when he’s about to go abroad."

Zhao Dafa muttered, but there was no sign of anger on his face, instead somewhat pleased.

A girl seeking out his son meant his son was charming.

...

"Jingshu, you’re out so late, aren’t you afraid your mom will scold you?"

"I argued with her, and she kicked me out."

Zhao Yun hadn’t expected this reason but quickly realized, "Is it because I went to see you this afternoon, and your stepsister saw and tattled on you?"

"Mm."

"That’s ridiculous, if she weren’t a girl, I would definitely beat her up!"

After cursing, he apologized to Ren Jingshu, "I’m sorry, if I had known, I would have asked Guoguo to deliver the gift."

Ren Jingshu remained silent.

Zhao Yun obviously misunderstood her silence: "I just wanted to see you more before I leave for abroad. I never wanted to cause you trouble. It’s right for you to be angry with me."

Ren Jingshu turned to look at him, "I’m not angry with you, otherwise I wouldn’t have come to find you."

Zhao Yun, relieved, said, "Since you’re already out, why don’t we go shopping? Whatever you like, I’ll buy it for you."

Last time Ren Jingshu wanted to go shopping, he was too embarrassed by his lack of funds to agree, today he intended to make up for it no matter what.

He didn’t mention how much money he took, and Shen Hongmei didn’t ask. He took all the cash out of Shen Hongmei’s purse, nearly two thousand yuan.

Clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry—anything Ren Jingshu fancied, he would buy for her today.

Perhaps because she was feeling upset and had nowhere else to go, Ren Jingshu agreed.

The two hailed a taxi and went to the biggest department store in Fengcheng, browsing until the store closed.

Apart from a cherry hair tie, she didn’t buy anything else.

Zhao Yun was somewhat frustrated; after all, he had mustered all his efforts, intending to lavish her with gifts to please her.

A simple hair tie worth fifty cents made him feel rather unaccomplished.

"It’s ten o’clock, let me take you home."

"I have no home to go back to."

Even though Ren Jingshu spoke seriously, Zhao Yun still instinctively advised, "Your mom is a bit annoying, but just ignore her. It’s not safe for a girl to be outside. Wait until daylight before you come out again, I will take you somewhere fun."

Ren Jingshu shook her head, "I don’t want to go back. Going back would mean I’ve agreed to her demands."

"What did she ask of you?"

"She wants us to break up and to never contact each other again."

Zhao Yun suddenly found himself at a loss for words, his feelings complex.

He felt a bit guilty, a bit happy, and somewhat panicked and helpless.

He could guess that Ren’s mother would force Ren Jingshu to break up with him, but he never expected Ren Jingshu to stand up to her mother for him.

From the beginning, he was clear that in this relationship, he was the one at a humble and disadvantaged position.

He had always felt that Ren Jingshu didn’t really like him much; even Pei Tang always said he was a sycophant.

But it was okay, he was willing to be one.

However, it turned out that between him and Ren Jingshu, it wasn’t just a one-sided effort, but mutual dedication.

Understanding this, Zhao Yun had one thought in mind: he wanted to pour all the goodness he could into her life, to make her happy.

"Jingshu..."

Ren Jingshu turned her face away, her focus caught by his attentive gaze, "Don’t look at me like that; I just don’t want her interfering in my affairs anymore."

She must be feeling shy, she must be madly in love with me.

Zhao Yun was firmly convinced, his face showing an embarrassed smile of a macho man, his voice inadvertently softening.

"Then what do you want to do? You decide, I’ll listen to you."

Ren Jingshu expressed her plan: to stay at a hotel tonight, and to apply for on-campus accommodation tomorrow at school.

Zhao Yun immediately pulled out all the money in his pocket.

"No need for so much."

Ren Jingshu withdrew a bill with the portrait of an old man, "I will find a way to make money and pay you back as soon as possible."

"Don’t, Jingshu, just focus on your studies and dancing, don’t worry about the money," he said, stuffing the cash into Ren Jingshu’s hand. "Take this, if it’s not enough, I’ll go back and get more."

Ren Jingshu looked at the money in her hand, "Why are you carrying so much money on you?"

"I wanted to spend it on you, but you wouldn’t let me, so I ended up buying a cheap hair tie."

Hearing his words, Ren Jingshu took another four hundred and put the rest back in Zhao Yun’s hand.

Ren’s mother was determined to force her to admit her mistake and comply; she didn’t even allow her to take her clothes or backpack.

Aside from applying for on-campus accommodation, she needed to buy bedding, clothing for changes, and so on.

When they reached the entrance of the hotel, Zhao Yun did not go in.

During that era, it was still very conservative; if a man and a woman entered a hotel together, gossip would surely arise if they were seen.

"I’ll wait outside for you. Send me a pager message with ’88’ once you’re in your room."

Ren Jingshu nodded and calmly gazed at him with her upturned eyes, "Zhao Yun, thank you for today."

"What’s there to thank? This is the least I can do." he replied, and then looked a bit disheartened, "I can’t really do much, and it’s because of me that you argued with your mom."

Ren Jingshu didn’t want to dwell on the matter any further and turned to enter the hotel.

Four or five minutes later, after receiving a pager signal with ’88,’ Zhao Yun happily took a taxi and left.

At the Ren residence.

Ren’s mother, clad in genuine silk sleeping attire, stood loftily at the top of the stairs, inquiring of the housemaid in the living room, "Has she come back?"

Without mentioning a name, the maid knew whom she was asking about.

"The young miss just called. She said she’ll be staying at the Red Star Hotel temporarily."

Upon hearing this, Ren’s mother’s expression immediately darkened.