AMRWFA -Chapter 278 I’m Just a Brick

If Tingting could hear Ruan Yaoyao’s inner thoughts, she would definitely say, “I just want to find a prince charming from a fairy tale!”

But there are no princes riding white horses in reality, so she set her sights on Bai Zhengqi, a man with the status of a CEO.

Though he was a bit older, his financial situation was good, he was single, and his appearance was decent enough.

If she married him, she could skip many years of struggle.

Ruan Yaoyao naturally couldn’t support that idea. Tingting was still so young—this was the age for studying.

If you don’t focus on your studies and instead think about dating and marriage, then with how you are now, who would even be interested in you?

Aside from someone with ulterior motives like Bai Zhengqi, Ruan Yaoyao couldn’t think of any successful, sharp-minded CEO who would fancy a barely-of-age girl.

You bring no benefits, nor can you provide emotional or psychological value—why would anyone choose you?

The mindset Ruan Yaoyao tried to instill in Tingting was this: only excellent people can match with equally excellent partners.

If she wasn’t even willing to study and only wanted to take shortcuts, then fine—go with Bai Zhengqi.

He might be older, but his wealth could secure the rest of her life.

But if she wanted someone better, she had to study hard and improve herself.

As for Bai Zhengqi, who was fuming on the side, Ruan Yaoyao completely ignored him.

After leaving, Yu Xiangqiao asked in the car, “Mom, do you think she’ll listen to you?”

Ruan Yaoyao shrugged. “How would I know? I’m just doing what I can and leaving the rest to fate. If she’s willing to listen, I’ll say a bit more and encourage her to study. If not, I’ll just nag a little and let it go. Who is she to me? Why should I meddle so much?”

【As long as they don’t harm others or come bother me again, that’s enough!】

Yu Xiangqiao let out a sigh of relief.

She had thought her mother was going to take responsibility for her, but it turned out she was just giving some advice, not insisting on interfering.

That scared her!

That girl clearly looked spoiled—trying to “reprogram” her thinking wouldn’t be easy.

And after today’s incident, Bai Zhengqi might not even let Tingting have contact with them again. He might just “lock” her back into her ivory tower.

But once a girl has stepped outside that tower, it’s not so easy to lock her back in.

Especially after Tingting later searched online and discovered that the Xie Group was even bigger than Bai Zhengqi’s company, and that Xie Xiuming was young and handsome—her heart raced faster than ever.

She hadn’t yet reached the point of being “unable to live without” Bai Zhengqi. It was just that, visibly, he was her best option for now.

So she took Ruan Yaoyao’s advice—return to school, find ways to improve herself, and aim for a better man in the future.

Since she was going to find a man anyway, her future target had now become much higher.

As for Bai Zhengqi…

Well, dating was fine. Marriage? That could wait. After all, she hadn’t even reached the legal age for marriage yet.

“She really is…” After hearing this, Yu Xiangqiao didn’t know what to say.

If you call her foolish, she knows how to choose.

If you call her smart, she still chose the “shortcut.”

Ruan Yaoyao didn’t think much of it. “Bai Zhengqi is a refined egoist. What kind of values do you think the girl he raises would have? He is what he is, so the girl he raises will be the same. Isn’t that normal?”

Once Yu Xiangqiao realized that Tingting’s behavior resembled Bai Zhengqi’s, she understood.

Wasn’t it true? In order to “raise” Tingting, Bai Zhengqi treated her mother like a brick—moving her wherever needed. Wasn’t that the very definition of a refined egoist?

If he’s like that, and the girl he raises is like that too, it’s only natural.

The only regret Xu Lianghan had was that his mother’s “boy toy” was fake.

There were so many handsome young men in talent shows—didn’t his mom fancy any of them?

Hearing his muttering, Yu Xiangqiao said, “Mom said staying away from men helps preserve youth. She doesn’t want to age too quickly or be drained dry by men.”

Xu Lianghan had a puzzled look. “Where did that conclusion come from?”

Yu Xiangqiao shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Mom said it herself. You know her—she’ll never let herself suffer a loss. Whether she keeps a boy toy or not, as long as she’s happy, that’s what matters. And don’t you think, with someone like Xie Xiuming standing there like a jewel, would she even look at those pretty-boy trainees?”

“Xie Xiuming is fake.”

“Sure, he’s fake. But Mom is surrounded by so many outstanding, handsome young men that she’s used to it. If you ask her to lower her standards now, she’d feel like it’s beneath her.”

“So what you’re saying is…” Xu Lianghan pondered, “the reason Mom doesn’t keep boy toys is because they only have looks, and it feels beneath her to keep them?”

Yu Xiangqiao’s lips twitched.

Was that really what she meant?

Well… close enough. If she were in her mom’s place, she’d also feel it was a bit degrading to lower herself to keep a few pretty boys.

As a woman, she understood her mother’s feelings.

Xu Lianghan grew troubled.

His mom didn’t fancy those pretty boys, but someone like Xie Xiuming—there was no way he could get a person like that to be his mom’s “boy toy.” What should he do?

Men of that caliber were usually chosen as sons-in-law.

Could it be… he needed to select boy toys for his mom using the same standards as choosing a husband for himself?

Would a “fallen prince” work?

For example, someone who used to be a CEO, but whose family business collapsed, leaving him down on his luck.

Xu Lianghan contacted Xu Chengyan, Yun Jinxian, Xie Xiuming, and others, asking them to keep an eye out for any “fallen princes” in their circle.

Xu Chengyan: “Is my brother insane?”

Yun Jinxian: “How did your brother even come up with this idea?”

Xu Chengyan: “It’s all because of Xie Xiuming. He once pretended to be my mom’s boyfriend to help her out.”

“So because Xie Xiuming helped your mom once, your brother set his sights on him? Did Xie Xiuming even agree to that?” Yun Jinxian was shocked.

Xu Chengyan’s older brother really dared to think big. Even she wouldn’t dare imagine introducing someone like Xie Xiuming to her sister—he was way out of their league.

And yet his brother wanted to use that standard to find a boyfriend for their mom?!

“How could that be?” Xu Chengyan said. “You’ve met Xie Xiuming—he’s not an ordinary person. He’s disciplined, not someone who plays around with women. It’s not that he lacks women. If my brother really targets him, I’m afraid Xie Xiuming might just kill him.”

Not just kill him—he might drag everyone else down with him, Yun Jinxian thought. She quickly messaged Yu Xiangqiao to find out more, worried something ridiculous might happen again.

On the other side, after receiving Xu Lianghan’s message, Xie Xiuming: “…”

So I’ve raised the standards for the Xu family’s “boy toy” selection?

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

If they really found such a “fallen prince,” would Xu Lianghan actually bring him back to be his mom’s boy toy?

Why must it be a boy toy? Couldn’t his mom just have a proper relationship?

Didn’t she deserve that?

Sensing something, Ruan Yaoyao turned to Ruan Zhihe and asked, “Do you feel like something’s been off lately?”

Ruan Zhihe became alert. “What do you mean?”

Did Aunt Xu think of something? Or sense something?

Ruan Yaoyao paused, then waved it off. “No. Probably just my imagination.”

【If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you!】

Ruan Zhihe: Aunt Xu, if I knew, I wouldn’t be standing here either.