My best friend asked me if I was still doing system tasks.

Mr. Ruan drove, while Mrs. Ruan sat in the back seat, holding Ruan Chayan's hand, asking her about her situation over the past few months and complaining that she didn't usually share her daily life.

Ruan Chayan looked at her loving mother and then at her father, who occasionally chimed in with a humorous remark, as if in a dream.

How could she remember that her parents' marriage was a business arrangement, and that their relationship was cold and could not even be described as respectful to each other?

She was born because of the elders' wishes and to silence gossip. They only hired a nanny to take care of her daily life and rarely came home to visit or care for her.

Both seemed to tacitly accept having their own families outside of marriage, with marriage merely a means to increase their bargaining power.

Her grandparents lived abroad and rarely contacted her family due to the time difference.

My maternal grandparents passed away early, and my maternal grandmother lived in the countryside and enjoyed her old age before she passed away.

Every year during the Lunar New Year, one of Ruan's parents would take him to stay for a few days.

For over twenty years, her blood relatives had never shown her such warmth, yet happy memories of the past slowly and vividly surfaced in her mind.

Ruan Chayan followed her father and mother back home, and as soon as she opened the door, she heard the old man talking happily.

Two elderly people, strangers yet familiar to Ruan Chayan, surrounded her, giving her a warm hug and expressing their longing.

She actually met her maternal grandparents, while the deceased were her paternal grandparents. Her memories told her that when she was in junior high school, the elderly couple went on a trip and got into a car accident.

A pure white lion cat leaped down from the TV cabinet and meowed around Ruan Chayan's feet.

Grandpa and Grandma Ruan helped each other up and pointed to the kitten, telling Ruan Chayan to take the little guy with her next time she went to the United States. Tuantuan always falls asleep in front of Ruan Chayan's photo at home, as it misses its little owner.

Aren't they also using these words to express their longing for her? Perhaps they often linger in front of her photos, reminiscing about the dwindling days ahead.

Ruan Chayan looked at the middle-aged man and woman, then at the elderly couple, bent down and picked up Tuantuan from the ground, and suddenly burst into tears.

The elders asked Ruan Chayan anxiously and worriedly what was wrong, whether she had been wronged in the United States, and whether there was something she hadn't told them.

They said Ruan Chayan was always like this, so strong it was heartbreaking.

Just then, the doorbell rang: "Hello, is anyone home? I'm Mu Fang, here to visit."

When Ruan's mother opened the door and saw Mu Fang carrying gifts, she quickly welcomed him into the house.

"Oh, you've come all this way, why did you bring a gift?" Mr. Ruan quickly took the gift and said.

Grandpa and Grandma Ruan gave up their seats so that the younger generation could sit down on the sofa.

Mu Fang was a little shy. He scratched his head and said that he came to visit because he had received help from Ruan Chayan in the United States.

Ruan Chayan looked at Mu Fang with teary eyes: "When did I take care of you? I should thank you for your concern. What would Xiaoxue and I have done the other day if it weren't for you?"

Seeing Ruan Chayan like this, Mu Fang immediately became anxious: "Hey you! What's wrong with you? Did someone bully you? Why are you crying? Tell me if someone bullied you!"

Ruan Chayan was amused by Mu Fang's helpless look and shook her head: "No, you don't need to worry about me. I'm just so happy to see you all when I get home."

Ruan's mother smiled and complained, "You silly girl, you scared us to death. We thought you had suffered some kind of grievance while you were away these past few months."

Grandpa Ruan laughed heartily: "That's right, that's right, it's good that you're alright .... You're such a grown man, don't you have any shame?"

Grandma Ruan looked at Ruan Chayan with a hint of heartache in her eyes.

Ruan's mother said, "Father, what are you saying? No matter how old you are, Yanyan will always be my darling."

Father Ruan said, "Yes, yes, no matter how old he is, he's still your darling. Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you with Xiao Mu here?"

Mu Fang quickly said, "No, Uncle and Aunt, my family says the same thing to me at home."

Everyone laughed heartily, and the Ruan family invited Mu Fang to stay for a meal before letting him leave.

That evening, Ruan Chayan sat on the sofa as her maternal grandmother and mother chuckled and inquired about her relationship with Mu Fang. Aunt He, who was busy in the kitchen, also peeked out and smiled at her.

Grandpa Ruan and Father Ruan, who were playing chess, also lowered their voices and quietly pricked up their ears to listen to what she was saying.

Ruan Chayan said frankly, "We're alumni, Mom. Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

He was also my high school classmate, have you all forgotten?

Ruan's mother scolded, "You say you're an alumnus? When Xiao Mu was in high school, he was always hanging around our house. We asked him to come up and sit down, but he wouldn't."

He brought a gift today, and we all saw the way he looked at you; his eyes were practically glued to you.

Grandma Ruan chuckled and said, "Even though I'm old, I'm not senile."

Although the Mu family is a large clan, what era are we living in? Feudalism is no longer in vogue.

He likes you so much, everyone knows he's pursuing you, what are your thoughts?

Mother Ruan agreed, saying, "Although our Ruan family can't compare to theirs, we're not bad either. If you like the Mu family boy..."

Ruan Chayan interrupted her mother helplessly: "Mom, what are you saying? The way you two are talking today is too harsh."

Grandma Ruan gave a disapproving "Eh," and said, "Don't worry about how we talk. I'm asking you what you think? Do you like her or not?"

"If you don't like it, let's quickly refuse. Don't let Mu Fang keep thinking about you. We're daughters from good families; we can't keep him hanging on, right?"

Ruan's mother continued, "It's been over two years now, you should have come to a conclusion by now. Tell me what you think of him?"

Ruan Chayan's attempts to evade the issue proved fruitless, and she simply stated that she truly had no feelings for Mu Fang.

She never felt any romantic feelings for Mu Fang.

Ruan Chayan looked at Aunt He, who was peeling garlic and preparing vegetables, and then at her maternal grandfather and father, who were playing chess on the side.

She glanced one last time at Grandma Ruan and her mother, who were sitting together talking and watching TV, and sighed as she touched Tuantuan, who was lying on her lap.

They seemed to sense something and all looked up at Ruan Chayan.

Ruan Chayan smiled wryly and said, "Alright, let's take one last look."

Let me think... I don't see anything amiss anywhere, so perhaps I should kill myself here?

She murmured again, tears streaming down her face, "No, I'm not afraid of death, but I am afraid of pain. That's why the illusion wanted to keep me here with such absurd beauty."

The Ruan family surrounded her to show their concern. Ruan Chayan stared at their faces and attitudes, laughing and crying at the same time: "I should make myself suffer..."

But I'm already suffering enough...

What should I do, what should I do…”