Reborn not to be a simp, the school beauty's whole family goes crazy

Sunlight filters through dappled leaves, dappling the streets of the small town.

Chu Mengran skipped and hopped ahead, while her stepfather, Meng Zhengguo, followed behind carrying groceries.

A doting smile graced his face.

As soon as she entered the house, Chu Mengran rushed to the kitchen and hugged her mother, Chu Yu, who was busy cooking from behind: "Mom, I bought my favorite strawberries today!"

Chu Yu smiled and tapped her nose: "You have such a keen sense of smell, all thanks to your Uncle Meng for remembering you."

Meng Zhengguo put down the dishes and came over, saying, "Only when Mengran is happy can we enjoy our meal." The family was all smiles, but who could have imagined that beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were surging.

At first, Meng Zhengguo behaved like any other stepfather, showing great care and attention in a perfectly appropriate manner.

But from some unknown day, subtle abnormalities began to emerge.

Once, while doing his homework, Meng Zhengguo sat down next to Chu Mengran and his arm brushed against hers unintentionally.

Chu Mengran assumed it was just because the space was small and didn't pay much attention. She shifted her body slightly and continued staring at her workbook.

Meng Zhengguo pointed to the question and explained it very clearly, but when his finger was about to touch Chu Mengran's hand, her heart skipped a beat for no reason, and she unconsciously pulled her hand back.

Meng Zhengguo seemed oblivious, and after explaining the problem, he patted her head and asked, "Did you understand, little girl?" Chu Mengran nodded hurriedly, but a strange ripple quietly rose in her heart.

On another leisurely afternoon, Chu Yu was fast asleep in her bedroom, her soft snores adding to the tranquility of the room.

Chu Mengran was nestled on the living room sofa, engrossed in reading a comic book.

Meng Zhengguo strolled over and sat down next to her, his eyes a little unfocused. He chatted for a few minutes, then raised his hand as if to smooth her hair.

Chu Mengran instinctively dodged away, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "Dad, what's wrong?"

Meng Zhengguo chuckled twice: "Your hair is all messy, I'm afraid your mom will nag you if she sees it."

Even so, he didn't pull his hand away, and instead gently placed it on Chu Mengran's shoulder.

Chu Mengran instantly sensed something was wrong. Her shoulders stiffened, and she abruptly stood up, dropping the comic book in her hand with a "thud" to the ground.

Her eyes widened, her voice trembling: "Dad, something's not right with you. We're not related by blood, but we're still father and daughter. You have to be careful!"

Startled by her reaction, Meng Zhengguo also stood up, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. He hurriedly explained, "Mengran, don't misunderstand. Dad didn't mean anything by it. It was just a subconscious reaction. Don't take it to heart."

Chu Mengran hugged her arms tightly, her eyes wary: "Please don't do this again."

After saying that, she hurriedly picked up the comic book, hid in her room, leaned against the door, and her heart was still pounding.

After that, Chu Mengran intentionally or unintentionally avoided Meng Zhengguo.

During the meal, before Meng Zhengguo could sit down next to her, she rushed to sit on the other side of Chu Yu.

She would watch TV in the living room, and whenever Meng Zhengguo came in, she would make an excuse to go back to her room.

Chu Yu sensed something was wrong and asked her privately, "Meng Ran, did you and your Uncle Meng have a falling out?"

Chu Mengran bit her lip, hesitated for a long time, but still didn't say anything about those strange things. She only said vaguely, "Mom, it's nothing, I'm just a little tired from studying."

She didn't want to ruin the integrity of the home she had painstakingly pieced together, clinging to a sliver of hope that those moments were just illusions.

However, Meng Zhengguo's thoughts became increasingly wicked.

One weekend, Chu Yu went out, leaving only the two of them at home.

Chu Mengran was watering the flowers on the balcony when Meng Zhengguo quietly approached and suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Chu Mengran was so startled that she almost dropped the flowerpot. She turned her head and met Meng Zhengguo's burning yet infatuated gaze.

“Mengran, you’re getting more and more beautiful. Sometimes when I see you, I get all flustered.”

As soon as Meng Zhengguo said this, Chu Mengran felt a chill run down her spine. She forcefully shook off his hand and shouted, "Wake up! I'm your stepdaughter. How can you do this to my mother?"

Meng Zhengguo's face flushed red and then turned pale as he was scolded. He was furious and embarrassed: "Don't be ungrateful. I've been so good to you, what's wrong with being a little closer?"

As he spoke, Meng Zhengguo lunged forward again.

Chu Mengran never imagined that her stepfather, who had once given her warmth and care and gradually made her open her heart to him, would tear off his hypocritical mask in an instant.

Just as Meng Zhengguo's hand touched her shoulder for the third time, Chu Mengran's body seemed to be struck by an electric current, and she froze instantly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, as if the person before her was a completely unfamiliar monster.

My mind went blank for a moment. The pages I was turning were stuck between my fingertips, and I couldn't turn them anymore. The air around me seemed to freeze, and every breath became difficult and heavy.

Fear surged up like a tidal wave from the deepest part of her heart, instantly engulfing her.

She could clearly hear the uncontrollable drumbeat of her heart, pounding against her chest as if trying to break free of its restraints.

Chu Mengran's lips trembled slightly. She wanted to rebuke him, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she could only utter a few weak and broken syllables.

She instinctively shrank back, pressing her back tightly against the sofa back, trying to create distance between herself and Meng Zhengguo. However, the sofa had limited space, and she felt like a trapped beast forced into a corner.

Looking at her stepfather's increasingly infatuated and passionate gaze, Chu Mengran felt a chill run down her spine, her hair stood on end, and cold sweat seeped from her forehead, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto her collar, leaving a small, dark, damp stain.

Every second felt incredibly long. Her vision began to blur, and everything around her became unreal. Only Meng Zhengguo's approaching figure was incredibly clear and menacing.

A buzzing sound filled her ears as her stepfather's shameless words drilled in, like thorny vines, churning her reason into chaos.

Chu Mengran unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes with both hands, her knuckles turning white from the force. She felt as if she had fallen into an endless abyss of darkness, gripped by fear and unable to break free. Her mind was filled with only one desperate and helpless thought—how could this be?

Recalling the past, Chu Mengran was once again gripped by fear.

Her face was pale, her lips were purple, her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her body was trembling involuntarily.

Seeing this, Chen Dong quickly comforted Chu Mengran, and she gradually calmed down.

After a while, Chu Mengran's eyes gradually hardened.

"I'm okay now. I have to tell you all of this. My world collapsed because of these things."

"You helped me rebuild my world, and I have to clean it up spotless."

After letting out a long sigh, Chu Mengran glanced at Chen Dong.

A bright smile gently bloomed on her cheeks, like the first flower to bloom in the morning light.

Bathed in the soft sunlight, the smile appeared especially pure and innocent, so warm it seemed to dispel all the chill around it.

At that moment, her face seemed to be coated with a thin layer of golden light, and the whole world became gentler because of this simple yet sincere emotion.

Slowly, Chu Mengran turned her head to look ahead and continued speaking.