Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 35

Fifteen years ago.

Back then, Song Rang was just a mischievous elementary school student, a little troublemaker with his backpack slung over his shoulder.

That year, the troublemaker met a quiet and gentle playmate.

His family’s flat was slated for demolition, but recently, a couple had moved into the neighboring unit. They brought with them a chubby-cheeked little girl with her hair in a bun, looking soft and cuddly, her skin milky-white and tender.

The entire neighborhood consisted of flats nearing demolition. Song Rang overheard his parents saying the couple had moved in temporarily because of a job change, needing a place closer to their new workplace.

With demolition imminent, most residents had already received their relocation compensation and moved to newly built apartment complexes, leaving only Song Rang’s family and the newcomers.

Since the paperwork for their new apartment was still pending, Song Rang’s family kept delaying their move. This dragged on until he met Ruan Ye, shared joyful childhood days with her, and witnessed the girl’s life-altering transformation.

Unlike her reserved demeanor now, Ruan Ye had been a quiet yet remarkably attentive and caring child. She noticed every change in her friends and did everything she could to make them happy.

He was fortunate enough to be one of them.

On Song Rang’s eighth birthday, it was raining. The pond’s surface rippled with each raindrop. The crisp sound of the rain, the gloomy weather, his scraped right leg, and his swollen left hand—not a single thing failed to irritate him. Coincidentally, the Federation was short on soldiers at the time, and the air was filled with the roar of artillery and the cries of conscription.

It wasn’t until he went to find Ruan Ye with a small cake late that night that he learned her parents were both public servants.

“In times of national crisis, public servants must not desert their posts. Failure to do so will result in the lifelong forfeiture of political rights.”

According to Federation laws and regulations, Ruan Ye’s parents were required to go to the battlefield. However, rumors circulated that the couple had already been on the front lines long before the war officially began.

But these were just rumors. No one truly knew what official positions they held within the Federation.

Song Rang didn’t care. All he knew was that before leaving, the couple had brought Ruan Ye’s grandmother to serve as her guardian.

It was during this time that he and Ruan Ye became close friends. Their families were of similar means, and they shared everything with each other. Unfortunately, their story didn’t continue as beautifully as the idyllic childhood romances often portrayed in the world.

When Ruan Ye’s parents were still alive, Song Rang had always resented them. They constantly restricted her freedom to make friends and enforced strict curfews every morning and evening.

Perhaps driven by a possessive nature or a destructive impulse, Song Rang had always secretly wished that Ruan Ye’s parents would never return, so she could stay with him forever.

But these were just fantasies. For a child, making two strong, healthy adults vanish permanently from the world seemed like an impossible dream.

Yet fate is unpredictable.

One day, as he was dragging Ruan Ye, who was carrying her little schoolbag, to play by the pond, a man in a Federation military uniform paced nearby, his expression solemn as he scanned the surroundings. A bag slung over his shoulder contained two strange-looking hats.

Young boys are naturally curious.

Song Rang stared intently at the contents of the bag, his eyes unblinking, when suddenly, their gazes met.

The tall, imposing Alpha in uniform strode toward them.

Closer and closer he came.

The overwhelming pressure forced Song Rang to lower his head further and further, wishing he could bury himself in the dust. He bitterly regretted his moment of curiosity, that one extra glance.

The man glanced indifferently at the boy with his head bowed, but didn’t approach him. Instead, he turned to the young girl beside him, his smile softening. “What’s your name, little one? Do you know if anyone around here is named Ruan?”

“I’m Ruan Ye,” the girl replied, tilting her head back. Her gray eyes sparkled as she gazed at the man before her, showing no fear or hesitation, as if he were a peer rather than a potentially dangerous stranger.

Truly Ruan Lisheng’s daughter, Chen Ru thought.

As he prepared to speak, Chen Ru couldn’t hide his nervousness. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. After a long moment of mental preparation, he finally managed to speak.

“Ruan Ye, my name is Chen Ru. I’m an army doctor and a friend of your parents. They can’t come back right now, so I’m going to take you and your grandmother to live in another city until they return. How does that sound?”

After much deliberation, Chen Ru had decided to tell the girl a kind lie. He would wait until she was older and could understand the concept of death before revealing the truth about her parents’ sacrifice. This way, he hoped to spare the young child from lasting psychological trauma.

Just as Chen Ru was breathing a sigh of relief at his own cleverness, the child’s sudden words startled him, leaving him momentarily at a loss for an explanation.

“They’re dead, aren’t they?”

This wasn’t a question, but a statement.

One lie often requires many more to cover it up.

Chen Ru looked up in surprise, seeing only the girl, who barely reached his knee. Her gray eyes, inherited from her mother, held a maturity far beyond her years.

He swallowed hard, forcing a strained smile as he replied, his voice tinged with guilt, “Of course not. They’re just busy. Why don’t you come with Uncle? I promise your new home will be exactly the same as before.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out to take the girl’s soft, delicate hand, but she sidestepped him. Chen Ru watched the child standing against the sunlight, her small body casting a shadow less than a meter long, yet her words carried such weight.

“If they were still alive, Grandma and I would wait for them to come back. If you have any news, you’re welcome to tell us at home. But if you don’t have any useful information, please don’t disturb our normal lives anymore.”

After saying this, the young girl turned and fled like a rabbit fleeing for its life. Chen Ru crouched on the ground, stunned for a moment. Unwilling to give up so easily, he stood up and took several long strides after the fleeing girl.

Though only a few minutes had passed, Ruan Ye had already covered a considerable distance. For a doctor, at least, the chase was quite strenuous.

Chen Ru, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, handed her a business card and the bag he was carrying. His voice was ragged, but his tone was solemn as he pledged:

“Ruan Ye, I’m not a liar. I was a friend of your parents. When we served together in the military, they often spoke of their clever and adorable daughter. If you or your grandmother ever need help, you can reach me anytime through the phone number on this card. I’ll do everything in my power, even face danger, to repay your father’s life-saving kindness.”

“This was… the military cap they wore when they were alive. It’s all I could find in the ruins. As for other details about them, I’d rather wait until you’re older to tell you everything. Regarding whether you should come with me, you’re still too young to understand the complexities of society. I hope you’ll go home and discuss it thoroughly with your grandmother first. I’ll wait for you to contact me.”