Transmigration; A Mother's Redemption and a perfect Wife.-Chapter 444; Honeymoon phase 4 (o)

"You’ve been working hard," she observed, her eyes sweeping over the mountains of research materials stacked around him.

"What are you researching?" Nanny Yun’s curiosity was piqued by the sheer volume of books piled on the desk.

"Ma, we’re having a debate on Saturday with Minghao, and this is what I’m preparing for," he explained gently, looking up at her. "We’ll discuss everything together once I’ve finished reviewing these materials."

"Oh? Do you have a debate on Saturday? And you haven’t told me?" She gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. She knew her son was considerate and independent, but she wanted to be there for him, to support him in these important moments.

"I was planning to tell you, Ma...."

"No... I know you," she interrupted softly, shaking her head with a knowing smile. "You would have kept it to yourself, not wanting to bother me."

She straightened, her mind already made up. "I will definitely be there. I’ll ask Miss and Master for the weekend off so I can accompany you. You know I do everything for you." She paused, a slight frown creasing her brow. "But isn’t Young Miss still too young for something like this? A debate seems like so much pressure and public presentation for someone her age."

"Actually, Ma, she was the one who registered for it," he explained, a note of admiration creeping into his voice. "The teachers didn’t even hesitate before selecting her, which means she knows exactly what she’s doing. She recruited me to join her team, so I can’t let her down." He gestured to the materials before him. "We need to combine our efforts if we’re going to do this properly. It has to be a real team effort."

"Oh! Wow!" Nanny Yun’s face lit up with genuine excitement, her earlier concerns melting away. "I can’t wait to watch you both battle the other participants! My son, up there debating, I’m so proud of you already!"

"Thank you, Ma," he said warmly, his expression softening at her enthusiasm.

She reached over to squeeze his shoulder affectionately. "Now eat something while you work. You can’t debate on an empty stomach."

She left quietly, closing the door behind her.

Qin Xinyu ate a few slices of apple while reviewing his notes. His phone buzzed, a message in the group chat he shared with some classmates from his previous school. He glanced at it briefly, then set the phone face down on his desk.

That life felt like a different world now.

At his old school, he’d been the scholarship kid, the one who wore second-hand uniforms and brought simple lunches. The one the teachers praised for his intelligence but classmates ignored because he couldn’t afford to hang out at expensive cafes or buy the latest gadgets.

Here, at this Academy, none of that mattered.

Master Huo had created something unique, a place where merit actually meant something, where your family’s bank account didn’t determine your worth. Yes, there were wealthy students here, children of diplomats and business magnates and foreign dignitaries. But there were also sponsored students, brilliant minds given a chance to prove themselves.

And everyone was truly equal.

It was... revolutionary. And it made him respect Master Huo in a way he hadn’t expected.

The man was cold, severe, and intimidating as hell. But he was also fair. And he protected what was his with a fierce absoluteness that Qin Xinyu found himself admiring. If he truly grew up to be a man, he looked up to him.

His phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Minghao:

Minghao: Are you doing homework???

Qin Xinyu: Yes. And debate prep. You should be doing the same.

Minghao: I ammmmm! But it’s boring! 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Minghao: Can we work on the debate together? Qing Qing will be joining us, and we will be a team of three!

Qin Xinyu: Give me 30 minutes to finish this section. Then I’ll come to the study room. Bring your notebook.

Minghao: YAY!!! Thank you Xinyu! You’re the best!

Qin Xinyu: Just make sure you’ve at least STARTED your homework before I get there.

Minghao: I will! Promise!

He set his phone aside and returned to his research with renewed focus. Thirty minutes. He could compile the essential information in thirty minutes, then they could work through it together.

Minghao needed structure, encouragement, and someone who believed in her capabilities.

He could provide all three.

MINGHAO’S WORLD

Upstairs, Minghao sat cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by textbooks, notebooks, and colorful pens scattered in cheerful chaos.

Her homework lay open in front of her, mathematics problems that seemed to swim across the page, making her eyes cross. Numbers had never been her strong suit. Words, people, feelings, those she understood. But abstract equations? Those were Feihao’s territory.

"Ugh!" She flopped backward dramatically, her arms spread wide. "Why is math so HARD?"

Qing Qing looked up from her spot at the table, from a neatly organized spread of papers, sticky notes, and two open books.

She was helping with the debate preparation since Minghao had given her a brief description of what was expected.

Of course, Qing Qing had immediately taken the task seriously, researching with the materials Minghao provided and sorting everything with the efficiency of a tiny professor.

At her age, Qing Qing was more organized than most adults.

"Because you’re not focusing," she said matter-of-factly, as she continued highlighting a sentence. "You keep looking at your phone."

"I’m not!" Minghao protested, though she absolutely was.

She missed her brothers. She missed her parents. The house felt too big and too quiet without Momma’s humming as she cooked, without Daddy’s steady footsteps in the hallway, without her brothers’ bickering echoing everywhere.

Qing Qing finally put down her highlighter and gave her a pointed look. "Minghao..."

"Okay, fine! I was checking if Xinyu messaged back!" Minghao admitted, then grabbed her math notebook with fresh determination. "But I’m focusing now! Look... I’m doing problem number five!"