180 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

**Chapter 180: A Call from Mom!** "Boss, here's the money." Officer Zhang Ru handed the shop owner fifty yuan after finishing her meal. The bowl of noodles actually only cost thirty-five yuan, but the slices of beef she received were exceptionally generous! As a dedicated police officer, Zhang Ru was committed to not taking advantage of the public, so she insisted on paying extra. Watching quietly from the side, Su Qi thought to herself that if her brother could marry someone as principled and selective as Officer Zhang Ru, it would indeed be a great fortune in life! Why such a conclusion? Zhang Ru was not only sweet-looking and considerate but also principled, never making unreasonable demands or being overly dramatic. Most importantly, she embodied the perfect allure in uniform. Thinking of this, Su Qi felt a twinge of envy for her brother. Zhang Ru noticed Su Qi zoning out again and gently tapped her on the head. Instinctively, Su Qi raised her hands to protect her head. Dressed in her traditional Chinese attire, her action epitomized the unique adorableness of a young girl. The very girl she saw as perfect had just looked at herself with a gaze typical of a boy. Zhang Ru found this quite amusing. After exchanging a few words with the shop owner, the two made their way to the place where they had arranged to meet the driver. The driver was already professionally seated in the car, waiting for them. And so, with their hunger sated, the three embarked on their journey once more. Su Qi's large eyes were glued to the driver's phone, noting that the navigation indicated over three hours of travel time. She calculated that if they were heading home, they'd arrive around seven. Having not been home for nearly two months, she suddenly felt a pang of apprehension. She wondered how her parents would react when they saw her after so long. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became, to the point where her palms started to sweat, leaving her feeling slightly irritable. Only later did she realize how abnormal this was. What was happening to her? Surely, she was just worried about her father, that must be it! Sitting next to her, Officer Zhang Ru could clearly sense Su Qi's nervousness. Her stiff posture, not leaning back, and the constant wringing of her hands were all telltale signs of her anxiety. After contemplating, Zhang Ru discreetly sent a WeChat message to Su Siyang. Under the username “A Little Story After the Rain,” she typed: "Your sister is very nervous about coming home. Have your mom give her a call to help her relax." Su Siyang immediately replied with a simple "OK." Zhang Ru couldn't help but think about how protective he was of his sister, always attentive to his phone. Meanwhile, at home, Lu Ran saw her son's message and put down the kitchen knife she was using to chop vegetables. After wiping her hands with a cloth, she took a deep breath in front of the mirror. Nervous? Which mother wouldn't be anxious upon seeing her child for the first time in over a month? Her own nervousness rivaled Su Qi's. In the car, Su Qi's phone rang suddenly, startling her in her tense state. If not for Zhang Ru's quick reflexes, her phone might have met with the car's ceiling. "Thank you, Sister Zhang Ru," Su Qi said. Despite her thanks, her nervous smile twisted her lips awkwardly, not as pleasant as when she might have been crying. Observing Su Qi's panicked demeanor, Zhang Ru also began to feel anxious. Su Qi stared at the caller ID, which read "Mom." Her delicate fingers trembled. Inside the villa, Lu Ran was also anxious. Why wasn't her youngest daughter answering the phone? The phone continued to ring until it stopped, with Su Qi's fingertips hesitating over the answer button, never sliding over to take the call. "Why didn't you answer?" Zhang Ru asked gently, pulling Su Qi close to her. The driver, looking at the scene through the rearview mirror, saw the young girl's anxious expression. Typically, as a professional driver, he wouldn't interfere in his passengers' personal matters. But the girl reminded him so much of his own daughter that he couldn't help but voice concern, "What's the matter, young lady? Who called to make you so afraid?" Feeling the comforting embrace of Zhang Ru and glancing up at the driver's concerned eyes in the mirror, Su Qi hesitated for a few seconds before finally bowing her head. In a small, teary voice, she said, "It's a call from mom, but I made a big mistake. I'm afraid mom will hate me. If she hates me, does that mean I won't have a mom anymore? I'm so scared." She trembled as she spoke, her small body shaking in Zhang Ru's embrace, resembling a little animal that had been abandoned. Zhang Ru, with no children of her own and coming from a harmonious family, was at a loss for words in this situation. Just then, the driver slowly spoke, "Young lady, what parent would hate their child? I don't know what mistake you've made, but I do know that if it were my daughter, no matter how big a mistake she made, she'd still be my daughter. I could never hate her." The driver's slow, deep voice, characteristic of a father, was reassuring. "Really?" Su Qi asked, slowly looking up from Zhang Ru's arms to meet the driver's eyes in the rearview mirror. The driver gave her an affirming nod, and Officer Zhang Ru hugged her a little tighter, offering silent encouragement. At that moment, her mother's call came through again. Though still somewhat apprehensive, Su Qi felt less frightened than before. Her fingers shook but managed to slowly slide across the screen. With a soft beep, the call finally connected. "Mom? Mom, what's up?" This time, Su Qi didn't disguise her voice. Lu Ran was momentarily stunned. Listening to her daughter's sweet voice over the call, she recalled the many online rumors. The so-called surprise Su Siyang had mentioned was something she could now vaguely guess. She didn't question why Su Qi hadn't answered earlier or why her voice sounded like a girl's. Instead, she kept asking what Su Qi wanted to eat, her tone gentle and filled with deep longing for her daughter. As the conversation continued, mostly with Lu Ran talking and Su Qi responding, Zhang Ru and the driver both noticed the young girl gradually relaxing. "Alright, Little Qi, I'll start cooking now so you can feast as soon as you get home. I've made your favorite dish. Let's talk more when you get back, okay?" After about twenty minutes, Lu Ran was ready to wrap up the call. Summoning her courage, Su Qi said, "Mom, I'm sorry. There's something I lied to you about, and that is—" But before she could finish, Lu Ran interrupted from the other end, "Mom has something she hasn't been honest with you about, too. Let's call it even, okay? Let's have a good chat when you come home, no anger, alright, Little Qi?" After hanging up, Su Qi felt as if she were in a dream, everything seemingly surreal. Her misty eyes lingered on the still-lit screen, and she pinched her thigh. Ouch—definitely not a dream. So, her mother didn't hate her. Realizing this, a smile that melted away the clouds appeared on her face, revealing dimples akin to two deep pits of happiness. Zhang Ru gently wiped away the tears from her eyes with a tissue. Amused by this little storm-turned-sunshine girl, she found the girl was indeed at her prettiest when she was happy. The driver, also glancing back through the rearview mirror, smiled slightly, indicating he, too, felt better seeing Su Qi's restored smile.