Although she recognized him, Jin Ran had no intention of going up to him to act familiar.
Leaving aside the fact that there wasn’t much of a relationship between them as stepmother and stepson, just looking at how Jiang Xuli was nonchalantly buying food, he probably didn’t have any major issues.
Since there were no issues, she didn’t need to get involved.
Jin Ran continued eating without a care in the world.
On the other side, Jiang Xuli spotted Jin Ran only after buying his food.
Unlike her calmness, he frowned with annoyance.
Again?
That’s right. In Jiang Xuli’s eyes, Jin Ran had just been photographed at the school a few days ago, and today she had secretly followed him to the school again. If she didn’t have some ulterior motive, he absolutely wouldn’t believe it.
Thinking about his fight, which must have been seen by Jin Ran hiding in the shadows…
She had grasped his “weakness.” Who knows when she might stab him in the back? Even though she hadn’t done much of that recently, Jiang Xuli’s mood was still as oppressive as a sweltering summer day, hot enough to ignite the air.
Wang Shuya noticed his mood, thinking he was upset about what just happened, and couldn’t help but comfort him: “Don’t worry. If the teacher asks, I’ll vouch for you.”
She already had feelings for Jiang Xuli, and after today’s incident, she felt her judgment was right. “They were the ones bullying first. You were acting bravely for a just cause. Even if the teacher finds out, they should praise you.”
Beside them, Chen Xunliang was greatly shocked: “Classmate Wang, I didn’t expect you to be so high-minded!”
“Get lost! I’ve always been high-minded!”
Wang Shuya unceremoniously rolled her eyes at him.
Then, she carefully looked at Jiang Xuli again, her face slightly flushed. “Even if… others don’t believe you, in my heart, you’ll always be the best!”
The feelings of a lovestruck girl—for a moment, the affection in her eyes was almost overflowing.
Jin Ran, who accidentally got an earful: Oh wow.
Heaven’s witness, she wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping. It’s just that these kids weren’t controlling their volume at all!
Looking at the handsome boy and pretty girl standing together, a phrase flashed through Jin Ran’s mind: A maiden’s heart is always like poetry.
No one dislikes a bit of gossip. Even Xu Zhen across from her was listening with great interest. Jin Ran’s gaze shifted between the two, paying special attention to Wang Shuya.
She thought to herself, Is this Jiang Xuli’s little girlfriend?
Not a bad choice, but as a boyfriend, faced with what sounded like a confession from his girlfriend, shouldn’t he be touched or happy? Why did he look so impatient?
The burning gaze from behind felt like a shadow he couldn’t shake. Jiang Xuli’s back stiffened. He didn’t even notice what Wang Shuya was saying. “I acted alone, and I’ll take responsibility alone. You guys don’t need to get involved.”
Wang Shuya: “How could that be? I… we’re together in this!”
“Ah, you don’t get it.”
Chen Xunliang, thinking he understood the situation, sighed with an air of worldly wisdom. “The teacher might be fine, but it’s not certain with Brother Li’s family.”
Uncle Jiang was powerful and stern, and there was also that strange, beautiful stepmother. It was like a double layer of hell.
Hearing this, Wang Shuya found it hard to understand.
How could parents be scarier than teachers?
She suddenly remembered a rumor she’d heard before—that Jiang Xuli’s father had remarried, so his father wasn’t his alone anymore.
A slight pang in her chest made her blurt out: “Is it because of your stepmother?”
Jin Ran: “?”
Wang Shuya felt she had guessed the truth.
Whether in movies, TV shows, or real life, the word “stepmother” was often paired with “evil.” The scenes her imagination conjured were tragic and bitter. So much so that, even though she hadn’t met that stepmother, Wang Shuya already felt resentment towards her.
Jiang Xuli had a good temper, good grades, nothing like other rich kids who were domineering. His personality wasn’t argumentative or competitive either. Why couldn’t she leave him alone?
Besides, according to inheritance law, Jiang Xuli should rightfully inherit his father’s wealth!
Jin Ran: “…”
Hold on, she hadn’t done anything.
At this moment, the saying “sitting innocently in a shop, trouble drops from the sky” became a concrete reality. Jin Ran truly hadn’t expected the gossip to land on her own head, and she wasn’t very happy about it.
She gave the naive and simple-minded Chen Xunliang a deep look, not forgetting it was he who had spread the rumor earlier.
Chen Xunliang suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.
Jiang Xuli kept his mouth shut, unwilling to say more.
He knew his friend meant well, but only he himself understood the real situation.
Besides, during this time, Jin Ran hadn’t actually done anything substantial.
Jiang Xuli wasn’t aware of the intricacies between the two adults. From his perspective, his father had just gotten married; a divorce in the short term was unlikely. So, Jin Ran would probably live at the villa for a long time. If the current state could be maintained, he actually didn’t mind having an extra person at home.
Thinking this, he sent his father a message.
He had originally planned to move his belongings back home by himself this weekend. But since Jin Ran had already come to the school twice, to make her stop, he decided to move back sooner.
Hmm, he also needed to find a chance to talk to her clearly. Perhaps keeping some distance would be better for everyone.
The message sent, and as expected, there was no reply.
Jiang Xuli was used to it. It was fine as long as his father would arrange things after seeing the message.
After leaving the malatang shop, his thoughts returned to the present. He heard Wang Shuya beside him still indignant on his behalf, her words condemning Jin Ran.
Jiang Xuli frowned, not understanding why two unrelated people harbored such intense animosity, even under the guise of being for his good.
He couldn’t help but speak up to stop it: “Enough. I don’t want to hear these words a second time. Also, my affairs have nothing to do with her.”
Chen Xunliang was stunned. Wang Shuya was also stunned. A moment later, her face filled with grievance. “I was doing it for your own good…”
Jiang Xuli smiled mockingly, utterly indifferent. “Who are you? I don’t need your ‘good’.”
Outsiders said he was calm, non-confrontational. Only he himself knew it was simply a matter of not caring when things didn’t concern him. In reality, his heart was filled with rebellion and indifference.
In that regard, he and his father didn’t seem much different.
The mockery in Jiang Xuli’s smile deepened. He stepped away in another direction, not showing the slightest bit of attachment to the girl standing there, looking as if she might break in the wind.
All that remained was Wang Shuya, her face pale, her dislike for Jin Ran growing even stronger.
…
Jiang Mingzuo didn’t see the message on his phone until he was taking a break.
He glanced at it and forwarded it to Assistant Wang. The latter, understanding the young master’s request, didn’t delay and called in one of his intern assistants to help at the school.
At Mingji Technology, as the CEO’s personal assistant, Assistant Wang also had three intern assistants under him. However, the interns handled tasks assigned by Assistant Wang; matters concerning the CEO still required his personal attention.
Right now, looking at Jiang Mingzuo, who had just come out of a meeting looking exhausted, Assistant Wang sighed internally about money being hard to earn while flipping open the evening schedule for instructions: “President Yang and President Chen invited you to dinner tonight. Do you want to go? If yes, should we cancel the dinner reservation at Dachanglou?”
“Decline the dinner invitation.” Jiang Mingzuo rubbed his temples, feeling a twinge of pain in his right arm wound. “Forget Dachanglou. Take the delivered meal home for yourself. Arrange the car for me now. I’ll head back to Shuoguowan later.”
Assistant Wang hadn’t expected this pleasant surprise. Although he often got to eat Michelin-starred food with Jiang Mingzuo, no one ever complained about more good things. He nodded, noting it down.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to take the changed clothes from the lounge: “I’ll send them to Shuoguowan for you after dry cleaning.”
Jiang Mingzuo thought about his outfits these past few days and offered rare praise: “The clothes were matched quite well. Maintain this standard from now on.”
Unexpectedly, Assistant Wang said, “Madam was the one who packed your clothes this time.”
Outwardly respectful and composed, inwardly he thought himself quite clever.
This way, he maintained a good relationship with the Madam while keeping the President satisfied. Assistant Wang was smug, completely failing to notice the pause in Jiang Mingzuo’s movements. “All of them?”
“Yes, President Jiang. Is something not right?”
“It’s fine.” Jiang Mingzuo waved his hand with his usual demeanor, signaling he could leave.
At sunset, after finishing his work, Jiang Mingzuo didn’t linger at the company as usual but left early.
Passing by the largest city river, the car window framed a brightly lit nightscape, the lights making the darkness seem like day.
Jiang Mingzuo quietly watched the passing scenery. Thinking of the luggage that included… intimate garments… the darkness in his eyes became as deep and unfathomable as the sea.
Just what is she trying to do…
The one being thought of, Jin Ran, would like to state: She really doesn’t want to do anything at all.
At that time, after finishing her physical examination and parting ways with Xu Zhen, she returned home and was immediately surrounded by the little calico that came running at the sound.
The kitten, nourished by love, had grown as if inflated with air. Compared to when it had first arrived, it was now a whole round plumper.
Its white, black, and yellow fur was glossy and smooth, like a fluffy cloud. When it rubbed against someone, a small dent would sink into its forehead.
Tell me—seeing a scene like this, what normal person could possibly resist?
So Jin Ran decisively stopped in her tracks, happily forgetting all thoughts of home as she played with the little calico. She kept calling it “baby, baby,” occasionally letting out a creepy kekeke laugh.
She didn’t even notice when Jiang Xuli walked up to her.
The atmosphere at the moment was, frankly, a bit strange.
Jin Ran’s hand was resting on the cat’s butt, and facing Jiang Xuli’s shocked gaze, she suddenly didn’t know whether to lift it or leave it there—like some perverted thief caught in the act.
After all, she was the one who had previously spoken so confidently about minding their own business, and now she was the one secretly playing with someone else’s cat behind his back.
Fortunately, although an adult’s wallet might be thin, their skin was thick enough. She stood up as if nothing had happened.
“Well, um… it looks like it’s hungry. It rubs against everyone it sees.”
The calico cat: “Meow?”
Having found an excuse for her behavior, Jin Ran gave a friendly smile and prepared to make her escape.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Xuli called out to her.
“Did you… go to the school today?”
He asked hesitantly.
There was nothing to deny about that, so Jin Ran nodded.
She was just about to explain that she had gone to take care of something nearby and merely passed by, when Jiang Xuli quickly said, “I’ll be moving back in a few days. You don’t need to go anymore.”
Jin Ran: “?” What did that have to do with her going to the school? And starting next week, she would have to go to the school every day!
Looking at the boy’s rebellious expression, Jin Ran was confused. She realized she had been out of her chūnibyō phase for far too long and had somewhat forgotten what kids this age were thinking. Did he think she had gone to the school because of him?
Uh… wasn’t that misunderstanding a bit too deep?
The real reason was simply the daily grind of a working stiff job-hunting.
The struggle on her face was too obvious to ignore. Jiang Xuli paused, wondering if he had spoken too harshly.
But he still insisted, “In the future, when we’re outside, I hope you won’t greet me. Just treat each other as strangers who don’t know one another.”
Coming back to her senses, Jin Ran agreed decisively this time.
“Sure!”
What was that saying again—searching high and low to no avail, only to find it without any effort. After passing the interview today, she had been constantly thinking about how to establish her authority as a teacher among the students while remaining impartial. If her rich-born stepson made a mistake, should she punish him or not?
Punish him, and she worried the kid might tattle behind her back—after all, his biological father controlled Wencheng Middle School’s funding, while she was just a small substitute teacher who had entered by clinging to the prestige of a wealthy family.
Not punish him, and it would damage her credibility and be unfair to the other students.
Now it was perfect.
Jin Ran smiled in relief. Since the other party had taken the initiative to suggest treating each other as strangers, she no longer needed to be torn between choices.
Jiang Xuli: “……”
Why did it feel like she was even happier than before?