Because Jin Ran agreed so readily, Jiang Xuli, having achieved his goal, didn’t feel happy at all.
He frowned, ultimately attributing it to his own lack of trust in Jin Ran that led to this feeling.
At 6 PM, the villa’s chef prepared a large table of dishes. The flavors had changed significantly compared to before—stir-fried, braised, spicy—things rarely seen on the dinner table previously.
But Jiang Xuli ate with relish. At an age where “a half-grown boy can eat his family poor,” such strong flavors made him add two extra bowls of rice compared to usual.
After eating, he went back to his room with the cat on his own, leaving only Jin Ran behind to discuss matters with the butler.
It wasn’t anything major. She was going to start work soon. There were plenty of cars at home, but there was only one driver, Xiao Sun. Usually, Xiao Sun needed to chauffeur Jiang Mingzuo and couldn’t take her as well. The problem was, Jin Ran was license-less: “Are there any electric scooters in the garage?”
The butler was stunned for a full five seconds. “Madam, what did you say?”
He doubted his hearing and couldn’t help but ask again.
Jin Ran: “…”
Although a wealthy housewife riding an electric scooter might be a bit off-script, it shouldn’t warrant such shock, right? Could it be that butlers in wealthy households didn’t even know what an electric scooter was?
Inexplicably, Jin Ran felt awkward too, thinking, maybe she should just walk? But half an hour was a real waste for a commute.
Just as she was hesitating and conflicted, a man’s voice suddenly sounded from behind. “Where do you need to go?”
Jiang Mingzuo walked in with measured steps.
The man was impeccably dressed in a suit, his hair meticulously slicked back with pomade, revealing his extraordinarily handsome face, though he looked somewhat tired.
“Sir.”
The butler snapped to attention. Not having been notified in advance, dinner had only been prepared for two. He quickly asked, “Sir, have you eaten? Should I have the kitchen prepare something?”
Jiang Mingzuo glanced at the nearly finished dishes on the table. “Hmm, make a few light dishes.”
The butler respectfully withdrew. Only then did Jiang Mingzuo look at Jin Ran.
After several days apart, meeting again, each had their own thoughts. “I heard you need a vehicle. Planning to go out?”
His tone was calm as he asked, seeming relatively amiable.
Jin Ran paused, similarly tactfully not mentioning that night’s encounter, as if nothing had happened.
That was how adults interacted, emphasizing social distance—not initiating, not demanding, maintaining an appropriate sense of boundaries.
On another note, her employment at Wencheng Middle School wasn’t a secret. The reason she hadn’t mentioned it was simply that no one had asked. She couldn’t exactly drag someone aside to pour out her news.
Now that Jiang Mingzuo had brought it up, Jin Ran simply chose her words carefully: “You know, after graduating, I didn’t look for a job because of family matters. Recently, I finally have some free time, so I tried sending out a few resumes. Surprisingly, I got hired. So, I’ll probably need to go out daily from now on.”
Jiang Mingzuo thought for a moment. “I recall you graduated from A Normal University.”
Jin Ran looked at him in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to remember.
Then again, although they slept in separate rooms, marriage surely involved background checks. Perhaps Jiang Mingzuo knew the original owner better than she did herself.
A belated sense of guilt arose. Jin Ran coughed lightly, deciding certain things were best left in the past.
These past few days, she had figured it out. Since Jiang Mingzuo hadn’t made any further moves after his probing, he probably didn’t intend to expose her. Otherwise, with his business acumen, she’d have been sent packing long ago, with no chance to flaunt the wealthy family’s banner outside.
Maybe he lacked evidence, or perhaps he had other plans. In any case, she could temporarily stop worrying about her situation.
As for the future, did she really think she’d stay in the same place forever?
The little person in Jin Ran’s heart confidently puffed out its chest. In an instant, various “dragon soaring in the sky” mantras enlightened her.
My fate is mine to command, not heaven’s!
Better to bully an old man with a white beard than a poor young man!
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west!
Today you ignore me, tomorrow I’ll be out of your reach!
A deep self-brainwashing session successfully motivated her. Jin Ran firmly believed she would grow into a force to be reckoned with in the future. She wasn’t one to dwell on the past. After shifting her mindset, she even felt in the mood to observe Jiang Mingzuo.
One had to admit, this face was truly good-looking—sharp eyebrows and cool eyes, a high nose bridge, lips neither too thick nor too thin, but when pressed together, they formed a downward line, making his cold, stern demeanor even more severe.
It was hard to imagine what such a face would look like smiling.
Wait, did he even smile?
Jin Ran’s thoughts ran wild. She had only mentioned going out to work, not what kind of work. If the man knew the truth, what would his reaction be?
Just thinking about it made the corners of Jin Ran’s eyes crinkle uncontrollably. She said with a smile, “I did graduate from A Normal University, majoring in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics.”
Jiang Mingzuo noticed the undisguised amusement in the woman’s eyes, pondering it. He truly followed up by asking, “What job? If it’s on the way, Xiao Sun can give you a ride.”
Jin Ran feigned nonchalance and waved a hand. “Nothing special, just a substitute teacher at Wencheng Middle School. I’m going tomorrow to officially join, starting work officially next Monday.”
After she finished speaking, she indeed saw the look of surprise on Jiang Mingzuo’s face.
She was instantly satisfied, as if she had eaten a sweet fruit, feeling refreshed from head to toe.
It was exactly this kind of moment—when something others never expect, yet once they learn it, they immediately reveal an expression of “So that’s how it is”—that felt unbelievably satisfying!
Jiang Mingzuo found it somewhat amusing.
The current Jin Ran felt far more genuine than before, so much so that he suddenly didn’t really want to expose her.
“On the way to Mingji, I’ll be passing by Wencheng anyway. I can drop you off first.”
Jin Ran thought about it only briefly before agreeing.
“Then I’ll trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble. But you can take some time to get a driver’s license—not necessarily to drive, but so you’ll have more options if you ever run into certain situations.”
No wonder he was able to turn the tables in adversity and become City A’s new business elite—even the way he spoke was so persuasive. Jin Ran was successfully convinced. In her previous life, after graduating, she hadn’t bothered getting a driver’s license because she couldn’t find a job. And even if she had gotten one, she couldn’t have afforded a car.
But now, she had nearly two hundred thousand in her account. A luxury car might be out of reach, but a Wuling Hongguang was definitely doable.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Jiang Mingzuo continued, “I happen to know a few driving school instructors. If you’re interested, later on you can have Uncle Cheng help you sign up.”
At this point, Jin Ran couldn’t even describe how moved she was—it was like being handed a pillow just as drowsiness set in. She began to feel ashamed of having once misunderstood this man. What “scheming”? This was clearly the thoughtfulness of a mature man!
When fresh dishes were brought out from the kitchen, she was already full but still sat back down to keep him company for another round.
“Do you want some of this braised pork knuckle? It’s especially good.”
“And there’s also an improved version of tiger-skin eggs—made using Longjing tea. You can smell a faint tea fragrance.”
Jin Ran enthusiastically recommended the chef’s improved dishes. Whether it was due to the original host’s persona or out of gratitude for Jiang Mingzuo’s help, she was exceptionally warm and engaged.
The crystal chandelier hung straight down, light spilling from its glass shade and reflecting off the smooth marble floor.
Jiang Mingzuo lowered his gaze and, without drawing attention, glanced at the woman’s feet.
There was a shadow.
After the meal, the two of them returned to the second floor together.
Jiang Mingzuo still had matters to handle and went straight to the study. Jin Ran was a little sleepy, but she still forced herself to finish a set of practice papers before getting up to grab a change of clothes and wash up.
She dawdled through her shower, then slathered herself in fragrant body lotion. By then, Jin Ran could barely keep her eyes open. Before going to bed, she noticed that the light in the study next door was still on and couldn’t help sighing that even domineering CEOs couldn’t escape the fate of being working drones.
And in just a few days, she would become one of them too.
With that thought, Jin Ran—the soon-to-be workhorse—could no longer hold on and fell asleep.
The next morning, daylight broke.
Jiang Xuli, coming down from the third floor after getting up, unexpectedly saw a rare scene at the dining table.
He had gone to bed early the night before and didn’t know his dad had come back. Seeing the two adults calmly sitting together and eating now, his expression turned dazed.
So… they’d made up?
A flash of emotion—somewhere between disappointment and resentment at their lack of backbone—passed through his mind. Jiang Xuli snapped back to himself and immediately despised his own thoughts.
Jin Ran’s love-brained devotion to his dad was obvious to all. For her, this outcome was exactly what she hoped for.
As for himself, he would absolutely not give in so easily.
By the time Jiang Mingzuo looked over, the boy had already walked to his seat and sat down.
The meal passed calmly, without any ripples.
The two adults maintained proper social boundaries, doing what they needed to do, their attitudes no different from before.
Among the three of them, perhaps only Jiang Xuli felt uncomfortable all over.
He unconsciously sped up his eating, finished breakfast in two minutes, then stood up, ready to leave.
“Hey, wait!” Jin Ran looked up and called out to him. “Your dad’s driving later—do you want him to give you a ride?”
She was heading to school to report in anyway. If the two of them shared the ride, with both father and son present, the atmosphere probably wouldn’t be that awkward.
Jiang Xuli rejected it without a second thought.
“No need.”
With a cool, aloof expression and an attitude detached from the world, he effectively blocked Jin Ran from telling him that she’d been hired as a teacher. In the end, the boy rode off on his motorcycle with flair, unaware that not long after he left, Jin Ran also arrived at the gates of Wencheng Middle School in Jiang Mingzuo’s car.