Lin Ran woke up naturally, having slept exceptionally well the previous night.
When she got out of bed, Lin Ba was still asleep, and the living room was empty.
She took out a basket of steamed buns and two cups of soy milk from her Dimension to heat up for breakfast. After finishing her meal, she stood in the garden contentedly watching the clouds drift across the sky—the environment in this premium villa area was truly pleasant.
What Lin Ran didn’t notice was that while she was admiring the scenery, someone else was watching her.
Jiang Chen stood on his bedroom balcony, gazing at the girl downstairs who resembled a beautiful spirit.
Why had he had such a bizarre dream? In the dream, they had lived and died together, and alongside her, he had made those who betrayed them perish in that great fire.
“Have we met before?”
Lin Ran, holding a freshly brewed cup of coffee she was about to savor, suddenly heard this question.
She turned around and saw Jiang Chen, who looked exceptionally noble even in a simple white shirt and trousers. Had he just asked her if they had met before?
Why would he ask such a question?
Lin Ran shook her head gently. “If I had met someone as remarkable as you, Mr. Jiang, I would never have forgotten. So, unfortunately, we haven’t met before.”
Yes, in this lifetime, they hadn’t yet become acquainted.
Hearing this answer, Jiang Chen felt a pang of disappointment in his heart.
So, they really hadn’t met before.
“Then we know each other now. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jiang Chen hadn’t realized he could speak like this.
It felt a bit cheesy.
Lin Ran smiled faintly, never expecting Jiang Chen, as a human, to be like this.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
Jiang Chen coughed lightly to mask his embarrassment and said, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen anyone around here. Have you been away on a trip?”
“Yes, we had some matters to attend to in our hometown, so we went back for a while.”
What kind of matters would make your parents quit their jobs?
Jiang Chen had actually looked into Lin Ran’s family in private, but this family’s behavior was utterly unpredictable. Who would quit their jobs in middle age and sell a perfectly good supermarket?
And then move into a villa area where every inch of land is worth a fortune?
What exactly were they up to? Were they really planning to open a large supermarket? He had investigated and found that the Lin family had purchased countless goods during this time, yet there was no sign of them looking for a new storefront to open a supermarket.
Jiang Chen had a million questions swirling in his mind, feeling that Lin Ran was shrouded in mystery, compelling him to uncover the truth.
Unaware of Jiang Chen’s thoughts, Lin Ran maintained a faint smile on her face. She still carried her fondness for him from her previous life and didn’t mind helping him out when the time was crucial.
“Where is your hometown? Maybe I’ve been there before.”
“It’s not far from Cloud Metropolis. It’s called Clear Water Town, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters.”
“Clear Water Town—such a lovely name. I’d like to visit if I get the chance.”
The two of them chatted so congenially that Jiang Chen forgot it was Monday and he had to go to work.
Lin Ran, having skipped classes for many days, had long forgotten she still had a university to attend. But her classmates didn’t feel the same way.
Ye Ning stared at the black profile picture in the class group chat, utterly furious.
“That damned Lin Ran, just because I rejected her confession? Now she’s not even coming to school, not submitting her graduation thesis, never replying to class group messages – does she want to get expelled? What a hopeless case of love obsession.”
Lin Ran’s phone rang while she was discussing extreme weather with Jiang Chen.
She was subtly hinting to this future big shot to remember to stock up on supplies.
“Hello, who is this?”
“Lin Ran, stop pretending. It’s Ye Ning. I’m asking you why you’re not coming to school. Don’t you know the graduation thesis is due soon? Don’t you want to graduate?”
Lin Ran: “…No.”
After saying this bluntly, she hung up on him.
Ye Ning stared at the black screen in disbelief.
She must be crazy.
She must have gone mad, otherwise why would she hang up on me? If I weren’t the class monitor, I wouldn’t even bother calling to remind her.
Lin Ran had no special feelings toward Ye Ning now – he was just a familiar stranger to her.
In her previous life during her youth, she had indeed had a crush on this handsome boy. But after the apocalypse began, she was too busy surviving to even remember what he looked like.
Later, when Ye Lan told her he died a tragic death, she only sighed briefly without any other emotions.
Hearing his voice again, this was the only reaction she could muster – she genuinely didn’t care about being expelled. After the apocalypse, that diploma would be less valuable than a roll of toilet paper.
Lu Yu came looking for Jiang Chen, never expecting to witness such a shocking scene.
The usually aloof Jiang Chen was actually speaking with a girl in such a gentle, careful manner. If he weren’t so familiar with that face, he wouldn’t dare approach to confirm it was him.
Indeed, this girl was the special person he had identified – Lin Ran.
Jiang Chen’s weakness?
He should go test the waters.
Lu Yu sat in his car, quietly observing for a while before opening the door and stepping out.
“Jiang Chen, so this is why you skipped work today,” Lu Yu said in his usual casual tone as he approached teasingly. “Turns out you have a beauty keeping you company here.”
Jiang Chen hadn’t expected Lu Yu to show up, and felt somewhat displeased by his untimely appearance.
“Hello, I’m Jiang Chen’s friend. My name is Lu Yu.”
The moment Lin Ran saw Lu Yu, her pupils sharply contracted.
She had seen this man before – he would become the leader of Sharp Knife Base after Jiang Chen, that traitor. So he had appeared by Jiang Chen’s side this early.
How convenient.
Perhaps she could help Jiang Chen eliminate this villain in advance, to repay him for helping her in her previous life.
Thinking this, Lin Ran flashed Lu Yu a bright smile: “Hello, I’m Lin Ran.”
Lu Yu was dazzled by Lin Ran’s smile. Over the years he had seen many beautiful women – celebrities, models – but this was his first time meeting someone as pure as Lin Ran.
Her skin was flawlessly pale, her eyes lively and clear, like an immortal untouched by worldly affairs, making people instinctively want to protect and possess her.
Now he understood why Jiang Chen treated this person so specially.
Jiang Chen saw the fascination in Lu Yu’s eyes clearly, and instantly felt intense displeasure rising in his heart.
“Lu Yu, did you come looking for me for something?”
Jiang Chen’s voice promptly pulled Lu Yu back to reality. He quickly composed his expression and said, “Everyone is waiting for you in the conference room for the meeting. You haven’t forgotten about meeting the Ye family today, have you?”
The Ye family?
Lin Ran slightly furrowed her brows. Surely this wasn’t the same Ye family she was thinking of.
What an interesting twist of fate—after all this circling around, it still involved these same people.
Hearing it was the Ye family again, Jiang Chen replied impatiently, “Go help me send them away. I’m not interested in cooperating with them for now.”