Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Zhou Heyuan said to go back together

Lin Anran reacted quickly. She turned and saw Tang Rui consciously avoiding the area. Thinking of her conversation with Zhou Heyuan on their way out, she suspected her boss was suspecting her of deceiving him. She quickly raised the honey jar in her hand and explained, "Mr. Zhou, I bought this jar of honey at Mr. Tang's shop. Uncle Zhao highly recommended it. Mr. Tang is the grandson of Mr. Xu from the rental bookstore. This is the second time we've met today. It's just a coincidence. But now we can be considered new friends."

Zhou Heyuan bent his slender fingers slightly: "Congratulations."

Lin Anran thought about her recent meetings with Tang Rui. Aside from Tang Rui's mother's enthusiastic offer to give her some honey, everything was fine. She smiled. "Mr. Tang and I really have a connection today. Not only did we meet at the rental bookstore this morning, but the shop I went to buy honey from this afternoon is actually owned by his parents... Ahem, so Mr. Zhou, you stopped the car. Do you have anything for me to do?"

Realizing that she had said too much, Lin Anran immediately changed her words and stared at Boss Zhou with burning eyes.

Zhou Heyuan raised his head slightly to look at her and said, "Shuyan wants to invite you and Uncle Ding to see orchids. He asked me to ask when you are free."

"Mr. Guo?" Lin Anran thought of the good guy number two who lent books for free and agreed immediately. "As long as it's not during my night university classes, I can also make time on Sundays, but I'll have to see Uncle Ding's availability first."

"Has he finished reading the book you borrowed?"

Lin Anran: "I've finished reading it, and Uncle Ding will be almost done too. You can return the book to Mr. Guo anytime."

Zhou Heyuan: "He's not in a hurry."

"Oh, okay." Lin Anran nodded again and again, looking at Boss Zhou with a pair of bright black eyes, waiting for his next words.

Zhou Heyuan: "No more."

Lin Anran, who had been holding her breath, blinked. She smiled and waved slightly: "Okay, Mr. Zhou, have a safe trip." She also waved friendly to Fang Jie in the driver's seat up front, "Brother Fang, drive slowly. Safety comes first."

Fang Jie saw Lin Anran in the rearview mirror and nodded in agreement.

"Xiao Lin."

Lin Anran faced Boss Zhou, indicating that she was listening carefully.

Zhou Heyuan said to her: "Be careful and go back early."

Lin Anran smiled. "Mr. Zhou, I'm only one signature away from entering the villa area. My safety is absolutely guaranteed."

Zhou Heyuan nodded, and the car window slowly rose until it completely covered the people in the car. Lin Anran watched the luxury car drive away before turning around and saying, "Mr. Tang, I'm here. Thank you for driving me back."

Tang Rui shook his head and said, "It's my honor to send you back."

Lin Anran noticed that she had waved quite a lot today, and now she was waving goodbye to Tang Rui again: "We'll see each other again next time if there's a chance."

It was quite comfortable to make friends with Tang Rui, and Lin Anran was not opposed to seeing him again next time.

"We will definitely meet again. I've been staying at the rental bookstore recently, and all the heavy work has been taken up by me. Fortunately, I still have some strength, which can be of some use." Tang Rui laughed and joked to himself.

Lin Anran laughed, signed her name, and entered the villa area. After walking a short distance, she suddenly stopped and looked back. Seeing that Tang Rui had not left yet, she had no choice but to wave her hand vigorously again, silently calling him to go home.

Tang Rui also waved back like her, and they both turned and left.

Back at the villa, the evening sun was less intense, perfect for taking the orchids out to dry out in the sun. The orchids had been inside for so long, they needed a chance to get some fresh air outside. Lin Anran looked at her four potted plants, confidently and proudly, her hands on her hips. "My orchids and aloe vera are growing incredibly well! Awesome!"

No one can compare to her, hehe, she is awesome!

Ever since they learned that Lin Anran was only twenty-two years old, Uncle Ding and the others looked at her like their own child, with a kind look in their eyes: "Indeed, Xiaolin, the three orchids you raised are growing very well, and the aloe vera is even better. The pot of Clivia I raised for Mr. Zhou is not as good as yours."

Lin Anran smiled awkwardly. She did use plug-ins to cheat, but then she thought that having plug-ins was also a kind of strength. She spent no less time and energy on the four potted plants than others. She had a golden finger, and she had to work hard to use it well and use it to improve her knowledge and skills.

"Uncle Ding, Mr. Zhou said that Mr. Guo wants to invite us to see orchids together. Mr. Guo probably wants to see how we are growing the orchids. When are you free?" Lin Anran changed the subject.

Uncle Ding: "I can come any time, it depends on your schedule, Xiaolin."

Lin Anran thought about it and said, "Then our schedules match Mr. Guo's. We don't need to make a special date. We can just do it like we did before."

After taking care of the three orchids, Lin Anran moved them back to the room, cut off an aloe vera leaf, took out the prepared tools, and began to make aloe vera honey gel. She made it for immediate use and was not so strict about disinfection, as long as the tools were clean. Although she had only made it once with Zhou Yunxue in this life, she was experienced in her previous life, so she quickly got half a jar of aloe vera honey gel.

"Is this okay?" Aunt Li just went out of the room for a while. When she was out, Lin Anran started to take out the leaf pulp. Unexpectedly, when she came back, the aloe vera and honey turned into aloe vera honey gel.

Lin Anran placed the glass jar on the small desk and went to the bathroom in the room to clean his face, hands and feet. He smiled and replied, "It doesn't require too many complicated steps to make this. I use it myself."

Aunt Li curiously watched Lin Anran apply aloe vera and honey gel to her face, neck, hands, and feet. She asked, "Xiao Lin, would you like to try egg white and honey in the future? Or maybe even cucumber slices as a facial mask, where you can eat them while you apply them?"

"Pfft~" Lin Anran quickly suppressed his laughter, but when he thought of the scene described by Aunt Li, he still found it very funny. "It's not good to put cucumber slices in your mouth after applying them on your face, right?"

Aunt Li was very strict: "We need to wash it and cook another dish in the evening, so it won't be wasted."

Lin Anran's shoulders were shaking, and she almost broke down from holding it in. The aloe vera and honey gel she had just applied to her face was almost wiped off with laughter. "Hahaha, I'll give it a try sometime when I get a chance. Haha, Aunt Li, why didn't I realize you could make people laugh so well before?"

Aunt Li was also amused and reminded Lin Anran, "Xiao Lin, if you try using egg whites and cucumber slices in the future, remember to stay away from Old Zhao, otherwise he'll nag you until your ears are callused and say that good food is being wasted."

Lin Anran leaned back on the bed, propping himself up, but couldn't control his body from shaking with laughter. "Then I have to tell Uncle Zhao that I bought the wild honey to drink with water. I can't let him know that I also use it on my face."

"Okay, I'll keep it a secret for you," Aunt Li happily cooperated, adding, "Drinking honey mixed with water can nourish your body. Drink more. It nourishes your body from the inside out. I'll buy some and send it back to you later."

Lin Anran took the honey jar out of the drawer: "Aunt Li, smell it, this wild honey is really fragrant."

Aunt Li came over and sniffed: "It smells really good."

Lin Anran took the opportunity to eat some honey with Aunt Li, and her whole body seemed to become as sweet as the honey. Anyway, she was very sweet now, from the inside out.

The next day, Lin Anran got up ten minutes earlier than usual. She didn't lie in bed and didn't even change her nightgown. She went straight to the bathroom, turned on the light, and looked in the mirror. Her face was almost touching the mirror. When she saw the face in the mirror clearly, the corners of her mouth immediately curled into a bright smile. Good, good, her face was a little whiter, her wrinkles were a little lighter, and the key point was that the presence of the word "Chuan" was reduced again, hahaha!

Lin Anran started counting her wrinkles again to see if they had decreased. Oh, no, they hadn't. That's normal. It's slow to take effect, but it's the best when it works. It's much better than the expensive skin care products she used in her previous life.

After admiring her face enough, Lin Anran brushed her teeth and washed her face. When her hands touched her face, both made her feel soft and a little slippery.

Aunt Li was very surprised when she found out that Lin Anran had gotten up earlier than her. Lin Anran pointed at her face and asked, "Aunt Li, didn't you notice the changes in my face?"

Aunt Li realized why Lin Anran had gotten up so early and was at a loss for words. However, she still took a closer look and said, "Nothing has changed. But Xiaolin, you are indeed much whiter than when you first came."

Lin Anran was stunned. Well, she knew that others would not engrave her face in their minds like she did, and no one would know about the two tiny wrinkles she had lost. Only she knew the subtle changes on her face.

"Aunt Li, look, I'm even whiter today than yesterday." Lin Anran held her face with both hands and explained happily.

Aunt Li looked at it carefully, then yawned and said, "Good, good, it's much whiter again. I'll go brush my teeth first. We'll go to the third floor as usual. I wonder when Mr. Qian and Mr. Guo will be free to come and stay at the villa..."

Aunt Li was not very supportive, but Lin Anran was still excited. She sat in front of the small desk and applied some fragrance on her face. Well, actually, she applied some Pechoin moisturizing cream. After that, she smelled good again.

When Lin Anran and Aunt Li were carrying the curtains down from the third floor, they ran into Zhou Heyuan, who was dressed in sportswear and about to go for morning exercise. "Good morning, Mr. Zhou."

Wow!

Lin Anran secretly wondered, "Did Boss Zhou stay in bed today?" He was out later than usual for morning exercise. Lin Anran had never run into Boss Zhou at this time or place before. He had a strong sense of time and a terrifyingly regular routine, almost inhuman. He was truly a fighter among the big guys.

Zhou Heyuan stopped and faced Lin Anran and the others. A clear and pleasant voice rang out: "Good morning, Aunt Li, Xiaolin."

Aunt Li's face was as bright as a flower: "Mr. Zhou, you go first."

Lin Anran smiled professionally, and no one could tell that she had some bad intentions.

Zhou Heyuan nodded slightly, his eyes quickly passed over her, turned around, and walked down the stairs with his long legs, leaving only their tall and straight backs in sight.

Lin Anran let out a breath quietly. She was definitely praising her boss. Yes, she was sure of it!

After moving the curtains to the laundry room, Aunt Li couldn't help but say to Lin Anran, "Mr. Zhou actually postponed his morning exercise today. This is a first for him."

Lin Anran: "Yes, I was surprised when I saw it. By the way, Aunt Li, has Mr. Zhou never stayed in bed?"

Aunt Li looked at Lin Anran, who always stayed in bed on Sundays, with amusement: "Anyway, since I started working here with Mr. Zhou, I haven't seen that. Uncle Wang works on time every day and has never made a mistake."

Lin Anran hissed in shock, "How can someone as self-disciplined as Mr. Zhou not succeed? The same goes for Uncle Wang."

Aunt Li: "So Uncle Wang is the housekeeper."

"And we are subordinates." Lin Anran shook her head. She definitely couldn't have such abnormal self-discipline, so this might be the reason why she couldn't become a fighter among the big guys. Her requirements were not high - a rich pig who could stand on the cusp of the trend.

When Zhou Heyuan was the only owner living in the villa, Lin Anran's job was the easiest. Of course, she had no chance of getting a bonus or double salary, and could only honestly collect the monthly salary of 500 yuan. But being relaxed also had its advantages. While Boss Zhou was having breakfast in the dining room, she would take a break from her busy schedule to eat the snacks that Chef Zhao had prepared but not finished in the kitchen. She would also feed Fang Jie and Uncle Ding delicious food. Fang Jie was the driver and bodyguard, and he was also having breakfast in the kitchen, but this did not prevent Lin Anran from feeding him.

Uncle Ding: "Mr. Zhou said Mr. Guo will come to visit next Sunday afternoon."

"Eh? What time in the afternoon?" Lin Anran asked hurriedly. She had English class on Sunday morning, and in the afternoon, she actually wanted to go out and play with her friends.

Uncle Ding: "Three o'clock in the afternoon."

After hearing this, Lin Anran calculated the time. Fortunately, at least she could have lunch outside and watch a movie. It was enough. Accepting Guo Shuyan's invitation was not to work overtime during the holiday. The three of them made an appointment to meet orchid lovers and learn from each other about orchid-raising knowledge and skills. Guo Shuyan knew more about orchid-related knowledge and information than she and Uncle Ding, so it was obvious that she and Uncle Ding had the upper hand.

"Brother Fang, why are you looking at me?" Lin Anran looked up and found Fang Jie observing her with a puzzled look on her face.

Fang Jie's face was usually expressionless. He didn't panic when he was caught peeking. He explained calmly as usual: "Thank you for giving me this fried dough twist."

Lin Anran chuckled: "I am just offering flowers to Buddha, you should thank Uncle Zhao."

Fang Jie: "I will, thank you too."

Lin Anran waved his hand and didn't take it to heart.

"Xiao Lin, Mr. Zhou wants to see you." Uncle Wang seemed to have this trick up his sleeve suddenly.

Lin Anran was happily chewing on some fragrant and crispy fried dough twists when he was suddenly called. He didn't panic at all and nodded to show that he understood. He put down the half-eaten fried dough twists in his hand, chewed the ones in his mouth faster, swallowed them, picked up his water cup and took a sip of water. He slurped it up, spit it out, wiped his mouth, and finished it in ten seconds: "I'm ready, Uncle Wang, I'll go now."

Uncle Wang and the other two couldn't help but smile as they watched Lin Anran perform a series of skillful movements.

Lin Anran sighed to himself: "I am too skilled."

Everyone was happy again.

It was also because Zhou Heyuan and Uncle Wang were not strict people that she had the courage to hide in the kitchen to eat and drink during work hours. Thank the boss! Although she was greedy, she would never slack off at work.

Zhou Heyuan had just finished wiping his mouth when he said to Lin Anran, "Yunxue wants to call you. I'll give you a bonus."

"No need for an additional bonus, Mr. Zhou. We agreed before she left that we wouldn't keep in touch." Last month, everyone got the bonus together. Lin Anran's salary was doubled because she was with Zhou Yunxue. She felt at ease taking the money, but her contact with Zhou Yunxue was just between friends. Taking another bonus would seem like a bad move. She was short of money, but not that bonus.

Lin Anran felt a little embarrassed again: "It's just that I might need to make a phone call... How about I pay the phone bill?"

Zhou Heyuan: "No need to pay, just think of it as me, your brother, sponsoring Yunxue to make friends."

Lin Anran, who had saved the small amount of money, smiled shamelessly: "Okay, Mr. Zhou, I'll listen to you."

Hearing this, Zhou Heyuan turned his head to look at Lin Anran. Did she listen to him?

Lin Anran did not plan to use the villa's phone frequently. It would be enough for her and Zhou Yunxue to call each other once or twice a month. Zhou Yunxue had to take the college entrance examination and could not call her often. They could still send letters to each other.

"Can."

Lin Anran: “……?”

She smiled calmly.

Zhou Heyuan's morning exercise was postponed today, but he still left on time.

Lin Anran discovered that, without her noticing, the number of times and time she saw Boss Zhou every day had greatly increased. She thought back and realized that it was after Zhou Yunxue moved into the villa. That was fine, Boss Zhou was very caring towards his sister Zhou Yunxue. It was normal, very normal.

She is also normal.

"Yu Jing, you don't look normal, uh," Lin Anran scratched his cheek with his fingers, pointing out the problem seriously, "It's only been a day, how come you look so haggard? What happened? Is it because of the garment factory where you work?"

Compared with Yu Jing who happily returned home yesterday, Yu Jing now looks haggard, with dark circles under her eyes and obvious red bloodshot eyes. It is obvious that something big has happened to her.

Yu Jing shook her head, her voice hoarse: "An Ran, I'm fine."

Lin Anran thought about it and said, "How about I take you for a walk outside to calm you down? Can you really listen to the teacher's lecture in your current state?"

"No, I'm really fine. Thank you for your concern, Anran." Yu Jing refused firmly.

"Well, you know, I'm here, ready to listen to you at any time." Lin Anran was helpless. She felt that Yu Jing wanted to be alone and quiet for a while, so she didn't continue to talk to her. Instead, she buried her head in reading the English classics borrowed from the rental bookstore.

In the middle of the class, Lin Anran noticed that Yu Jing was listening particularly attentively, to the point of being too serious. She thought that the situation seemed very serious and she wondered if the garment factory had really gone bankrupt.

After class, Lin Anran learned that Yu Jing's situation was more serious than she had imagined, because Yu Jing not only faced the problem of how to work in the future, but also had to face the pressure from her parents to get married.

"Today is Monday, and the factory leader finally showed up and called everyone to a meeting. Before we went, we were all wondering if there was good news. After we went, we found out that the garment factory was facing bankruptcy and was about to be sold. The factory workers were going to be laid off. It happened too fast. I didn't expect the factory to close down so soon." Yu Jing's expression was numb.

Lin Anran wasn't surprised. She'd heard Yu Jing's description of the garment factory situation: the leadership had shown a lack of ambition, each focused solely on self-interest. The factory was divided into several factions, each vying for control. Add to that the long-standing problems of this state-owned factory, and how could it possibly thrive? People used to claim to be dedicated to the public good, but now, many professed this commitment to the public good while actually pursuing their own interests. People's hearts were no longer what they used to be.

Lin Anran: "Yeah, it's really fast."

Yu Jing: "It turns out that my mother asked me to go home early yesterday because she had arranged a blind date for me without telling me. Anran, you don't know, but when I got home yesterday, I saw the blind date, a strange man. If my family hadn't been there, I would have thought there was a burglar. I even almost shouted 'stop thief!'"

Lin Anran's expression was indescribable: "Why didn't your parents discuss this blind date with you beforehand?"

"They were afraid that I wouldn't agree. I already had a girlfriend before." Yu Jing was too depressed. She really needed someone to listen to her. Lin Anran happened to be the best listener.

Yu Jing's ex-boyfriend was a boy who grew up with her neighbor. They had a crush on each other in high school and naturally became a couple. They agreed to take the college entrance examination together. The pre-examination had not been cancelled when she was in high school, but they both failed the pre-examination and were not even qualified to take the college entrance examination. They repeated the year together. This time, they both passed the pre-examination and took the college entrance examination. As a result, Yu Jing's ex-boyfriend was successfully admitted to a junior college, but she failed. She wanted to repeat the year, but her family did not agree because she had already repeated the year once. What if she still failed the second time?

It happened that the garment factory was recruiting workers at that time, and Yu Jing was urged by her parents to take the exam. This time she passed the exam and became an office clerk in the garment factory. Her ex-boyfriend asked Yu Jing to wait for him, and Yu Jing waited. As a result, her ex-boyfriend did not finish college and found another partner in college, so Yu Jing broke up with him.

"My mother said that I am 24 years old and if I don't find a partner soon, I will be delayed. In the past few years, my mother has been hoping that I will find a partner with better conditions, so she didn't urge me much. Our garment factory used to be very good, and it was easy for singles to find a partner, so my mother was not in a hurry. But now the garment factory is not doing well, and my mother is anxious." Yu Jing sighed.

Lin Anran blinked. It turned out that Yu Jing was the older sister. She had always thought she was older. "So how were you yesterday?"

Yu Jing shook her head: "My mother was desperate and tried all kinds of treatments."

Lin Anran didn't ask any further questions. He reached out and patted her, "You have life's most important things weighing on your shoulders. I can't give you any good advice, so I can only accompany you."

Yu Jing: "An Ran, I'm already very happy that you're willing to listen to me. Without you, I wouldn't even have anyone to say these words to."

"Come on, you can do it. Don't forget that you are learning English better and better. In a few months, you can add English as a skill to your resume. You can easily find a good job and make a lot of money." Lin Anran blinked and encouraged her.

Yu Jing was amused. "Okay, I hope it's like you said, I can easily find a good job and make a lot of money."

"Anran, I'm really lucky to have you as a friend. Thank you so much." Before parting, Yu Jing reached out and hugged Lin Anran, saying with gratitude.

Lin Anran grinned, raised his thumb, then turned to himself and pressed his hand on the right cheek, his cheek flesh slightly sunken in. "Hehe, that's right, classmate Yu Jing, you are super lucky, you should cherish me as a friend."

Yu Jing chuckled and laughed heartily: "I cherish it very much."

"Let's go to English class together tomorrow~" Lin Anran said goodbye to her.

Yu Jing nodded vigorously: "Okay."

Lin Anran was also extremely happy to be recognized by her friends. She was skipping and jumping on the way back. Her two feet just refused to walk properly, and she hummed a tuneless song under her mouth: "La la la ~ I am a little expert in selling orchids ~ La la la ~ I am a little rich woman ~ I will make a lot of money today ~ I will make a lot of money tomorrow ~ Rich rich rich ~ Pig pig pig ~ I am a little rich woman..."

"Xiao Lin?"

When Lin Anran heard this, she froze, her mouth half open. She turned around, slowly, and saw the familiar tall figure. Slowly, slowly, she closed her mouth, and then slowly revealed a very natural smile: "Mr. Zhou, you are here too, what a coincidence, it's fate."

Zhou Heyuan looked down at her calmly: "What a coincidence, I'm running at night."

Lin Anran nodded seriously: "Night running is good, it exercises the body and is good for the body. Mr. Zhou is really a sports expert. By the way, did Mr. Zhou hear the song I just sang?" She chose to take the initiative.

Zhou Heyuan looked at her, a smile in his eyes, and his tone was normal: "I heard it."

"The Rich Woman's Song, I adapted it myself. It sounds nice, doesn't it?" Lin Anran looked up at him and laughed.

Zhou Heyuan paused. Seeing her bright smile, eyes shining, and confident expression, he carefully recalled the lyrics he had just heard and gave his assessment: "Very rich woman."

Lin Anran laughed proudly: "Is that so? Mr. Zhou, go for a night run. I won't disturb you." As she said that, she turned and left.

Zhou Heyuan said, "I'm done running. Let's go back together."

Lin Anran: “…Okay.”