Chapter 40 A Good Stepmother, A Good Teacher

Chapter 40

Jin Ran declined Xu Zhen's invitation to hitch a ride because Jiang Xuli was traveling with her.

She changed into the latest season's sun-protective sportswear sent by the brand, put on a light makeup, and then carefully applied sunscreen to all exposed skin, even behind her ears. Still not satisfied after doing all this, she also grabbed a bottle of sunscreen spray.

Just as Jiang Xuli downstairs was getting impatient, she finally appeared, carrying a Hermes bag, with an air of nonchalance.

"I don't know when he'll be back, so let your dad know first."

"what ever."

So Jin Ran sent a WeChat message to Jiang Mingxu, who had already gone to work at the company.

The two took a taxi to Qiuping Mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, the club's teachers were chatting together when Jin Ran's arrival caught everyone's attention.

True beauty lies in character, not just appearance. Some beauties are so stunning that you can tell just by looking at their backs, even without seeing their faces. Jin Ran is one such example.

Wearing a long-sleeved and long-legged sun-protective sports outfit, which would make others look bulky and thick-waisted, she appeared even taller and slimmer. Her face was covered by a mask, revealing only her high nose bridge and a pair of eyes. But her almond-shaped eyes, with their slightly upturned corners, seemed to hold brimming autumn water, and the way they looked made it impossible to look away.

"Ranran!"

Xu Zhen was the first to snap out of her daze and happily went to greet her, "You've finally arrived! Oh, is this the new bride?"

She looked at Jiang Xuli, who appeared with Jin Ran. Unlike Jin Ran, who was wrapped up tightly, the boy wore only a baseball cap and had no other protection. Now, exposed to the sun, his fair cheeks were flushed.

Xu Zhen felt a sudden light up her eyes.

Where did this handsome young man come from?!

As a novelist who also fantasizes about plots during work, Xu Zhen has several terabytes of data stored in her mind. Of course, all of it is legitimate data that can be broadcast; she doesn't do anything erotic.

For example, when she sees Jiang Xuli right now, what comes to mind is a cold and aloof academic genius, a rising star in the entertainment industry, and the childhood sweetheart next door!

Xu Zhen immediately gave Jin Ran a look that said, "Sister, you're not being fair." She asked, "Who is this? Is he your brother?"

Jiang Xuli was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

He was always aware of the age gap between Jin Ran and his father—she was much younger than his father, and only ten years older than him. So much so that when he learned that his father had remarried, he secretly cursed in his heart, "An old cow eating young grass."

However, when they actually got to know each other, he didn't care about age. Jin Ran had an innate composure, and her words and actions exuded the demeanor of a teacher, making people unconsciously listen to her.

This was the first time someone had asked them about their relationship in person.

Jiang Xuli was somewhat conflicted.

Logically speaking, Jin Ran is his father's wife, and he should naturally call her stepmother or aunt. However, because he was unwilling to acknowledge Jin Ran's identity at first, he would ignore her every time they met. To this day, he has never properly addressed her.

But he absolutely could not bring himself to call her "Mom" in front of others.

Just as Jiang Xuli was hesitating about how to explain her relationship with Jin Ran, Jin Ran spoke up without any pressure: "He is my student. He is under a lot of pressure at the end of the semester, so I brought him out to get some fresh air."

What a joke! He doesn't want to call her "Mom," and she doesn't want to have another son for no reason.

Keep in mind she's only twenty-five! She's in the prime of her youth, the age when she should be eating, drinking, having fun, and enjoying life to the fullest. She shouldn't become the kind of housewife who has to go out with friends but also revolve around her child—people would laugh at her to death!

Jiang Xuli: "..."

They forgot about this identity.

But... why do I feel disgusted?

Jiang Xuli didn't know whether to feel sad or to feel sad for his father.

Xu Zhen suddenly realized, and then couldn't help but take Jin Ran's arm: "Wow, no wonder the principal praised you. You even care about your students while hiking. You're so dedicated!"

It makes them seem like the teachers after the fact.

Others also praised Jin Ran for her dedication. In a short time, after Jin Ran mistakenly took on the persona of a "good stepmother" from the housekeeper, she also inadvertently gained the reputation of a "good teacher".

Hmm... wouldn't you say that life is like a play, and it all depends on acting skills?

Qiuping Mountain is located in the suburbs of City A and is one of the few hilly scenic areas around the city. Recently, a large area of ​​land has been acquired nearby, and it is rumored that the government plans to develop it into a popular tourist attraction along the city's ring road. Investment promotion has already begun, so every weekend and holiday, tourists flock to visit in advance.

The members of the hiking club gathered at the foot of the mountain, checked the number of people and equipment, and then prepared to set off.

Considering the differences in everyone's physical strength, the team leader agreed to meet at the glass walkway two hours later.

Wang Chen, usually the fastest in the group, deliberately slowed down today, keeping pace with Jin Ran and Xu Zhen: "When climbing mountains, pay attention to your rhythm. Breathe in with your pace, inhale every two steps and exhale every two steps. It's Jin Ran and Xu Zhen's first time today, so don't rush, you can climb slowly."

He was cheerful and outgoing, just like a sunny young man, which made people trust him without even realizing it.

Wang Chen explained many useful mountain climbing tips and even helped the two of them adjust their knees. Xu Zhen teased, "I've never seen you treat your cousin this well before. I'm afraid you have ulterior motives."

Wang Chen blushed instantly: "What nonsense are you talking about? I brought you here, so I'll definitely take full responsibility."

After saying that, he turned to help Jin Ran deal with the situation, but at that moment a leg cut in from the side. Looking up, he saw the student Jin Ran had brought looking down at him with a cold gaze: "Thank you for your help, Teacher Wang."

Wang Chen: "..."

He suspected that he was probably hallucinating from the sun, otherwise why would the student's eyes seem a bit fierce?

Without giving it much thought, she deftly helped him put on his knee pads. When she got up again, Jin Ran had already adjusted them.

Wang Chen felt a strange sense of regret.

On the subsequent hike, he helped wring out water, as Jiang Xuli was thirsty; he suggested taking photos, and Jiang Xuli urged him to hurry up; when they reached the glass walkway, he needed to use the restroom, but Jiang Xuli immediately pushed him out of the crowd: "Go ahead, we're leaving first."

Behind her, Jin Ran narrowed her eyes.

As clever as she is, what couldn't she understand? Jiang Xuli wasn't here to climb the mountain today; he was clearly here to keep watch!

Jin Ran always felt that Jiang Xuli was very awkward.

Despite disliking her father's remarriage, she followed him closely when he came out hiking with a man.

Later, she deliberately struck up a conversation with other male colleagues and, sure enough, saw Jiang Xuli's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Jin Ran pulled the boy aside, crossed her arms, and demanded, "Tell me, what are you planning to do? Tell your dad?"

Jiang Xuli frowned subconsciously: "Who would complain to him?" He glanced at her indifferently and whispered, "I'm not like you."

Jin Ran: "..."

To maintain her reputation as a "good stepmother," the original owner of this body did a lot of things, such as secretly following her stepson and tattling to Jiang Mingxu behind his back. No wonder the boy complained like this.

"So what are you doing now?" Jin Ran asked, her eyes filled with doubt.

Jiang Xuli hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm afraid he'll hit you."

Therefore, it is important to nip problems in the bud and prevent them from escalating.

Jin Ran: "?"

She was very surprised: "Your dad hits people?"

Jiang Xuli thought about it seriously, then shook her head and nodded: "I've never seen him, but I heard from my relatives back home that he's a very good fighter."

Jin Ran wanted to laugh, but also felt a little helpless: "If your dad beats me because I get close to men, then no matter how rich he is, I will definitely divorce him."

Even if she had ulterior motives, she still had her bottom line: she could never accept an ugly man or a scumbag who committed domestic violence in this life or the next!

Jiang Xuli quickly seized on the key point: "So you married my dad for money?"

"...That's not the point. The point is that the things you're worried about won't happen, so you can rest assured."

At this point, Jin Ran suddenly felt a surge of curiosity and asked, "Do you still have relatives in your hometown? I've never heard of them before."

The novel only mentions that Jiang Mingxu lost both his parents at a young age and relied on his own work to make a living. Later, he was able to return to school and complete his studies thanks to the help of a wealthy person.

Since transmigrating into the book, she has never met any of her relatives from her hometown.

Besides, what kind of relative speaks ill of the other party's father in front of the child? Isn't that deliberately sowing discord?

Jiang Xuli seemed to have no doubts: "My dad doesn't have much contact with them."

Strictly speaking, Jiang Mingxu could be said to dislike his fellow villagers.

Over the years, relatives from his hometown have come to him, hoping that Jiang Mingxu, who has "made a name for himself," would take care of him. But each time, these relatives would arrive one day and leave quietly the next.

As a child, Jiang Xuli found it strange and thought his relatives could perform magic tricks, until he later realized that those people had been "driven away" by his father.

“They said that my mother… was also kicked out by my father.”

Upon hearing this, Jin Ran was stunned.

Patches of sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows on the boy's face. His expression was calm to the point of indifference, and even his voice was devoid of any inflection: "But I don't think what they're saying is necessarily the truth, so I want to go back and take a look."

These things had been hidden in Jiang Xuli's heart for a long time, and he had never mentioned them to anyone else. But perhaps it was because the sun was shining so brightly today, or perhaps it was the first time someone had listened to him so quietly.

Or perhaps it was just that a cluster of blooming yellow wildflowers in his field of vision, swaying pitifully, suddenly gave him the urge to confide in someone, and so, without any reason, he told them everything.

His idea was simple: since no one could tell him the answer, he might as well find it himself.

Jin Ran fell silent for a moment.

She didn't know what to say; it seemed like nothing she said would be appropriate at this moment.

"Keep it up?" That seems a bit superficial.

Reason with her? The other person is fifteen years old this year, a high school student with independent thinking ability, and probably doesn't need her to persuade him after he has made up his mind.

Moreover, in Jin Ran's view, there seems to be nothing wrong with a child who has never seen his birth mother wanting to see her, and even she, as a stepmother, thinks it's perfectly fine... However, she does have some guesses about the previous conflict between the father and son: "Your dad said you want to travel, is it to W City?"

Jiang Xuli nodded.

Jiang Mingxu was originally from W City, but he came to A City later to start a business with others.

Jin Ran fell silent again, and after a long while, she spoke, analyzing his academic performance: "You scored 560 points in the last monthly exam, ranking 23rd in the class, which is 13 places away from the top ten. Your math and English are basically fine, and you mostly memorize for politics and history. I'll give you a study plan when we get back. As for Chinese..."

Thinking of their similar "abstract poetry," she swallowed the words "I'll tutor you": "Ms. Xu, who taught you today, is a Chinese teacher. She's very knowledgeable. I'll ask her to tutor you later."

Throughout, Jin Ran's tone was relaxed and casual, no different from usual, as if what he was talking about were very, very ordinary things.

Influenced by her, Jiang Xuli, who was initially a little uncomfortable, suddenly felt that it was no big deal. Looking at the lush green leaves, all her gloom vanished.

They even offered, "W City has many famous historical sites and scenic spots. When school is on holiday, you can go and visit them."

"OK."

Things inexplicably took a turn from a heartfelt chat to a holiday trip.

By the time they reached the glass walkway, the two were already talking about the scenic area's unpalatable and expensive "specialty foods" and when they would send their calico cat to be spayed/neutered.

The relationship progressed rapidly, as can be clearly seen.

It wouldn't be to say they were perfect, but in front of her, Jiang Xuli was no longer the timid, shy wife she used to be, and could have a normal conversation: "So, you mean Little Three Flower is actually Chen Xunliang's cat?"

"Yes, his mother won't let him keep it, so it's temporarily staying with us."

"If his mother never agrees, what's the difference between him and our cat?"

Jiang Xuli thought seriously: "Maybe this is another get-out-of-jail-free card? Last time I saw it pounce on my dad, I thought he would kick it away, but he didn't."

But if it were his cat, the outcome might be different.

"Pfft, hahaha." Jin Ran laughed so hard she almost fell over, tears welling up in her eyes.

Everyone in the villa knows that Jiang Mingxu is a bit of a germaphobe and avoids the molting calico like the plague, but the calico loves to come to him. Jin Ran has seen the man's brow furrow so deeply that it could crush an ant several times.

She suddenly realized that Jiang Mingxu's biggest hater was not his competitors, but his own son.

She said slowly, "I don't know if your dad will hit you or not, but if he finds out you're spreading rumors about him behind his back, he'll definitely hit you."

Jiang Xuli's breath hitched for a moment, then she said nonchalantly, "He's at work, he won't know."

He clearly couldn't have guessed that he would meet the person he least wanted to see in just a few hours.

/

"President Jiang, President Xiao, President Lin, I wish us a pleasant cooperation. The development of Qiuping Mountain will depend on you all from now on."

With a beaming smile, the person in charge discussed the cooperation and then everyone moved to the dinner table.

Among the group, President Xiao and President Lin were older, and the mountain climbing and inspection had exhausted most of their energy. At this moment, the two sat on the stone benches of the viewing platform, discussing the plan to take the cable car down the mountain instead.

At this moment, Assistant Wang walked up to Jiang Mingxu and whispered, "President Jiang, I just ran into the illegitimate son of the Jian family on the mountainside. He was with a minor celebrity who came to shoot an outdoor scene."

When President Jiang asked him to investigate his wife, the Jian family's daughter was among those investigated, so as soon as he saw her, Assistant Wang came over to report.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingxu's expression remained unchanged.

When the two executives arrived, he calmly spoke with them: "I heard that President Jiang hasn't been attending banquets lately. I wonder if we two old men have the honor of inviting President Jiang today?"

Jiang Mingxu, however, remembered that Jin Ran had told him that she was going out with her friends and wouldn't be home for dinner that night, and smiled: "President Xiao and President Lin are joking. I also have some things I'd like to discuss with you two. Why don't we go together?"

/

Standing on the transparent glass walkway, with a deep valley below and mountains looming in the distance, the outlines of the layered peaks appear and disappear among the trees, like a splashed ink landscape painting.

Everyone leaned against the railing, enjoying the panoramic view. Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment. Someone took the initiative to lie down on the ground, and the others simply spread out their picnic blankets, took out their lunchboxes, and had a picnic on the spot.

Seeing this, Wang Chen raised his hand and suggested, "It's so boring just sitting and chatting, why don't we play some games!"

"Sure, what game do you want to play?"

How about a game of Truth or Dare?

Everyone immediately let out a long "tsk," thinking it was really an old and outdated idea with no originality. Xu Zhen blinked and actively supported her cousin's suggestion. Jin Ran was the type who could play or not play. In the end, the game suggestion was passed by a vote of five to four.

They complained verbally, but once it started, they were all more excited than the last.

Wang Chen chuckled and said, "We still have underage students here, so everyone should be careful."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuli was quite indifferent. Although he had never played it, he knew about this boring old-fashioned game.

As a result, he, who didn't care, unfortunately got the first Joker card.

"Hahahaha, come on, come on, ask our high school students!"

"It can't be too extreme, but it also can't be too simplistic!"

"Me! Me!" Xu Zhen immediately raised her hand, her smile both teasing and mischievous. "Little Jiang, have you been in a relationship at school?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of good-natured laughter erupted around him. Jiang Xuli, who was surrounded by the crowd, froze for a moment, and then a warm sensation rushed from his neck to the tips of his ears.

Young people are always particularly sensitive to this kind of topic. Even though he had no romantic experience, he was still tense up when asked this question.

What made his scalp tingle even more was that, the next second, Jin Ran also looked over curiously...