Chapter 43 This is what love should look like...

Chapter 43

? ? ?

Jin Ran looked completely bewildered.

She looked up at Jiang Mingxu and found that his eyebrows were relaxed and his expression was serious, not like he was lying.

You said he is...

“He was Jin Ran’s ex-boyfriend,” Jiang Mingxu repeated “good-naturedly.”

Jin Ran noticed that he used "the previous Jin Ran".

A thought crossed her mind, and in an instant, she seemed to understand. Jin Ran suppressed her wildly beating heart and nodded casually, "Then my judgment before was really bad."

"Um?"

Jiang Mingxu seemed somewhat interested and even started discussing it with her. Although he looked down on these incompetent rich kids from the bottom of his heart, he praised them against his will, saying, "The Jian family started with e-commerce. They can't compare to the two leading companies today, but they are quite good in other aspects. I heard that President Jian intends to hand over the business to Jian Erren. Many people are very optimistic about this young President Jian."

Jin Ran glanced at the man with slight surprise. She didn't expect that someone who had built his own fortune from scratch would envy a rich kid who sponged off his father. She shook her head and said, "No, I mean he's ugly."

The more she looked, the more she couldn't bear to look at the original owner's aesthetic sense: "It looks like a shoehorn."

Jiang Mingxu had imagined countless answers, but he never expected such a direct expression of disdain. He was stunned for a moment, then his smile deepened as he realized what he meant.

It's tough on Jiang Xuli, though. His dad and stepmother are talking about his ex-boyfriend in front of him like that, completely oblivious to everyone else. Is that really appropriate?

While mentally ranting, the boy casually glanced across at the other side and thought: "Hmm, it does look a bit like a shoehorn."

Did Jin Ran like this style before?

He couldn't help but chuckle when he thought about how she watched talent shows at home on the weekend, commenting on the young male idols.

It's said that dating an unattractive man can turn even the most introverted person into a chatterbox. This is because you need to constantly explain the unattractive man's good points to others to prove you're not obsessed with ugly men.

Jin Ran unfortunately bore the bitter fruit of the original owner's actions: "Cough, everyone has a time of youthful arrogance. Now my aesthetic sense has become more sophisticated. I don't like the things I used to like anymore. Besides, I think you are much more handsome than him."

I'll also take the opportunity to flatter the big shot.

Jiang Mingxu raised an eyebrow: "Really? I've never heard anyone compliment my looks before."

“That’s because you’re the company president,” Jin Ran replied without hesitation. “Your appearance is just your least noticeable advantage, and even if your employees think you’re handsome, they probably wouldn’t dare to praise you in front of you.”

As she spoke, she suddenly realized that she might have been too blunt, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly added, "What I mean is, you have a very unique aura that most people don't dare to approach easily."

What kind of aura?

"She exudes an aura of wealth at first glance."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingxu finally couldn't help but laugh.

Jiang Xuli, forced to listen to another bit, was speechless.

Or let him go first.

Before they knew it, the tense situation had easily dissipated. Just as the family of three, having finished watching the play, were about to leave, the two people arguing on the hillside suddenly turned around...

Wei Ya was both angry and flustered.

This morning, she received a last-minute assignment from her company to shoot an outdoor advertisement. She thought it was compensation for losing a role last time, so she rushed over happily without thinking much about it. However, she saw the rich second-generation heir who had been bothering her before.

She then realized that the so-called job opportunity was nothing more than a scheme set up by the rich second-generation and the agent, using advertising resources as a bargaining chip to try and get her to comply.

Wei Ya was naturally unwilling, but given her current status, she didn't dare to break ties with her agent and could only be forced to accept the other party's arrangements.

During filming, Wei Ya forced herself to cooperate with every shot despite her disgust, and then secretly slipped away during the chaos of wrapping up.

The rich kid still managed to spot them, and the two started arguing on the street.

Men are much stronger than women, and Wei Ya was horrified to find that she couldn't escape no matter what she did. She did try to ask passersby for help, but they just thought it was a young couple arguing and were unwilling to get involved.

Just when she was in despair, she saw a familiar figure from behind.

Almost instinctively, Wei Ya called out to the woman who was about to leave, "Mrs. Jiang!"

/

At first, Jin Ran did not recognize the female lead.

From the angle they were standing at, and considering Jian Er's overly subtle actions, at first glance they did indeed look like a young couple having a verbal argument.

This prevented her from interfering rashly.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard someone call her name. When she turned around, she saw that one of the young couple was Wei Ya, and the girl was running towards her in a panic. She immediately sensed that something was wrong.

What's going on? Did she stumble upon the scene of the female lead and the male supporting character's cremation?

The original book features many male supporting characters, but not all of them lead to a happy ending. There are bickering lovers, gentle older brothers who silently protect each other, and even law-abiding men who forcefully take what they want.

The male supporting character in front of us, with his long, narrow face, is clearly taking the last route.

Jin Ran couldn't help but complain, "Author, what's wrong with you? It's fun when a beautiful woman is bothered by a handsome man, but being bothered by a shoehorn-shaped mango is clearly harassment!"

When Wei Ya ran up to Jin Ran, she realized that her actions were inappropriate.

The wealthy second-generation family wields considerable influence. Although Jin Ran is Mrs. Jiang, who knows if Jiang Mingxu would be willing to step forward for such a matter? Moreover, Jin Ran is just a middle school teacher, and she might need to rely on her husband for a living in the Jiang family. If she were to affect the couple's relationship because of her, she would rather remain silent.

A chill ran through her heart, leaving her feeling utterly desolate. Just as Wei Ya was about to give up on calling for help, Jin Ran grabbed her hand in delight: "Ya Ya, you're here too! What a coincidence!"

She paused, her stubborn eyes, brimming with tears, falling into the warm sunlight.

On the other side, Jian Er also saw Jin Ran.

In an instant, the shameful memories he had deliberately forgotten surged up again—this woman had not only inexplicably dumped him, but had also mocked him as a "good-for-nothing who would never amount to anything."

Although he and she were just playing around, and although Jian Er quickly found his true love after the breakup—Wei Ya, who had a similar childhood experience to him—the humiliation still lingered in his throat.

As the only bloodline of the Jian family, his status as an illegitimate child once made Jian Er's life difficult. However, since President Jian only had him as his son, he eventually recognized his ancestors and returned to the family. In the near future, the entire Jian Group will be his.

So he really didn't understand why a gold digger who only knew how to squander money would look at him with such contempt.

The more Jian Er thought about it, the angrier he became. His face gradually twisted, and he was about to step forward to teach the two a lesson when a deep voice suddenly interrupted: "Jian Changfan."

Jiang Mingxu walked in front of Jin Ran, intentionally or unintentionally blocking Jian Er's view.

The smiles that had been in their eyes just moments before turned icy cold, and even their voices were sharp: "I heard that the Jian Group is vying for a project in the West City New District. I wonder if President Jian knows that the person in charge of the project he favored not only didn't go to the West City, but instead came to the East City to climb the mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Jian Er froze on the spot.

Although he was the only heir of President Jian, he still had to rely on his father, President Jian, before he could gain real power. He couldn't say a single harsh word he wanted to say, and in the end, he could only watch helplessly as Jin Ran and Wei Ya got into a luxury car parked on the side of the road.

From beginning to end, Jin Ran didn't spare him a single glance.

/

"Mrs. Jiang, thank you for helping me out of that predicament."

Wei Ya expressed her gratitude reservedly. She hadn't expected Jin Ran to help her, which made her feel like she was in a dream, and she also felt a little touched and bittersweet.

Jin Ran could tell that Wei Ya was in low spirits.

Anyone would feel uncomfortable being harassed like that, especially since the female lead is a gentle person who never argues with anyone. If she hadn't been pushed to the brink by the male supporting character, she definitely wouldn't have sought help.

She also struggled with whether she should get involved.

But in that situation, even if the other person wasn't the female lead, but just an ordinary girl passing by, Jin Ran couldn't ignore her.

“Oh, don’t thank me,” she waved her hand casually. “I just can’t stand shoehorns. And just call me Jin Ran. Mrs. Jiang sounds weird.”

Wei Ya seemed a little confused, and asked hesitantly, "A shoehorn?"

"Oh, the one who's been bothering you, don't you think he looks a lot like a shoehorn?"

Unbeknownst to Jian Er, Jin Ran tirelessly promoted a different image for him. As a result, when they met again later, Wei Ya would recall Jin Ran's description as soon as she saw that face, and the fear she had been suppressing in her heart was gradually replaced by another emotion.

Hearing Jin Ran's cheerful tone, Wei Ya's tense mood gradually relaxed.

"They do look somewhat alike."

She nodded.

Jin Ran laughed, and when Jiang Mingxu came over and tried to open the back door as usual, she found that it was not open.

Immediately afterwards, Jin Ran rolled down the car window, and saw her affectionately linking her arm with Wei Ya's, instructing him, "You and Xiao Li go to the front, I want to sit with a beautiful woman today."

Jiang Mingxu raised an eyebrow, and the next moment, he saw Jin Ran secretly wink at him, and he realized that she was afraid that Wei Ya had not yet recovered from the fear she had just experienced: "Okay, whatever you say."

Before leaving, however, he brought over two cashmere blankets and carefully turned up the air conditioner temperature, turning the vents outward to make sure they wouldn't be blown directly on them: "Don't catch a cold."

Jin Ran nonchalantly withdrew her hand from the refrigerator, thinking the man was doing it on purpose. She glared at him and said, "Okay, go now!"

Wei Ya stared blankly at the scene.

I couldn't help but think that perhaps this is what love should look like.

In the latter half of the journey, no one mentioned what had happened on the mountain.

Jin Ran and Wei Ya chatted about other things, and when they saw Wei Ya's newly released classical dance video, Jin Ran exclaimed with delight, "I knew you could dance classical dance beautifully!"

Wei Ya's face flushed slightly, and she unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes: "I was just jumping around casually, there wasn't much splash."

"Who said that?" Jin Ran comforted her. "You've only just started learning to dance and you can already dance to this level, which means you have talent. Besides, everything has a starting stage. Maybe one day a director will see your video and think you're perfect for a role, and ask you to act in a movie."

At this point, she suddenly remembered something, looked up and asked Jiang Mingxu in the front row, "Does Mingji hire celebrities to endorse their products? What do you think of Wei Ya?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Ya's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly waved her hand: "No, no, I don't have enough popularity right now, it would affect the product image..."

Her voice trailed off, both afraid that she wasn't qualified and worried that Jin Ran's rash suggestion would displease President Jiang.

Jin Ran didn't think that much about it at all.

In her mind, this is the female lead, and no matter how miserable or down on her luck she is in the early stages, she will eventually reach the pinnacle of her life and career.

She was wrong before, only trying to stay away. Now she suddenly realizes that she's not competing with the female lead for the man, so why should she be afraid?

The two belong to completely different tracks, so she can totally rely on the female lead!

For example, investing in a TV series starring the female lead, or becoming good friends with her.

Jin Ran: "Besides endorsements, are there any other collaborations?"

Jiang Mingxu pondered for a moment: "The endorsement is handled by the company's public relations department, I won't ask too many questions."

Upon hearing this, Jin Ran felt a little regretful. Seeing her like this, Jiang Mingxu said, "However, I know a director named Chen Duo. He has a rather eccentric temperament. He is currently planning a fantasy drama. If Miss Wei is interested, you can give it a try."

Upon hearing the director's name, Wei Ya nearly lost her composure: "Are you talking about Director Chen, who directed 'Once Wanted to Drink'?"

"right."

Jin Ran, who was unfamiliar with the entertainment industry, blinked, somewhat puzzled: "Is this Director Chen very capable?"

Wei Ya rarely lost her composure: "Very impressive!"

The other party is a legend in the industry, with his works winning almost every major award. He is also a well-known talent scout in the entertainment industry—many unknown newcomers have soared to fame after being trained by him, becoming movie stars. However, three years ago, he suddenly faded out of the film and television industry, and everyone in the industry thought he would never come out of retirement. Who would have thought that he would be quietly preparing a new script?

This news alone has already given Wei Ya a significant head start over others.

Jin Ran understood this and was genuinely happy for Wei Ya.

Although Wei Ya in the original book eventually succeeded, she vaguely remembered that she got the opportunity through the help of a male supporting character who was obsessed with her. It was this unclear relationship of interests that later became the deepest grudge between the male and female protagonists, causing a lot of misunderstandings and heart-wrenching scenes.

If Wei Ya can pass Director Chen's casting, her future path might be smoother.

“That’s great! Such an opportunity is rare. I must try it. Even if I’m not selected, meeting Director Chen will still be a wonderful experience.”

Wei Ya thought the same thing. A long-lost fighting spirit welled up in her chest. She looked at Jin Ran, who was genuinely happy for her, and then at Jiang Mingxu in the row in front of her. Her eyes welled up slightly.

Now she has nothing but debt, and can only secretly vow in her heart that she will repay them properly when she has the chance in the future.

/

Meanwhile, Xu Zhen, who was walking home with her distraught cousin, suddenly screamed halfway there.

"I remember now!"

She slammed her hand on the back of the seat, her eyes flashing with an alarming light.

Wang Chen was startled and nearly dropped the steering wheel. He couldn't help but say angrily, "What did you remember?"

"Who is Ranran's husband!"

Xu Zhen frantically pulled out her phone and typed "Chairman of Mingji Technology" into the search bar. The moment the results popped up, she gasped – although there were only a few publicly available photos, that handsome and imposing face was clearly the man she had met today!

So, her girlfriends who complain about their parents and bosses every day, and her lunch buddies who fight for discounted food in the cafeteria, are actually a wealthy heiress?!

Xu Zhen suddenly felt that the world had become surreal.