Chapter 56 (Chapter 56 has been heavily revised) Sorry, I was momentarily moved...

Chapter 56

To avoid soiling the bench, Jin Ran broke off a leaf from the flower bed and placed it on top. When Jiang Mingxu stepped on it, his tall figure almost touched the top of the trellis, so he could easily pick the grapes at the top without lifting his hand.

There weren't many people, so she only picked two bunches. Jinran carefully rinsed them with mineral water, then divided them into small portions along the branches and distributed them to everyone: "The quantity is limited, so everyone can only try it first."

Upon seeing this, Assistant Wang, who was traveling with him, broke out in a cold sweat.

What kind of status does he have that his wife has to "serve" him?

He quickly accepted it with both hands, looking so apprehensive that he almost wanted to kneel down and perform a grand salute. Of course, he didn't suspect Jin Ran and ate it without thinking.

But who could have predicted that these small, ripe, purplish-red grapes would be even more sour than vinegar? Assistant Wang vomited. Now he finally understood why only first-year high school students picked grapes, because students in other grades already knew what grapes tasted like!

Jin Ran: "..."

If she says she didn't do it on purpose and that it was just that Assistant Wang was too fast, would anyone believe her?

Looking down, still holding a small sprig of grapes in her hand, she couldn't help but glance at Jiang Mingxu beside her and teased, "Would President Jiang like to try some?"

Jiang Mingxu glanced at her and actually took it.

Jin Ran was just joking with him; she would never actually let him eat it. Just as she was about to speak up to stop him, the man's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed the grape that was in his mouth.

"not bad."

He commented with a calm expression.

Jin Ran looked suspicious, trying to find clues in those calm eyes, but only saw complete composure. Gradually, she also began to doubt—could a good shoot emerge from a bad bamboo? Could there be a sweet grape among this vine of sour grapes? Unconvinced, she plucked one, and was immediately so sour it made her teeth ache.

Looking up, she was met with the man's expression: he was clenching his fist to his lips, trying hard to suppress a laugh.

"It seems Teacher Jin was unlucky; the one she ate was sour."

Jin Ran: "?"

He definitely did it on purpose!

...

After appreciating the grapes that were beautiful to look at but not to taste, the group continued walking towards the playground.

In the scorching summer sun, the blinding sunlight baked the cement ground, and the noisy chirping of cicadas broke the afternoon tranquility.

During recess, the playground was full of students running and playing. The lively scene caught the eye of the bosses who usually sat in their offices – after all, who didn't spend their youth on the playground when they were in school?

By the time Jin Ran realized what was happening, the "youngest" of them all had already fallen far behind the other CEOs.

"..."

A gentle breeze blew along the tree-lined path, wiping away the beads of sweat from her forehead. She had been so busy talking that she hadn't had time to think, but now that she had some free time, her gaze involuntarily fell on Jiang Mingxu, who was conversing with others, and she drifted off into a daze.

Jiang Mingxu seemed even more aloof in front of outsiders.

It wasn't that he was unsmiling; on the contrary, he always had a faint smile on his lips, but the smile never reached his eyes. He seemed polite to everyone, but in reality, he kept a distance from everyone.

Actually, he was like that with her at the beginning too.

As they got to know each other better, he discovered her secret, but chose to keep it a secret for her. The two of them gradually became acquainted.

What are you thinking about?

A voice asked her a question, and Jin Ran came to her senses, only to find that Jiang Mingxu had come to her side without her noticing.

She opened her mouth to answer, but he suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked the top of her head with his long, slender fingers.

"Don't move."

A faint, cool fragrance wafted from her cuffs, enveloping her face. They were only inches apart, close enough for her to see Jiang Mingxu's eyelashes—thick, long, and like fish bait, hanging on their curved tips.

Not far away were the other people at the visit, their soft voices echoing in the shadows, further emphasizing the tranquility of the place. Realizing this, Jin Ran's ears burned, and she inexplicably had the feeling of secretly having a puppy love at school—even though she hadn't done anything, she felt inexplicably guilty.

She quickly shook her head, trying to clear her mind of all the random thoughts. She was already twenty-five; what was this about puppy love...?

Little did she know that her supposedly discreet little action was seen by Jiang Mingxu, who was looking down at her.

A smile appeared on her lips, but she quickly regained her composure and casually "patted" the top of her head. Just then, a young teacher walking in front of her suddenly turned around.

"President Jiang, Teacher Jin... wait?"

The man stopped speaking abruptly, his confused gaze shifting between the two: "What's going on here...?"

Jin Ran clearly felt the man beside her pause. Although she was very nervous, she almost laughed out loud at that moment. "You deliberately got so close, now you've messed up, haven't you?"

She secretly wanted to watch the excitement, but Jiang Mingxu only paused for a moment before calmly withdrawing his hand, pinching a leaf between his index fingers: "There's something there."

Upon seeing this, the man suddenly realized: "So it was to help. President Jiang is really approachable."

When the other person turned around, Jin Ran, whose heart had jumped back into her throat, glared at them angrily.

Don't fool around in the workplace!

Jiang Mingxu smiled, took a half step back cooperatively, and apologized to her in a low voice: "Sorry, I couldn't help myself for a moment."

What can't be controlled?

Jin Ran's face was burning hot, as if a layer of fiery sunset clouds had risen up.

But she didn't believe it. Men's words are deceitful. His credibility had already been severely damaged when he tricked her into eating sour grapes.

After Jiang Mingxu apologized, he straightened up and took larger steps, preparing to widen the distance between them, but Jin Ran grabbed his sleeve: "Wait, President Jiang."

He turned around without noticing, and Jin Ran, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, tiptoed and blew a breath into his Adam's apple.

In an instant, Jiang Mingxu seemed to press the pause button, his whole body tensing up. Jin Ran, who had "repaid" him, stepped back with a grin and placed a leaf in Jiang Mingxu's palm.

"President Jiang left too quickly and left something behind."

Her eyebrows were curved, and her eyes were full of a charming mix of anger and reproach.

/

The itinerary for the visit was finalized several days ago.

At this moment, the "guests" who came to participate in the event are already seated on the viewing platform of the playground. This kind of performance, which is not deliberately choreographed, can better show the true spirit of Wencheng students.

For example, the spontaneous basketball team that agreed to help Jin Ran played with ease and comfort because it wasn't a formal competition, and the entrepreneurs and wealthy ladies on the sidelines watched with great interest.

Fifteen- or sixteen-year-old high school students, unrestrained and exuberant, run on the plastic track, their sweat forming streams, their sneakers rubbing against the ground, their leaping figures captured by the sunlight.

Beside them, there were female classmates playing shuttlecock, their ponytails bouncing and skipping, keeping time with the rhythm of youth.

After helping with the tasks, Jiang Xuli and her classmates went to the playground to "play basketball".

Knowing Jin Ran's purpose, he added many more flashy moves to his basketball game compared to usual, which drew praise from the onlookers.

The basketball team stopped when the preparatory bell rang, and they went back to the classroom in twos and threes with their basketballs.

It won't interfere with my studies at all!

As Jiang Xuli passed the viewing platform, she looked up and wiped away her sweat, inadvertently seeing the man standing opposite Jin Ran.

His steps suddenly stopped.

Wait, why is his dad here?

Jiang Xuli was stunned, with only one thought in his mind—did his dad see everything he was doing while playing basketball?

Jiang Xuli immediately felt a little uncomfortable.

And quickly recall your performance in your mind—did you make any mistakes? Did you overdo it by trying to look cool?

It seems like none of those apply, so... I guess I did alright?

Compared to Jiang Xuli's idol image, Jin Ran remained calm throughout the meeting, except for a moment of surprise.

On the one hand, she is more mature, and on the other hand, she is only thinking about making this event a success. To her, Jiang Mingxu is no different from other parents.

She diligently played the role of accompanying teacher. After the school tour, she gave each "parent" a registration form and collected their opinions.

Whether it was Mrs. Lin and her group or the CEOs invited by Teacher Wan, they all praised her work attitude, and some even took the initiative to exchange contact information.

Jin Ran readily accepted the offer.

Having experienced more, she has come to understand the importance of connections, so while she still has the power to leverage others' influence, she is not hesitant to vigorously develop her own network.

At the end of the event, the principal reappeared.

First, he took the stage to give a speech, expressing his gratitude to the "parents" who came to Wencheng, and then personally saw the parents, who were carrying souvenirs, out of the school gate.

Despite some minor hiccups along the way, the parents' visit ultimately came to a successful conclusion.

This event further enhanced Jin Ran's reputation among teachers.

Especially in contrast to Teacher Wan's inappropriate response, Jin Ran's composure under pressure stands out.

At the teachers' meeting, the principal praised Jin Ran's contributions. Some people were initially unconvinced, but after learning that three parties, including Mingji Technology, had donated to the school, they had nothing more to say.

Not long after, feeling deeply ashamed, Ms. Wan voluntarily submitted her resignation to the school.

Upon hearing this, Jin Ran was not surprised at all.

However, whether it was a "voluntary resignation" is debatable; she felt it was more likely that the principal did something.

No matter what, these things have nothing to do with Jin Ran anymore.

Let's return to the present.

On the evening the visit ended, Jin Ran lingered for a moment, waiting for Jiang Xuli to come out of the teaching building.

Normally, Chen Xunliang would be all alone with the boy, but today he was surrounded by quite a few people. Sports can enhance the friendship between boys, and a basketball "performance" changed the boys' perception of the "unapproachable" rich second-generation classmate.

People would put their arms around him and even make plans to go out together on the weekend.

Upon seeing Jin Ran, several high school students immediately greeted her loudly, "Hello, Teacher Jin!"

"Teacher Jin, how did we do today? Are you satisfied?"

Jin Ran gave a thumbs up: "Not only am I satisfied, but the parents can't take their eyes off it either."

High school students are innocent and easily embarrassed by praise. Seeing that Jin Ran clearly had something to discuss with Jiang Xuli, they all tactfully said goodbye.

Jiang Xuli looked at her coolly.

"What do you want from me?"

Jin Ran didn't hide her intentions: "I think we should stand on the same side."

"United Front?" Jiang Xuli asked with a suspicious expression.

"Yes, a united front against tyranny."

Jin Ran said angrily, "Your dad came over without saying a word and caught us completely off guard. Shouldn't we unite to make him realize that he did something wrong?"

Jiang Xuli glanced at her in surprise. This woman was really bold, daring to even pluck the tiger's hair from his father's head. But... "I think you're right."

It's nothing. He was also frightened by his father, so it's normal for him to want some explanation.