Chapter 73 She gently rubbed against his hand...

Chapter 73

Jin Ran really wanted to ask, "Where are we going?"

Then she remembered that Jiang Mingxu knew she wasn't "Jin Ran," or rather, not the second young lady of the Jin family with whom he had agreed to a marriage alliance.

This makes it easy to understand: she is not "Jin Ran," so the original marriage agreement is invalid. If she changes her mind now, it's not too late to stop everything.

He can generously pretend that nothing happened before, and she can still wear the title of "Mrs. Jiang" and squander their joint property. But that's all; there will be no possibility of them crossing any boundaries again.

It has to be said that if this had happened a month ago, no, half a month ago, Jin Ran would have agreed without hesitation.

Even now, she is still tempted.

While her heart was fluttering, seeing the man's "I'm giving you a choice" attitude, Jin Ran found herself even angrier.

I don't know which stall's lights went out, and my vision was plunged into darkness; the cobblestones of the long street were dull and lifeless.

Jiang Mingxu's cigarette remained unmoved, the ash silently piling up until it finally went out.

He suddenly stood up straight, his voice ringing in the night, sounding so rational and calm: "It's getting late, let's go back first. Xiao Li and I will share a room tonight."

After saying that, he lifted his foot to walk out, but stopped abruptly after taking only a few steps.

A pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist from behind. The woman's body heat burned through his clothes, and her fingers gripped his shirt tightly, as if she wanted to tear the fabric apart.

"I'm not leaving."

Jin Ran pressed against his back, her voice muffled, before repeating herself firmly, "I'm not leaving."

In an instant, Jiang Mingxu's body tensed up, like steel bars cast on a construction site, trapping his complex thoughts.

He slowly turned around, his eyelashes casting deep shadows beneath his eyes, his expression unreadable: "Aren't you afraid?"

Jin Ran raised her head, her face hidden in the shadows, but her eyes remained bright and shining.

She thought about it seriously for a while and replied, "Actually, I think I'm scarier."

For example, she was clearly dead, but she was resurrected in another person's body, or she was a fictional character in a book.

She has a god-like perspective and knows about Jiang Mingxu's past. Even if she doesn't know the details, she understands that the road to becoming a business tycoon from nothing was far from smooth and glamorous.

She might not have done better than him.

Jin Ran spoke the truth, but Jiang Mingxu's gaze was fixed on her face, as if scrutinizing her or confirming her identity.

Those amorous peach blossom eyes were fixed on him without blinking, their depths concealing complex and unfathomable emotions.

After a long while, Jiang Mingxu raised his hand, his knuckles brushing against Jin Ran's cheek with a heavy touch, almost like a warning: "Have you thought it through?"

His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a suppressed yet explosive emotion: "If you make the wrong choice, there will be no chance to go back on your word."

Jin Ran paused, then gently rubbed her palm against his hand.

She expressed her attitude through her actions.

I won't go back on my word.

/

The question of whether to go or not has been resolved, but the misunderstanding remains.

Men often assume that women's emotions are like weather forecasts, and once they clear up, it's time to move on.

For example, at this moment, Jiang Mingxu held Jin Ran in his arms and lowered his head to place a gentle kiss on the top of her dark hair.

Have you finished dinner?

His voice was low and hoarse as he belatedly realized why they had come out.

Ha, now you know how to care about her?

Jin Ran suddenly pushed the person away, letting out a heavy snort, not forgetting that she was angry.

Even though she was wary of this man at the beginning for various reasons, she was not a puppet to be manipulated. The ambiguity and intimacy that followed were all the result of her voluntary indulgence.

Dating, who she dates, when it starts, and when it ends are all her own business. Why should she listen to his arrangements?

But he keeps changing his mind and not letting her go, making all his decisions on a whim. Does he think he's some kind of domineering CEO from a novel?

On second thought, Jin Ran suddenly realized: He really is!

Not only was he a domineering CEO, but he was also a wealthy and eligible bachelor with assets spanning the globe, and countless women fawned over him. This realization made Jin Ran even more furious.

She tightened her small, delicate face and spoke coldly under Jiang Mingxu's confused gaze: "Your aunt did tell me a lot about you. Although I don't believe it, I think it's better to clarify some things face to face."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mingxu paused, his fingertips pausing.

After a moment, he nodded and accepted her suggestion: "It should be made clear."

I hadn't paid special attention before, but I knew the Jiang family wouldn't say anything good about him; they might even slander him, just like they had done before. I didn't care then, but now…

Looking down at the woman's pink nose, he thought, "I can't really scare her away."

Feeling the undeniable gaze upon her, Jin Ran coughed, feeling inexplicably a little excited.

She had always been curious about the past of a legendary figure like Jiang Mingxu, but due to the boundaries between people, she never stepped outside the city limits. However, she unexpectedly had a legitimate opportunity to uncover the secrets.

Of course, she wasn't going to let it go.

At that time, even if she gets to some secrets, she won't press the other party if they are unwilling to answer.

Thinking of this, she said, "Your aunt said you used to be a petty hoodlum who got into fights."

Jiang Mingxu nodded, his expression calm: "Before high school, I didn't have money to go to school, so I hung out with some friends from the streets. Later, we got into a few fights over territory, but the other side always started it."

Jin Ran felt it was understandable. Young people are often hot-blooded and prone to fighting over minor inappropriate actions. Besides, Jiang Mingxu's actions could be considered legitimate self-defense.

She brought up another matter: "She also said that you were taken away by the police for several days after the arson."

"The bar caught fire, and I happened to be working there at the time. The police were just conducting a routine inquiry."

"The matter of locking up one's own uncle in jail..."

Jiang Mingxu remained silent for a moment.

Then he said, "Last year, Jiang Laochuan hit someone while driving under the influence of alcohol and fled the scene. The other party's injuries were determined to be serious, so the police had a reason to arrest him."

Jin Ran asked unexpectedly, "So it's true that you beat your wife and even beat your ex-wife to the point of divorce?"

Jiang Mingxu: "..."

Seeing the man's discomfiture, Jin Ran felt a strange sense of satisfaction, and continued sarcastically, "Hitting one's wife is domestic violence. If it's true, I will definitely stand up for my fellow women and call the police."

If Jiang Mingxu didn't realize Jin Ran was angry by now, he would be too slow-witted.

Besides, he is not a slow-witted person.

He sighed inwardly and reached out to pull Jin Ran back into his arms. The woman struggled to break free, but he held her even tighter—his broad chest completely enveloped her slender body, forming an impenetrable enclosure.

"No." His warm breath brushed past her ear as his lips parted.

Jin Ran tilted her head, deliberately misinterpreting his meaning: "You didn't beat your wife, or you didn't beat her to the point of divorce?"

Jiang Mingxu looked helpless: "None."

He added, "Don't worry, I don't beat my wife."

Jin Ran pouted: "Why should I feel at ease?"

"Because you are my wife."

Jin Ran should have been angry, but instead, a smirk played on her lips. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and asked casually, "Then why did you get divorced?"

Now that things have come to this, Jin Ran has finally revealed her true colors.

The reason for asking this question is that Jin Ran is somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to relationships.

This fastidiousness isn't about being unable to accept that her partner has a past relationship; it's everyone's experience. Just like she has had many relationships, those experiences have shaped her current views on love.

But there's one thing Jin Ran absolutely cannot accept: being fickle in the same relationship.

Although she asserted with certainty that Jiang Mingxu had no other romantic interests, that was ultimately just her own guess.

Just like those men who juggle multiple relationships, aren't they all masters of time management?

Wang Cuihua's words seemed to be slandering Jiang Mingxu, but they also contained another meaning.

The Jiang family and Lin He have always maintained contact.

What about Jiang Mingxu?

Does he still keep in touch with his ex-wife?

Jin Ran is a bit impatient; if she doesn't figure this out, she feels she won't be able to sleep tonight.

Jiang Mingxu, on the other hand, did not hide anything.

"You know that Mingji Technology was founded when I was in college, right?"

Jin Ran nodded.

This is not a secret. Almost everyone who knows Mingji Technology knows about Jiang Mingxu's rise to wealth. And because he is so amazing, he has become the evidence of Jiang Mingxu's genius investment in every financial interview.

Jiang Mingxu said calmly, "Actually, Mingji was originally founded by me and a senior student. I was in charge of technology research and development, and he provided start-up capital. However, in the first semester of our senior year, he suddenly went abroad with some core technologies and disappeared. As a result, the company's capital chain broke and it almost went bankrupt. In order to save it, I had to invest all my savings and take out loans. After she found out, she chose to divorce me."

Jiang Mingxu never told anyone about these things.

Firstly, people feel that since the event has already occurred, there's no need to dwell on it; secondly, it's pointless. Only those who cannot solve real-world problems and choose to escape will endlessly wallow in the past.

Jin Ran was taken aback: "Just because of this?"

Although she could understand the reluctance to take on debt, since she herself would not want to either, she always felt that the relationship between the two was like a mirage, illusory and unreal.

Furthermore, if this is the reason for the divorce, why has Jiang Xuli never met his biological mother since childhood?

Is it that Jiang Mingxu doesn't allow the two to meet, or is it that the other party doesn't want to meet?

Jin Ran felt something was off.

But since Jiang Mingxu said that, she couldn't keep poking at Jiang Mingxu's heart, so she simply changed the subject.

A perfectly good dinner was turned into a late-night snack.

When Jin Ran invited Jiang Mingxu to dinner, she finally remembered to check her phone and saw Jiang Xuli's WeChat message.

Three minutes earlier, the other party questioned her for wandering off without following the agreement, saying he couldn't find her and had gone back to the hotel first.

Jin Ran felt a little embarrassed because she had forgotten him twice, and now she asked him guiltily if he wanted to have a late-night snack.

Jiang Xuli's message popped up instantly: 【Eat!】

So after having dinner with Jiang Mingxu, Jin Ran packed up some barbecue to take home.

Knock on the door next door, and after a short while, the boy came to open the door in his slippers. He took the plastic bag, looked down and rummaged through it, saying with disdain, "There's not enough chili."

Seeing that she looked no different from usual, Jin Ran secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but retort, "Eat less spicy food. If you don't care about yourself, at least care about your hemorrhoids!"

Jiang Xuli: "???"

So, as is often the case, they started arguing and making a ruckus again.

In the end, Jin Ran triumphantly won due to Jiang Mingxu's favoritism, which angered Jiang Xuli so much that he ate two skewers of grilled chicken wings while cursing.

Once the door closed, the expression on the boy's face vanished completely.

Therefore, his mother abandoned him on her own initiative.

Jiang Xuli stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to describe her feelings for a moment.