Jiang Mianmian's heart skipped a beat for no reason, as if she had done something wrong.
"Ranran," she chuckled dryly, "why are you touching my things like that..."
"Is this what you were planning to give to Pei Nian?" Lu Ran emphasized.
Jiang Mianmian paused for a moment, her expression turning somewhat grim. She looked at Lu Ran and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"It's for her. Niannian is already working, and people in the workplace tend to judge by appearances. If she doesn't have something valuable to offer, people will look down on her..."
However, before he could finish speaking, Lu Ran's icy voice rang out: "When I was working at Lu's, didn't you ever think of giving me something valuable to protect myself?"
"Ranran!" Jiang Mianmian's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"She ruined my mother!"
Lu Ran closed the box and threw it onto the sofa. The box bounced up. "Why do you all treat her like a benefactor and be so good to her!"
"Ranran?"
Jiang Mianmian looked at her in disbelief.
Did that gentle and kind girl just disappear after Cheng Suyue jumped off the cliff and died?
Lu Ran, standing before him, was full of thorns and treated Pei Nian as an enemy... Yes, Pei Nian initially kept a close eye on Cheng Suyue and sometimes said things like "the thief is crying 'stop thief'" without any restraint.
But as it turns out, Pei Nian was right.
"Ranran, how can you say that?" Jiang Mianmian took a deep breath. "I think you're really confused! Niannian saved me and my grandma, she's our benefactor! Besides, Aunt Cheng's illness wasn't caused by her, how can you blame her for everything? When Aunt Cheng tried to attack us, Niannian stood in front of you, have you forgotten that?"
"Sister, are you confused?" Lu Ran's voice trembled, and the hostility in her eyes grew stronger like dark clouds.
Just then, Pei Nian walked to the door and happened to witness this scene.
She immediately became alert, but fearing that rushing over might displease Lu Ran, she quietly observed from the side.
"Ha, benefactor?" Lu Ran looked at her. "Sister, think about how you came back to this family! I had every opportunity to get everything from the Lu family back then, but I knew it all belonged to you, so I didn't touch it and tried everything I could to return it to you!"
"Later, Xia Zhi, Xia Yubing, and even He Sirui... when they made things difficult for you and framed you, I was there for you!"
"If we're talking about benefactors, I think I'm more qualified to be your benefactor!"
"You..." Jiang Mianmian was so angry that she felt a pain in her heart as she was blocked by her words.
But then a stern voice rang out.
"Are you crazy? Why should Sister Mianmian be grateful to you?!"
Jiang Mianmian was startled and looked in the direction of the sound. Pei Nian strode in and pulled her behind him.
"Lu Ran!" Pei Nian said sternly, "Although I don't know what happened before, you just said that you had the opportunity to obtain everything from the Lu family? Ha! You didn't touch Mianmian's things; that's your basic duty! If you need to bring up something like this to make people grateful, then you are truly hopeless!"
Lu Ran was furious and glared at Pei Nian, "What's it to you? Why are you meddling!"
"Mianmian's business is my business!" Pei Nian looked at her coldly. "You can bully me, you can take revenge on me, you can even hit me or scold me however you want, I'll accept it! Just consider it something I owe you..."
"But Sister Mianmian doesn't owe anything! If you dare bully her, I'll fight you to the death!"
Lu Ran's face was deathly pale, her eyes wide open, and her chest heaving.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, she let out a hysterical scream and slapped Pei Nian hard across the face like a madwoman!
However, Pei Nian stood still, her expression as cold as ice.
Jiang Mianmian was stunned. She stood in front of Pei Nian without hesitation and grabbed Lu Ran's hand tightly as she tried to strike again!
"Aunt Su! Uncle Yi!" Jiang Mianmian called out, "Come over here quickly!"
Lu Ran was crying and making a scene, her emotions nearly collapsing. Jiang Mianmian had someone take her back to her room first, and after she calmed down, she turned to look at Pei Nian.
Pei Nian's lips were already a little red and swollen, and there were obvious finger marks on her face.
Jiang Mianmian's heart tightened. She hadn't expected that Lu Ran, who looked so gentle and weak, would be so ruthless, and that her movements were so smooth and seamless!
But Pei Nian didn't dodge.
Clearly, this has happened more than once!
Jiang Mianmian took ice to help her apply a cold compress. Pei Nian looked at her and then revealed a faint smile.
"Does it still hurt?"
Pei Nian shook her head.
Jiang Mianmian said angrily, "Is this how Ranran treats you at home?"
"Nothing like that," Pei Nian said nonchalantly. "She's been very good to me. Besides, I was just being harsh. It was my fault."
"Nian Nian..."
"Alright, go see her." Pei Nian smiled sincerely. "I'm thick-skinned, a little blow won't hurt me. But her wounds are in her heart, she's the one who needs comfort the most."
Jiang Mianmian moved her lips, and after a long while, she managed to say, "Niannian, you always think of others..."
“It’s not for her sake,” Pei Nian sighed softly, “it’s because I know what it’s like to lose a mother.”
Jiang Mianmian hugged her. She was so thin it was heartbreaking, and so sensible it was heartbreaking too.
*
On the way back from the Lu family, Jiang Mianmian was filled with worry.
Huo Junyu noticed her worries, gently embraced her, and showed her a post on his WeChat Moments.
It was posted by Lu Ran. The photos were taken from different angles of the small white handbag, with the caption, "Sister, I'm sorry."
Jiang Mianmian was touched, and her eyes reddened slightly.
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