"Ranran, listen to your aunt's advice," Jiang Can said, clinging to her last hope. "The past is the past. Dwelling on it will only make you more miserable. And do you think Yangyang will feel good seeing you suffer?"
"Aunt……"
"I will arrange the best psychologist for you." Jiang Can gently stroked her hair. "You're just sick. I believe you will get better."
Lu Ran remained silent, but the gloom in her eyes deepened.
At this moment, the butler gently knocked on the door, walked over respectfully, and handed the "Golden Match" to Jiang Can.
Lu Ran's face stiffened.
Just now, when Huo Junyang tried to put it on her, she seemed to push him away forcefully...
Lu Ran realized that she had acted impulsively just now, and this time she decided to take the initiative and go get the ring.
"Auntie, this..."
"No rush." Jiang Can reached out and blocked, her movements gentle yet firm.
She clutched the ring in her palm, gave the butler a look, and the butler immediately brought over a jewelry box. After Jiang Can put the ring inside, the butler locked the jewelry box himself.
"Yangyang said this ring is too big for you?" She chuckled. "I'll have the craftsman alter it to fit you perfectly. Heh, we can't let outsiders say that the Huo family doesn't even have a properly fitting ring!"
"Auntie, it's alright!" Lu Ran said hurriedly, "I can fix it myself..."
“Let me change it.” Jiang Can looked at her, as if he could see through her eyes and into her soul. “Ranran, keep the ring with me for now. After all, it’s a family heirloom of the Huo family. If it gets lost again, no one can afford to take the blame.”
"No way! Absolutely not!"
"Don't make promises you can't keep." Jiang Can smiled, stood up, and took her hand. "Anyway, your wedding with Yangyang has been postponed, so it doesn't matter if we wait a few more days. By the time the ring is altered, you'll be feeling better... At that time, I'll definitely make sure Yangyang puts the ring on your finger himself!"
Lu Ran bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and remained silent.
“Today is my birthday, I can’t leave the guests waiting for too long.” Jiang Can looked at her, “Come with me to the lobby.”
"Yes," Lu Ran replied softly, taking Jiang Can's arm as they slowly walked out of the flower room.
Before leaving, she glanced back at the box in the housekeeper's hand, and felt a thorn stuck in her heart.
The wedding date was already uncertain, and now the ring is gone, making her increasingly insecure...
Lu Ran glared at Jiang Can with resentment, and the knot in her heart seemed to tighten even more.
*
For several days in a row, Huo Junyang was sullen and unhappy.
Even when playing online games with Huo Jingnan, he would only play two rounds before quitting, then curl up on the sofa by himself, looking at his phone with a frown one moment and an excited expression the next.
Huo Jingnan took off his headphones, took two cans of beer from the refrigerator, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Schizophrenia?"
"Go to hell!" Huo Junyang laughed like a simpleton.
Huo Jingnan frowned. "You're acting strange today... What happened?"
"Ranran finally replied to my message!"
Huo Junyang showed his phone to Huo Jingnan.
As Huo Jingnan watched, he began to notice something amiss.
During this period, Lu Ran rarely replied to Huo Junyang's messages, and she would only reply with a perfunctory "hmm, okay" after Huo Junyang had sent many messages in a row.
As long as she replies, Huo Junyang will be overjoyed.
As long as she ignores him, this silly deer will remain the same as before, even when playing a game, he's distracted.
"Yangyang," Huo Jingnan handed the phone back to him and said solemnly, "Do you think the way you two interact is normal?"
Huo Junyang's expression darkened, and after a long silence, he said in a low voice, "Something's not normal."
"If it's not normal, why do you still put up with her?" Huo Jingnan couldn't bear to see his brother suffer. "Judging from your chat history, every time you send a bunch of messages and are about to give up, she suddenly replies and gives you hope!"
Huo Junyang was stunned and stared at him blankly.
"Yangyang, I think this girl is no simpleton!" Huo Jingnan took a sip of beer. "Back in the army, we learned psychological warfare! Heh, I think she's pretty good at psychological tactics—keeping you hanging on, but not completely, and still making you devoted to her!"
"You...you shouldn't take this personally!" Huo Junyang glanced at him. "Ranran isn't like that!"
"Huo Junyang, can't you be a little more mature? Didn't you even analyze what she said to you?"
Huo Junyang lowered his eyes and remained silent.
He wasn't without analysis, nor was he without a brain.
He was just naturally optimistic and didn't want to think the worst of people, especially those he had loved deeply and wanted to continue loving.
He always felt that Ranran was just having a temporary mental breakdown, just like his mother said, she was just sick and would get better.
As long as he gives unconditionally, treats her wholeheartedly, and stays by her side to take care of her, she will always feel it, won't she?
“Junyang,” Huo Jingnan sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder, “to put it bluntly, I feel… she seems to be mentally controlling you. But these things are often beyond the eyes of those involved; you can’t see it for yourself!”
"Alright, stop talking!" Huo Junyang said, somewhat agitated. "Brother Nan, you don't understand her. She used to be very kind!"
"But people change, and I just don't want you to get hurt!" Huo Jingnan looked at him. "Junyang, you've been too well protected since you were little. You only see beautiful things and can't see the wickedness in people's hearts!"
"I told you to stop talking!" Huo Junyang suddenly stood up.
Huo Jingnan's words were unpleasant, but they were like a sharp scalpel, each cut cutting into his necrotic nerve tissue.
He knew that Huo Jingnan was doing it for his own good.
But this kind of goodness only makes him feel suffocated.
Huo Jingnan remained silent for a long time, then gently patted his back and let out a deep sigh.
Just then, a phone rang, breaking the deadlock.
Huo Jingnan picked up his phone and saw it was Pei Nian calling. He was taken aback; shouldn't she be at work at this hour?
"Hey, Niannian."
"Huo Jingnan!" Pei Nian sounded quite excited on the other end of the line. "Quickly, get to the hospital! Right now!"
"What's wrong with you?" Huo Jingnan's heart skipped a beat, and the image of Pei Nian hitting someone inexplicably popped into his mind. "You...you didn't get into a fight when you were selling the house, did you?"
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