Chapter 316 Guidance
After all, when they thought back to the past, their relationship with Jiang Ran was terrible, and they hadn't had a good time.
Seeing how much Jiang Ran cares for the other children, jealousy inevitably makes him feel somewhat unbalanced.
Seeing Si Youlin continue to complain, Si Zuochen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "They have no parents, and they have suffered so much hardship before. It is only right that Jiang Ran takes care of them out of kindness."
Despite saying that, his resentment remained undiminished. Seeing him righteously condemning him, Si Youlin curled his lip and coldly scoffed, "Brother, don't you have any objections at all?"
Si Zuochen pursed his lips, his brows furrowed slightly, and gave him a cold, sidelong glance.
Si Youlin immediately understood and shut his mouth, but still snorted coldly indignantly.
During dinner that evening, Si Yanxiao attended a social event, and only Jiang Ran and the twins were present.
The meal was completely quiet, with only the clinking of spoons audible.
Si Youlin's eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly said, "We happen to be off today, so we'd like to visit the orphanage."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow slightly and replied softly, "Okay."
Si Youlin lowered his head again and remained silent.
Seeing that the two remained silent, Jiang Ran recalled their deliberate distancing from her during this period. Her eyes flickered, and she had a vague guess in her heart.
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Si Youlin looked up at the "Hope Home" plaque in front of him, and the cheerful laughter of children could still be heard coming from inside. He stood outside the door, feeling somewhat at a loss.
Seeing the two hesitate, Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow and slowly said, "Come in."
As he spoke, he strode inside. Si Zuochen and Si Youlin exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and followed closely behind.
As soon as the children saw Jiang Ran enter, they swarmed around her, chattering excitedly about their own stories.
Several children even took out their own drawings and handed them to Jiang Ran, which were clearly Jiang Ran's 'abstract paintings'.
Si Zuochen and Si Youlin stood outside the crowd watching Jiang Ran respond to them gently and attentively, their lips slightly pursed. This scene was rare in their memory.
Even though their relationship had improved somewhat, Jiang Ran rarely treated them in this way.
Standing in the crowd, she seemed to be bathed in an invisible light, unattainable yet extremely dazzling.
Once things quieted down, some children noticed the unfamiliar faces, looked surprised, and timidly asked, "Aunt Jiang, who are they?"
Jiang Ran smiled slightly and softly introduced Si Zuochen and Si Youlin's identities.
The two were exquisitely beautiful, and the children looked around timidly at them, their eyes filled with envy.
Si Zuochen and Si Youlin gave them a slight, polite yet distant smile.
They were not good at dealing with people, let alone these people they had only met once, so they walked aside and looked at the facilities on their own.
Jiang Ran took in all their actions. Surprisingly, neither of them offered to leave, and they ended up spending the whole day with her.
On the way back, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin's eyes darkened slightly, and they seemed to be deep in thought.
Jiang Ran noticed their expressions in the rearview mirror, her eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly asked, "What's wrong?"
Si Zuochen raised his eyes slightly and replied in a deep voice, "It's nothing."
Seeing that they were unwilling to say more, Jiang Ran's lips curled up slightly, and then she chuckled, "What? Are you jealous?"
"How could that be?" Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen denied it repeatedly, then looked hesitant and explained in a deep voice, "I just feel it's a bit unfair."
Although her tone was calm, there was a hint of accusation in her words. After hearing this, Jiang Ran's eyes darkened slightly, and she knew that what the "original owner" had done before was really not respectable.
Given the contrast, it's understandable that they have grievances.
Seeing Jiang Ran fall silent, Si Youlin coldly echoed, "I didn't know until I looked. Now I realize you care more about outsiders than your own children!"
They hadn't planned to make a fuss about it, but she insisted on bringing it up herself!
Jiang Ran paused, a helpless expression on her face. She hadn't expected that they were really still holding a grudge about this matter; she had actually guessed correctly.
But she didn't say much. It wasn't until they returned to the villa and Si Zuochen and Si Youlin went straight to their room that Jiang Ran called out to them, "Wait."
Si Zuochen and Si Youlin paused, a look of confusion flashing across their faces, before turning to look at her.
"Let's chat?" Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow and slowly spoke.
Si Zuochen and Si Youlin exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt appearing in their eyes, but they nodded slightly and replied in a low voice, "Okay."
The three sat down facing each other. Jiang Ran lowered her eyes and carefully observed the expressions of the two men. Her gaze darkened slightly, and she said in a low voice, "I know I neglected you in the matter of the orphanage, but there are reasons for that..."
“Those children are displaced and homeless, without parents, unable to find their own homes. It’s unimaginable what kind of dark lives they lived before. But compared to them, your lives are completely different.”
"If that's the case, why can't we use our limited resources to help them?"
Upon hearing this, both Si Zuochen and Si Youlin showed a hint of unease on their faces.
They understand the道理 (principles/reasoning), but they just can't help but overthink things.
Seeing the strange looks on their faces, Jiang Ran continued, "Besides, even if I treat them well, it's just material assistance, which is definitely not comparable to what you have done."
In the course of their conversation, they made their differences clear.
Si Zuochen's expression froze for a moment, his lips pursed slightly, and he hesitated.
"Whether it's innate abilities or acquired qualities and upbringing, you are far superior to them. So why be jealous of others?"
"Besides, they were able to be saved thanks to you. Even the orphanage was named by you. Doesn't this prove that there is a destiny at play?"
Jiang Ran gently persuaded them with reason and emotion. As Si Zuochen and Si Youlin listened, a look of shame flashed across their faces, and they clearly realized their mistakes.
He then lowered his eyes slightly and replied in a deep voice, "Mm."
After ending the conversation, the two went back to their room, their expressions unreadable.
This can be considered Jiang Ran's first lesson to them: accumulating good deeds is up to people.
But their jealousy almost caused a completely different situation.
At this moment, Jiang Ran was completely different from her previous arrogant and domineering self. Si Zuochen and Si Youlin couldn't help but change their opinion of her, and the distance between them became even closer.
Since Jiang Ran gave them a lecture, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin have gradually changed, spending their days off at the orphanage with the children.
Although their conditions were harsh before, they were still children. After coming to a new environment and spending some time together, their initial hostility diminished considerably, just like any other child.
Seeing Cheng Zhi standing alone to one side looking extremely lonely, Si Youlin raised an eyebrow, walked over, and asked in surprise, "Why are you sitting here all alone?"
Cheng Zhi glanced at him indifferently, then looked away and replied coldly, "It's none of your business."
Seeing his cold attitude, Si Youlin's face flashed with surprise. Ignoring his rejection, he sat down to the side, smiled slightly, and took the initiative to be friendly: "My name is Si Youlin, what's yours?"
Cheng Zhi pursed his lips slightly and replied in a low voice, "I know you. It was because of you that we were able to be rescued."
Upon hearing this, Si Youlin assumed he was going to express his gratitude, and an embarrassed smile immediately appeared on his face. He repeatedly said, "It was a twist of fate."
Unexpectedly, Cheng Zhi suddenly stood up, glanced at him coldly with his eyes down, and left without saying anything.
Si Youlin was puzzled by his inexplicable attitude. Just then, Si Zuochen noticed the situation and walked over from a distance, asking in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
“What a strange person…” Si Youlin murmured, then briefly explained Cheng Zhi’s eccentric personality to Si Zuochen.
Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen looked up at his back. He saw that the man's back was thin but not bent, and his expression was inscrutable. Then he said in a deep voice, "Try to have less contact with him in the future."
"Hmm." Si Youlin's eyes darkened, and he nodded in response.
This was the first time he had encountered a situation where he took the initiative to greet someone and ran into a tough opponent!
After this brief interlude, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin shifted their focus back to Jiang Ran and Si Yanxiao.
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