Chapter 20
The phone never returned to Jin Chuwan's hands, and Jiang Chen, back in the car, remained unusually silent.
The driver glanced at the boy in the rearview mirror with a puzzled look.
Did they have a fight?
--
Meanwhile, when Jin Chuwan arrived at her dormitory, she saw an unexpected person.
Ran Min.
"You two were the last to apply, so we've arranged for you to be together. Get along well!"
After giving her instructions, the auntie who was assigning dorm rooms left with a smile.
The two girls glanced at each other, then quickly looked away.
In fact, they were just acquaintances, and there seemed to be no need for them to greet each other.
Jin Chuwan glanced around the dormitory and found that the conditions here were much better than she had imagined. It was not only spacious but also well-lit, and had a private bathroom and balcony.
Recalling some memories of her past life, she suddenly realized that the tutoring school must have made a lot of money.
As Jin Chuwan was packing her luggage, Ran Min, who was lying on the bed, suddenly turned over in frustration.
She should have been happily shopping, but one phone call from her father and now she's locked up here like a prisoner.
And to make matters worse, he ended up in the same dorm room as Jin Chuwan.
Thinking of Ran Min, she couldn't help but pout.
At this moment, Jin Chuwan suddenly realized that she seemed to have forgotten to bring her phone. She remembered that she had put it in her pocket when she left home.
Did it fall into the car?
Thinking about it, Jin Chuwan rummaged through her backpack again, and it seemed that it was indeed gone.
At this moment, Ran Min also noticed that Jin Chuwan was acting strangely, and she glanced at her hesitantly.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Upon hearing the question, Jin Chuwan turned to look at Ran Min.
"My phone is missing. Can I borrow yours for a moment so I can call Jiang Chen?"
Ran Min thought for a moment and then handed over her phone.
Seeing Jin Chuwan making a phone call, Ran Min suddenly became happy again. Now that Jin Chuwan was here for training, she no longer had to worry about her clinging to Jiang Chen.
It seems pretty good~
Jin Chuwan looked at Ran Min, who was sometimes sunny and sometimes rainy, with a look of confusion on her face.
She dialed the number, but Jiang Chen didn't answer. After thinking for a moment, she called Cheng Ya instead.
She doesn't actually use her phone often, and only a few people will proactively contact her.
Besides Cheng Ya and Lili, she only needs to tell them.
Ran Min saw Jin Chuwan standing on the balcony, seemingly explaining something, but when she hung up the phone, it was as if she had been in a battle.
Ran Min couldn't help but hold back when she took the phone.
What did you say to Jiang Chen?
Jin Chuwan glanced at the suitcase, then shook her head.
"I couldn't get through, so I contacted Cheng Ya and explained the situation to her briefly."
Ran Min was even happier when she heard this. It was better that the call hadn't gone through. She put her phone under her pillow.
"Speaking of which, Cheng Ya is too clingy to you. If you two have to separate in the future, won't she cry her eyes out?"
Kim Cho-wan suddenly smiled when she heard this.
She imagined Cheng Ya's beautiful eyes looking at her pitifully like a puppy's.
If you cry.
"Maybe..."
Jin Chuwan hung her clothes in the closet one by one. When she first entered the school, the teacher said that she should go to the academic affairs office to pick up her books.
But just as Jin Chuwan was about to ask Ran Min for the location of the academic affairs office, the other party looked at her fingernails, raised her hand, and made a phone call.
"Hey, go get another book."
Jin Chuwan heard a furious rebuke coming from the phone, but Ran Min merely raised an eyebrow indifferently.
"What, is it too much for me to ask you to pick up a meal for my roommate? Don't forget, if you weren't such a useless person, why would your sister be locked up here?"
Kim Cho-wan probably guessed what was going on when she heard this.
"Is it... Ran Xian?"
Ran Min's expression darkened instinctively upon hearing the name after hanging up the phone.
"Golden Night".
Hearing the other person call her name solemnly, Jin Chuwan looked up.
The girl, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly sat up, her delicately made-up eyes revealing a hint of fierceness.
"Listen up, if you want to get along with me, treat that guy like a slave during training and trample him under your feet—"
Jin Chuwan swallowed hard, and after thinking for a moment, she decided to offer a word of advice.
That's your own brother.
"I've already broken off all ties with him—"
Suddenly the door opened, and a slender, tall boy stood outside, carrying heavy books and looking gloomy.
"I've really seen it for myself."
Ran Xian noticed that Jin Chuwan's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly pointed to Ran Min on the bed and said to Jin Chuwan.
"This girl, she got caught by her father while out having fun, and she still has the nerve to blame me for betraying her? I'm the one who was dragged down by her..."
Just as the boy finished speaking, Ran Min's pillow flew towards him.
"You traitor! You knew perfectly well that Dad was investigating me, so why didn't you tell him?"
Why should I inform you?
...
As Jin Chuwan listened to the twins chatting away, she suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for the taciturn Jiang Chen.
However, Ran Xian eventually gave in to Ran Min and went to the Academic Affairs Office again.
Jin Chuwan originally wanted to go with them, but Ran Min stopped her.
Fortunately, Ran Xian didn't seem to care too much. He flicked his hair and sighed.
"Forget it, you can rest in the dorm. I'll do the physical work."
Just as Jin Chuwan was about to thank him, she heard Ran Min suddenly laugh behind her.
"My dear little brother, you're not like this at home. Is this how you usually try to impress girls? Don't even think about it. With your big sister here, I'll never let any girl be fooled by you—"
This time, Ran Xian finally turned pale, but he didn't say anything; he just slammed the door and walked out.
After the smoke cleared, Jin Chuwan looked back at Ran Min, who was lying on the bed texting as if nothing had happened.
"Are you... always like this?"
The boy, who had just left, suddenly remembered that he hadn't given the water and meal cards he had just received to Ran Min. Frustrated, he pressed his temples and turned to walk back.
"Huh?" Ran Min yawned upon hearing this. "With you here today, that idiot is like that in front of girls."
As she spoke, Ran Min suddenly sat up and carefully looked Jin Chuwan up and down.
Although she's not quite as good as her, this obedient girl look seems to suit Ran Xian's taste quite well...
"But...maybe my brother really does like you a little. Why don't you just try to accept him, even if it's a bit of a sacrifice?"
The door was ajar, and the boy who was about to knock suddenly stopped. His hand tightened, and a blush crept onto his handsome face.
Jin Chuwan, who was drinking water, choked upon hearing this.
"Thank you for your kind offer, but no need."
Upon hearing this, Ran Min slumped back down.
"Yeah, no one would want something so ugly, especially since you have pretty high standards, just like me..."
Jin Chuwan listened to Ran Min's grumbling, thought for a moment, and then put down her water glass.
"I think you might have some misunderstanding about me."
"Jiang Chen and I have no relationship whatsoever. We just grew up together, and I don't have any romantic feelings for him."
Looking at the current situation, it seems that she and Ran Min have been spending time in this 'intimate state' for a while, so she thinks it would be better to talk things out.
But Ran Min, lying on the bed, just pouted and didn't answer.
The girl's fingers flew across the keys, the screen filled with messages she had sent, but the other party showed no sign of replying until she mentioned that she and Jin Chuwan were in the same dormitory, at which point she finally received a reply.
That's quite a coincidence.
Through her phone, Ran Min secretly glanced at Jin Chuwan, who was tilting her head and looking at her.
Pshaw, who needs her to tell me?
--
Jin Chuwan never received a reply from Ran Min, but it seems that the relationship between the two has been repaired somewhat.
For example, she no longer ignores her like before. Occasionally, she will ask Ran Xian to run errands for her, or sit next to her reluctantly. Although she says she is doing it reluctantly, she actually listens to her explain the problems honestly.
Jin Chuwan gradually got used to it.
To use a term from online novels, these siblings would probably be described as arrogant and tsundere.
You'll get used to it.
On the other hand, this training camp was indeed extremely rigorous. All their time was meticulously planned. Jin Chuwan was certainly well-prepared, but Ran Min and Ran Xian persevered every day with great difficulty. At first, they would blame each other, but gradually they didn't even have the energy to complain anymore.
"I said, are you the devil?"
Ran Min leaned against her younger brother, looking at Jin Chuwan, who was still doing her homework, with a heart full of despair.
"You've been working from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you still haven't taken a break?"
Jin Chuwan chuckled as she listened, then turned to look at the two heads huddled together.
"There's only a little over a month left, it'll be over soon, just hang in there a little longer."
Jin Chuwan rarely smiles, but when she does, she looks gentle and approachable. Ran Min watched for a while and then quietly looked away.
"She must have used this method to seduce Brother Chen..."
As Ran Min was muttering to herself, her phone suddenly vibrated. Jin Chuwan was doing math problems, but the next second she heard Ran Min scream.
Ran Xian covered his ears and hid to the side, while Jin Chuwan also stood up.
"What's wrong?"
Ran Min stared at her phone, her face contorted with rage.
"Who is this woman?!"
Jin Chuwan and Ran Xian exchanged puzzled glances, then peeked behind Ran Min.
The screen displays a multimedia message photo.
Judging from the background of the photo, it appears to be the garden of the Jiang family villa, with the main subject being two people watering the plants.
The boy was Jiang Chen, who had a gentle expression. Jin Chuwan didn't recognize the girl, but she could tell she was very beautiful. However, at this moment, Jin Chuwan's gaze was drawn to a middle-aged couple in the corner.
"...Are Mom and Dad back?"
However, Ran Min didn't listen to anything Jin Chuwan said at all; she shook Jin Chuwan's shoulders.
"Who is this woman? Chu An said she lives at Jiang Chen's house. What? Why is one leaving and another coming? And Brother Chen even smiled at her. Why is that?"
Jin Chuwan wanted to say she didn't know, but seeing Ran Min's anxious look, she could only reassure her.
"Perhaps a distant relative of the Jiang family?"
"How could that be? Do you think I don't know how many people are in the Jiang family?"
That's true...
Jin Chuwan touched her chin and glanced at Ran Xian, who looked like he didn't want to say anything more.
"No, I have to go and see!"
Ran Min grabbed her coat, which was still on the bed, as she spoke.
"But it's already 10 p.m.."
Jin Chuwan was about to try to persuade her when, in the next second, Ran Min grabbed her by the neck and pulled her outside.
"...?"
Jin Chuwan stared in astonishment as Ran Xian waved to her and then mouthed goodbye.
"Um, Ran Min!"
Jin Chuwan struggled a few times but failed. She glanced at Ran Min's indignant gaze, hesitated for a moment, and finally pointed to the dormitory.
"What I mean is, shouldn't we bring our slaves along too?"
Ran Xian, who was standing outside the door about to close it and leave, turned pale when he heard the word "slave." But soon, he saw Ran Min rushing over aggressively.
Ran Xian, whose collar had been grabbed, immediately looked at Jin Chuwan, his slightly upturned eyes narrowing slightly.
"You, wait, for, me—"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his collar being squeezed so tightly that he almost suffocated.
"Oh dear, you're too kind. My little dog is a bit unruly, please don't mind him, Wanwan."
Jin Chuwan looked at Ran Xian's pitiful appearance and chuckled softly with her head down.
"Yeah, I don't mind."
--
The reason why it is called a training camp is that it is completely closed off.
Jin Chuwan looked at the barbed wire on the wall and was slightly surprised. She hadn't noticed it when she came, but now that she wanted to escape, she realized that the guards here were so strict.
"I said, aren't you a good student? Why are you doing this kind of thing too?"
The boy next to her was severely punished by his older sister for resisting; not only was his jacket missing, but he also had a small, inconspicuous cut on his face.
Jin Chuwan looked at the boy squatting beside her. Although Ran Min always called him ugly, Ran Xian was actually very good-looking. Even though he had the same 'pretty' face as his sister, he didn't look effeminate at all. Instead, he had a kind of androgynous and heroic air.
Thinking about it, Jin Chuwan smiled.
"On the contrary, I'd quite like to give it a try."
As adults, we don't really care about things that were considered 'outrageous' during our student days.
Even in casual conversation later on, it was simply called 'childish mischief'.
So occasionally, she would want to try it, but she never had the chance, and that's why she didn't do it 'intentionally'.
Jin Chuwan glanced at Ran Min, who was already on high alert, and thought that perhaps it would be quite interesting to go crazy with her like this.
It was late at night, and almost all the dormitory lights were off.
Jin Chuwan glanced at the guardhouse not far away, then suddenly got up and walked over.
The twins huddled together nervously as they watched Kim Cho-wan walk straight towards the guardhouse. But to their surprise, Kim Cho-wan emerged from the guardhouse without incident and even waved to them.
The siblings exchanged a glance, then carefully crept over.
Jin Chuwan looked at the uncle who was fast asleep in the guard room and smiled faintly.
As someone who has been reincarnated as a corporate slave, she understands the older man's work ethic quite well.
"They're... out already?"
Jin Chuwan glanced at Ran Min, who looked completely bewildered, and quickly pulled the two of them away. It wouldn't be good if the uncle woke up later.
Because they had come out secretly, Ran Min and Ran Xian didn't dare to call their family's driver, so they hailed a taxi on the roadside.
After getting into the car, Ran Min became shy and hesitant.
"What if Brother Chen asks? Would it be too abrupt for me to go there like this?"
Ran Xian tugged at his collar speechlessly, "Then why don't we go back?"
"I don't want to!"
Jin Chuwan looked at the flashing neon lights outside the car window. It was 10 p.m., which was actually her usual time to get off work.
But it is indeed a bit late for students.
"Don't worry, I'll just say I went back to look for my phone."
And since her parents are back, it's normal for her to go back and say hello, even though the timing is a bit off.
Half an hour later, the car stopped near the villa. Jin Chuwan and Ran Xian glanced at Ran Min, who was hiding behind them like a thief, and exchanged helpless looks.
"Ran Min."
Looking at the brightly lit villa not far away, Jin Chuwan, as an adult, felt that perhaps she could give the girl next to her some correct advice.
"If you really like someone that much, just confess."
"When it comes to love, aside from the very rare mutual affection, if you don't act in time, the other person might suddenly disappear while you're hesitating."
"Even if I am rejected, it's still good. This way, I can give up on it sooner and be free from it sooner."
Ran Min silently held Jin Chuwan's arm.
She glanced at the girl next to her, then pouted and looked away.
How do you know I didn't confess my feelings...?
The girl's voice was very soft. In her memories from childhood to adulthood, Jiang Chen's back was always in her sight.
And that person, the one she liked from the very first sight of him.
Like her, he always looked at the back of another person.
"If you could just stop liking someone whenever you wanted, then it wouldn't be love..."
As Jin Chuwan listened to Ran Min's summary, her hand, which was about to press the bell, paused slightly.
"……you're right."
--
When Butler Jiang opened the door, he was also taken aback.
"Wanwan? Why are you back all of a sudden?"
Jin Chuwan smiled, then pulled Ran Min and Ran Xian into the courtyard.
"I'm going home to get some things; my friend is coming with me."
Butler Jiang nodded upon hearing this. He glanced around the room and then suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, your parents came back a few days ago. They said they were holding a funeral in their hometown, and they also brought a child back with them. Don't be too surprised when you see him."
Kim Cho-wan smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Don't worry, Uncle Jiang."
Perhaps because she wasn't a reincarnation like Cheng Xiucheng, she felt an indelible sense of alienation from this world from the moment she woke up.
She instinctively felt that she didn't belong here.
Perhaps that's why, even though she had lived in the Jiang family for so many years, she felt such a clear sense of unfamiliarity after just over a month of intensive training.
As an adult, Jin Chuwan could pretend nothing was wrong.
When the door opened, everyone inside was stunned.
"Wanwan?"
When Mrs. Jin saw her daughter suddenly return, her face stiffened for a moment before she smiled.
"Young Master Chen said you were in training camp, why are you suddenly back so late?"
Jin Chuwan smiled and said, "Because I need to come back to get something, I don't have much time during the day because I have classes."
The once elegantly decorated living room is now surrounded by many colorful balloons, and a birthday cake that has been cut open sits on the table, with the words "Happy Birthday Chaoyang" faintly visible in jam on it.
Chaoyang...
Jin Chuwan glanced at her father, who sat awkwardly next to her mother, and at the beautiful girl leaning against her parents, who looked like a doll.
"Have you found your sister?"
When the two adults heard Jin Chuwan calmly bring up this matter, they were immediately surprised and opened their mouths.
How do you know Chaoyang is your sister?
At that moment, Jiang Chen was coming downstairs, carrying a gift for Jin Chaoyang. He looked at Jin Chuwan, who had suddenly appeared in the living room, and the Ran siblings standing behind her with surprise.
"Although I was very young at the time, didn't my parents often say that they had an older sister who was lost when she was young? You often argued about this, didn't you?"
As Jin Chuwan spoke, she glanced at the girl who should be called her 'older sister'.
"I only found out recently, so I didn't have time to prepare a gift. I'm sorry, Sister Chaoyang."
Jin Chuwan smiled at the girl in front of her and said, "Happy birthday."
Jin Chaoyang glanced at his suddenly appearing younger sister and immediately waved his hand, "No, it's nothing. It's because I didn't invite you. Oh, no, it's because Mom and Dad said you don't like being disturbed. I was originally planning to visit you with Mom and Dad in the next couple of days..."
The girl was clearly nervous. Jin Chuwan noticed that Ran Min was looking at Jin Chaoyang with a hostile gaze, so she quickly grabbed the two of them by the wrist.
"Okay, that's all for now. I'll go back to my room first."
Jiang Chen stood in the stairwell, his gaze sweeping over Jin Chuwan's hand holding Ran Xian's, his eyes looking somewhat melancholy.
Jin Chuwan raised her head and met Jiang Chen's gaze. She wanted to greet him, but after noticing his gaze, she looked away.
It seems he doesn't welcome me back.
Ran Min, however, saw Jiang Chen and stammered out a greeting, "Jiang Chen."
"Your phone is in my room."
As Jin Chuwan stepped onto the last step, she heard Jiang Chen's voice behind her. She turned around, glanced at him, and then nodded.
"knew."
This was Ran Xian's first time visiting Jiang Chen's house. He glanced at Jin Chuwan's room and then nudged Ran Min beside him.
"Look at other people's rooms, look at yours, even a dog wouldn't go in."
Ran Min was still angry, and punched Ran Xian again. After beating her brother, Ran Min's gaze turned to Jin Chuwan.
"What?! There's suddenly someone in your house, and you're the last to know? That's unbelievable!"
As she spoke, Ran Min angrily sat down on Jin Chuwan's bed.
"Jin Chuwan, don't you have any temper?"
Jin Chuwan searched the room and found a first-aid kit that hadn't been used in a long time. She smiled slightly at Ran Min, who was complaining, then tore open a bandage and said to Ran Xian behind her.
"Squat down."
When Ran Xian saw the bandage in Jin Chuwan's hand, he immediately understood. He awkwardly looked away and then refused, "No need, it's just a small wound, it'll be fine tomorrow."
Ran Min rested her chin on her hand and glanced at her own younger brother.
"What nonsense does a slave have? When your master tells you to bow, you obediently bow. What are you pretending to be innocent for..."
Upon hearing this, the boy's expression changed immediately. While he was angrily looking at Ran Min, Jin Chuwan raised her hand and applied the bandage.
"Alright, you all wait here for me, I'll go get the tea."
After Jin Chuwan finished speaking, she left the room. She glanced at the two people glaring at each other, shook her head, and chuckled softly.
These two siblings really surprised her; they undermined each other without any mercy.
But this is probably how the siblings get along.
As Jin Chuwan went downstairs, she heard the sound of the rising sun coming from below.
She seemed a little uneasy; after all, she had been suddenly found and brought to an unfamiliar place, so it was normal for her to feel uneasy.
"Well, actually I still think it's better to live in my hometown..."
Jin Chuwan paused in her steps as she walked downstairs.
"Chaoyang, do you know how much time your father and mother spent looking for you? Mom knows you suffered a lot in the past. Now that your adoptive parents have passed away, will you stay with your father and mother? Besides, the house will be renovated soon, and the four of us will live together. Your father and mother will treat you even better in the future."
Jin Chuwan, who had originally intended to go downstairs, suddenly hesitated. Going down now seemed like it would disturb her parents' and sister's conversation.
She glanced discreetly at the sofa, then suddenly looked puzzled.
Although I read the novel many years ago, did the character of 'older sister' actually appear in the story?
Jin Chuwan was a little confused. Just as she was wondering whether she should ask Cheng Xiucheng, she suddenly saw Jiang Chen carrying a cup of tea and preparing to go upstairs.
There were exactly three cups on the tray, no more and no less, it looked like they were going to be delivered to her room.
But Kim Cho-wan suddenly felt a strange sense of being flattered.
"I can handle this kind of thing."
Jiang Chen glanced at Jin Chuwan, who seemed rather uncomfortable, and the smile on the young man's lips was faint.
"You are still me, is it necessary to make such a clear distinction?"
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