Chapter 58
Jin Chuwan paused for a moment, her first reaction was to laugh.
It's not that I find Ran Xian's conclusion laughable, but it just reminds me of a question someone asked me a long time ago.
Lost in her memories, Jin Chuwan was somewhat dazed. She looked at Ran Xian with a hazy expression. The boy stood under the dazzling lights, and the look in his eyes was neither worried nor teasing, but simply one of simple confusion.
Jin Chuwan pondered for a while. She had already organized a lot of grand principles for discussing human diversity, but when she got to the point of speaking, she felt it was all very boring.
never mind.
"It doesn't matter what happens to me, let's get Ran Min to rest first."
Jin Chuwan pointed to the girl in her arms. She was completely still, but this was clearly not a place to sleep.
Ran Xian had no objection. He wasn't particularly interested in prying into other people's private affairs; he just thought of it and asked casually.
He turned and greeted the group of people who were having a wild time, then reached out and scooped up Ran Min, who was lying in Jin Chuwan's arms.
Jin Chuwan had always thought Ran Xian was rather frail, but she hadn't expected him to be so spirited. She watched as he skillfully carried Ran Min on his back, then gestured with his chin towards her.
"Help me take off my sunglasses."
Jin Chuwan was stunned for a moment. She glanced at the table and found nothing. When she looked up blankly, she saw Ran Xian's sunglasses, which were already teetering on the verge of falling down.
She quickly caught it, but in her haste, she accidentally snagged the other person's collar.
The boy's collarbone was faintly visible, and Jin Chuwan glanced at it for some reason, only to hear a low laugh.
Ran Xian stretched out his leg and hooked the door of the private room, but his eyes were fixed on Jin Chuwan.
Their eyes met briefly, but Jin Chuwan quickly looked away. She frowned. It was clearly just an accident, so why did she feel like she'd been caught?
Fortunately, Ran Xian didn't say anything, and the two of them then took Ran Min back to the hotel to rest.
Jin Chuwan tucked Ran Min in, then stood up and sighed helplessly. She had specifically called Ran Min out, only to fall fast asleep herself.
She glanced down at the time; after all that fuss, it was almost one o'clock.
"Want to come downstairs and grab a bite to eat?"
Ran Xian stood outside the door with his arms crossed. His gaze swept over the marks on Jin Chuwan's dress, and then he sighed silently.
He said that anyone who knows Ran Min will suffer retribution...
Jin Chuwan nodded. She was also hungry, so the two of them went downstairs to the buffet restaurant without making any selections.
However, it was still quite late to go at this time. Jin Chuwan casually picked out some food and sat down to eat, while Ran Xian looked at it critically for a long time, and finally brought back an empty plate.
Jin Chuwan asked in surprise, "We've already paid the bill, aren't you going to eat?"
The boy rested his chin on his hand and glanced at the dining table.
"You eat it, I don't have an appetite for this kind of... food."
Jin Chuwan shook her head upon hearing this: "Go ahead and choose, you'll be the one going hungry anyway."
Ran Xian raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem to care. He looked at Jin Chuwan and saw that she had a good appetite, but soon looked away.
The weather was lovely today, but that also meant it was very hot. Huge glass windows kept the outside in, making the lobby cool and comfortable, but the road outside swayed like an oven.
It had probably been a long time since they had sat quietly face to face like this, and Ran Xian suddenly remembered the time when he met Jin Chuwan at the cram school.
Because their grades were consistently close, they sat together from day one.
At first, Ran Xian didn't notice Jin Chuwan either. After all, she wasn't anything special. The only thing worth mentioning was that she was relatively quiet, so quiet that they didn't exchange a single word for an entire semester.
Jin Chuwan is a typical bookworm. She is very focused in class, and even during breaks, she is mostly thinking about the questions she got wrong. Ran Xian is speechless when it comes to someone like that.
He simply doesn't understand why he has to work so hard.
If his family hadn't forced him, he wouldn't have come to that cram school.
When was the first time they spoke?
Ran Xian narrowed his eyes, his thoughts slowly drifting back.
It seems that Ran Min suddenly decided to come to the tutoring center to find him.
'Your brother?'
He still remembers Jin Chuwan's surprised yet enlightened look.
'If I look closely, you two look like...twins...'
It was only after that day that the two of them truly got to know each other, and what made Ran Xian even more speechless was that he realized on that day that Ran Min seemed to have never paid any attention to him before she appeared.
This slightly shattered his self-esteem.
Are you kidding me? When has he ever been ignored like this?
As he recalled, Ran Xian's expression became complicated. He moved the glass in front of him, and two slices of lemon swirled in the cold liquid. He lowered his head and took a sip, but then secretly glanced at Jin Chuwan.
The other person seemed to be looking at him too; she was biting into a slice of toast, her gaze somewhat vacant.
"Do you still remember when we first met..."
Ran Xian casually started a topic, then suddenly realized that the topic was a bit off. His voice gradually weakened, but Jin Chuwan continued the conversation.
"You mean when Ran Min sends me ten text messages a day recommending you?"
Ran Xian suddenly coughed. He was unaware of this at the time and wondered why Jin Chuwan always looked at him with such a complicated expression before class. By the time he found out, Jin Chuwan had already decided to ask the teacher to change the seating arrangement.
The boy, who had just been relaxed and carefree, suddenly became tense. He glanced nervously at the person in front of him, his lips moved, and finally he slumped back into the chair.
"Fine, whatever." Ran Xian resignedly propped his chin up. "Being born with twins like Ran Min is a blessing."
Jin Chuwan couldn't help but chuckle.
"No need for that. She didn't really say anything. And there wasn't much exaggeration involved."
Ran Xian raised his eyes, as if he wanted to listen more carefully.
But Kim Cho-wan lowered her head and began to eat fruit.
The boy sighed, shook the lemon in his glass, and looked at the slightly cloudy liquid that had just settled.
"Actually, Ran Min was just mentioning this to me..."
Jin Chuwan nodded; she had noticed it too.
“I know she can’t let go of Jiang Chen, but there’s something wrong with her thinking.”
She picked up a cherry tomato with a fork and waved it in front of Ran Xian.
"The problem lies with Jiang Chen; even if you get rid of me, it won't make a difference."
Ran Xian glanced at Jin Chuwan, who seemed to have a lot of reasons to talk about Jiang Chen, but he still shook his head.
"As long as you don't have someone you like, Ran Min won't be able to handle Jiang Chen."
Hearing such a statement again, Jin Chuwan felt somewhat frustrated. She glanced at Ran Xian and asked in a slightly anxious tone, "So, you mean you've decided to sacrifice yourself for your sister? To put on a never-ending romance with me?"
Compared to Kim Cho-wan's loss of composure, Ran Hyun appeared quite calm.
"Why not? What's it to you if we pretend to be close? Anyway... you don't like me, and I don't like you."
Jin Chuwan found it absurd. She closed her eyes, but finally sighed.
She glanced at Ran Xian, who sat there with an air of self-importance and a relaxed demeanor.
There was no loss.
Kim Cho-wan smiled too.
"But what good would it do me to pretend to be your lover?"
Ran Xian acted on a whim. Based on past experience, Jin Chuwan would stubbornly believe that she was right and that everything had nothing to do with her. She would probably make a sarcastic remark and then reject him without hesitation.
But now it seems she's giving him a chance.
After a brief moment of surprise, Ran Xian sat up straight, a genuine look appearing on his face.
"If I told you about my identity, appearance, money, and family background, you probably wouldn't be interested."
The boy's lips parted and closed, revealing a friendly and gentle smile on his handsome face, like that of a waiter.
"Or rather, what do you hope to gain, or what do you want me to do for you?"
Jin Chuwan didn't answer, because she was stumped by his question.
She does have something she wants.
Jin Chuwan finally put the cherry tomato that had been dangling in the air for a long time into her mouth. The sweet and sour taste filled her taste buds. She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Ran Xian with a slightly uneasy look.
"you say……"
"Should we just sign a contract?"
--
After Jin Chuwan finished speaking, she felt a tingling and numb sensation rush down her spine.
Well, I made myself feel embarrassed because some old TV drama plots suddenly flashed through my mind.
She was considering whether to take back what she had said when Ran Xian across from her smiled happily.
"Absolutely."
Ran Xian rested his hands on his crossed knees, a faint smile playing on his lips. At first glance, he looked like the kind of despicable villain often described in novels.
Kim Chuwan remained silent for a while. Although he was struggling with his thoughts, once he convinced himself, everything began to move in a pragmatic direction.
The restaurant was quiet, and the waiter looked on with suspicion at the two people who were constantly discussing and revising on paper with pens in their hands.
The air conditioning was cool enough, but both sides seemed very anxious.
The two negotiated for an entire afternoon. What should have been a simple matter turned out to be quite complicated by Jin Chuwan's demands. The difficulty wasn't Jin Chuwan's conditions themselves, but rather her various requests to forbid any disturbance or intimacy.
Ran Xian looked at the 'contract' that had been altered and had countless lines added to it.
"Jin Chuwan, even if it's acting, it should at least look convincing, right? According to your requirements, we won't meet, we won't go on dates, we won't bother each other, and everyone still has to think we're lovers?" He paused, pressed his temples, seemingly a little tired, "You're not trying to get me to do things for you for free, are you?"
Jin Chuwan frowned; she was also in a dilemma.
"You know I don't like you, and you want me to go on dates and see you like a couple? That's too uncomfortable for me. Besides, I'm very busy. You know how much schoolwork there is—exams, mock debates, and term papers..."
Jin Chuwan counted on her fingers, and Ran Xian's expression also became somewhat tense.
He said patiently, "Do I look like I really like you and want to be all over you? But shouldn't we at least respect the audience? Now that we've made this decision, even if we all think it's ridiculous, shouldn't we at least take it seriously?"
Jin Chuwan was helpless; she couldn't persuade Ran Xian, and Ran Xian couldn't persuade her either.
"Anyway, all we need to do is pretend when they're around..."
"How about this: if Jiang Chen suspects us, all the conditions I agreed to before will be null and void?"
Jin Chuwan's expression changed slightly. She frowned and looked at Ran Xian, who smiled calmly, seemingly not joking.
"Never mind... I've thought about it carefully, and what you said makes sense." Jin Chuwan said, taking out her phone, opening the chat app, and tapping on Settings - Personal Information.
"Alright then," Jin Chuwan sighed in resignation, "Let's start by changing our profile pictures to matching couple photos..."
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