Chapter 82
Jin Chuwan could swear she was not an overconfident person, but perhaps because she had received so many confessions lately, she was starting to wonder if Ran Xian might have a crush on her.
However, this thought only flashed through Jin Chuwan's mind for a moment before disappearing.
She knew Ran Xian well enough. This guy was always picky and narcissistic. It was more likely that he simply wanted to go against Li Xing'en than fall for her.
Jin Chuwan shook her head to clear her mind of all this nonsense. In short, since she was planning to try developing a relationship with Li Xing'en, she should probably make things clear with Ran Xian.
If he wants to cancel the cooperation, that's fine too. After all, she doesn't seem to have been of any help since they got together. Jiang Chen and Ran Min still haven't developed a relationship, and Jiang Chen and Li Xing'en have even become hostile towards Ran Xian.
On the way to the restaurant, Jin Chuwan was lost in her own thoughts and didn't even hear someone calling her.
"...Jin Chuwan, what are you thinking about so intently?"
Ran Xian's voice reached her ears, and Jin Chuwan looked up as if she had come back to her senses. She saw the young man with his hands on the steering wheel, tilting his head to look at her.
“…Ah, me?” Jin Chuwan said, glancing around. The car had already stopped, and there was a parking lot outside. “Have we arrived?”
"We've arrived. I called you to get off the bus, but you didn't hear me."
As Ran Xian spoke, he unbuckled his seatbelt. He glanced out the car window and saw Li Xing'en getting out of the car opposite him. At that moment, five or six people were standing neatly outside his car door, and judging from their attire, they seemed to be the restaurant's managers.
And with that extremely respectful demeanor, it's obvious who the restaurant owner is.
"Really..."
To be honest, isn't the Li family involved in too many things in S City?
Ran Xian gave a disgruntled snort.
At this moment, Jin Chuwan also saw the scene before her. She didn't think too much about it and just smiled and said, "Looks like we can dine and dash today."
"It's not like his family is the only one that runs a restaurant. If you like, you can enjoy the same thing at the Ran family's hotel."
Ran Xian walked over to Jin Chuwan, put his arm around her shoulder, and then lowered his head. "As long as you come to my house next week, you can go as many times as you want with your Gold Card at the Stone Age Hotel."
Kim Chuwan wavered a little.
Although she had maintained a clean and virtuous reputation for two lifetimes, it did not prevent her from bowing down for a meager living.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
She was somewhat uneasy about giving this person a benefit for no apparent reason.
"I'm not doing anything, just like now, pretending to be my girlfriend." Ran Xian awkwardly touched his chin, not knowing why he suddenly felt a little nervous.
"My uncle insists on setting me up with his daughter, but I really have no interest in her whatsoever. Anyway, we're helping each other out now, so it won't hurt for you to just go along with it..."
Ran Xian's eyes flickered slightly. Although it was true, he didn't tell her that there were many people at the banquet, and that their relationship would inevitably become common knowledge.
However, that was precisely the purpose of their cooperation.
So what if everyone knows?
Ran Xian looked at Jin Chuwan's gaze, his brown eyes narrowing slightly as if he was hesitating.
Just as he was considering whether to offer her better terms, he heard an uncertain question.
"Just to get by?"
Ran Xian immediately broke into a smile, pointing four fingers to the sky as if making a vow.
"I can guarantee—"
Ran Xian made a solemn vow, but Jin Chuwan was still skeptical.
Not far away, Li Xing'en was talking to the restaurant manager. He glanced over and saw two people talking in front of the car.
Ran Xian raised his right hand above his head and whispered something in Jin Chuwan's ear, his expression full of flattery, while Jin Chuwan's expression seemed somewhat serious.
At first glance, they look like a couple arguing.
The smile on Li Xing'en's lips slowly faded, and her gray eyes seemed to suddenly turn cold, as if covered with a layer of frost.
"Young Master?"
Seemingly sensing Li Xing'en's suddenly cold aura, the manager who came to meet them also became nervous.
He reflected on what he had just said, but before he could figure out what he had said wrong, he heard the boy in front of him respond indifferently.
"I understand. You can go in first. I'm just having a meal with some friends. You don't need to entertain me."
After Li Xing'en finished speaking, she abandoned the people in front of her and walked towards Jin Chuwan.
He walked quickly because the scene before him was so harmonious and beautiful that he couldn't resist the urge to destroy it.
Although he was well aware that he did not currently have a legitimate identity.
They are the real lovers, and their intimacy is only natural. He has no reason to object, especially since he himself has promised that he will behave himself, be obedient, and be patient.
But the burning sensation in his chest made him very uncomfortable.
At this moment, Kim Cho-wan seemed to notice Lee Sung-eun as well, and her gaze finally turned to him.
Their eyes met, and she smiled and waved at him.
Li Xingen's gaze paused for a moment.
One second he was seriously thinking about how to make Ran Xian disappear completely, but now he felt like he wasn't that important after all...
Thinking this, Li Xing'en couldn't help but smile again.
He was never such an irrational person, but sometimes he felt like he was a madman.
When Ran Xian saw Li Xing'en approaching, he took the opportunity to continue, "You promised me, right?"
Jin Chuwan felt him getting closer and moved away slightly. "Your family probably wants you to marry into the family, but you're pushing me to the forefront now. What if someone makes things difficult for me at the banquet?"
Ran Xian seemed a little confused when Jin Chuwan asked him this question, and he asked in bewilderment.
Why should we make things difficult for you?
"Because I'm just an ordinary person, but you're a rich young master, you'll definitely think I'm not good enough for you or something..."
Jin Chuwan felt that Ran Xian was pretending, so she simply voiced her concerns: if the sacrifice was too great, she would not accept any benefits.
But after she finished speaking, Ran Xian suddenly laughed.
"Silly girl, my family would be overjoyed if I told them I have a girlfriend, who would dare to bully you?"
At this moment, Li Xing'en also walked over, and Ran Xian glanced at Li Xing'en while leaning close to Jin Chuwan's ear.
"This isn't a TV show, what nonsense are you thinking about all day long?"
Ran Xian's teasing left Jin Chuwan somewhat speechless; she opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to refute him.
She couldn't just say that this was a fictional world, and that their existence was simply due to a melodramatic love story.
Thinking about it, Jin Chuwan sighed silently. This wasn't the first time. Ran Xian always used this childish tone to refute her ideas, which made Jin Chuwan often wonder if she was really overthinking things.
But actually... that's how it's usually written in books!
Jin Chuwan suppressed her dissatisfaction. When Li Xingen arrived, she saw Ran Xian smiling broadly, while Jin Chuwan stood silently to the side.
"What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"
Upon hearing this, Ran Xian put his arm around Jin Chuwan's shoulder. "What argument? We were just discussing something."
As he spoke, he tilted his head and looked at Jin Chu, "Right?"
Jin Chuwan thought about it and realized that she didn't need to get angry over such a small matter, but she still pushed Ran Xian away and walked to Li Xingen's side.
"Let's go eat first, I'm a little hungry."
Li Xingen nodded in satisfaction; he was naturally happy to see the two of them have a conflict.
A private room had been prepared in the restaurant. After the three of them sat down, the manager personally brought over the menu. Jin Chuwan was really hungry, so she ordered two dishes and then handed the menu to Ran Xian next to her.
This guy had been staring at her with a smile from the very beginning, and every now and then he would ask her if she was sure she had agreed.
At first, he was muttering to himself, but later he seemed to hear everything Li Xing'en was saying, and he started asking them what they were discussing.
"Nothing special." Jin Chuwan said, secretly pinching Ran Xian under the table until Ran Xian's face contorted in pain before letting go.
Ran Xian nodded while wincing in pain, "Yes, it's nothing, you don't need to worry about it."
Li Xingen chuckled and lowered his eyes. Since both of them had given the same answer, he naturally wouldn't press the matter further.
"Alright, then... how about I leave for a bit so you can have a proper discussion?"
Li Xingen asked in a gentle and soft-spoken manner, and at least his expression seemed to suggest that he was genuinely concerned for them. However, no one would be foolish enough to believe that he was truly understanding.
Except for Ran Xian.
He replied "Okay" almost without thinking.
He didn't care whether Li Xing'en was angry or not; all he wanted to do was have a good chat with Jin Chuwan about next week's banquet.
She seemed to have agreed, but she didn't give a definite answer, which made Ran Xian uneasy. He didn't want to be forced to spend the whole night with that willful and noisy young lady.
In comparison, he would rather spend time with Kim Cho-wan having tea or watching movies and TV shows.
But as soon as he nodded, Jin Chuwan pinched him again.
This time it's my arm, and it really hurts.
He looked away dejectedly with a bitter expression.
Jin Chuwan looked up at Li Xingen. He had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were cold. Even though he didn't have any particular expression, people could still tell that he was unhappy.
Jin Chuwan felt helpless. At this moment, she realized that what she had just said sounded like she was deliberately avoiding Li Xingen, like she was intentionally keeping her distance from him.
But she couldn't explain it to him, since it was indeed a private matter between her and Ran Xian.
"It's really nothing, don't worry about it. Let's eat first. I noticed you haven't touched your chopsticks much."
The private room was spacious, and the table was laden with exquisite dishes. A well-dressed waitress stood outside the room, seemingly lost in thought while keeping an eye on what was happening inside.
That's incredible.
It was the first time she had seen the restaurant owner. He looked incredibly young, with both good looks and a great demeanor. Even his friends were handsome. She wanted to linger a little longer, but was politely asked to leave.
But this is also good. Although I can't see handsome men, I can still be lazy openly.
The waitress twisted her sore neck and was wondering if she needed to go to the restroom when she suddenly heard a voice asking her something.
"Excuse me, is this room number 101?"
She froze the moment she looked up.
Is today an auspicious day?
How come these incredibly handsome men keep appearing in front of her like they're free?
"Ah, that's right, this is it..."
Jiang Chen nodded and went straight in.
As soon as he entered, he sensed an eerie atmosphere in the private room. Ran Xian was supporting his forehead and seemed to be sighing, while Li Xing'en had a half-smile on her face. Jin Chuwan was sitting with her back to the door, so he couldn't see her expression, but he could tell from the fact that she was biting her chopsticks that she was probably thinking about what to eat.
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