Chapter 60
The midday sun is scorching hot; anyone who stands in bright light for even a short while will feel pain rather than warmth.
Outside the old-style residential area, which is usually quiet and desolate, two sports cars stopped at roughly the same time and in roughly the same spot.
As Ran Xian got out of the car, he pushed up the sunglasses that almost covered half of his face. Behind the slightly transparent lenses, his beautiful eyes showed a hint of amusement.
But now he pretended to be ignorant, and even greeted Li Xing'en in a friendly manner.
"What a coincidence."
As always, as long as Jin Chuwan wasn't around, Li Xing'en's so-called gentleness and elegance almost entirely turned into indifference and aloofness.
However, at this moment he didn't find it clever, he only found it annoying.
What are you doing here?
Upon hearing the question, Ran Xian's smile widened as he recalled his discussion with Jin Chuwan the previous day.
Although she hesitated throughout, she still put Li Xing'en's name together with Jiang Chen's.
Ran Xian's gaze shifted.
In other words, the person in front of them at this very moment is one of the people they plan to deal with.
He paused briefly, a hint of ambiguity flickering between his handsome, gentle brows. He looked at Li Xing'en and said calmly, "I'm here to find my girlfriend."
His voice was flat, a simple statement. But Li Xing'en suddenly became sensitive; a ripple of unease appeared in his gray eyes, but it quickly spread out again.
What is he thinking about?
Li Xing'en's gaze abruptly shifted elsewhere, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the car door. The young man was tall and slender, and even his ordinary casual clothes exuded a noble air about him, but he seemed somewhat impatient at this moment, with a layer of disdain and contempt pressing down on his eyes.
He didn't want to chat with Ran Xian any longer.
Perhaps it was because some things had been going beyond his expectations and out of his control lately that his usually proud composure and calmness began to crumble.
"I can't go on like this," Li Xing'en told herself, then turned and walked into the residential area.
His expression was calm, yet his steps were hurried, as if he was anxiously searching for something to calm his turbulent emotions.
After Ran Xian saw that the person had left, he also took off his sunglasses. His smile disappeared in an instant, followed by a soft "hiss."
The boy stood there and sighed briefly.
"I was actually thinking of giving it a try..."
He murmured with a hint of disappointment, then slowly pulled his phone out of his trouser pocket.
The thing had been shaking for a while; he knew who it was without even thinking.
"Hey! I asked you to pick up Jin Chuwan, are you here yet? Every time you need to get something done, you're always so slow and dragging your feet—"
The voice from the phone was shrill and piercing. Ran Xian moved the phone away a bit, and only brought it to his ear after the barrage of noise ended, saying, "We're here, we're here. Can you please stop rushing me?"
After saying this, Ran Xian hung up the phone. He glanced at Li Xing'en's back and pondered how likely Jin Chuwan would help him if a direct conflict occurred later.
Although a man should be willing to make tough decisions, wouldn't it be too pathetic if he couldn't beat Li Xing'en?
Despite his inner reluctance, he kept following Li Xing'en into the residential area.
Li Xing'en, who was walking in front, also noticed the person behind him. He turned around, stopped at the corner, and glanced behind him without making a sound.
Ran Xian was clearly following him, but he stopped halfway through.
Li Xing'en watched him pick up his phone and listen for a while, then glanced in his direction as if she breathed a sigh of relief before turning and leaving.
For some reason, Li Xing'en felt a sense of relief after Ran Xian left.
He turned and went upstairs.
The old-style buildings have no elevators or property management; the concrete staircases, one floor after another, are maintained only by the residents, each minding their own business.
In the past, every time Li Xing'en stepped onto a step, she would mentally conjure up an excuse for this meeting or a reason for the next meeting.
But now his thoughts are in turmoil.
--
Jin Chuwan called Ran Xian to tell him that Cheng Ya already knew about their relationship.
She stated frankly that she had not told Cheng Ya the truth, and Ran Xian also indicated that he had not mentioned Ran Min a word about it either. The two tacitly refrained from questioning each other about the reasons behind it, and simply exchanged information briefly.
"Ran Min wants me to pick you up and take you out for lunch."
Ran Xian casually mentioned the task Ran Min had assigned him, but Jin Chuwan paused for a moment, and he heard her slightly dazed voice coming through the receiver.
"I'm at school now, resting in my classmate's dorm room because... I'm feeling a little unwell."
Although this was just an excuse Kim Cho-wan made up, it was true that she wasn't feeling well.
I just woke up and I'm still a bit groggy.
Ran Xian had just stepped out of the residential area when his gaze swept over his cool sports car, but his pace gradually slowed down.
The handsome young man looked surprised and somewhat lost.
He unknowingly stepped out of the shade, and in an instant, the bright light fell on his smooth, delicate skin. His hair was slightly long, with black, glossy ends that stretched down his neck.
Ran Xian just stood there, lost in thought.
He glanced at the phone again.
This is really strange.
They were clearly just business partners, so why did he suddenly feel a sense of responsibility to take care of Jin Chuwan when he heard her say she wasn't feeling well?
What kind of weird stress response is this?
Ran Xian shook his head to clear his mind, then whispered into his phone.
"Where... do you feel unwell?"
Jin Chuwan listened to the phone call, then shook her head.
"It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night, and after waking up and taking a shower, I've caught a bit of a cold."
Actually, none of this mattered to Jin Chuwan, but she had to pretend to be weak. She had rested with Luo An for half a day, and it would be impolite to be called away by someone else with a phone call.
Ran Xian paused, he held back for a moment, but finally couldn't resist his instincts and snapped at Jin Chuwan, "Are you still young? You didn't sleep well and you still took a shower? Is this how you usually take care of yourself?"
After saying that, he quickly got into the car.
"Fine, you stay with your classmate and I'll be there in a bit."
Ran Xian hung up the phone after speaking. Jin Chuwan stared blankly at her phone, then hurriedly sent a few text messages.
[I'm fine, just a minor cold.]
[Ran Min has finally come all this way, you should keep her company!]
[Did you hear me? I don't need it, don't come any closer—]
After sending the message, Jin Chuwan wasn't sure if Ran Xian had seen it. She hesitated for a moment and then dialed the number again, but the other party did not answer.
Jin Chuwan sat anxiously for a while, then gave up struggling as if she had given up entirely.
Whatever, whatever.
When Luo An returned, she saw Jin Chuwan staring blankly at her phone. She rarely saw her so lost in thought and found it quite amusing.
"What, are you still not awake?"
Luo An put the book on the table, then waved his hand in front of Jin Chuwan's eyes. Seeing that her complexion had improved a lot, she felt relieved. It was getting late anyway, so Luo An suggested.
"Shall we go to the cafeteria for lunch together?"
Jin Chuwan nodded; she felt a little hungry when she woke up.
T University has a very large campus, with three canteens alone.
Jin Chu usually eats in the cafeteria when she has a full schedule of classes, but only once a week.
Luo An spent her days studying the cafeteria's menu. She dragged Jin Chuwan directly to the third floor and stopped in front of a sign with a long queue.
"The food here is plentiful, tastes great, and looks very clean. I've eaten here a few times. Would you like to try it?"
Jin Chuwan agreed to Luo An's suggestion. She accompanied Luo An to arrange the team and listened to Luo An talk about the latest news in the class.
"Did you see the invitation Zhou Zishu sent in the class group yesterday? It's a costume party. Do you want to go?"
Luo An seemed somewhat interested in this, but also a little awkward because he didn't know much about it. Jin Chuwan, on the other hand, didn't want to participate at all, but after looking at Luo An for a while, she still replied.
"You need to wear a dress to these kinds of balls."
After hearing this, Luo An remained silent for a while, then sighed helplessly, "Forget it, it's too much trouble to buy a dress for an event. Let's not go and join the fun."
The two reached an agreement, and just then it was their turn in the queue.
After ordering, they sat down at an empty table nearby to wait.
It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was crowded with students. Jin Chuwan usually sat in a corner and looked out the window at the scenery.
Just then, a cool supercar appeared in her field of vision. She saw her classmates passing by casting shocked or envious glances at the car as it sped past.
Jin Chuwan suddenly raised her hand and pressed her temples.
She thought she must really be sick.
Otherwise, why would I feel so upset and have such a headache...?
--
Ran Xian is usually quite low-key. Although T University has given him some leniency in various aspects because of the Ran family's financial support, he rarely shows off at school. Most of the time, he behaves like a typical rich kid.
But he was either spacing out or thinking about something else when he got close to the girls' dormitory and realized that he had actually driven there!
Unfortunately, there were many people around him, and Ran Xian felt all eyes turning towards him. Occasionally, there would be a whistle or two, and the girls passing by looked excited, as if they were expecting something.
Ran Xian glanced at the cold medicine and anti-inflammatory pills on the passenger seat and suddenly felt a little lost.
He lowered his head and did the second set of eye exercises for a while, then, feeling guilty, he moved the car to a parking space near the management building.
When Ran Xian got out of the car, he suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion, but he still dialed the phone to ask where Jin Chuwan was.
During the voice call, Jin Chuwan sounded even more haggard than before. Her voice was low and hoarse, her speech was slow, and she seemed hesitant and dejected.
"I'm in the cafeteria on the East Campus."
Ran Xian paused for a moment after hearing her answer, then remembered that he had just passed by there. He quickly grabbed the medicine from the passenger seat and rushed over.
He didn't attract as much attention this time, but his arrival still sparked a small wave of discussion.
Jin Chuwan never expected to run into so many classmates while having a meal. Seeing that the two tables around her were full, she was about to call Ran Xian to tell him not to come over when a bag full of various medicines appeared in front of her.
The boy's forehead was covered in fine sweat as he walked. He took out an intricately embroidered handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it casually. Then, with a few clear gasps, he raised his hand and placed it on Jin Chuwan's forehead.
His brows were slightly furrowed, but he still tried to remain gentle.
"I kindly helped you deliver your medicine, and you're still looking at me like that?"
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