Chapter 58. Jiang Xuli recognizes it as his father's black card...
Chapter 58
They said they wouldn't stay for lunch, and sure enough, around noon, the two got up to leave.
Jin's mother did offer a few words of advice, subtly criticizing Jin Ran for being ignorant and for shutting up immediately when Jiang Xuli insisted on eating a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.
As soon as she stepped outside, Jin Ran couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Jiang Xiaoli, I didn't realize you were so capable. From today onwards, I'm going to bestow upon you the title of 'Nemesis of Older Men and Women'."
Jiang Xuli's face darkened. She could accept praising him, but then said, "What the hell is this title?!"
Jin Ran thought for a while and also felt that it wasn't quite accurate: "Age is not a limitation. Last time, Jin Jing was speechless after you confronted her. You should be crowned a tea-tasting master!" Looking at Jiang Xuli's fair face, who looked like a cool and aloof school heartthrob, she couldn't help but sigh, "I thought that identifying green tea was only a skill of us girls."
Jiang Xuli curled her lips, thinking that the title was also very ordinary: "It's not about ability or inability, but about whether you're willing to believe or not. She said she'd invite you to stay for dinner, but she didn't even turn on the stove in the kitchen. I'm not stupid."
"Wow, you're so amazing! I really envy your future girlfriend, she'll definitely be very happy~" Jin Ran praised with a smile.
Without a doubt, Jiang Xuli blushed deeply again.
At the same time, the words she had said at the Jin family's house came to mind.
Although there was an element of acting involved, no one knew how much of it was genuine and how much was feigned.
She complains that being a wealthy wife is difficult; is it because she's not happy in her family?
Jiang Xuli subconsciously pursed his lips. When Jin Ran slowly caught up, he suddenly said, "My dad doesn't have any shady people around him."
Jin Ran: "?"
"If anyone goesssips about you again, you can tell me, and I'll do my best to help you deal with it."
Jin Ran was stunned for several seconds before she understood what he meant. So he was comforting her because of what she had said before?
A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and the tension he had felt from discovering the original owner's secret inexplicably eased at this moment.
Having lived under the same roof for so long, she knew that Jiang Mingxu was a virtuous person with no other romantic interests, and that although their relationship might be ambiguous, it hadn't reached that level.
But Jiang Xuli didn't know that.
In this situation, he still chose to stand behind an "outsider" like himself, rather than his biological father. To be honest, Jin Ran was really moved.
Jin Ran, from the previous generation, was not very old, but she had many friends who were married and had children. Every time they talked about how cute their children were, their faces would light up with maternal glow.
At that time, Jin Ran did not understand and even vaguely rejected this behavior of "maternal love filter" and firmly believed that it was due to the influence of hormones.
But at that moment, she suddenly understood the feeling of "my dear eldest son is so adorable," especially since this eldest son was tall, handsome, and willing to support her: "So, you admit that I am your stepmother?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuli stumbled, then quickly regained her composure and said, "I didn't admit it! I'm just too lazy to deal with new people!"
The boy's eager voice was carried by the wind, along with the fragrance of grass and the boundless passion of summer.
Jin Ran's eyebrows were curved, and a faint dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Actually, this is quite good.
She was touched, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that she still couldn't be a mother to someone else.
Perhaps they can become very good friends, and also very good "teacher and student".
/
By noon, the two did not go home immediately. Jin Ran kept her promise and took Jiang Xuli out for a big meal.
They've all gotten used to it.
Moreover, Jiang Xuli enjoyed his meal even more without his father present.
When making the payment, Jin Ran suddenly remembered the black card that Jiang Mingxu had given her.
She had never used it before, and thinking of the classic scene in TV dramas where the domineering CEO throws his card around—"My woman, swipe it as you please"—she couldn't help but feel a little amused and eagerly took it out.
This is a small restaurant. Although it accepts credit cards, most customers pay online. This is the first time the waiter has encountered a black card.
Originally, seeing that Jin Ran and Jiang Xuli were young, I just thought they were a good-looking young brother and sister. I didn't expect that they could easily pull out an American Express Centurion Black Card!
Even Jiang Xuli glanced at it a few times and recognized it as his father's black card.
However, he didn't think anything of it. Jin Ran was his father's wife, so it was normal for him to spend money on his wife.
The waiter's attitude became respectful. Without urging her, he quickly settled the bill for Jin Ran and handed the card back with both hands, eagerly offering her a free membership: "Ms. Jin, if you come again in the future, we will give you a 20% discount."
Unexpectedly, there was another pleasant surprise. Thinking of the delicious stir-fried beef she had just eaten, Jin Ran nodded happily.
/
In the study, Jin Ran opened the documents she had copied from the Jin family during the day, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
There was an encrypted file on the original owner's computer. Strangely, when she saw the file, a numerical password suddenly popped into her mind. Jin Ran hesitated for a moment, but still gave in to her curiosity and entered it.
Surprisingly, it actually opened.
Jin Ran's heart skipped a beat, unsure of what this meant. However, what happened next was different from what she had imagined. The document contained nothing special; instead, it was just a jumble of numbers and text.
She studied it carefully for a while and realized that the Arabic numerals seemed to be dates, but the text following the dates was completely random.
September 13th, Transformation, Real Estate
1.5, Jianjia (with an X next to it)
February 10th, Jiang, marriage alliance
4.2, Jiang, right arm, injury (questionable)
...
At first, Jin Ran thought it was just a casual record made by the original owner of the body.
For example, February 10th is the date of the marriage between the Jin family and Jiang Mingxu. The character "Jian" probably represents the Jian family or the original owner's boyfriend. However, as she read on, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
On April 2nd, if she remembered correctly, Jiang Mingxu had injured her right arm. Shortly after, she took Jiang Xuli to the hospital, where she met him for the first time in the ward. But by then, she had already been in this world for many days...
Suddenly, Jin Ran couldn't help but shiver.
The subsequent records were even more disorganized, as if even the person who recorded them was unsure. Jin Ran quickly flipped through them, the most frequent word being "richest man," until finally, a line of text in bold and red came into view:
7.12, Yushan, W City.
Jin Ran vaguely felt that this place was very familiar, but before she could remember, a sound came from the door of the study. For some reason, she subconsciously turned off the computer.
The next second, Jiang Mingxu walked in: "Aren't you asleep yet?"
Jin Ran composed herself, pretended to stretch, and noticed that the wall clock was pointing to ten o'clock. She exclaimed, "Ah! My beauty sleep!"
This time she was really anxious. She hurriedly got up from her desk. Jiang Mingxu had already turned on the overhead light. The sudden brightness made Jin Ran squint uncomfortably. When her vision gradually adjusted, she noticed that Jiang Mingxu was wearing pajamas.
Why are you resting so early today?
That's right, it was late for her, but it was still early for Jiang Mingxu.
Several times, when she got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, she saw the study light on.
That's what she thought, and that's what she asked.
Jiang Mingxu replied, "I have to go on a business trip tomorrow."
Jin Ran wasn't surprised by this. As the president, Jiang Mingxu was rarely not busy. However, considering her current position, she took the initiative to ask, "Where are you going? How many days will it take?"
"Country Z, about a week."
Country Z is rich in seafood, but it is separated from our country by most of the Pacific Ocean.
Jin Ran calculated that in seven days, in addition to the senior high school students who had already finished the college entrance examination, the junior and first-year high school students would also have their final exams, and she would most likely still be proctoring the exams at that time.
A family of three: two are overworked office workers, and the remaining child is still a high school graduate.
Jin Ran spoke with a rather mature air: "Then you should pay attention to balancing work and rest, don't overwork yourself, and remember to bring us local specialties when you come back."
Jiang Mingxu smiled and said, "Okay."
After Jin Ran left the study, Jiang Mingxu, who was responsible for closing the door, stood at the doorway, glanced inside casually, and then looked away without making a sound.
/
July is fast approaching.
In early July, Wencheng Middle School set the date for the next semester's final exams, and time suddenly became tight. All entertainment had to give way to the main subjects, including Jin Ran's evening self-study "partner group".
But before the "class ended," Jin Ran personally announced the results of each group and distributed the small prizes that she had prepared in advance.
The items weren't expensive; there were notebooks and pens, as well as cartoon figurines, snack packs, and even a few coupons that said "no homework required." Despite this, the students were still very happy.
However, after the initial excitement, they plunged back into the intense review process. The homeroom teachers of each class passionately offered words of encouragement to their students, like a bowl of chicken soup for the soul during the drowsy afternoon.
Infected by this atmosphere, Jin Ran also began to feel a little nervous.
She had only been working there for a few months, and this was the first time she had encountered such a large-scale exam. Although she was very confident in her teaching, she was unsure whether her students' grades would improve.
Not only was she nervous, but Jiang Xuli, who had a bet with her father, was equally nervous.
That morning, Chef Wang once again brought out his perfect set meal, this time for two people.
"I hope the young master gets good grades, and that the students taught by the madam also get good grades."
Whether such a blessing was useful or not, Jiang Xuli felt a little more relaxed after finishing the meal.
At 7:30, he resolutely stepped into the examination room with his admission ticket in hand.
What I was thinking was, after he finishes his exams, his dad should be back by then, right?
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