Chapter 35, shall we go together?
Chapter 35
Seeing the boy's barely suppressed laughter, Jin Ran understood immediately: "Oh, so you lied to me!"
Jiang Xuli refused to admit it: "Is it my fault? You're the one who misunderstood."
Jin Ran pretended to hit someone, and Jiang Xuli turned and ran. He was tall and had long legs, so Jin Ran couldn't catch up with him. Actually, it wasn't impossible for her to catch up, but she was concerned about her image and didn't use her full strength at all.
Girls always pay attention to their manners. Even though it was dark and the streets were deserted, Jin Ran maintained her elegant and proper ladylike demeanor.
So when Jiang Mingxu arrived by car, Jin Ran, with her cheeks flushed, exuded impeccable elegance from head to toe, even down to her hair. Jiang Xuli, on the other hand, had his hair blown into a mess by the wind. If it weren't for his face, he would have looked like a homeless person who had run away from somewhere.
He tilted his head back and finished the last sip of sparkling water, then accurately threw the trash can into the trash can before opening the car door and getting in, unaware of his father's momentary look of disgust.
After finishing their barbecue, the three of them arrived home at 9 p.m.
Smelling the smoky smell all over her, Jin Ran couldn't wait to take a shower. She raised her hand to indicate, "Um, I'd like to have a sauna/spa tonight. You two probably don't need to, right?"
Jiang Xuli shook his head. He had always thought the sauna at home was like a steamer, and he really couldn't understand why someone would sweat so much right after taking a shower. Seeing that there was nothing else to do, he decisively turned around and left the living room.
Then Jin Ran looked at another person.
Jiang Mingxu seemed to think for a moment, then revealed a thoughtful expression: "No wonder Xiao Chen has been so happy lately."
Xiao Chen was the maid who could give massages. She was chosen because of her skills, but unfortunately, the two male heads of the household never gave massages, so Xiao Chen could only do some daily work. Although the salary was much higher than that of a massage therapist, it was still a bit of a disappointment.
But things changed after Jin Ran discovered the sauna. In addition to her daily work, Xiao Chen would occasionally use her skills to give Jin Ran a spa treatment. Seeing this, the housekeeper gave her an extra paycheck.
Jin Ran hadn't expected there to be such a reason—it turns out that having a skill is a source of confidence to make a living no matter where you are: "Xiao Chen is very professional. I used to feel uncomfortable when I looked down for a long time, but after she finished massaging me, I slept much more soundly."
At this point, she suddenly realized that she wasn't the only one working on case filing, so she couldn't help but invite, "You've never been to a sauna before, have you? Want to join me?"
Jiang Mingxu lifted his eyelids and glanced at her with an inscrutable expression.
After a moment, he replied, "Okay."
/
Steam rose from the ground, gathering into a white cloud that obscured the view.
Jin Ran, wrapped in a bath towel, pushed open the door and came in. As a regular customer of the sauna, she was already familiar with the best sauna spot. She walked to the corner furthest from the stove and sat down. Seeing Jiang Mingxu walking straight to the opposite side, she called out to him, "Come sit here."
In the swirling mist, she didn't notice Jiang Mingxu's momentary pause.
A moment later, Jiang Mingxu came over, but instead of sitting next to her, he sat down next to her with two or three empty seats between them.
Jin Ran noticed that he was still a bit too close to the stove. She was about to suggest that he come closer, but she fell silent the moment she saw the man's face clearly.
After taking a shower, Jiang Mingxu was shirtless, with most of his chest bare, revealing his smooth shoulders and neck, and his well-defined chest and abdomen.
He is thirty-five years old this year, and his body is nearing the peak of maturity. With deliberate training, his muscles are neither overly bulging nor thin. The wound on his right arm has healed, and after the scar fades, only a light pink mark remains, which is somewhat noticeable on his wheat-colored skin.
Jin Ran's gaze swept upwards, and she secretly figured he was probably more muscular than any of her ex-boyfriends.
He was curious about the feel of it, but he held back. Touching someone in this environment was not a simple act; Jiang Mingxu might think he was giving him some kind of hint.
So she could only regretfully suppress her restless hand, and to avoid making the atmosphere too ambiguous, she decided to talk about something else: "Why are you late today? Is something wrong at the company?"
"Yes, I was planning to leave, but something came up at the branch office."
He didn't specify what it was about, and Jin Ran naturally wouldn't be so oblivious as to ask further, but a little curiosity arose in her heart: "How many branches does Mingji Technology have?"
Having read the original book, she knew Jiang Mingxu was very powerful, but she had no idea exactly how powerful he was, so she tentatively asked, "Are there any of the five families?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a man's laughter. It was faint and not mocking, but it still made Jin Ran's cheeks burn.
She attributed this to poverty syndrome and couldn't help but feel annoyed and embarrassed: "What are you laughing at? If you don't want to talk about it, fine!"
Jiang Mingxu coughed a few times to cover up his discomfort: "There's no inconvenience. The quantity is about the same as you said. However, in addition to Mingji, the company has been involved in some other industries and fields in recent years, such as catering, toys, shopping mall real estate, and several construction teams. We mainly establish long-term cooperative relationships with local governments."
Goodness, it covers everything from clothing and food to housing and transportation. No wonder it became a character that even the male protagonist could only look up to in the original work.
Jin Ran couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for him—initially, she only admired his wealth, but after getting to know him better, she discovered that he was truly intelligent. In contrast, she herself was quite ordinary in every way except for some talent in mathematics.
Thinking of this, she remembered the ladies who had disappeared without a trace since the birthday banquet, and suddenly felt an urge to confide in them: "You may not know, but I did something else at Grandpa's birthday banquet that day."
The warm breath brushed against his earlobe, the dampness and heaviness enveloping his skin, causing a slight itch. Jiang Mingxu didn't move: "Oh?"
A brief question.
Jin Ran didn't care about the length of the man's response at this moment. She couldn't wait to find someone to complain to, or instinctively sought some advice: "The previous dean of students at our school has resigned, and the principal is preparing to elect a new dean of students. He made it clear that age and seniority will not be considered, and the competition will be based entirely on individual ability."
Jiang Mingxu immediately understood: "You want to be the dean of students?"
“Yes,” she said somewhat embarrassedly, “My job doesn’t pay well, and I’ve heard that being a homeroom teacher is very tiring, so I thought I might as well become a dean of students, which would allow me to earn an extra salary and the workload would be more moderate.”
Jiang Mingxu didn't call her out on it. The dean of students was much more tired than the homeroom teacher. He found it somewhat amusing that this woman had a bit of a thirst for power. He went along with her and asked, "Hmm, that's pretty good, but what does it have to do with the birthday banquet?"
Seeing his interest, Jin Ran immediately perked up and laid out her analysis of the reasons and her subsequent plans in detail: "As long as I can get a wealthy person to donate or invest in the school, the principal will definitely give me a big reward. More importantly, my image in his mind will change from an ordinary teacher to a capable talent with courage and wisdom!"
With this approach, how could you not be valued by the principal?
It must be said that although her thoughts were convoluted, every step she actually took was steady and thorough, hitting the nail on the head.
If Jiang Mingxu were the principal, he would definitely promote a capable young director of studies who could bring benefits to the school, rather than a "sly old fox" who rose through the ranks based on age and experience.
He turned his head slightly, gazing intently at her. The sauna was too hot; after a short while, her nose had turned red from the heat, and a drop of water clung to the tip, threatening to fall.
When she talked about her plans, her eyes, moistened by the heat, became even brighter than usual, sparkling and almost impossible to look away from.
Why didn't you come looking for me?
He suddenly asked.
Jin Ran was slightly taken aback.
It wasn't just a literal sense of being stunned; he was genuinely dumbfounded.
She was puzzled by Jiang Mingxu's question and couldn't help but ask herself why she hadn't gone to find him.
Looking back on the situation at the time, due to her status, she had to avoid those CEOs in the industry and instead start with their wives. Naturally, she did not consider Jiang Mingxu, who was even more powerful than those CEOs.
Looking back now, was it because I was afraid of being rejected?
She dismissed the idea as soon as it crossed her mind. If she were afraid of rejection, she wouldn't have taken on the principal's task in the first place, nor would she have actively tried to befriend those wealthy ladies at the banquet.
Jin Ran vaguely realized that she always unconsciously maintained a certain tension in front of Jiang Mingxu. That subtle, unwilling-to-show-weakness spirit made her simply not say a word.
Even if I bring it up this time, it's not to recruit the other party, but to ask about some workplace negotiation skills.
After realizing her own inner thoughts, Jin Ran decided... to continue letting things take their course.
She borrowed his status and power, but she didn't intend to rely on him for the rest of her life. If Jiang Mingxu could get involved this time, she would be very happy. But if he didn't care about such petty gains, she had other goals and wouldn't be at a loss.
Truly, we won't lose anything on either side.
She laughed: "This isn't the first time I've handled something like this, so I'm a little worried I won't do a good job."
Jiang Mingxu raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Jin Ran retorted confidently, "What if we fail and you have to pay me back? The money I pay you back is my money!"
Therefore, it's perfectly acceptable to let outsiders take advantage of you in the early stages.
Understanding her meaning, Jiang Mingxu couldn't help but chuckle.
“You are…” he hesitated for a moment, “very considerate of me.”
"No way, we're family after all." As she said this, she couldn't help but shift her body closer, her voice soft and sweet, coaxing, "Um, to avoid us losing money, could you teach me some techniques?"
She approached so suddenly that when Jiang Mingxu turned around, their noses almost touched.
The heat hit him in the face, and this time he finally smelled the fragrance, an all-pervasive scent that spread along his rounded, wet shoulders.
The sauna temperature rose higher and higher, and the humid air clung to the skin, indistinguishable between sweat and steaming water. Jiang Mingxu's gaze involuntarily swept over her flushed collarbone, the towel wrapped around her chest revealing her ample bosom.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and when he spoke again, his voice was a little hoarse: "What do you want to know?"
Jin Ran was so engrossed in her thirst for knowledge that she was completely oblivious to the problem.
He told him about the ladies' behavior at the time, his tone quite depressed: "I could tell they were all interested, but almost a week has passed and none of them have contacted me."
Even if Jin Ran was stupid, she knew that the ladies had changed their minds, but why? She couldn't figure it out, and she was completely clueless about what to do next.
Jiang Mingxu managed to avoid eye contact, momentarily regretting agreeing to go to the sauna. He asked absentmindedly, "Are there any people you know among them?"
Jin Ran thought for a moment: "There is a lady surnamed Lin who wants to open a clothing store. I gave her some advice, and we exchanged contact information."
"Then you can arrange to meet with her again."
Will she say yes?
This time, Jiang Mingxu only said one meaningful sentence: "An iron pestle can be ground into a needle."
There is nothing that cannot be accomplished if you persevere.
To outsiders, business collaborations appear sophisticated and high-class, but in reality, besides the necessary regulations, there's always a degree of personal consideration involved in the negotiations.
"Send me your presentation when you have some free time, and I'll revise it for you."
Upon hearing this, Jin Ran's eyes lit up.
Regardless of his opinion, the revised plan offers tangible benefits. She felt ashamed of her past petty and treacherous thoughts. How could she repay him for being so kind? Perhaps she should have Xiao Chen give him a massage later!
Unexpectedly, Jiang Mingxu refused, saying that he had other things to take care of. Jin Ran could only wave goodbye and "reluctantly" enjoy Xiao Chen's massage spa.
/
Separated by a door, Jiang Mingxu, who was supposed to be handling business, didn't immediately go to the study. He stood silently in place, his face hidden in shadow, but the restless movement in his body constantly reminded him of what had just happened.
After a long while, he picked up his phone and dialed a number: "How's the investigation going?"
/
The next day, I felt completely relaxed.
When Jin Ran arrived at the school, she was warmly welcomed by the teachers in the office: "According to the parents, your partner is doing well in their studies."
"Of course, even the principal knows about it. He even praised our Teacher Jin when he came over just now."
Jin Ran didn't expect it to cause such a big reaction in just one night, and she quickly waved her hand modestly: "It's all thanks to the students' self-discipline and the help of the teachers in preparing the practice materials. Everyone deserves credit."
By noon, even Xu Zhen upstairs had heard about it.
On the way to the cafeteria, Xu Zhen hugged Jin Ran's arm and complained, "We came in at the same time, but you've already found your direction while I'm stuck in the same place. This morning I was woken up by a phone call from my parents at four o'clock. I'm about to collapse."
Upon hearing this, Jin Ran frowned: "This can't go on. Although the teacher has a responsibility, we can't just give in to parents who are like overgrown children."
Xu Zhen nodded: "You're right, I just can't say no to people."
"Why don't you give me your phone and I'll reject it for you?"
Wen Xuzhen was tempted for a moment, but then shook her head: "Forget it, I'll do it myself. If I can't get rid of this habit, there will be new problems in the future."
So Jin Ran said no more.
They are friends and can offer each other advice, but they cannot force each other to act according to their own opinions. They simply say, "Come to me anytime if you need anything."
"Waaaaah, I'm so touched, I want to have your babies."
The two were queuing up for food at the cafeteria when they ran into Wang Chen, who was leaving after finishing his meal.
Upon seeing them, the other party warmly invited, "Our young teachers' club is organizing a hiking trip this weekend. Would you like to come along?"
"What mountain are you climbing?" Jin Ran asked curiously.
“Qiuping Mountain in the city,” Wang Chen explained, “is not very high, has nice scenery, and can be reached in an hour at a normal pace. There is also a glass walkway at the top that offers a panoramic view of the entire city.”
Xu Zhen's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
Since joining the company, she has spent almost all her time preparing lessons and grading assignments, and has indeed not gone out for a long time. She quietly tugged at Jin Ran's sleeve: "Would you like to come with me? I feel a little embarrassed to go alone."
Jin Ran looked at her friend's expectant eyes and nodded with a smile: "Sure, I don't have any plans for the weekend anyway."
"Great!" Wang Chen couldn't hide his joy. "I'll send you the specific time and meeting place later."
As soon as he left the cafeteria, Wang Chen couldn't wait to send a message in the group chat called "Young Teachers' Club": [Successfully invited two female teachers to participate in the activity!]
Group member: [Thumbs up]
Group member: [It has to be Lao Wang again; this social gathering is all set.]
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