Chapter 9 The two treated each other with cold respect
Chapter 9
Jiang Mingxu lowered his eyes and silently sized up the woman in front of him.
Her expression was so captivating; though she concealed the subtle changes in her face well, they were still clearly visible from his angle.
One moment I'm surprised, the next I'm distressed, as if a palette has been overturned, bursting with all sorts of colors.
It's really...rare.
After thinking for a long time, he finally came up with a description.
Jin Ran struggled with her thoughts for a long time without finding a solution. Instead, she suddenly realized something: she had already touched it, so how could she possibly back out?!
Since she can't change it, and the things that arise from it are beyond her control, why should she care who she's touching or what she's doing!
Once I understood the truth, everything became clear, and even the disinfectant I breathed in felt fresh.
Moreover, Jin Ran does not believe that men are creatures without desires.
She saw the original owner's appearance on the first day she transmigrated, and coincidentally, it was almost exactly the same as her. She wondered if this was the reason why she transmigrated into the book after her death and started a new life through a character.
The topic has strayed from the point. What Jin Ran wants to say is that she is very confident in her appearance. While not a stunning beauty, she is a sweet and charming girl with a pure and alluring charm. Therefore, Jiang Mingxu's decision to sleep in a separate room is definitely not her fault!
Thinking back to conversations with my best friends in my past life, I realized that men start to decline after 25, and the decline is even more dramatic after 30. Although it varies from person to person, age is still a major trend.
Jiang Mingxu is thirty-five years old this year.
Although it's not obvious from the outside, she looks more like she's in her late twenties, but who knows about her in that aspect?
Jin Ran secretly thought to herself, but on the surface she had to put on a look of delight and surprise: "What are you doing here?!"
She didn't need to answer; she already knew the answer in her heart.
Those who appeared at the hospital were either sick patients or people visiting patients. Jin Ran hadn't noticed before, but now that she looked closely, she realized that Jiang Mingxu's arm was wrapped in gauze: "He accidentally cut himself and came over to get it bandaged."
Is it serious?
"fine."
As he said this, Jiang Mingxu's gaze remained fixed on Jin Ran. However, the woman's expression did not change as much as before. Instead, she quickly believed him and frowned slightly.
Did I guess wrong?
Jin Ran didn't actually have that many strange ideas.
If she doesn't even know anything about the Jin family, then she's naturally even more unaware of the connection between the Jin family and Jiang Mingxu.
At this moment, she felt the faint gazes falling on her, and she felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, with a thorn in her back and a fishbone stuck in her throat. She really wanted to leave.
Jiang Mingxu is different from Jiang Xuli. The latter is fifteen years old, rebellious and immature. He mostly ignores her as his stepmother, so even if she does something outrageous, he might be surprised, but more likely he won't care.
But Jiang Mingxu was the one who married the original owner of this body.
Even if the two sleep in separate rooms, marriage is something that definitely needs to be discussed by both people, right? The original owner of this body is also a "love-obsessed" person. She had previously given herself away because of her chats, and she was afraid that if she continued to get along with him, he would strip her bare.
"Um..." People tend to talk a lot when they're nervous, using it to cover up their true intentions. Jin Ran spoke quickly, "Xiao Li is on an IV drip on the third floor, and his friend is with him right now. I'm planning to bring the water over. Do you want to come along?"
Jiang Mingxu paused for a moment, then nodded: "Wait a moment."
He returned to the ward, and as he went in, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the door was completely closed behind him.
When he came out again, he had changed into a different outfit: a shirt and a suit. He looked very handsome, with two buttons undone at the collar. Compared to his previous outfit, this was quite conservative.
Jin Ran casually looked away and strode ahead to lead the way.
To take care of the patient, she didn't walk very fast. Her long skirt, which reached her calves, swayed slightly, stirring up gusts of cool breeze, and occasionally revealing her bright white ankles.
Jiang Mingxu, who was a step behind, had a thoughtful expression on his face.
She was completely different from before; there was no longer any deliberate attempt to please him, and her "concern" for him was no longer for any purpose, but seemed to be just a simple courtesy.
There was no difference between politely inquiring about the injury of the neighbor's aunt's son and doing so.
This puzzled Jiang Mingxu.
He still remembers the disdain in the eyes of the second young lady of the Jin family when he first met her.
Several self-proclaimed wealthy families in City A have always acted this way, mistaking petty things for something extraordinary. In their eyes, someone like him, who rose from the bottom, is always a vulgar and uncouth "nouveau riche."
Jiang Mingxu was used to seeing "young ladies" raised by such families. His marriage alliance with the Jin family was for what Old Master Jin had in his hands, and a woman's attitude was not a consideration for him.
Unexpectedly, this young lady who had looked down on him just moments before was actually willing to marry him, and after the marriage, she continued to actively demonstrate her "understanding and considerate" nature.
If only the other person's dislike could be hidden better.
Jiang Mingxu was not a masochist. It was a business marriage for the sake of profit, with no feelings involved. She had no choice but to resist, so he took the initiative to avoid her.
The two treated each other with cold indifference.
Now, in just a few days, the disdain and contempt in those round almond-shaped eyes have vanished, replaced by a bright, star-like clarity that allows one to see right through them.
Jiang Mingxu had always been curious as to why Jin Ran would try so hard to please him despite her dislike for him.
But now, he's more curious about how someone could change so much.
"...She didn't come down for breakfast this morning. Butler Cheng knocked on the door and found out about the problem. Then we came to the hospital. The doctor said it was food poisoning, that she ate something that upset her stomach."
On the way, Jin Ran tried her best to reconstruct what had happened.
As a stepmother, she was alone at home with her stepson when this happened, so of course she had to explain it to the child's biological father: "But the doctor said it's not very serious, and he'll be fine after taking medicine for two days."
Jiang Mingxu nodded indifferently.
"OK."
Jin Ran: "..."
Why does it feel like his biological father is even less reliable than his stepmother?
Since he didn't care, she didn't bother to say anything more.
On the other side, Chen Xunliang was peeling melon seeds for Jiang Xuli.
He found them by chance in his pocket. Hearing that Jiang Xuli had only eaten a few slices of bread for breakfast, he generously offered to give him all the sunflower seeds.
"So your stepmother sent you here?"
After listening to the story, he asked.
Jiang Xuli nodded.
Chen Xunliang opened his mouth wide, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Well, actually I don't think your stepmother is as bad as you think."
Jiang Xuli glanced at him: "How strange, you actually changed your tune."
"Really, if she were a bad person, she could have easily pretended not to see it, but she insisted on bringing you to the hospital, so she must be worried about you."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuli's expression became somewhat dazed.
Worry?
The word was too unfamiliar to him, like a feather, lightly landing on his heart without weight, only causing an itch for no reason.
Chen Xunliang scratched his head. He felt that his analysis was insightful. Of course, he wasn't trying to persuade his brother to accept his stepmother; he was just expressing his opinion.
Brother Li is still the most important person in his heart.
Jiang Xuli stared silently at the needle in her hand, and after a moment said, "I don't care why, all I know is that I won't acknowledge her as my mother."
“You’re right. She’ll have other children in the future, and then you, who aren’t her biological child, will definitely be sidelined.”
Jiang Xuli: "..."
Suddenly, I found that face repulsive.
At this moment, the voices in the corridor gradually grew louder, and someone whispered, "Wow, so handsome! The man is good-looking and the woman is beautiful. Are they celebrities here to film a movie?"
"She's not a celebrity. I've seen that woman before. She's here with her child for an IV drip. Look, she's the one over there with her hair covering her eyes."
Jiang Xuli: "..."
"Which one? The one next to the chubby kid?"
Chen Xunliang, who was about to laugh, was speechless.
The passersby's words flew like arrows, hurting both of them. Jiang Xuli looked up and saw the two walking side by side.
He twitched the corners of his mouth, suddenly realizing why Jin Ran had brought him to the hospital.
However, even after finding out, he didn't have any particular thoughts about it.
Because I never had any expectations, I was never disappointed.
However, I felt inexplicably empty inside.
The moment Chen Xunliang saw Jiang Mingxu, he was like a mouse seeing a cat: "Holy crap, Uncle Jiang is here! Did he come back especially because he knew you were sick?!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuli, who had just come to her senses, curled her lips into a mocking smile.
His father never cared whether he was healthy or sick.
He watched the man approach silently. Neither of them spoke. Finally, Jiang Xuli lowered his head and called out, "Dad."
Jiang Mingxu looked at his son, who was growing to be almost as tall as him, and hummed in response.
It had been a long time since they had spoken face-to-face like this. He was busy with work and dealing with businessmen in City A, and paid little attention to his son with his ex-wife.
He rarely showed concern, and when he did, it was mostly with dissatisfaction. He was soft-hearted and indecisive, which was completely unlike him.
Take this incident, for example.
"I heard you ate all the expired bread."
Jiang Mingxu spoke calmly, but his words were sharp and incisive: "Have you ever thought that because of your mistake, everyone has to put down what they're doing to take care of you? You've really gone to great lengths."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuli gripped the chair armrest tightly.
Even if he had no expectations, he couldn't accept being accused right off the bat. His initial guilt was overshadowed by anger, which ignited into a raging fire. He mustered his courage and glared at the man: "It has nothing to do with you! Anyway, you don't care about me!"
Jiang Mingxu found it amusing: "What does this have to do with me?"
"The material things you enjoy now, the luxury cars you drive, the high-end food you eat, and the excellent schools you attend, are all related to me."
Jiang Mingxu responded calmly, and with each example he listed, Jiang Xuli clenched his fist tighter and tighter until he almost bit his lip until it bled, because he couldn't refute it.
But he thought that if he could, he would rather live in an ordinary family.
He has a father and a mother who care about his joys and sorrows, are proud of his academic progress, and will also criticize and reprimand him severely when he makes mistakes.
Instead of ignoring it or not caring about it at all.
Thinking of this, the boy's eyes welled up with tears, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Jin Ran, who just came to deliver water: ...I feel numb.
Before she could even react, the father and son started arguing for no apparent reason.
Jiang Mingxu was right. He started from scratch and worked his way up to where he is today. The hardships he endured are beyond words.
The problem is that saying such things to a fifteen-year-old minor only adds fuel to the fire.
Looking at Jiang Xuli, who was hanging his head like a dejected little dog, Jin Ran suddenly felt a surge of teacherly ethics and a deep sense of pity.
So when she heard Jiang Mingxu say, "Even the expired bread is mine," she couldn't help but blurt out, "He spat the bread out and gave it back to you."
Instantly, all three people turned to look at her.
Jin Ran: "..."
The pressure is immense.
She coughed, decided to pretend she hadn't seen it, and abruptly changed the subject: "I bought water, let's take our medicine first."
Jiang Xuli remained motionless, but his good friend Chen Xunliang quickly took over, saying, "I'll twist it, I'm strong!"
He was terrified. Everyone knew that Uncle Jiang was formidable, and even the most mischievous child would have to tuck their tail between their legs when they met him. But no one expected Uncle Jiang to be so scary!
Even he, an outsider, felt a tightness in his chest upon hearing those words, let alone Brother Li.
Chen Xunliang was a little sad and decided that he must take good care of Brother Li in the future.
/
After seeing the patient, the group went their separate ways.
Jiang Mingxu needed an assistant to handle the discharge procedures, so Jin Ran left alone ahead of time.
Back at the villa, she told the housekeeper that Jiang Mingxu had returned, and the housekeeper said he would clean the room immediately.
Jin Ran nodded. Jiang Mingxu was also on the second floor, quite far from her bedroom. According to the housekeeper, he had to sleep alone because he was a light sleeper.
In reality, the two always slept in separate rooms in the novel, so she didn't have to worry about being forced to fulfill marital obligations. In other words, she was safe in front of Jiang Mingxu!
Having figured this out, Jin Ran felt completely relieved. She then focused her mind and began to concentrate on practicing problems in seclusion.
Time spent immersed in the ocean of knowledge always flies by, like a fleeting moment, and before you know it, it's evening.
A car horn sounded in the courtyard, and after a while, Jiang Mingxu and his assistant walked in.
Jin Ran saw Jiang Xuli behind her.
She was somewhat surprised, not expecting the father and son to return together.
Over there, Assistant Wang carried the luggage and handed it to the housekeeper, greeting her, "Madam."
Jin Ran smiled and said, "Hello."
Jiang Mingxu loosened the buttons on his collar, seemingly disliking the constriction of the suit: "Have Xiao Sun take you home, and come over again tomorrow morning."
"Okay, Mr. Jiang."
Assistant Wang left after putting down his luggage.
Jiang Mingxu took off his suit jacket as he walked toward the dressing room.
Jiang Xuli had long since disappeared.
After seeing that Jin Ran was familiar with the faces around her and realized that there was nothing for her to do, she turned around and went back to her room to continue doing her practice problems.
However, she always felt like she had forgotten something.
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