Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jin Ran was an easygoing soul. As those who knew her would say, she could use the collapsing sky as a blanket.

So, even after experiencing something as bizarre as transmigrating into a book, her shock was fleeting. She quickly pinpointed her objective and diligently strived towards it.

This carefree nature also manifested in her excellent sleep quality—she never suffered from insomnia, falling into a deep slumber within three seconds of hitting the bed.

In stark contrast, the young Jiang Xuli did not possess such an easygoing disposition.

From his earliest memories, his father had been an autocratic tyrant, never tolerating the sight of vulnerable creatures. Thus, Jiang Xuli had never owned a pet.

Now, a two-month-old kitten squirmed restlessly inside his school uniform, leaving him feeling utterly helpless. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally frowned and patted it a few times, but this proved ineffective, only making the kitten protest with tiny meows.

The sound of a door closing echoed from downstairs. Jiang Xuli froze instantly. After a moment, hearing no further movement, he bent down and placed the kitten in a makeshift cardboard box.

Then, he called the culprit.

Chen Xunliang answered immediately: "Brother Li, you're home?"

Earlier that day, the two had followed a lead and found the catnapper, only to discover he was a cat meat dealer. They reported him to the police and rescued over twenty cats. Most were adults capable of surviving in the wild, but one was a two-month-old calico, emaciated and stumbling weakly as if its life hung by a thread.

Moved by its pitiable state, Chen Xunliang had wanted to adopt it, but his mother was allergic to cat fur, so he could only entrust it to his good friend.

Jiang Xuli grunted in response and turned the camera to show him the kitten.

At midnight, Jiang Xuli went downstairs again. Fortunately, he didn’t run into Jin Ran this time. In a flurry, he mixed some goat’s milk from the powdered formula he had bought. Watching the kitten, now full and content, curl up in the cardboard box, the tension in his shoulders finally eased.

The next day, he woke up early, planning to ask for help from the butler. To his surprise, the butler approached him first.

"Don’t worry, young master. I’ll have someone buy pet supplies later. A cat this size can already eat some cat food."

Butler Cheng took the kitten with practiced ease, scratching under its chin without asking too many questions.

So Jiang Xuli swallowed the explanations he had prepared and nodded expressionlessly.

As a high school student, he had no choice but to go to school. Before leaving, he cast a seemingly casual glance toward the second floor, but the staircase was completely empty—not a soul in sight.

Jin Ran slept deeply and didn’t wake until after ten. Drawing back the curtains, she was greeted by bright sunlight outside.

Feeling unusually lazy, she stayed in bed a bit longer, checking news and playing mobile games. Her silk-white nightgown rode up her body, revealing a slender, pale waist.

Then, Teacher Wang, the volunteer, sent her a message: "Miss Jin, your referral has been approved!"

Jin Ran shot up in bed.

She hadn’t expected Teacher Wang to work so quickly. Schools had their rules, and referrals underwent stricter scrutiny. The original host had graduated from A Normal University with a degree in mathematics, obtained a teaching certificate during her studies, and had an excellent academic record. The only drawback was a three-year gap in her resume after graduation.

Now that the referral had come through, Jin Ran guessed her "family connections" might have given her an edge. Overjoyed, she quickly asked: 【When is the interview?】

Teacher Wang: "The morning of the day after tomorrow, with the principal directly. Also, there’s a trial lesson—forty-five minutes long."

To ease her nerves, Teacher Wang thoughtfully added: "Don’t worry, it’s very simple. Only two department heads and the math department chair will be sitting in."

Jin Ran: "..."

That made her even more nervous.

This nervousness wasn't a lack of confidence in her own abilities, but rather an awe and apprehension toward the unknown. In both lifetimes, she had been a teacher-training student, and during her school years, she had even been dragged by her roommate to participate in volunteer teaching. However, giving a trial lecture in front of distinguished interviewers was a first in her life.

But she quickly adjusted her mood. Everything has a first time—how would she know if it was good or bad if she didn’t try? Besides, there were still two days until the interview. If she prepared in advance, she might just amaze everyone on the spot.

Jin Ran successfully convinced herself, arranged to take Teacher Wang out for a meal next time, and then decisively got out of bed.

Next to the bedroom was a walk-in closet, which she had checked out on her first day here. As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Before her downfall, the original owner had been a wealthy young woman, with clothes and bags occupying half the space, making the suits on the other side seem noticeably sparse.

While musing, Jin Ran picked out a relatively casual dress. During this, she also came across the custom clothing the housekeeper had mentioned, stored in exquisitely packaged gift boxes.

She casually opened one.

Expecting high-end formal wear, she was utterly unprepared for the thin pieces of fabric inside and broke into a coughing fit.

Her face flushed bright red. She looked once, then again, confirming she wasn’t seeing things!

The original owner had actually custom-made lingerie!

And it was particularly skimpy, particularly fabric-saving lingerie!

Even though Jin Ran was worldly, at this moment, she froze up completely, unsure how to react. Just then, someone outside asked, “Madam, the kitchen has prepared the meal. Would you like to eat now?”

Startled, Jin Ran, in her panic, stuffed the lingerie into the wardrobe.

By the time she went out, the house staff had already set the prepared breakfast on the table.

To be precise, it was brunch. But the kitchen staff didn't mind. Receiving the Madam’s praise, they actually felt quite happy.

Jin Ran was happy too. Gazing at the array of Cantonese dishes, the heat in her face gradually subsided.

If nothing else, the chefs the Jiang family hired were truly skilled—beef cheung fun, fish slice congee, translucent shrimp dumplings with crystal skin, and sweet-and-savory char siu bao. Without realizing it, she had accidentally overeaten again.

After the meal, rubbing her slightly bulging belly, she sighed deeply.

If she continued eating so unrestrainedly, the number on the scale would skyrocket in no time.

It seemed she’d have to find time to work out.

But she’d let it slide for today.

Without a hint of guilt, Jin Ran ate another small post-meal dessert. How could she lose weight without eating her fill? Besides, mental work burns calories, and right now, she needed to prepare for the interview three days later!

She got right to it. After eating, Jin Ran went to the study on the second floor.

This was likely Jiang Mingsuo’s territory, done in shades of white and gray, with casual and simple furnishings. To the left was a spacious, soft leather sofa, and three rows of bookshelves were filled with various professional books, mostly in foreign languages. The overall atmosphere was relaxed yet luxurious.

Jin Ran thought of her husband she'd never met.

He had started school late but got into the best university in W City—his intelligence was far from ordinary.

Of course, she wasn’t bad either.

She had tested into a top 985 university with the third-best grades in her school and had consistently ranked on the first page of her alma mater’s star student list. Jin Ran calmly averted her gaze and turned on the computer to look up information.

In the information age, there were many related videos online, but their quality was uneven. Some explanations were vague and logically chaotic; others missed the point entirely and were worthless. She spent considerable effort sifting through them and spent three hours writing a lesson plan suited to her.

Next was the mock teaching demonstration.

This was the most important part. Jin Ran looked down at the printed A4 paper, and the first figures that came to mind were the housekeeper and the others.

Imagining the butler, the chef, and even the gardener sitting in the classroom, staring seriously at her as she lectured...

She quickly shook her head. Nah, better find another way.

But a solution wasn’t that easy to come by.

The original owner had hardly any friends, and for a moment, she truly couldn’t find a suitable candidate.

After wrestling with it for a while, she finally sighed and decided to go downstairs for a glass of water. From a distance, she saw the butler coming in from outside, holding the freshly washed cat.

The palm-sized kitten was adorable and well-behaved, didn’t mind being petted, its tail held high, appearing exceptionally docile.

Much more obedient than rebellious teenagers.

Jin Ran’s eyes sparkled—she had suddenly thought of a brilliant idea!

Thinking about the kitten at home, Jiang Xuli returned from school with Chen Xunliang, who had been bugging him to see the cat.

Along the way, Chen Xunliang was yapping nonstop, topics ranging from school gossip to the calico cat. Jiang Xuli’s ears were ringing from the noise, and he unconsciously quickened his pace. When they finally reached the villa, the two searched everywhere but couldn’t find the calico cat.

"Where’s the cat?"

Jiang Xuli walked to the door and asked a passing servant.

The servant had been goofing off and, busted by the young master, was so frightened their heart nearly jumped out of their chest: "It—it was taken by the Mrs."

Hearing this, Chen Xunliang immediately grew worried: "Taken by your stepmom? Oh man, is she hurting the cat while you’re out?"

No wonder he thought that—after all, Li’s stepmom had done similar things more than once. Chen Xunliang was really worried that his soft, fluffy calico cat might meet a terrible fate.

Jiang Xuli didn’t say anything, but his face visibly darkened.

Clearly, he had considered the possibility as well.

Without hesitation, he turned and marched toward the study on the second floor. Seeing this, Chen Xunliang, worried that his friend might clash with his stepmother, hurried after him.

Just as they reached the door, the sound of meowing could be heard from inside. To the two teenagers, it sounded like evidence that Jin Ran was abusing the cat. Jiang Xuli’s face was like thunder, and without a second thought, he kicked the door in.

Inside the study, Jin Ran was in the middle of teaching enthusiastically to the cat.

"This student raised their hand—you’ll answer the question."

"This student is eager—you’ll answer later."

"Alright, you both got it wrong. Let the teacher explain."

She smiled, leaning forward slightly, her body movements graceful and poised as if she were truly addressing a room full of attentive students.

What’s more, the mock teaching session was working great. From stumbling initially, she now spoke fluently and could basically teach without notes. If she kept this up, Jin Ran was confident she would ace the interview three days later.

Thinking this, she picked up a small fish treat, ready to reward the calico cat, the real MVP...

"Bang—"

A loud noise suddenly came from behind, and immediately, Jiang Xuli and Chen Xunliang burst into the room: "Brother Li, she must be—"

Their words cut off abruptly as they took in the scene before them, both utterly bewildered.

Contrary to their expectations, the evening sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room with a warm glow. The woman standing before the sofa held a fish treat, gently offering it to the cat curled up there.

The calico cat, squinting with pleasure, lightly swished its tail, rustling the pages of the math textbook.

It was a picture of perfect serenity.

Jiang Xuli and Chen Xunliang just looked at each other.

Uh... could it be psychological abuse?