Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jiang Xuli regretted kicking the door the moment he did it.

In his limited interactions with Jin Ran, he knew she harbored ulterior motives, but she had never been so brazenly foolish.

The moment he saw the scene in the study, he immediately realized his mistake.

The woman, gently coaxing a cat, exuded an unfamiliar tenderness. When her bright, expressive eyes met his, it felt as though she could read his every thought.

“Is there something you need?”

Jin Ran raised an eyebrow, looking at the uninvited guests.

By now, the dried fish she’d held had been snatched away. In a gesture of gratitude, the kitten affectionately nuzzled her fingertips, showing not the slightest hint of reluctance.

Jiang Xuli felt profoundly awkward.

He subconsciously pressed his lips together, a flicker of wariness in his eyes, which only enhanced the striking handsomeness of his face—like the aloof campus heartthrob from a TV drama.

But the moment he spoke, the illusion of coolness shattered: “I… ahem, came to get something.”

After uttering the words, he was relieved to have concocted a plausible excuse on the fly and vowed to keep it under wraps.

Behind him, Chen Xunliang quickly caught on: “Right, right, we came to the study to get something. Auntie, what are you doing?”

As he spoke, he curiously glanced at the books on the table: *Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulated Tests*, *Wang Houxiong’s Case Studies*, *High School Math Problem-Solving Methods and Techniques*. Something felt off.

He recalled that when they burst in, Brother Li’s stepmother seemed to be talking to the calico cat. Surely, she wasn’t teaching a cat to read?

The thought amused Chen Xunliang so much that he let out an involuntary snicker, which immediately drew Jin Ran’s gaze.

Chen Xunliang: “...”

Jin Ran’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Adults reserved their formality for equally matched peers. In front of servants, she might have felt too self-conscious to practice teaching, but these two were merely fourteen or fifteen—at the peak of their rebellious, know-it-all phase.

In terms of both age and life experience, they were no match for Jin Ran, who had been seasoned by the real world.

Crucially, if she later passed the entrance exam for Wencheng High School, her future students would likely be around their age.

With this in mind, Jin Ran held up the book toward them. “I’m reading, but I’m not very familiar with the current academic level of high school students. You two have arrived at just the right time.”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean, ‘huh’? Are you unwilling to help me?” Jin Ran deliberately feigned disappointment.

Chen Xunliang desperately wanted to say no.

At school, he was the quintessential slacker—sleeping through classes and coming alive after the bell. Having finally endured the school day, all he craved was fun. Why would he want to study?

But Brother Li’s stepmother was truly cunning. She used neither threats nor inducements, merely a slightly disappointed look, and he nearly blurted out an agreement.

At the last moment, his innate fear of studying pulled him back to a sliver of rationality. Not daring to speak carelessly, Chen Xunliang subtly nudged Jiang Xuli, hoping he would refuse.

Then he watched Jiang Xuli frown and ask, “What do you need us to do?”

Chen Xunliang: “?”

Wait, since when did Brother Li become so eager to study?

Jiang Xuli simply didn’t want to owe Jin Ran anything.

His father’s special assistant still hadn’t appeared, leading to only one conclusion… Jin Ran had never actually contacted his father.

This realization left him slightly taken aback.

Despite Jiang Xuli’s perpetually indifferent demeanor, he had once yearned for his parents’ attention.

Unfortunately, each longing was met with his father’s neglect and criticism. Over time, he grew numb.

This time, Jiang Xuli had braced himself for his father’s reprimand, yet… nothing happened.

It felt like a powerful punch thrown only to hit cotton—he couldn’t quite articulate his feelings.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

Especially now, having twice jumped to conclusions and misunderstood her.

The young man, full of youthful vigor but not yet jaded like adults, possessed a cold yet righteous heart. Right was right, wrong was wrong—he would never evade responsibility for his mistakes.

So even if Jin Ran hadn’t made any demands, he would have found a way to return the favor.

“Don’t worry,”

Jin Ran said gently, “it’s nothing difficult. I just need you two to help me solve a problem.”

As she spoke, she handed them an A4 sheet of paper: “You’ve learned about composite functions, right? This is a problem I made up—see if you can solve it.”

Taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, Jiang Xuli paused, lowered his gaze, and indeed, a problem was written on the paper.

It looked a bit complex, but not truly difficult.

Chen Xunliang, seeing the same problem, looked utterly bewildered and muttered under his breath, “Damn, have we ever learned something this hard? Your stepmom couldn’t have made a mistake, could she?”

At Wencheng High School, exam questions were typically deliberated upon by at least three teachers. Brother Li’s stepmom wasn’t even a teacher—could she really create a valid problem? Maybe she was just messing with them!

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Chen Xunliang continued to grumble, but Jiang Xuli paid him no mind. After a quick glance, he picked up a pen.

A clear, summery voice resonated in his ears:

“No matter the problem, you must take it step by step. First, treat f(x) as a whole, substitute the known values into the function to get a specific result, then use that result to deduce the sequence…”

After an afternoon of practice, Jin Ran’s trial lecture flowed effortlessly.

In fact, compared to the clueless kitten, having actual high school students allowed her to adjust her teaching on the fly.

For instance, noticing Chen Xunliang’s confused expression, she concluded that “the explanation wasn’t clear enough” and promptly switched to a different problem-solving approach.

Five minutes later, Chen Xunliang’s eyelids began to droop.

Taking this as feedback, Jin Ran raised her voice, attempting to keep him alert.

Ten minutes later, Chen Xunliang grew progressively sleepier, until finally, he was completely hypnotized. In a moment of inattention, his head thumped onto the desk.

Jin Ran: “...”

Witnessing this, Jiang Xuli felt an inexplicable urge to smile.

He twirled the pen between his fingers, casually examining the completed problem.

In truth, the problem was expertly crafted, combining composite functions and sequence recursion, requiring several intricate turns. One could easily fall into a trap if not careful.

He didn’t believe she would go to such lengths just to toy with them.

Meanwhile, Jin Ran had no idea she had earned his approval.

Faced with the chaotic and mishap-filled practice lecture, she felt frustrated yet also a hint of relief.

To others, it might be incomprehensible, but Jin Ran was like this—she never allowed herself to wallow in negative emotions.

A series of mishaps was merely an opportunity to identify and rectify shortcomings; she was grateful to have discovered these issues before the actual interview, giving her a chance to improve.

Once she grasped this, Jin Ran not only wasn’t angry but calmly roused Chen Xunliang. Despite his flushed face, she patiently explained everything, sentence by sentence.

Finally, half an hour later, Chen Xunliang’s expression brightened with understanding.

“I get it now! The problems might look different, but they all use the same concept. Wow, I’m a genius!”

Chen Xunliang giggled foolishly; the math problem that had seemed like an inscrutable text suddenly became clear. He even had the illusion that he could solve it himself!

Jin Ran… wisely remained silent.

Only when the calico cat rubbed against her did she scratch its chin in a gesture of praise.

Who says cats are inferior to humans?

When it comes to math, humans and cats are equally bewildered!

Thinking this, Jin Ran couldn’t help but look at the other person in the room.

She then noticed that Jiang Xuli had finished a while ago.

He had used a different approach to solve the problem, but his answer was exactly the same as hers.

Now Jin Ran wasn’t just surprised; she felt the thrill of discovering a hidden talent—who would have thought that Jiang Xuli, who skipped class to play with cats, was actually a good student!

Hmm, upon reflection, the novel hadn’t mentioned this point.

Then again, as the son of a formidable figure like Jiang Mingsuo, how could he possibly be a fool?

Jin Ran was simply reflecting, but to others, it carried a different meaning.

As Jiang Xuli’s good friend, Chen Xunliang witnessed Brother Li’s stepmother doubting him and felt a strong sense of injustice on his behalf.

After holding back for a while, he finally couldn’t contain himself and blurted out, indignantly, “Ma’am, did Brother Li get it wrong?”

Jin Ran snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head: “No, he didn’t. Not only was he correct, his problem-solving approach was exceptionally clear!”

“Then why didn’t you say anything!”

Say anything?

Only then did Jin Ran notice the strange tone in the young man’s voice.

Teachers always favored intelligent students; her first trial lecture had encountered Jiang Xuli, significantly boosting her teaching satisfaction.

Hearing the question now, she didn’t hesitate to praise him, giving Jiang Xuli a thumbs-up: “You’re a real genius!”

Jiang Xuli: “?”

“Ahem, what I mean is, your mind is so sharp—no, so brilliant! Just a tiny bit less intelligent than mine!”

Hearing this, Jiang Xuli’s expression gradually grew complicated.

He suddenly felt that the emotions he had just experienced were somewhat superfluous.

“Heh heh, it’s getting late. How about I treat you two to dinner?”

Having put her foot in her mouth with the praise, Jin Ran’s face flushed slightly. She decided to cut her losses and awkwardly changed the subject.

Chen Xunliang, who had been starving, brightened up and opened his mouth to say something, but Jiang Xuli stopped him: “No need, we’ll eat out.”

The young man’s tone was distant. Since he had returned the favor, there was no need to continue their interaction.

Jin Ran didn’t press the issue: “Then perhaps another time.”

As everyone knows, “another time” usually means “never.”

It was unclear whether Jiang Xuli understood this; he nodded vaguely and, as he left, made sure to bring along the well-fed and sleepy calico cat.

/

After seeing the two high school students off, Jin Ran went out for dinner.

The interview was the day after tomorrow, but the original body’s wardrobe lacked a single suitable formal outfit. She planned to do some shopping after dinner.

Having informed the butler in advance, Xiao Sun brought out the Porsche from last time. Once in the car, the two headed straight to a nearby shopping mall.

Night had fallen, and the mall was bustling with people, lively and noisy. A huge screen at the entrance played an advertisement featuring a young, handsome idol group dancing, their smiles so dazzling they were almost blinding. Jin Ran couldn’t help but watch for a few more seconds.

Noticing this, Xiao Sun smiled and said, “My sister-in-law’s little niece has been recently chasing after them. I think they’re called TUIR. Do you know them, ma’am?”

Jin Ran shook her head. She didn’t know TUIR, but she did know that among the female lead’s many suitors was a rich second-generation heir who was a member of TUIR.

The two followed a love-hate relationship trope. To embarrass the female lead, who came from a poor family, the rich heir deliberately gave her an opportunity to participate in an overseas event.

Unexpectedly, on their return trip, they got caught up in an armed fight at the airport. In a critical moment, the female lead pushed the rich heir out of harm’s way, getting injured herself.

It was this incident that moved the rich heir, touched by the female lead’s bravery and kindness, and he fell deeply in love with her from then on.

Doing the math, this event should be happening around now.

But this had little to do with her.

Jin Ran quickly stopped paying attention and told Xiao Sun to go about his business. She first found a place to have dinner, then went to pick out formal attire.

While paying, she suddenly remembered something—these past few days, she had been so busy with the exam and interview preparation that she had forgotten to check how much assets the original body had.

Money isn’t everything, but without money, you can’t do anything.

Holding onto a fantasy, Jin Ran thought that, after all, the Jin family was an old-money family; they should have left behind considerable wealth. On top of that, the original body had married Jiang Mingsuo, a renowned business whiz in City A. Their marital assets must be immense.

Having been poor in her previous life, Jin Ran got quite excited. With trembling hands, she opened the various accounts belonging to the original body.

Wait, why is there only three thousand yuan in the savings?

Her eyes widened, and unwilling to give up, she recalculated the numbers over and over again, but the final figure still didn’t increase.

Jin Ran, who was optimistic and cheerful by nature and never dwelled in negativity, chuckled and said: Haha, like I even care about someone else’s money.

She was simply skeptical about the description of Jiang Mingsuo.

A rising tech star? A business genius?

—Fake! A total stingy miser is what he really is!