Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jiang Xuli wanted to protest, but no one paid him any mind. He’d made so many trips to the toilet that he was completely dehydrated and weak. Before he knew it, he was already bundled into the car.

Jin Ran hadn’t planned on going, but everyone seemed to assume her presence was required, so she ended up tagging along.

The four of them sped to City A’s largest hospital.

Emergency room, examination, diagnosis, prescription, and IV drip.

After a flurry of activity, everything was finally settled.

Wealthy families had their perks. Though Jin Ran had come along, others handled all the tasks; she was merely there as a decorative presence.

Yet, she considered her role as a mascot quite important, like a stabilizing force. With her standing there, everyone knew their place and responsibilities.

Soon, the butler approached, holding the doctor-prescribed medicine. "Madam, these are the young master’s medications. There are three types in total, to be taken three times a day—morning, noon, and night."

Jin Ran nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Seeing that Jin Ran made no move to take the medicine, the butler paused, then placed it on the adjacent chair. "The villa called. A batch of items Mr. Jiang ordered a few days ago has arrived and requires in-person confirmation."

Since she was already there, Jin Ran couldn't very well leave halfway. Understandingly, she said, "Then you go back first. Have Xiao Sun stay with us. When it’s about time, he can come pick us up."

The butler replied, "Thank you for your trouble, Madam."

Once he left, only Jin Ran and Jiang Xuli remained.

Fortunately, the IV drip area was in the hospital corridor, bustling with other patients and their families, so Jin Ran didn’t feel awkward.

Jiang Xuli sat on a bench, a needle in his left hand. He seemed to have regained some energy, typing rapidly on his phone with one hand.

Jin Ran watched for a while. Seeing that she wasn’t needed for the moment, she also pulled out her phone and started reviewing civil service exam questions.

A few days earlier, she had bought an electronic version specifically to print out practice questions—she never expected it would actually come in handy!

What Jin Ran didn’t know was that the moment she lowered her head, Jiang Xuli, who had appeared busy, subtly relaxed his tense shoulders.

He quickly sent a message.

Half an hour later, Chen Xunliang arrived at the hospital, breathless.

Hearing that Brother Li was hospitalized, he feared something serious had happened and didn’t dare delay. He nearly ran a red light on the way, rushing over as fast as he could. The moment he arrived, he spotted Brother Li sitting with his stepmother.

Brother Li’s looks were those of a campus heartthrob, immensely popular among the schoolgirls. Over the years, Chen Xunliang alone had delivered stacks of love letters to him. Due to his illness, he looked a bit listless now, which oddly added a touch of delicate beauty unlike his usual self.

Chen Xunliang thought that was as good as it gets, but what was even more stunning was the young woman sitting next to him!

Jin Ran was only ten years older than Jiang Xuli. Sitting together, they didn’t look like stepmother and stepson but more like siblings.

At that moment, she had one arm wrapped around herself, her raven-feather-like eyelashes casting faint shadows on her fair skin.

The pungent smell of disinfectant filled the air, and the noisy comings and goings around her seemed to go unheard. She glanced at her phone while occasionally looking up to check the IV drip. Occasionally, passersby would find the scene, which was more vivid and pleasing than anything else around.

Chen Xunliang couldn’t help but think that if all of Brother Li’s stepmother’s "difficulties" were like this, it might not be so bad after all.

Jiang Xuli had been anxiously checking his phone. When he looked up and saw the person he’d been waiting for standing there in a daze, he couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. "Did you turn into an idiot?"

Chen Xunliang grinned. If Brother Li could still scold him, it seemed his condition wasn’t too serious.

He walked over with a cheeky smile and first greeted Jin Ran, who nodded in response. That's just how teenage friendships are—a single word or phone call could summon someone without any complaints or ulterior motives, just friends looking out for each other.

She couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

Only after growing up does one understand how precious some things are. Jin Ran’s student days began in the millennium era, spanning a long period of tech boom. Back then, Hong Kong style was trendy, as was the character Xiaoyanzi from *My Fair Princess*. The bond of sisterhood meant everything. But as time passed, her former close friends built their own lives, busy with daily routines, and gradually grew apart.

All that remained were copied-and-pasted New Year’s greetings exchanged during the holidays, followed by a casual "Thanks, same to you," before being tossed aside.

Watching the two good buddies with their arms around each other, Jin Ran’s gaze softened with affection. Like the adults she had encountered in her own youth, she sighed with emotion:

"Ah, youth."

Chen Xunliang, under her gaze, shivered.

"Huh?"

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Brother Li’s stepmother was looking at him like a piece of pork belly.

Jin Ran knew that with Chen Xunliang here, she was probably off duty. She put away her phone, and sure enough, Jiang Xuli spoke up the next second: "You can go do your thing. Liangzi can keep an eye on things here."

After a pause, he added, "Thanks for today."

Even his gratitude came off as aloof and cool.

By now, Jin Ran had gained some understanding of Jiang Xuli—arrogant, awkward, but not exactly bad-natured. She smiled politely. "Are you two going to be okay?"

"Absolutely, absolutely," Chen Xunliang eagerly assured. "Auntie, don’t you worry. I’ll make sure Brother Li is well taken care of. If he wants food, I’ll get him food; if he wants water, I’ll fetch water. Even if he needs to use the bathroom, I can help him with his pa—"

"Shut up!" Jiang Xuli’s face turned green, and he kicked at him.

The latter twisted away with a Pan Zhoudan-like dodge (a viral internet meme of a dramatic move). Spotting the medicine on the seat, he picked it up and said in a pinched voice, "Open wide, Darang. This servant will feed you your medicine now."

Jin Ran couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. Taking medicine required water, but they hadn’t brought a cup. She stood up. "I’ll go buy some. This bottle is almost empty. Remember to call the nurse to change it later."

"No problem!"

Even from a distance, she could still hear the cheerful laughter of the young men behind her.

Outside the hospital, across the street, was a small commercial strip with congee shops, pharmacies, fruit stores, and convenience stores—everything needed to cater to hospitalized patients. In turn, the patients provided a huge demand.

It was mutually beneficial.

Jin Ran went in and bought two bottles of mineral water. After hesitating, she also bought two bread rolls.

That was all she could afford. Jiang Xuli had food poisoning, and his stomach was likely very weak—she didn’t dare give him anything random. On the other hand, she was currently broke. Until she found a job, every penny had to be carefully budgeted. She couldn't afford to splurge.

Who knows, Jiang Xuli might even have more money than her. If he really got hungry, he could always order takeout with his phone.

Sigh!

Jin Ran let out a long sigh.

Why couldn’t it rain money? She wasn’t greedy—just picking up a few thousand would be enough to satisfy her.

Lost in her daydream, she walked out, unaware that a man in a white coat not far away was stealing glances at her.

Wei Mo had taken advantage of his break to come to the convenience store to buy some snacks.

He usually eats at the hospital cafeteria, but today he went a bit late, and the food was sold out, so he had to settle for fast food instead.

At first, he noticed Jin Ran because she was beautiful—after all, everyone appreciates beauty, so he instinctively glanced a few more times.

But the more he looked, the more familiar she seemed. Finally, he remembered something and dug out the photos taken on Jiang Mingsuo’s wedding day from a group chat. A quick comparison showed it—she looked exactly like the bride!

Had she gotten the news and come to visit?

Around noon, the elevator was packed. Jin Ran got in and was pushed to the back before she could press a floor button.

Feeling a bit helpless, she was about to ask someone in front to help when a kind person beside her said, “I got it for you.”

Jin Ran wondered how they knew which floor she wanted without her saying a word. Before she could figure it out, the elevator passed the third floor and went straight to the sixth.

The sixth floor was the hospital ward. The doctor helpfully pointed the way for Jin Ran: “Go straight from here, third room on the left. I have something to do, so I won’t take you there.”

Jin Ran grew even more puzzled.

Weren’t Jiang Xuli and the other person getting injections in the outpatient department? How had they moved to the hospital ward so quickly?

But trusting the doctor’s coat, she chose to believe it. She even followed that train of thought—even the toughest person couldn’t handle sitting for three hours straight. Especially someone like Jiang Xuli, a spoiled rich kid who surely couldn’t handle discomfort. It wasn’t impossible for him to choose the more comfortable option of hospitalization!

So, Jin Ran followed the doctor’s directions to the room.

A quiet calm came through the door crack, with light partially obscured, casting a slim line on the floor. She stopped and raised her hand to knock.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

No response.

Thinking those inside hadn’t heard, she knocked again. This time, the door suddenly opened, and her knocking hand landed against the chest of the person who answered.

Later, every time Jin Ran recalled this moment, she wanted to hide her face in embarrassment.

How could she possibly explain to make people understand that she really, truly was a proper person?!

But in that moment, Jin Ran didn’t register it at all.

Under her hand was a texture completely different from wood—sort of soft but firm, resilient with a solid strength, slightly raised. She instinctively pushed a little.

A low grunt came from above, the voice unexpectedly husky and sexy. Jin Ran thought, this must be what people online describe as a voice that could get you pregnant from one listen.

Whether it could get someone pregnant or not, it was undeniably pleasant to hear.

Her mind wandered until a question came from above: “Had enough groping me?”

Like a shock, Jin Ran snapped back to attention!

She stiffly turned her neck, and at the end of her line of sight was her own “misbehaving” hand. Oh my god!!!

She jerked her hand back and took two or three steps backward.

“Sorry, I must have the wrong room—”

The next second, her eyes met the man’s.

Jin Ran froze.

How to put it?

They were deep, captivating peach blossom eyes, with thin, tight eyelids forming a slight upturn. The outer corners were marked with fine lines, and the under-eye bags were narrow yet broad. They seemed deep and soulful, but when he looked at her, it made her shiver.

Jin Ran froze.

She hadn’t expected this man to be so good-looking.

It wasn’t like Jin Ran hadn’t seen good-looking guys before. In her past life, she’d had several boyfriends, each standouts among regular guys. One of them posted photos online and gained a million followers in just half a month, later becoming a social media influencer.

This man was just as good as them—if anything, he was even more striking.

Jin Ran thought for a second—maybe it was because she was older now. She used to like lively, cheerful college boys, or sweet, flirty younger guys. Of course, she still liked them, but she had also learned to appreciate the charm of mature men.

Like this one. Though he wore only a seemingly simple shirt, judging by its color and the fact that it remained neat even after her mauling, it was definitely high-end.

And such high-end clothing perfectly showed off the man’s figure—broad shoulders, narrow waist, collarbones partly exposed, chest muscles filling out the shirt.

She just stopped herself from looking further down, but based on what she’d felt earlier, there was definitely more there.

The man was very tall, a full head taller than Jin Ran, who stood at 1.68 meters. His every movement had a powerful vibe—his posture casual yet alert, giving off a wild, rebellious edge.

With looks and presence like that, he couldn’t be a minor character in a novel, right?

Was he one of the female lead’s admirers?

If she’d accidentally flirted with one of the female lead’s admirers, would there be consequences?

Just as Jin Ran was starting to worry, the handsome silent man spoke.

“What are you doing here?”

“Did the Jin family tell you?”

Jin Ran looked bewildered. “What? I’m here with someone else who’s seeing a doctor.”

Hearing this, the man frowned slightly, then quickly understood. “Xiao Li is sick?”

That familiar tone, those peach blossom eyes so similar to Jiang Xuli’s—in a flash, it clicked for Jin Ran.

She looked at him and tentatively asked, “Old… Old… Old Jiang?”

Forgive her—she really couldn’t bring herself to say “husband.”

When Jiang Mingsuo heard how she addressed him, his expression paused for a moment.

Seeing this, Jin Ran grew nervous.

Fortunately, he didn’t comment and just nodded.

Mystery solved.

It really was Jiang Mingsuo.

A dead end suddenly opened up to a new path. Good news: the man she’d felt up wasn’t the female lead’s love interest, so her life in the second half of the book wasn’t in danger.

Bad news: the man she’d felt up was Jiang Mingsuo—the husband in name only who, after three years of marriage in the book, had always kept his distance from the original host physically, leaving her emotionally neglected and love-starved, turning her into the well-known wealthy abandoned wife in their social circle.

So, was this lucky or unlucky?