Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jin Ran ran back to her bedroom, tears streaming down her face.

The moment the door closed, the emotional expression on her face vanished. Aside from a lingering blush that refused to fade, there was no trace of a delicate, girlish demeanor.

Okay, fine, truth be told, she did feel a little embarrassed.

It was the first time in her life she’d encountered a handsome man holding up sexy lingerie right in front of her. Not only had she remained outwardly composed, but she’d also felt an overwhelming urge to flee.

How could she not feel a touch of regret?

Jin Ran sighed deeply. She had actually prepared for her cover to be blown, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

Jiang Mingsuo was far too formidable. He was thirty-five this year—how many thirty-five-year periods does one have in a lifetime? Whether in life experience or career achievements, he far surpassed the twenty-five-year-old Jin Ran.

Just as Jiang Xuli felt completely transparent when facing Jin Ran, Jin Ran felt the same way when confronting Jiang Mingsuo.

She couldn’t decipher his thoughts, making it impossible for her to respond correctly. It was like walking on a knife's edge, constantly on tenterhooks.

But Jin Ran didn’t believe a shrewd businessman like Jiang Mingsuo would do something without reason. So what was the purpose of his probing today?

To dissolve the marriage? Or to champion the original owner?

The former seemed unlikely, as they had just married. The latter, judging from the original book’s plot, also didn’t seem plausible.

After pondering for a long time without finding an answer, Jin Ran silently cursed the novel’s background for giving her no agency. In the end, she simply gave up and flopped onto the bed on her back.

If Jiang Mingsuo wanted to crush her, it would probably be easier than crushing an ant. What else could she do but play it by ear?

But this feeling of powerlessness made Jin Ran experience that long-forgotten sense of defeat once again.

Jin Ran hadn’t always wanted to be a teacher.

In her previous life, her family had been comfortably off. Her parents ran a small factory, and life had been stable.

But in her senior year of high school, the factory went bankrupt due to poor management, and their finances took a nosedive, even leaving them in debt.

Her parents argued constantly because of it. On the day she had to submit her college applications, she quietly crossed out her first choice and instead applied to a teachers’ college. After graduation, she persisted in taking the civil service exams, valuing the stability of a government job.

Thinking about the interview the next day, Jin Ran stared at the ceiling light, momentarily unsure of what to do.

In the end, she decided to go.

If Jiang Mingsuo insisted on throwing her out of the villa, she would need a job to support herself.

Even if he didn’t, it was better to be prepared and plan for the future.

Reinvigorated, Jin Ran felt a surge of energy. She crammed practice questions until 2 a.m. and woke up the next day still full of vitality.

As usual, she went to the lawn to practice yoga for half an hour.

It takes twenty-one days to form a habit, but only a second to break one. Jin Ran refused to let herself go. Hadn’t she noticed that you rarely saw overweight people among the true elite? Maintaining a good physique was sometimes a reflection of discipline and self-control.

But to Jiang Xuli, who was up early, it looked like Jin Ran was so "miserable" she couldn’t sleep.

His expression grew complicated.

He’d been with his father since he could remember, but Jiang Xuli wasn’t completely ignorant about his biological mother. People around him said she had been driven away by his father and warned him to behave, or he might be kicked out too.

This left a shadow over Jiang Xuli’s young heart. As he grew older, he realized those people were just gossiping, but he understood one thing—his parents’ relationship had indeed been terrible.

Jiang Xuli had always thought his father’s coldness toward him was due to anger he felt toward his mother spilling over onto him.

But now, after witnessing Jin Ran crying in secret, he wasn’t so sure.

The teenager stood there for a long time, until his feet grew numb, before silently leaving.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship with Jin Ran.

Jin Ran had no idea she had inadvertently gained sympathy.

Since her skin was so pale, the slight dark circles from staying up late were especially noticeable. To cover them, she had to put on some light makeup.

Her makeup skills were quite good. Today, she went for the velvety mocha makeup look that had been popular right before she transmigrated. She paired it with a carefully chosen khaki casual blazer and a denim A-line skirt. The shoes were from the closet—a pair of black-and-white patterned sneakers—and she carried a tote bag one shade darker.

It was a little hot out, so instead of leaving her hair down, she tied it at the back of her head into a bun secured with a scrunchy.

The final result in the mirror was perfect.

It looked professional but casual, casual but playful—exactly the kind of teacher style that would never be confused for a student or a parent on campus!

Jin Ran nodded in satisfaction.

On her way downstairs, she worried she might run into Jiang Mingsuo, but to her surprise, she didn’t see anyone until she left the villa area.

Out of consideration, she didn’t trouble Xiao Sun this time and took a taxi to Wencheng High School herself.

When she arrived at the interview location, three candidates were already in the waiting area. Two men, roughly in their early forties, were standing together chatting away. Across from them sat a nervous young woman who looked like she had just graduated.

Jin Ran observed discreetly for a moment before naturally taking a seat next to the young woman. "Are you here for the interview too?" she asked with a friendly smile.

Xu Zhen, who had been about to have a social anxiety meltdown sitting alone, let out a sigh of relief now that someone her age had finally shown up. "I’m Xu Zhen, here to interview for the Chinese teacher position. I just graduated from S University this year. What about you?"

"My surname is Jin, given name Ran—'Ran,' you know, with the grass radical on top. I majored in math and graduated from A Normal University."

Xu Zhen immediately looked impressed.

A Normal University was the best teachers’ college in the country. Jin Ran was pretty and dressed stylishly, so Xu Zhen had instinctively assumed she was applying for an arts position. She never expected her to be a math major.

Math—the arch-nemesis of every arts student. At the very least, Xu Zhen had always just barely passed in math.

She suddenly recalled a popular online saying: "Those who are better than you are working harder than you." Thinking about how she’d coasted for four years of college and only got this interview through connections, she felt a wave of shame. Unable to help herself, she asked, "Did you come because of that news too?"

"What news?" Jin Ran was confused.

Xu Zhen lowered her voice. "I heard from someone else that Wencheng High School is setting up a foundation this year, following a 'prestigious school + enterprise' cooperation model. Have you heard of Mingji Technology? The company that sells computers? Because the boss’s son goes to school here, they’re not only going to fund financially struggling students but also offer overseas research grants to outstanding teachers!"

The young woman was practically buzzing with excitement. "I’ve always wanted to go abroad, but my family couldn’t afford it. If I can become a teacher at Wencheng High, maybe I can study abroad on a public fund later!"

But Jin Ran, however, was stunned.

Mingji Technology? Wasn’t that Jiang Mingsuo’s company?

She never expected such a coincidence, but then she thought, with Jiang Xuli just starting high school, it wasn’t hard to understand Jiang Mingsuo, as a father, donating equipment and money to the school.

But seeing Xu Zhen’s face light up as if she’d found her soulmate, Jin Ran was too embarrassed to admit she chose Wencheng High only because it was close to home. "If that's true, that's really great," she said instead.

Xu Zhen nodded vigorously, fully agreeing. "If it weren’t for my cousin who teaches at Wencheng High, I wouldn’t have known such important news. Oh, by the way, my cousin is also a math teacher—he was hired at Wencheng High last year."

Hearing this, Jin Ran perked up. "Is your cousin named Wang Chen?"

Xu Zhen was completely surprised. "You know my cousin?"

How come she had no idea her homebody cousin knew such a stunning beauty!

Jin Ran laughed and explained how she knew him from when she applied.

It turned out Mr. Wang was really proactive—even after work, he was still recruiting students for the school. Thanks to this connection, they bonded quickly.

Jin Ran didn’t have many friends here, and she really liked the talkative Xu Zhen. When Jin Ran made an effort to get along, hardly anyone could resist. Before long, Xu Zhen was hooking arms with her and calling her Ran Ran.

But they didn’t get to chat for long—soon, it was Jin Ran’s turn for the interview.

"Go get ’em, Ran Ran!" Xu Zhen cheered, pumping her fists.

Jin Ran was pretty nervous as she entered the classroom, afraid she'd mess up.

But in reality, her interview went smoothly. Perhaps all her preparation had really paid off, as everything flowed naturally from muscle memory. Though she wasn’t the most experienced among the candidates, her teaching demo was really impressive.

Finally, standing at the podium, Jin Ran saw the teachers in the audience smiling warmly at her. She knew then that she’d most likely succeeded.

The thought made her break into a real smile.

So what if she’d been dropped into an unfamiliar world? So what if she wasn't from a wealthy family?

She would achieve her goals step by step and keep improving.

/

Xu Zhen also emerged beaming.

"I think my presentation went pretty well—maybe I actually have a chance! How about you, Ran Ran?"

Jin Ran smiled. "I think mine went alright too."

Both were in good moods. Since there was still time, Xu Zhen suggested they walk around the school. "If we pass the interview, this will be our workplace. Let’s get familiar with the teaching environment in advance."

Jin Ran thought it over and agreed.

She didn't really want to return to the villa anyway.

If she ran into Jiang Mingsuo and he suddenly asked who she was again, she wouldn’t know how to respond.

It was the weekend, and most students at Wencheng High were at home, but many boarders were already returning to campus with their luggage.

After walking just a short distance, the two had already passed several groups of students.

Seeing these energetic young faces, Jin Ran felt the warmth a medical student might feel toward lab mice—these were all potential future students, future listeners of her lectures.

Little did she know: while she was admiring the view, others were admiring her.

One student, stunned by Jin Ran’s beauty, secretly snapped a photo and posted it in a private student group chat.

"Alert! A stunning beauty has appeared on campus! No exaggeration—she’s incredibly, unbelievably gorgeous!"