Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After Jiang Mingsuo made the suggestion that day, Jin Ran tentatively messaged Madam Lin, inviting her for coffee.

To her surprise, Madam Lin agreed. After setting the time and place, Jin Ran went to teach Class 3.

Thanks to the "partner" learning method, the students' enthusiasm for math had soared.

Whenever Jin Ran taught, everyone was exceptionally engaged. During Q&A, even if unsure of the answer, they’d raise their hands high, eager not to be overlooked.

Sometimes, even Wang Shuya couldn’t get a word in, left to anxiously take notes on the sidelines.

Jin Ran also reviewed the "puzzle" from the evening self-study session with the class.

She then informed the students that the next "partner" learning session would feature similar questions, and the top three teams would receive small prizes. Instantly, distracted students snapped to attention, eyes wide, determined to commit the answers to memory.

Midway through class, Jin Ran suddenly felt a slight, dull ache in her lower abdomen.

She had a premonition but didn't panic. After class, she lingered at the classroom door for a long time, answering student questions. When she finally returned, she saw it: her period had arrived.

This was, in fact, her first period since transmigrating into the book.

The original body was likely in suboptimal health, with insufficient qi and blood, leading to cold hands and feet at night and an irregular menstrual cycle. Jin Ran casually calculated that the gap between this period and the last was at least forty days.

For Jin Ran, whose period in her previous life had been freakishly punctual, this was quite an adjustment.

What made her even more uncomfortable was that faint, elusive sense of unease.

If she had to describe it, it was like a tightly bound rope in her abdomen, occasionally tugging in different directions. Jin Ran, who in her past life had boldly consumed cold drinks and only spicy hotpot during her period, never imagined she’d encounter such a situation.

Discretion being the better part of valor, Jin Ran dutifully put down the iced milk tea she’d just bought and poured herself a steaming cup of plain hot water.

Hmm, it actually tasted quite good.

Her period arrived suddenly, but fortunately, the slight discomfort didn't disrupt her daily life.

During her lunch break, Jin Ran took a taxi to the agreed meeting place—a high-end coffee shop.

After giving her name to the waiter, he respectfully led her to a window seat. Looking at the woman with curly hair and red lips already seated, Jin Ran almost didn't recognize her.

Compared to their last meeting, Madam Lin had changed considerably. She wore a satin qipao with a high, buttoned collar, her hair elegantly swept to the side, exuding grace and nobility. "Thanks to your encouragement, I've recently picked up my paintbrush again and started designing clothes. This one is my own design. What do you think? Is it presentable?"

Jin Ran snapped back to attention, exclaiming in admiration, "More than presentable—it's absolutely beautiful!"

If she possessed such talent, she would have long since grandly launched her own brand, never allowing herself to be confined at home by a man in the name of love.

Madam Lin chuckled at her words. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you! I felt a connection with you the last time we met, and now I like you even more." She warmly took Jin Ran's hand. "If the age gap weren't a bit too wide, I'd truly want to adopt you as my little sister right here and now."

Jin Ran blinked. "Sister Lin, please don't say you're old. No matter how old you are, can you be older than my husband?"

Madam Lin had just turned thirty, which was indeed younger than the thirty-five-year-old Jiang Mingsuo.

"Then I'll be bold and call you little sister," Madam Lin said, her smile growing even more sincere.

Although Jin Ran had come with an agenda, after meeting Madam Lin, she didn't proactively bring up the investment.

The two chatted happily like old friends, discussing everything from jewelry appreciation to new handbags, from makeup tips to insider gossip. They even critiqued the latest young idols in the entertainment industry—who had a good physique, who was sweet-talking and charming. When Jin Ran learned that Madam Lin was connected to several celebrities, her astonishment was finally undeniable.

"Pfft, it's nothing. Another day, I'll invite them out, and you can join us. Just to pass the time and have someone to chat with."

Jin Ran's heart pounded with excitement.

It wasn't that she had any ill intentions—it was more out of sheer curiosity. Who wouldn't want to see handsome men?

Humans are sensory creatures, and Jin Ran, being an ordinary person, was no exception. Sometimes, just seeing a handsome man or a beautiful woman could make her eat a few extra bites at lunch.

Although Jiang Mingsuo and Jiang Xuli were also handsome, she saw that kind of handsomeness every day. It was like someone who ate delicacies daily occasionally craving street food—her desire for something new was perfectly understandable, right?

Another point: Jin Ran had heard many people say there was a distinct barrier between celebrities and ordinary people. There had even been cases where an actor was called ugly in a TV drama but was stunningly handsome in real life. This made her curious—if a celebrity already looked good on TV, how unbelievably handsome must they be in real life?

Madam Lin hadn't had such an engaging conversation in a long time. Even after finishing her coffee, she was still not ready for it to end. Finally, she excitedly announced that she had already begun preparing to set up her own studio and would be able to design clothes for Jin Ran for free.

"Then it's settled. If you forget, Madam Lin, I won't let it go," Jin Ran said, feigning a threat.

"Don't worry, I might forget others, but I'd never forget you."

Sometimes, human connections are just that coincidental. Among all the people at the banquet, Madam Lin just happened to hit it off with Jin Ran, who was five years younger. After chatting for a while, they were already getting personal. "Actually, I heard about you a long time ago, but now it seems those were all unreliable words. How could a good girl like you possibly do such things?"

Jin Ran's interest was piqued.

The "rumors" Madam Lin mentioned were most likely about the original body. Coincidentally, she didn't have the original body's memories. Some things could be inquired about, but others were beyond her reach.

On the surface, she still smiled cheerfully, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness. "I don't know how those words spread. The most ridiculous one even claimed I held a knife to my husband to force him to marry me." She shook her head. "You understand his temperament—how could anyone force him?"

"That's true," Madam Lin said, giving Jin Ran a sympathetic look. "Besides, at the last banquet, President Jiang's act of delivering a handkerchief from afar stunned a whole crowd. It was like something out of an idol drama. How does that saying go? 'An old house on fire burns brighter and brighter…'"

At this point, she suddenly remembered that the woman before her was the wife of that "old house" and quickly tried to backtrack. "Ahem, I don't mean that President Jiang is old. My husband is only two years older than President Jiang, but when they stand together, they look like father and son."

Young girls are easily embarrassed. Hearing the teasing, Jin Ran's face turned as red as freshly peeled lychee flesh, looking very shy.

But she still forced herself to stay calm and looked at Madam Lin with curious eyes. "Sister Lin, what other rumors have you heard? They sound quite amusing. Tell me, and I'll share them with Mingsuo later as a joke."

Madam Lin actually thought seriously for a moment. "There aren't too many, actually. It's pretty much the same few things repeated over and over. The most common one is that you have a bad temper and often scold the servants…" She paused, then suddenly laughed. "The most ridiculous one is that someone said you were on a date with your boyfriend the day before marrying President Jiang. What kind of nonsense is that?"

Madam Lin could somewhat understand the other rumors, but this one was just too absurd. Someone like Jiang Mingsuo would never marry a woman who had a boyfriend.

Jin Ran's smile, however, froze.

Boyfriend?

The original body had a boyfriend? How did she not know at all?!

Her brows furrowed imperceptibly as Jin Ran quickly pondered.

One possibility was that the rumor was just that—a rumor—and someone was deliberately smearing her reputation.

The other possibility was somewhat worse.

But Jin Ran quickly calmed down.

The original body might have been foolish, but the Jin family wasn't. They would never allow deception to occur. Even if this "boyfriend" did exist, she was more inclined to believe that he had become an ex-boyfriend before the marriage.

The overly complex information made her temples throb. Jin Ran wearily rubbed them.

Originally, she had thought the original body was deeply in love with Jiang Mingsuo, which was why she stole Jin Jing’s arranged marriage opportunity. But now, she was being told that the original body actually had a boyfriend.

She found it hard to believe that a woman who was still having dinner with her boyfriend the day before her wedding would suddenly undergo a drastic change in nature, falling in love with another man and remaining devoted to him until death.

So she was most likely faking it.

That raised the question: why did the original owner pretend to like Jiang Mingsuo?

/

After bidding farewell to Madam Lin, Jin Ran checked the time and realized it was still early. She opened her phone’s map and saw that the nearest bus stop was only five hundred meters away, so she decided to take the bus back to school.

But as she rounded the corner at the intersection, she spotted two familiar faces walking a motorcycle along the road.

"Jiang Xuli?"

Hearing her voice, both Jiang Xuli and Chen Xunliang turned around.

Jin Ran raised an eyebrow. "It really is you two. What are you doing all the way out here?"

Although the café was upscale, its location was quite remote. With afternoon classes to attend, most students from Wencheng would opt for the cafeteria or the snack street near the school gate—few would make a special trip to such an out-of-the-way place.

Just as she was puzzling over it, the big-mouthed Chen Xunliang burst out indignantly, "Don’t even ask! We came here to buy something, and some jerk slashed Li-ge's tires. Now we have to push it to the repair shop."

Jiang Xuli frowned and kicked him lightly. Chen Xunliang caught himself and sheepishly covered his mouth. "Um… Teacher Jin, I didn’t mean to curse—I’m just really mad."

He pointed at the eye-catching motorcycle, his heart aching as if it were his own. Even though it wasn’t his bike, Li-ge had recently started letting him ride it for a few minutes occasionally—so what was the difference, really? "Look, both tires are punctured. It has to be deliberate!"

Jiang Xuli rolled his eyes. "Would you shut up? Keep it down!"

Chen Xunliang’s tender young heart was deeply wounded. Clutching his chest, he put on an exaggerated hurt expression and turned to Jin Ran to tattle. "Teacher Jin, look at him! Showing ingratitude to someone who's trying to help! You have to stand up for me!"

Jin Ran: "..."

Thanks, I’m totally grossed out.

She quietly rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. Every time she saw this bickering pair, she seriously questioned whether a boy’s level of immaturity had anything to do with age—fifteen-year-olds and five-year-olds seemed practically the same!

But deep down, she knew that despite all the snark, if anything ever happened, Chen Xunliang would be the first to jump to Jiang Xuli’s defense.

And the same was true the other way around.

She waved a hand dismissively, shooing them like flies. "You're both equally guilty. Now scram."

Chen Xunliang: "..."

Compared to high schoolers’ squabbles, Jin Ran was far more interested in the IconSheene motorcycle.

Until now, her impressions of motorcycles had always come from popular TV dramas—humid ocean breezes, the glow of a setting sun, the female lead sitting behind the male lead, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, the two snuggled close like mandarin ducks on a speeding bike, their hair romantically tangling in the wind.

It was so romantic that Jin Ran had even considered getting a motorcycle license herself. But then, out of curiosity, she looked up the price of Jiang Mingsuo’s bike and immediately steered clear.

Sorry, but a motorcycle that costs several million?!

Sure, it was cool, stylish, and incredibly appealing—but several million???

Can this world just eliminate rich people already?

Thinking about it, her heart ached too. Tires on a million-dollar bike, punctured just like that—she’d rather the nails had been stuck in her instead.

"Can it be fixed?" Jin Ran asked worriedly.

Although Jiang Xuli was also upset, he was the calmest of the three and nodded. "It should be fine."

Having ridden motorcycles for two years, he’d gone from a complete novice to a near-expert. In terms of theoretical knowledge, Jiang Xuli was even more solid than some professional mechanics. He’d been about to say he could fix it himself, but he bit back the words.

He remembered how this woman had always hated him riding motorcycles—she’d glare at him with that look she reserved for street punks, as if he were some spoiled rich kid with no direction.

The teenager pressed his lips together and ultimately fell silent.

Jin Ran, on the other hand, didn’t notice Jiang Xuli’s odd behavior at all. Right now, all her attention was captivated by the motorcycle in front of her.

She’d only ever been able to admire it from afar before, but now she finally had a chance to see it up close. She couldn’t help but circle the gleaming bike over and over, growing more and more impressed. A thought flashed through her mind: maybe… she could find an opportunity to ask Jiang Xuli for a ride?

But she quickly shook her head.

No, no. Others might not know, but Jin Ran, who lived in the same villa, was well aware of how precious this red IconSheene was to Jiang Xuli—it was practically enshrined like an ancestor. Probably not even his own father, Jiang Mingsuo, had ever ridden on the back. And she, as the stepmother? She was dreaming the impossible.

So she pulled back her excitement, limiting her admiration to mere appreciation. "It’s so beautiful. I declare this the coolest motorcycle I’ve ever seen!"

Jiang Xuli was taken aback.

Was that… a compliment?

He looked at Jin Ran in surprise, observing her quietly for a moment. Then he realized she seemed genuinely impressed, not sarcastic at all—she looked even more upset about the flat tires than he, the owner, was.

Watching her as if she wanted to personally pull the nails out herself, he snapped out of it and his mouth twitched. Not sure whether he was comforting himself or trying to prevent further damage to his beloved bike, he reached out to stop her. "It’s just a punctured tire. It’s an easy fix."

Even so, Jin Ran felt that for a high-end machine worth a fortune, an ordinary tire patch was hardly worthy. Shouldn’t it at least be patched with gold leaf?!

They handed the bike over to the repair shop owner, who said it wouldn’t be ready until the next day.

Riding it home wasn't happening. Chen Xunliang scratched the back of his head—cabs were scarce in such a remote area. Noticing Jin Ran also standing by the roadside, he casually asked, "How are you getting back, Teacher? Maybe we can go together?"

He was already calculating, assuming Jin Ran had either driven or taken a taxi here. Plus, she was Li-ge’s stepmother—surely, even if she was reluctant, she’d have no choice but to give them a ride as a matter of courtesy.

Sure enough, Jin Ran nodded. "Sure, I have a ride. Just follow me."

Chen Xunliang immediately beamed, ignoring his friend’s murderous glare, and happily tagged along. Ten minutes later, standing at the bus stop, bathed in the warm summer breeze, he stared at the "packed" bus and asked the fatal question:

"Uh, this is your ride?"

Jin Ran grinned mischievously at the two teenagers. "Yep, got a problem with that? Spacious, high capacity, environmentally friendly, and economical. Most importantly—" she waved the bus card she’d borrowed from Xu Zhen, "totally free."

Chen Xunliang: "..."

Someone tell him—why was the wife of Mingji Tech's CEO taking the bus?!

Was it too late to make a run for it now?