Chapter Seventy-One: I Am Angry

In the days that followed, Jian Yanzhi never again spoke a word to Ruan Mianmian of his own accord; even exchanging glances between them became rare. Ruan Mianmian was treated as if she were invisible, but she relished it. To be ignored by Jian Yanzhi was exactly what she had hoped for. After all, Jian Yanzhi was the male lead, and her path as a supporting character could not have been more distant from his. She only wished for such a peaceful life.

Meanwhile, things were going well with Wu Ketian’s younger brother. The surgery was already scheduled for the end of the month. Ruan Mianmian didn’t recall any mention of this event in the original novel, so she couldn’t be certain whether Wu Kejing would awaken after the operation. Still, these days had been the most comfortable since she’d arrived in this world. People often say that a contented heart brings a plump body, and indeed, lately, whenever Ruan Mianmian looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help but notice her cheeks had grown rounder.

Resolute, she decided to start losing weight—eating less and moving more. She bought a set of proper workout clothes and took to jogging around Starfish Bay every evening. Recently, Jiang Ce had been busy with something or other and wasn’t always able to accompany her, but fortunately, Ah Kuan made a good companion too.

While Ruan Mianmian ran ahead, Ah Kuan followed beside her on a bicycle, carrying water just in case she needed it.

“Ruan, are you running for half an hour again today?” Ah Kuan called.

Tilting her head, she replied slowly, “Let’s see if I can go a little longer tonight.”

She’d been running for nearly half a month now; she ought to have made some progress.

Ah Kuan burst into hearty laughter. “Haha! I bet with the guys that you wouldn’t last three days—then a week—and now look at you, more than half a month! I’m impressed!”

Ruan Mianmian shot him a glare. “What do you all do with your time? And do I really seem that hopeless? Three days? That’s outrageous! I should have started with a month at least!”

Grinning sheepishly, Ah Kuan said, “Right, right, this time I’ll bet on a month.”

“Honestly,” she muttered, picking up her pace and running on.

What neither of them noticed was a shadowy figure lurking by the roadside, watching their every move. After they passed by, the figure took out a phone and dialed a number, speaking in a low voice:

“Boss, you were right—it’s the rich young lady we kidnapped last time.”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t get close. They didn’t notice me.”

“We can’t let her go! If she hadn’t bribed us into faking that kidnapping, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“And that Shen guy promised us five million, but we haven’t seen a cent! Now we’re wanted by the police—I can’t swallow this!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll do as you say. Let’s meet up first.”

...

Ruan Mianmian returned to Starfish Bay, drenched in sweat, and stepped onto the scale. A smile instantly lit up her face.

“At last! Heaven rewards the diligent!”

She’d finally lost some weight—two pounds, in fact!

Ah Kuan imitated a scene from a TV drama, cupping his hands in congratulations. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you, thank you. Tomorrow we take a day off!” she declared, removing her knee supports and tossing them aside. Then she looked at Ah Kuan and asked, “What’s Jiang Ce been up to? I haven’t seen him all day.”

“There was a problem with a business deal. The boss went back to Lanhai City himself. He probably won’t be back today,” Ah Kuan explained.

Back to Lanhai City?

Damn.

Ruan Mianmian wore a look of annoyance. “That guy left without even telling me. I’m angry now!”

“He had to leave in a hurry,” Ah Kuan said. “But you should have a message from him on your phone.”

She eyed him suspiciously and pulled out her phone. Sure enough, there was a new message. She opened it to find only a few words:

“Gone to Lanhai City. Don’t worry.”

Well then, she wasn’t angry anymore.

Ruan Mianmian pressed her lips together.

The next morning, Ah Kuan drove her to work at the Hanhai Building. Wu Ketian had taken leave these past few days to stay at the hospital with her brother, leaving Ruan Mianmian with little to do. Sometimes, she’d call Wu Ketian for a chat and to check in.

After a few days of acquaintance, Ruan Mianmian realized that Wu Ketian was truly a gentle and strong-hearted girl—quite at odds with her cool, slightly regal appearance. The initial curiosity Ruan Mianmian felt about how things would unfold between Wu Ketian and Jian Yanzhi had long since faded.

What’s more, because Ruan Mianmian had helped Wu Ketian’s brother, the entire storyline had changed. In the original novel, Wu Ketian, driven to desperation, had set her sights on Jian Yanzhi. She orchestrated a contrived encounter with the drunken Jian Yanzhi at a banquet, later using a video of them in a hotel room as blackmail.

She’d extorted a million from Jian Yanzhi that way.

But now, everything was different. Thanks to Ruan Mianmian’s financial help, Wu Ketian’s brother could have the operation he needed, so Wu Ketian no longer had to scheme against Jian Yanzhi.

In truth, Ruan Mianmian was glad of this turn of events. Wu Ketian was now someone she regarded as a friend.

“Today’s the operation, are you holding up?” Ruan Mianmian teased over the phone.

“Of course, of course!” Wu Ketian’s voice was brimming with excitement. “But I’m still nervous—I just hope everything goes smoothly!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged your leave with HR. Just focus on taking care of your brother. Leave the rest to me,” Ruan Mianmian said with sincerity.

Wu Ketian fell silent for a moment, emotion stirring within her.

“Mianmian, I really don’t know how to thank you. I…”

Ruan Mianmian cut her off, “Enough, you already said we’re friends. No need for all that.”

And as long as Wu Ketian hadn’t gone astray, remaining as kind and good as before, Ruan Mianmian felt deeply relieved.

“Yes! If my brother wakes up safely, I’ll have no regrets in this life,” Wu Ketian said with heartfelt emotion, making Ruan Mianmian laugh.

“Oh, come on! You’re so young—why do you sound like you’ve already seen all the world’s hardships? You and your brother have many days ahead! Or rather, you both have many days ahead to repay me!”

Her words made Wu Ketian laugh with abandon. “You’re right! I guess we’ll be working for you for the rest of our lives!”

...

After hanging up, Ruan Mianmian felt in high spirits. She sent Ah Kuan a message, asking him to order a good bottle of wine—they would celebrate properly once Wu Kejing’s surgery was over.

[Ruan, the wine’s ordered. Should I bring it over to you?] Ah Kuan quickly replied.

[Bring it over. I’ll be in the office waiting for you.]

[Got it!]