Chapter 74: The Fiancé

Jiang Ce noticed Ruan Mianmian’s actions, a layer of doubt flickering in his eyes, but still he stood up and followed her footsteps to the door of the hospital room.

Ruan Mianmian hurried a few steps down the corridor, anxiously calling out to Fan Xu as he passed by.

“Dr. Fan, wait!”

Fan Xu was startled by the sudden voice behind him. He quickly turned around, and upon recognizing her, a bright smile instantly blossomed on his face.

“Miss Ruan? What brings you here?”

A hint of surprise glimmered in Fan Xu’s eyes. Truthfully, he had seen his share of beautiful women, including Wu Kejing’s older sister, Wu Ketian. Yet after seeing Ruan Mianmian in the ward last time, she had left a deep impression on him, and he’d immediately remembered her name.

Ruan Mianmian’s eyes were exceptionally bright, as if filled with clear sake—one glance could intoxicate. Paired with her sweet features, she was truly a sight that delighted the soul.

“Hello, Dr. Fan!” Ruan Mianmian greeted with a smile. “I heard Wu Kejing was having surgery today, so I came especially to check in on him.”

As she spoke, curiosity flickered in her mind. Wasn’t Dr. Fan Wu Kejing’s attending physician? Why wasn’t he in surgery?

So Ruan Mianmian asked, “Dr. Fan, aren’t you the lead surgeon for Wu Kejing’s operation today?”

“No, no!” Fan Xu shook his head with a gentle smile and explained warmly, “The surgery is being conducted by a neurology expert from the Imperial Capital. Wu Kejing is lucky—he caught this expert exchange conference, which gave him this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

An expert exchange conference?

Ruan Mianmian recalled that, in the book, Wu Kejing had gradually recovered under the care of a certain expert. Still, she hadn’t expected this day to come so quickly.

“The operation will probably take a while. Miss Ruan, would you like to join me for some tea?” Fan Xu pressed his lips together, his features behind the gold-rimmed glasses looking somewhat shy and awkward. It seemed this was his first time inviting a woman out for tea.

Ruan Mianmian felt a bit embarrassed. After all, she and Fan Xu weren’t close—going for tea together felt a little off. Besides, his gaze was too straightforward; anyone could see his intentions.

So Ruan Mianmian decided to decline. Just as she was struggling for a way to refuse, a haughty voice sounded behind her.

“She doesn’t have time to drink tea with you!”

Fan Xu froze on the spot, glancing past Ruan Mianmian’s shoulder. A tall, striking figure with an unmistakably hostile air suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Fan Xu had been a doctor for many years, well-accustomed to speaking gently with others, but Jiang Ce’s cold gaze unsettled him, making him a bit nervous.

“This is—?” Fan Xu looked from Jiang Ce to Ruan Mianmian, his expression awkward.

Ruan Mianmian raised her brows, winked at Jiang Ce, then turned back with a bright smile, “Him? He’s my… fiancé!”

Her voice was crisp and clear, leaving no room for doubt.

Fan Xu forced a laugh and quickly excused himself. “Ah, I see. I have something to attend to, so I won’t hold you up. Please, make yourself comfortable, Miss Ruan.”

Perhaps Jiang Ce’s gaze was too sharp; Fan Xu couldn’t withstand it and beat a hasty retreat.

“Pfft—” Ruan Mianmian couldn’t help but laugh.

She turned to Jiang Ce, meeting his gaze. “You really are too fierce! Look how you scared him off!”

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Ce’s eyes as he watched Fan Xu leave. “He didn’t run away because I scared him. He had ulterior motives.”

“There’s no need to put it that way, is there? After all, everyone likes a pretty girl, right?”

Ruan Mianmian looked quite pleased, while Jiang Ce’s expression grew darker.

He stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, and said arrogantly, “Everyone can like a pretty girl, but if it’s you, then only I can.”

“Oh…” Looking into Jiang Ce’s earnest dark eyes, Ruan Mianmian’s heart began to pound wildly.

Oh, this damn sweetness!

Fan Xu’s appearance had successfully stirred Jiang Ce’s possessive instincts.

Jiang Ce led her to the rest area at the end of the corridor, where a row of chairs stood. They sat down together.

“What are you thinking about?”

The atmosphere fell silent. Seeing Ruan Mianmian lost in thought, Jiang Ce couldn’t help but ask.

She snapped back, looked at him seriously, and replied, “Thinking about you.”

“Oh…” Jiang Ce responded a beat late and then looked away without further reaction.

Ruan Mianmian, having failed to get the response she wanted, made a silly face at him. What she didn’t know was that Jiang Ce’s ears had turned faintly red ever since she’d uttered the words “fiancé.”

Time ticked on, and night had already fallen.

Leaning back in her chair, Ruan Mianmian started to feel drowsy. She rubbed her eyes and asked Jiang Ce, “Are you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

Jiang Ce replied with a faint smile, teasing, “But you look a bit sleepy.”

“Yeah.” Ruan Mianmian pouted. “I didn’t expect to wait this long.”

“It’s alright, let’s keep waiting a bit more.”

Then, as if recalling something, Jiang Ce changed the subject. “By the way, aren’t you going to reveal your secret yet?”

He had followed her here with single-minded focus, but to this moment, he still didn’t know what she was really up to.

A mischievous light flashed in Ruan Mianmian’s eyes. She asked, “Jiang Ce, if I remember correctly, your company, Morningstar, is in need of a cybersecurity specialist, right? I’ve found someone for you—he’s definitely up to the job. You can let him try out when you get the chance.”

She looked to Jiang Ce, awaiting his response.

Unexpectedly, instead of nodding, Jiang Ce’s face showed surprise and confusion.

He asked, “Morningstar?”

“Uh…” She had slipped up.

Ruan Mianmian instantly pressed her lips together, suddenly realizing that, from Jiang Ce’s perspective, he had never told her anything about Morningstar!

In other words, in the book, Ruan Mianmian never knew that the mastermind behind Morningstar Group was Jiang Ce.

She had carelessly let it slip.

Jiang Ce’s expression turned serious as he looked intently at her. “How do you know about Morningstar?”

How did she know? How could she explain?

Ruan Mianmian was momentarily at a loss for words. It was all her fault for being too quick-tongued and forgetting something so important.

“Morningstar? What’s that?” Ruan Mianmian could only feign ignorance.

Jiang Ce straightened up, his gaze unwavering as he said, “I remember I never told you about Morningstar, did I?”

“Uh…” Ruan Mianmian nodded.

Jiang Ce raised his brows. “So, how did you know?”