Chapter Twenty-Two: Moving House

Ye Huai's profound eyes stared straight at her, and within them, she glimpsed many tangled emotions, among which there was even a faint trace of hatred.
Why did he hate her?
As Li Ran came to her senses and pushed him away, this question was all that echoed in her mind.
Dazed, she looked at him and said, "I have something to do. I'll leave first."
With that, she fled in panic. The intense exchange of gazes just now had left her breathless, unbearably uncomfortable. It wasn't until she stepped outside the building and inhaled fresh air that she felt much better.
Looking up, she saw Qiao Shiluo waiting for her at the entrance. "Why are you here?"
"I heard about your dismissal. What are your plans now?" Qiao Shiluo took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, helping her into the car.
Li Ran replied helplessly, "What else can I do? Of course, I'll look for another job." Seeing his worried expression, she smiled to reassure him. "Don't worry about me. I'm like an indestructible cockroach. Liangcheng is so big—surely there's a job out there for me."
Though she said so, Qiao Shiluo still didn't want her to overexert herself.
"Sis, you have a child now. You shouldn't work. I'm earning money—I can support you."
"How much can you make when you've just started working? It's not just me; there's a whole family depending on me." Li Ran didn't want to hold Qiao Shiluo back. With his outstanding qualities, his future was limitless.
Qiao Shiluo opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end held back, driving her home in silence.

Upstairs, Ye Huai watched the scene below from the window, his expression stern. The man beside Li Ran—he knew—was Qiao Shiluo, mentioned in the reports.
Ding Lei entered the office only after Li Ran hurriedly left, and saw Ye Huai staring at his own right hand, opening and closing it over and over again.
"Boss, are you…all right?"
"I'm fine." Ye Huai smiled to himself, unsure if he was speaking to Ding Lei or to himself. "She thinks it was me who caused her to lose her job."
"How could that be! You would never…"
Halfway through his words, he realized something was off. Ye Huai had certainly done such things before, so being so resolute wasn't wise. After hesitating, he said, "If you didn't do it, then it's a misunderstanding. Didn't you explain?"
"Explain? She's already convinced I'm a despicable person, she won't believe me."
Ding Lei couldn't fathom the relationship between these two. Ye Huai was clearly interested in Li Ran, yet never made it clear, while Li Ran's marriage was obviously beyond saving, but she wouldn't let go. He truly couldn't understand what they were trying to do.
Suddenly, he remembered something important: What exactly was Ye Huai's purpose in helping Li Ran?
Qiao Shiluo personally escorted Li Ran home. Passing by Zhang Nan, Zhang Nan didn't dare utter a word, only watched as they went upstairs. Zhang Fanfan wasn't home, and Li Ran went to her room to rest.
Qiao Shiluo went downstairs to leave, deliberately seeking out Zhang Nan and warning her, "When I'm not here, you'd better behave yourself. Don't do anything inappropriate to my sister, or I won't forgive you!"
Zhang Nan was so frightened she didn't dare speak, only nodded repeatedly.

Li Ran opened her computer and began preparing her résumé, searching for jobs online. She could now rule out Huiteng Group, but could still try the other reputable companies.
She was busy when she heard a commotion downstairs, thinking Qiao Shiluo was still having an unpleasant exchange with Zhang Nan, so she hurried downstairs to check.
Several movers brought in enormous cardboard boxes. Zhang Fanfan stood nearby, directing them, as if they were moving house.
"What are these?" Li Ran pointed to the boxes.
"Oh, these are An Qi's belongings. Her lease expired, and she hasn't found a new place yet. I figured the guest room here is empty anyway, so she might as well move in." Zhang Fanfan spoke casually.
Li Ran was instantly infuriated. She already had strong opinions about Zhang Nan staying a few days ago, and now someone else was moving in—it was unacceptable.
She pulled him aside and demanded, "What gives you the right to make decisions without consulting me? I don't agree to her moving in!"
"This house isn't yours alone. My mother and I agree—it's not your call!" Zhang Fanfan shook off her hand and went out to help the movers organize things.