Chapter Twenty-Three: Not a Good Person

Li Ran felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if she couldn't breathe. The anger within her threatened to erupt, but remembering the child she carried, she restrained herself. For the sake of her baby, she couldn't lose her temper or let An Qi have her way. An Qi had already taken her job and was basking in triumph; to let her know that Li Ran was so upset at the prospect of her moving in that she fainted would only add to An Qi's satisfaction.

As she reached the doorway, seeing Zhang Fanfan's eager expression sent a chill through her heart. He looked radiant, as if something wonderful were about to happen; anyone who didn't know better would think he was about to get married. Without a word to him, Li Ran grabbed a coat, draped it around her shoulders, and left.

In that house, whether she was there or not made no difference to anyone.

The autumn air had grown colder, and by now night had fallen completely. Only passing pedestrians and the glow of the streetlights kept her company. Li Ran walked the streets alone, her heart numb to the chill wind. She wondered, when had her marriage become what it was now? She recalled the days when she and Zhang Fanfan first fell in love, when happiness seemed possible. How had things come to this?

Pulled back to reality by the memory, she felt the cold seep in and tightened her coat around her.

…

Along the mountain road, Xiao Yuan was driving, an earpiece in his ear as he spoke on the phone. Glancing in the rearview mirror as he prepared to pull over, he caught sight of a familiar figure by the roadside. Slowing down, he recognized her—wasn't that Li Ran? What was she doing sitting there at this hour?

“I've got something to deal with here, I'll call you back,” he said, ending the call and pulling his car over.

He grabbed a thick coat as he got out, walked over, and draped it over Li Ran’s shoulders. “It’s cold out here. Why are you alone?”

“It’s you?” Li Ran shivered, but the warmth of the coat made her feel much better.

“You remember me?” Xiao Yuan sounded pleased.

“I haven’t lost my memory. Of course I remember.”

He chuckled, clearly so happy to see her that he’d almost forgotten himself. Gently, he helped her to her feet. “It’s cold out here. Let me take you home.”

She'd been out long enough; Li Ran nodded and got into his car. Having given her a ride before, Xiao Yuan knew where she lived and drove in that direction without asking.

“You never answered my question. Why are you out here alone?”

“Can’t I go for a walk?”

Xiao Yuan could tell she was brushing him off, not trusting him enough to be honest. He smiled and leaned in a little closer. “This isn’t the first time we’ve met. I’m not a bad person—you don’t have to be so wary of me.”

“Anyone who frequents places like that can’t be all that good,” Li Ran replied coolly, referring to the awkward circumstances of their first encounter.

“Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about Ye Huai? Or do you just dislike him? If so, there’s no need to take out your feelings for him on me.”

Li Ran didn’t think so, but she couldn’t be bothered to explain. As she recognized the familiar streets outside, she suddenly interrupted him. “Wrong way. I’m going to a friend’s place tonight. Drop me off at Jiuwan Residential Complex.”

Xiao Yuan realized she wouldn’t tell him anything more, so he turned the car toward Jiuwan.

They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the entrance, Li Ran got out, returned his coat, and said, “Thank you for the coat.”

“Actually, you—” Xiao Yuan began, but Li Ran had already walked into the complex. He’d wanted to say that she didn’t have to return the coat right away—this way, they might have had a reason to meet again. But Li Ran didn’t seem to care.

At the entrance, Li Ran rang the doorbell. After a long while, Chu Jing opened the door, flustered and wearing an apron. “Ranran? What are you doing here?”

In Li Ran’s memory, Chu Jing had never cooked before. Why was she in the kitchen today?

“Do you have guests?”

“Not really, it’s just…”

Chu Jing faltered, unsure what to say. Behind her came a familiar male voice, and then he appeared: “Sis? Weren’t you at home resting?”

Seeing Qiao Shiluo at Chu Jing’s home didn’t surprise Li Ran; in fact, it was a pleasant surprise. She looked at the two of them and couldn’t resist a tease. “Well now, cooking for yourself?”

“No, I…”

Suddenly, Li Ran sniffed the air and caught a whiff of something burning. She pointed toward the kitchen. “Is something in there burning?”