Chapter Twenty-Four: Begging Him to Change

Chu Jing suddenly slapped her forehead, remembering that something was still cooking on the stove. She hurried over, exclaiming, "Oh no, my food is all burnt!"

Qiao Shiluo and Li Ran exchanged a smile, changed their shoes, and entered the kitchen. Qiao Shiluo took the apron from Chu Jing and put it on herself. "I think you're only suited for wielding a scalpel; cooking really isn't your forte."

With those words, she took the spatula and began to help with the meal. Chu Jing smiled sheepishly and stood aside, watching. Li Ran finished the dishes in no time, and Qiao Shiluo came over to help carry them to the table. Although Chu Jing hadn't said anything, Li Ran could tell that the two were on a date, and her presence was an intrusion.

While Qiao Shiluo was away, Li Ran quietly asked Chu Jing, "You don't resent me for interrupting your date, do you?"

"There wasn't a date! He just happened to come over for dinner," Chu Jing replied, her cheeks flushing.

Seeing her blushing, Li Ran laughed. "You don't need to hide it from me. I wouldn't stand in the way if you and my brother are dating. If you'd told me sooner, I wouldn't have come and disturbed you."

"You’re not disturbing at all. In fact, I feel more at ease with you here," said Chu Jing, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Qiao Shiluo wasn't nearby. "I heard you lost your job? What are your plans now?"

At this, the smile faded from Li Ran's face. She sighed softly, "What else can I do? I have to find another job. I can't afford to be unemployed."

"And you and Zhang Fanfan... Is there hope for you two? Isn't he the reason you came out tonight?"

After years of friendship, Chu Jing could read Li Ran easily—her furrowed brow spoke volumes. It was clear that Zhang Fanfan had done something wrong to drive her out.

Li Ran nodded. "Don't tell Shiluo. I'm afraid he'll worry."

After all, he was still young and unmarried; he had no idea what marriage was really like. If he started worrying that she might do something drastic to Zhang Fanfan's family, things could get out of hand.

"I understand," Chu Jing replied.

Just then, Qiao Shiluo returned with the items, and the three began their meal. During dinner, everyone kept the conversation light and cheerful; no one mentioned Li Ran’s domestic troubles. It wasn't until after nine that Li Ran glanced at the time and realized she should head home.

She stood to say goodbye. "It's getting late; I should be going."

"Why don't you stay over tonight?" Chu Jing tried to persuade her.

Li Ran looked at Chu Jing, then at Qiao Shiluo, and joked, "That might not be so convenient, right? I’d better go home."

"Sis, I'll walk you out," said Qiao Shiluo, already grabbing his coat and following her. Chu Jing walked them downstairs before heading back up.

On the way, Qiao Shiluo’s expression turned serious as he spoke to Li Ran. "Sis, I have some things to take care of these next few days, so I might not be in Liangcheng. I'm not worried about Chu Jing, but you... please be careful. Try not to stay at home. I'm afraid something might happen when I'm not around and I won't be able to help."

Li Ran was taken aback; it was the first time she’d seen him so solemn. In her memory, Qiao Shiluo had always been smiling. It must be something serious.

"Go ahead with your business. No need to worry about me," she reassured him.

"How can I not worry, given your situation? If anything comes up that you can't handle, call me anytime."

Li Ran gently ruffled his hair. "I know, look at you, all tense."

"Oh, you always treat me like a child. I’m already twenty-three!"

Li Ran smiled quietly. No matter his age, he was always a child in her eyes. Her hand unconsciously reached to touch her lower abdomen. Would her own child be the same when born?

So many troubles before the baby was even born—what more might come in the future?

At her doorstep, Li Ran didn't let Qiao Shiluo come up and quietly entered the house herself. As she changed her shoes, she noticed a pair of black high heels by the door and knew An Qi was already there.

The lights in the living room and the bedroom were off; they must have gone to rest. As she passed the guest room, she heard a faint noise within. She could guess what was happening and did not pause, heading straight to her room, closing the door, and letting out a long breath.

She felt suffocated every time she returned home. This was her house—why should she let others dictate what happened here?

Li Ran was indignant, but she was no longer alone; she had to think of her child in everything...

That night, she did not sleep soundly and woke early. After a quick tidy-up, she headed out.

She grabbed a simple breakfast by the roadside and went to interviews at companies she'd found online, one by one. The experience reminded her of her time just after university.

Back then, she’d also gone from company to company early in the morning, searching for a job just to survive—now, she was doing it again.

Huiteng Group.

Ding Lei handed over the documents. Ye Huai asked, "What about the matter I asked you to look into?"

"Miss Li Ran is currently job hunting," Ding Lei replied.

Ye Huai said nothing more. Ding Lei couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, so he quietly withdrew. In his head, he wondered: there were open positions at the company, Li Ran was looking for work—why not simply let her join?

The boss’s thoughts were impossible to guess. Shaking his head, he went back to his tasks.

After a day of interviews, Li Ran felt things had gone fairly well, but she would have to wait for follow-up notifications. As dusk fell, she hailed a cab home.

Upon entering, she was greeted by the aroma of food. Li Ran patted her stomach; she was indeed a bit hungry.

But seeing An Qi at the dining table, her expression turned cold and she felt no desire to approach.

"Ran, you're home! We were just waiting for you to eat," An Qi greeted her with a smile.

"I'm not hungry right now," Li Ran replied, feeling uncomfortable, and went upstairs to change. She paused in shock when she opened her wardrobe—the once neat clothes were now a chaotic mess, as if they'd been rifled through.

She had left them tidy in the morning. How had it changed in just one day?

The first person she thought of was An Qi. Storming downstairs, she grabbed An Qi, who was eating, and demanded, "Tell me, did you go into my room today? Who gave you permission?"

An Qi looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. "Ran, what are you talking about? Why would I go into your room?"

"Don’t pretend with me. Come with me and see!" Li Ran didn’t care, dragging An Qi upstairs. Zhang Fanfan and Zhang Nan followed closely behind, but halfway up, Zhang Fanfan stopped her.

"Li Ran, you have no proof. How can you say An Qi did it? Maybe you just didn’t keep your things tidy and are blaming her!"

Li Ran let out a cold laugh. "Why? Because she’s the third party who wrecked my marriage! Do you think I have nothing better to do than accuse her? She knows the truth. Seeing is believing!"

"Alright, Fanfan, since Ran wants to check, let’s go. Don’t make it hard for her," An Qi said, still wearing her aggrieved expression. She walked over to Li Ran. "I'll go with you, but I have a few things to say."

An Qi leaned close to Li Ran's ear, her tone no longer soft. "I can't understand why you still stay here when I've already moved in. I messed up your wardrobe, yes, but only because you refuse to divorce Fanfan. Let me tell you, Fanfan and I have been together for two years. He promised me long ago he'd divorce you and be with me. You're the only reason he hesitated!"

Li Ran froze. They had been together for two years behind her back!

Suddenly, it all seemed absurd.

An Qi seized on Li Ran’s stunned silence, yanked her arm away, and shoved her hard.

"Ah!"

With a scream, Li Ran tumbled down the stairs...