The next morning Su Yi Cheng insisted on driving An Ran to work. When they arrived at the parking lot, they happened to bump into Ling Ran who was coming down from the elevator.
Ling Ran looks at them, wearing a happy smile and walks over to them. An Ran looks at Su Yi Cheng, and only sees that he is crinkling his brows in displeasure. He doesn’t even glance at Ling Ran. He turns around and walks over to the parked car.
At the moment when Su Yi Cheng was going to turn and leave, An Ran sees Ling Ran’s smile clearly drop. However, in an instant, she quickly smiles again, and politely asks An Ran, “Are you heading to work now?”
An Ran can only smile, and give a slight nod, “Yeah. Miss Ling must be doing the same.”
“Yes. I opened a boutique down the street. If you have time An Ran you can come visit me.” As she was saying that, she takes out a business card from her bag and gives it to An Ran.
An Ran continues to smile, turns to look at Su Yi Cheng who was sitting in the car. She smiles apologetically at Ling Ran, and just says, “Sorry, I have to get to work. We’ll chat when there’s time.”
Ling Ran smiles and nods, and turns to look at Su Yi Cheng in his car. Her eyes show a kind of indescribable mood.
An Ran opens the passenger door and sits. Just as she was about to sit down, the seat belt was still not get buckled, when Su Yi Cheng suddenly steps on the accelerator. The car jerks forward. Luckily An Ran reacted quickly, she grabbed hold onto the door of the car, and she didn’t bump into anything.
He lets go of the accelerator, Su Yi Cheng looks at her apologetically. He was about to say something, but at that moment doesn’t know what he should say. Just by chance Su Yi Cheng’s phone goes off at this time. It was a call from home. He doesn’t need to guess. It’s probably Qin Yun who was calling.
Su Yi Cheng puts on the Bluetooth, while concentrating on the road, he says, “Hello.”
“Ah Cheng ah, the meeting time with our in-laws is tomorrow right?” Qin Yun asks. Even though An Ran was already the Su family’s daughter-in-law, but the parents have never met before.
Su Yi Cheng then remembers, that tomorrow evening they set up a date for their parents to have a meal together. He says, “Yes. It’s tomorrow.”
“I said it was tomorrow, your dad was insisting that it was today. I think he really has dementia.” Qin Yun laughs as she speaks. She suddenly recalls something, and her tone becomes much more serious, “Ah Cheng, Ling Ran is back. She came to visit a few days before.”
Su Yi Cheng was speechless, he didn’t expect that Ling Ran had already came to his parent’s house. He just doesn’t understand what in the world she is trying to do.
“Ah Cheng, Are you there?” She hasn’t heard anything for a while, so Qin Yun couldn’t help but ask.
Su Yi Cheng comes back to Earth, and mutters a response, “Yes.”
“Did she go see you?”
“Yes.” Su Yi Cheng still mutters his response. He turns to look at An Ran beside him, only to see her head turned, looking out the window.
Qin Yun turns silent for a while, then cautiously says, “An Ran, does An Ran know about it?”
“I’m not sure.” He doesn’t know if An Ran knows or not. He hasn’t asked, and she hasn’t asked.
Qin Yun sighs, and finally simply says, “There are some things that will be better if you personally tell her rather than her asking you about it.”
He ends the calls, turns to look at An Ran. She was still in the same position, one arm leaning on the window, her gaze on the view outside, exceptionally earnest, as if there was a scenery that couldn’t be missed.
“Mom just called to ask about the dinner tomorrow. Did you tell mom and dad?” Su Yi Cheng softly asks.
An Ran returns back to Earth, and nods,”I’ve told them. I let them know two days ago.”
Su Yi Cheng nods, and turns to look ahead, while An Ran turns back to look at the scenery.
The car slowly stops in front of the Jing Cheng building entrance. When An Ran opened the door and was about to leave, she suddenly hears Su Yi Cheng say, “I know Ling Ran.”
An Ran looks back, stares at him, and a while later, asks, “Is she that friend you mentioned before?”
Su Yi Cheng nods, and softly says, “We haven’t been in contact for a really long time. She just came back from abroad.”
After a while of silence, An Ran nods. She smiles at him, and says, “I understand.” Saying that, she opens the door and leaves. She had a faintly discernible smile. Even though she doesn’t know the real truth of their relationship, but he was still honest to her. She was still happy for that. At the minimum, it quelled her anxious heart.
Su Yi Cheng watches her go into the building, then her figure disappears from his sight. After that he doesn’t start the vehicle right away, rather he looks at his cell phone. He keys in a number, then connects the call.
The phone rings for a long time when it was finally answered, “Hello, who is it….. Ah~!” He only hears Ye Zi Wen answer languidly, then yawn.
“It’s me.” Su Yi Cheng answers, waiting for him to clear his head up.
It doesn’t take long for Ye Zi Wen to become clear-headed. His voice was no longer raspy like before, as he says, “Special Assistant Su. Don’t you know that disturbing people this early in the morning when they’re dreaming is immoral!”
“Didn’t know that.” Su Yi Cheng just mutters. “How’s the renovation going?”
“Still not done, should take about another month.”
Su Yi Cheng frowns, and says, “Is one week okay?”
Ye Zi Wen was taking a sip of water. He hears “Pu----“, and the person on the other line starts to cough violently. He stops coughing a while later, and roars into the phone, “Su Yi Cheng, have you been kicked in the head! You think I can fly, you shouldn’t forget that it’s a 200 sqft house, how can one week be enough!”
“Didn’t I already give you a week.” Su Yi Cheng says, his tone indifferent. In fact, at first he wasn’t in a hurry, but Ling Ran was there, and he doesn’t want An Ran to feel insecure. They don’t need those unnecessary drama.
“The soonest would be 20 days.”
“I’ll give you 10 days.” Su Yi Cheng compromises.
Sensing something strange, Ye Zi Wen asks, “Why are you in such a rush?” He lived in his current place for several years now, even if there was one more person, it shouldn’t crowd the place. Besides, that one more person was a woman, just need to share a bed, there’s no need for another room.
Su Yi Cheng was silent for while, and finally says, “Ling Ran’s living in the same building as me.”
Ye Zi Wen immediately turns silent. He knew Ling Ran, in fact, he, Su Yi Cheng, Zhou Han and Ling Ran were childhood friends. He and Su Yi Cheng were from the Jun Qu compound, while Ling Ran and Zhou Han were from Ji Guan compound. Ji Guan compound and Jun Qu compound were only separated by two blocks, at that time children were always making trouble. Jun Qu and Ji Guan compounds were separated into two cliques, no one could spy on the other. One day on the way home from school, Su Yi Cheng wasn’t careful while cycling and bumped into a schoolgirl, and right at that time Zhou Han saw that a kid from their Ji Guan compound was being bullied. Not saying anything he stepped forward with his fists clenched. It can be considered as ‘don’t fight, won’t make friends’, and from that time on, because of that Su Yi Cheng and Zhou Han, the two became good friends. As a result all the children from the two compounds started to get along. And that time when Su Yi Cheng accidentally bumped into a schoolgirl wasn’t just anyone, but Ling Ran.
From then on the boys always played together, climbing mountains, playing soccer, etc., while Ling Ran was always Su Yi Cheng’s little attendant. Where Su Yi Cheng was, she was certainly there. From then on the two naturally walked side by side, going through a few years of romance, even so much that the two families were sure that their respective child would become daughter-in-law and son-in-law. Then one day Su Yi Cheng dragged the other two grown men running around the entire city looking at jewellery shops, so he could buy a ring and propose to Ling Ran, but then that thing happened. Ultimately Su Yi Cheng threw that ring into the river, and the Ling family did not hesitate to sever their relationship with Ling Ran. Finally Ling Ran was dragged out of the country by Zhou Han. And Su Yi Cheng never talked about it for several years, and since then never once was there a woman by his side.
A long time had passed when Ye Zi Wen finally says, “I’ll try my best.”
“Thanks.” Su Yi Cheng expresses his thanks, then hangs up. He turns back to look at Jing Cheng’s large building, gathers his spirit and starts the car to depart.
An Ran then reaches her office. She puts her bag down. Someone knocks on her door. Huang De Xing opens the door and goes in, his face smiling and looking at An Ran.
An Ran gets up, “Director. How can I help you?”
Huang De Xing smiles and raises his hand to tell her to sit down, and pulls out a chair in front of her and sits down.
“I heard what happened yesterday. In regards to who did the vile act of tearing your blueprint, the company will certainly investigate and give you an explanation. You can be rest assured.” Huang De Xing says so.
“Really.” An Ran looks at him, and only responds faintly. She knows that she is dealing with her, and the investigation will go forward, but what the result is going to be is another matter. “Then I’ll wait for the company’s report.”
Huang De Xing nods, pleased, and says, “In fact, everyone clearly knows about your strength. The reason why the company is doing this competition is to allow those unwilling people to accept their loss. Who would’ve expected that there are people who are that petty, and mess things up this way.”
An Ran just looks at him, neither smiling or responding to him.
“I’ll cancel the competition this afternoon. Regarding the design for the government building, I’m afraid this time your design really can’t make it this time. We can only go ahead and use Xiao Xiao’s and try.” Huang De Xing says as he watches An Ran’s expression.
The corner of An Ran’s mouth twitches, but doesn’t smile. She only says, “I’ll listen to everything that the company has arranged. I have no opinion.” Regarding his favouritism towards Xiao xiao, she was already expecting it. It wasn’t odd at all.
Hearing that, Huang De Xing nods. Her answer was clearly satisfied. He gets up, faces the door, but doesn’t forget to say, “When will you ask Special Assistant Su to meet for a meal?”
An Ran only slightly smiles and nods, “There’ll be a chance.”
After lunch, when she was going to the toilet, by chance she bumped into Xiao xiao who was fixing up her makeup. Seeing her come in, she looks at her with the corner of her eyes, returns her sight, and takes a powder puff to powder her face.
An Ran just returns her attitude, passes her, and just goes in. When she was coming out after flushing, Xiao xiao was still there, this time putting on lipstick. It was a bright-coloured red, a look that will turn heads. Plus she put on a foundation that was much too white, contrasting her black outfit. This look made An Ran think of some kind of bloody, strange horror film. She was really unimpressed by this look.
Her gaze wasn’t on her face. She just washes her hands, and takes a paper towel and leaves.
At noon Lin Xiao Fen calls her to confirm tomorrow’s dinner. Regarding the meeting of the parents, Lin Xiao Fen was still extremely nervous. Throughout the call she couldn’t stop asking about what the Su family was like, and also asking if they should bring something to gift them when they meet and so on and so forth. An Ran reassures her, and only says that the members of the Su family were all good people, modest and easy-going, not one ounce of snobby attitude.
Hearing her daughter say that calmed her heart down, but she still inevitably has to ask how she and Su Yi Cheng were getting along these last few days, if Su Yi Cheng was treating her good, furthermore telling her that she and Su Yi Cheng should come to visit at least once a week.
An Ran promises her, then tells her mother about some of the things going on in her life and her work. Naturally, they were only good things. Then she told her mother that tomorrow evening she and Su Yi Cheng will go and pick them up, so when the time comes they should just wait at home.
She hangs up the call, sitting in that position her hair was made messy. When she was on a mental journey of emptiness Ling Lin comes in with a blueprint. It was a school assignment from before. An Ran still hasn’t taken a look at it yet. Ling Lin’s cell phone goes off. It was from Ling Ran, telling her that she wants to have dinner together tonight. Ling Ran happily agrees. She doesn’t know what Ling Ran had said over the phone, but she only sees Ling Lin look at An Ran, asking, “Gu jie, let’s have dinner together, my sister said she wants to thank you for all your care throughout this period of time.”
Hearing that, An Ran frowns, raises her head and slightly smiles at Ling Lin, declining, “It’s alright. I already have an appointment with someone. How about next time.”
Ling Lin doesn’t think much about it and relays An Ran’s words. The two sisters chat about something, then ends the call. An Ran hands back her blueprint, and only tells her she’ll have her redraw it, telling her she isn’t asking for a new one, but at the minimum it needs to make sense. She takes out two books from her drawer, and gives it to her, for her to look at it when she has time.
Ling Lin sticks out her tongue with a red face and leaves, while An Ran sits back in exhaustion and leans against her swivel chair. She doesn’t know what the past relationship was between this Ling Ran and Su Yi Cheng. Ling Ran’s purpose of taking the opportunity to get close to her, she feared it pretty much had to do with Su Yi Cheng. However from the look of Su Yi Cheng’s attitude this morning and last night, she guesses that she should avoid this Ling Ran.
When there were only a few more minutes until her shift ended Su Yi Cheng calls in, says that today there was a company investigation, and there is probably a dinner party tonight. He can’t pick her up, so she’ll have to go back alone. An Ran nods and says ok, reminding him to come home early.
Tonight An Ran treats herself to a bowl of noodles, and goes to the studio after eating. She tries to remember pieces of the torn up blueprint, and draw it out.
Not knowing how much time had passed, An Ran finally somewhat drew a semblance of it, unconsciously reaches out to her side. She was thirsty, and wanted a cup of tea, only to discover that she wasn’t in her own office, but rather in the apartment’s studio. She gets up and leaves the studio, was about to go into the kitchen and get herself a cup of water.
“Peng----!”
Something dropped from the living room. She turns around and goes towards the living room, only to discover that Su Yi Cheng was already home. He was frowning, one hand on his stomach, the other hand holding a small medicine bottle, his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He looked like he was in pain.
Upon seeing this, An Ran quickly steps in, “Su Yi Cheng, what’s wrong?” She wanted to step forward, only to find that the floor was covered in broken glass. The water in the glass cup was also flooding the floor. She assumes that he wasn’t careful and knocked the glass over.
“Su Yi Cheng, you, what’s wrong?” An Ran was frightened by his pale face. Half supporting him, she quickly helps him take the medicine bottle, opens it, but there was nothing inside, not even a pill.
Seeing his pale face, looking like he was holding in pain, An Ran was frightened, her voice slightly trembling, “Th-there’s no more. What should I do, is there any back up? Tell me where it is, I’ll go get it for you.”
Su Yi Cheng shakes his head, “N-none.” His hand tightly covers his stomach, his body was bent over in pain.
“Then, then what to do!” An Ran was urgently confused and disoriented. Seeing his pained appearance, she really is at a complete loss.
Su Yi Cheng endures his pain and looks at her desperate appearance, looking as if she were about to cry. His free hand pulls her, with strenuous effort he manages, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. Just a chronic problem, nothing too hindering. You go change, then from the bedside cabinet drawer get my medical treatment card and my medical record, and take me to the hospital.”
An Ran quickly nods, does according to his words and goes in to change, then takes his medical treatment card and medical record, grabs some money and her keys and helps him out the door.
Because of the pain, Su Yi Cheng was completely relying on An Ran for support, and An Ran was using all her strength to support him until they got in the car. After winding around to her side of the car, Su YI Cheng wrinkles his brows with his eyes closed, leaning on the front passenger seat, An Ran looks at his pained appearance, and couldn’t help but be distressed. She adjusts his seat, so he can lie down, then starts the car and urgently heads towards the hospital.
On the road An Ran didn’t hesitate to cross a few red lights. Luckily it was nighttime, the streets didn’t have much cars, and they didn’t get into any accidents.
Su Yi Cheng was sent into the emergency room, was injected with drugs, and only then did Su Yi Cheng’s complexion ease up a bit. Although his brows were still tense, but this complexion wasn’t like before, so pale it scared people.
When Su Yi Cheng was put on IV An Ran wasn’t relieved and asked the attending physician. It was a recurring stomach ulcer, he reckons it was from the alcohol or spicy food that irritated it. It was grave, even though surgery wasn’t needed, but he needs to stay in the hospital and be observed for a few days.
Listening to the doctor’s explanation, An Ran then felt relieved. She looks at the man on the hospital bed who was now asleep, but whose brows were still wrinkled. Then she stands at the front desk and deals with the bills and formalities in place of him.
When she returned Su Yi Cheng wakes up in confusion, looks at An Ran who was sitting beside him, then dazedly closes his eyes. Because it was an emergency, they did not have all the necessities. She knew that there was a market by the hospital entrance, so she took advantage of his sleeping state, and thought of buying some disposable towels, toothbrush and washbowl. Before leaving the hospital An Ran still looked around to ask the doctor. The doctor said that he needs to take care of his stomach, from now on he has to eat cleaner food.
She was afraid that he would wake up the middle of the night from hunger. When An Ran was heading back she bought some pure congee, thus, if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he could still eat.
In the middle of the night Su Yi Cheng really did wake up, but he was woken up because he was thirsty. Lying on the bed he could clearly make out that this wasn’t home but rather a hospital. His mouth was extremely dry, he turns his head and was about to get up, but he catches sight of An Ran lying on her stomach sleeping on the bedside. One hand was even resting on his hip. Because he was afraid that he’d wake her up, Su Yi Cheng doesn’t get up. He turns his head and clearly sees that there was a cup of water on the bedside cabinet, and reaches out to carry it.
Even though he was really careful, his movement light, but he still woke up An Ran who was sleeping lightly. Seeing that he’s awoken, An Ran quickly gets up and asks, “You’re up. Do you still feel unwell anywhere? Does your stomach still hurt? Are you hungry, do you want to eat something?”
Su Yi Cheng watches her lips chatter. He shakes his head. He reckons that she was frightened, and was about to say some comforting words, tell her that there’s nothing wrong with him, but when he was about to open his mouth, his voice was stuck in his throat, “N-nothing, don’t worry!” His voice was very hoarse. That one sentence, his dry throat was so sore.
Upon seeing this, An Ran gives him a glass of water, supporting him and holding the cup and helping him drink it.
Su Yi Cheng nearly drank half of the water in one gulp, his tightened throat that felt like it was set on fire finally relieved a bit.
An Ran places the glass of water back on the bedside cabinet, and asks again, “Are you hungry? I bought some congee, do you want me to heat it up for you?” Su Yi Cheng shakes his head. He has no appetite now. He lies down on the bed dazedly and closes his eyes and goes back to sleep.
---END OF CHAPTER---