Chapter 292: 291 Ranran, be careful
Translator: 549690339
“Are you still planning on bringing Wen Ran to the evening engagement?”
In the office, a few minutes of silence hung as Qin Mu and Luo Haofeng puffed on their cigarettes while Mo Xiuchen was lost in deep thought, unspoken thoughts swirling in his mind.
Extinguishing his cigarette butt in the ashtray, Qin Mu finally broke the silence.
Mo Xiuchen frowned slightly. “No, she’s not in a good mood and wouldn’t enjoy that kind of gathering. Let Cheng Jia go instead. According to rumors, the other party is quite lecherous, and she can handle him.”
Luo Haofeng chuckled. “Cheng Jia seems to relish the attention she gets from men. I bet Xiao Wenqing has taught her quite a few ways to charm them. Mo Xiuchen, you’ve really succeeded in getting the most out of her.”
A glint of ice flashed through Mo Xiuchen’s eyes — Cheng Jia had volunteered for this.
Mo Xiuchen turned slightly, pulling his phone out of his pocket. As he made a call, he gave Qin Mu and Luo Haofeng their work assignments, nodding them out the door.
The phone rang several times before being picked up. Wen Ran’s voice answered, slightly hoarse and drowsy. It was like the warm sun in his ears, thawing his icy demeanor. A tenderness peeked through depths of his penetrating gaze:
“Ranran, have you gone to bed yet?”
Technically, Wen Ran had been woken up by the ringing phone. She glanced at the sleeping Bai Xiaoxiao by her side then gently rose from the bed. Walking over to the window, she whispered back, “Mm-hmm, I had a nap at Xiaoxiao’s house. Have you finished your meeting?”
“Did I wake you up?”
Mo Xiuchen slouched into the couch, a tug of laziness creeping into his gentle features. Hearing Wen Ran say she’d had a nap, he suddenly felt very sleepy as well.
Last night, Wen Ran hadn’t slept a wink, and he had barely slept either.
He had started working as soon as he got to the office and had just spent several hours in a meeting, dealing with a group of self-important shareholders. Now that he finally had a moment to himself, he felt exceptionally weary.
“Did the meeting go smoothly?”
Instead of answering his question, Wen Ran asked with concern.
“Mm-hmm, it went quite well. Mo Zixuan has now left the company.”
Mo Xiuchen sprawled languidly on the couch, phone sandwiched between his ear and shoulder. “Ranran, I have a dinner meeting this evening. Would you prefer to wait for me at Bai Xiaoxiao’s until I can pick you up after, or would you like me to send Little Liu to bring you home shortly?”
“I’ll wait for you at Xiaoxiao’s.”
Wen Ran didn’t want to burden him any further, so she added laughingly, “Luckily, Xiaoxiao’s mom is home. I’ll learn to cook a dish from her. You can come for me after your dinner meeting.”
“Alright!”
Mo Xiuchen agreed, his voice gentle. Wen Ran’s voice was the same as always, but he knew in his heart that she was not yet fully adjusted.
That morning, Wen Jin had ridden with him to the factory and had informed him that Wen Ran’s previous memories had been erased by his father’s order. He had not told her that, instead saying that she’d simply forgotten.
He would be the one to tell Ranran about the things that had transpired between them.
Furthermore, Wen Jin had indicated that he did not want the Gu Family to announce Ranran’s identity publicly. Gu Yan’s old enemy Fu Jingyi’s whereabouts were currently unknown, and it was unclear whether he was still watching them.
Xiao Wenqing and Wu Tianyi might indeed be in contact with Fu Jingyi.
If they found out that Ranran was Gu Yan’s daughter, the little girl from the past, all the secrets would be revealed.
Having just discovered her own background, Wen Jin did not want Wen Ran to suffer another blow.
Mo Xiuchen certainly agreed. Later, when Gu Kai called to tell him that Ranran had checked herself out of the hospital, he relayed Wen Jin’s thoughts to Gu Kai, who agreed.
Mo Xiuchen talked with Wen Ran a bit more until someone knocked on the door, ending their call.
After Wen Ran finished her call with Mo Xiuchen, she called her brother Wen Jin, and they talked for a while. When Bai Xiaoxiao woke up, they went downstairs together to have Mother Bai teach her how to cook.
Bai Xiaoxiao wasn’t interested in learning how to cook and merely watched the spectacle from the sidelines.
Mother Bai explained the process to Wen Ran, who then attempted to cook herself. With her previous experience in cooking, it wasn’t a disaster like her first time at Li Qian’s house. This time, she did an excellent job right off the bat.
Bai Xiaoxiao exclaimed in mock surprise, “Ranran, you’re amazing! How did I not know you have the skills to be a chef?”
Mother Bai glared at her daughter and jested, “You think Ranran is like you, clueless about everything.”
“Mom, I’m not completely useless. I can eat!”
Bai Xiaoxiao immediately grabbed a small yellow fish and started eating. Her mother’s reproach bounced off without concern, and she chuckled while scampering out of the kitchen.
After eating the fish, Bai Xiaoxiao tugged Wen Ran into the kitchen and proposed, “Ranran, you’re so skilled at cooking. You have to cook for me tonight. Let’s go to the supermarket now to buy ingredients, and then you can show off your skills tonight.”
“Sure, you gals go ahead. I could use a bit of rest anyway.”
Mother Bai readily agreed.
Wen Ran had arrived at their house looking pale. Although she looked better now, her smiles were tinged with a faint sadness. Mother Bai guessed, she must have been thinking of her mother.
Going for a stroll with Xiaoxiao was a good idea.
During the short autumn days, the sun sets by just past five pm. As twilight fell, a dim gray hue spread over everything, and a gentle, cool breeze brushed past their ears.
Living a short distance from the supermarket, Bai Xiaoxiao held hands with Wen Ran they walked along the road in the early evening.
They bought loads of food at the supermarket. Even though Bai Xiaoxiao had requested Wen Ran to cook for her, she mainly picked out foods that Wen Ran liked to eat.
When they stepped out of the supermarket, it was already completely dark.
Bai Xiaoxiao insisted on carrying more than half of the grocery bags. “Ranran, why don’t you stay with me tonight? It’s been a long time since you’ve stayed over at my place.”
Bai Xiaoxiao looked at Wen Ran with a beaming smile. In the past, whenever Wen Ran stayed too late at her home, she would just sleep over. It was the same when Bai Xiaoxiao went to Wen Ran’s Place. They were as comfortable in each other’s homes as they were in their own.
Ever since Bai Xiaoxiao’s family had experienced their crisis, several months had passed in the blink of an eye. This was the first time Wen Ran had spent much of the day at her place. Bai Xiaoxiao was a bit reluctant to part with her.
As the two of them were chatting on their way home, the occasional sound of annoying car horns buzzed in their ears. When they were a second or two late crossing the road, they ended up right at a red light.
“Ranran, what do you think?”
Bai Xiaoxiao turned to look at Wen Ran, waiting for her answer.
Wen Ran laughed and shook her head. “I can’t. I promised Mo Xiuchen that I would wait for him to pick me up after his dinner meeting.”
Bai Xiaoxiao pouted, “Choosing love over– Watch out, Ranran!”
Before she could finish her sentence, Bai Xiaoxiao’s voice suddenly changed.
Bearing down on them from behind was a black SUV, its dazzling headlights made her squint.
Wen Ran’s back was towards the oncoming car.
It was only when she heard Bai Xiaoxiao that she turned around in shock.
But it was too late.
Whether the car had veered off course from far away or had been parked nearby from the start, at this very moment…