Novel Lived
Chapter 721: 371 Climbing (Second Revision)
Chapter 721: 371 Climbing (Second Revision)Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Soon, Xiao Hua brought down a white long down jacket, and Ming Jing finished breakfast.
She put on the down jacket, picked up her backpack, and left.
Ran Tengxiao stood up and took the coat from the servant: “I’ll drive you.”
Ming Jing smiled, “Thank you.”
Ran Tengxiao glanced at her, “Are you this polite at the Zhu’s house too?”
“Is Master Xiao always this nice to everyone?”
A faint retort choked Ran Tengxiao for a moment.
The man snorted: “Except for you.”
It turns out she also has a sharp-tongued side.
Ran Tengxiao’s car is a luxurious business sedan, big and spacious, low-key yet lavish.
After Ming Jing got in the car, Ran Tengxiao followed and ordered the driver, “Drive to Shengde High School.”
The atmosphere in the car was particularly silent, and the driver hardly dared to breathe.
Ran Tengxiao placed his fingers on his knee and tapped lightly, “At the banquet that day, didn’t you think Qu Feitai’s reaction was a bit exaggerated when he learned that you were the granddaughter of my grandfather?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Ran Tengxiao hooked his lips: “My grandfather once went to Jingzhou to catch Ji Chang’s son but caught a runaway boy by mistake due to incorrect intelligence. Do you know who this boy is?”
Ming Jing looked sideways at the hazy scenery outside the window, her eyes reflecting a misty hue.
“Xi Yu must have told you already. That person was Qu Feitai, the real identity of the young master of the Qu family. In other words, at the scene of my grandfather’s death, aside from Yu Jiang, there was also Qu Feitai.”
“No wonder the guy had such a strong reaction. So there is such a deep connection between you two. He must hate our Ran family to the marrow of his bones.” Ran Tengxiao sighed.
“He made a big fuss trying to pursue you before, but I thought he was nice; but he still wasn’t good enough for you. It’s better this way; his thoughts are completely severed.”
Ran Tengxiao looked at her and said with a mock smile, “You didn’t fall for that boy, did you?”
“If you have free time, open Weibo. It’s full of celebrity gossip to satisfy your curiosity.”
“Stop the car.”
The driver hurriedly hit the brakes.
“We’re almost at the school. I’ll walk the rest of the way. You can go back.” Ming Jing pushed open the car door, got out, and left with her backpack.
Ran Tengxiao lowered the car window, watching the girl’s figure gradually moving away, and hooked his lips.
“Her temper is quite big. It seems you really have something special for that boy.”
The moment Ming Jing entered the campus, it caused a sensation in the school.
After the sulfuric acid incident, she had never appeared in the school again; followed by the surprising twists and turns at the Zhu family’s birthday party.
With a three-day holiday, everyone ate their fill of gossip.
Only a few days had passed, but seeing Ming Jing again felt like looking at a long lost person.
Everybody looked at her with a reverence mixed with complexity; full of regret and sorrow.
A beautiful woman could be so pitiful.
No matter how powerful the Ran family was, they were still not considered an upstanding family.
After learning of the evil deeds Ran Bowen had committed, their view of Ming Jing worsened.
Even Zhao Qin, an outsider related by the Rans, could be so arrogant, and the Rans’ legitimate daughter could probably tear down the school, and no one would dare to complain.
Before, people used to joke around and greet Ming Jing, but now, as they walked, everyone looked down when they saw her, and after she passed, gathered in groups to whisper behind her back.
Ming Jing ignored them, walked into the classroom, and sat down.
Song Yinzhang glanced at her, his expression somewhat complex: “Has Xiao Fei contacted you?”
Ming Jing shook her head.
Song Yinzhang sighed, “I called him several times, but no one answered, and then the phone was turned off. I’m really scared something happened to him. That day he was in such a terrible state; I’ve never seen Xiao Fei so out of control.”
In fact, Song Yinzhang had a feeling that Xiao Fei’s kidnapping back then had something to do with Ran Bowen, and he wondered what kind of evil fate lay between him and Ming Jing.
“The Qu family will take care of him.”
Ming Jing took out her textbook and began to preview the English vocabulary words for the next class.
Song Yinzhang looked at her, wanting to ask her what Xiao Fei meant to her.
After some thought, he still kept silent in the end.In the end, Xiao Fei’s wishes were in vain.
At the school cafeteria during lunchtime.
Li Jiaojiao found Zhao Qin, “I heard she’s already back at the Ran family, is Master Xiao really going to accept her?”
Zhao Qin snorted, “I’m not the worm in my cousin’s belly, how would I know?”
Li Jiaojiao looked worried, “I used to talk trash about her a lot. Will she get back at me?”
Zhao Qin glanced at her, “Look at you, scared like that. Can she hit you or what?”
“Zhao Qin, you have to cover for me. You two are relatives at least, she might give you some face.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qin’s face darkened as she glanced at her disdainfully, “Relatives?”
Li Jiaojiao didn’t realize she’d said the wrong thing and kept talking, “I heard from my mom that Ran Bowen is Ming Jing’s real father. The things he did in the past were quite eye-opening. As his daughter, she must be quite something. I used to be ignorant of her worth, but now I know my mistake…”
Zhao Qin slammed her chopsticks down, “Shut up!”
Li Jiaojiao was dumbfounded, “Zhao Qin… what’s wrong?”
Zhao Qin took a deep breath, “Why are you afraid of her? My cousin taking her back is just a temporary solution. She won’t be arrogant for long.”
Li Jiaojiao hesitated, “What do you mean…?”
Zhao Qin picked up her chopsticks again, sneered, “Just wait and see, the real drama is yet to come.”
Li Jiaojiao seemed to understand something from her words. She wasn’t stupid after all.
Master Xiao and Ming Jing weren’t in the same camp – there couldn’t be two masters on one mountain.
“What if she climbs up to the high gates of Jingzhou?” Li Jiaojiao asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t know? The news of her having dinner with Dr. Bo came out the day before yesterday. There are even photos from the scene. This Dr. Bo is the young master of the Bo family in Jingzhou. His mother comes from the century-old scholarly aristocratic Murong family in Jingzhou, and his father has countless honors. There’s no other family in Jingzhou that could compete. If the Bos become her backing, then things will be very unfavorable.”
Zhao Qin frowned, disdainful, “Would a family like the Bos be interested in her? What a joke.”
There were so many rules in high society, everything was about being well-matched. Ming Jing was Ran Bowen’s daughter, and no one in Jiangzhou would want her, let alone Jingzhou.
What a daydream!
“Maybe not, given her looks and means. Can you really be sure you can stop her if she’s determined?”
It was true.
Ming Jing had outstanding looks, temperament, intelligence, and wits. If she really wanted to do something, who could stop her?
Zhao Qin asked, “Dr. Bo hasn’t returned to Jingzhou yet?”
“No, he’s still staying in Jiangzhou. I don’t know if it’s because of Ming Jing.”
Zhao Qin scoffed, “Someone as renowned as him must be incredibly busy. Why does he have so much free time?”
“I’m not the worm in Dr. Bo’s belly, how would I know? Anyway…” Li Jiaojiao glanced around and lowered her voice, “Granny Gao was hospitalized yesterday, and I heard Madam Gao met Dr. Bo at the hospital. She begged him to oversee Granny Gao’s operation, and he actually agreed. Now the Gaos have a connection with him. They’re going all out.”
“Gao Jia?” Zhao Qin sneered.
“Wishful thinking for a toad to eat swan meat.”
Li Jiaojiao covered her mouth and laughed, “Isn’t that right?”
Zhao Qin shot her a glance, “What about you? Don’t you have any ideas?”
Li Jiaojiao’s face turned red, and she looked shy, “What are you talking about?”
“I know you’re unsettled with all the excitement in Jiangzhou. You think you can remain calm? You brought up Dr. Bo yourself. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.”
Li Jiaojiao giggled, “I knew I couldn’t hide it from Zhao Qin. If someone is going to benefit from it, I might as well benefit myself, right?”
“But Bo Yuxun is almost forty, while you’re in the prime of your youth. Is it worth it?”
“For anyone else, it wouldn’t be. But for Dr. Bo, it’s more than worth it.” Li Jiaojiao had collected a lot of information about Dr. Bo in the past few days. The more she looked, the more infatuated she became.
Compared to Jiang Jinchen and Qu Feitai, these young men were too immature. Mature men had the most appeal.
Zhao Qin rolled her eyes, “How do you want me to help you?”
Li Jiaojiao whispered a few words in her ear, “We have to act fast. If we wait for him to return to Jingzhou, it’ll be too late.”
Zhao Qin looked at her in surprise, “You’ve got guts.”
“No pain, no gain. In this situation, I have to strike first.”
Li Jiaojiao’s gaze caught Ming Jing walking in the cafeteria, and she smirked.