The sudden arrival of Shen Xing and her boyfriend gradually cooled down the previously lively atmosphere.
Noticing the awkwardness, Shen Xing took the initiative to break the silence: "I have good news to share with everyone! Zhou Wu and I are already engaged and will be getting married soon. We hope you can all co to our wedding banquet! You must co!" She specifically added, "That includes you too, Jiang Ran!"
At that mont, everyone at the table couldn't help but feel secondhand embarrassnt for Jiang Ran. After all, they had dated for so many years - it was impossible to say there were no feelings involved. Inviting an ex-boyfriend to her wedding like this... Who wouldn't find that uncomfortable?
But it seed their concerns were unnecessary. Jiang Ran replied calmly, "Sure, I'll definitely attend." His reaction was so composed, as if he were just attending an ordinary classmate's wedding rather than his ex-girlfriend's.
Jiang Ran noticed the strange looks others were giving him and found it sowhat amusing. After all, he wasn't the original owner of this body and had no emotional attachnt to Shen Xing. So what if she was getting married?
Seeing Jiang Ran's indifferent reaction to her wedding invitation, Shen Xing felt inexplicably irritated. She changed the subject: "I haven't properly introduced my boyfriend to everyone yet."
"My boyfriend is Zhou Wu, sa age as . His family owns a textile factory. He drives a rcedes worth 300,000 yuan, and we've bought our marital ho at Alice Apartnt." Shen Xing wore a proud expression.
Everyone had already guessed that Shen Xing's new boyfriend was wealthy, as Jiang Ran had previously ntioned she found soone rich.
The chubby guy asked curiously, "Sounds like your boyfriend is doing really well - probably the best among us. But why buy an apartnt as your marital ho? Apartnts are usually ssy places with all sorts of questionable people around."
Shen Xing rolled her eyes at him. "What do you know, fatso? Alice Apartnt isn't so low-class public housing! It's a high-end apartnt complex where only wealthy people can afford to live! It costs 50,000 yuan per square ter!"
The chubby guy scratched his head. "Oh, I see!"
Shen Xing offered, "After lunch, you can all co see our marital ho." But everyone quickly made excuses to decline.
The lunch ended around 2 PM. Outside the restaurant, the group went their separate ways. The chubby guy drove off to et his own fiancée, while the shorter guy and plain-looking girl also left in their car, claiming they had another date. Shen Xing got into her boyfriend Zhou Wu's rcedes, heading to their new ho.
Although Zhou Wu hadn't spoken a word throughout the al, Jiang Ran could clearly sense the intense hostility in the man's gaze - he obviously knew Jiang Ran was Shen Xing's ex.
"Jiang Ran, where are you going? Let give you a ride ho," offered Wang Qingzhao, who had also driven there. Among the group, Jiang Ran was the only one without a car.
"Thanks, I won't stand on ceremony then," Jiang Ran smiled at her.
Soon after, the last two - Jiang Ran and Wang Qingzhao - also left the restaurant.
As they departed, a young man in his twenties erged from a café across the street, staring intently at Wang Qingzhao's car as it drove away.
Inside the car:
"Where to, Jiang Ran?" Wang Qingzhao asked as she drove, the scent of her perfu filling the vehicle.
"Alice Apartnt," Jiang Ran replied.
Wang Qingzhao glanced at him, her eyes flashing with disappointnt. She thought to herself: "So he still can't let go of his ex-girlfriend after all..."
Jiang Ran seed to read her mind. "Qingzhao, don't misunderstand. I'm not going because of Shen Xing's marital ho. I'm going because... I also live at Alice Apartnt."
"You live there too?" Wang Qingzhao was astonished. "Why would you rent there? The monthly rent must be expensive! It's 50,000 yuan per square ter!"
Jiang Ran chuckled. "Renting would indeed be pricey. But I'm not renting - I own a place there."
Wang Qingzhao's surprise grew. "You own a place? Since when did you beco so wealthy?"
Jiang Ran explained, "It's like this..." He recounted how he'd won the apartnt through a pancake purchase lottery.
Wang Qingzhao shook her head with a smile. "Lucky you! If you'd won this apartnt earlier, maybe you and Shen Xing would still be together."
"Maybe," Jiang Ran conceded. "But we would have broken up sooner or later anyway."
The car soon arrived at Alice Apartnt. As Jiang Ran and Wang Qingzhao approached the security gate, they saw Shen Xing and Zhou Wu about to pass through.
Spotting them, Shen Xing said with surprise and pride, "Oh? Didn't you two say you weren't coming to see our marital ho? Why did you follow us here?"
Jiang Ran glanced at her. "You've misunderstood. I live here too."
"You live here? Renting, I suppose?" Zhou Wu, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke with a condescending tone: "No wonder Xing'er broke up with you. You really don't know how to manage your finances. Even the cheapest unit at Alice Apartnt costs at least 3,000 yuan in monthly rent. There's absolutely no need for you to live here just to pretend you're doing well." As he spoke, Zhou Wu twirled his rcedes car keys.
Jiang Ran remained silent. Wang Qingzhao wanted to defend him, but Jiang Ran stopped her. They waited for Shen Xing and Zhou Wu to pass through the security gate first before proceeding themselves. They even let the couple take the elevator first.
"Jiang Ran, why didn't you explain yourself earlier?" Wang Qingzhao complained in the elevator, feeling indignant on his behalf. "You didn't have to let them look down on you like that!"
Jiang Ran shrugged. "Let them think what they want. I don't care."
"Hmm... you've changed," Wang Qingzhao remarked after hearing his response, studying Jiang Ran carefully.
"How so?" Jiang Ran asked.
"Your personality isn't as competitive as before. The old you would definitely have explained that you own a place here, not rent."
Jiang Ran smiled. "People change."
He thought to himself that the original owner's personality had indeed been quite competitive and unwilling to admit defeat. That's why he'd taken on multiple jobs just to earn more money and prove himself to his girlfriend, ultimately working himself to death. Jiang Ran wouldn't do that - he only worked one job now, just enough to cover his living expenses and dication for his dissociative identity disorder.
At the door of Room 304, Wang Qingzhao followed Jiang Ran inside after he unlocked it with his fingerprint. Upon entering, her eyes lit up in surprise.
Jiang Ran's ho was quite nicely decorated, creating a very comfortable atmosphere. Most importantly, it was spotlessly clean. To be blunt, it was even cleaner than her own place. She didn't think this was because Jiang Ran had done special cleaning - he couldn't have known in advance that soone would visit. This level of cleanliness must simply be Jiang Ran's normal standard.
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