Chapter 856
Chapter 856
“Ran?” Surprise laced Rong Rong's tone when she received a call from Ning Ran.
The latter was rather relieved that there were no signs of hostility or wariness in Rong Rong's voice.
After all, Nan Chen was alleged to have caused Rong Jilin's leg injury. With Rong Jilin being Rong Rong's brother and Ning Ran's relationship with Nan Chen, Ning Ran was implicated too.
Thus, she had been worried that Rong Rong would resent her, refuse to answer her phone call, or be hostile toward her.
Ning Ran heaved a sigh of relief when Rong Rong sounded normal.
“Yes, Rong. It's me, Ning Ran.”
She was rather excited to get connected with the lovely Rong Rong, who had been on her mind for the longest time.
“I know since I saved your number, Ran. I just didn't expect you to call me,” exclaimed Rong Rong.
Ning Ran recollected herself and asked, “Where are you, Rong?”
“I just returned from a trip to Epea. As soon as I landed and turned on my phone, I saw your incoming call. I'm still at Flower City International Airport,” said Rong Rong.
Ning Ran was thrilled to hear that. “Stay where you are and wait for me—I'll come and get you. Find a cafe and have something to drink while you wait. I'm on my way, okay?”
“Don't trouble yourself, Ran. I'm sure you're busy. I'll be fine since my brother has arranged transport for me,” Rong Rong uttered.
Needless to say, Ning Ran could not give up on such a great opportunity. “Just wait for me. I'll be there in a jiffy. See you soon!” she insisted before hanging up.
Thereafter, she turned and saw Nan Chen standing behind her, wearing a cold expression on his face.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
Ning Ran did not slow down a second. She grabbed her handbag and said, “I'm heading to the airport to meet a friend. I'll tell you the details later.”
“Which friend?” He seized her wrist, feeling rather suspicious.
Initially, Ning Ran wanted to share her plans with Nan Chen. However, she was not sure if Rong Yi would agree to the meet-up.
Nan Chen has always been prideful. If Rong Yi turns him down, he will surely feel humiliated.
Therefore, Ning Ran decided to keep it a secret. Once Rong Rong extended the invitation to Rong Yi, and the latter confirmed his attendance, Ning Ran would then come clean with Nan Chen.
“A female friend who has just returned from Epea. She's at the airport now, and I need to rush there to see her.”
“A female?” Nan Chen looked doubtful.
“Yeah, a girl.”
Nan Chen wanted to ask if it was Ruan Anxi, but he changed his mind in the end. Asking the question would only make him sound petty. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
“Go ahead, then. I'll ask Qiao Zhan to drive you there.”
“Oh, it's okay. I'll go alone.”
Her response made his suspicions grew.
Who's the mysterious person? Why isn't she allowing others to tag along? It's a critical moment for us right now. How can she go out on her own?
Ning Ran, on the other hand, also felt that it was a bad move to decline Nan Chen's offer, for it would make him suspect her more.
Hence, she quickly clarified, “I mean, it's a meeting between two ladies. If Qiao Zhan comes along, we might feel uncomfortable.”
Nan Chen thought for a while before responding, “He will wait for you outside and not disturb you. He knows the rules.”
“Okay, then. I'll let him drive me there. All right, I've got to go. Talk to you later!”
Ning Ran left hastily as she did not want to make Rong Rong wait for too long.
Ning Ran has never been good at hiding things or concealing her emotions; anyone with a brain can figure out that something fishy is going on. Nan Chen gazed at her back profile and thought to himself.
As soon as she left, Nan Chen called Qiao Zhan.
When Ning Ran came out of the elevator, Qiao Zhan was already standing by the car door, gesturing her to enter.
She got in and announced, “Let's go to the airport.”
Qiao Zhan turned to look at her several times as though he had something to say, but he hesitated each time.
“Let it out of your chest, Chief Qiao. There's nothing you can't tell me,” Ning Ran cut to the chase.
He smiled and replied, “Madam, you're very clever. Actually, it's nothing serious. Sir Chen just wanted me to report to him whoever you'll be meeting.”
Ning Ran chuckled. “What if I tell you not to say a word to him?”
“Oh, then you'll be putting me in a difficult spot. I...” Qiao Zhan sighed, not knowing what else to say.
“Don't worry. I'm meeting a girl later. Just tell Nan Chen that she's a woman and you don't know anything else. That will do.”
Qiao Zhan nodded and agreed, “All right, I got it.”
Ten minutes later, Ning Ran found Rong Rong at a cafe. She was still as charming as how Ning Ran remembered her to be.
Rong Rong gave her a hug upon seeing her.
“Have you eaten? I'll treat you to a big meal to celebrate your return.”
“I've eaten during the flight here. Is there anything I can help you with, Ran?”
Rong Rong was a smart girl. She knew that Ning Ran was undoubtedly up to something.
“I wish to talk to you about Rong Jilin.” Ning Ran did not want to beat around the bush.
“What about my brother?” Rong Rong answered with a question.
Ning Ran was confused. Does she not know what happened to Rong Jilin? Or is she just playing dumb? Anyhow, Rong Rong is very innocent. She doesn't look like she is pretending.
“None of your family members told you what happened?”
“I don't meddle with my family affairs. Moreover, the relationship between Jilin and I... is only so-so. I don't agree with most of his actions, so we rarely keep in touch. That's why I'm not aware of his matters. What did he do? Did he hurt you, Ran?” Rong Rong was worried.
“Hmm... It's quite a long story. So...”
Then, Ning Ran tried her best to summarize the series of events to Rong Rong.
“As a consequence, Jilin is now crippled?” The latter teared up.
Although they did not see eye to eye with each other, they were still siblings. Rong Rong felt sad that a mishap had fallen on her brother.
“According to the latest news, his surgery was successful, and the injury won't affect his movements. However, he might not be able to carry heavy things in the future. Anyway, your brother is a rich heir who doesn't need to do any hard work, so it should be fine for me to say that there shouldn't be any major impact on his life,” Ning Ran concluded.
Rong Rong gave a weak nod. “I had been traveling around Northern Epea, where phone signals were not always operating at their best in most places. In addition, I don't surf the web often. That's why I wasn't aware of the news. Yi didn't update me, either. He has never really concerned himself with my way of life, so I really am clueless about it. I'm not playing dumb, Ran.”
Ning Ran held her hand and said, “Of course, I believe you. I'm telling you this today not because I want us to be at odds with each other. Conversely, I don't want any more misunderstandings between your family, Nan Chen, and me. We're sorry about what happened to Rong Jilin, but we didn't do that to him. Although we're business competitors, we compete responsibly and with self-control. Nan Chen and I would never hurt anyone for the sake of winning a business deal. Please trust me.”
Rong Rong nodded vigorously. “I trust you, Ran. What can I do to help?”
“If possible, I'd like to arrange a face-to-face meeting with your eldest brother and explain everything to him. Rong Yi is a musician and also a gentleman. I'm confident we can resolve the misunderstanding if we communicate openly and sincerely. I don't want to see the two families fighting continuously and let a third party take advantage of our long-standing feud.”
Rong Rong pondered for a bit before nodding. “It shouldn't be a problem. Yi dotes on me, and I think he will say yes.”