Principal Xu Huan of Rongnan rubbed her temples, truly unable to understand how things had developed to this point.
She edited a message and forwarded the same photo she had sent to the others to Tao Xixue as well.
As for her niece…
Bai Ranran.
Xu Huan really didn’t know what to do.
It was rare for Ranran to care about someone this much.
Maybe she and Jiang Ran had some kind of academic exchange.
For safety reasons, she had also asked Jiang Ran’s counselor over the past few days.
She learned that the child was quite well-behaved, not the type to lead Ranran astray, so she didn’t actually step in to interfere.
Besides, it wasn’t a bad thing for two girls to get along.
Ranran had never really had true friends growing up.
Thinking about it that way, if Ranran was finally willing to go out and meet people, she should probably thank Jiang Ran…
Xu Huan couldn’t make sense of it.
She pulled out a slightly yellowed photograph from her drawer.
In the photo, Bai Ranran was still small, holding a nearly tattered teddy bear.
She stood stiffly between a man and woman wearing white lab coats, her expression dazed.
The other children around her were smiling, but Bai Ranran kept clutching her teddy bear tightly.
Even the collar area of the toy was torn, yet she refused to let go.
Rubbing the photo gently, Xu Huan sent a new message to a gray-profile account.
“Old Bai, Ranran contacted me recently… I guess she’s finally thinking things through. She even took the initiative to make a friend.”
The reply came almost instantly.
“Really? Is Ranran finally willing to come home?”
“I don’t know. Haven’t you always given her enough money?”
“Yes… but Ranran has always had psychological issues and is afraid of men. I really don’t know what to do.”
“So this time she found someone of the same gender.”
“?”
***
Ten minutes later, Jiang Ran had already come down from the teaching building.
She had originally planned to go to the library to prepare for upcoming exams, but just after stepping downstairs, her phone received a new message.
Su Nian: “Daughter, is school life going smoothly?”
Holding the phone, Jiang Ran froze.
In the game’s setting, her biological mother had always ignored her.
Su Nian, on the other hand, had treated her with care.
So Jiang Ran typed back: “It’s okay, Mom… Do you need something?”
“Oh? My little cutie is finally willing to call me Mom. Are you at school now?”
“Yes.”
“I’m at your school gate right now. Come out.”
Jiang Ran stared at her phone with widened eyes.
Why was Su Nian at her school?
Thousands of questions rose in her mind, but in the end, she simply replied:
“Okay.”
With little expression, Jiang Ran pushed a shared bicycle across campus and rode toward the school gate.
When she arrived, she immediately noticed a luxury car parked at the street corner, clearly different from the others around it.
Under everyone’s curious stares, she saw Su Nian roll down the car window.
“Get in, baby daughter. If you get carsick, you can sit in the front.”
“I… I’ll sit in the back.”
Jiang Ran opened the car door, fastened her seatbelt, and sat stiffly in the back without speaking.
Su Nian turned the steering wheel, watching the traffic carefully.
After a while of silence, she couldn’t help asking:
“Daughter, aren’t you curious why I came to find you?”
“What did you come for?”
Jiang Ran asked, going along with it.
She really didn’t want to get involved in wealthy family affairs.
After all, she had basically been bought to pay off a debt.
“House hunting. Didn’t you say before that you wanted to look at houses? I happened to pass by your school today, so I picked you up. Once you choose one, I’ll have a moving company send some furniture over.”
“I see. Thank you.”
“We’re family now. Why are you still speaking so formally? Has your family contacted you recently?”
Jiang Ran looked up and saw Su Nian’s serious expression in the rearview mirror.
She nodded.
“Yes. My mother asked me for money. I didn’t give it.”
“I see. Do you think I’m the villain? After all, I broke apart your family.”
Jiang Ran bit her lip and nodded.
“Yes. But you treat me better than my parents. They raised me just to sell me for money.”
Su Nian’s lips curved slightly.
“You’re quite honest, Jiang Ran. Do you think I’m bad for buying you? That my motives are impure?”
“You said you wanted me to keep your daughter company.”
“Yes. She’s always been alone. I owe her too much during her childhood. When I finally wanted to communicate with her, I couldn’t understand her anymore. That’s why I had no choice but to find you. I thought… people your age might have more in common.”
“But… I’m socially awkward.”
Jiang Ran lowered her head, trying to appear as unassuming as possible.
In those wealthy family dramas she’d seen, relationships were as complicated as advanced math problems.
If possible, she’d rather not get too involved in Su Nian’s family.
“That’s exactly why you’re so pure. I feel at ease letting my daughter be around you. From now on, you’re sisters. If your sister bullies you, don’t endure it. Tell me immediately, okay?”
Pure…
Jiang Ran hadn’t expected that reason.
Thinking about it that way, it did make sense.
Su Nian saw that her social circle was simple, so she chose her as a companion for her daughter.
In real life, Jiang Ran might have thought this was a good thing.
But this was a yandere-themed girls’ love game.
Could things really be that simple?
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll mess things up?”
“So what if you do? Jiang Ran, you’re too kind. Haven’t you considered that your sister might bully you? Or even torment you until you go crazy first?”
Jiang Ran shook her head.
“I don’t know. I haven’t even met her.”
“Do you want to?”
Su Nian turned the steering wheel.
“My suggestion is that you stay in this apartment for a while first. Your sister’s personality is unstable. When the time is right, I’ll let you meet.”
That would be best if it’s never the right time.jpg, Jiang Ran thought.
On the surface, she nodded obediently.
“Okay. I’ll listen to you.”
“Good girl. That’s more like it.”
Su Nian drove into a new street and stopped in front of a high-end residential complex.
She swiped a card and entered.
Jiang Ran looked out the window.
“This is where you live?”
“Yes. More precisely, this entire section. That row of buildings is mine. Pick whichever one you like.”
“Oh. Wait, what did you just say?”
Jiang Ran casually glanced over and realized there were at least four buildings in that row, each with countless floors.
All owned by Su Nian.
Just how rich was she?
“What, did I scare you? I’m joking. Actually, about half the apartments in this complex belong to the Su family. Not many are renovated. I have a list of the renovated ones here. Choose whichever you like.”
Jiang Ran felt numb.
Do rich people all joke like this?
A plan began forming in her mind.
If she just stayed here and never went back to the Su family home, wouldn’t she completely avoid getting entangled in their affairs?
So she casually chose a first-floor apartment.
The reason?
The others were all top-floor units, and she didn’t like climbing stairs.
“First floor? That’s good. Xiao Ran, stay here for a while after the furniture is installed. After some time, I’ll bring you back.”
“If I go back, won’t I disturb my sister? Actually, if she needs me, she can just come find me. There’s no need for me to stay there all the time. And I’m from the countryside. My habits aren’t very refined. I have many flaws. Sister probably wouldn’t like me.”
Su Nian nodded.
“You’re very thoughtful, baby daughter. Since that’s what you want, then if your sister wants to see you, she can come here herself. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I think she’ll need several days to adjust to you too. With her personality, she probably wouldn’t want to cling to you anyway. Just stay busy with your own life. Treat this as your own home.”