Gu Ge gazed into Jiang Ran’s eyes, scooped a spoonful of fish soup, pursed her lips, and spoke calmly.
“Xiao Ran, is that really what you think?”
Jiang Ran looked up to meet Gu Ge’s gaze and hesitated for a moment.
“Yes. Sister Gu Ge, you are very good to me, but there are some things I truly cannot do. You don’t actually need to devote so much energy to me, and I know I have already accepted many favors from you…”
“Do you feel pressured because you think I’m being too good to you?”
Gu Ge’s finger lightly brushed against Jiang Ran’s chin, causing the latter to pull back slightly.
“Yes. I think it’s fine for us to just be friends. If you need help with anything, I can assist you, but as for anything else…”
“Heh, there is no rush. The fish soup is delicious. Xiao Ran, you must be tired. Do you want me to send you back?”
“I’ll head back then. Gu Ge, you should get some rest. I have classes tomorrow.”
Jiang Ran picked up the bag and left.
Before walking out, Jiang Ran took one last look at Gu Ge and gently closed the door.
Gu Ge pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
“Keep an eye on Jiang Dongsheng for me. Our plan might need to be moved up.”
“Understood, President Gu.”
“Be a good kitty. You can’t eat these things.”
Bai Ranran lowered her head and jogged after the cat while holding a bag of cat food.
The snowy-white calico cat jumped onto a wooden shelf, glanced back at Bai Ranran, and quickly hopped away again.
The human and the cat chased each other until, finally, a panting Bai Ranran blocked the cat’s path.
“Come and eat, Mimi~”
The little white cat froze, stepped onto the shelf, took a lick of the cat treat, and quickly scurried off.
“Whew… was it another failure?”
Bai Ranran looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly realized something.
She currently had her Ability active.
This meant that, just a moment ago, a bag of cat treats had been chasing the cat all by itself.
It was no wonder the poor thing had been terrified.
Bai Ranran deactivated her Ability and walked forward, humming a soft tune.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Bai Ranran’s steps faltered.
She walked to the door and peered through the peephole.
Realizing it was her family, she swallowed hard and opened the door.
Two middle-aged people in white lab coats stood at the entrance.
Both wore very thick glasses.
Upon seeing Bai Ranran, their voices trembled.
“Ranran, you really are here. Look at how thin you’ve become. Have you not been eating?”
Bai Ranran looked up but quickly lowered her head again.
“I’m fine. What are you doing here?”
“You are our daughter. We just came to see you. The project is finally finished. Ranran, why don’t you come back with us?”
Bai Mother spoke with earnest persuasion, nudging the middle-aged man beside her.
Bai Father adjusted his glasses.
“Ranran, we have been working all this time and haven’t been able to help shoulder your burdens. We’ve let you suffer.”
“Yes… you only see me once a year. Sometimes, not even once.”
Bai Ranran bit her lip and stood with her feet together, staring at the ground.
She refused to look at her parents.
She fidgeted with her fingers, showing none of the joy one might expect upon seeing their parents.
“This…” Bai Father scratched his head and cleared his throat.
“But I have already provided you with excellent educational resources and a high quality of life. Ranran, you have to be more understanding of your parents.”
“Fine. I’ll be understanding.”
Bai Ranran nodded, remaining as obedient and sensible as ever.
“Dear, what are you saying to the child again? Ranran, I think you’ve done very well on your own. Don’t listen to your father. Here is the thing—your father and I are about to be promoted. We want to take you to a new place to live. How about it? Do you want to come live with Mom and Dad?”
Bai Mother knelt down.
Her long, blonde hair—identical to Bai Ranran’s—glimmered in the sunlight.
Bai Ranran’s expression froze.
“But I still have to go to school.”
“That is easy to handle. Your father and I know many teachers. We can transfer you to another school, or you don’t even have to attend at all.”
The image of Jiang Ran surfaced in Bai Ranran’s mind.
She tightened her lips.
“That won’t do. I like studying at this school. Besides, I have already learned to take care of myself independently just like you said. If there is nothing else, please leave.”
Bai Ranran reached for the door.
Beside her, Bai Father cleared his throat.
“Ranran, you can’t keep living here forever. The environment on this street is poor. We plan to take you back to the Commercial Area. There are plenty of children like you to play with there.”
Bai Mother chimed in as well.
“That’s right. And you have so many cats here; the smell is very strong. Cats are active at night, too. They make so much noise that you can’t rest properly. Be a good girl. We are doing this for your own good.”
“I don’t want to. I… I don’t want to go back to my old life. My life now is… it’s quite good.”
“But… Ranran, you can’t live like this for the rest of your life?”
Bai Ranran bit her lip.
Even though her parents looked older now, she still remembered them saying the same things when she was a child.
They would drag her away from the stalls selling toy guns and balloons, buying her nothing but textbooks or unattractive dolls as rewards.
Recalling what Jiang Ran had said to her before leaving, Bai Ranran looked up and retorted.
“I am an adult now, right??”
Bai Ranran raised her head, her expression growing increasingly determined.
“Yes… you are an adult.”
“Then I can decide how I live my life. When I was little, you even controlled what friends I made. I didn’t like those days. Now you want to take away my friends just so I can meet so-called important people, but I don’t want to know them at all.”
Bai Mother’s mouth hung open in shock.
She had never expected this outcome.
The daughter who had been perfectly obedient as a child was now talking back to her so fiercely.
“Ranran, have you been hanging around the wrong crowd?”
Bai Mother reached out to grab Bai Ranran, but the girl dodged.
“I… I haven’t. This is what I think. Please… please stop bothering me. I can stop spending your money.”
Bai Ranran bit her lip, her eyes brimming with red as she clutched her clothes tightly.
Bai Mother glanced at Bai Ranran just as her phone rang.
she answered and spoke to the person on the other end.
“An emergency meeting? But…”
Bai Mother looked at Bai Ranran, who was about to close the door.
Beside her, Bai Father was also replying to messages on his phone.
“Professor Bai, if you don’t show up, it will be difficult to explain to the other side.”
“Fine… alright. Give me thirty minutes.”
Bai Mother hung up the phone but continued, “Ranran, the car is already prepared. Come back with us. Once we finish work tonight, we will cook for you to make up for all these years. Is that okay?”
“No thank you.”
Bai Ranran shook her head.
“Dad, Mom, you should go get busy. I will take care of myself and won’t cause you any trouble. Just like we promised when I was little—no crying and no fussing.”
Bai Ranran shut the door.
Bai Mother looked up, remembering when Bai Ranran was still small and would hold her hand, asking for this or that.
She would always whisper, “Good children shouldn’t make so many demands. Can Ranran take care of herself?”
Whenever that happened, Bai Ranran would continue to make a fuss.
Having no other choice, Bai Mother would lock Bai Ranran in her room to forcibly cultivate her independence.
The result seemed to be a bit too much independence…
Bai Mother knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time.
Bai Father put down his phone.
“Look at you. I told you that you’ve spoiled our daughter.”
Bai Mother glared at him.
“Spoiled? You still think Ranran is being disobedient? On the contrary, I feel like I spent too little time with her, which led to this. Ranran’s personality is too withdrawn, and she’s even afraid of boys. What will happen to her in the future?”
Bai Father huffed.
“I saw a message the Principal sent me. He said Ranran has been getting quite close to a girl lately. Why don’t we go ask her for help?”
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