Having gotten the answer she wanted, Jian Ran felt relieved. Alright, since he was so honest, it wasn't so bad to wear the towel.
Seeing that his goal was achieved, Chu Lulin couldn't help but show a hint of a smile in his eyes.
The two went to the indoor hot springs first. There were many types of pools here—besides the common flower baths, they also had a one-stop hot spring therapy route, including medicinal bath therapy, floating baths, soothing body baths, bubble baths, and more.
“How about we try the medicinal bath first?” Jian Ran suggested. Before coming, she had read some online recommendations saying the medicinal therapy here was developed from silicic acid hot springs a kilometer underground, well worth experiencing.
Chu Lulin smiled and agreed. “Whatever you say, big sister.”
They chose a nearby pool. Before getting in, Jian Ran took a moment to send Zheng Hui her location, telling them to come quickly when they were done.
When Zheng Hui received the message, she had just been tricked by Jiang Ming into his and Chu Lulin's suite.
“What's going on? What did the advisor say? Which part of the project went wrong?” That couldn't be—they had tested that project repeatedly before coming, and the data had been stable.
Jiang Ming spread his hands and confessed directly: “I lied. The project is fine, and the advisor didn't call us.”
Zheng Hui frowned, with a look that said, 'What's wrong with you now?' But before she could get angry, Jiang Ming struck first.
“Senior sister, what's wrong with you? Don't you have any tact? Why do you keep clinging to Sister Ran?”
Zheng Hui was completely confused. What was he talking about? Before coming, hadn't they told her to take good care of Jian Ran?
“But not like this,” Jiang Ming couldn't help complaining. Anyone would think she was trying to win Jian Ran over.
Thinking about it, Jiang Ming's mind took a strange turn, and he suddenly thought of another possibility. With an incredulous look, he said, “You don't have a crush on Lulin, do you!”
Zheng Hui couldn't help but swear. “Are you out of your mind!” “Spit it out. What's really going on?”
Jiang Ming shrank back at her scolding, his mind instantly clearing. He didn't know about others, but he knew Zheng Hui—she wasn't the type to say one thing and do another. There must be another reason.
“Then I don't get it. You know Lulin is chasing Sister Ran. If you're not going to help, why do you insist on being a third wheel?” Jiang Ming racked his brains but couldn't figure out why. Zheng Hui wasn't that clueless.
Junior Chu is chasing Jian Ran? Zheng Hui's eyes widened. She knew?!
Jiang Ming was surprised. “You didn't know?”
“Of course I didn't know,” Zheng Hui snapped. If she had known, she wouldn't have done this. No, wait! Zheng Hui suddenly remembered something. “Isn't Jian Ran Junior Chu's sister?”
“So what?” Jiang Ming said nonchalantly. “She's not his real sister.” Just his sister's best friend. “Or do you discriminate against older woman-younger man relationships?”
Zheng Hui couldn't help rolling her eyes. “You're crazy.”
However, comparing notes finally made them realize where the problem lay. Jiang Ming was speechless. It seemed he had overestimated Zheng Hui, thinking she was different from Hu Wei and those other idiots.
“But if you didn't notice, why were you looking back and forth between them in the private room on Lulin's birthday?”
Zheng Hui said matter-of-factly, “I was just admiring their good looks.”
Jiang Ming: “...”
*
Jian Ran never saw the other two at the hot spring area. She only saw Zheng Hui when she and Chu Lulin returned to the room after dinner.
“Are you done with work?”
Zheng Hui was pouring water in the living room and froze when she saw Jian Ran. She wasn't good at lying, so she couldn't help feeling flustered. “Oh, done, done.”
“That's great. Then tomorrow we can go together to try the outdoor open-air hot springs,” Jian Ran said. Unfortunately, in the afternoon, someone was recording a show at the outdoor hot springs, so they couldn't go.
A hint of annoyance flashed across Zheng Hui's face. “Um, I mean, I'm done for today, but I have to work again tomorrow. You should go with Junior Chu.” If she hadn't known before, it was fine. But now, no matter how tactless she was, she wouldn't be a third wheel.
Jian Ran didn't think much of it, but she felt sorry for her and Jiang Ming. They were leaving the day after tomorrow. Wouldn't it be a shame to come all the way to a hot spring resort and not even soak in the springs?
Zheng Hui smiled awkwardly and didn't dare reply. Earlier in the afternoon, she and Jiang Ming had gone to the farther hot spring area in the east. It was smaller, but soaking there was very comfortable. They planned to go again tomorrow.
But plans changed. Early the next morning, they actually received a call from their advisor, saying there was an urgent remote video conference. This time, everyone was dragged in, including Chu Lulin.
Jian Ran, alone, didn't feel like going out, so she decided to just soak in the small pool in the courtyard. She even found a variety show to pass the time. But just as she started playing it, she received a video call from Lu Chuchu.
“Where are you?” Lu Chuchu leaned toward the screen, uncertain. “Soaking in a hot spring?”
Jian Ran held up her phone to show her around. “Yeah, at a hot spring resort in the outskirts of Jing City.”
Lu Chuchu clicked her tongue, envy all over her face. “I want to soak too.”
Jian Ran smiled and replied, “Then after you finish filming this drama, we'll come again. But you have to promise not to jump into another project immediately.”
After Lu Chuchu gained some fame with a web drama at the end of last year, her schedule this year was packed. She already went straight into two consecutive projects. Counting it up, they hadn't seen each other for over half a year.
Lu Chuchu made a pitiful sound, looking like she had a hard life.
Jian Ran teased her playfully. “With such a tight schedule for a big star, how do you have time to call me today?”
Lu Chuchu gave her a mock glare through the screen. “What, can't I miss you?”
Jian Ran chuckled, indicating she was appeased.
“There was a problem with the set construction at the studio, so the director canceled the morning shoot on short notice,” Lu Chuchu explained, then asked casually, “What made you want to soak in hot springs? Did you go with Irene?”
Jian Ran pursed her lips, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. Speaking of which, she had never told Lu Chuchu about her 'sugar mama' status. As a best friend who shared everything, it seemed a bit wrong.
After hesitating, Jian Ran decided to come clean. “Um, I need to confess something to you.”
Lu Chuchu was startled. Seeing her hesitant expression, she suddenly became alert. “You didn't get back together with Zhou Yu, did you?”
Jian Ran was speechless. “No!”