Jian Ran said she was older than Chu Lulin and should take the lead, but in reality, she had very little experience. Back when she was chasing Zhou Yu, at least she could brainstorm with her friends, but this time, not only could she not ask for help, she hadn't even dared to mention it to anyone. "Supporting a college guy" sounded pretty impressive, but for some reason, Jian Ran felt a strange sense of shame. Probably because she wasn't confident in her role as a rich woman. If she were like Jiang Man, who had built her wealth from scratch, she'd have more confidence. So Jian Ran decided to turn to the almighty internet for help.
She typed into the search bar: "I'm supporting a male college student. How do I move our relationship forward?"
The page loaded, and results appeared quickly.
[Can't get close to a guy? These tricks never fail.]
[Curious how much it costs to support a male college student?]
[After getting out of bed... Lessons every woman must understand.]
Jian Ran frowned. This search engine was so bad it was completely off-topic. She refused to give up and scrolled further.
[40-year-old rich woman supports 21-year-old lover, ends up betrayed!]
[50-year-old rich woman supports 20-year-old male college student, leads to bloody case due to damaged vital organs.]
...
"???"
What was all this? It had even jumped to crime stories. No, the online information was too messy. Jian Ran decided to switch strategies. AI was developing fast and was quite smart, better suited for targeted questions like this.
But just as she posted the question, the AI page popped up with a glaring warning:
[This is a very complex issue involving multiple legal, moral, and emotional risks. Therefore, I cannot provide any operational guidance or advice to facilitate or maintain this kind of relationship.]
"..."
Fine!
Looked like she'd have to rely on herself. Jian Ran thought it over and decided not to overcomplicate things. She'd take it step by step—for example, book a romantic rooftop garden restaurant to change the setting, which would naturally create opportunities. It would also give her a chance to "throw money around." She had to keep up the image of a rich woman.
*
Jian Ran acted on her plan. She booked the restaurant, and Chu Lulin freed up his schedule. But what she never expected was that plans couldn't keep up with changes. On the very day of their date, an unexpected emergency ruined everything.
"Sorry, I might not be able to go to dinner today. My cousin suddenly returned from abroad, and I have to pick him up at the airport right now." Jian Ran had just hung up a phone call and turned to Chu Lulin with an apologetic look. That brat Qin Siyan always caused trouble—he'd come back without a word and only told her after landing. Jian Ran felt really bad. Chu Lulin had specifically freed up his schedule for this meal, and she was standing him up at the last minute. It was really inexcusable. But there was no other way. Qin Siyan was unreliable; if she didn't go find out what was going on immediately, she wouldn't be able to rest easy.
Chu Lulin smiled and shook his head. "It's okay, sister. Don't worry about it. We can eat anytime. Picking up your cousin is more important."
Jian Ran felt even worse seeing how understanding he was. "Alright, I'll go pick him up. Let's talk later about everything else."
With that, she grabbed her car keys and headed toward the driver's side door. But Chu Lulin suddenly reached out and stopped her. "Wait."
"You're wearing heels and can't drive well. Let me go with you."
Jian Ran froze, then remembered she was wearing high heels. She had dressed up for the date; aside from heels, her bodycon skirt was also not suitable for driving. But fortunately, they were still in the underground garage of her apartment complex. She could go up and change clothes quickly instead of dragging Chu Lulin along for no reason.
"It's no trouble. I don't have anything to do anyway," Chu Lulin said. "Or are you trying to keep your distance from me?"
Jian Ran blinked.
Wrongful accusation! She hadn't thought like that at all.
*
The car drove smoothly toward the airport. Jian Ran sat in the passenger seat, eating a red bean milk candy that Chu Lulin had taken from his backpack before they left. She had slight hypoglycemia and had felt hungry before going out, intending to hold out until they ate at the restaurant. But now that things had changed, she had to eat some candy to tide her over.
The traffic was fine at this time, and they arrived at the airport quickly. The car pulled into a temporary parking spot, where someone had to stay with it. So Jian Ran got out alone to pick up her cousin from the terminal.
Following the specific location Qin Siyan gave her, Jian Ran entered the hall and spotted him from afar. He was waving and running toward her. When did this kid dye his hair blue? She couldn't help rubbing her forehead. They were about the same age—look at Chu Lulin, and then look at him; how could there be such a gap?
"Sis! Did you miss me? I missed you so much!"
Qin Siyan's enthusiastic hug nearly knocked Jian Ran off balance. She stumbled a few steps before steadying herself. She gave him a hard slap without mercy. "Do Uncle and Aunt know you're back?"
"Sis, why are you still so violent?" Qin Siyan complained, holding his head in exaggerated pain. "We haven't seen each other in so long; can't you be gentler?"
Jian Ran snorted. "Stop with the nonsense. Answer my question."
Qin Siyan pouted. "Of course they know. Otherwise, where would I get the money for the plane ticket?"
Jian Ran supposed that was true. Uncle and Aunt kept a tight grip on him, especially with money, afraid he'd get into trouble and do something unreliable.
"Come clean. Why did you suddenly come back?"
Hearing this, Qin Siyan immediately changed his tune, as if he'd found his leverage. "Sis, how can you even ask? You actually hid the news of Great-Aunt's injury from us! If I hadn't called her a few days ago and found out, we'd still be in the dark!"
Jian Ran was relieved to hear it was about that, but also felt a bit guilty. "Well, I didn't want you all to worry. Master isn't seriously hurt. She's already been discharged. The doctor said she just needs to rest at home."
But Qin Siyan wasn't buying it. "Great-Aunt is so old; falling is dangerous. How is that not serious?"
Jian Ran was at a loss for words.
Fine, she couldn't argue with that.
"My parents are busy, so I came back to take care of Great-Aunt on their behalf," Qin Siyan said matter-of-factly.
Jian Ran rolled her eyes. Believing this brat could take care of someone was like believing a pig could climb a tree. She'd be grateful if he didn't cause more trouble.
"Where did you find the time? What about your studies?" Jian Ran asked.
Qin Siyan shrugged. "I took a leave. With my grades, skipping a few classes won't make a difference."
Jian Ran could only sigh. Who would have thought that her maternal grandparents, both esteemed professors at A University with students all over the world, would end up with such a disappointment? She herself was okay—though not a natural academic, she'd worked hard and gotten into a decent university. But Qin Siyan was hopeless. He'd been a poor student his whole life, and even after barely getting into college, he was always at the bottom of his class. She was worried he wouldn't graduate.
"And your parents agreed?"