Early the next morning, sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains.
The person who had been drunk the night before slept straight through until dawn.
Jian Ran sat up and stretched, feeling completely refreshed, without any of the fatigue that usually follows a hangover. This was one of her peculiar traits—she had a low tolerance for alcohol, and just a few drinks could easily get her drunk, but as long as she drank some honey water before bed, she would wake up the next morning feeling perfectly fine. However, she would selectively black out on what happened while she was drunk.
Jian Ran sat on the bed, trying to recall. The clearest memory she had was from the car ride after leaving the club, when she realized the alcohol was hitting her and decided to close her eyes and rest. After that, she had no specific memories, only a few vague fragments. She didn’t even know how she got home.
Those fragments were few and far between.
For example, she remembered chasing Hulu onto the sofa, cursing the little rascal; or declaring herself the patron and demanding to touch Chu Lulin’s abs…
Jian Ran couldn’t help but cover her face. All her good reputation had been ruined in one night.
And she had always prided herself on her “pure lustful thoughts.” Who knew that after a few drinks, she would instantly turn into a pervert, moving from coveting only above the neck to the abs…
Tsk, if this continued, it would be a disaster.
But then, Jian Ran subconsciously raised her hand and looked at it, almost savoring the memory.
Not to mention, the feel of it was really good.
The joy of being a rich woman was indeed that simple.
In a good mood, Jian Ran got out of bed. She searched the floor for her slippers but couldn’t find them, so she decided to go barefoot to the living room to look.
However, just as she reached the bedroom door, she ran into Chu Lulin, who had come to deliver her slippers after hearing the noise.
Seeing him, Jian Ran was a bit surprised. She had thought she was the only one home; she didn’t expect him to still be here.
Chu Lulin crouched down and placed the slippers gently at Jian Ran’s feet. “The floor is cold, Sister. Put these on first. Don’t walk barefoot.”
Jian Ran responded with an “oh” and obediently slipped on her slippers.
“You didn’t leave,” she asked, a little awkwardly.
Chu Lulin smiled and nodded. “I really couldn’t rest easy last night, so I took the liberty of staying.”
Then he added, “Don’t mind me, Sister. I slept on the couch.”
Jian Ran quickly waved her hand. How could she mind? He had stayed for her sake.
“I didn’t expect that cocktail to have such a kick. I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble last night,” she said, pretending not to remember anything.
“No trouble. After you got back, you drank some honey water and went straight to sleep.”
Seeing that he played along so well, Jian Ran felt completely satisfied.
The two went to the living room, where Chu Lulin immediately handed her a freshly prepared glass of honey water. After confirming that she had no discomfort from the hangover, he told her to go freshen up while he continued making breakfast in the kitchen.
With limited ingredients in the fridge, breakfast was simple: sandwiches and warm milk.
Jian Ran ate with relish; far from affecting her appetite, the hangover had actually made her eat an extra fried egg.
After she had eaten and drunk her fill, Chu Lulin put down his chopsticks and looked at her with a hesitant expression. “Sister, I want to confess something to you.”
Jian Ran was taken aback and looked up blankly. “What’s wrong?”
He was using the word “confess.”
Chu Lulin pursed his lips. “Actually, last night I answered a phone call for you.”
“I didn’t plan to, but the person called several times in a row. I was afraid it might be something urgent, so I answered.”
Jian Ran blinked. She thought it was something serious.
It was just taking a call for her. Even if it might lead to misunderstandings late at night, it was understandable.
“Whose call was it?” she asked casually.
If it was a call from her family, it might be a bit troublesome, but not a big deal. She could come up with a plausible excuse.
If all else failed, she could drag Qin Siyan in as a scapegoat. After all, he was the main reason she had gotten drunk.
Chu Lulin shook his head and answered truthfully, “It wasn’t saved.”
Jian Ran let out a “hey.” If it wasn’t saved, it was even less of a big deal.
It was probably just a spam call.
Still, she got up and fetched her phone, checking the call log.
But when she saw that familiar number, her expression froze.
It was Zhou Yu’s work number.
A number she had once known by heart but never saved in her contacts.
Chu Lulin observed her reaction, his eyes darkening.
After a long moment, Jian Ran lowered her eyelids and asked softly, “What did he say?”
At those words, a flicker of dejection, barely perceptible, passed through Chu Lulin’s eyes. He answered in a low voice, “He asked who I was.”
Jian Ran was stunned, a slight frown creasing her brow.
Whether it was directed at the caller or at Chu Lulin, she wasn’t sure.
“Sorry, I didn’t know how to answer, so I lied.” Chu Lulin’s eyes were downcast, his lashes trembling slightly, looking at a loss. “I said I was your boyfriend.”
At the words “boyfriend,” Jian Ran let out an “ah,” snapping out of her thoughts.
But when she looked up and met Chu Lulin’s fearful and guilty eyes, her heart tightened.
When it came down to it, she couldn’t blame Chu Lulin. Their relationship was special, and it was indeed hard for him to explain.
“It’s okay. Considering the circumstances, you didn’t do it on purpose,” Jian Ran comforted.
Given Zhou Yu’s reticent nature, he probably wouldn’t have said much. How could Chu Lulin have guessed who he was?
So it wasn’t as if he had done it deliberately.
“I’m sorry, Sister,” Chu Lulin opened his mouth, hesitating before continuing, “I did it on purpose.”
Jian Ran was taken aback, clearly surprised.
But she still didn’t quite understand what exactly he meant by “on purpose.”
Chu Lulin looked at her steadily and replied, “I guessed that he was your ex-boyfriend, Sister.”
Now the surprise on Jian Ran’s face fully turned into shock.
He didn’t even know Zhou Yu, so how did he guess?!
“Last night, at the club entrance, when you saw him, I knew.” A forced smile tugged at the corner of Chu Lulin’s mouth. “Sister, you haven’t let him go.”
At the club entrance?
So, he thought her ex-boyfriend was Zhang Fan? And when he answered Zhou Yu’s call last night, he mistook him for Zhang Fan.
Jian Ran almost laughed despite herself.
How was it that he got every guess wrong but still ended up with the right conclusion?
“What made you think Zhang Fan was my ex-boyfriend?” she asked, a smile breaking through.
Seeing the smile finally return to her face, Chu Lulin felt a weight lift from his heart.
He knew he had passed this test.
When he had so confidently declared his claim last night, Chu Lulin had already planned out his strategy.
He had worked so hard to get close to her; he couldn’t afford any mistakes, especially at this critical juncture.
His mind raced, but his expression remained calm. In a hesitant and innocent tone, he asked, “Is he not?”
“Then, last night, when you saw that person, why did you let go of my hand?”