The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Yun Ran also loved the jade bracelet. Jiang Musheng put it on for her, and she never took it off.

Later, when she met Cecilia again, the other girl showed her a thin gold chain on her wrist.

“This is the gift Jiang Musheng gave me for my birthday,” Cecilia said, shaking her fair wrist, which was a little red.

Yun Ran hid the hand with the jade bracelet behind her back and reminded her, “Cecilia, you seem to have an allergic reaction.”

“What?”

Only after being prompted did Cecilia feel the itch, but she absolutely refused to believe that the source of her allergy was the gold chain Jiang Musheng had given her.

Yun Ran didn’t say anything else.

She just marveled to herself: it seems love not only blinds people but also suppresses their feelings.

But Cecilia didn’t have Jiang Musheng’s love yet; it was just a misconception.

Cecilia was bravely, and alone, lost in her fantasy of love with Jiang Musheng.

Jiang Musheng had no feelings for her whatsoever.

If she weren’t the Governor’s daughter, Jiang Musheng probably wouldn’t even have given her a second glance.

Thinking about this, Yun Ran, as a fellow woman, felt a little sorry for Cecilia.

She suddenly felt a little scared. If one day she also fell in love with someone who didn’t love her back, would she also become as pathetic as Cecilia?

‘No, how could I compare myself to Cecilia?’

Even without the love of the person she liked, she would only lack love. Cecilia had everything else.

Whereas she was only richer than Cecilia in being liked by others.

She wasn’t even sure if Jiang Musheng liked her.

Nor did she feel confident enough to ask him for a favor.

For the past few days, she had been wondering whether she should ask Jiang Musheng to help her find out her dad’s whereabouts.

Her dad was just a person who worked for Jiang Musheng. Jiang Musheng might not even know him.

But more than a month had passed. Whether her dad was dead or alive, she should have received some news.

She was also afraid that her dad had gotten into some trouble or offended someone, which was why he had disappeared so silently, and that she might get dragged into it too.

Her dad was her father, but he was only her stepfather.

Her dad had always been very good to her, and she was very good at pleasing him. As a child, to survive, she had learned the skills of reading people’s expressions and saying things that made them happy in that extreme environment.

As she grew older, she slowly discovered other paths in life and became less dependent on her dad.

A rosebush that has absorbed nutrients from one patch of soil will seek out richer ground.

She also had to be careful not to let anyone come and cut her vine.

She worried about her dad, but she worried about herself the most.

Until she had absolute certainty about Jiang Musheng, she couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.

…

Cecilia did get an allergic reaction from the gold chain Jiang Musheng gave her. As a token of apology, Jiang Musheng had someone deliver a fashionable wristwatch from Paris.

He also asked Yun Ran again, “Aran, is there anything you want?”

Yun Ran said no. She didn’t want Jiang Musheng to think she was too greedy.

Little Sister Jiang Xueyu wasn’t in good health, so Jiang Musheng had a family doctor come to the house.

The doctor said, “Miss Jiang’s body is weak. In addition to a nutritious diet, she needs to get some sun.”

So Jiang Musheng could no longer use the excuse of protection to prevent his sister from going out.

He said, “This afternoon, I’ll drive you to Repulse Bay to swim.”

Yun Ran was included in the “you.”

Since the Jiang family’s young lady was going out, someone delivered the latest trendy swimsuits for Jiang Xueyu to choose from.

“Aran, you go pick a new one too,” Jiang Musheng said.

Yun Ran then went over. She chose a red, one-piece swimsuit with a halter neck and an open back. She held it up and asked Jiang Musheng if this one was okay.

It was a very sexy style.

Jiang Musheng hesitated for a moment. ‘If she likes it, she can wear it,’ he thought. ‘There won’t be any unrelated people around this afternoon anyway.’

Jiang Xueyu chose a pink, short-skirted swimsuit.

“Mr. Jiang, aren’t you going to choose one?” Yun Ran asked.

“I won’t be getting in the water.”

At three in the afternoon, they drove to Repulse Bay. Jiang Musheng brought many bodyguards. The bodyguards stood with their backs to them, cordoning off a quiet section of the beach just for them.

Jumping out of the car, Little Sister Xueyu casually threw off the outer garment she was wearing. The wind caught it, and it flew backward, landing on the head of a bodyguard in a black suit.

Yun Ran couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Alan quickly put an end to the farce, reaching out to retrieve Xueyu’s clothes, putting them in the car, and then hurrying to catch up with Xueyu.

Yun Ran glanced at Jiang Musheng. He was instructing his attendants to set up a folding beach chair on the sand.

As if he sensed her gaze, Jiang Musheng turned to her and said, “Go on.”

Yun Ran said, “I can’t swim.”

“Xueyu will teach you. Alan will also ensure your safety. I’ve already instructed her.”

“Then I’m going, Mr. Jiang.”

With no more worries, Yun Ran ran into the bay to play in the water. Alan was a cool girl with a chin-length bob, so cool that Yun Ran often forgot her gender.

Under the golden sunlight, Little Sister Xueyu cupped her hands full of water and splashed it wildly at Alan, over and over again.

Alan seemed to take it gladly, not splashing back even once.

Jiang Xueyu got a little angry. “Splash me!”

Alan just wouldn’t. It was at this moment that Yun Ran came over.

Jiang Xueyu turned and splashed water on her. “Sister-in-law, watch out!”

Yun Ran was caught off guard and got a face full of water. A wave just happened to hit her from behind, and she stumbled, falling backward into the water.

“Sister-in-law!”

“Miss Yun!”

Although Xueyu and Alan quickly pulled her out, Yun Ran still awkwardly choked on a large mouthful of water.

Her throat hurt.

“I’m sorry, sister-in-law,” Jiang Xueyu apologized remorsefully.

“It’s okay. You guys go on and play,” Yun Ran said with a smile, wiping her face and pushing her wet hair out of the way.

She didn’t notice that when she fell into the water, Jiang Musheng had stood up from his lounge chair.

When she looked over, Jiang Musheng had already lain back down, a pair of sunglasses on his face and a large newspaper in his hands.

Yun Ran played in the water for a while, looking at Jiang Musheng reading the newspaper. She couldn’t help but think that he must be very bored alone on the shore.

She decided to go ashore.

“Sister-in-law, are you going back?”

“Yes, I’m a little cold. Maybe I need to lie down and sunbathe like your brother.”

Yun Ran went ashore barefoot. The wind felt a little cold on her wet body, but the fiery golden sand under her feet was hot.

She walked on the hot sand to Jiang Musheng’s side.

“What are you looking at, Mr. Jiang?”

Jiang Musheng looked up and casually covered the newspaper.

Yun Ran took a small handful of water that had mostly leaked out of her hands and splashed it on his face.

The seawater splashed on Jiang Musheng’s face, his sunglasses, the newspaper, and his face, leaving traces behind.

Jiang Musheng had no reaction.

Yun Ran felt she might have made a mistake, but she pushed through, saying, “Now that you’ve been touched by seawater, your trip wasn’t for nothing, Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Musheng asked, “Why did you come out so soon?”

Yun Ran felt a little relieved. “I’ve had enough fun. I wanted to come up and get some sun too.”

Yun Ran looked around and only saw one lounge chair, which Jiang Musheng was on.

Her gaze landed on Jiang Musheng and then shifted down to the newspaper he had been reading.

“What are you reading, Mr. Jiang?”

Jiang Musheng looked at her through his sunglasses. She was wet, with seawater dripping from her.

Drip-

Drip-

Drip-

The seawater fell into the sand under her feet. Yun Ran leaned over to look at the content of the newspaper.

One look, and her face turned red with embarrassment.

The headline was:

#Jiang Musheng Kisses Mysterious Girlfriend on Street in Front of Hospital#

There was also a photo attached to the news story.

It was a newspaper from several days ago. ‘Why was Jiang Musheng reading this?’

Yun Ran’s heart was in turmoil. Her feet felt like they were on fire, too hot for her to stand still.

Jiang Musheng suddenly pulled her, and she fell directly into his arms.

A bodyguard heard the commotion and turned his head sharply. After seeing what had happened, he quickly turned back around.

Yun Ran’s hands pressed against the sides of the lounge chair, her upper body barely supported, careful not to touch Jiang Musheng’s chest. It was like she was doing a plank, but a very non-standard one.

Due to her lack of strength, her lower abdomen was pressed tightly against Jiang Musheng’s.

Dry and wet.

Hot and cold.

The salty seawater from Yun Ran’s body transferred to Jiang Musheng’s.

Jiang Musheng was also wet from the water.

Yun Ran was losing her strength. She wanted to ask Jiang Musheng for help, but she couldn’t say a word.

Jiang Musheng’s expression was hidden by his sunglasses. He seemed at ease, with no intention of doing anything.

Yun Ran ran out of strength, and her body fell a little lower, pressing her even closer to Jiang Musheng.

Jiang Musheng suddenly lifted his head slightly.

He asked, “Ah Ran, are you planning to kiss me?”

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