Chapter 19 : Meeting the Sister-in-Law

The next day in class, during the finance lecture, wherever Lin Ran went, there were whispers and various scrutinizing glances. As soon as she sat down, she overheard two girls behind her whispering.

“She looks so ordinary, I don’t know what kind of luck she had to spend the night with Fu, the campus heartthrob.”

“Shh! Keep your voice down, maybe she’s good in bed, hahaha.”

Lin Ran bit her lip, her palms turning red from the way she clenched them under the table.

Yes, she wasn’t good-looking. She wasn’t fair-skinned, her eyes weren’t big, and her nose wasn’t delicate. She was just an ordinary girl who could easily be lost in a crowd. But so what? Ordinary people made up 99.9% of the world.

Besides, she hadn’t even done anything with Fu Xingjian last night—she’d only taken a strange group photo at the door, and now they were spreading rumors about her. It made her so mad, she could barely contain herself!

But Lin Ran was a little timid, and she didn’t dare to fight back.

“Hey, classmate, did you eat sh*t this morning? Your mouth stinks! I suggest you two go back to the dorm, brush your teeth, and then come to class!”

Zhuo Ting’s voice was loud, and as soon as she spoke, everyone in the classroom heard. The two girls behind her, who had been gossiping earlier, turned pale and quietly moved to the back row.

Soon, the teacher arrived, and the class quieted down in an instant.

Lin Ran was especially grateful to Zhuo Ting and quickly took out her phone to send her a message: “I’ll treat you to lunch later~ [Love you].”

“Okk,” Zhuo Ting smiled, hugging her shoulders and giving her a thumbs-up.

Unfortunately, lunch never happened.

Lin Ran felt a little lost as she looked at the beautiful Yao Ning in front of her. More and more boys were glancing at her, but she was used to it and didn’t feel shy at all.

Yao Ning smiled brightly at her. Her smile was really beautiful, with large eyes curving into crescent moons and long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

“You’re Fu Xingjian’s girlfriend, Lin Ran? Then we’ll be good friends from now on!”

Huh? She knew Fu Xingjian?

“I…” Before Lin Ran could finish her sentence, Fu Xingjian was already standing in front of her, creating a beautiful scene with Yao Ning.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft. “Why are you here?”

Yao Ning tugged at his arm coquettishly. “I heard you have a girlfriend, so I came to meet my sister-in-law.”

Lin Ran blushed, “I… I’m not…”

But when she looked up, Fu Xingjian and Yao Ning had already walked away. She stood there, unsure whether she should follow.

Had they invited her?

“Lin Ran, follow us!” Yao Ning waved at her, her smile dazzling. Lin Ran hugged her canvas bag tightly and stepped forward to follow.

“By the way, Lin Ran, do you have class in the afternoon?”

Fu Xingjian sounded displeased, “You should ask me, why ask her?”

Yao Ning slapped him lightly, “You’re rude. Of course, we prioritize the girl. Don’t we, Lin Ran?”

Lin Ran felt nothing but awkwardness; she felt like a third wheel, the one who wasn’t loved by the “sponsor.”

“No class in the afternoon.”

Yao Ning cheered and linked her arm with Lin Ran’s. “Good, then let Xingjian treat us to a big meal and introduce you to his friends.”

The meal was at a high-end western restaurant in the city center, one Lin Ran had only seen on TV.

Yao Ning asked her what she liked to eat. Lin Ran awkwardly wrung her hands. “Anything’s fine.” She had never eaten western food, so she didn’t know what it tasted like and didn’t have any preferences.

“Then, just like me, I’ll have a medium-rare steak and pasta.” After ordering, she winked at Lin Ran, “Their portions are small, so don’t worry about gaining weight.”

That was thoughtful of her, but Lin Ran had always worried about not getting enough to eat, never about gaining weight.

Before long, Fu Xingjian’s so-called “friends” arrived, and one of them, sitting directly opposite Lin Ran, was Yao Ning’s brother, Yao Qian. True to his name, he was modest and courteous, and when he spoke, it felt like a refreshing spring breeze.

But the other one was not so friendly.