Chapter 21 : The Woman I Love Most

In the private room of a bar, Yao Ning and Yao Qian had already arrived, along with a handsome young man.

Yao Ning immediately stood up to introduce everyone, “This is my boyfriend, Wan Ming. Isn’t he handsome?!”

Fu Xingjian casually nodded as a greeting. Yao Qian, on the other hand, looked stiff and uncomfortable.

Only Lin Ran seriously introduced herself to Wan Ming, “I’m Lin Ran, a second-year finance student. Which department are you in?”

“I…” Wan Ming scratched his head awkwardly. “I’m from a nearby college, majoring in computer science.”

Huh?

Lin Ran was surprised, but she didn’t let it show, and she didn’t make Wan Ming feel uncomfortable. “That’s still great, computer science is a very popular field, and I’ve heard that the salary after graduation is high.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Finally, someone recognized his worth. Yao Ning proudly clung to Wan Ming’s arm. “I told you, he’s handsome and majoring in computer science. After graduation, he’ll definitely get into a big company and make a lot of money.”

Fu Xingjian scoffed softly, but it was so quiet that only Lin Ran heard it.

At this moment, Lin Ran finally realized that Fu Xingjian’s feelings for Yao Ning were not just friendship.

There was a dull pain in her left chest.

But she kept a calm expression, without tears or tantrums. She accepted everything in silence.

Her position was too awkward—there was no reason for her to cry.

Halfway through drinking, Xu Huanran entered the room with his new girlfriend and sat next to Lin Ran. Lin Ran instinctively moved closer to Fu Xingjian.

When she accidentally brushed against his thigh, Lin Ran quickly apologized, “Sorry.”

Fu Xingjian didn’t speak but subtly moved to a different seat.

Drinking alone was too boring, lacking the festive atmosphere, so Xu Huanran suggested, “How about we play a game, Truth or Dare?”

“Sounds good!” Yao Ning raised both hands, pulling Wan Ming along in agreement.

The others remained silent, tacitly accepting the game.

The empty bottle spun once and slowly stopped in front of Xu Huanran. He cursed under his breath and immediately raised his hand to surrender, “Dare, dare.”

Yao Ning mischievously suggested, “Kiss any male face in the room,” as she hugged Wan Ming. “Except for my boyfriend.”

“Damn!”

It was obviously a setup for him to kiss Fu Xingjian or Yao Qian. Seeing the dark expression on the people nearby, Xu Huanran could only kiss Yao Qian, who kicked him in retaliation, cursing.

The bottle spun again, and Lin Ran’s palms began to sweat as she nervously prayed it wouldn’t stop in front of her.

But fate seemed to be playing tricks on her. She rubbed her hands and shyly chose “Truth.”

Before she could speak, Xu Huanran beat her to it. “Is your virginity still intact?”

Lin Ran’s mind exploded. She never expected Truth or Dare to be so bold.

“Yes, of course.”

“Ah?” Yao Ning covered her mouth, her gaze shifting between Lin Ran and Fu Xingjian. “You didn’t… on New Year’s Eve?”

Lin Ran immediately understood what she meant and quickly shook her head. “Of course not. We just took a photo together, and I went back to my dorm afterward.”

The room fell silent.

In the next round, the bottle stopped at Fu Xingjian.

Xu Huanran deliberately asked loudly, “Who is the woman you love the most? Is she in this room?”

He smirked, hoping to make Lin Ran back down and realize she wasn’t on their level.

Fu Xingjian, however, was well aware of his intentions. He glanced at Lin Ran, who sat to his left, and calmly said, “According to the rules of the game, I’ll only answer the first question. The woman I love most… is, of course, my mother.”

Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted her gaze and noticed Yao Ning’s expression had turned dim.

At 10 o’clock, Lin Ran said she needed to leave, and Fu Xingjian stood up to accompany her.

“Not drunk?” he asked.

Lin Ran shook her head. “No, I didn’t drink at all. I only had some soft drinks.”

“Alright, be careful on your way.”

Lin Ran waved, “Goodbye.”

After walking a few steps, she heard someone calling from behind. “Send me a message when you get back to your dorm to let me know you’re safe.”

“Okay!” Lin Ran nodded enthusiastically.

She was obedient. When she reached the dorm building, she sent him a message. It was their first text message.

“I’m at the dorm now (dancing)”

The reply didn’t come right away, but when she had finished washing up and sat down at the table, she saw a simple and indifferent “Mm.”