Chapter Seventy-Five: I Simply Refuse to Tell

In truth, this question had long been lingering in Jiang Ce’s mind.

It began when Ruan Mianmian decided to sell her shares in Hanhai Group. Among all the possible candidates, she deliberately chose Zhou Ming from Morningstar to meet with. The entire sequence of events was simply too coincidental, even though Jiang Ce had already intended to acquire Hanhai’s shares.

Later, there was the matter of the land in Jiangcheng New District that Qian Lei owned. Jiang Ce remembered clearly that Ruan Mianmian had explicitly instructed Qian Lei to choose Morningstar, even giving him the phone number of Morningstar’s boss.

Yet in the end, when the phone rang, it was his own phone that sounded.

Previously, Jiang Ce hadn’t found the opportunity to ask about it. Then, so much happened one after another that he was too occupied to pursue the matter. It wasn’t until now that he finally voiced his question.

Ruan Mianmian bit her lip and cast a tentative glance at Jiang Ce.

“What if I say…I simply guessed?” she said.

Jiang Ce’s face showed a hint of amusement. “Guessed?”

“Yes!”

“But there had to be some basis for your guess, right? For example, did you notice something that led you to it?” Jiang Ce pressed her, unwilling to let the matter drop so easily.

Seeing no way out, Ruan Mianmian resorted to a bit of mischief. “Look at your attitude! I simply refuse to tell you.”

Jiang Ce’s eyes glimmered with laughter as he gazed at her quietly, but he didn’t question her further.

Only then did Ruan Mianmian breathe a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, at that moment, she caught sight of a familiar figure—Wu Ketian was hurrying toward them. Seeing this, Ruan Mianmian quickly rose and stepped forward to greet her, as if fleeing from some ferocious beast behind her.

“How did it go?” Ruan Mianmian asked anxiously.

Wu Ketian’s expression was a mix of excitement and agitation. Her eyes were red from crying several times. Now, seeing Ruan Mianmian, she struggled to hold back her emotions.

“Mianmian! You’re here! The doctor said the operation was a great success!”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Ruan Mianmian grasped Wu Ketian’s shoulders and smiled. “Why are you crying? This is good news! By the way, where’s Xiaojing?”

At this moment, Wu Ketian was alone—there was no sign of Wu Kejing.

Wu Ketian explained, “The doctor said that although the surgery went well, they still need to observe him for a few days. So, Xiaojing was transferred directly to the special care ward. I just came over to pack up a few things.”

“I see.”

Noticing Wu Ketian’s mingled excitement and anxiety, Ruan Mianmian smiled and said, “Let me help you.”

With that, she took Wu Ketian’s arm and hurried with her toward the ward.

Jiang Ce caught a glimpse of her flustered retreat and couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile. He had no idea what Ruan Mianmian was so nervous about.

Once they had gathered the belongings, they followed Wu Ketian to the special care ward.

Inside the room, Wu Kejing’s face, which was always thin, had grown even paler after the surgery. He looked heartbreakingly frail. Still, even in such a state, the delicate and handsome lines of his features were unmistakable.

Ruan Mianmian thought to herself that, as siblings, it was no surprise—his sister was so attractive, so the brother would hardly be less so. It was just a pity, she mused. But at least, things would get better from now on.

“You don’t need to worry,” Ruan Mianmian said, turning to Wu Ketian with reassurance. “I heard from Dr. Fan that the doctor who operated on Xiaojing is an expert from the capital—he’ll surely pull through this difficult time.”

Tears glistened in Wu Ketian’s eyes, but her face was wreathed in smiles. “Yes, as long as Xiaojing wakes up, I’ll be at ease.”

With that, Wu Ketian looked at Ruan Mianmian, intending to pull her down to sit.

“Huh? Who is this?” Wu Ketian turned her head and was startled to find an unfamiliar, handsome man in the ward.

Jiang Ce didn’t speak; his long fingers were tucked into his pocket, his gaze cool and quiet as he looked at Ruan Mianmian.

Ruan Mianmian pursed her lips and explained, “He’s my friend.”

“Fiancé,” Jiang Ce interjected, emphasizing the word.

“Uh…” Wu Ketian smiled awkwardly, uncertain how to respond to one claiming friendship and the other engagement. Still, it was clear their relationship couldn’t be too distant.

“All right, all right, let’s all sit down,” Wu Ketian invited them.

Ruan Mianmian looked a bit uncomfortable, but a faint smile lingered in her eyes.

“Mianmian, when did you get here?” Wu Ketian asked. She hadn’t heard that Ruan Mianmian was coming, so she’d been a bit stunned to see her earlier.

“I’ve been here a little while,” Ruan Mianmian replied. “I suddenly thought of you, all alone here, and felt uneasy, so I came to check on you.”

Wu Ketian’s eyes filled with gratitude. “Mianmian, thank you so much. The best thing that’s happened to me since coming to Jiangcheng is getting to know you.”

“Oh, stop—if you keep saying that, I’ll have calluses in my ears,” Ruan Mianmian joked, covering her ears playfully. She wanted to change the subject and also give Jiang Ce a chance to join in.

“By the way, Ketian, I remember you said your brother studied computer science, right?”

“Yes!” Wu Ketian’s eyes shone with pride. “When Xiaojing was just a freshman, he won first prize in the national computer competition! I’m not talented when it comes to academics. My mother used to say that, although Xiaojing and I were born only a few minutes apart, it’s as if all the brains were left with him in the womb. Fortunately, he’s made us proud—he’s always been top of his class.”

As she spoke, a shadow of sadness and melancholy crossed Wu Ketian’s face.

There wasn’t much written in the novel about Wu Ketian’s family, but Ruan Mianmian knew she was a pitiful soul. Her father had been falsely accused and imprisoned, later dying of illness. Her mother fell into despair and also died a few years later. Only she and her brother remained, depending on each other—until fate struck again, and her brother was involved in a car accident. Severe blood loss left his brain deprived of oxygen, and he fell into a vegetative state.

That was how things had come to this.

Sometimes, Ruan Mianmian couldn’t help feeling sorry for people like them. Perhaps they were only characters casually invented by the author, with their tragic backgrounds designed to serve the narrative—cold, indifferent words on a page.

Yet, in these people, those words came to life, embodying hardship and resilience. Their suffering was real within the world they inhabited.

She sighed deeply and patted Wu Ketian’s shoulder. “The good thing is all this suffering is ending. You and your brother will surely be happy in the future.”

“Then I’ll take your blessing,” Wu Ketian said with a smile, hope gathering in her heart for the days ahead.

Ruan Mianmian glanced at Jiang Ce and smiled. “Did you hear that? Her brother is a computer prodigy. It won’t be too much trouble for him to join your company in the future, will it?”