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3606-chapter-65-part-1

Chapter 65-Part 1

The abrupt ringing of the phone startled both Ji Ran and Shen Zhi. She looked down at the phone on Shen Zhi’s body, which was vibrating nonstop. She already knew who it was without needing to ask.

“Your dad?” Ji Ran asked softly.

Shen Zhi’s lips pressed into a tight line, his long, narrow black eyes slightly squinting. Although his expression didn’t change drastically, the subtle resistance he felt was still evident.

Shen Zhi had no interest in dealing with any of Shen Jiming’s arrangements.

Ji Ran looked up at the handsome young man before her. He was wearing a white shirt and a black suit vest, making him appear tall and elegant. However, his expression remained indifferent, and his eyes were filled with a strong, violent emotion.

She gently hooked her fingers around his, her voice soft and sweet: “How about we leave here?”

Shen Zhi looked down at her, his gaze soft and tender, his voice much gentler: “Where to? Are we escaping?”

“Even though it’s not yet midnight, I’m willing to take you away,” Ji Ran said with a slight tilt of her head, looking mischievous.

Her long eyelashes lightly brushed over her eyes, giving her a playful and adorable look, which made Shen Zhi chuckle softly.

His gaze lingered on Ji Ran, and his voice, like aged wine, carried an intoxicating effect.

He lowered his head and whispered, “Do you really think I’m Cinderella?”

The image of Cinderella fleeing as the clock struck midnight, leaving behind her glass slipper, lingered in the air.

Just then, the vibrating sound that had stopped earlier started again—Shen Jiming was clearly persistent.

Ji Ran gently squeezed Shen Zhi’s hand, whispering, “I’ll be by your side.”

But at that moment, the phone in Ji Ran’s evening bag also started ringing.

It seemed Ji Qingli, not seeing her return for a long time, was also calling to urge her back.

The two exchanged a glance, and Shen Zhi smiled lightly, “Looks like neither of us can escape.”

They slowly walked back together.

As they neared the banquet hall, Ji Ran took off the suit jacket she had been holding and handed it to Shen Zhi, signaling for him to put it on again.

Shen Zhi tilted his head slightly, looking at her in the spaghetti-strap gown she was wearing. The light fabric floated gracefully around her, making her look like a fairy among flowers.

She was already beautiful, and now, with this elaborate outfit, she was stunning enough to take one’s breath away.

“Aren’t you cold?” Shen Zhi asked.

Ji Ran stood on tiptoe, trying to drape the jacket over his shoulders, but he didn’t cooperate at all, standing still like a statue.

Ji Ran had to whisper, “Shen Zhi, put on the jacket.”

Shen Zhi remained motionless, forcing Ji Ran to remind him, “Classmate Shen Zhi, you must remember that we’re still just innocent classmates right now.”

If she were to openly walk into the banquet hall wearing Shen Zhi’s jacket, it would practically announce to everyone that there was something special between them.

Finally, Shen Zhi lowered his gaze and, this time, obediently put on the jacket.

But as he did, he glanced down at her, his long, crow-feather-like eyelashes partially obscuring his eyes.

He couldn’t help but smile and ask in a low voice, “So, when can we stop being just innocent classmates?”

That question…

Not wanting to disappoint him too much, Ji Ran looked up and said, “Maybe in ten years?”

Her words left Shen Zhi momentarily stunned.

He couldn’t help but look down at the girl in front of him, a hint of helplessness in his tone: “So you’re saying I’ll have to wait from 17 to 27 before I can give away my first love?”

“I’m in the same boat,” Ji Ran said with a smile.

Truth be told, Ji Ran had a strange feeling, as if in a previous life, she really did meet Shen Zhi at 27.

Though she hadn’t done much in that lifetime, she suddenly felt a little guilty.

After all, she had caused Shen Zhi quite a bit of trouble in that life, enough that he probably still remembered it vividly.

After Shen Zhi finished putting on his suit jacket, the two of them soon arrived at the banquet hall.

It was only then that Shen Zhi thought to ask, “Did you come with your family?”

Just as the words left his mouth, a voice interrupted, “Ran Ran, where did you go? Why so long?”

It was Ji Qingli’s voice.

Ji Ran looked up and saw Ji Qingli standing at the entrance of the banquet hall. She hadn’t expected that after being away for just a short while, he would come looking for her at the door.

Ji Qingli saw her standing with an unfamiliar young man and had watched them walk over together.

“Come here,” he said.

Even though Ji Qingli wasn’t very attentive to Ji Ran, he didn’t like the idea of a strange boy hanging around his daughter—there was still that protective instinct of a father.

“Ah Zhi,” someone else called out at that moment, stepping out of the banquet hall.

The newcomer smiled when they saw Ji Qingli and greeted him warmly, “Qingli, you’re here too.”

“Jiming, right?” Ji Qingli recognized the person and immediately shook his hand. It turned out the two were quite familiar with each other.

It’s no surprise, given that the Shen and Ji families were old family friends. However, they hadn’t been in close contact in recent years. The Ji patriarch had been living in Jiangdu, while the Shen family was mostly based in Beijing.

Ji Qingli and Shen Jiming were about the same age. Compared to Shen Jiming’s elder brother, Shen Jidong, Ji Qingli was more familiar with Shen Jiming.

After exchanging a few words, they turned to look at the two children standing across from them.

Shen Jiming had seen Ji Qingli speaking to the young girl earlier and asked, “Is this your daughter?”

“Yes, Ran Ran. You met her when you visited Jiangdu. Remember?” Ji Qingli said with a smile.

Shen Jiming nodded, “Of course, I remember. A few years ago, when I went to Jiangdu to bring Shen Zhi back, I visited your family and met Ran Ran. She was only ten or so then, just a little girl…”

He held his hand up in the air to show her height at the time.

Ji Qingli nodded, “Yes, she was only ten then. It’s been years since we last met.”

However, as he looked at Shen Zhi, Ji Qingli hesitated, as Shen Jiming had just called out to this boy.

Shen Jiming spoke first, “This is Shen Zhi, my son.”

Ji Qingli suddenly understood.

He had heard the story of Shen Jiming bringing back his illegitimate son.

It wasn’t a secret, especially in their circle, that Shen Jiming’s wife, Cheng Hui, was unable to have children, so he had brought back his child from elsewhere.

He just hadn’t expected to run into them here today.

 

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