HPDBC Chapter 54 The Blind Date Arranged by Mom
Chapter 54 The Blind Date Arranged by Mom
Over the next few days, Lu Ran spent most of his time in the hospital ward, except for occasionally accompanying Cheng Ning to stroll around the hospital area.
The experience was, to put it mildly, mediocre.
Besides the issue of food and lodging, the most important thing is that Liang Mengying has been making all sorts of excuses to be a third wheel lately.
If it weren't for the fact that they were classmates, and more importantly, for Lin Shaoxian's sake, Lu Ran really wouldn't want to give her a kind look.
"Lu Ran, Cheng Ning, these are the fruits I bought at the supermarket. They're fresh and taste pretty good."
Liang Mengying walked into the ward carrying a bag of fruit and sat down on the edge of the bed as if they were old friends.
Cheng Ning smiled politely and said, "Thank you."
Liang Mengying smiled and said, "No need to thank me. In a foreign land, we are all family, and it is only right that we take care of each other."
"By the way, when are you planning to go back? I want to go back with you; I still can't get used to staying here."
Cheng Ning replied, "We're leaving tomorrow; we've already bought the plane tickets."
"Really? Then I'll hurry up and buy a ticket for the same flight as you. What time are you going?" Liang Mengying took out her phone, seemingly not joking, but genuinely planning to go back together.
Cheng Ning didn't think much of it and truthfully told Liang Mengying the flight information.
Lu Ran, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask, "Liang Mengying, why haven't we seen Mr. Lin these past few days? Also, weren't you with Mr. Lin? It seems he's not planning to return to China anytime soon!"
Liang Mengying said calmly, "We're not on the same path; we'll part ways sooner or later."
Lu Ran and Cheng Ning were both taken aback.
This sounds like they're breaking up!
However, Cheng Ning was too embarrassed to ask, and Lu Ran wasn't interested in asking, so the conversation abruptly ended, and the atmosphere fell into silence for a moment.
Lu Ran stood up and said to Cheng Ning, "I'll go get some water and boil some for you."
After saying that, Lu Ran took the kettle and went out to get water.
The foreigner's hospital didn't have hot water, so he figured out how to buy a kettle and boil water himself. Of course, only he could do such a thing; the hospital would have stopped anyone else from doing it.
After getting water outside, Lu Ran was about to return to his ward when he saw Liang Mengying walking over.
Lu Ran pursed her lips: "Is there something you need?"
Liang Mengying hesitated for a moment, then said, "Lin Shaoxian has always wanted to win you over. I know you have a good impression of him, but... you should still be careful. Now that Cheng Ning's surgery is over, try to avoid contact with him if possible."
Seemingly afraid that Lu Ran wouldn't want to continue listening to her, Liang Mengying continued to explain:
"We're classmates, I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I have been in contact with Lin Shaoxian's circle of friends, and the private lives of those people are more chaotic than ordinary people can imagine."
"I found out, so I backed out in time, returned most of the things he gave me, and also, I was never really with him."
Liang Mengying clutched the hem of her clothes, desperately trying to discern any emotion in Lu Ran's eyes.
Joy, heartache, even the slightest bit of emotion is fine.
However, Lu Ran had no feelings for her whatsoever.
She simply smiled calmly and said, "Thank you for telling me all this. Don't worry, I'm not that naive college student anymore. I know what I should and shouldn't do."
"Lin Shaoxian and I have always had a business relationship. I give him money, and he brings me to the hospital. It's that simple."
"I don't care about what kind of person he is, and I won't comment on him. After all, everyone has their own way of life."
"As for your claim of trying to win me over, that goes without saying. If I wanted to be friends with him, I would have accepted their invitation to have dinner with them the day I went to Tianhai to pick up my car."
Regardless of Liang Mengying's purpose, Lu Ran could at least sense her goodwill in this reminder.
Therefore, his dissatisfaction with Liang Mengying's disturbance over the past few days disappeared.
So he shared his thoughts and sincerely thanked him.
As for Liang Mengying and Lin Shaoxian's relationship, he is not the kind of person who interferes in other people's relationships.
He had no interest in or right to ask who Liang Mengying liked or who she was with.
After Lu Ran finished speaking, he smiled and nodded to Liang Mengying: "I'm going to boil some water for Cheng Ning. You can have some if you need it."
Afterwards, Lu Ran carried the water bottle and passed by Liang Mengying before returning to the ward.
As Liang Mengying watched Lu Ran's retreating figure, tears welled up in her eyes, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She murmured to herself, "He's still so gentle, so kind to everyone."
"Just looking at his smile, I know that there is innocence and purity in this world."
"I hinted to him that I had broken up with Lin Shaoxian and that we hadn't actually had a relationship, but he didn't show the slightest reaction to it."
"In his eyes and in his heart, there is only Cheng Ning. Just as he said that night by the school playground, if he falls in love with someone, he will be devoted to her wholeheartedly."
"The person he devoted himself to should have been mine."
Tears blurred Liang Mengying's vision.
She didn't know what was wrong with her. Maybe she didn't like Lu Ran that much, but when she compared Lu Ran with the so-called elite boyfriends she had dated before, she realized that she was wrong, terribly wrong.
She could have had the best from the very beginning.
···
In the ward at this moment.
After Lu Ran poured hot water for Cheng Ning, his phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar number. Lu Ran answered it:
"Hello, who is this?"
"Mr. Lu, it's me, Liu Nini."
Lu Ran asked in confusion, "Liu Nini? I don't know her. Did you dial the wrong number?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before someone said in a wronged tone, "It was your assistant, arranged by President Bai Yongxiang, just a short while ago when you came to Shangyou Media Company, President Lu."
Only then did Lu Ran remember.
"Oh, it's you. Is there something wrong at the company?"
"Yes, Mr. Lu, the company is currently in talks for an IP collaboration, and we need your final decision. If you think it's okay, Mr. Lu, then sign it, and Mr. Bai will handle the rest."
Lu Ran was very satisfied with Bai Yongxiang and Liu Nini's work ability when he heard that it was as simple as just having him sign his name.
He replied, "No problem."
"Mr. Lu, are you back now? Could you come to the company today?"
Lu Ran was taken aback: "So soon?"
"Mr. Lu, it is a bit urgent, and Mr. Bai said it would be best if you could look at the contract in person before signing it."
Lu Ran thought that Bai Yongxiang's actions were probably a typical example of preemptive blame-shifting and preventative measures, with everything to be decided by the boss.
He replied, "I'm going back to China tomorrow. I'll arrive at Tianjin Tianhai International Airport around 3 PM, then transfer to a flight to Chengjiang, arriving around 5 PM."
"Alright then, I'll wait for President Lu at the company tomorrow."
"Alright."
"Alright, then I won't bother you any longer, Mr. Lu."
Just as Lu Ran hung up the phone, another call came in.
This time it was my mom calling.
Lu Ran then realized that he hadn't called home in a long time, and felt a little guilty.
He answered the phone and chuckled, "Hehe, Mom."
An angry voice came from the other end of the phone: "So you still remember you have a mother? You haven't called home in so long. I haven't called because things have been busy at home lately. What, if I don't call you, you won't call me either?"
Lu Ran laughed and said, "No, no, I'm quite busy too."
"Alright, that's not why I called you today. I asked Li Shang to introduce you to someone. I don't know what's wrong with that kid, he hasn't contacted me lately."
"But they have families, and I feel bad about troubling them too often."
"So your mom has personally found you a blind date. Remember to go meet her tomorrow in Chengjiang City. Just so you know, the girl's mother will be there too. It's normal to talk about marriage and dowry. Don't turn around and run away when you hear about the dowry."
Lu Ran was about to tell his mother not to waste her time, but before he could speak, his father's voice came through the phone, seemingly asking his mother for help with something.
My mom hung up the phone immediately.
Lu Ran could only stare at his phone speechlessly.
"Lu Ran, what's wrong?"
Cheng Ning asked curiously.
Lu Ran laughed and said, "It's nothing. It's just my mom trying to set me up on blind dates again. But don't worry, I'll make it clear that I'll refuse."
Cheng Ning's face flushed instantly: "You, me."
She wanted to say that she didn't need to explain to her, but the words caught in her throat, and in the end, she stammered and said nothing.
···
The next day.
Inside a coffee shop in Seongjiang City.
A woman, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with exquisite makeup, is touching up her makeup with a small mirror.
While touching up her makeup, she complained, "Mom, I've told you not to introduce me to those short, ugly, and poor guys anymore, but you still drag me to these blind dates. It's so annoying."
The girl's mother smiled and said, "Honey, this time the groom's family has agreed to give a dowry of 300,000 yuan, and they said their son is very handsome. Go meet him, maybe you'll like him."
The girl rolled her eyes and said, "How many times have you said that?"
"Mom, to tell you the truth, even if I jumped off this second floor today, I wouldn't give that guy a second glance. Do you know how amazing my best friend's boyfriend is? He earns millions a year and drives a G-Class. If I were to date one of these short, ugly, and poor guys you introduced me to, how could I ever face anyone in public!"