Chapter 314 - 280: Discussing Suitability
Chapter 314: Chapter 280: Discussing Suitability
Granny Gu and Zhou Hui Lan complimented Mrs. Jun, remarking how her daughter was growing more and more beautiful, making them quite envious. Tian Xueqin took Jun Ran’s hand, inviting her to visit their home more often when she was free. She wanted such an outstanding young woman to be a role model for her daughter, Shaoling, and inspire her to study hard. Jun Ran smiled and agreed, then humbly and gracefully led the guests to their seats and served them tea.
Xiao Man walked over to greet Granny Gu and the others. Granny Gu immediately put down her teacup and pulled Xiao Man aside to talk. Zhou Hui Lan reached out to straighten Xiao Man’s collar and cuffs, which weren’t even rumpled, while Tian Xueqin observed her with a smile. Anyone seeing this would understand exactly how the Gu family felt about Xiao Man. Nearby, Jun Ran gently bit her lip, the smile fading from her face.
Seeing this, Mrs. Jun, who was nearby, quickly used the excuse of not having seen Tian Xueqin in ages to sit down and start a lively conversation. She skillfully drew Granny Gu and Zhou Hui Lan into the chat. Jun Ran served the elders their tea and then invited Xiao Man to come with her. Seeing that she seemed friendly, Xiao Man walked along beside her. But then Jun Ran reached out, took Xiao Man by the hand, and led her all the way over to the group of her friends where she had been before.
About six or seven of Jun Ran’s friends and relatives, all of a similar age, were gathered around a table, chatting and laughing. They were all young adults, around twenty years old. Judging from their clothes and conversation, some seemed to be university students, while others had already joined the workforce.
When they saw Jun Ran leading a young girl over, they merely gave her a passing glance. After all, she wasn’t in their age group. Besides, these were spirited young people who had seen plenty of pretty girls; she didn’t particularly catch their attention. But Jun Ran’s next words piqued their interest. "Guess who this little sister is? I guarantee you, you’ll never figure it out!"
A young man with a faint mustache grinned. "Why bother? What happens if we guess correctly?"
"There’s a prize for guessing right," Jun Ran said with a laugh. "That coffee you had last time was pretty good, wasn’t it? I have another can of beans, and that’ll be the prize."
"Oh, Blue Mountain coffee? Nice."
The young men sat up straight, eager to give it a shot. "Jun Ran, is she your cousin?"
"Is she a classmate’s sister?"
"I’ve never seen her before. Some relative must have just brought her to the Capital City, right?"
"How about this: is she the sister your dad is raising on the side?"
"HAHAHA!"
Xiao Man was utterly speechless. ’So this is the true nature of the princeling circle—no shortage of spoiled brats. The more they talk, the worse their sense of humor gets.’
Jun Ran raised a delicate eyebrow and glared at the one spouting nonsense. "Knock it off! Behave yourselves!"
This only provoked another burst of laughter. The man with the mustache said, "So what happens if none of us can guess?"
"You could just ask me, you know?" Jun Ran shot him a sidelong glance.
"Alright, alright. This little sister is so pretty and cute, stop keeping us in suspense. Go ahead and introduce her to everyone."
"Not so fast, not so fast. This little sister is very mysterious! She has quite a few identities, so let’s take them one by one!" Jun Ran grabbed one of Xiao Man’s hands and raised it to her chest. She was taller than Xiao Man, and the pose made Xiao Man look like a boxer having her arm raised by a referee in the ring. "Her first identity! She’s called Zheng San Niu, and she’s the god-sister acknowledged by Zheng Shaolian himself!"
"What? She’s actually connected to Zheng Shaolian?"
"Zheng Shaolian? The one in our class? I heard his family controls over half of Tianjin Pier, right?"
"Yup, that’s him!"
"Heh! Don’t underestimate her just because she’s young. She’s got a sharp eye, picking a god-brother who’s so influential!"
"You’ve got that wrong, don’t you? Jun Ran just said that *Zheng Shaolian* acknowledged *her* as his god-sister, not that she went and found herself a god-brother!"
"What’s the difference? God-brother, god-sister... it’s all the same damn thing!"
"..."
Jun Ran watched the group’s discussion with a faint smile, showing no intention of stopping them or revealing Xiao Man’s second identity. The seven or eight people at this table were all sons and daughters of the elite from their circle. Except for two who had already started working, the rest were all students at Kyoto University. ’They know Zheng Shaolian,’ Jun Ran thought, ’and Xiao Man is bound to enroll at Kyoto University in a year or two... This is a good way for her to get her face known and make a deep impression on everyone!’
The moment Jun Ran finished speaking, Xiao Man had already snatched her hand back. Her movement was rather forceful because Jun Ran had been reluctant to let go. In fact, the recoil from her strong tug nearly caused her to injure herself—her own delicate fingernails scraped two red marks across her chin.
Jun Ran didn’t seem to mind, but a few of the people sitting nearby shot Xiao Man hostile looks.
Xiao Man clapped her hands together as if dusting them off. She spoke calmly, "Didn’t Sister Jun Ran say I have several identities? Everyone, you’d better listen up. First, it’s true I’m Zheng Shaolian’s god-sister. That’s because Zheng Shaolian is my father’s god*son*! Second, I am the granddaughter of Tang Renqian. My name is Tang Manman! Third, there’s the well-known arranged marriage passed down between the Gu and Tang Families. The woman in that betrothal... is me, Tang Manman! I have other identities as well, but it would be no fun to reveal them all at once. Let’s save that for next time. Goodbye!"