Reborn to outshine My Ex and His White Moonlight
Chapter 220 Xiao Ran

Chapter 220: Chapter 220 Xiao Ran

The cold winter swept through the long streets, the north wind biting, and Jing City in January already had a frosty vibe.

Even with the bustling city, there was a hint of desolateness.

Lin Zhiyi got out of the taxi with her bag and quickly pulled up her aged sweater to cover half of her face.

As she turned around, she saw that the usually solemn gates of the Gong Mansion were festooned with lights and decorations.

It wasn’t the Spring Festival; what was so important?

Lin Zhiyi greeted the security guard and quickly walked in.

Liu He was instructing the servants under the porch.

"Mom."

"Zhiyi, you’re here. What’s this? It’s wrapped so nicely."

As she spoke, Liu He reached out to open the bag.

Lin Zhiyi immediately hid it behind her back, "It’s nothing, just picked it up on the way. What’s the occasion today? Why so grand?"

Liu He made sure that the servants had swept up the leaves before pulling Lin Zhiyi to the dining room.

"Old Mr. Gong has invited some guests, and he specifically asked me to prepare. I guess my hard times are finally over. Do you see the flowers I arranged? Aren’t they beautiful?"

Lin Zhiyi glanced outside the window as Liu He had directed.

The flowers in the window scene were delicate and pretty, clearly well-maintained.

The beautiful sight deeply impressed her, even felt a bit dazzling.

She snapped back with a smile, "Beautiful."

In the dining room, the servants presented the prepared tea and fruit for Liu He’s inspection.

Liu He, with her ladylike posture, examined them, her satisfaction indescribable.

Lin Zhiyi went along with her act; after all, it was the first time in many years that she could make decisions in this home.

While smiling, a noise came from outside.

"Third Young Master."

He had arrived.

Lin Zhiyi stood up, subconsciously clutching the bag in her hand.

With no one else in the dining room right now, she considered giving it to him straight away, to avoid having to find him privately later and risk being seen by others.

As she was thinking, Old Mr. Gong’s affable laughter suddenly echoed at the doorway.

"Xiao Ran is also here. It seems Gong Chen has taken good care of you."

"Thank you for having Third Young Master pick me up."

A woman’s voice sounded from a few steps away.

Soft and gentle, not pretentious at all, and in fact quite pleasing to hear.

However, this voice strangely felt familiar to Lin Zhiyi, yet she couldn’t recall anyone who would make Old Mr. Gong so tender.

The next second, the woman who entered side by side with Gong Chen caught her eye.

She was sitting in an electric wheelchair, moving slowly; her white cashmere dress entirely covered her legs, and she seemed as soft as a dollop of cream.

It immediately reminded Lin Zhiyi of the flowers Liu He had placed outside, lovely and eliciting care.

Most importantly, she was holding Gong Chen’s hand.

Lin Zhiyi stared blankly at their clasped hands, and it took a moment before she realized the woman was smiling at her.

"Who is this..."

Old Mr. Gong glanced at Lin Zhiyi with a hint of sarcasm, "The... stepdaughter from your second brother’s family."

At first, Lin Zhiyi thought the woman might be one of Gong Chen’s relatives, similar in status within the Gong Family.

She quickly smiled, "Hello, Lin Zhiyi."

"You... were the one in the hospital restroom, right? I remember your voice." She smiled brightly, quickly grasping Lin Zhiyi’s hand, "Thank you so much, I’m Sang Ran."

"Don’t mention it, I was just about to find you to repay the money, let me give you the money..."

"No need to repay me, give it to him instead," Sang Ran tapped Gong Chen’s arm lightly, even while sitting in the wheelchair, her smile was radiant, "Consider it repayment for the coffee I owed you previously, how could you not tell me there was such a beautiful young niece at home, I didn’t even prepare a gift."

"It’s okay."

Gong Chen did not look at Lin Zhiyi, just softly smiled down at Sang Ran.

Lin Zhiyi was no fool; she instantly realized that this Sang Ran was not a relative of the Gong Family.

She had never seen Gong Chen smile so comfortably at any other woman.

For a moment, she was speechless, just hiding the bag in her hand behind her back.

"Apparently, you two know each other." Old Mr. Gong stood with his hands behind his back, his expression subtly complex, "Lin Zhiyi, she is Gong Chen’s lifesaver and just returned from abroad. She is also a junior from his university, comes from a prominent family. You two should get along well in the future."

A lifesaver, from a prominent family.

These were the words the old man wanted Lin Zhiyi to hear.

What else could Lin Zhiyi say? She slightly raised her eyes, catching sight of Sang Ran’s serene and affectionate gaze towards Gong Chen.

How could a man she’d saved at the risk of her own life be without feelings?

A bitter taste lingered in her throat, yet her face still bore a smile, "Understood."

As she finished speaking, the man’s icy gaze silently fell upon her.

Lin Zhiyi didn’t look up, merely standing quietly.

Soon, the relatives from the Gong Family had also arrived.

Old Mr. Gong waved his hand, "Don’t just stand there, everyone please sit down."

Liu He was especially eager today, "You guys go ahead and eat, I’ll go check on the kitchen."

Once she left, Lin Zhiyi felt somewhat uneasy. Only after the others had seated themselves did she find a spot on the side to sit down.

Sang Ran approached with her wheelchair and looked at the chair with some difficulty, "Third Young Master, could you help me a bit?"

Her wheelchair was rather large and if she didn’t sit in a chair, there might not be enough seating for everyone.

"Alright."

Gong Chen slowly bent down.

Lin Zhiyi was startled.

Although Gong Chen had previously shown a protective demeanor towards Song Wanqiu, she knew now there was a performative aspect to it.

But now, the man in front of her had his eyes fixed on Sang Ran’s face, his movements extremely gentle and soft.

This was completely different from his behavior towards Song Wanqiu.

With the comparison, it was clear what was real and what was fake.

In a daze, Lin Zhiyi felt someone moving the solid wood carved chair next to her, accidentally pressing down on her fingers resting on the armrest.

Before she could cry out in pain, someone next to her immediately stood up saying, "Miss Sang doesn’t need to be so formal; just ask someone to move the chair."

"But it seems like we won’t all fit," Sang Ran said, obviously not wanting to trouble others.

"How could it not fit?" added another person.

Lin Zhiyi clenched her fingers, and as she looked up, she caught Old Mr. Gong glancing at her fleetingly.

She understood everything and immediately stood up. "I’ll go see if my mom needs help."

"Go ahead."

Old Mr. Gong smiled kindly.

Lin Zhiyi, with her belongings in hand, turned and left, immediately followed by the sound of chairs being moved.

Looking back, by removing her chair and adding Sang Ran’s wheelchair, everything fit perfectly.

It was clear they had never intended to let her and Liu He sit down.

An icy laugh escaped her as she entered the kitchen.

Liu He, who was unaware of these subtleties, knew only that Old Mr. Gong held her in high regard, so she busied herself meticulously among the kitchen fumes.

Even when preparing the cold dishes, she inspected the presentation.

Lin Zhiyi, not wanting to spoil her good spirits, smiled as she approached.

"Mom, let me help you."

"No need, cough, cough..." Liu He covered her mouth with her hand, "You go sit and eat. I’ve brewed a medicinal dish today, made from herbs you can’t find outside. Make sure to drink a couple of bowls later."

Lin Zhiyi thought of Sang Ran in her wheelchair; clearly, the medicinal dish was prepared for her.

"Can’t I drink the first bowl of the essence right here?" she joked.

Liu He looked at her and chided playfully, "Such a clever girl, just wait."

"Alright."

Lin Zhiyi hid her injured hand along with the scarf she intended to give Gong Chen behind her back.

It seemed she wouldn’t be able to give it away this time.

Looking towards the nearby trash can, she suddenly remembered Xue Man’s words from yesterday.

"Emotions fear most being dragged through the mud, tangled till the end with no clarity..."

Thinking about it now, Gong Chen had never admitted to any feelings for her.

It was always she who, burdened by the memories of her past life, speculated about his feelings.