Chapter 363: Jealous Hearts and Secret Plans

The four of them looked stunned.

Did the other side move this fast?

Lin Zheng Ran sat there casually, still flipping through his book. “Don’t worry, I’ll head out after dinner tonight.”

Lily asked, puzzled, “Why go to dinner at all?”

Lin Zheng Ran looked up and explained, “It’s related to Jiang’s Uncle.”

He briefly described the product situation from last week, and Lily finally realized it was all because of her.

Lin Zheng Ran set the book down. “That’s the deal, so they just asked for a meal. It’s a small request—I couldn’t turn it down.”

Lily felt like she’d lost her say in the matter.

The three girls sat beside Lin Zheng Ran, with Han Wenwen looping her arm through his, her tone laced with a hint of jealousy. “If that’s the case, Jiang Qian knew about Uncle’s factory and jumped right in to help us without a second thought.”

Heqing frowned slightly after hearing the reason. “And she helped without expecting anything in return. The dinner invite came after the favor, so Lin Zheng Ran could easily say no if he wanted. She’s already been considerate of him.”

Han Wenwen rested her head on Lin Zheng Ran’s arm, thinking back to what had just happened. Even so, this invitation felt a bit like a date.

Since dinner was unavoidable, they needed some precautions.

Little Fox had a sudden idea, her invisible fox ears twitching. “Got it! Brother Zheng Ran, when you have dinner, try not to sit next to Jiang Qian. Sitting across is fine, but not side by side.”

“Sure, I won’t sit next to her. It’s just a regular meal.”

Han Wenwen nodded with a smile, then rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small mirror. She popped off the mirror piece with a hair clip.

She held the sharp mirror piece in her hand.

No one else knew what Han Wenwen was up to.

She waved the mirror piece and said:

“Brother Zheng Ran, this dinner is more of a business thing since someone helped out. As your girlfriends, we’re a bit jealous, but we can’t mess it up. After all, as the big boss, you’ll have plenty of these in the future!

We can’t have you never eating with another woman again—that’d kill your deals. But let’s face it, Jiang Qian’s still a rival, so we can’t just sit back. That’s why…”

Han Wenwen used the mirror piece to cut off a lock of her fox hair—or rather, her own hair.

She rubbed it in her hands to make a bracelet, then coated it with lipstick by biting it.

Now it had a bright splash of red lipstick on it.

For the end of the bracelet, Han Wenwen pulled a mini fox tail from her bag to attach as a substitute.

And just like that, she’d made a temporary fox bracelet!

Han Wenwen turned to Lin Zheng Ran:

“Ta-da! Give me your hand, Brother Zheng Ran—I’ll tie it on. Don’t take it off until you get home tonight. That way, we’re okay with you having dinner with Jiang Qian, but we’re still on guard. After all, you’re our boyfriend—we need to claim our territory!”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled and held out his hand, amazed at this fox’s clever tricks.

And where did that fluffy little fox tail even come from…

Han Wenwen caught his questioning look and replied, “I picked up a bunch of these fun little tails from a store on the way—they’re coming in handy now!”

“Alright, go ahead and tie it on.”

Lily and Heqing saw Han Wenwen putting the bracelet on Lin Zheng Ran and thought it was a great idea—it claimed their spot without disrupting his dinner.

So they followed suit. Heqing took off her hair tie, kissed it, and slipped it onto Lin Zheng Ran’s wrist.

Lily glanced at her skirt, borrowed the mirror piece from Han Wenwen, and cut a strip from an inconspicuous spot. She used her little tiger teeth to add a bite mark as a symbol.

She turned it into a bracelet and tied it on Lin Zheng Ran’s wrist too.

The three girls looked at the three bracelets on his wrist and said in unison, “Remember to come straight home after dinner.”

Lin Zheng Ran replied, “Got it.”

In the afternoon, Jiang Jingshi learned about it and realized her sister was going on a date with Lin Zheng Ran.

After hearing from the others, she quietly found a spot away from prying eyes.

Near the girls’ sports changing room, she met up with Lin Zheng Ran.

Boldly, Jiang Jingshi snipped off the clasp from her underwear and used it as a bracelet for Lin Zheng Ran. It was from her usual brand, so Jiang Qian would likely spot it as hers right away.

Jiang Jingshi held up the top of her outfit to keep her underwear from slipping without the clasp.

She said gently, “Head home early tonight and don’t chat with Qian Qian too long.”

Lin Zheng Ran kissed Jiang Jingshi on the lips.

“Don’t worry.”

Jiang Jingshi bit her lip shyly. “Then I’ll go to the changing room and put on a new one. You go handle your business, student Lin Zheng Ran.”

With no classes that afternoon, evening arrived in the blink of an eye.

In a private makeup room, Jiang Qian sat in front of the mirror.

The makeup artists around her carefully applied light makeup and styled her long hair.

Even these small details were crucial for tonight’s dinner—no stone left unturned.

Jiang Qian stared at her cool reflection in the mirror and asked, “Is this brand the same one my sister uses?”

The makeup artist nodded. “Yes, it’s the same as the eldest miss uses. It’s customized based on your skin, just with slight differences in the ingredient ratios.”

Jiang Qian was a bit puzzled but didn’t press further.

Her sister’s skin had only recently improved, and so had those other girls’.

If she and her sister used the same products, it meant Lin Zheng Ran had some special way to enhance their skin—he could handle anything.

The makeup artist asked, “Second Miss, what would you like to wear tonight? We’ve prepared several outfits—some formal, some casual. They’re all on your right.”

Jiang Qian turned to look at the clothes—various lengths, some fancy, some simple, with plenty of styles.

Jiang Qian paused for a moment and pointed to one dress. “That one, but change the color to black.”

“Black? It won’t look as good as the white version.”

“Just do it.”

The makeup artist gave in. “Alright, Second Miss, you look stunning in anything. I’ll have someone swap it for black.”

Since she was meeting Lin Zheng Ran, Jiang Qian wanted to wear her favorite color and show her best self. That was her way of pursuing someone.

She wanted him to see the real her—and love the real her.

At the door, Fang Meng walked in. “Qian Qian, I double-checked the restaurant—the menu is perfect.”

Jiang Qian glanced at Fang Meng through the mirror. “Got it. How’s your investigation going? You said it wrapped up this afternoon?”

“Yes.” Fang Meng stood beside Jiang Qian, admiring how polished she looked tonight.

“I couldn’t dig deeper on Han Wenwen—she figured out our interview angle. But with just Heqing, Lily, and the eldest miss’s info, it’s enough. I’ll analyze their common traits and differences tonight and pinpoint what makes Lin Zheng Ran tick.”

Jiang Qian’s lips curved slightly as she met her own gaze in the mirror. “I have to get him, no matter what it takes.”