After Teasing the Villain and Running Away - Chapter 26

The development conference of Qixin District was held in the exhibition hall between the Twin Towers, brightly lit and spacious. Everyone seated here was either a financial tycoon or a rising investment star.

When Jiang Ruosheng brought Ruan Xin inside, countless eyes turned their way. Although news of their engagement had already been announced, some still believed that seeing was believing.

Their gazes swept across the room, and Jiang Ruosheng knew they were searching for Xin Ran. But the woman currently busy pursuing her beloved likely had no time to attend this summit.

Ruan Xin walked beside Jiang Ruosheng with a soft smile, playing the role of a perfect, naive trophy wife, seemingly fascinated by everything around her.

“Director Jiang has finally decided to bring out the little beauty from home?” A middle-aged man in a crisp suit, slightly portly with a well-fed face, approached. His expensive watch worth hundreds of thousands and meticulously tied bowtie all emphasized how seriously he took this opportunity.

Jiang Ruosheng gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

“Miss Ruan is truly stunning. My wife recently acquired some jewelry from an auction in Country A, including a deep blue pearl that would suit you perfectly. How about I send it over another day?”

Ruan Xin pursed her lips slightly before turning to look at Jiang Ruosheng.

Her acting was truly on point.

Jiang Ruosheng mused inwardly before lightly patting Ruan Xin’s hand resting on her arm. “It’d be impolite to decline. Since it’s a gift from Director Chen, we’ll accept it.”

Hearing this, Director Chen’s plump face creased into a wide grin, his eyes narrowing into slits. “I’ll have to rely on Director Jiang’s support for future business collaborations. And don’t forget to send me an invitation to your engagement banquet!”

Jiang Ruosheng’s expression remained indifferent as she nodded.

Her demeanor was always cool, but a nod from her was as good as an agreement. The man saw nothing amiss and walked away cheerfully.

“His wife is a distant relative of Xin Ran’s,” Jiang Ruosheng mentioned offhandedly.

Ruan Xin raised an eyebrow. “So she’s part of the Xin family?”

Jiang Ruosheng glanced down at the top of her head, her tone neutral. “…Not exactly. A side branch’s illegitimate daughter, married off early. The Xin family never acknowledged her.”

“Sounds a lot like me,” Ruan Xin teased, her voice light without a trace of negativity. But Jiang Ruosheng knew this was just a facade beneath her delicate exterior.

Being married off as a tool for alliance—this might have been Ruan Xin’s passive fate. Compared to getting shot in the head by Xin Ran, it was hard to say which would have been more torturous for her.

Jiang Ruosheng led Ruan Xin around, introducing her to as many neutral parties and Xin Ran’s adversaries as possible. She didn’t concern herself with how Ruan Xin would lobby them afterward or whether she’d succeed.

She simply believed that, as things stood, Ruan Xin had little chance against Xin Ran, whose roots ran deep in the city.

In the original story, though Ruan Xin made a triumphant return and brought down Xin Ran’s company, the Xin family’s power remained firmly in the hands of its sole heir. With the entire Xin family’s backing, the collapse of one company meant nothing—she could always build more.

Jiang Ruosheng hoped Ruan Xin’s involvement would weaken the Xin family’s influence as much as possible.

So—

She wasn’t genuinely helping Ruan Xin.

The conference’s agenda was tedious, with industry representatives taking the stage later for speeches. As one of the sector’s miracle workers, Jiang Ruosheng was among them.

Before stepping onto the stage, she rose from her seat and headed to the restroom first.

The cool water splashed on her face, finally dispelling the burning heat on her back. The mirror reflected a face as beautiful as a lotus emerging from water—deep, striking features with slightly mixed-race gray eyes like dense fog.

Droplets trailed down her hairline, falling onto her forehead before sliding over her straight, high nose bridge and landing on her rosy lips. The faint smudged makeup only accentuated her delicate beauty.

Seven years had passed in the blink of an eye. The once cold, exhausted, and high-strung student had quietly shed her immaturity and fragility.

After the upheaval in her family, facing the empty home now labeled with a foreclosure sign, Jiang Ruosheng looked down at her neat school uniform and gritted her teeth, using years of savings to buy a shabby office space.

Located in a remote corner of the bustling district, the construction noise from nearby sites roared from dawn till dusk. Occasionally, late-shift workers from next door would stumble back half-drunk, shouting and stomping.

From then on, Jiang Ruosheng developed the habit of living at the office day and night. Often working late into the night, she would either doze off at her desk or pull out a simple folding cot from underneath, wrapping herself in a blanket until morning.

She frequently skipped school, but her grades remained at the top of the class. Knowing her family circumstances were unusual, the school advisors and homeroom teacher turned a blind eye.

Countless long nights were spent lying on that creaky cot, staring at the gray sky through the blinds.

Who would have thought that Jiang Ruosheng, once the treasured jewel of the Jiang family, would end up in such a pitiful state?

“…Jiang Ruosheng?” A voice called from behind.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Jiang Ruosheng wiped her face with a damp towel and turned around. A face both familiar and unfamiliar came into view.

It was Lu Ran.

Jiang Ruosheng was momentarily dazed, wondering if she had mistaken the person. After all, it had been years since they last met, and their last conversation had been far from pleasant.

With no intention of catching up, Jiang Ruosheng silently turned back to the mirror and continued wiping her face.

An awkward tension filled the air as Lu Ran crossed her arms, her haughty tone unchanged. “You’ve done well for yourself, huh? Who would’ve thought that even after the Jiang family went bankrupt, you’d manage to rebuild it.”

The sarcasm made Jiang Ruosheng want to roll her eyes. She rummaged through her makeup bag for a light foundation, determined to ignore her.

Seeing Jiang Ruosheng’s indifference, Lu Ran’s face flushed red with frustration. She stomped her foot.

“After all these years… are you still mad at me?” Her voice grew hoarse toward the end, her fists clenched tightly as she waited for Jiang Ruosheng’s response.

When the Jiang family fell, her parents had considered rebuilding the company. Her father had reached out to old connections, but all efforts were in vain—like stones sinking into the ocean.

When the wall collapses, even the closest monkeys scatter. Even the deepest friendships became superficial.

The Lu family, once the Jiangs’ closest ally, was no exception. Lu Ran’s father had not only refused to help but also secretly manipulated Jiang Corporation’s employees to paint the Jiangs as ruthless capitalists.

Upon learning of this matter, Jiang Ruosheng immediately sought out Lu Ran, hoping to enlist her help in persuading Lu’s father, only to be met with scornful rejection.

Lu Ran sneered, “So what if our family kicked you while you were down? Blame your own Jiang family for being incompetent.”

Her twisted, envious face was vividly reflected in Jiang Ruosheng’s eyes. “I won’t help you. You chose to stand by Ruan Xin back then. We grew up together for over a decade—what was she to you? Yet you protected her so fiercely.”

“Now that the Jiang family is gone, she just packed up and left the country. Do you think she cared about you at all? Of course not—she’s the Xin family’s illegitimate daughter. She never needed to humble herself at Jiang’s doorstep. And you’re no longer the Jiang heiress. You’ve got nothing now.”

Realizing Lu Ran was a hopeless case, Jiang Ruosheng cut all ties with her afterward.

“Back then, I had no choice. My father made the decision… What right did I have to interfere? Ruosheng, you—”

Jiang Ruosheng paused her movements and turned to face the noisy Lu Ran with exasperation. “You always know exactly which wounds to poke. Whether intentional or not, let me remind you.”

“Helping or not helping was your choice. I understood why no one would aid the Jiang family then, and I bear no resentment. But kicking us when we were down, using dirty tricks to smear us—that’s a debt I won’t forget.”

Lu Ran stiffened, taking an involuntary step forward. “Ruosheng, I know you’re angry, but things aren’t what you think—”

A glacial chill gathered in Jiang Ruosheng’s eyes. “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll settle this debt with the Lu family sooner or later. I suggest you disappear from my sight now, unless you’d like me to collect some interest upfront.”

The sheer intimidation in her tone and the overwhelming aura forced Lu Ran back a step. Pressing her lips together, Lu Ran abruptly changed topics.

“I heard you’re engaged to Ruan Xin?”

Jiang Ruosheng: “…You really have a talent for hitting every sore spot.”

Lu Ran grew animated. “She’s not as innocent as she seems! Ruosheng, don’t be fooled. I know something about what happened to the Jiang family seven years ago—Ruan Xin was the mastermind behind your family’s bankruptcy!”

As if finally unleashing her trump card, Lu Ran caught her breath, her expression fervent with righteous indignation as she detailed Ruan Xin’s vileness.

Her eager tone suggested she’d found the perfect scapegoat—as if someone else’s depravity could somehow sanitize her own ugliness.

“She must have big ambitions returning now. You should stay away from that selfish, scheming b1tch—who knows what she’s plotting? I know the past can’t be undone, but I came just to warn you.”

“We were so close for so long. I’d never harm you.”

Ever since Jiang Ruosheng emerged as a rising powerhouse, Lu Ran couldn’t help regretting her cold rejection back then. The more the Jiang family flourished, the sharper that regret became.

Even her father had declared the Jiang family finished, beyond recovery. Naturally, she’d shown Jiang Ruosheng no kindness then. Who could have predicted this reversal?

Now, seeing Jiang Ruosheng’s untouchable, icy elegance gracing financial magazines repeatedly, something primal stirred in Lu Ran’s chest.

They’d once been inseparable. Now they stood as virtual enemies.

That twisted longing she couldn’t suppress finally broke free when she heard the news of her engagement to Ruan Xin.

They were together again? Why? What right did Ruan Xin have?

Especially when she saw them holding hands, smiling sweetly like a perfect pair—her jealousy reached its peak.

Jiang Ruosheng surely didn’t know that Ruan Xin was her true enemy, the one who had destroyed her family.

Lu Ran thought maliciously that exposing the truth would be a form of apology to Jiang Ruosheng.

“So, you shouldn’t—”

But—

“I know. I’ve always known about Ruan Xin.” Jiang Ruosheng’s offhand remark completely cut off Lu Ran’s next words.

Lu Ran’s lips twisted. “You knew? And yet you still—”

Jiang Ruosheng shrugged. “That’s between us. It has nothing to do with you. You can leave now.”

Her tone was cold and distant, pushing Lu Ran a thousand miles away.

Lu Ran’s emotions shattered. She wanted to shout something more, but Jiang Ruosheng had already lost patience.

Why was touching up her makeup so difficult?

She walked toward the door, intending to find a quiet lounge.

But her gaze suddenly locked with a pair of deep, jade-like eyes.

Ruan Xin stood expressionless at the doorway—how long had she been listening?