I Married My Love Rival (GL) - Chapter 10

The smile on the face of the squatting dog owner slowly vanished.

Luo Simo batted away Ji Ran’s hand and stood up. Now, it was Ji Ran’s turn to grin with the satisfaction of a successful prank.

Luo Simo didn’t dwell on Ji Ran’s action. She led August to the doctor to inquire about his condition, paid the bill, and took him home.

As the two walked out with the dog, August cleverly found Luo Simo’s car.

Luo Simo followed, unlocking the car. Just as Ji Ran opened the front passenger door, August dashed in with lightning speed and immediately commandeered the seat.

Ji Ran stared dumbfounded. Seeing this, Luo Simo chuckled softly.

“August, go to the back.”

“Awooo!”

August didn’t move. He barked twice at Luo Simo, his tail wagging non-stop.

“No, you can’t sit in the front seat anymore, got it?”

“Awooo-woo.”

August’s barks became plaintive.

“There’s no ‘why.’ It’s because someone else is sitting in the front passenger seat. Move over now.”

August’s bright eyes dimmed. He lowered his head and sullenly crawled to the back, lying down and burying his head in his paws.

Ji Ran watched the interaction between the person and the dog: Should I just leave?

She felt like she was the third wheel.

She had to admit, the Golden Retriever was quite human-like.

In the end, Ji Ran took the front passenger seat. The moment she sat down, she felt the dog’s sorrowful gaze.

Luo Simo, still standing outside the car, seemed to sense something. She gripped the car door and glanced around.

Outside a nearby coffee shop, a man wearing a hat quickly lowered his head, staring at the menu as if the brim could hide everything.

Burying one’s head in the sand.

Luo Simo scoffed and curled her lip.

“I have a quick errand. Wait for me.”

One second, Luo Simo’s eyes were icy; the next, she spoke softly to Ji Ran in the car.

“Okay. Don’t worry, I won’t argue with August.”

As soon as Luo Simo left, Ji Ran turned to stare at August.

“Little guy, see that? From now on, your owner’s favorite is me, got it?”

“A dog like you, who won’t let people pet him, will drop in rank, got it?”

“If your rank drops, you might get kicked out of the house. Do you know how pitiful the dogs outside are? They don’t get canned food and they get bullied by dog bullies.”

“So, hurry up and bring your head over and let me pet you!”

“Awoo…”

August, threatened by “Mr. Ji,” whimpered, trying to resist.

“Little dog, don’t be disobedient. Hurry up. I’m telling you, it’s dangerous outside. A little dog like you will be severely bullied. Let big sister pet you quickly, and big sister will protect you. I’ll also give you yummy treats when we get back.”

When threats failed, Ji Ran resorted to coaxing, leaning her body toward the back.

“Hehehe.”

The car was cramped, and August had nowhere to run. He eventually fell into the clutches of the she-devil.

“Wuwu…”

“What a good, obedient dog.”

When Ji Ran finished petting the dog, Luo Simo returned. August immediately stretched his head forward and whined at her.

“What’s wrong? We’re going home now.”

“Wuwu…”

“Maybe he just wants to whine to you. He’s very well-behaved. He even let me pet him just now.”

Saying this, Ji Ran reached out and stroked August’s head again.

August: You’re just taking advantage of the fact that dogs can’t talk!

“That’s great. August is very gentle, just a bit shy and timid, and doesn’t usually approach strangers. If he let you pet him, it means he likes you a lot.”

August: She forced me!

Once again, August lay down, sadly burying his head in his paws, his eyes full of grievance.

Not long after they returned home, the seller delivered the flowers. The home decor items they saw that morning were still being prepared and would be delivered tomorrow.

Luo Simo went to cook, while Ji Ran directed the delivery staff on where to place the flower stands.

August ran around the yard for a while, then grabbed his plush toy and lay down in the living room to rest.

After the sunroom was sorted, Ji Ran washed her hands and returned to the house. Seeing August in the living room, she couldn’t resist petting him again. The gentle August only whined softly in protest, not refusing her.

After Ji Ran played with him for a while, he even started to be slightly more affectionate toward Ji Ran, beginning to enjoy her touch.

Luo Simo came out with the dishes and saw Ji Ran playing with the dog on the living room carpet, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

“Time to eat.”

Hearing those words, August immediately dashed toward Luo Simo. Ji Ran also stood up.

“Good boy, go fetch your bowl.”

August obediently went to find his bowl.

“Wash your hands and come eat. There’s only one dish left.”

“On it.”

Looking at the two dishes and one soup on the table, Ji Ran went into the kitchen to wash her hands. Luo Simo, who was cooking next to her, instructed again: “The rice is ready. Help me scoop it out.”

“On it.”

Halfway through scooping the rice, the sound of a stainless steel bowl hitting the floor came from outside, along with August’s barking.

“Oh, right. August’s dog food is in the cupboard above. Help me feed him.”

“On it.”

Ji Ran was like an obedient robot. Whatever Luo Simo said, she did.

After placing the two bowls of rice on the table, Ji Ran returned to the kitchen to get the dog food.

The cupboard height was manageable for her; she could open it, but the dog food was stored too far inside. Ji Ran had to stand on her tiptoes just to barely reach it.

“Maybe put the dog food lower down in the future. It’ll be more convenient.”

Ji Ran suggested while struggling to reach, finally grasping the edge of the bag.

“Let me.”

Luo Simo, standing nearby, put the pot lid on, walked over, and easily retrieved the dog food, leveraging her height advantage.

“If it’s lower, August will flip it out, and it will get damp easily.”

Ji Ran’s heels returned to the floor, and she looked up at Luo Simo.

“Why is the cabinet designed to be so tall?”

“You’ll have to ask the person who designed the house.” Placing the dog food in Ji Ran’s arms, Luo Simo added a reminder, “There’s a small ladder in the house you can use when I’m not here.”

This was the first time 1.6-meter tall Ji Ran had been treated this way because of her height.

She wasn’t that short.

Ji Ran went out with the dog food. August immediately rushed over, circling her feet and trying to paw at the bag of food in her arms.

“You really are a greedy dog. No wonder the dog food has to be put up so high.”

Opening the clip, Ji Ran poured August a little over half a bowl of dog food.

Then, she couldn’t help but recall Luo Simo’s words about the ladder.

You can use it when I’m not here.

What did that mean? Why emphasize the “when I’m not here” part?

It was another small detail. Ji Ran stroked August’s large head, unable to hide the smile on her lips.

The sentence, reversed, meant:

When I am here, you won’t need the ladder.

Honestly, being tall is so great.

The last dish was placed on the table. Luo Simo removed her apron, hung it on the wall, and went into the kitchen to grab two pairs of chopsticks.

“I asked you to scoop the rice, and you only scooped the rice? Didn’t even grab the chopsticks?”

“I was busy feeding August, wasn’t I?” Ji Ran took the chopsticks Luo Simo handed her, smiling to deflect the blame.

It would take her a long time to fully adjust to life with another person. However, after this one day, she was actually starting to look forward to it.

Especially Luo Simo’s cooking.

I’m doomed. She’s captured my stomach now.

“How did someone like you, a young lady and a big boss, manage to become such a good cook?”

“I learned.”

Luo Simo’s answer was very concise. Ji Ran nodded thoughtfully.

Right. Maybe she had cooking lessons specially arranged for her, just like Ji Ran herself had many classes growing up. Most wealthy families raised their children that way.

In reality, Luo Simo had slowly taught herself all her cooking skills. Before the Luo family found her, she was no pampered young lady.

“Tomorrow, I have something to take care of. I might not be able to spend the day with you. Sorry.”

The two were eating in silence when Luo Simo suddenly broke it.

They had agreed during their home shopping trip to assemble the items together once the home furnishing company delivered the goods tomorrow.

“It’s okay. I can manage by myself. Besides, the delivery team will help with the installation.”

“Good.”

The two fell back into silence.

Ji Ran felt that, out of partner duty, she should probably ask what the matter was.

Because she had subtly sensed that Luo Simo seemed a little unhappy about it.

And tomorrow was Saturday. It probably wasn’t work-related, so it must be Luo Simo’s family matters.

But if she asked, and it was Luo Simo’s family matter, what should she do?

Luo Simo didn’t know that Ji Ran had actually lived in the same neighborhood as the Luo family and had a very gossipy friend who had told her many of Luo Simo’s secrets.

Also, Luo Simo’s former fiancé was once Ji Ran’s unrequited crush.

Luo Simo was probably having a conflict with her family over the broken engagement.

Ji Ran eventually decided to do nothing. But not long after, Luo Simo finished eating, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and quietly called her name.

“Ji Ran, have you told your family about us getting our marriage certificate?”

That’s a very pointed question. Had Luo Simo told her family?

So, the thing making Luo Simo unhappy was actually the conflict with her family over their marriage?

Ji Ran couldn’t help but speculate. A rebellious Luo Simo must be at loggerheads with her family.

“I haven’t told them yet. What about you?”

“I told them the same day.”

Such a direct answer. Just like Luo Simo.

Ji Ran pressed her hand to her forehead: “What was your family’s reaction?”

“They disagree.” Hmm, an expected answer.

“But they don’t need to agree.”

Also an expected answer. Given Luo Simo’s personality, this was normal.

“Don’t look down. Look at me.”

“Okay.”

Ji Ran looked up, meeting Luo Simo’s gaze. Her amber eyes were completely serious.

“You don’t need to worry about this. Marriage is between the two of us. This is our home. We’ve already gotten the marriage certificate. These are all facts. Since I said I’ll be responsible, I will follow through.”

“We might not have any emotional foundation right now, and you only agreed to marry me because I pushed for it. But we can take our time and nurture it in the days to come.”

To be honest, after spending these few days together, Luo Simo was truly a good partner. Ji Ran glanced at the nearly finished food on the dining table, then at the bouquet of roses from last night, and nodded.

“Mm.”

She didn’t object to slowly getting to know Luo Simo.