Ch. 231..240
Chapter 231 Eat whatever you make
Tan Rou pushed Zhuang Liu to the restaurant she had chosen. It was also a good home-cooked restaurant that she had been looking for for a long time. She had been eating exotic food for a long time, so she would occasionally change her taste.
“This restaurant’s dishes are pretty good. Stir-fried beef, secret-made sea bass, and three fresh mushroom soup are all signature dishes. Here’s the menu, what else do you want to order?” Tan Rou handed the menu to Zhuang Liu.
Zhuang Liu glanced at the menu and then gave it to Tan Rou. “You can order. I’m fine with anything.”
“I’m treating you to a meal today, so you have to order.” Tan Rou insisted.
“Alright,” he said. Zhuang Liu took the menu and looked at it as if he was analyzing a report. “The stir-fried beef is spicy, the secret-made sea bass is delicious, and the three fresh mushrooms soup is hot. Why don’t we order stir-fry vegetables and a cold dish? ”
“I think that’s good fine. How about Osmanthus Water Chestnut?” Tan Rou asked.
“Osmanthus what?” Zhuang Liu’s eyes twitched. “This… It’s written horse hooves here. Isn’t there going to be a bloody smell?”
Tan Rou was stunned. “Huh? Why would it?”
“To tell you the truth, I haven’t eaten horse hooves yet, nor have I eaten horse meat.” Zhuang Liu quickly confessed.
Tan Rou was stunned for a moment and suddenly laughed. “My third young master Zhuang, it’s not actual horse hooves. The scientific name is water chestnut. Look at the menu. Isn’t it Osmanthus Water Chestnut?”
After listening to her, Zhuang Liu carefully searched the menu and found that the Osmanthus Water Chestnut was a dessert.
“I’ve never eaten such things. I’m sorry.” Zhuang Liu said, feeling embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through. I thought you would know.” Tan Rou apologized. “But, I’m not surprised. Third young master probably hasn’t seen such cheap dishes in the past.”
“It’s true that I have not seen them.” Zhuang Liu answered honestly.
“Third young master, you’d better have a good taste today.” Tan Rou ordered an ice-cold one.
While waiting for the dishes, Zhuang Liu crazily read up on plants to prevent Tan Rou from saying something he didn’t know.
“Hello, this is the stir-fried beef you ordered.” A good-looking waitress came in with the dishes. After she came in, her eyes followed Zhuang Liu without moving.
“There are still a few more dishes. Hurry up and serve them.” Tan Rou said so to chase them out quickly.
However, the waiter did not seem to hear her. “If you are not satisfied with the food, you must call me. The principle of our restaurant is to let our customers enjoy themselves.”
Tan Rou asked her to go out again. “I don’t need you to introduce your restaurant. I just need you to serve the dishes quickly.”
Hearing her words, the waiter did not want to stay any longer.
“Yes, Madam.”
Since the dishes were not yet served, the two of them decided to wait. Anyway, the weather was hot, and they were not afraid that the dishes would turn cold.
The next second, another beautiful waitress came in with another dish. “This is the three fresh mushroom soup you ordered. Please enjoy.”
“Just leave it here.”
However, the waiter still brought the dishes to Zhuang Liu. However, Zhuang Liu didn’t even look at her. His attention was only on Tan Rou.”
The third dish was served by a different waiter, which made Tan Rou very angry. “We ordered a total of five dishes. Are you going to serve them in five batches?”
“It’s not ready yet…” The waiter explained in an embarrassed voice.
“Then bring them in together.” Zhuang Liu looked displeased. “You’re doing so many extra things here and there. Are you still trying to run a business here?” He hated employees who dragged their feet the most. If they were from his company, he would have fired them already.
“I’m sorry!” The waiter trotted out after putting down the dishes.
On the last trip, the dishes were served.
Tan Rou knew clearly what was going on. These waiters simply wanted to look at Zhuang Liu because he was handsome. Can Zhuang Liu be someone you take turns to look at?
A good meal had been ruined. Fortunately, the dishes weren’t bad. Otherwise, she would have to talk to the boss. It was just that the desserts weren’t satisfying.
“This restaurant doesn’t seem to be good at making desserts.” After tasting the sweet-scented Osmanthus Water Chestnut, Tan Rou commented, “The fragrance is too strong and it destroys the natural fragrance of the water chestnut. Moreover, it has been cooked for too long, so the water chestnut is not crisp enough. The sweetness is moderate but there’s too many flaws. It’s hard to ignore them.”
It was Zhuang Liu’s first time eating it, so he didn’t know what the others tasted like. He thought it was okay, but if Xiao Rou said it was not good, then it was not.
“Yes, it’s indeed a little lacking.” Zhuang Liu commented.
“If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll cook for you. I guarantee it’ll taste better than this.”
Zhuang Liu’s heart was filled with sweetness. “Sure, I’ll eat whatever you make.”
Chapter 232 The little cabbage at home
After hearing that, Tan Rou’s ears turned red. She had only cooked for her family. In her heart, only her closest family members could eat the food she cooked. Why did she have to say everything in front of Zhuang Liu? However, words that had been spoken were like water that had been spilled, and could not be taken back.
‘Forget it, forget it, let’s not think about this for now.’
Anyway, she only said that she would cook for him if she had the chance in the future and they will never know when it was.
When they came out of the private room, Tan Rou felt a hot wind, which gave her red ears a good excuse. If he asked, she would say it was hot.
“Where’s Xiao Mo?” Tan Rou didn’t see Xiao Mo at the door.
“I told him to eat his own lunch and then went to wait in the car.”
“Then let’s go over now, the car is parked quite far away.” Tan Rou pushed Zhuang Liu toward the car.
In the parking lot, she met an unexpected person.
In order not to let that person see Zhuang Liu, she had to push Zhuang Liu around.
“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Liu was puzzled.
“I saw my brother. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, I don’t want to meet with him for now.” Tan Rou explained herself.
However, Tao Zheng seemed to have noticed her. He waved at her from a dozen cars away. “Hey, Rou, over here!”
Tan Rou had no choice but to wave in response. “Big brother.”
Zhuang Liu understood Tan Rou’s dilemma. “Xiao Mo is nearby. Just leave me here, he will come and get me.”
“This…” Tan Rou was a little hesitant.
“It’s fine. Go after your second brother. I’ve already asked Xiao Mo to come over.” Zhuang Liu reassured her.
Xiao Mo was only a few cars away from Tao Zheng and quickly he arrived. He took Zhuang Liu’s wheelchair from Tan Rou and quickly left the scene.
Tao Zheng noticed Xiao Mo’s back and Zhuang Liu’s wheelchair. He muttered in his heart, “who was this?”
“Second brother,” Tan Rou went up to him. “What are you doing here? ”
“Didn’t I take some landscape photos a while ago? There are a few photography enthusiasts who wanted to buy it, so they arranged to have a meal nearby.”
“Congratulations!” Tan Rou was happy for him. Tao Zheng was a talented photographer. She hoped that he could fulfill the wish that he couldn’t in his previous life.
“That was…” Tao Zheng looked at Zhuang Liu’s car as it started moving, and he asked tentatively.
“He’s the friend I told you about earlier.” Tan Rou mentioned it casually, not wanting to hide the fact that Tao Zheng had seen her.
“Oh, oh.” Tao Zheng didn’t doubt her. “He doesn’t seem to be in a good shape. He’s even in a wheelchair.”
“Yes.” Tan Rou thought of the poison in Zhuang Liu’s leg. She had met almost everyone in her previous life except for Zhuang Liu. The change was that she met Bai Jing, who introduced Zhuang Liu to her. This time, Zhuang Liu would be treated and would soon recover.
After living two lives, she had long lost hope in love. When she was reborn, all she thought about was how to make her family live a better life and take revenge on the Tan family. But now, she had a little more wish, and that was Zhuang Liu. She hoped that Zhuang Liu could recover soon and continue to live with her.
“Xiao Rou, Xiao Rou…” When Tao Zheng saw her staring at the car in a daze, alarm bells went off in his heart. ‘Not good, not good. Our little cabbage might be stolen away!’
“Huh? Brother, what’s wrong?” Tan Rou came back to her senses.
“Rou, this is the time to study hard. We can’t be thinking about these unnecessary things, understand?” Tao Zheng said to Tan Rou in all earnestness.
Tan Rou understood his concern and couldn’t help but laugh. “Brother, you’re thinking too much. We’re just friends. At most, we’re only share the relationship of a business deal.”
Tao Zheng was still worried. “Let’s go home first. There’s no point for us to continue staring at them.” He urged Tan Rou to hurry home, as if his baby sister would be taken away if they stayed here for one more second.
Tan Rou returned with Tao Zheng. Although Tao Zheng’s guess was pretty close, Tan Rou didn’t want to do that right now. She was still a high school student. Even if she had memories of two lifetimes, she was still a high school student. She would have to wait until she was an adult before thinking about it.
She wanted to be on the same level as Zhuang Liu and be on equal footing with him, not to be under his protection.
Chapter 233 Wei Ling's Return
After Li Jia’s incident, Tan Rou felt that she had to take the initiative to attack once, but not like Tan Jing, who used underhanded methods to frame others. Instead, she had to plant a chess piece around Tan Jing.
“No way, Xiao Rou. Did you really plead for Wei Ling?” Li Li was in disbelief. “Why?! Wei Ling framed you, and you’re still pleading for her. Are you stupid?”
Tan Rou had her own plans, but she didn’t plan to tell Li Li. Li Li was a kind girl where the lesser she knew, the safer she would be.
“Wei Ling already knew that she was at fault and she promised that she wouldn’t do it again. She also passed the school’s test, so what other reason is there for her not to come back?” Tan Rou did say that but she did lay a lot of bricks on the road back to school. Otherwise, Wei Ling would not have returned to school so quickly.
“But, look at Wei Ling! She went to look for Tan Jing as soon as she came back. Aren’t you afraid that they’ll team up to frame you again?” Li Li was very angry. It was clearly Tan Rou who pleaded for Wei Ling, but Li Li did not expect that the first thing Wei Ling did after returning was to please Tan Jing. How could she swallow this?
“An upright person is not afraid of a crooked shadow. Wei Ling is a person with self-consciousness. Tan Jing can indeed bring her benefits. I’m not surprised at all that she’s trying to please Tan Jing again.” Instead of feeling strange, Tan Rou was very calm. After all, she was the one who helped Wei Ling return to school.
“Wei Ling, you’ve finally returned.” He Ling and Zhao Tu were Wei Ling’s friends too. They were very happy to see her back. “When you were gone, along with Li Jia. We’re very lonely. It’s great that you’re back.”
A faint smile appeared on Wei Ling’s face. “I’ve been thinking a lot these days since I left school. I was possessed in the past, but now that I’m back, I want to study hard.” She looked at Tan Jing.
“Jing Jing, I’m really sorry. I said some nasty things back then and I regret it now. Can you forgive me?”
Tan Jing had just lost Li Jia as a chess piece, and it was time to use other people. Now that Wei Ling was back, she was much smarter and more capable than the rest of them. So, she would be able to be more helpful than the clothes. However, she was still a little wary. After all, Tan Rou was the one who brought Wei Ling back.
“Welcome back, Wei Ling.” Tan Jing was both excited and sad.
“It’s good that you’re back. Otherwise, I’d be so sad. First you, then Li Jia. My friends all left me. ”
Wei Ling cursed at Tan Jing in her heart for being a white lotus and being shameless, but she still flattered Tan Jing. “This is not your fault. It’s Tan Rou’s fault. I heard that you have already sent Li Jia’s mother back to the sanatorium. I don’t think there is a better friend than you.”
So, Wei Ling came back to suck up to her after learning that she had sent Li Jia’s mother to the sanatorium! Tan Jing was relieved after hearing her words. Indeed, money talks.
However, she had spent the money too quickly and had attracted the concern of her parents.
“Jing Jing, how did you spend so much money recently?” Chen Yi couldn’t help but ask as she looked at the money being sent out.
“I’m sorry.” Tan Jing said sadly.
“One of my classmates was caught by Tan Rou and was sent to the police station. I don’t know where she found people to not only remove all the nasty comments on the internet, but also sent my good friend to jail. My friend and her mother only had each other to depend on, and her mother has been sick all these while. I heard that she fell ill after going to jail, so I took money to treat her mother’s illness.”
Chen Yi was very happy to hear this. “Oh, my dear daughter. You’re so kind!”
Tan Song did not care how much money she spent. She was just a little girl. How much could she spend? He only cared about Tan Jing’s results.
“Have you had any exams recently? You didn’t do well last time, so you can’t make any mistakes this time.” Tan song said with a straight face.
Tan Jing was a little flustered. She had been busy dealing with Tan Rou recently and hadn’t been studying, but she couldn’t tell the truth. “Not yet. I’ll definitely do well next time.”
Tan song glanced at her. “Alright.”
Tan Jing was afraid of being discovered, so she quickly went upstairs.
“Seriously, why are you giving your daughter so much pressure? No matter how bad our daughter does, she’s still better than Tan Rou. Doesn’t Tan Rou rank last every year?” Chen Yi blamed Tan song.
“Tan Rou’s brain isn’t one that works. It’s normal for her to be last.” Tan Song suddenly gave a weird comment.
When Tan Jing heard this, she slowed down her pace, wanting to hear what they were talking about.
“Hey, is the person who sent her back reliable? I’m a little worried.” Chen Yi asked Tan Song more about it.
“You’ve seen it for yourself these two years. She doesn’t know anything other than fighting and causing trouble. Does that look like something someone with a good brain would do? Moreover, her grades are also a mess. She has long lost her intelligence as a child.” Tan Song reassured her.
Chapter 234 Her Broken Brain
“That’s true.” Chen Yi still couldn’t calm her anger. “It’s because of her that our daughter has to live in that broken place for more than ten years. If it weren’t for her, our daughter would have come back long ago. Why would she have to live such a hard life?”
Tan Song also felt a little guilty toward Tan Jing, but for the sake of the Tan family, he had no choice but to let his daughter suffer.
“Alright, alright. I’ll make it up to her in the future.” Tan Song quickly stopped the conversation.
Tan Jing happened to hear everything before she entered the room. After she returned to the room, she kept thinking. Was Tan Rou’s brain broken? However, she had gotten first place in the last exam and even restored the surveillance footage in front of the principal and the others. This time, it was the same. She had no idea where Tan Rou had gotten so much evidence to beat Li Jia up. Was this something a person with a bad brain could do?
Tan Jing had to check it out. She would not be able to get anything out of Chen Yi if she asked. They were talking behind her back because they did not want her to know. If she asked, they definitely wouldn’t tell her the truth.
Fortunately, she was no longer a poor little girl. She was now the rich and powerful eldest miss of the Tan family. As long as she spent more money, she would be found out sooner or later.
The second week after Wei Ling’s return, Song Lin came back as well. The moment Song Lin returned, everyone in the school, except the teachers and the Dean, knew about it. This was because he brought a big gift for Tan Jing, it made Tan Jing’s heart flutter so badly that she would have fainted.
“Oh my God, such a big piece of Sapphire! He Ling was extremely envious. “How much would that cost?”
Zhao Ru wanted to touch the box, but Tan Jing closed it and Zhao Ru lost her chance.
Only Wei Ling was disinterested. She had long seen Tan Jing’s true self and now she was only pretending to be polite to Tan Jing for revenge. She was not interested in anything else; no matter how good it was, and she felt that Tan Jing was not worthy of it.
“Do you like it?” Song Lin was very handsome. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be the school hunk alongside Lu Qing. He opened the box. “This piece of aquamarine is of the best quality, both in size and texture. It suits you very well.”
Tan Jing looked reserved on the surface, but in fact, she was already overjoyed. Although she did not know much about jewelry, such a large piece of Sapphire was definitely costly. Why didn’t she see Song Lin being so generous before?
“This is to celebrate you finding your biological parents.” Song Lin said. When he was abroad, he always paid attention to what was happening to Tan Jing. After knowing that she had found her biological parents, he was happy for her for a long time and specially bought her this gemstone necklace.
After that, when he heard that she had nothing to do with Lu Qing, he was so happy that he almost flew back from abroad early.
“Thank you, Song Lin.” Tan Jing loved the necklace.
Although Chen Yi had prepared a lot of things for her, there weren’t many pieces of jewelry. They were all children’s toys. She didn’t like them. She liked valuable jewelry. The more expensive, the better.
“Oh my God, she really dared to accept it.” Li Li winked at Tan Rou. “You don’t even know if she’s worthy of that gem.”
With just a glance, Tan Rou knew that the gem wasn’t a good one. Due to the instability of the Aquamarine, many businesses would add other elements into it when making jewelry. Outsiders could not tell, but experts could see the problem with the gem if they looked carefully. She did not know if Song Lin did it on purpose or not.
“It’s none of our business.” Tan Rou copied the words that the teacher had given her. “It’s not for you. Don’t be so excited.”
They were talking in a loud voice, so Tan Jing and the others heard them.
“I really like your gift.” Tan Jing’s eyes curved, and her smile was like a flower.
Song Lin felt his heart beating so fast that it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He grabbed Tan Jing’s hand and said in a domineering manner, “In the past, when there were others who bullied you, it was because I was not around. Now that I’m back, I will not allow anyone to bully you again!”
When he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Tan Rou, and the threat in his words were obvious.
Tan Rou just wanted to roll her eyes at him and ask him to get lost with Tan Jing.
Xu Yan whispered to Tan Rou again, “Be careful of Song Lin. He’s not a good person. As long as he wants to do something, he will do it by any means necessary.”
Li Li was also very worried about Tan Rou. “Rou, you have to be careful!”
Tan Rou did not take it to heart. Those who could hang out with Tan Jing would not be anyone who was capable. Song Lin was a little more ruthless, but that did not mean he had a brain. Otherwise, he would not have been dragged away by Tan Jing.
“No… no one bullied me.” Tan Jing shyly retracted her hand. “You don’t have to stand up for me.”
Li Li wanted to vomit. She secretly said to Tan Rou, “I’m serious, even my dad’s old brick tea is not as strong as the green tea fragrance coming from her.”
Tan Rou was amused by her. “Then, you’d better ask your dad to drink it quickly. After all, it’s an old brick tea. If he doesn’t drink it soon, it’ll grow moldy.”
Chapter 235 Song Ling's Challenge
On the other hand, Song Lin was still expressing his loyalty to his goddess, Tan Jing. He also said a lot of things about how he thought of her when he was abroad and also bragged about some of his achievements abroad.
The girls around them were so excited that they kept praising Song Lin. Tan Jing had a fake smile on her face, clapping for him from time to time, saying that he was great.
Wei Ling wanted to vomit. Why didn’t she feel that these people, especially Tan Jing, were disgusting before? She must have been blind to think that Tan Jing was a good person who treated her sincerely.
While listening to their bragging, Wei Ling glanced at Tan Rou, and Tan Rou looked at her as well. After a brief exchange of looks, Tan Rou continued to write her notes while Wei Ling decided to make Tan Jing unhappy.
Thinking of this, Wei Ling felt much better and couldn’t help but laugh.
“Wei Ling, what are you laughing at?” Zhao Tu asked her.
Wei Ling cleared her throat. “I’m just happy for Song Lin. He’s really amazing and has won so many awards. I think you and Jingjing are really alike. Jingjing is also an outstanding young lady. It would be great if you two could be together after graduation!”
Tan Jing’s expression changed immediately. When she saw Song Lin looking in her direction, she smiled again and said shyly, “Wei Ling, don’t talk nonsense. We’re just classmates.”
Wei Ling continued to fan the flames. “Huh? Classmates? I was already thinking whether I could attend your wedding in the future. I even wanted to be your bridesmaid.”
Tan Jing could not hold her face any longer. She directly said to Song Lin, “Song Lin, we’re still young. Besides, I just want to focus on my studies.”
Although Song Lin was very disappointed by her words, what she said made a lot of sense. They were still students and shouldn’t be thinking about these love affairs. Previously, she and Lu Qing had been rumored to be in an ambiguous relationship for so long, but they still hadn’t settled down, right?
“I know, I’ll wait for you.” Song Lin was willing to wait for her.
The bell rang and Song Lin returned to his seat unwillingly. He had been away for half a year, and the seats in the classroom had been changed countless times. So, his current seat was a little far away from Tan Jing. The teacher said that he would change his seat after the exam.
“Wei Ling, why did you mention that earlier?!” Tan Jing said with an unhappy look on her face after she returned to her seat.
Wei Ling pretended to be afraid and said,” I just want to help you catch Song Lin’s heart. Otherwise, we’ll be easily bullied by them. Song Lin treats you much better than Lu Qing. I think he’s more suitable for you.”
Tan Jing thought for a moment and felt that what she said made sense. However, Song Lin was really not the kind of person she liked. However, she could not say it out loud. “Don’t say that anymore in the future. I don’t want to think about anything else now. I just want to study hard.”
Wei Linglong scoffed in her heart, ‘I’d be a fool to believe you.’
“Okay, I got it. Jingjing, can you lend me some money? ” Wei Ling asked. “I’m a little tight on money recently. My family doesn’t give me money anymore.”
Tan Jing was even happier. At first, she was worried that Wei Ling had bad intentions, but after Wei Ling had borrowed money from her a few times, she was relieved. No one would cause problems with the girl who had money.
“I know, I’ll transfer it to you in a moment.”
Wei Ling smiled. “Thank you, Jingjing.”
After Song Lin sat in his seat, he kept looking at Tan Jing. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. How could there be such a gentle girl? Plus, her results were excellent. However, it was all Tan Rou’s fault that she didn’t do well this time. It was because Tan Rou did well in her exams that Jingjing didn’t.
“Tan Rou!” The more Song Lin thought about it, the more excited he became. He slammed the table and stood up from his seat.
“I want to challenge you!”
Their Chinese teacher was a very experienced old man. When he saw Song Lin stand up and challenge Tan Rou, he reprimanded, “Student, please sit down quietly. This is a classroom. If you have anything to say, we can talk after class. Besides, the school doesn’t allow fighting, especially since you’re a male student. How can you bully a female student?”
“Teacher, I’m here to challenge her for first place in the next exams.” He called for Tan Rou to stand up.
“Tan Rou, I will definitely surpass you in the next exam!”
Tan Rou accepted his challenge. “Sure, let’s wait and see.”
Seeing that it was only for an exam, the Chinese teacher didn’t say anything. He lectured Song Lin for a minute and told him not to challenge Tan Rou in class. Then, the class continued.
“He’s so shameless.” Li Li and Tan Rou whispered to each other, “I might believe it if Lu Qing was the one who said it but he’s only in the top ten. What is he dreaming about?”
“I won’t fight you for first place.” Lu Qing spoke out of the blue. He had never cared about fame, it was just that he was naturally smart.
Tan Rou glanced at him and didn’t say anything. There’s no need to give way. She’ll leave everyone far behind in the next exam.
Chapter 236 You have to apologize to her
Since it was a competition, there should be a winner and a loser, as well as a reward and punishment. Otherwise, what was the point of it? During class, Song Lin had only mentioned that they were going to compete. They had not discussed the details yet. After class, he came over with a gloomy look on his face.
“Tan Rou, I want to challenge you!” Song Lin assumed a cool pose. With one hand in his pocket, he pointed his index finger at Tan Rou with his head tilted.
Tan Rou only felt that this posture was similar to the gangsters who blocked roads and robbed people in the past. Perhaps the gangsters no longer robbed people on streets in broad daylight and started threatening students instead?
“I’m not deaf. I’ve heard what you said in class. You don’t have to repeat it.” Tan Rou kept her cool composure as well.
Song Lin was very dissatisfied with her attitude. “Hey, I’m talking to you. What are you being so arrogant about?”
Tan Rou really didn’t want to waste time with him on such a boring matter. “Go on, I’m listening.”
Song Jin said, “Since it’s a competition, there should be something to bet on. Listen, if I get first place in this exam, you’ll have to apologize to Jingjing. Shout it through a loudspeaker in the square below the teaching building, do you hear me?”
Tan Rou frowned but didn’t refute. “What if you lose?”
“I won’t!” Song Lin was full of confidence. Although he knew that Tan Rou had gotten first place last time, could she really get first place after being last place for ten thousand years? She must have cheated and found a way out of it.
“You can’t be too sure,” Tan Rou stood up with her hands on the table. “Since it’s a competition, I have a request. If I win, I want you to take off all your clothes and run five laps around the school field. As you run, you will have to shout that you are an idiot!”
“Tan Rou!” Song Lin’s eyes widened in anger. “What did you just say?”
“You don’t dare to?” Tan Rou crossed her arms and sneered, “You were threatening me just now, but now you don’t even dare to accept the challenge? Didn’t you want me to go to the square in front of the teaching building and apologize? Are you trying to tell me that you wouldn’t do it or that you’re too scared to do it.”
“Let’s compete then! Just wait and watch yourself lose!” Song Lin’s eyes were fierce.
“Ha!” Tan Rou sneered. “It’s not certain who will win.”
Then, Tan Jing walked over. She glanced at Tan Rou and then said to Song Lin, “Song Lin, forget it. I don’t want to fight with her.”
However, in Song Lin’s eyes, Tan Jing was being considerate of him. Hence, he comforted her. “Don’t worry, Jingjing. I won’t lose.”
When Tan Rou heard what he said, she felt that there was something wrong with his brain. Even if Tan Rou didn’t get first place, there was still Lu Qing and the others, right? How could he, a top ten student in the grade, have the face to say such words? If he wanted to jump from the top 11 to the first place, he would have to get rid of all the people in front of him.
“Song Lin, I hope you remember today’s bet. After all, everyone is looking forward to seeing you run around the school field naked.”
Song Lin’s face and ears turned red from her provocation. “You’re shameless! I dare you to repeat yourself!”
“I’m not the one who’s going to run around naked. Why wouldn’t I be able to repeat myself?”
“Xiao Rou.” Tan Jing suddenly spoke, “Are you interested in Song Lin?”
When Tan Rou heard this, she felt a chill run down her spine and goosebumps rose on her skin. “I’m not blind, and there’s nothing wrong with my brain. Why would I like him?”
She looked to the side and saw that many of Song Lin’s fans had come over after hearing that Song Lin had challenged her. Tan Rou deliberately said this. “I’m doing this for everyone’s benefits. Doesn’t everyone here want to take a look at it as well?”
Her gaze fell on the girls outside the window.
The girls blushed and shook their heads, but no one stood up to criticize Tan Rou.
“Don’t be too pleased with yourself. You’ll have to apologize one day!” Song Lin pointed at her and said angrily,
Tan Rou decided to teach him a lesson. “The exam hasn’t started yet, so don’t be too smug. In the end, I might not be the one to lose badly.”
She had lived such a long life previously; if she couldn’t even deal with a child, she could forget about getting revenge.
Thinking of revenge, she couldn’t help but think of the scenes that had happened before and her hatred rose again. She would settle the score.
“Also …” Tan Rou pushed back the finger he was pointing at her with. “Don’t point at me with your finger. It’ll break if you keep pointing at me.”
A ‘crack’ was heard, followed by Song Lin’s cry of pain.
Chapter 237 As expected, she's vicious
Song Lin felt as if his fingers were about to break. He finally understood how despicable Tan Rou was. He also understood why Jingjing did not dare to resist after being bullied. It was because Tan Rou was a vicious woman.
“Song Lin, are you alright?” Tan Jing saw Tan Rou breaking Song Lin’s finger and hurried over to make her presence known. “Rou, how could you break Song Lin’s finger? Even if you can’t win the bet, you can’t do such a despicable thing.”
Tan Rou asked back, “I can’t? Are you saying that he can’t beat me?”
“Tan Rou, don’t be too arrogant! I’ll definitely beat you in the exams!” Song Lin shouted.
Seeing that tan Jing was concerned about him, he was very happy. He smiled gently at Tan Jing. “Don’t worry, Jingjing. My hand is fine. I will definitely get first place in this exam. I’ll get her to apologize to you with a big loudspeaker downstairs.”
Tan Jing lowered his eyes. “Actually, I don’t need her apology, and I don’t want to see you argue with her because of me. Now you’re even injured…”
“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.” Song Lin said with a smile.
Tan Rou thought that they were being noisy, so she excused herself to the bathroom and left the classroom. Song Lin thought that she was too afraid to face them.
Tan Jing muttered in her heart. Tan Rou’s temper was really getting weirder and weirder. In the past, her thoughts were easy to understand and manipulate, but since the party, she seemed to have changed into a different person. Tan Rou had become someone that ahe could hardly recognize.
Tan Rou became more and more arrogant. Song Lin was the young master of the Song family. Wasn’t Tan Rou afraid that Song Lin would take revenge on her? If she had been pretending in the past, then she was really too scary.
Tan Jing couldn’t help but shiver. No, she had to find out what Chen Yi meant by Tan Rou’s brain being damaged as soon as possible. Otherwise, she would feel uneasy.
“Song Lin, I’m really worried. After all, Tan Rou has always been in first place in all the exams since the start of school.”
Song Lin was provoked by her. He grabbed Tan Jing’s shoulders with both hands and said seriously, “Don’t worry. I’ve made great progress. I’m sure I’ll be able to get first place this time.”
He had been studying abroad for half a year and had not taken a break. He was constantly working on himself. He had wanted to come back and surpass Lu Qing, but he didn’t expect that the first place had already changed hands. But now, he has a new goal. Not only could he get first place, but he could also help Jingjing get revenge. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Tan Jing’s gloomy expression disappeared. She smiled. “Thank you, Song Lin.”
Song Lin was overjoyed. His dear Jingjing had indeed suffered. He should have returned earlier so that Jingjing would not be bullied by that bad woman, Tan Rou.
It was almost time for class. Song Lin wanted to use the washroom as well. “Jingjing, go back to your seat. I’m going to the washroom.”
Tan Jing looked at his back as he left, and the smile on her face disappeared immediately. A toad lusting after a swan. He’s just an illegitimate child. Does he really think she will fall for him? It was ridiculous However, since Song Lin had helped her deal with Tan Rou, she decided to allow him to continue to do so.
On the way, Song Lin kept waving his hand. Tan Rou was indeed a vicious woman. She was really cruel. He had to teach her a lesson.
Enemies are bound to meet. On the way to the washroom, Song Lin met Lu Qing. Lu Qing glanced at him but did not say anything.
Song Lin felt that Lu Qing was looking down on him. He deliberately blocked Lu Qing’s way. “I heard that you and Jingjing are no longer a couple. Then she is mine. I hope you don’t get in the way.”
Lu Qing felt that this person was a clown. He didn’t like Tan Jing, so why would he want to interfere? Besides, only a fool like Song Lin would like Tan Jing.
Tan Rou was right. Song Lin was an idiot. He didn’t think much of it at first, but now, he really wanted to see Song Lin running around naked in the field.
“I’ve already said that there’s nothing between us.” Lu Qing replied, “Who is the girl that you like and who that girl likes has nothing to do with me, so please make way.”
Song Lin snorted and moved aside. “At least you know your place.”
Lu Qing shook his head and left. He had nothing to say to this kind of person who didn’t know any better.
Chapter 238 An expert at making money
Tan Rou was secretly making money while she was in school. She had asked Mrs. Tao to save up the money from selling the incense pills, but it was far from enough for her. So, she took the opportunity to buy a few stocks that would rise sharply. Recently, her stocks had begun to profit.
“Hey, Xiao Rou, What are you looking at?” Li Li looked curiously at the dense squares and undulating lines on Tan Rou’s mobile phone. “What kind of report is it? ”
“It’s the stock market.” Tan Rou didn’t hide it from her.
“I’m investing in the stock market.”
“The stock market?! Do you know how to?” Li Li was very surprised.
“I’m just casually buying it for fun. I didn’t invest a lot of money anyway.” Tan Rou said with a smile. However, the truth was that after analysing the situation, she invested a lot of money.
“Then, did you make money?” Li Li asked.
“I’ve made a small profit, about tens of thousands.” In fact, it was more than a hundred thousand, but Tan Rou was afraid of scaring Li Li and being exposed, so she said it was only tens of thousands.
“That’s a lot! How did you buy it?” Li Li asked curiously.
“I also want to buy one and try it. Although I have some pocket money, who would mind having more money?”
Tan Rou recommended a few stocks that she was optimistic about. “Buy only a small amount of each so that even if you lose money, you won’t feel bad.” In fact, the stocks that Tan Rou told Li Li about were all guaranteed to make money.
“Of course!” Li Li then happily used her pocket money to invest in the stock market.
Tan Rou reminded her not to invest too much in case she fell into a trap.
In addition to speculating in the stock market, Tan Rou had more important work to do, which was to treat Zhuang Liu’s illness and sell more incense pills. She did not dare to simply make them and sell them to the market. After all, pills were something that would be consumed by others. If they were contaminated and harmed another person, she could not afford to compensate for it. She only dared to prescribe the required medicine to those who needed it, such as the pill for old master Lu.
Recently, Tan Rou developed a kind of incense that could improve one’s concentration. This kind of incense could be used in conjunction with nerve-soothing incense to make it easier for others to focus during work. They could also use the nerve-soothing incense after work to completely relax, achieving the effect of balancing work and rest.
Originally, they were only selling one type of incense, but now they were selling two types of incense together. The price remained the same, but the profit doubled.
“She’s amazing. To have such achievements at such a young age, her future is boundless!” Bai Jing couldn’t help but praise her.
Tan Rou smiled. “It’s all because you gave me this opportunity, Uncle Bai. When my incense pills were despised by the others, you were the one who wanted to take a look at my pills. That’s why my incense pills can sell so well.”
“That’s because those boorish people in the marketplace don’t know how to appreciate a good treasure.They’re already regretting it now. They’re so regretful that their intestines have turned green.”
“Please don’t tease me!” Tan Rou chuckled shyly.
“I’m not teasing you.” Bai Jing laughed out loud. Then, he thought of Zhuang Liu. “How have you two been?”
Tan Rou pretended not to understand. “Uncle Bai, what are you talking about?”
Bai Jing narrowed his eyes. “Don’t pretend that you don’t understand. I’m talking about how things are going between you and Liu ‘er.”
Tan Rou’s face was slightly red, and she ignored him. “The third young master’s health has improved a lot recently, and his appetite has also improved. However, he has been a little busy recently, and I haven’t been able to find a chance to give him acupuncture.”
Bai Jing was not concerned about this. He knew very well that Zhuang Liu was in good health. What he was concerned about was whether there was any progress in their relationship.
“That brat, he actually still hasn’t managed to get you.” Bai Jing felt resentful.
“Right now, I just want to study hard and earn some money so that my family can live a better life. As for the future, we can talk about it in the future.”
When Bai Jing heard her words, he admired her even more. “Good. You are a capable and independent child. In the future, Uncle Bai will not talk about it anymore. Work hard in school as well but remember….”
Bai Jing lowered his voice and said, “In the future, when you are looking for a boyfriend, you must consider our little Liu ‘er first. In the past, his legs have been injured, and this was one of the things that brought him down. In the future, when his legs recover, there will be no one more suitable than him.”
Tan Rou smiled. “The third young master is indeed a good man.”
Bai Jing stopped there.
The two of them discussed the sales of the new fragrance pill and the development of new products. Then, Zhuang Liu came to take Tan Rou to the Clear Flow Pavilion for dinner.
Before he left, Bai Jing pushed Zhuang Liu to the side and gave him a good lecture. He told Zhuang Liu to keep a close eye on Tan Rou so that others wouldn’t have the chance to take her away.
Zhuang Liu looked at the girl waiting for him in the car and said with a smile, “I’ll definitely hold onto her tightly in this life.”
Chapter 239 Still not giving up
A week before the monthly exam, Li Jia’s sentence had been announced.. As Li Jia was only 17 years old, the court gave her a lighter sentence of one year and nine months in prison and compensated the victim 23 Yuan for mental damage.
How could Li Jia have the money to pay for it? Besides, who would pay for it if she went in? Li Jia’s mother, Li Wen, dropped out of school when she was 15 years old. She had not had a proper job for years. Now that Li Jia was in jail, she had no one to rely on. So, she looked for Tan Jing again, hoping that Tan Jing could pay the money.
Tan Jing had enough of Li Wen’s constant demand for money, but she was afraid that Li Jia would expose the matter, so she could only continue to give Li Wen money. This time, Li Wen asked her for money again. She didn’t want to give her any more, so she found a job for Li Wen to be a nanny at her house. First, it was to save money, and second, she could keep Li Wen by her side, so that Li Jia wouldn’t go back on her statement in prison.
Li Wen was very dissatisfied with this. She had never been a nanny before, but she had no choice now. She could not live in the sanatorium without money. Moreover, she did not have a house in the city. For years, she had been living in other people’s houses and so in the end, she accepted Tan Jing’s arrangement.
Now that the matter was over, Tan Rou could focus on treating Zhuang Liu and old master Lu. Today was the day to perform acupuncture on old master Lu, so Zhuang Liu came to take her to the hospital.
“Are you hot?” Zhuang Liu handed Tan Rou a bottle of water. “Drink some water to moisten your throat.”
Tan Rou saw Zhuang Liu and suddenly took out a beautifully wrapped fruit candy from her pocket. “I’ll treat you to this.”
Zhuang Liu was stunned. “You brought it for me?”
“I brought it especially for you.” Tan Rou said. When she saw the candy in the living room, the first person she thought of was Zhuang Liu, so she brought the candy to school. She didn’t like them anyway.
Zhuang Liu was happy to hear that it was for him. He took the candy solemnly and held it like a treasure. “Det in the car first. It’s hot outside.”
When Lu Qing came out, he saw Tan Rou’s back as she got into someone else’s car. Although he didn’t see the man’s face, he could be sure that this was the man who had the scandal with Tan Rou.
Looking at the notebook in his hand, Lu Qing was a little disappointed. He had originally wanted to discuss a difficult problem with Tan Rou. After all, the monthly test was coming up. In the end, he was one step slower and the man got there first. Who was that man? Tan Rou said it was an older brother, but what older brother was so mysterious?
“Young master!” While Lu Qing was still in a daze, his chauffeur had already driven the car over. “It’s hot outside. Get in!”
Since Tan Rou had left, there was no point for Lu Qing to stand under the hot sun. So, he opened the door and was prepared to get in.
“Umm, Lu Qing…” Tan Jing suddenly appeared and stood beside the car with her red face. “My family’s driver didn’t come to pick me up today. Can I ask for a ride home?” She deliberately stayed in the sun for a long time before coming over, which would make her look even more pitiful.
Lu Qing glanced at her. He didn’t want to be mean to her, nor did he want to cause unnecessary trouble. If his chauffeur had driven her today, then there would be news of him and Tan Jing’s resurgence in the afternoon without even needing to wait the next day.
“No, it wouldn’t be in the same direction.” Lu Qing rejected Tan Jing, “I’m not going home. I want to go to the hospital to see my grandfather.”
Tan Jing did not give up. “Then I’ll go and visit Grandpa Lu too.”
Just then, Song Lin’s car drove over from the opposite side. Song Lin rolled down the window and waved at tan Jing. “Jingjing, I’ll send you home.”
Tan Jing was scolding Song Lin in his heart, but she did not show it on his face. “There’s no need for that, we agreed to go…”
“Grandpa doesn’t like it when so many people go to see him,” Lu Qing urged the chauffeur to start moving. “Let’s go. If we’re late, Grandpa will get angry again.”
The driver stepped on the accelerator and drove the car away. Tan Jing stood by the side of the road, sweating all over. She was so angry that she wanted to stomp her feet.
“Jingjing, get in the car!” Song Lin was still inviting her into the car.
She really didn’t want to sit in the same car as Song Lin, but now that Lu Qing had gone far away, she would have to take a taxi back if she didn’t accept a ride from Song Lin. That would be beneath her status! Looking at the scorching sun, Tan Jing gritted her teeth and got into Song Lin’s car.
“Thank you, Song Lin.” Tan Jing was sitting far away from him.
In Song Lin’s eyes, she was shy and did not dare to approach him. This made him very happy. He asked her if she was hot and if she wanted to eat anything to cool down the temperature. He did not stop chattering the entire time.
Tan Jing declined his good intentions one after another. Although he was very enthusiastic, she just wanted to stay away from him.
Chapter 240 o It Was You All Along
Because they were afraid of being discovered by Old Master Lu, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu were very careful every time. They would control the surveillance cameras in advance before entering the room for treatment. This time was no exception.
However, Old Master Lu had already noticed it. Therefore, when the surveillance cameras had been hacked, there would be a notification sent to Lu Qing as soon as possible. Lu Qing received the news in the car and ordered the driver to rush to the hospital.
Tan Rou heaved a sigh of relief after she finished her acupuncture.
Zhuang Liu accompanied her by the side. Seeing her sweating all over, he said with heartache, “I can see that Old Master Lu’s body is recovering very quickly. Is there no need for acupuncture anymore? Would oral medication be enough?”
Tan Rou glanced at Old Master Lu who was sleeping soundly on the hospital bed and shook her head. “Old Master Lu’s body is too weak. Although the acupuncture has already had some effect, there’s still some time before he recovers. During this period of time, we can’t stop the pills nor the acupunctures. Otherwise, all our previous efforts will be in vain.”
Old Master Lu’s body had indeed recovered a little, but he had not completely recovered. If he was allowed to continue receiving the previous treatment, then sooner or later, he would return to his previous state. Tan Rou did not want her efforts to be in vain.
“How much longer then?” Zhuang Liu couldn’t bear to see her work so hard. It was already tiring enough for her to go to school every day, study prescriptions, and treat him. Now, there was also Old Master Lu. He was worried that her body couldn’t take it.
“It’ll take about half a year. Traditional Chinese medicine can’t be done overnight. It has to be done slowly. This is also the reason why many people don’t want to choose traditional Chinese medicine. It takes time and effort. It’s far less effective than Western medicine.” Tan Rou said regretfully.
“Don’t tire yourself out.” Zhuang Liu could only use these words as a reminder. He could not help with the treatment at all.
“Yes, yes.” Tan Rou nodded. “After a while, we won’t have to come here sneakily anymore. As long as Old Master Lu finds out that his health has improved, he will definitely look for the reason. By then, we will be able to visit him.”
Zhuang Liu smiled in relief. “Yes, I know. ”
Tan Rou planned to settle the score with Old Master Lu when his health improved. After all, her treatment was not free. She still had to collect what was needed.
After resting, Tan Rou wanted to take out the needles. She had to control the time carefully or it would damage Old Master Lu’s body.
Zhuang Liu couldn’t do anything else. He took a tissue and wiped Tan Rou’s sweat, hoping that this would make her feel better.
In fact, if Tan Rou really wanted a more comfortable life, he would give her a house, a car, and money. As long as Tan Rou asked for it, he would definitely give her the best. But then, she wouldn’t be Tan Rou anymore. She would be a canary that had been raised in captivity.
He liked Tan Rou, and he liked her dazzling personality even more. Her ability made her shine. She could use her own ability to make her life better. She did not need others to give her alms.
He loved Tan Rou deeply. He could not bear to hurt her at all, and he would not allow anyone to hurt her even a little.
Tan Rou was focused on the acupuncture while Zhuang Liu was wiping her sweat. Neither of them noticed that Lu Qing, who had rushed over after receiving the news, was standing outside the door.
Lu Qing stood at the door and looked at the two people through the small window, especially Tan Rou.
It turned out that the person who had been performing acupuncture on his grandfather was Tan Rou.
How could that be? How could it be Tan Rou? Didn’t the doctor say that the person was an expert? At Tan Rou’s age, she didn’t look like an expert, right?
Inside the room, Tan Rou had already removed all the needles. She was a little tired, so she sat on the stool by the bed to rest for a while.
“Are you alright?” Zhuang Liu asked with concern.
Tan Rou smiled slightly. “I’m alright. Let’s leave immediately so that we won’t be discovered…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the door of the ward opened. Lu Qing stood at the door and looked straight at Tan Rou.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu looked at each other, “Where’s Xiao Mo?”
Lu Qing stood at the door, not knowing what to say. Should he say thank you? He felt a little awkward now.
Should he ask Why? But, what would he mean by saying that? Wasn’t Tan Rou saving his grandfather?
“I see.” After a long while, Lu Qing took a deep breath and said, “So it was you who secretly treated my grandfather.”
Tan Rou, 17 years old, his high school classmate, the girl who ranked first in her grade. And now, she was the hidden sage who performed acupuncture for her grandfather.
The whole thing was unbelievable.