Chapter 8

This time, Aunt Tang didn't invite him for a meal, but said that Jiang Churan had a female friend whose birthday it was, and she wasn't quite comfortable letting Chen Fan accompany her.

Having a meal shouldn't take much time, he thought, and dialed the number Aunt Tang had given him.

"Hello, is this Churan? It's Chen Fan."

"It's me, what's up?" The cold voice of Jiang Churan came from the other end of the line.

Chen Fan didn't mind and continued, "Aunt Tang said it's your friend's birthday, and she asked me to accompany you."

"Okay, I'm at the Starbucks in the city center, come over." It seemed she had received a call from her mother, and after a moment of silence, she replied.

...

"Churan, who was on the phone?"

As soon as the call ended, a petite girl, dressed in designer brands, asked curiously.

She was Jiang Churan's rich and beautiful friend, Zhang Yumeng, who was also the one whose birthday it was.

Besides her, there was another tall and cold girl sitting next to her. They were both Jiang Churan's childhood friends.

"Let's not talk about it, it's the child of my mother's friend. I don't know what my mother sees in him, but she insists on setting us up," Jiang Churan said, putting down the phone and looking troubled.

"Wow, that's impressive, you've already met the parents," Zhang Yumeng said in amazement, her curiosity exploding. "What does he look like? What's his family background? How does he compare to our Yang Chao?"

Yang Chao was Zhang Yumeng's boyfriend, tall and handsome, and the captain of the school basketball team. His family owned the 'Tian Sheng Grand Hotel,' built to five-star standards, ranking in the top five in Chuzhou's hotel industry, with assets no less than Zhang Yumeng's family.

Many girls pursued him, and Zhang Yumeng had finally managed to hook up with him, which she was very proud of.

"You little money-grubber, you only care about looks and family background," the tall and cold friend beside her rolled her eyes.

"Why shouldn't I care about looks and family background? In this world, if you're not a handsome guy and your family has no money or power, you think you can come and flirt with me?" Zhang Yumeng put her hands on her hips and retorted confidently.

"Alright, alright, we know Miss Meng has high standards," Jiang Churan said irritably. "His name is Chen Fan, from Sishui County, no family background, just a decent-looking guy. The key is, my mother says he's a good person and honest."

"Honest? Can you eat honesty?" Zhang Yumeng couldn't help but sneer.

The tall and cold friend beside her also shook her head and said seriously, "Churan, while Meng's thoughts may not be right, if it's true that he has neither looks nor family background, even if you like him, it would be very painful for both of you. Your circles are so different, there would be many gaps between you."

"I didn't say I like him, so don't worry. My mother is just meddling, and I'm annoyed," Jiang Churan said listlessly.

"If you don't like him, then when he comes, I'll give him a piece of my mind," Zhang Yumeng coldly said. "Let him know his place. What does he have to pursue our school beauty?"

Jiang Churan rolled her eyes, too tired to even speak.

...

When Chen Fan arrived, he saw them at first glance.

In 2007, Starbucks was at its peak in China, and many young professionals and middle-to-upper-class children liked to spend their afternoons at Starbucks, drinking coffee, eating pastries, and chatting, enjoying leisurely times.

But even in Starbucks, Jiang Churan's corner was the most attention-grabbing.

The main reason was that the little girl was extremely beautiful, standing out among the coffee-drinking young professionals.

And the two girls accompanying her were also outstanding, one tall and cold, the other petite and cute. The three of them together became the center of attention in the entire café.

"Churan."

He walked over and greeted her with a smile.

He was always troubled by such tasks, but he couldn't bear to hurt Aunt Tang's feelings, as she had good intentions.

"You're here." Jiang Churan was very polite, but it was clear she was deliberately keeping her distance.

The other girl, with a fiery figure and a cold appearance, didn't even look at Chen Fan. She held her coffee and scanned the street outside the window with a blank look, exuding an air of high coldness.

"Are you Chen Fan?" Zhang Yumeng sized him up, her face full of disdain.

Her outfit, including her shoes, was worth over 100,000 yuan. Her bag was a classic LV, her clothes a pink Chanel set, and her shoes were Mauro Leone from Milan, Italy, which her father had bought abroad.

Chen Fan, on the other hand, was dressed in ordinary clothes, easily available on the street, costing a few hundred yuan. The contrast between the two was stark.

"Kid, do you think you can pursue our school beauty, Jiang Churan? Do you know how many suitors Churan has at school? The son of the vice mayor, the top student in the city who was sent to Tsinghua, they are all Churan's admirers. You have no money, no looks, no talent, who gave you the courage?" Zhang Yumeng sneered.

"Yumeng?" Jiang Churan glared at her, as if scolding her for being too harsh.

"Don't worry, I'm just here to have a meal with her as Aunt Tang asked, I have no intention of pursuing her," Chen Fan glanced at Jiang Churan and said.

"Yumeng didn't mean it that way, don't misunderstand," Jiang Churan said coolly.

If not that way, then what way?

Chen Fan smiled, not caring.

Seeing that Jiang Churan only glared at Zhang Yumeng and didn't explain to him, he knew she had tacitly approved of her words.

In this life, apart from Xiao Qiong, he was indifferent to other girls. Since Jiang Churan had no interest in him, why should he force himself?

Zhang Yumeng proudly lifted her chin at him, seeing her goal achieved, and picked up a fashion magazine, ignoring him.

Chen Fan quietly ordered a cappuccino and found an empty seat.

His attention was not on Jiang Churan and Zhang Yumeng, but on the cold and beautiful girl beside them.

Xu Rongfei!

Jiang Churan's friend.

And strictly speaking, they had a somewhat ambiguous relationship in his previous life.

The cold and beautiful girl wore a black crop top, with a high chest and a slender waist. Her tight jeans revealed a pair of shockingly long and beautiful legs, with white skin that was crystal clear in the sunlight. She wore fashionable white running shoes.

Although not a luxury brand, her tall figure made ordinary clothes look like a supermodel's.

She seemed cold, but was actually quite nice at heart. In his previous life, she had even told Chen Fan who Jiang Churan liked, advising him to give up and find someone he truly loved.

Unlike Zhang Yumeng, who was cute and fashionable, with a wealthy family background, but had her eyes set on the sky and never looked at Chen Fan in his previous life.

"I remember Xu Rongfei was an art student, who got into the Beijing Film Academy the next year, became an actress, and starred in several popular TV series, earning the title of one of the 'Four Little Flower Girls' of her generation?" Chen Fan sipped his coffee and observed Xu Rongfei.

When he was still the heir of Jinxiu Real Estate, he had some interactions with Xu Rongfei, the actress.

They met at a fashion party organized by a major entertainment company. Old classmates meeting, one a billionaire's son, the other a rising star, with some past connections, naturally sparked some chemistry.

Unfortunately, before anything could come of it, Chen Fan faced the biggest upheaval of his life.

The company went bankrupt, his mother passed away, and he was busy and stressed, with no time for old classmates.

When he returned to Chuzhou alone and destitute, he heard from a friend that Xu Rongfei had offended a big shot in the industry and was put on ice, with many negative news stories. She couldn't handle the pressure, became depressed, and committed suicide, ending her short and brilliant life at less than 30 years old.

Chen Fan sighed, thinking about how they had met with such high spirits, considering themselves the best among their classmates and friends. But in a blink, one was destitute, and the other had taken her own life.

"Life is truly unpredictable." Chen Fan couldn't help but sigh.

Noticing his unusual gaze, Xu Rongfei frowned and turned to ask:

"Do you know me?"

Although she looked cold, her voice was soft and sweet, like a coquettish whisper. This made her unapproachable to many boys, but her suitors only increased, one after another.

This reminded Chen Fan of a famous actress from his previous life, 'Sister Zhiling.'

Xu Rongfei entered the entertainment industry with the nickname 'Little Zhiling,' but her fate was much worse than Sister Zhiling's.

"I don't know you, but my family has a deep knowledge of the I Ching and I'm known as a fortune-teller," seeing his old acquaintance, Chen Fan felt playful. He put aside his sigh and said half-jokingly, half-seriously:

"For example, even though it's our first meeting, I can tell you're an art student and your name contains the character 'Xu.'"

"Really? What else can you tell?" Xu Rongfei was surprised by his response, her curiosity piqued.

"Anything else?" Chen Fan pretended to think. "I can tell you will get into the Beijing Film Academy, become an actress, and eventually a big star."

"How do you know I want to get into the Beijing Film Academy? And my dream is to be an actress!" Xu Rongfei's mouth opened in surprise, her face a picture of innocence, like a ripe apple, making one want to take a bite.

"Ha ha!" Zhang Yumeng couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, Miss Xu, you're the star of our Changqingteng High School. Your information is easy to find out," Zhang Yumeng hugged Xu Rongfei and kissed her cheek, then turned to look at Chen Fan with disdain.

"Kid from Sishui County, chasing girls isn't just about talking. And you're too fickle. Just rejected by Churan, now you're after our Xu? Do you think we're fools?"

Jiang Churan also frowned inwardly.

She thought Chen Fan, though a bit boastful, was still a decent person, but now he seemed to be a smooth talker.

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