When Ji Ran went to work the next day, he saw Lin Lin standing by his desk. She had her head down and was fidgeting with her fingers, visibly ill at ease.
Ji Ran walked over to her and asked, "Lin Lin, what's wrong?"
Lin Lin looked up in alarm. When she saw him, she began to stammer out an apology. "Ji Ran, what happened yesterday was all my fault. I'm sorry."
So that was what this was about. Ji Ran smiled, unconcerned. "How could that be your fault? They're other people's mouths. How could you control what they say?"
Seeing that he really didn't seem angry, Lin Lin breathed a sigh of relief, but she still said, "No matter what, I'm really sorry Zhang Tao said those things about your brother."
Ji Ran said, "It's fine. He said the wrong thing, and I already beat him up for it. He's nobody to you, so you don't need to apologize for him."
If anything, Lin Lin was a victim in all this too. She had already rejected Zhang Tao many times, but he had kept pestering her like a lingering ghost, and it had ended in this.
Lin Lin had only liked and admired Zhao Pingchuan to begin with; she hadn't gone as far as having a secret crush on him. After learning his true identity, she understood even more clearly that he wasn't someone she could handle, so she put any other thoughts aside.
At the time, she had simply thought Zhao Pingchuan was very handsome and couldn't resist saving the photo from Ji Ran's Moments. Having that little secret exposed was embarrassing for her too.
Lin Lin asked, "Has this caused your brother any trouble?"
Ji Ran shook his head. "He doesn't get to decide whether my brother is a good person."
Lin Lin was reassured. She suddenly smiled and said sincerely, "Ji Ran, I really didn't expect your brother to be Zhao Pingchuan, but that doesn't change the fact that we think he's an outstanding person."
A few colleagues nearby had been paying attention to them. They hadn't felt it was their place to interrupt, but when they heard that, they couldn't help gathering around and chiming in. "That's right, Ji Ran. We never expected your brother to be President Zhao from Pingchuan Technology. No wonder he knows so much."
Another colleague said, "What happened before is in the past. Brother Zhao is so capable. If he ever wants to make a comeback, wouldn't it be a piece of cake?"
Everyone agreed. "That's right. If he succeeded once, he can do it again."
Hearing them say that, Ji Ran was happy for Zhao Pingchuan too. He smiled and said, "Okay, thank you all for the encouragement. I'll pass it on to my brother."
The cloud hanging over them from the fight dispersed, and their curiosity got the better of them again. "Ji Ran, how did you and your brother meet?"
It involved the secret of his transmigration into a book, so he couldn't explain. After some thought, Ji Ran answered, "I got a job at Pingchuan Technology before, but the company declared bankruptcy before I started work. I happened to meet my brother at the company, and he had nowhere to go at the time, so I let him stay at my place for a while."
His colleagues listened wide-eyed, marveling that he had encountered something so extraordinary. "Nice one, Ji Ran. That was really loyal of you."
"But you two are so close now, even closer than actual brothers."
Ji Ran smiled. "Yeah."
No one had taken the nasty things Zhang Tao had said about the two of them having an improper relationship seriously. They had seen Zhao Pingchuan and Ji Ran together with their own eyes, and had seen clearly how Zhao Pingchuan indulged Ji Ran and how Ji Ran stood up for Zhao Pingchuan. There was no way their relationship could be the sordid kind Zhang Tao imagined.
Hearing that, Ji Ran merely smiled again.
What happened that day had affected Zhao Pingchuan after all. Not long afterward, he said to Ji Ran, "Ranran, I want to start a business again."
Ji Ran was startled by the sudden declaration. It took him several seconds to process what he had heard. "Brother, why do you suddenly want to start a business?"
He was cautious, afraid that Zhang Tao's words had provoked Zhao Pingchuan.
Zhao Pingchuan saw through him at a glance and explained with a smile, "Don't worry. I've thought it through carefully."
Ji Ran's eyes lit up. "Brother, have you really made up your mind?"
Zhao Pingchuan nodded. "There's still a long life ahead of me, and plenty of chances to try. Even if all my efforts come to nothing in the end, at least I'll have done right by myself."
Ji Ran was gratified. Knowing that Zhao Pingchuan could think that way put his mind at ease, and he immediately offered his support. "Great, Brother! I'll support you all the way. If there's anything I can do to help, you have to tell me."
Zhao Pingchuan affectionately ruffled his hair. "All right. I won't stand on ceremony with you."
In fact, Zhao Pingchuan's announcement that he wanted to start a business again meant he already had a plan.
But the first problem he faced, funding, was a difficult hurdle.
He had gone bankrupt once, so the bank would never lend him money again. That meant he could only raise the startup capital himself.
He had more than 200,000 yuan on hand, and Ji Ran had more than 100,000 in savings, but he couldn't invest all of Ji Ran's money. Besides, even if he added it all together, it would still be nowhere near enough.
He had to think of another way.
Unless he had no other choice, Zhao Pingchuan really didn't want to trouble his former subordinates.
Clutching his phone, he sat alone in his room until the sun set. Only when his alarm rang did he seem to come to his senses and go out to pick Ji Ran up from work.
Ji Ran always gave him a very sweet smile whenever he saw him. Seeing that smile eased Zhao Pingchuan's heavy mood considerably.
He asked, "How was work today?"
Ji Ran raised his head and gave him a full report. "It's been a little busy lately. Our new product is undergoing final testing and will be ready to launch next month."
Zhao Pingchuan's eyes curved into a smile. "Thanks for your hard work, Ranran."
Then Ji Ran said, "Brother, aren't you starting a business? I don't have much money, so I borrowed some from my colleagues today. They said they could transfer it to me in the next few days."
Zhao Pingchuan was stunned. "You borrowed money from your colleagues?"
Ji Ran said, "Yeah, but I only told a few people on my team. They promised to keep it a secret for me. You don't mind, do you?"
Zhao Pingchuan's throat went dry. He didn't know what to say.
While he was thinking that he couldn't invest all of Ji Ran's money, Ji Ran had already gone and asked others for help for his sake. He was always exceeding Zhao Pingchuan's expectations of him.
"How much did you borrow?" Zhao Pingchuan asked.
Ji Ran said, "They agreed to put together 50,000 yuan each for me, 200,000 in total. Adding my own money, that's about 350,000."
Zhao Pingchuan sighed. He didn't want to gamble with Ji Ran's money, and he was even less willing to let Ji Ran borrow money for his business, but the reality was that he desperately needed it.
"Ranran," Zhao Pingchuan said with difficulty, "I really don't know how to thank you."
Ji Ran leaned back against his chair, his tone light. "Then don't thank me, because we're family."
Ji Ran had already asked others for help for his sake, so Zhao Pingchuan had no reason not to give it his all.
He contacted a few of his former subordinates, who were also some of Pingchuan Technology's old hands.
Zhao Pingchuan felt guilty toward them about how things had ended at the company, but if he truly had to ask for help, they were also the people most likely to lend him a hand.