Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack-Chapter 601 - 581: Representing Mo to Protect You
"I’m so confused." Luo Qianqian sat at the doorway, looking at the five people outside the gate.
Old Master Luo had already returned to the dining table, and Jimo Cheng was waiting for her at the door. Seeing her current state, he just smiled, "If the world was exactly as you imagined, what would be the point? It’s the unknown that makes things interesting, isn’t it?"
Luo Qianqian was taken aback. Although that was what he said, she knew more than the average person did. Perhaps it was precisely because she knew too much that she was now faced with these situations, which she would normally have no way of knowing about?
She was also in a state of confusion. Could it be precisely for this reason that problems, which turned her common sense upside down, had arisen?
But she obediently nodded, "Yes, it’s the unknown that makes things interesting." Knowing everything could certainly help prevent problems before they occur, but any small discrepancy could steer everything in a strange direction.
"Han Chen, you can go. I’ll come to find you once I’ve thought things through," Luo Qianqian said toward the people at the gate, then turned and walked back to her room to continue eating. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Jimo Cheng also returned to his place and picked up his chopsticks. After a while, the four brothers also came back.
Luo Yanran glanced at Luo Qianqian, "He’s gone."
Luo Qianqian nodded, her face showing no change, but she then put down her chopsticks, "I’m done eating. I’ll go back to my room for a bit. You guys take your time. Brother, you should eat more."
This impolite behavior was not criticized by anyone. Everyone could see the hint of hesitation on Luo Qianqian’s face.
Watching Luo Qianqian go upstairs, Old Master Luo sighed, "Don’t talk about today’s events outside, and let’s not mention it at home either." It seemed he already knew what Han Chen was going to say, and then his gaze shifted to Jimo Cheng, he put down his chopsticks, "I didn’t refuse your grandfather because the Jimo Family can protect her now."
Jimo Cheng couldn’t express any discontent with such a straightforward statement.
However, a smile remained on Jimo Cheng’s face, "I know." The moment Jimo Kong informed him about Luo Qianqian’s situation, he had all the information about the Luo Family and Luo Qianqian on his desk. It was then he became sure that the Luo Family would not refuse.
"So please protect her," Old Master Luo didn’t understand why out of so many people in the Luo Family, it was always Luo Qianqian who was targeted. From him to the five grandsons, it was always Luo Qianqian who faced repeated targeting.
"I, Jimo Cheng," Jimo Cheng put down his chopsticks and adopted a serious demeanor, "on behalf of the Jimo Family, promise to Grandpa Luo to protect Luo Qianqian."
On behalf of the Jimo Family? Luo Yanran was startled for a moment but then immediately thought, naturally, he would speak on behalf of his family when he went out. This approach was more solemn and showed capability.
...
After Luo Qianqian returned to her room and closed the door, she slumped to the floor, leaning against the door, looking utterly at a loss.
Since finding out that Xiu Ran was related to Han Chen, she had considered Han Chen to be one of the major bosses. Of course, there was also Xu Xiaoxiao, who might provoke Han Chen to make a move. But now, they were telling her that Han Chen was just a pawn and behind him was a woman she had never met?
And this even involved factions?
Chu Ting, what kind of person are you really?
She pulled out her phone, intending to dial Qin Nuan’s number, but stopped herself. Qin Nuan didn’t know anything yet. Wouldn’t this shatter her understanding of the world and throw her into confusion just like herself?
Stunned for a moment, she tossed her phone aside and hugged her knees, leaning against the door.
Muttering to herself, she said, "If the Xu Family is the big boss behind all this, why would they treat Xu Tianyi so poorly? Even letting Xu Xiaoxiao call him... ’Little bastard’? That doesn’t make sense either. If Xu Tianyi fled just because he wasn’t respected, he shouldn’t have cut off all contact. If it wasn’t the Xu Family’s contempt that made him flee, what else could it be? No, this isn’t right..."
Luo Qhianqhian frowned, "Chu Ting is from the Xu Family. If her aim in targeting me was to prevent me from stealing her spotlight, there’d be no need to target me anymore since it’s already a done deal. So, her future attacks will move from behind the scenes to the forefront. Nuannuan said that Chu Ting should be Grandpa Kong’s closed-door disciple. So, that means the Jimo Family won’t be taking their side anymore because of me, which means..." Luo Qianqian gasped, "which means the next step should be to have me killed, for the Luo Family and the Jimo Family to revert to their own camps, or possibly... to bring the Luo Family and the Jimo Family together.
"Brother, what should I do?" She buried her head in her knees, unwilling to think, feeling overwhelmed by the increasingly complicated situation.
Luo Qianqian suddenly remembered something. If Chu Ting had become Jimo Kong’s closed-door disciple in her previous life, then who did Jimo Cheng marry?
She took out her phone and messaged Qin Nuan, only to receive a surprising piece of news: Jimo Cheng had never shown up.
Thinking about it, it seemed that Jimo Kong had mentioned the first time they met:
"Just got back to the country and ran into..."
"Haven’t been back in ten years for just ten days..." and such.
And Jimo Cheng had been with Jimo Kong ever since their parents died? Meaning... he was originally abroad? He hadn’t returned in her previous life? Or was no significant event pushing him into the limelight?
"Qianqian, Jimo Cheng is leaving. What are you doing?" Luo Yanran came up and knocked on Luo Qianqian’s door.
Luo Qianqian was taken aback, leaving?
She hurriedly opened the door, feigning seriousness, "I was just going to the restroom, why is he leaving? Weren’t they having fun?"
"Just kidding you, he’s playing chess with Grandpa." Luo Yanran walked straight into the room, closed the door, and with a serious face, pressed his hands on Luo Qianqian’s shoulders and bent down to look into her eyes: "I know you’re feeling very confused right now, so am I. But you know, there’s a lot in this world that we don’t know about. If we knew everything, that would make us prophets. Besides, knowing the outcome and trying to prevent the events from happening isn’t always a good thing. Some losses might be stopped, but also many gains might be missed. Remember the TV drama you liked? The actress you said did a great job playing a 16-year-old girl, yet she is already a mother of two." Seeing Luo Qianqian’s puzzled look, he continued slowly, "See, some things, once you know about them, you can’t get emotionally involved anymore. Doesn’t it feel weird watching that TV show now?"
Luo Qianqian expressed her disgust, brushing off Luo Yanran’s arm, "Are you going to ruin TV shows for me now?" She, of course, understood this, but what they were facing now was nothing like some mom playing a young girl—good acting meant you couldn’t tell.
"I’ve had dinner with a stodgy director and hung out on the streets; I’ve walked the red carpet with the nation’s belle, spouting noble-sounding but empty rhetoric. And I’ve also sneaked off to a dilapidated little temple with Nuannuan, making vows of eternal love. Close your eyes, and everything is void, dark, insubstantial. Open them, and everything is there. Live in the moment and don’t overthink. Excess worries are just needless fears, a shocking dream that comes to nothing," Luo Yanran said as he stood by the window, looking into the distance.
"Are you rehearsing lines?" Luo Qianqian’s mouth twitched, slapping Luo Yanran on the back, "If you’re that free, you should take Nuannuan to the temple and make your vows there." She said with a smile.
She knew all too well, but decided to put it aside for now. Who knew what lay behind all this? At best, he was just a pawn in their game, and while he might want to be the player, she certainly wasn’t capable of that. What she needed to do was to ensure her own survival in this game and not end up as a disposable piece.
