They all want to control me!

Chapter 20 Blind Dates: An Insurmountable Hurdle for College Students

Sunday morning.

Lin Ran got up and suddenly pulled back the curtains, letting fresh air rush into the bedroom.

He looked at the clock on the wall; the second hand slowly turned and soon pointed to 12, six o'clock sharp.

Lin Ran was momentarily dazed. He sat on the bed, and a few seconds later, he opened his eyes, his face full of resentment. He stood up and banged his head against the wall.

"You damn Lin Ran, you ran faster than a mouse, leaving me to face Aunt Zhao alone. Do you know how much I had to talk to convince her we were just learning music?"

"Stop, stop, stop! We share the pain, so if I'm in pain, you're in pain too!"

"Then let's feel the pain together!"

Clang, clang, clang—!

The sound of something hitting the wall.

Boom boom boom!

A loud banging on the door.

"You idiot, can't a person get any sleep this early in the morning? I just got off my night shift and you woke me up after only five minutes of sleep! Be quiet!" came the neighbor's angry shout.

"..."

Jiang Qiaoqiao was stunned.

This was the first time in her life she had been scolded by her neighbors for disturbing them, because she had always lived in a detached villa.

Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Anyone would feel uncomfortable gently waking up their sleeping mind so early in the morning; their head really hurt.

Jiang Qiaoqiao is really fierce; she just goes ahead and crashes without a second thought, not afraid of pain at all. Maybe she's used to pain. Ouch... how did she end up in this tragic corner for the female lead? It must be just my imagination.

"Go wash up quickly and come downstairs early; we have a mission today."

"I'm still angry!" Jiang Qiaoqiao said through gritted teeth.

"Then slap yourself a few times, that's the same as slapping me, calm down quickly and get back to work."

Lin Ran's tone was like that of a Western plantation owner ordering slaves to work.

Jiang Qiaoqiao originally wanted to slap him, but after hearing what he said, she lost interest—it's a strange mentality; if what she wants to do is guessed, she will completely lose interest.

She pouted her lips like she was sucking on a pacifier:

"Tell me, what do you want?"

"My parents are visiting relatives in Shanghai, and they'll stop by my doghouse this afternoon. I need to buy groceries and cook for them. That's all you need to do."

Lin Ran was truly at her wit's end and could only adjust the control time to the morning.

My parents are coming in the afternoon, and I don't know if they'll leave in the evening. I can't expect Jiang Qiaoqiao to control her body and call her parents "Dad" and "Mom," can I?

That scene was unbearable to watch.

Moreover, it was somewhat inappropriate for Jiang Qiaoqiao to call out first before Tao Zhiyao had even called out.

Jiang Qiaoqiao didn't think that far ahead as Lin Ran did; her first thought was about the immediate matter, which was buying groceries and cooking.

As a cripple who has been disabled for ten years, he may have read a lot of books and learned a lot of knowledge. He has mastered everything that requires hands-on skills, but... he really knows nothing about housework.

She told Lin Ran about her situation, expecting to be ridiculed, but Lin Ran simply sighed and said with relief:

"I'll teach you, just follow my instructions."

"Aren't you going to laugh at me?" Jiang Qiaoqiao asked curiously.

In the past, if I accidentally said something wrong, I would get ridiculed by Lin Ran. Why has my personality suddenly changed today?

Lin Ran said:

"My dad taught me a saying when I was a child: 'Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, remember that not everyone in the world has as many advantages as you.'"

"Since then, I have become much more tolerant in my dealings with people. It's like planting trees. The saplings will grow differently depending on the variety, sunlight, soil, and air. But you can't blame the saplings for not growing well."

"You understand business operations, music, and martial arts, which I don't understand, but I can do housework that you don't understand. There's no need to laugh at me; we can complement each other."

"But it seems quite fitting for a rich woman like you not to know how to cook."

Jiang Qiaoqiao's heart stirred. This was the first time she had seen Lin Ran so gentle; before, he had always seemed like an abstract, despicable scoundrel. She said:

"Your dad's quote is from 'The Great Gatsby'."

"Yes," Lin Ran said. "My dad is a senior repairman in an electronics factory. Although he has a low level of education, he loves to read. There is a storage room in our house that is full of his books. Because it was too messy and hadn't been cleaned for a long time, it attracted mice, and my mom gave him a good beating."

"Pfft~ From your description, it sounds like your uncle is in a terrible situation." Jiang Qiaoqiao couldn't help but laugh.

"There's no way around it, my mom is a primary school Chinese teacher and my dad is a henpecked husband, these two are a match made in heaven. Speaking of which, my dad likes to read because he had to pretend to be an artsy young man when he was pursuing my mom."

"Your uncle and aunt are very happy."

Jiang Qiaoqiao was somewhat envious.

Just from Lin Ran's description, you can tell that he had a good family atmosphere and a happy childhood, while I... sigh.

Lin Ran suddenly remembered something and said:

"Actually, my parents aren't very happy. They have a thorn in their hearts. Once that thorn is pulled out, they will truly be happy."

"What thorn?"

"My eldest grandson and granddaughter." Lin Ran's head started to ache. "It seems like they've reached a certain age and are starting to pressure me to get married and have children. Part of the reason I went to tutor during the summer vacation was because I didn't want to listen to my parents nagging at home. I'm only eighteen! They're arranging blind dates for me... I can't say anything to them or hit them, so I can only run away."

"Pfft, blind date? You've only just turned 18, you're not even as old as me, and you're already on a blind date? Just thinking about it makes me laugh..."

Jiang Qiaoqiao burst into laughter, clutching her stomach, then wiped away her tears and said:

"Did you go on a blind date later?"

"No," Lin Ran said helplessly. "My parents had a disagreement about finding a blind date. My dad likes gentle girls who can take care of me and won't get angry; my mom thinks marriage is a big deal and we can't just look at personality. We need to see if our values ​​and interests match so that we can stay together for a long time."

"Oh? I know Uncle is referring to Tao Zhiyao as gentle, but what about what Auntie said..."

"It's probably like another version of myself in the world. Similar personality, the same hobbies, similar values, able to understand each other's thoughts, have a tacit understanding, and not get tired of each other. Ideally, we could complement each other's daily life skills—but that's too difficult, I feel like I can't find one at all."

"..."

Jiang Qiaoqiao suddenly fell silent, her heart pounding wildly.

What's causing this strong sense of déjà vu?

"Qiaozi, why aren't you saying anything?"

"No, it's nothing." Jiang Qiaoqiao's tone was a little flustered. "We've been chatting for so long, it's time to get down to business, yes, get down to business. If we keep talking, what if we come up with something strange..."

"Yeah, I don't know why, but I always have something to talk about with you."

Lin Ran thought about the arrangements for this morning and said:

"After you go downstairs to eat, walk 600 meters west. There's a small farmers market there. Buy your groceries there. Then go to the supermarket to buy rice, oil, salt, meat, and eggs. My little pot is burnt, so buy a new one. The toilet plunger is worn out, so buy a new one. Toilet paper runs out quickly, so buy a pack to keep on hand. Since you're already at the supermarket, buy some daily necessities like toothbrushes and toothpaste too..."

Jiang Qiaoqiao bit her fingernails, trying hard to remember what she needed to buy.

Lin Ran had said enough, and finally remarked:

"I feel like I have no problem getting by normally, but when it comes to buying supplies, I find that I'm missing so many things. I really don't know how I've managed to get by normally."

"...Um, Lin Ran, you need to teach me how to buy groceries."

"Ork, just follow orders. But before we do all that, there's something important that needs to be done now."

"Wash up?" Jiang Qiaoqiao guessed.

"No, I meant I needed to use the restroom. I'd been holding it in all night, and it was really uncomfortable."

"..."

Although it was the first time Jiang Qiaoqiao had controlled her body, she touched that thing all over and went to the toilet, but she still blushed, pursed her lips, raised her head and straightened her chest as she walked into the bathroom.

Shortly afterwards.

Toilet.

"Holy crap, it's crooked! It needs to be aligned properly, it's all over the toilet seat!"

"That thing of yours is too powerful!"

"That's because I'm physically fit, don't you understand, you little virgin?!"