I suggest you investigate; this person doesn't seem to be a first-time reborn individual.

A hint of hesitation flashed in Huang Lingyue's eyes.

She really wanted to spend more time with Lin Ran, even if it was just sitting quietly in the car. But she also knew that things had priorities, and if Xia Chan's computer really lost important data, the consequences could be very troublesome.

Just then, a black Mercedes-Benz slowly drove up and stopped a short distance in front of them.

The driver got out of the car, walked quickly over, and said to Huang Lingyue through the half-open window, "Miss, you're back. Mr. Lin, thank you for taking you home."

The timing was perfect.

Lin Ran nodded to the driver, then turned to Huang Lingyue: "Your driver is here to pick you up. Don't worry, I'll take her home to get her computer and then come right back."

Huang Lingyue glanced at her driver, who had already gotten out of the car and was preparing to unload the luggage, then looked at Lin Ran. She said nothing more, only softly instructing him, "Okay. Then... be careful on the road, don't drive too fast."

After saying that, he released his grip on the seatbelt and got out of the car.

Only after the Mercedes had driven far away did Lin Ran restart the car and turn around to head towards the highway entrance.

The car was quiet for a moment. Lin Ran glanced at Xia Chan sitting in the back seat through the rearview mirror. She was still looking like a "punching bag" from before, pouting, hugging her backpack, and looking out the window, seemingly still unhappy about the scolding.

"Are you angry?" Lin Ran smiled.

The cicada hummed twice through its nose, but didn't say anything.

"Open the armrest box and take a look," Lin Ran said casually.

Xia Chan glanced at him suspiciously, bent down and opened the center console. Inside lay a delicate little box. She opened it and found a brand new iPhone inside.

"Boss, is this for me?!" Xia Chan's eyes lit up instantly, her previous slight grievance vanished, replaced by surprise.

"Hmm, compensation," Lin Ran said calmly. "You acted quite well just now."

"Thank you, boss!!!" Xia Chan held the phone in her hands, reluctant to put it down.

No, that's not right. It's very wrong.

How could a dog-like boss have such good intentions?

Xia Chan suddenly looked up warily: "Boss, you're not going to deduct money from my salary again, are you?"

"...If you don't want it, you can give it back to me."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Xia Chan quickly hugged the phone tightly, her face beaming with joy. Getting a phone after being scolded? This is such a good deal! The boss may be a bit of a scoundrel, but he's still very generous!

Lin Ran looked at Xia Chan, who was now lively and energetic again, in the rearview mirror, and a smile appeared on his lips. Assistant, secretary, driver—these are the positions where people know the most secrets about the boss.

There will be many more incidents like this in the future. This phone is not just compensation, but more of a hush money payment.

After the initial excitement wore off, Xia Chan fiddled with her new phone when suddenly her eyes lit up as she remembered something.

"Boss," she leaned closer to the front seat, her tone unusually hesitant and earnest, "am I really that ugly?"

Lin Ran was taken aback: "Who said that?"

"You!" Xia Chan said matter-of-factly, "You said yesterday that I'm not the kind of person you'd 'take advantage of'." She remembered those words clearly.

"I'm warning you, Xia Chan, don't push your luck! I've already compensated you with a phone, do you expect me to apologize?"

"No, no," Xia Chan quickly waved her hand, "I'm just a little worried that I won't be able to find a partner in the future."

"Don't worry, you definitely won't find a partner."

"?"

"With a man as outstanding as me around, you'd have to look for a partner according to my standards, otherwise you definitely won't find one."

"...The boss is really shameless."

After a moment of silence, Xia Chan's tone became serious: "Boss, you still haven't answered my question. Am I really not good-looking? Look at Boss Huang and Boss Lan, they're both so beautiful and have such great presence. Compared to them, I look like a little potato that hasn't fully grown..."

Seemingly sensing the seriousness in Xia Chan's tone, Lin Ran remained silent for a while.

"Don't envy others, and don't feel inferior just because others are shining. You should know that everyone's time to bloom is different; you may just be a late bloomer."

These suddenly serious and philosophical words made Xia Chan feel a little uncomfortable. She blinked and slowly savored their meaning.

"Boss... is he trying to comfort me? Saying I'll look good in the future?" A warm feeling of gratitude welled up inside her.

"Boss, do you mean I'm still small and haven't reached my flowering season yet, but I'll look beautiful when I bloom?"

"You've misunderstood." Lin Ran resumed his usual tone.

"I mean, have you ever heard of something called a fig?"

Summer Cicada: "?"

She stared blankly at the back of the boss's head for a few seconds before finally realizing what was happening.

"Boss!!"

……

The car drove back to the Jiangda dormitory building, and it was exactly three o'clock in the afternoon.

He spotted Li Futing standing in the shade of the tree at a glance, but she looked a little different today. Her hair was carefully combed and loosely tied into a low ponytail at the back of her head, with a few strands falling around her ears.

Importantly, she also wore light makeup, with very light pink lips, making her eyes look exceptionally bright.

Standing next to her, Jiang Yunxin saw Lin Ran's car, winked at Li Futing, gave her a thumbs-up, and then wisely waved and slipped back to the dormitory building.

Li Futing carried a small suitcase and walked to the car. Lin Ran got out of the car to help her put her luggage down, and when he got closer, he smelled a faint, fresh scent on her, like oranges.

"Have you been waiting long?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, her voice soft.

Get in the car and fasten your seatbelts. The car smoothly drove out of the campus.

After driving for a while, Li Futing suddenly turned her head, looked at Lin Ran's profile very seriously, and asked, "Lin Ran, am I good-looking?"

Upon hearing this, the cicada paused for a moment, then immediately perked up its ears.

Lin Ran was taken aback. He first glanced at Xia Chan in the back row, wondering what was going on with them today, as if they had planned it together.

But he also knew that Li Futing's question was completely different from an ordinary girl asking "Am I beautiful?"

She can't see herself clearly in the mirror, nor can she remember other people's faces, so her understanding of "beauty" is vague. No matter how many compliments someone gives her, she'll still have doubts; she only believes what they say.

So she wasn't seeking praise, but rather a standard answer, an anchor point that would allow her to establish a single, unwavering certainty about her appearance in this chaotic visual world.

Lin Ran pulled the car over to the side of the road, turned around, and looked at her more closely.

She looked really good today, a clean and gentle kind of beauty. Jiang Yunxin's makeup skills were good; the light makeup brought out the delicate and soft features of her face without looking forced.

Li Futing felt a little nervous under his gaze, her fingers unconsciously gripping the seatbelt.

"Who drew your eyebrows?" he asked.

"Yun Xin".

"The makeup is nice, it suits you well." Lin Ran said casually. "Did she pick out the lipstick too?"

"Hmm... she said this color makes her complexion look better."

"It does stand out," Lin Ran nodded. "Your fair skin suits this light color."

He reached out and gently touched a stray strand of hair that wouldn't stay on her forehead, tucking it behind her ear.

"So," he looked into her eyes and gave his answer, "beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

Li Futing's eyes lit up instantly, as if stars had fallen into them.

"That's good." She said softly, turning her head to look ahead. The tips of her ears were a little red, but the corners of her mouth remained upturned.

"Yunxin also said I'm pretty, but I still want to hear you say it."

Xia Chan, sitting in the back row, was so angry she was practically fuming, her eyes rolling so hard they almost reached the sky.