The White Olive Tree

Chapter 39

On Sunday, Li Zan flew back to Liangcheng.

Song Ran also moved from the hotel to her mother's house, lying that she had just arrived. She finally agreed to come to Imperial City, and Ran Yuwei was naturally happy.

For the first time, Ran Yuwei inquired in detail about the members of the program team that she would be working with. Intentionally or unintentionally, Ran Yuwei mentioned who had received her favors in their work.

Song Ran was sensitive and immediately said, "You can rest assured. I'll do my own thing, and I don't need to rely on you."

Ran Yuwei replied calmly, "True. With a Pulitzer Prize, you're already a capable journalist. You can do well without relying on me."

Her tone, though not very pleasant, was not sarcastic either.

Song Ran was surprisingly not used to it, secretly wondering if her mother was being particularly accommodating because of her illness. Regardless, after Song Ran moved in, the mother-daughter relationship became a bit more harmonious.

The only trouble was that Song Ran found it challenging to contact Li Zan at home, having to avoid Ran Yuwei.

Her phone was mostly silent, and during conversations, she pretended to be focused on work. Occasionally, when she wanted to laugh, she had to hold it in.

Calling Li Zan also required waiting for Ran Yuwei to return to her room and sneaking under the covers. On weekends when Li Zan came to Imperial City to see her, she would tell her mother that she was going on an outing to the outskirts and wouldn't return at night. She had rarely lied since childhood, and Ran Yuwei didn't suspect a thing.

However, Li Zan had only visited her once, and he had to return to the military camp. With strict military management, he couldn't come out easily. Song Ran was also busy with the program team's shoot, unable to find time to go back to Liangcheng to see him. They could only communicate through phone calls and video chats at night.

By late May, Li Zan mentioned that there would be a wedding in their military camp and asked if she wanted to come and take a look.

Song Ran was puzzled, "Who's getting married?"

"Jiang Lin," Li Zan said.

As he spoke, he was wiping his hair with a towel on the video call. It was already summer in Liangcheng, and he had just taken a shower. Since he was in the military dormitory, he wasn't wearing a shirt, revealing his attractive collarbones.

She stared at him for several seconds, then exclaimed, "Jiang Lin? He didn't have a girlfriend when he was in Dongguo. Didn't he return to the country in March?"

"He got introduced to someone after returning," Li Zan said as he slightly sat up, throwing the towel onto the shelf.

The screen then revealed a row of sexy and powerful abdominal muscles.

Song Ran blinked a couple of times, inexplicably thinking about her own abdomen and the tactile sensation when rubbing against his. With this thought, her belly started to feel a bit warm.

After spacing out for another two seconds, she was even more surprised and asked, "Huh? They're getting married after knowing each other for two months?"

Li Zan sat back down, his face becoming clearer and more handsome after the shower. Smiling at the screen, he said, "They had a flash marriage. The instructor was also surprised and asked if he wanted to reconsider."

Song Ran giggled and asked, "Is it on Saturday night?"

"Yes."

"I have something in the morning, but I'll rush over in the afternoon."