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Ning Ran, without a doubt, was getting more and more familiar with Commoner Residence.
After all, she had visited it so many times that she knew the place's layout and its rules like the back of her hand.
More importantly, there was also a sense of intimacy brought on by her acknowledgment and appreciation of Nan
Chen.
During Ning Ran's initial interactions with the latter, she was always anxious and apprehensive about going to
Commoner Residence.
Then again, how could she not? She was a small fry compared to the powerful Nan family, which had her worried
that they might snatch her children from her at any moment.
Thankfully, that never happened. Even though there had been occasional fights and disagreements between her
and Nan Chen, he had never once abused his family's power to take the children away.
Nan Chen might seem authoritative and aloof, but till now, Ning Ran still hadn't found any evidence to suggest that
the Nan family threw their weight around.
With that, her fear of the family gradually faded and was replaced with awe and respect.
When Ning Ran stepped into the Commoner Residence once again, she was no longer a bundle of nerves. In fact,
the house now felt like a haven for her, where she knew she'd be well-protected and loved.
Of course, Ning Ran couldn't have gotten that far without Nan Zhengde and Feng Wan's efforts. They were the ones
who helped her develop a sense of security instead of making her feel threatened or rejected.
Feng Wan even pulled Ning Ran close to her and looked her over. “Did that kidnapper hurt you? Did he make things
difficult for you?”
“No, not at all. He was fierce, but he didn't subject me to any abuse. I appreciate your concern, Mrs. Nan,” Ning Ran
said smilingly.
“That's good to hear. Please be more careful in the future and don't fall into those people's hands again. We were
almost scared to death! Women are usually more vulnerable, so we must learn to protect ourselves.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Yes, Mrs. Nan. I'll keep that in mind.”
“I'm a woman, too!” Erbao suddenly chimed in as she ran up to them. “I also have to protect myself!”
Upon hearing that, Ning Ran chuckled. “Oh, you silly child. You're still just a girl. You can only call yourself a woman
when you're all grown up.”
“Come here, Erbao. Let me see if you've gotten taller,” Feng Wan said.
Naturally, Erbao did as instructed and snuggled up in her great-grandmother's arms.
“Hmm... You're still chubbier than your brother and not as tall as him,” the latter teased. “It looks like you have
quite a bit to catch up on.”
“No. I'm the same height and weight as Dabao. My face is just a little bigger.”
Feng Wan couldn't resist smiling and pinching the little girl's chubby cheeks. “Well, aren't you glib? You've been
eating plenty, haven't you?”
Erbao giggled. “No, no. Not at all.”
While Erbao and Feng Wan continued to play with each other, Chai Hua called Ning Ran over, informing her that
Nan Zhengde wanted to speak with her.
Ning Ran instantly tensed up. Huh? Why is Mr. Nan looking for me? What could he want to talk about? Last night,
Nan Chen did say we'd be having dinner at Commoner Residence today because there's something important to
discuss. However, shouldn't Mr. Nan be talking to Nan Chen instead? After all, it's their family affair, so what right do
I have to meddle in that? To make matters worse, Mr. Nan's asking to see me alone. Oh, gosh, this is making me
even more nervous...
Despite her anxiety, Ning Ran made her way to Nan Zhengde's study room, which was every bit like a mini library.
Wow. The vast selection of books the Nan family has is truly impressive. Their worldly knowledge is what makes
them so fundamentally different from other families. This is why they've managed to accumulate so much wealth
and power!
As soon as he heard Ning Ran enter the room, Nan Zhengde looked at her fondly and gestured for her to sit.
That, of course, made the woman feel a lot more at ease.
“Mr. Nan, were you looking for me?”
“What do you think of my calligraphy?” Nan Zhengde asked as he pointed at the piece of paper before him.
“Oh, I doubt I can be a good judge of it,” Ning Ran replied with a polite smile. “I don't know much about calligraphy,
but I have to say your writing does look beautiful.”
The next second, Nan Zhengde burst into a hearty laugh. “It's usually people who aren't familiar with calligraphy
who can give the most objective opinions. If even they think my writing is ugly, then there's nothing more I can say.”
Ning Ran laughed along with the old man. “Don't worry. It looks good.”
“Anyway, I'm sure you know by now that the Nan family has always been targeted by others, and we're no stranger
to trouble. However, overcoming these challenges that life threw at us also allowed us to grow stronger and better.
That's how we managed to get Nanshi Corporation to where it is today,” Nan Zhengde said solemnly.
Even though Ning Ran didn't quite understand why Nan Zhengde was telling her all that, she still gave a sincere nod
of acknowledgment.
“Initially, I never saw you as a suitable match for Chen because you popped out of nowhere, and your background
seemed pretty sketchy. From an economic perspective, this marriage wouldn't give us any benefits. Moreover, the
fact remains that you and Chen don't have a strong foundation of love.”
Ning Ran felt her heart skip a beat. Oh, no. This conversation is getting deeper and more serious... What could Mr.
Nan be hinting at? Does he want me to leave Nan Chen because I've brought them so much trouble?
“That being said, after getting to know you better and witnessing your tenacity in the face of adversity, Feng Wan
and I began to see you in a different light. We think you aren't bad at all,” Nan Zhengde added.
Upon hearing that, Ning Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Nan. I'll continue to work hard,” she uttered, beaming with joy.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIf she were being honest, she felt just like a student who had received praise from a favorite teacher.
After all, Nan Zhengde was the head of the Nan family, so it was undoubtedly an honor to be complimented by him.
“Therefore, we hope you'll marry Chen and officially be a part of our family.”
Ning Ran's heart began pounding in her chest almost immediately.
I-I never thought I'd be so excited to hear Mr. Nan say that! Does this mean that deep down, I've always wanted
things to work out between Nan Chen and me? Why else would I have such a big reaction to it?
Alas, before she could express her joy any further, Nan Zhengde spoke up yet again. “However, there are some
things you need to do before the wedding.”
Intrigued, Ning Ran continued to listen intently in silence.
“I hope you'll give up on acting and devote yourself to your studies. Of course, that's not something you can
accomplish in a matter of days, so you can continue to work on it after getting married. All I ask is that you study
hard,” Nan Zhengde said. “Once the marriage is made official, you'll be the wife of Nanshi Corporation's CEO. You
must be more than just a pretty face to excel in this role, especially since you'll need to help Chen in many
company matters. To a certain degree, you'll also be representing Nanshi Corporation.”
With that, Nan Zhengde looked at the young woman.
In actuality, Nan Chen had once brought up the topic of studying to Ning Ran.
Back then, his intention was for Ning Ran to lie that she had studied abroad to get her bachelor's degree. Then,
he'd find a way to forge a degree certificate so they could convince Nan Zhengde.
Unsurprisingly, Ning Ran wasn't fond of that idea. She had only heard of people falsifying academic qualifications to
aid their job applications, but why would anyone do that to marry into prestigious families? If someone were to
expose their fraud, it'd undeniably be a massive scandal!
Besides, she had never been bothered by her low academic qualification level. Her life was decent enough, and her
lack of education hadn't prevented her from accomplishing what she wanted.
Then again, it could also be because she hadn't done anything that required a very high level of competency.
However, all of that would change once she married Nan Chen.