Several men left, satisfied with their encounter, and even sang praises of Chi Ran before departing.
Jin Mo adjusted her loosened collar, "I will pay you back this money."
Choosing Chi Ran as her creditor was better than those who came to cause trouble every day, and Jin Mo felt there was no need to refuse his kindness.
Chi Ran nodded, quietly looking at her, "No rush."
After a long absence, seeing her again ignited an uncontrollable fire in Chi Ran's heart, even though he had warned himself to restrain his feelings, he eventually had to bow to them.
"How did you end up here?" Jin Mo looked up at him, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
Someone like him should be living in a mansion in the wealthy district, coming here seemed to be a kind of defilement to him.
"Just passing by." Chi Ran's heart skipped a beat, his face remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
The atmosphere suddenly grew subtle, Chi Ran pulled out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Jin Mo.
Jin Mo hesitated, took it impulsively, brought it to her nose and smelled it, it was still that familiar scent.
"I don't smoke anymore." Jin Mo smiled wryly as she handed the cigarette back to him.
How could someone who could barely afford a meal afford such expensive cigarettes?
When she was only fifteen, she could boldly smoke in school, and later when she was forced to quit, she didn't find it very difficult.
Because when you have to think about how to survive every day, even the most expensive cigarettes are worthless.
Seeing that Chi Ran had no intention of leaving, Jin Mo tentatively asked, "Would you like to come in and sit?"
"Sure." Chi Ran answered without hesitation, as if he had been waiting for Jin Mo to ask.
Jin Mo didn't notice, but hidden in the darkness, he revealed a triumphant smile.
The first step in getting close to Jin Mo was to have her owe him a favor.
The house in the Old City had no elevator and no streetlights, the stairwell was narrow and dark, and it emitted a smell of rot and fermentation.
Although Jin Mo had lived here for a long time, every time she passed by, she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose, yet turning her head, Chi Ran showed no sign of rejection.
Jin Mo entered the house, handed him a pair of pink slippers, and walked in barefoot herself.
Chi Ran gave up the visibly small slippers and looked around the 60 square meter apartment, the furniture was old, but it was clean and tidy.
"Granny, I'm back."
Deng Huixu hurried out of the room, holding a spatula in her hand, "Dinner is almost ready, you start..."
"You didn't tell me earlier there was a guest, and I didn't prepare any good dishes." Deng Huixu looked at Chi Ran somewhat embarrassed, the grandmother and granddaughter would eat anything, but she didn't want her granddaughter to be looked down upon by others.
"It's alright, I've known Jin Mo for many years, I don't mind, anything is fine," Chi Ran replied with a gentle smile, instantly maximizing Deng Huixu's impression of him.
After the Jin Family's bankruptcy, this was the first time Deng Huixu had seen Jin Mo bring a friend home, and it was a man.
At the dinner table, Deng Huixu asked him many questions before knowing his identity, the only son of the Chi Family.
The Chi Family's business was mostly overseas, so they weren't very well-known in Ningjiang, but a few top wealthy families knew them.
Suddenly, Deng Huixu fell silent, her gaze drifting between Jin Mo and Chi Ran, trying to understand the nature of their relationship.
She had been the lady of the Jin Family, she knew that marrying among rich families wasn't just about two people, it involved family interference.
With Chi Ran's status, Momo was not good enough for him.
There were only two dishes of vegetables on the table, yet Chi Ran ate with relish, "Granny Jin's cooking is really delicious."
Deng Huixu smiled awkwardly, knowing her own cooking skills well. After being forced to move here, when Jin Mo went to work, she had to learn to cook.
When Chi Ran left, he turned to look at Jin Mo. Her eyes were lowered, lacking the previous defiant brightness, ten years had ground away a girl's pride.