Chapter 114: Anger

The two of them were separated by a layer of anti-theft window and a layer of gauze window.

They stared at each other in silence.

Ji Min felt that either there was something wrong with his brain,

or there was something wrong with his eyes.

Otherwise, why would he have spotted Lu Ran leaning against the second-story security window?

Was this some aftereffect of the surgery?

In fact, Ji Min even noticed that the person outside the window had gazed at him for a while before visibly relaxing.

Then, with an unruffled and casual demeanor, the person nodded at him and said, "I'm relieved to see that you're still alive."

"Since you're alright, I'll go back to work on my assignments then."

As he spoke these words, the youth's expression was exquisitely tranquil.

It was as if he hadn't climbed up the drainpipe to peek into the second-story window, but had simply glanced in while passing by after school.

With those words spoken, the youth lowered his gaze downward for a momentary glance and then, with determined resolve, began his descent, carefully scaling down the structure.

Only when he shifted did Ji Min abruptly break free from the almost illusory scene.

Realizing that the figure outside the window was indeed the very real Lu Ran, Ji Min's heart nearly leapt out of his throat.

"Lu Ran!"

It was the first time Ji Min had yelled out Lu Ran's name.

"Why are you standing there?"

The man almost immediately rose to his feet on one leg from the chair.

He even forgot his cane beside him, leaning on the table as he started to walk towards the window.

Upon taking just two steps closer, he feared that his sudden approach might startle the person, so he hastily stopped.

Flustered, he pointed at the person outside the window, stammering, "Quickly, get down there!"

Finishing his words, the man swiftly reached out to press his forehead, hurriedly grunting, "No, no, no! Don't move! Hold on tight!"

"Everything is fine."

The youth who leaned against the windowpane remained ever so composed, his countenance serene as he spoke to him.

"I'm merely here for a visit. I'll return the way I came."

"Is everything alright?"

What the hell does "nothing's wrong" mean?

Go back the same way?

Where's a damn path?!

Ji Min was so furious that his vision turned black.

He felt as if his chest would explode on the spot.

Yet, Lu Ran was currently leaning out of the second-story window, and Ji Min didn't dare to show any anger.

He was terrified that the slightest hint of frustration might cause the boy to slip and fall.

At the mere thought of such a scenario, every hair on Ji Min's body stood on end.

The man could only take a deep breath and forcefully calm himself down.

His Adam's apple bobbed nervously, and he then slowly approached the window again.

Moving cautiously and softening his voice as if he was afraid of startling the child, he said warmly,

"Hold on tight, don't move for now."

However, Lu Ran, watching from outside the window, replied,

"No, I need to go back. I still have to work."

With that, he started to climb down again.

Ji Min nearly choked on his own breath.

Work, work? Was this really the time to be thinking about work?

Veins throbbed visibly on the man's forehead, pulsing wildly.

But Ji Min dared not show any anger.

He pleaded, "Wait! You came all this way, don't you want to talk to me?"

With a cold expression, Lu Ran replied, "No, I don't."

Ji Min fell silent.

The man maintained his gentle tone, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "I want to, damn it, I want it so badly!"

Only then did the one climbing down turn back to look at him and say, "Oh, I didn't realize that."

Ji Min: "..."

He took another deep breath, reminding himself to remain calm, to not let anger get the better of him.

At this moment, one must absolutely not lose one's temper.

As the youth spoke, Ji Min finally made his way to the window.

With a swift motion, he flung open the gauzy window screen, extending both arms through the protective bars of the security lattice. Beyond this barrier, he firmly encircled the waist of the youth outside, his embrace securing the slender form against the barrier that separated them.

Wrapping his arms around the person, Ji Min's heart, which had been suspended in his throat, gradually descended as he felt Lu Ran's warmth through his fingers.

Pounding fiercely back into his chest with a "thump thump."

"You scared me to death!"

Only then did the man suppress his fear and let out a roar.

In that brief moment, cold sweat trickled down Ji Min's temples.

His shirt on the back was drenched with perspiration.

Lu Ran, held in his embrace, glanced down at him and said coldly, "I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong?"

Ji Min: "..."

Perfect, he still remembered to throw his own words back at him at a time like this.

He let out a sigh.

Only then did he divert his attention to Manager Chen behind him and instruct,

"Quickly get someone to help him down!"

Manager Chen was also stunned by Lu Ran's antics. It took him a while to react before he hurriedly called the hospital.

Lu Ran glanced at him and said, "No need. With all that fuss, everyone in the world will know you're staying here. What's the point of keeping it a secret?"

"I can go down myself," he said.

"Is this the time to be thinking about that?"

Ji Min's hand on his waist twitched. He really wanted to give his waist a light tap without any further ado.

But he was afraid that he might accidentally push the man down, so he quickly tightened his grip.

Even with his arms around him, he still felt a little uneasy.

After all, there was a security window between them. What if he couldn't hold onto him in case of an accident?

He promptly instructed, "Fetch a rope!"

Housekeeper Chen hung up and hurriedly fetched a rescue rope.

Ji Min took it, wrapped it around Lu Ran's waist, and tied a secure knot.

He then secured two more knots on the safety bars.

Still not entirely at ease, Ji Min looped the rope around his own waist twice.

With Lu Ran firmly bound to him through the safety bars, Ji Min finally exhaled in genuine relief.

Reacting to the situation, Housekeeper Chen quickly fetched a chair and placed it behind Ji Min, saying,

"Sir, you shouldn't stand for too long!"

Ji Min waved dismissively, about to say that it hadn't been long.

Lu Ran glanced down, his eyes lowered. "If you don't sit now, I'll crawl down."

Ji Min promptly adjusted his position and sat down.

After settling in, the man's irritation resurfaced, prompting him to finally scold:

"Have you become something, Lu Ran?"

"Who taught you how to climb through windows? How old are you, to have already mastered the art of scaling walls?"

The more Ji Min spoke, the angrier he became.

The youth across from him showed not the slightest hint of fear, fixing him with a stare and retorting, "And what about you? Haven't you done quite well for yourself too? Why didn't you tell me about your second surgery?"

"With one leg still limping, you tell me everything is fine, fine, and perfectly alright!"

"Well, then climbing through a window sounds delightful!"

Ji Min felt a moment of guilt, but he couldn't help but continue:

"How can I possibly feel at ease with you behaving like this?"

"You don't trust me if you hide everything from me, even secretly dividing up your will. Did you ask for my consent before making these arrangements?"

Lu Ran didn't back down.

"That was just a precaution!" Ji Min explained.

The man closed his eyes. "You're really driving me crazy."

Lu Ran spoke loudly, "I'm angry too!"

At that moment, the hospital director, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, arrived.

He reached up to touch his increasingly sparse hair and, on the verge of tears, pleaded,

" Gentlemen, could you please not argue through the security bars on the second floor?"

How risky that was.

After a while, Lu Ran finally sat firmly in Room 217.

The hospital director wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and left with his team.

Butler Chen, being foresighted, used the excuse of preparing dinner to step out as well.

As a result, only Lu Ran and Ji Min were left in the ward.

Both wore serious expressions, neither of them uttering a word.

In the end, it was Ji Min who couldn't bear to watch any longer.

He leaned closer to the young man beside him, gently tugging on the sleeve torn by the wire, his brow furrowed as he said,

"Stay still, let me check if there's any abrasion inside."

Lu Ran intended to withdraw his hand, but upon seeing the man's right leg still supported by a brace, he refrained from doing so.

Ji Min pulled the other person to sit across from him.

He reached out to roll up Lu Ran's sleeve, examining the red marks on his arm.

Most of them were mere scratches.

But there were a few that had cut through the skin, oozing tiny droplets of blood.

"Your skin is broken. Do you want a tetanus shot?" Ji Min raised his hand, about to call for a doctor.

Lu Ran rolled his eyes. "Such shallow wounds, what's the point?"

Ji Min glanced at him. "You still need to ask the doctor."

Speaking of which, he fetched iodine and gauze, tending to Lu Ran's wounds without further ado.

The hospital room fell silent once more.

Just moments ago, they had been shouting at each other face-to-face, and the atmosphere still carried a hint of tension.

Ji Min finished applying ointment to Lu Ran's hand and then examined the abrasion on his ankle.

After a moment of silence.

In the midst of this irritating quiet, the man softly spoke up:

"I'm sorry, I was in the wrong this time."

Lu Ran looked down at him.

Ji Min sighed. "I shouldn't have hidden the details of your surgery from you, shouldn't have treated you like a child in every aspect, and shouldn't have only shared good news while keeping worries to myself."

"And what else?" Lu Ran asked.

Ji Min: "..."

He sighed again. "I shouldn't have kept from you the fact that I've written a will."

Only then did Lu Ran give a small huff.

"But you've gone too far."

Just thinking about the scene earlier made Ji Min break into a cold sweat.

Unable to hold back, he applied the ointment a little more roughly on his hand.

But as soon as he increased his strength, Lu Ran didn't react, so he immediately softened his touch, afraid of causing any pain.

Ji Min grumbled,

"Luckily, I live on the second floor, not too high up. If I were on the fifth or sixth, would you really have climbed up there?"

"I'm not stupid."

Lu Ran was unusually guilty at this moment, "That's precisely why I climbed up, knowing it was only two floors."

"You're not stupid, huh!"

Ji Min reached out to tap his head, "If you were downstairs and insisted on coming in, who would dare stop you?"

Lu Ran: "..."

He rubbed his forehead and, upon sudden realization, exclaimed, "Oh, right."

Ji Min almost drove him to the point of exasperation.

He gathered the used cotton swabs at hand and disposed of them in the trash bin.

He raised his gaze once more, fixing it upon the youth seated opposite him for a prolonged moment.

It had been nearly three months since they last met.

Now, this was Ji Min's first encounter with Lu Ran in three months. It was impossible for him to say that he didn't miss or feel excited about seeing him.

But who could have predicted such an unusual act from this guy?

Strangely, such an eccentric incident seemed oddly plausible when it came to Lu Ran.

Ji Min recalled the first time he had laid eyes on Lu Ran.

This guy actually went as far as to stop a car in the middle of the road.

Back then, when Ji Min saw such a scene, he merely raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling somewhat surprised.

But now, recalling the image of the sports car pressing against Lu Ran's knees, he couldn't help but shudder in fear.

"Never do something like that again."

Ji Min took Lu Ran's hand and held it warmly in his palm.

He said with a hint of helplessness, "Nothing is more important than your safety."

Lu Ran glanced at him but didn't respond.

There was always an air of recklessness about this man, as if he was willing to risk his life when he lost himself in the moment.

Ji Min narrowed his eyes and threatened, "If you ever do that again, I'll...?"

But as the man spoke, his words caught in his throat.

"I am..."

The prominent head of the Ji family stood there for a while, but failed to articulate any substantial point.

"And what if I do?" Lu Ran asked him.

Ji Min: "..."

He leans in, his face nearing the youth's cheek, his teeth gritted as he growls, "I'll stare at you relentlessly, forbidding you from doing it."

Lu Ran found the idea quite appealing.

Admitting to the setting: "Go ahead, if you have the guts, keep staring at me."

There was truly nothing Ji Min could do about him.

He could only secretly resolve to keep a closer eye on the person in the future.

Once again, he raised his gaze to fixate upon the youth before him.

After several months apart, the person in front of him seemed to have lost some weight.

But due to poor diet and sleep, he was visibly thinner.

Even those sparkling eyes that he had painstakingly nurtured had returned to their initial deep, dark hue.

Ji Min's heart ached all over again.

He touched the dark circles under Lu Ran's eyes with his fingertips and sighed, making a promise,

"Everything's fine now, don't worry. Nothing like this will happen again in the future."

Finally, a softening expression appeared on Lu Ran's face.

He lifted his gaze to look at Ji Min.

The risky and arduous surgery, followed by a recovery period of one or two months in bed, had taken a significant toll on the man's condition.

His muscles had clearly atrophied, and his complexion had become even paler.

Acting on instinct as if preparing for surgery, Lu Ran moved closer, intending to sit on his lap. But upon noticing the leg still supported by the brace, he retracted his body, filled with concern.

He asked gently, "Does your leg still hurt?"

Ji Min reached out to draw the man into his embrace.

"The surgical wound has healed. It's fine if you sit for a while," he assured.

As the distance between them narrowed, the suppressed longing surged uncontrollably. The familiar, comforting warmth and scent enveloped Ji Min, who closed his eyes, feeling his heart ache from the intensity of his longing.

Unable to resist, the man leaned in for a kiss. But remembering the presence of surveillance cameras in the hospital room, he restrained himself, holding the other tightly instead.

After a moment, Ji Min sighed softly.

He changed the subject, asking casually, "Is it near the end of the semester? How's your exam preparation going?"

"Oh," Lu Ran replied truthfully. "I just skipped two classes."

Ji Min: "...."

Well, with that response, all romantic notions had vanished.

Only frustration remained.

After that episode, it was naturally impossible for Ji Min to continue keeping Lu Ran at bay.

A few days later, he removed the brace from his right leg and began formal rehabilitation.

Lu Ran would come to the hospital after his classes each day and return home in the evenings.

Despite Lu Ran's daily visits during these few days, Ji Min could still sense something amiss.

The young man would come every day, sit beside him, and either work on his homework or read academic papers.

An air of indifferent aloofness, as if he had no intention of engaging with anyone.

Exiting the rehabilitation area, Ji Min sat beside Lu Ran to rest.

He gazed at the child's expression for a while, then sighed. "Still angry, huh? So hard to appease?"

Only now did Ji Min comprehend the weight behind Lu Ran's words, "I'm angry."

Lu Ran, it seemed, was not one to fly off the handle easily.

When genuinely angered, it's not something that can be easily appeased with just a few sweet words.

Just like now.

The youth raised his gaze to glance at him, saying, "None."

"Your expression clearly indicates that you do," Ji Min remarked.

"No, I just find you, an old man, uninteresting and want someone younger," Lu Ran said.

Ji Min chuckled.

With amusement, he looked at the offended young man and asked, "Have your eyes on someone?"

Lu Ran lifted his gaze to glance at him deliberately and said, "I've been getting along quite well with Fang Chen lately. You know Fang Chen, from the Fang family. I quite like him now."

Upon hearing Fang Chen's name, Ji Min was momentarily seized by a guilty conscience, recalling his own plans.

Yesterday, when I apologized, I don't think I mentioned this.

But Ji Min had a certain level of confidence in this aspect.

He stated firmly, "It's impossible; he's not your type."

Yet even as the words left his mouth, the man found himself involuntarily stealing a glance at the expression of the youth by his side.

"Oh, is that so?"

Lu Ran smiled and showed Ji Min a picture of Fang Chen on his phone. "But I think he's adorable."

Ji Min: "..."