Chapter 96: Imprisonment

Shen Xingzhuo carried his coffee up to the second-story balcony.

Shen Xingyu was seated at a round table on the balcony, engrossed in some documents.

The two brothers didn't have the best relationship; they glanced at each other from a distance before attending to their own affairs.

However, Shen Xingzhuo couldn't stay still. He alternated between sitting and standing, peering down from the balcony.

He muttered, "How shameless of Ji Min to even block me, his own brother."

Finding this irritating, Shen Xingyu closed the file he was reading and prepared to leave.

Just as he was about to stand up, Shen Xingzhuo leaned over the balcony again, frowning. "Why is the Lino family's car still here? That old man must be losing his mind to associate with them."

The Shen and Lino families were long-standing enemies.

Even if Shen Xingzhuo was an uninvolved and carefree heir, he didn't have any favorable impressions of the Linos.

He looked down for a moment before turning to ask Shen Xingyu, "Hey, do you know if there's something sinister on the old man's mind?"

Shen Xingyu frowned but didn't respond, instead saying, "That's our father. What kind of address is that?"

Shen Xingzhuo rolled his eyes and ignored him.

After a while, when Shen Xingyu had already reached the balcony door, Shen Xingzhuo suddenly said,

"He's back today. He even brought two bodyguards with him when he returned to his own home."

Shen Xingyu froze, quickly realizing who 'he' was in Shen Xingzhuo's words.

His fingers, which were on the doorknob, relaxed, and he slowly withdrew his hand.

Turning away from the door, he returned to the balcony and sat down at a random seat, continuing to look through the documents in his hands, though clearly not fully focused.

"Don't you want to go down and see him?" Shen Xingzhuo asked.

"There's no need."

Shen Xingyu flipped through the pages in his hand.

Shen Xingzhuo didn't descend either, merely leaning against the railing and gazing down indolently.

After a moment, he asked, "Is Ranran not home today?"

"I don't know," Shen Xingyu replied coldly.

Shen Xingzhuo found his attitude irritating.

He wanted to leave the balcony, but his feet remained still.

Downstairs, Lu Ran was engaged in some unknown activity.

To be honest, Shen Xingzhuo wasn't sure how to approach Lu Ran.

He had always been accustomed to doing as he pleased.

Due to his family background, his playmates usually revolved around him.

Aside from Shen Xingran, Shen Xingzhuo had never tried to curry favor with anyone else.

Treating Lu Ran the same way as he did with Shen Xingran somehow felt odd.

Moreover...

People generally found it challenging to confront their mistakes, let alone make amends for them.

With his own mood spoiled, Shen Xingzhuo found himself particularly intolerant of Shen Xingyu.

"Hey, do you think he carries bodyguards around because of you? It's all because you've been treating him awfully," Shen Xingzhuo commented.

Shen Xingyu's grip on the document paper paused abruptly.

Suddenly, he recalled Ji Min's words.

"At that time, he was so cruel to me, probably because he knew you were my brother," Shen Xingyu mused aloud.

But in the next instant, Shen Xingyu resumed his actions.

Shen Xingzhuo simply walked over and sat down on the sofa beside him.

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Xingzhuo spoke with a tinge of injustice, "Why is that? You were so harsh on him, yet why did he spare you so much mercy?"

"Spare me mercy?" Shen Xingyu recalled the events since his return home and raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

Shen Xingzhuo made a thoughtful comparison.

Between having dog feces thrown on his back and accidentally eating a cockroach...

Shen Xingzhuo still felt that he had it worse.

"I only put some bugs there to scare you. Do you have any idea what I've been through?"

Shen Xingyu was unaware and didn't bother to investigate.

He just found Shen Xingzhuo's nagging annoying.

Shen Xingzhuo continued to grumble indignantly, "He definitely held back. This guy has had a crush on you since he was young, always sticking by your side, right?"

Shen Xingyu abruptly closed the file in his hand.

He got up and walked out onto the balcony.

Returning to his room, he put down the documents.

After a moment of hesitation, Shen Xingyu opened his door and stepped out.

Ever since his last encounter with Ji Min, he hadn't seen Lu Ran again.

He descended the stairs slowly, expecting to witness a heated argument between Lu Ran and Shen Hongyuan.

Surprisingly, however, the first floor was unexpectedly quiet.

Not only was Lu Ran absent, but also the Lino family and Shen Hongyuan were nowhere to be seen.

Shen Xingyu frowned as he glanced at the courtyard.

The Lino family's car was still there.

He stopped a passing servant and asked, "Where are the head of the family and the guest?"

Upon seeing Shen Xingyu, the servant showed great respect and said, "Young Master Lu Ran seemed to have something to attend to just now. He asked the head of the family and the guest to follow him to the..."

Pausing for a moment, the servant then pointed in the direction of the first floor restroom, "To the restrooms."

"Did they go together? How long ago was it?" Shen Xingyu inquired.

"A while," the servant replied.

After a moment of thought, the servant added, "It seemed like the two young masters from the Lino family went into the restroom with Young Master Lu Ran first. Later, Young Master Lu Ran rushed out to speak with the head of the family, and then the head went over."

Upon hearing this, a deep frown formed between Shen Xingyu's brows.

He didn't ask further and simply walked toward the restroom.

As he proceeded, his expression grew even more solemn.

Shen Xingyu could roughly guess Shen Hongyuan's intentions.

The HZ project was likely to provoke a fierce battle between the Shen and Lino families.

Currently, there was a severe financial deficit within the Shen family, while the Lino family had just recently shifted their base domestically, with an unstable foundation.

A collaboration between the two families was indeed a viable solution.

Marriage served as a crucial bond to solidify such cooperation.

Even if the collaboration couldn't be negotiated, using marriage to stabilize the Lino family temporarily would still be a decent strategy.

From the perspective of the Shen family, Shen Hongyuan was doing the right thing.

In theory, Shen Xingyu shouldn't intervene at this juncture.

Yet...

Shen Xingyu blinked his eyes shut.

He recalled the eldest son of the Lino family, who was quite unpredictable.

There had been numerous scandalous incidents involving him overseas, engaging in excessive romantic escapades.

But this was the Shen family's residence; surely nothing like that would happen here...

Shen Xingyu paused in front of the bathroom door.

Without knocking, he reached out and pulled the door open.

In that fleeting moment, a horrifying sight greeted his eyes.

Reacting instinctively, Shen Xingyu raised his hand.

With a sharp "slam," he closed the door.

This instinct was born out of sheer terror.

Forgive him for having never witnessed such chaos in his life.

"The... What happened here?" The servant walking beside him asked cautiously.

Shen Xingyu took a deep breath.

Shouldering the responsibility as the family heir, he gathered himself and opened the door once more.

Now, only the "victims" remained inside.

The eldest son of the Leno family was leaning against the toilet bowl, his expression dazed.

The second son was desperately trying to pull a toilet brush out of his mouth while hunched over, spitting repeatedly.

Old Leno had a plunger stuck on his forehead.

As for Shen Hongyuan, the front of his shirt was soaked, and he was holding onto the toilet, muttering deliriously, "Rebellious child! Rebellious child!"

Shen Xingyu double-checked the setting.

Indeed, it was a bathroom.

Washing his face silently, Shen Xingyu finally grasped the meaning behind Shen Xingzhuo's words "go easy on them."

"Go... call an ambulance?"

He instructed the servant beside him with uncertainty in his voice.

To his surprise, the three Lino family members reacted intensely upon hearing this.

They sprang up from the ground and exclaimed, "No way!"

Spotting Shen Xingyu, who hadn't witnessed the incident, standing outside the door, they desperately tried to justify themselves, "No, nothing happened! We were just playing around; there's no need to go to the hospital!"

If news of them being rubbed against the toilet bowl were to spread, how would their Lino family be able to save face?!!

Shen Xingyu: "..."

Meanwhile, Lu Ran hadn't left yet.

He unlocked the door to Shen Hongyuan's study with a key.

Only after entering and locating the cabinet that Shen Hongyuan had mentioned did Lu Ran realize that the cunning fox had once again told a lie.

That was because the cabinet was equipped with a digital lock.

Lu Ran's gaze darkened.

Exiting the study, he spotted Shen Xingyu and promptly approached to seize the man's wrist.

"Come here, to me."

Intent on seeking out someone to "make a formal complaint," Shen Xingyu was momentarily taken aback, allowing the youth to tug him forward by the wrist.

The grip on the wrist was firm and unyielding, held tightly in place.

Shen Xingyu was suddenly reminded of his childhood.

Back then, when his relationship with his younger brother hadn't soured and the child didn't fear him.

Occasionally, he would have the leisure to play with the child for a while.

It seemed to be right after school had ended that day.

Upon entering the house, a soft little hand reached out and grabbed his wrist.

The child eagerly pulled him along to the backyard, eager to show him the small nest he had crafted for the rabbits.

Shen Xingyu blinked, and the blurred scene before his eyes cleared away.

What now held his wrist was no longer that soft, pudgy little hand devoid of any notable strength.

It was not the hand of an elegant scholar, but one with calluses on its palm and fingertips, indicating the strength of a youth who labored frequently.

The one pulling him was no longer that short and plump ball from those years; they had grown into a somewhat slender figure.

Shen Xingyu remained in a daze.

Then, he felt a chill on his fingertips.

His hand was forcefully pressed onto a fingerprint scanner.

What awaited him was no longer the soft nest made of tissues and cotton from years ago.

Recalling his surroundings, Shen Xingyu frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

But Lu Ran didn't reply.

Fixated on the fingerprint lock displaying an error, he cursed under his breath.

Then, he left Shen Xingyu behind, rushed downstairs, and dragged the unsuspecting Shen Hongyuan, who was washing his face, upstairs.

He pulled Shen Hongyuan over and pressed his hand against the cabinet.

"Beep," the lock unlocked.

Shen Hongyuan was infuriated by Lu Ran's brazen behavior and eventually pointed at Shen Xingyu beside him, asking,

"Look at him, aren't you going to do anything?"

Shen Xingyu's lips quivered.

In the end, he sighed and asked Shen Hongyuan, "What on earth are you hiding?"

"Hiding something?" Shen Hongyuan raged in frustration, "Everything in the Shen family belongs to me! What do you mean by me hiding something?"

Lu Ran paid no attention to the two of them.

The cabinet was almost empty.

As expected, someone like Shen Hongyuan would never trust his sons and wouldn't keep anything important at home.

At the very bottom, there was a box that hadn't been dealt with yet.

Lu Ran glanced at the pattern—it was the same as the gift box for the wristwatch that Shen Hongyuan had given him previously.

He took out the gift box and waved it at Shen Hongyuan. "Old fellow, I hate it when others hide my things."

"However, if you have some peculiar hobby and enjoy drinking toilet water, then by all means, keep hiding it."

With that, he ignored the father and son, and left the Shen residence with the box in hand.

That evening, Ji Min returned home from work.

But one figure was missing from the dinner table.

Ji Min waited for a while, but to no avail.

Somewhat surprised, he turned to ask Manager Chen who sat beside him, "How odd. What could have kept him from even having dinner?"

Manager Chen replied, "He said he was a bit tired and went straight to his room to rest after coming back."

Ji Min paused, then didn't say anything further.

He had a light meal and called over the two bodyguards who had been with Lu Ran.

"Something happened today, right? Why is he so exhausted?" Ji Min inquired.

Upon hearing Ji Min's question, the expressions of the two bodyguards became rather animated.

After pulling off such a grand feat, it was only natural for him to be tired!

Seeing that they were hesitant to speak, Ji Min faintly frowned. "Speak."

He exuded a strong aura of authority on any ordinary day.

Now, with just one word from him, coupled with the bodyguards' guilty consciences, they immediately began pouring out their tale like beans spilling from a bowl:

"I'm sorry, Boss, we didn't intentionally let Young Master Lu Ran take matters into his own hands."

"Though it was quite explosive to push someone into the toilet, we did eventually go to assist. Uh... I was the one who stuffed the toilet brush!"

The other bodyguard also eagerly raised his hand, claiming his part. "I was the one with the plunger!"

Ji Min: "..."

He sighed, resting his forehead in his hand before he continued, "Hold on, that's not important. I'm not asking about that..."

The bodyguards' eyes widened in disbelief.

Not important?

How could this be unimportant? What possibly could be more significant?

They assumed it was because they hadn't been sincere enough and quickly reassured him:

"Please rest assured, Sir. From now on, leave such matters to us. Young Master Lu Ran says whom to massage, we'll massage whom!

"We absolutely won't let Young Master Lu Ran lift his sleeves even once!"

Ji Min: "...."

These two used to be quite reliable.

How did spending time with Lu Ran turn me into this?

Interrupting the duo's detailed account, Ji Min sighed again before inquiring, "I meant, where did he go today?"

"Oh, Young Master went back to the Shen residence."

Upon hearing this, Ji Min had a vague idea of the situation.

He dismissed the bodyguards.

Ji Min lingered downstairs for a while longer before taking the elevator up to the second floor.

Exiting the lift, he steered his wheelchair toward his bedroom.

Yet, his gaze strayed to a room at the other end of the corridor.

Half the lights in the hallway were off, casting a dim glow.

Ji Min paused for a moment, turning to glance at Manager Chen beside him and saying,

"Go check if he's awake and bring him something to eat if he isn't," the butler Chen instructed.

But Chen continued without waiting for Ji Min's response, entering the elevator immediately.

Ji Min: "..."

He stood still for a moment before slowly maneuvering his wheelchair down the dim and tranquil hallway, heading towards Lu Ran's room at the end.

The wheelchair came to a halt in front of the door.

The door was still ajar, not even latched shut.

Ji Min hesitated, knuckles poised to knock, then thought better of it. Perhaps Lu Ran was asleep, and he shouldn't disturb him.

In the soft glow, the usually tightly sealed barrier seemed slightly more permeable.

Gently, Ji Min pushed the door open and rolled his wheelchair inside with barely a sound.

Entering the suite, the door to the bedroom inside was still ajar.

Warm yellow light illuminated the space.

For some reason, Ji Min felt an instant relief.

He's still awake...

The teenager in the bedroom must have just woken up.

With disheveled hair, he was sitting at the head of the bed, engrossed in something, so much so that he didn't even notice someone had entered the room.

Ji Min cleared his throat softly and tapped on the bedroom door with a bent finger.

The youth seated on the bed startled, fumbling in a flustered haste to gather the scattered items upon it.

Owing to the intensity of the movement, some items were sent flying out directly.

Ji Min raised an eyebrow as he cast a glance at the youth, then bent down to retrieve the scrap of paper that had drifted to his feet.

That was a photograph.

In the picture, a fluffy little child was stretching out their arms, asking for a hug directly into the camera.