Chapter 62: Birthday

The Shen family's banquet aimed to formally introduce their youngest son, who had been missing for fifteen years, to all the guests present.

No one could have foreseen this.

The head of the Ji family had come to attend the banquet but ended up stealing the spotlight by taking the main guest away.

It wasn't until Shen Hongyuan searched high and low for someone that he learned Ji Min had actually run off with the person.

Shen Xingzhuo arrived a little late.

His presence was noticeable as he carried a large cardboard box in his arms when he entered the venue. Apparently, he had come in a hurry, as a fine sheen of sweat graced his forehead.

His meticulously styled bangs were slightly lifted, giving him an even more carefree appearance.

"Brother Zhuo!"

"Why are you here only now!"

Chen Sheng and the others immediately waved in greeting.

As they approached, they noticed the large box in Shen Xingzhuo's arms.

Out of curiosity, Chen Sheng peered over. "What's this? It looks so heavy."

Just as his hand reached out, Shen Xingzhuo gave him a sharp glance. "What are you doing? Can you touch this?"

Chen Sheng promptly withdrew his hand, realizing his mistake.

Shen Xingzhuo remained enigmatic, not revealing the contents of the box nor putting it down.

He carried it like a precious treasure, strolling around the party.

After two circuits, he failed to find the person he was looking for. Only then did he frown and ask Chen Sheng, "Where's Lu Ran?"

"I don't know," Chen Sheng replied. "I was looking for him too. Haven't seen him in a while. Maybe you should ask Uncle Shen?"

Shen Xingzhuo furrowed his brows.

He went upstairs to his room, put away his suitcase, and then went to find Shen Hongyuan.

Shen Hongyuan was in the card room, chatting with others.

Gu Ningqi had already left.

The others didn't seem to be in a good mood either.

Shen Xingzhuo led Shen Hongyuan outside before asking, "Dad, where's Lu Ran?"

Shen Hongyuan's expression wasn't as amiable as it usually was in public; there was a hint of gravity between his brows.

He took a puff from the cigar between his fingers and said, "He left with Ji Min. Don't bother with them."

Shen Xingzhuo was taken aback, then his brows knitted tightly together.

"To leave with Ji Min? It's almost ten o'clock. What does Ji Min want to do with him at this hour?"

Shen Xingzhuo's voice rose in spite of himself. "You know what's going on and you're still letting him go? He's your own flesh and blood. Are you really selling him to that Ji family member?"

"Enough!" Shen Hongyuan rebuked sharply, his expression icy.

He glanced around, making sure no one had noticed their exchange, before glaring at Shen Xingzhuo through gritted teeth. "I don't want him to be with Ji Min any more than you do!"

Lu Ran was oblivious to the events unfolding in the Shen family.

At that moment, he was seated in Ji Min's business car.

His eyes were pressed against the window, curiously peering outside.

"What are we doing?" Lu Ran asked.

It couldn't be that they were going to work at this hour, could it?

The man in the wheelchair up front turned his gaze backward.

The car was dimly lit.

The partition in front was also down.

Only a faint glow from the streetlights outside filtered through the tinted glass, casting a subtle light on the man's chiseled profile.

Lu Ran felt that the man had glanced at him before saying, "Take Big Yellow out for his birthday."

"Huh?" Lu Ran's eyes widened in surprise.

When he had entrusted Big Yellow to Ji Min, he had also given him the dog's registration certificate.

A quick scan would reveal Big Yellow's birthdate, so it wasn't strange for Ji Min to know.

"However…" Lu Ran thought carefully, "Big Yellow's birthday is next month."

The man in front had already turned back.

He simply said, "I'm busy next month, so we're celebrating it today."

"Oh," Lu Ran responded, thinking to himself that Ji Min was quite the busybody.

But this was the first time anyone had celebrated Big Yellow's birthday.

In the past, Lu Ran would simply open a can of food for the dog.

Now, Ji Min, with his lavish generosity, had gone to great lengths, piquing Lu Ran's curiosity.

He struggled to keep his eyes open but eventually dozed off during the ride.

When he woke up, he found the car driving into a spacious area.

It was somewhat dark outside, and Lu Ran couldn't make out any signs, but he vaguely sensed that they were at a place akin to a pet playground.

However, there were no other dogs around.

There were plenty of common play facilities for pets, though.

The car came to a halt on a lake island.

The island was covered with vast expanses of lush green lawns, bordered by a semicircular lake.

Along the lakeside, rows of unknown trees were planted.

Surprisingly, they still bore vibrant green leaves in this season.

It was an entire expanse of dark greenery.

Lu Ran, carrying Big Yellow, stepped out of the car. He sniffed and said in bewilderment, "How are we supposed to celebrate a birthday here?"

Ji Min also exited the vehicle.

He ignored Lu Ran and nodded at Uncle Chen, gesturing, "Give him a coat."

After the New Year, the temperatures had already risen considerably.

Yet, it was still chilly.

Lu Ran had rushed out and was still only wearing that haute couture suit.

He didn't have a coat, so Butler Chen took one out from the car and handed it to him.

"Thank you." Lu Ran put on the coat.

It didn't feel like much until he wore it.

Only then did he realize that the sleeves were excessively long, sliding down to his elbows, and the shoulder line rested at his mid-arm.

Wrapped in the coat, he resembled a child who had secretly donned an adult's clothing.

Lu Ran looked at the man behind him with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Just as he met Ji Min's eyes, filled with amusement.

"Don't laugh!"

Lu Ran rolled up his sleeves twice, but they were too wide and kept slipping down.

He had no choice but to roll them up higher.

This made him look even more like a child.

Lu Ran: "…"

He glanced at Ji Min again.

Once more, he realized that this man's physique was undoubtedly "sturdy" among men.

At the same time, a faint sense of regret arose in his heart.

Ji Min must be quite tall when standing, with straight shoulders and a broad back.

It was a pity that such a person was confined to a wheelchair.

"Take Big Yellow and walk ahead," Ji Min said, interrupting his thoughts.

Lu Ran looked down to find that Big Yellow had already started tugging at his trouser leg.

For some reason, Big Yellow was clearly very excited.

Upon seeing him follow, its four tiny legs practically bounced like a puppy's.

Lu Ran couldn't help but feel happy as well.

He followed Big Yellow forward.

When they reached a transparent tunnel, the dog puffed and panted as it squeezed inside.

Without knowing how, the entire tunnel lit up.

Lu Ran was startled.

Crouching down for a closer look, he discovered that there was a switch installed within the tunnel, with a small treat placed on top of it.

Big Yellow pressed the switch, consumed the treat, and the concealed neon lights within the tunnel illuminated.

Lu Ran's interest was piqued, and the weariness he had previously felt suddenly vanished. He began to run wildly across the lawn with Big Yellow.

They moved from one path to another.

By the time they were done running, both were drenched in sweat.

Lu Ran turned his head and noticed that the entire lawn had been illuminated.

The carefully arranged string lights, courtesy of the little dog, formed the shape of a birthday cake.

The cake had three tiers, complete with flickering candles that seemed almost real.

It was nestled amidst the grass.

The soft glow of the tiny lights cast a gentle radiance upon the lush green blades of grass, making them shimmer with an almost translucent hue.

"Wow," Lu Ran couldn't help but exclaim, "That's incredible!"

He instinctively turned to look at the man standing behind him.

Ji Min didn't venture onto the lawn.

He sat quietly in his wheelchair, gazing at the scene from the edge of the grass, his dark eyes seemingly illuminated by the ground lights, exuding a near-tender glow.

As Lu Ran prepared to return, Big Yellow barked twice at him before dashing towards the lake.

Concerned that the dog might fall into the water, Lu Ran hurried after him.

He didn't clearly see how Big Yellow moved.

All he saw was the little dog circling around the trees by the lake, akin to a rabbit in its agility.

One by one, the massive tree canopies lit up in sequence.

These were not ordinary lights on the trees.

Instead, they were formed into shapes using strings of lights.

Glimmering LED beads traced the silhouettes of the young lad and his little dog.

There was a scene of a young man crouching down with a little dog to shield them from the wind, and another of a person and their furry companion joyfully skipping along together.

And there was the sight of the youth and the little dog both dozing contentedly upon the ground together.

Upon each treetop, it seemed as if time itself had paused for a moment.

Lu Ran still stood on the lawn.

He stood at the heart of this circle of trees, his gaze almost entranced, a youthful and innocent thrill shimmering in his clear eyes.

Not even the return of Big Yellow to his side caught his attention.

It took him a long while before he bent down to pick up the puppy, pointing at a lantern sign and muttering, "Big Yellow, that's you!"

His eyes were still glued to the colorful lights as he couldn't help but say, "Big Yellow, how fortunate you are."

Big Yellow barked at him twice more, tugging on the hem of his pants to move forward.

Lu Ran jogged along obediently.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that Big Yellow had led him to a large tree, where a pull rope was hanging from it.

However, the rope was rather high up, out of reach even when Big Yellow stood on its hind legs.

"Are you asking me to pull this?" Lu Ran lifted the dog up.

But instead of biting the rope, the puppy wriggled to get back down to the ground.

Lu Ran was confused.

Yet, he was genuinely curious about what would happen if he pulled the rope. It was as if he had been transported back to his childhood, where his curiosity was impossible to suppress.

Lu Ran turned to glance at Ji Min.

The man was still standing in the same spot, quite a distance away.

Whispering to Big Yellow, Lu Ran said, "I'll give you a hand."

With that, he eagerly tugged on the rope.

In an instant, the entire lake island was illuminated.

Lights spread out from the center of the lake like flames.

In the blink of an eye, the pavilions and structures on the lake shimmered with a dreamy glow.

It was as if they had transitioned directly from a dark, moonless night into a day filled with hope and joy.

Simultaneously, a series of sharp whistling sounds echoed.

Multi-colored ribbons intertwined with round balloons ascended from unknown corners all around them.

Gently, they descended once more.

The ribbons landed, scattering across Lu Ran's hair.

Startled, Lu Ran froze for a moment before bursting into laughter as he hugged Big Yellow.

The little dog also chased after the floating ribbons and balls.

Lu Ran bent down to pick up one of the balls.

He discovered that in elegant cursive English, it read: "Happy Birthday."

There was a switch on the small ball.

Upon opening it, a rainbow of candies lay inside.

These were the very treats Lu Ran had yearned for during his childhood.

As he ran and chased with Big Yellow, they unknowingly collected a large pile of balls.

Using the hem of his coat to carry it, he returned to Ji Min's side.

Only then did he notice the attendants standing at a respectful distance around them.

On the ground was a two-tiered small cake.

Lu Ran inserted ten candles into the cake and said to Big Yellow, "Quick, Big Yellow, make a wish!"

The little dog didn't understand such customs; exhausted from running, it didn't even blow out the candles before taking a bite.

The cake was specially made, with canned meat inside.

Lu Ran bent down to examine it for a while.

Unable to resist, he looked up at Ji Min with sparkling eyes and asked, "Um... can people eat this too?"

The faint smile on Ji Min's face froze, revealing an expression akin to a parent hearing their child want to eat trash.

He raised a hand to his forehead, exasperated. "Are you actually considering competing with a dog for food?"

Before Lu Ran could respond, Ji Min clapped his hands.

Then, two waiters emerged, carrying a massive three-tier cake.

As they walked, they sang "Happy Birthday."

The cake was adorned with shimmering candles, replicating the enchanting pattern from the lawn.

The youth gazed dumbfounded at the enormous cake.

His dark eyes shimmered with the glow of candlelight, unable to suppress the longing and awe that had been suppressed deeply within him for the past fifteen years.

"Wow~"

The voice was childlike, with the end notes curling like a playful melody.

A gentle curve formed at the corner of Ji Min's lips.

A hint of amusement sparkled in his eyes.

Unable to contain his excitement, Lu Ran had already dashed over to the cake.

Many candles were inserted into the cake.

It only read "Happy Birthday," without any name written on it.

Lu Ran circled around the cake for a while.

Then, he ran back to Ji Min and exclaimed, "If we're celebrating Big Yellow's birthday, will there be a cake for humans too?"

"You wouldn't want to go hungry," Ji Min replied.

Lu Ran: "..."

He thought that was reasonable.

After all, they couldn't expect humans to eat a cake meant for pets.

Then, the scene of a boy and his dog enjoying the cake unfolded.

Lu Ran leaned entirely over the cake, his gaze fixated on it since the waiter began cutting it.

Ji Min sat in his wheelchair, merely observing without any intention to join in.

Seizing an opportunity, he whispered to Manager Chen, "This is the scale of my fifth birthday celebration."

It was a veiled mockery at a certain overly childish youngster.

Yet, there was a constant smile in his eyes.

The lawn was filled with various play equipment.

Lu Ran had great fun playing with Big Yellow, gradually erasing any memory of today's Shen family banquet.

Until he couldn't resist rolling on the grass with Big Yellow.

He glanced at his clothes and let out an "Ah."

He stood up, retreated from the lawn, and returned to Ji Min's side.

"The fun's over?" the man asked.

Lu Ran shook his head.

He had taken off Ji Min's coat due to the heat from running just now.

Currently, he was wearing that black haute couture garment adorned with subtle golden patterns.

The young man brushed off the grass leaves from his clothes and walked aside to pick up his drink, taking a sip elegantly.

He sat in an adjacent chair, sipping from the rim of his cup. Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind, causing his eyes to curve into a smile as he said,

"I spotted Ningqi in the restroom before he arrived at the event today."

Ji Min glanced sideways, listening to him speak.

Lu Ran rarely talked about himself.

He would ask what Ji Min liked, what he wanted him to do.

He would also mention Big Yellow and other people.

But he had never mentioned the Shen family or his own emotions and experiences.

At this moment, it seemed that he had let loose after having fun.

Finally, he spoke candidly like an ordinary teenager, expressing his feelings clearly: "I particularly disliked Gu Ningqi back then, so I just pushed him into the toilet."

Ji Min: "…"

He fell silent for a few seconds, unsure of what expression to make.

For a moment, he felt a bit sympathetic toward Gu Ningqi but couldn't help laughing at the same time.

Most importantly, the teenager's straightforward admission of shoving someone into a toilet left one at a loss for a response.

After enduring in silence for a while, the man couldn't hold back any longer.

He reached up to touch his face, revealing a short, muffled laugh in the palm of his hand.

"Then what happened?" Ji Min asked.

Recalling Gu Ningqi's arrogant demeanor at the banquet, he inquired, "You didn't succeed?"

"Of course, I did!" Lu Ran replied. "By the time you arrived, he had already changed his clothes."

Ji Min suddenly felt that he might have been a bit late today.

After announcing his triumph, Lu Ran fell silent for a moment before saying abruptly:

"I've never hesitated when doing these sorts of things before. But today... I seemed to waver for a moment?"

Ji Min studied him for a moment before asking softly, "Why?"

Lu Ran gazed at the colorful lights on the tree without responding.

In retrospect, there was no need to hesitate at all.

It was clearly an excellent opportunity to take advantage of someone.

Gu Ningqi was changing clothes – a quick tug at his pants and a cover with his jacket, and he wouldn't need much effort to push someone into the toilet bowl.

Lu Ran had done such things plenty of times before.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

After holding someone down, he'd simply wash his hands and proceed with his daily routine – eating, drinking, and sleeping.

Strangely enough, Lu Ran couldn't quite grasp why those who were victimized reacted so strongly.

Take Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingran for instance; just a bit of something on their faces could make them nauseous for days, refusing to eat.

In Lu Ran's view, this was truly remarkable.

If it were him, nothing and no one could make him give up eating.

In his previous life, he had been forced to drop out of college by the Shen family and was left with no choice but to take on the dirtiest and most exhausting jobs.

Lu Ran had even done his fair share of cleaning toilets.

He knew that no matter how dirty the work was or how tired one was, hunger would still strike when mealtime came around.

Lu Ran had also visited some illegal breeding farms.

The cats and dogs there spent their entire lives cooped up in cages, eating, drinking, and relieving themselves all within those confines.

The cages were filthy.

Yet, whenever they saw humans passing by, they would still struggle to bark and beg for food.

Later, Lu Ran felt that he wasn't being treated much differently either.

Lying on the hospital bed, what was the difference between him and a dog in a cage?

A dog could still bark, but he couldn't even speak.

So Lu Ran didn't really mind these things.

As long as he was cleaned up, it was fine.

He couldn't understand the overly emotional reactions of Shen Xingran, Lin Yi, and Zhang Lin.

He found them all rather melodramatic.

It wasn't until he encountered Gu Ningqi in the bathroom that things changed.

Lu Ran wanted to make a move, but he paused.

He looked at his clothes, and a small thought suddenly occurred to him.

In that moment, he, for the first time, understood why Shen Xingran and the others had such a deep aversion to dirtiness.

It all came to an end.

The bustling lake island returned to its tranquility.

Only clusters of colorful lights remained lit.

Ji Min sat in his wheelchair.

Lu Ran walked beside him, cradling Big Yellow.

Ji Min turned to look at the beads of sweat on the child's forehead and was about to remind him to put on his jacket to avoid catching a cold.

But the child softly uttered a seemingly unrelated sentence, "Because I don't want to get my clothes dirty."

Ji Min froze for a second.

By the time he regained his composure, Uncle Chen had already driven the car over.

The car was sufficiently heated.

Upon entering, there was no need to wear a coat anymore.

The spacious executive vehicle was, as usual, shrouded in darkness.

But it no longer held the initial air of mystery bordering on peril.

At this moment, that dense veil of danger-evoking darkness had transformed into the most reassuring shield.

Like a profound yet warm cavern, it separates one from all the chaos outside.

Shortly after the car hit the road, Ji Min heard the steady breathing coming from behind him.

Ji Min maneuvered his wheelchair around.

There, at the very back of the vehicle, he noticed that the rear bench seat had been folded down.

The youth lay upon it, slumbering soundly.

Rushing about had left a glistening bead of sweat on his pert nose.

His cheeks bore a delicate, healthy flush from the exertion of exercise.

Ji Min cast a downward glance at Lu Ran's suit, his gaze then drifting to the carefully styled forelock of the young man.

Indeed, very beautiful.

Beautiful enough that simply lying there, he seemed like a priceless treasure concealed within the carriage.

It arouses a secretive delight within one's heart, an irresistible urge to possess it stealthily.

Ji Min averted his gaze, looking out the car window.

The vehicle entered the city, and an array of colorful lights gradually proliferated outside.

These hazy, dim halos of light, filtering through the car window, traced past the corners of Ji Min's eyes, settling upon the slumbering youth before him.

A gentle aura of light caresses the chiseled brows and limpid eyes of the young man, then descends to alight upon the tip of his nose and the contours of his lips.

Finally, it gently caressed the fair earlobe nestled amidst soft tresses before stealthily slipping away.

Ji Min fixated on the car window, lost in the glow outside.

Perhaps due to exhaustion and the narrowness of the backseat.

The young man slept in a contorted position, not very comfortably, and frowned as he shifted around.

His fingers failed to grasp anything, and he let them fall again. He grunted in annoyance, still lost in his dream.

Only then did Ji Min divert his gaze back.

He chuckled softly, thinking to himself that the other had quite a temper.

Lu Ran fiddled with it a couple more times.

Ji Min watched for a moment before realizing that he was adjusting a bow tie.

The custom-made suit came with a dainty butterfly bow tie.

Secured beneath the collar of his shirt with a ribbon.

Perhaps due to the initial exuberance, the bow had shifted out of place.

It must have been uncomfortable, wedged against his neck.

Out of mercy, Ji Min gracefully bent down and hooked his finger under the bowtie.

He intended to remove it.

As he delicately pulled at the exquisite dark-golden bow, he noticed that Lu Ran's shirt collar had come undone.

It was uncertain if Lu Ran had undone it himself or if it had simply come loose.

The top two buttons of the black silk shirt were slightly undone, revealing the slender, fair neck encased within.

The interior of the car was dimly lit.

Yet, under Ji Min's fingertips, one could still discern the delicate Adam's apple, now flushed red from friction.

It could be attributed to the seemingly delicate yet somewhat uncomfortable bowtie that irritated him.

Still, it was his fingers that did so.

In that fleeting moment of Ji Min's astonishment.

The young man swallowed in his sleep, and his already reddened Adam's apple gently moved up and down.

Clinging closely to Ji Min's fingertips.

"Has he fallen asleep?" Uncle Chen's voice sounded from behind.

Ji Min paused, instinctively retracting his hand.

The bow tie that had just been untied sprang back into place with a snap.

There was a soft thud.

The sleeping person was now thoroughly roused, thrashing about wildly before finally grasping the culprit around their neck.

Grasping the bow tie, he yanked it off and tossed it aside.

His hands still flailed about aimlessly.

Uncle Chen turned his head just in time to witness this scene, chuckling. "Even at this age, you still punch around while sleeping."

"Canine temperament," Ji Min commented.

Uncle Chen looked at him and asked, "Didn't wish him a happy birthday?"

"He's having fun," Ji Min replied, not directly answering the question.

Uncle Chen smiled at him without saying anything more.

Big Yellow wasn't asleep; he was also sitting beside, watching Ji Min.

Big Yellow's birthday was still a month away.

Lu Ran probably didn't even remember when his own birthday was.

The date on the ID card marked the day he was taken in by the orphanage.

Back then, in a hurry, Shen Hongyuan had promised to acknowledge Lu Ran as a member of the Shen family and thus hastily set a date.

Probably no one remembered that today was actually the birthday of the four-year-old who had gone missing.

Uncle Chen glanced at Big Yellow again.

How could an untrained puppy have completed such a smooth journey over the past few days?

Ji Min looked at the sleeping teenager in the backseat.

Big Yellow also kept his beady eyes wide open, gazing upward.

Upon seeing Uncle Chen's teasing gaze, Ji Min, unusually honest, replied to the butler's earlier question:

"There's no particular reason, but it's not troublesome. I just decided to celebrate it for him on the way."

Strictly speaking, he and Lu Ran didn't have any real connection.

Celebrating a birthday for a little dog is understandable.

However, going to great lengths to prepare for someone's birthday wouldn't be quite rational.

In Ji Min's eyes, the young man before him was no different from a child.

A thought struck him, and he scoffed, "If he were to find out, he'd probably think I have a crush on him."

There's a hint of mockery in these words.

Yet, his hands moved gently as he draped his own coat over the sleeping person.

Housekeeper Chen chuckled softly and reminded, "Do you remember why you're here today?"

Why indeed...

Ji Min suddenly recalled the rumors he had overheard at the company earlier that day.

And that peculiar comment about king oyster mushrooms and enoki mushrooms at the banquet.

A stony expression cracked for an instant.

Now that they had left, who knew what rumors were circulating at the banquet.

It was over.

There was no way to clear his name now, not even by jumping into the Yellow River.

Ji Min's dark eyes fixated on the child in the back seat, sleeping so soundly that saliva was nearly dripping down. He was both angered and frustrated.

He wished he could reach out and strangle the child.

Yet, after staring for a long while, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I'll wait a bit longer," he sighed.

Today was his birthday.

It was a rare occasion for him to be happy; he would deal with the repercussions later.