Chapter 18: Kicked Out

Amidst the deafening music, Madam Shen erupted in frustration, "What on earth are you doing at this hour of the night?!"

"Madam, can't you see? I'm disco dancing!

"Lu Ran cranked up the volume of his portable speaker to its maximum and leaped onto the second-story sofa, rhythmically bouncing to the beat of the music.

In one hand, he held a hammer, tapping here and there in time with the tune.

For a moment, the sound of "thump-thump-thump" and the syncopated "da-dum-da-dum" echoed harmoniously.

Madam Shen was left speechless, staring at the scene before her in disbelief.

She considered herself a refined lady and had never imagined that someone would dance to disco music outside someone else's bedroom door in the middle of the night.

Amidst his revelry, Lu Ran chuckled and said, "Didn't you say I'm causing a disturbance? How can I possibly let you off if I don't disturb you all to death?"

"Since you don't want me to sleep, then none of us should sleep!"

Lu Ran leaped off the sofa, bolting up to the third floor with Big Yellow in tow.

He thundered on Shen Xingran's door, "Bang bang bang!"

Shen Xingran opened the door to find Lu Ran wielding a hammer and that pesky dog.

Lu Ran even flashed him a broad grin. "Surprise! Welcome to the midnight party!"

With that, he grabbed Shen Xingran by his hair and dragged him downstairs to the second floor.

When Lu Ran was determined to be ruthless, he truly meant business.

He played Phoenix Legend's music at full blast all night long.

Mrs. Shen and the others lay in bed, staring at the ceiling until dawn broke.

It was then they realized their villa's soundproofing wasn't quite as effective as they'd thought.

No one could have guessed just how loud the speakers in Lu Ran's hands could get.

In short, every time they grew accustomed to the volume and dozed off, the music would abruptly increase in volume.

The song playing also changed.

In between, there were sounds of Lu Ran pounding on the door.

By the end of the night, the three of them were truly exhausted.

The next morning, Madam Shen descended the stairs with a haggard look.

She saw Lu Ran acting as if nothing had happened, greeting her with a bright smile.

He even asked in surprise, "Ah! Madam, Master, why do you both look so terrible? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Madam Shen and Shen Hongyuan nearly fainted from anger.

Madam Shen pointed at Lu Ran and, with a weak voice, scolded, "You! Who's the reason we didn't sleep well?"

"Because of me?" Lu Ran covered his chest and whined, "Then what should I do? I like clubbing at night! I can't fall asleep without it. Not only do I love clubbing, but I'm also naturally boorish. My voice is loud when I speak or walk, and even turning over in bed shakes the earth, disturbing everyone from the first floor to the second. If I stomp my feet, Shen Xingran on the third floor would be scared witless and roll down in a puddle of pee and poop…"

Descending the stairs, Shen Xingran caught wind of the situation and simply sighed, "..."

Lu Ran let out a worried sigh. "If you really can't stand it, why don't you move out to the warehouse in the yard?"

His words came back to haunt him.

The boomerang hit its thrower.

Mrs. Shen was so enraged that she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

She pointed at Lu Ran, sputtering "you" for a while before storming back upstairs in a huff.

From a distance, Lu Ran waved. "Hey, don't forget to move out!"

Of course, Mrs. Shen wouldn't budge!

That very night, Lu Ran switched up the song.

The entire Shen household resonated with:

"Get up and party, what's the point in sleeping!"

"Get up and party, what's the point in sleeping!"

Madam Shen was determined not to be outdone.

She refused to believe that Lu Ran wouldn't feel weary despite staying awake!

Shen Hongyuan couldn't hold on any longer and sneaked out at night to stay at the company.

On the third day,

Madam Shen appeared dazed and disoriented, while Lu Ran was wide awake and energetic.

If Lu Ran had known that Madam Shen was forcing herself to stay up with him, he would have scoffed at her.

He had summoned the energy of a college student cramming for finals and gaming all night.

A few days without sleep was nothing to him.

Doesn't he nap during breaks?

Madam Shen thought the same.

If he doesn't sleep at night, can't he doze off during the day?

But...

In the afternoon, Madam Shen lay in bed with a face mask on. As soon as she closed her eyes...

She could hear it automatically: "Endless love upon the vast land~"

"Rugged horsemen, you're mighty and strong!"

Madam Shen: "...."

Assuming that Lu Ran had returned in the middle of the day, she rushed out, only to find no one outside.

Madam Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

She smoothed the slipping face mask and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over herself and closing her eyes.

In her mind, a voice suddenly rang out, "Sleep your ass off, get up and party!"

Accompanied by the sound of Lu Ran rhythmically knocking on the door with a hammer.

Mrs. Shen rushed out once more.

The hallway was deserted.

Mrs. Shen was on the verge of losing her mind.

Shen Xingran descended from the third floor, also sporting a prominent dark circle under his eyes.

They gazed at each other, tears welling in their eyes.

"Mom, what should we do now?" Shen Xingran asked earnestly, without any hint of sarcasm.

He was genuinely pushed to the brink by Lu Ran.

It never occurred to her that the soundproofing on the quiet third floor would be as ineffective as paper in Lu Ran's hands.

The mother and son sat on the sofa.

Only then did she recall that Lu Ran had once jumped on it.

Mrs. Shen wore a distraught expression. "Is he really my biological son?"

In the past, Shen Xingran would have secretly delighted in hearing those words. But now, he lacked even the energy for such pleasure. He reminded his mother, "This can't go on forever, can it?"

Mrs. Shen began to reflect on herself.

She shouldn't have employed that tactic with Lu Ran.

Not only could she not outlast him, but she also couldn't compete with his shamelessness.

Madam Shen was genuinely terrified.

Whether it was the incident at the restaurant previously or this midnight clubbing escapade, Lu Ran's approach was akin to slaying a thousand enemies at the cost of losing eight hundred of his own.

It seemed he cared not about the eight hundred he lost.

At times, he gave off a crazed impression as if he were willing to forsake his own life, which was unsettling to witness.

Madam Shen pondered for a moment before sternly declaring, "This can't go on."

In the evening, Lu Ran returned to the Shen residence as usual.

However, this time, he was denied entry.

Neither Madam Shen nor Shen Xingran could be seen, and a servant stood at the entrance instead.

The servant held Lu Ran's modest suitcase in hand.

There was a tinge of sympathy in the servant's gaze as he looked at Lu Ran. "Young Master Lu, these are all your belongings. Madam has asked you to leave."

Lu Ran quirked an eyebrow.

He glanced into the villa's living room but didn't say anything.

He didn't make a scene or give the maid a hard time. Instead, he silently took the suitcase from her.

Then, he turned and walked away from the Shen family's front gate.

The maid watched Lu Ran's departing figure, feeling relieved yet somewhat melancholic.

Due to the Shen family's attitude, they didn't have a good impression of this sudden appearance of Young Master Lu.

But objectively speaking, Lu Ran hadn't treated them poorly.

Though his actions often surprised people, he never vented his anger on the servants nor completely ignored them as if they were insignificant.

During these days of Lu Ran's rivalry with Madam Shen, he had never knocked on the servants' doors.

As a result, they, who lived on the first floor, had actually slept the best during these few days.

The servant returned to the villa and approached Madam Shen and Shen Xingran, reporting, "Madam, Young Master, he has already left."

Madam Shen patted her chest in relief, finally venting her anger, and revealed a delighted smile.

After laughing, she eagerly probed, "How was it? Was he sad or upset when he left?"

"Did he seem reluctant to part?"

Servant: "..."

One really couldn't tell.

However, considering Madam Shen's feelings, he nodded and said, "He did look at the villa for quite some time with reluctance."

Madam Shen was even happier upon hearing that.

"Hmph." She picked up a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth. "He needs to know who's in charge of this household. Allowing him to live here is already showing great tolerance from the family. How can he cause trouble at will?"

After some thought, she added, "Did he cancel the lease on his previous place? Keep an eye on it and make sure no one rents it out to him."

Shen Xingran also finally vented her frustration.

Seeing Lu Ran leave the Shen residence with his dog, it was incredibly satisfying.

Madame Shen had proven to be effective.

After all, Shen Xingzhuo had dragged out this matter for so long, and now it was resolved. Not only that, but Lu Ran had been chased away as well.

Madame Shen and Shen Xingran promptly opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate their newfound harmony.

Shen Xingran still maintained some decorum, her face carrying a hint of worry.

Just as the champagne was poured into glasses.

Before they could even finish half of it, the gardener suddenly rushed in, "Madame! Lu Ran is back!"

"Oh," Madame Shen exclaimed in surprise, "Did he realize his mistake so quickly?"

She asked, "Did he regret it? Did he beg me in tears? If his plea is sincere, I might clean up the storage shed outside for him to live in."

Shen Xingran was taken aback. She didn't expect Madam Shen to actually ask Lu Ran back.

The gardener quickly waved his hands. "N-No, he... He sat down at the entrance!"

"Sat down?" Madam Shen was startled.

Peering out again, the gardener exclaimed in surprise, "He... He took out a sleeping bag from his bag, spread it out at the entrance of the villa, and lay down on it!"

"What?!" Madam Shen was dumbfounded.

She couldn't believe her ears and rushed out of the living room without even changing her shoes.

There, she saw that Lu Ran had already set up the sleeping bag.

The enormous sleeping bag stretched across the entire entrance of the villa. Anyone who wanted to leave would have to step over Lu Ran.

Now, both man and dog were snuggled warmly inside the sleeping bag, looking up at her with raised faces upon hearing the commotion.

Lu Ran was even leisurely playing with his phone.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Shen inquired.

"I'm sleeping, ma'am," Lu Ran replied.

"You... Why are you sleeping here?" Mrs. Shen asked.

"Isn't it normal to sleep at my own front door?" Lu Ran retorted.

Mrs. Shen had never encountered someone as terrifying in her life.

He was actually! Sleeping right at the entrance!

Didn't he fear being regarded as a madman?