Chapter 111: Arrangements

Fang Chen felt awkward.

"Hahaha... why would you think that?" he laughed nervously.

Lu Ran remained silent, merely gazing at him intently.

After a while, Fang Chen couldn't hold back any longer.

He was already somewhat intimidated by Lu Ran, so he could only honestly confess, "Alright, yes, that's true."

Lu Ran silently hung up his lab coat.

He stepped out of the laboratory with his backpack on.

Passing by Fang Chen, he turned his head to glance at him, his voice low and muffled as he said, "I don't need anyone to accompany me."

Fang Chen was somewhat taken aback.

It wasn't the content of Lu Ran's words, but the expression and demeanor with which he spoke them.

Previously, in Fang Chen's eyes, Lu Ran was a hero, a devil.

This person was somewhat abnormal, whether in conversation or action, carrying an enigmatic quality that was hard to fathom.

Not the kind of unfathomable depth that was difficult to grasp.

But rather, an unpredictability that could lead him to do anything outrageous at any moment.

Especially Lu Ran's eyes, dark and lustrous, they hold an inexplicably eerie quality upon being gazed upon.

Thus, Fang Chen had always been slightly afraid of Lu Ran, perceiving him as an eccentric individual.

Yet now, as Lu Ran mentioned Ji Min, he said to him, "I don't need anyone's company."

It was precisely the same cold demeanor as usual.

Yet, in Lu Ran, Fang Chen perceived an exceedingly rare kind of caprice.

Certainly, this streak of whimsy wasn't directed at him.

"Hmm, you're quite amusing," Fang Chen commented.

At that moment, Lu Ran had no intention of engaging in conversation.

He simply slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed for the fast-food restaurant where he worked.

As Lu Ran mechanically took orders, his mind wandered elsewhere.

The two bodyguards stationed at the restaurant today were different; they blended in seamlessly with the ordinary customers.

Midway through his shift, Lu Ran's phone pinged.

It was a message from the class group chat.

Their counselor had tagged everyone, reminding the daily commuters to submit their monthly parental consent forms.

The consent form was straightforward, merely a template that required a parent's signature, along with a date and contact information.

Something mundane, but it used to be quite an issue for Lu Ran.

After moving in with Ji Min, he had begged Ji Min to fill it out for him.

But now...

Before Lu Ran could even ponder how to get through this month, the new butler at his home sent him a message.

The message was a photograph, depicting a completed document.

For a moment, Lu Ran felt a bit disoriented.

He stood dumbfounded behind the counter, phone in hand.

It wasn't until new customers entered the shop that he came back to his senses.

As Lu Ran attended to his tasks, memories of Ji Min's visit to the hospital resurfaced in his mind.

In the car, he asked if there was anything he needed to be told.

The man, who usually nagged like an elder, simply said, "What's there to tell in such a short time?"

Such a short time...

On the weekend, Fang Chen came to the store where Lu Ran worked again.

As soon as he entered, he raised his hand and declared, "Let's get this straight – I came here on my own accord this time. I find you quite an interesting person."

Lu Ran didn't pay him much attention, focusing on his tasks.

But when it was time to clock out, he looked at Fang Chen for a moment.

Lu Ran had no friends and had never really had a home since he was young.

So, he had no idea how ordinary people spent time with their friends.

After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly, asking, "Do you want to come over to my place and have some fun?"

Fang Chen's eyes lit up, and he happily followed along.

On the way, Lu Ran had already sent a message to the butler, asking him to prepare dinner for two at home.

Fang Chen had initially assumed that Lu Ran would invite him to the Shen family's residence, but upon arrival, he realized it was the Ji family's house.

Surprised, he teased, "You've even moved into Ji Min's place, huh!"

Lu Ran didn't respond.

The butler, seeing that Fang Chen was the visitor, showed no signs of surprise on his face.

After dinner, the two of them lounged on the couch in the living room, playing games facing each other while cuddling with the dog.

Fang Chen yelled excitedly as he played, "Ruthless! You're damn ruthless! Your attacks are so intense, you're almost breaking the phone screen with all that tapping."

It was Lu Ran's first time staying up late to play games with a friend.

This kind of experience, which is very common among peers, was still unfamiliar to him.

After a few solo matches, the two teamed up for more battles.

When they grew tired of playing, Fang Chen put down his phone and, while petting Big Yellow, examined the layout of Ji Min's living room.

He shook his head and exclaimed, "How can Ji Min's place be more boring than my grandpa's? Aren't you bored? Next week, I'll bring you to my house to play..."

Lu Ran, staring at the character on his phone screen, was actually pondering how Ji Min's surgery would progress by next week.

Fang Chen leaned back on the sofa armrest, observing Lu Ran's expression, then suddenly said,

"Do you know how Ji Min got me to come over?"

Lu Ran looked up at him and asked, "What did he tell you?"

"Tell me? He didn't even talk to me!"

Fang Chen waved his hand before continuing, "He went straight to my dad and said he had a long business trip but was worried about leaving a young child at home. He hoped to find a peer to keep you company."

Lu Ran blinked twice.

"Ji Min rarely asks favors from anyone! When he came seeking help, my dad was thrilled and couldn't possibly refuse. He then instructed me to take good care of you."

Fang Chen curled his lips and shook his head.

After chatting for a while longer, Fang Chen put Big Yellow down and reluctantly retired to the guest room.

Lu Ran sat in the living room for a bit more.

He went upstairs and returned Big Yellow to its nest.

Then, he made his way to Ji Min's room, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

He slowly lay down on the bed.

Lu Ran mused that Ji Min had indeed been meticulous in choosing him as a companion.

Given Ji Min's status, he could have easily picked any young master from an influential family just by asking.

Yet, he had chosen Fang Chen.

Fang Chen was indeed a decent person.

But more importantly, due to his experience with the Shen family, he was terrified of himself.

And in their circle, there were quite a number of people who feared Fang Chen.

Thus, with Fang Chen being afraid of him, he would be in a position where nobody dared to provoke him.

Not to mention...

Lu Ran turned over and hugged his pillow.

Not to mention, Fang Chen's willful and spoiled demeanor was definitely not the type Lu Ran would be attracted to.

So... this playmate was quite safe.

Lu Ran felt like laughing a little.

After his laughter subsided, he felt a strange sense of sadness creeping in.

He tapped on Ji Min's WeChat and typed into the chat box, "I miss you."

However, there was no reply.

Lu Ran knew that Ji Min had already begun his pre-operative preparations.

On the day Ji Min entered the operating room, Lu Ran was still immersed in the laboratory.

In fact, he didn't need to come to the lab today; he should have been working his part-time job.

But today at the fast-food restaurant, something was clearly off with him.

Not only did he mix up customers' orders, but he also mistakenly squeezed chili sauce into a plate instead of ketchup.

Eventually, the boss noticed his unusual state and, concerned, gave him the day off, asking if there were any family issues.

Now, Lu Ran stood before the lab bench, holding a pipette, carefully transferring samples from his tray into a centrifuge tube.

He absorbed the samples almost mechanically.

His senior, standing across from him, watched for a while before finally becoming unable to bear it any longer.

She couldn't help but softly remind him, "Uh... You've added this tube several times already; it's overflowing."

Lu Ran froze for a moment, then looked down at the instrument in front of him and let out an "oh."

Worried that his recent experimental results might be ruined, Lu Ran left the lab and wandered around the academic building.

Fang Chen found him again.

Seeing his expression, Fang Chen was very surprised.

"What's going on?" Fang Chen asked. "Hey! Ji Min is just on a business trip; he'll be back in no time. Do you really need to be so distracted?"

Lu Ran didn't respond.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "Do you have anyone you want to prank today?"

"Ah?" Fang Chen stumbled, taking a step back in caution. "What do you want?"

Lu Ran flexed his wrist and said, "Just stretching my muscles."

Fang Chen shook his head vigorously. "N-No! There's no one who deserves cruel punishment right now!"

Lu Ran sighed in disappointment.

"How about we play laser tag? That can also get the blood flowing," Fang Chen suggested.

"Not exciting enough," Lu Ran shook his head.

Then, he patted Fang Chen on the shoulder. "I've thought of something to do."

Lu Ran returned to the Shen family residence.

As he was about to enter the gate of the Shen family, a bodyguard following behind stopped him.

The bodyguard lowered his head to send a message on his phone.

Moments later, two more individuals arrived, and the bodyguard then told Lu Ran, "You can go in now."

Lu Ran: "…"

He glanced at the entrance of the Shen family residence, suddenly losing his desire to enter.

Indeed, he was currently craving an outlet for his frustration.

But someone, out of concern for his safety, had arranged so many people around him.

He couldn't just ignore their efforts and be heartless.

Lu Ran returned to the Ji family home.

He strolled around the yard with Big Yellow for a long time, waiting until it was dark before reluctantly returning to his room.

During this time, Fang Chen called to ask if Lu Ran wanted to go out and play, but he declined.

He didn't feel like going anywhere at the moment.

Apparently, he wasn't in the hospital.

Only Ji Min was there, and as usual, he had his studies, work, and leisure activities to attend to.

Yet, it felt as if he were trapped before an invisible operating room door.

After dinner, while lying in bed,

Lu Ran couldn't resist checking the time.

He counted the hours; it had been more than ten since Ji Min had truly entered the operating theater.

Upon this thought, a inexplicable restlessness began to spread.

Lu Ran couldn't help but reassure himself.

It was normal for a major surgery to take this long, and neural surgeries were particularly intricate...

Nothing untoward would happen, surely.

Lu Ran lay in bed, suspended in a state between consciousness and slumber.

A tense thread lingered persistently in his mind, preventing him from truly falling asleep.

Yet, his excessive anxiety plunged him into a fatigue that was his body's protective response.

He could only doze off for a moment before hastily opening his eyes to check his phone.

Scanning the empty message list, he then fixated on the phone screen, involuntarily closing his eyes again.

This cycle repeated endlessly.

As this tense state persisted, Lu Ran couldn't help but sit up.

Regret began to settle in.

He should have caused a commotion when he passed by Shen's house today.

At the very least, he should have poured all the water babies he bought down the Shen family's drain.

Let the Shen family experience the frustration of a toilet that won't flush.

Lu Ran beat his chest and stamped his feet for quite some time.

Just as he couldn't resist getting up in the middle of the night to rush to the Shen residence...

"Ding Dong."

His phone rang.

Lu Ran completely forgot about Water Baby. He hurriedly turned around, fumbled to grab his phone, lit up the screen, and entered the message list.

It was a voice message from Manager Chen.

Lu Ran stared at the lengthy audio clip for a long while, hesitating before finally mustering the courage to tap on it.

In an instant, Manager Chen's voice, filled with delight and relief, echoed:

"The surgery is over, and the doctor said it was very successful. However, Sir is still under anesthesia and will need another day or two to regain full consciousness and be able to communicate with you properly."

At this point, Butler Chen smiled again and added, "He specifically instructed me to inform you of the outcome as soon as we left the operating room."