Chapter 56 - Return

Today's board meeting went smoothly.

However, Ji Min couldn't help but feel that some of the people present were looking at him with an odd, indescribable gaze.

Especially outside the conference room.

One of the elders whom Ji Min was familiar with in the board approached him.

The elder patted his shoulder with a wistful expression, saying with relief, "If your grandfather knew you had become like this, he would finally be at ease."

Ji Min: "..."

He gave the elder a careful look and, with a hint of disrespect, wondered if age was catching up with the man.

During their last encounter, this elder had sighed over the length of his legs, saying that if his grandfather found out, he wouldn't be able to rest in peace underground.

Less than two months have passed, and your words have changed already.

Ji Min didn't respond.

He planned to inform the person's family later, reminding them to ensure regular health checks for the elderly.

Everyone knew about his peculiar temperament.

Usually, even elders wouldn't stop him when they saw him preparing to leave.

But this time, the man followed again.

Seemingly struck by an idea, he sighed, "It's a shame you like a boy. Otherwise, you could have had a child or two, carrying on the Ji family's lineage."

A hint of disgust involuntarily flashed across Ji Min's brow.

Just as he was about to say that he had no intention of continuing the Ji family's bloodline, he suddenly realized something was off.

"I like a boy?" Ji Min frowned and repeated the statement.

An elder, noticing his defensive tone, advised, "It's not a secret. You're practically inseparable in the office every day. Why hide it?"

Ji Min was taken aback.

Inseparable in the office?

The elder continued, "Anyway, same-sex marriage is already legalized. It's not a big deal anymore."

Ji Min finally understood.

They were talking about Lu Ran.

He immediately put a hand to his forehead. "No, who told you guys..."

Just then, Gu Zhi happened to pass by with a cup in hand. Upon hearing this, he couldn't resist adding sarcastically, "He said it himself. Everyone knows how much your little sweetheart adores you and relentlessly pursues you. What are you still hiding?"

As soon as Gu Zhi finished speaking, Ji Min keenly sensed that all the men present had turned to him with envious gazes.

After all, Ji Min was nearly thirty years old.

Exposure to such knowing glances from mature adults suddenly triggered a connection in his mind.

The recent astonished expressions from his colleagues.

Gu Zhi's inexplicable request for advice.

And now, the envious gazes tinged with jealousy from those around him...

Ji Min narrowed his eyes.

He gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "Lu! Ran!"

Lu Ran was still oblivious to the impending disaster.

He was still basking in the joy of having completed his work flawlessly a few days ago.

He had even taken the time to search online for cases of people who, despite having broken up, couldn't help but reminisce about their former partner's exceptional performance in that particular aspect.

Striving to make his performance more convincing.

At the moment, he was being measured for clothes.

In between, he kept glancing at his phone, marveling at the various stories on the screen.

Madam Shen sat by his side, forcing a smile on her face.

Initially, she had no intention of bringing Lu Ran to the store.

But she couldn't withstand the persistent inquiries from acquaintances around her. After turning them down a few times, their gazes toward her changed.

It was then that Madam Shen realized, although the Shen family hadn't publicly acknowledged Lu Ran's identity before.

Lu Ran had, after all, been coming and going in the neighborhood, even lying once right at the entrance of the villa, narrating stories to passersby.

Back then, they claimed Lu Ran was a child from a relative's family. Now, they suddenly acknowledged him as part of the family.

It was like slapping their own face, making a loud "slap slap" sound.

Mrs. Shen, reluctantly, seized this opportunity to bring Lu Ran to the store.

As the tailor measured Lu Ran, he didn't forget to compliment, "Young Master's figure is excellent. Look at those long legs – it's like his neck is directly connected to them."

Mrs. Shen wore a pleased expression as if her child had been praised.

Yet inwardly, she scoffed, "If one's neck is connected to their legs, that's not a person, it's a monster."

The tailor then glanced at the measuring tape and added, "He's just a bit thin."

This remark made Mrs. Shen feel guilty.

She hurriedly pretended to flip through a magazine and casually said, "He's picky with food, won't eat this or that. No wonder he's skinny."

"Ah? Picky about what? Food?" Lu Ran looked up from his phone and replied, "I can only be picky if there's something to choose from."

Mrs. Shen: "…"

She didn't dare speak much after that.

Almost forgot, Lu Ran doesn't hold back on anyone outside.

A wealthy matron watching the scene unfold from the side commented coolly, "After so many years away, he must have gone through a lot. He needs to be taken good care of."

Madam Shen awkwardly smiled.

The wealthy matron harrumphed.

They had never seen eye to eye.

In this day and age, Madam Shen was still smug about having given birth to three sons, subtly mocking her for having only one daughter.

She even bragged in front of her about how well-behaved and obedient her youngest son was.

All that boasting, yet she couldn't even properly raise her own biological son.

Just look at how much the child has suffered.

Madam Shen hadn't been present earlier and was unaware of the story Lu Ran had shared about his adopted and biological son.

The story hadn't spread widely within the circle before.

But now that news of the youngest son of the Shen family, who had been lost, had resurfaced, many people connected it to the story.

Didn't everything fall into place?

So...

Did the Shen family really neglect their biological son and claim he was just a poor child from a relative's family?

That was utterly bizarre, wasn't it?

Madam Shen was unaware of what others were thinking.

Seeing Lu Ran go to get styled in another room, she couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

Just as she exhaled, a woman beside her asked, "Hey, wasn't this child missing for fifteen years? Did you not look for him all these years?"

Madam Shen froze at the question.

"Of course we did, but we haven't found him, have we?" she hurriedly replied.

Confronted with the astonished gazes of those around her, she quickly explained, "There was a flood back then. We all thought..."

As she spoke, she bowed her head to assume a sorrowful expression.

But this tactic was ineffective.

The others looked at her with enigmatic expressions.

When a child goes missing, wouldn't any family search heaven and earth for them?

Moreover, a family like theirs possessed far more power than ordinary people.

If they had genuinely searched, how could it have taken over a decade to locate him?

Speaking of a landslide?

Which parent could easily accept the loss of their child without a struggle?

In any case, the Shen family had kept their secret well for all these years.

If it weren't for the fact that their son was found now, no one would have known that the Shen family's youngest son was missing.

Truly an unconventional family.

In the end, Madam Shen couldn't withstand the gazes from those around her.

Without waiting for Lu Ran to come out, she found an excuse to return home.

Leaving Lu Ran alone in the shop.

She harbored various grievances in her heart.

The more dissatisfied she was with Lu Ran, the more she desired to get closer to Shen Xingran.

Thus, despite it being the day the Shen family officially introduced Lu Ran to the public, Madam Shen spent most of her time helping Shen Xingran choose his attire for the occasion.

She felt justified in doing so.

With Lu Ran being acknowledged as a member of the Shen family, Ranran must be feeling a mix of emotions. As his mother, she ought to make it up to him.

It wasn't until the evening that Shen Xingran, after getting styled and changing into his formal attire, descended from upstairs.

He still donned the appearance of a little prince, dressed in an elegant white suit that accentuated his innocence and nobility.

Standing amidst the grand hall decorated specifically for Lu Ran's introduction, he seemed to be the star of the evening.

A hint of satisfaction flickered in Madam Shen's eyes.

Approaching him, she gently embraced Shen Xingran and sighed, "My darling, you're always so handsome, no matter the time."

"Mum, you've smudged my makeup," Shen Xingran chided playfully.

The mother and son were engrossed in a lighthearted conversation.

The sound of a car engine echoed outside the villa.

Mrs. Shen glanced toward the entrance, puzzled. "It's not even the appointed time. Surely no one would be so insensitive to come early, right?"

Both of them looked outwards.

The grand gates of the villa swung open.

A figure, still exuding a youthful vibe, alighted from the vehicle.

The young man was dressed in a dark suit, his frame tall and slender.

As twilight had descended, streetlamps flickered on, casting a warm, yellow glow upon him and his hair tips, which shimmered with a subtle golden sheen.

He stepped gracefully along the pebbled path within the Shen family's villa, each stride unhurried and composed.

With a casual yet youthful air of strength, he strode forward.

He resembled an ancient nobleman stepping out from a dim, rustic oil painting.

Madam Shen stood rooted to the spot.

Until the young man lightly mounted the steps and walked gracefully into the lavishly decorated grand hall.

He stood beneath a blindingly brilliant crystal chandelier.

It was only then that Madam Shen and Shen Xingran truly saw Lu Ran's appearance in its entirety.

The one who usually wore a hoodie, with his hair messily curled up due to busyness.

Now, he dons a black suit intricately embroidered with gold threads, complemented by a dark golden bow tie that rests just below his delicate Adam's apple, harmonizing beautifully with the black silk shirt.

On his left chest, he wore a brooch adorned with a green cat's eye gemstone.

The brooch depicted a cat stretching its body to yawn, a design that was both elegant and playfully charming.

Gentle black tresses, meticulously styled, were adorned with delicate golden shimmer that glinted under the lights.

It was an intense shade of dark gold that suited him perfectly, without being overly extravagant.

What captivated attention the most were his eyes.

Eyes that should have appeared innocent and innocuously curved had been playfully emphasized by the makeup artist with a subtle flick at the outer corners.

The innocence remained, yet it was tinged with a devilish edge.

His gaze softened hearts with its naivety while simultaneously making one's teeth grit in frustration.

Now, those eyes maliciously narrowed at Mrs. Shen and Shen Xingran.

"I'll start charging you if you keep looking," he threatened.

Mrs. Shen seemed to awaken from a dream, suddenly realizing that the person before her was Lu Ran.

She was rather surprised.

Ever since her first encounter with Lu Ran, she had never given this son the attention he deserved.

Usually, Lu Ran appeared quite unkempt and careless about his appearance.

He had never had the chance to dress up like this before.

Mrs. Shen only realized today that, with the right investment in fashion and luxury items, her biological son could hold his own against Shen Xingran.

No, it wasn't just holding his own...

Mrs. Shen's feelings at that moment were indescribably complicated.

But such complexity was best left unexplored.

If she dwelled on it too much, it would seem as if the past decade and a half of her life had been a joke.

"Oh, right."

Lu Ran narrowed his eyes slightly, speaking with justified conviction, "You'll be the one footing the bill for these flowers, so remember to settle it."

Mrs. Shen's expression instantly cracked.

Shen Xingran was still standing on the steps, unmoved.

To be precise, he had been frozen in place ever since Lu Ran entered.

Shen Xingran gazed at the luminous youth across from him with an air of near disbelief.

In front of Lu Ran, Shen Xingran always had a sense of superiority.

A person's past life often reveals itself in their speech, actions, and even in the subtlest of expressions when they encounter others.

Shen Xingran was deeply fearful of Lu Ran replacing him in his position.

At times, he was utterly fearless.

In his eyes, someone like Lu Ran, even if clad in the imperial dragon robe, wouldn't resemble a prince at all.

What difference did it make if everyone in Lu Ran's family feared him because of his underhanded tactics?

They were still tainted methods that couldn't hold up to scrutiny.

But now, seeing Lu Ran dressed in finery, Shen Xingran's sense of superiority was utterly shattered.

Before him, Lu Ran didn't seem the least bit out of place in the emperor's robe, as if it were tailor-made for him.

It was as if he was born to be adorned with such costly and exquisite items.

Born to have someone present these treasures before him while he held his chin high, selecting them with pride.

What discomforted Shen Xingran even more was the realization that Lu Ran was fundamentally different from him.

Lu Ran had no need to conceal the dark thoughts in his heart.

Nor did he have to pretend to be pure, kind, or obedient.

There was an audacious malevolence in his gaze.

Thus, everything about him seemed to complement each other perfectly.

Shen Xingran even shrank back slightly.

Never before had he been so acutely aware than in this moment—

He had taken what originally belonged to Lu Ran.

Now, the person he had relentlessly pushed away was like a devil risen from the depths of hell, strolling nonchalantly into the villa that should have been his.

Shen Xingran couldn't help but take a step back.

"Ring."

Shen Xingran's phone buzzed.

He picked it up and glanced at the screen, seeing a message from a friend:

"Xingran, Gu Ningqi has returned to the country! He got off the plane and headed straight for your place; he seems to be in a terrible hurry!"

Attached was a photograph.

The man in the picture was handsome, his face revealing both urgency and concern.

Upon reading this message, Shen Xingran's initial anxiety dissipated, replaced by a growing sense of certainty.

So what if Lu Ran had returned to the Shen family?

Even if he did, there was no way he could threaten Shen Xingran's position.

Besides...

Did he think he could return in glory and splendor?