Chapter 44: Reclaiming

At the Shen residence.

The door to Shen Xingran's room on the third floor creaked open quietly.

Mrs. Shen put aside the spare key and tiptoed to Shen Xingran's bedside.

She bent down to search for strands of hair scattered on the bed.

After a while, she found nothing.

Slightly discouraged, she sat on the bed, realizing she was too late.

The bed had already been tidied up by the servants.

Mrs. Shen snapped back to reality, suddenly feeling annoyed with herself.

What was she doing?

It was laughable that she started suspecting Shen Xingran might actually be Shen Hongyuan's illegitimate child just from a bit of gossip.

Despite this, the knot in Madam Shen's heart remained tightly bound.

In her eyes, Shen Xingran had always been her most obedient, well-behaved, and affectionate treasure.

Madam Shen could never have dreamed that he would disregard her reputation and spread rumors outside about Lu Ran being an illegitimate child.

She couldn't wrap her head around it no matter how much she pondered.

It felt as if her gentle and obedient younger son had become a different person.

But if...

What if Shen Xingran was indeed Shen Hongyuan's illegitimate child? Wouldn't that explain everything?

With this in mind, Shen Xingran's fear of Lu Ran returning home also made more sense.

Initially, Madam Shen had intended to console herself, but the more she did so, the more uncertain she became.

Eventually, she left the third floor with a heavy heart.

She sent another message to the private investigator she had hired previously, asking him to keep a close eye on Shen Xingran recently.

In the following days, Madam Shen visited the hospital to get some medication that helped her sleep better.

From the private investigator, there were only sporadic bits of information.

Mrs. Shen's heart gradually found solace.

But this tranquility didn't last long.

While Mrs. Shen was out shopping, she unexpectedly received a message from a private investigator.

The message contained a photograph.

In the picture, Shen Hongyuan stood beside Shen Xingran in front of a car.

The car door swung open, revealing a woman seated inside, dressed in a white dress.

The woman looked up at the two of them, engaged in conversation.

Their close proximity gave off the illusion of a happy family of three.

Just then, coincidentally, one of Madam Shen's girlfriends peered over curiously.

She exclaimed, "Wow, who secretly took this photo of you two? I must say, that white dress looks fantastic on you."

Madam Shen's mind went into a frenzy. The tension in her nerves, which had just eased a few days prior, instantly tightened.

The speaker also sensed something amiss.

This photo...

From this angle, it seemed as if it was taken during an affair, like a secret snapshot of adultery.

The person felt awkward and attempted to salvage the situation with a few more words.

Before she could speak, Madam Shen, seated on the chair, shot up abruptly.

"Madam, please don't move. The mud mask on your face isn't dry yet..."

Madam Shen couldn't care less about the mask at this moment.

She whipped off the towel on her head and hastily wiped her face.

Without even glancing in the mirror, she snatched her coat, grabbed her bag, and strode out of the store.

She rushed to the Shen family's company with great urgency.

Seeing her somewhat hurried appearance and disheveled hair, Shen Hongyuan's assistant was surprised and intercepted her. "M-Madam, why are you here?"

His intervention only fueled Madam Shen's anger. "Why can't I be here? Get out of my way!"

Madam Shen marched straight to Shen Hongyuan's office.

The assistant quickly explained, "The chairman is in the middle of a business meeting!"

"A business deal? What kind of deal are you talking about?"

It seems like she's here to confront the mistress!

Fuming with anger, Madam Shen kicked open Shen Hongyuan's office door, not even sparing her delicate suede high heels.

Inside the office, Shen Hongyuan was presenting Shen Xingran to his client:

"This is my youngest son, who has just started university. I've brought him along during his break to learn a thing or two..."

"I know him, it's Ranran... Our boy often mentions him..."

The client made polite conversation, and a hint of satisfaction flickered in Shen Hongyuan's eyes.

This project was crucial, and leveraging family connections for a significant breakthrough would be ideal...

Suddenly, the sound of a loud thud echoed from the door.

The office door swung open, and in rushed Mrs. Shen.

With an enraged expression, she entered the room only to find that the woman in the white dress from the photograph was nowhere to be seen.

She suddenly composed herself, aware of all eyes on her in the room.

Mrs. Shen, after all, was a lady from a wealthy family.

At this moment, a plan formed in her mind, and she dramatically let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest.

She glanced at Shen Hongyuan and said with a pout, "I had a terrible dream during my beauty treatment. Now that I see you're fine, I can finally relax."

The people in the room broke into relieved smiles.

A client playfully addressed Shen Hongyuan, "Mr. Shen is truly blessed. Your wife worries about you so much."

Joining in the laughter, Shen Xingran added, "Mom usually cares about Dad the most."

Madam Shen also smiled, though the mirth didn't reach her eyes.

In the evening, Madam Shen, Shen Hongyuan, and Shen Xingran returned home together.

On the surface, they appeared to be in harmony, but each held their own concerns.

Upon entering the house, Shen Hongyuan called for a servant and asked, "Has Lu Ran come back?"

"No," the servant replied.

Only then did Shen Hongyuan feel a subtle sense of relief.

If Lu Ran was once like the air in the household, serving as an occasional punching bag,

after the last dining table incident and Lu Ran's late-night clubbing escapade...

Shen Hongyuan had basically refrained from shouting at Lu Ran.

After all, Shen Hongyuan still occasionally ate and slept at home.

He turned to Madam Shen with a hint of suspicion in his voice, "Have you been feeling a bit off lately?"

After nearly three decades of marriage, Shen Hongyuan knew his wife well.

There had to be more to the reason why Madam Shen had burst into the room today than what she had stated.

Rubbing her temple, Madam Shen remained silent.

Shen Hongyuan gazed at her intently and said gravely, "This project is of great importance."

His words were a subtle warning for Madam Shen not to cause any trouble.

However, Madam Shen sneered inwardly.

These days, it was mainly her eldest son, Shen Xingyu, who held the Shen family together. What important projects could Shen Hongyuan possibly have?

Suddenly, Madam Shen came to a realization.

Although she was prone to emotional outbursts, she had witnessed enough intrigues within prominent families over the years.

Aware that she currently suspected her adopted son to be an illegitimate child, but lacked concrete evidence to support this claim, she wondered if speaking out would alert the subject.

Wouldn't that be like stirring up the hornet's nest?

Moreover, there was no reason for her to be afraid.

She had three sons, after all.

Even if Shen Xingran turned out to be Shen Hongyuan's illegitimate child, didn't she still have Lu Ran to fill the role of a family member?

Just then, Lu Ran returned, leading his dog by the leash.

Madam Shen suddenly pointed at Lu Ran and declared, "I've been feeling restless lately. After much contemplation, I believe it's time to officially acknowledge Xiao Ran as a member of the Shen family."

Her words fell upon the suddenly silent living room. Lu Ran had just walked in to hear such a bombshell statement.

What kind of day is this?

First, Ji Min offers him a job, and now the Shen family wants to acknowledge him as their own?

"Hogwash!" Shen Hongyuan averted his gaze, his voice laced with false bravado. "I haven't even settled the score with you for the mess you caused last time!"

Last time, when Madam Shen attempted to expose an illegitimate child, she inadvertently revealed that Lu Ran might be her biological son.

Now, whispers of this revelation were circulating subtly.

Seeing his reaction, Madam Shen's pent-up anger flared, and she demanded, "What are you implying? If you can bring Ranran to meet clients today, why can't I acknowledge my own flesh and blood?"

"Stop this nonsense!" exclaimed Shen Hongyuan.

"I'm going to announce to the world right now that Lu Ran is my son!" Madam Shen reached for her phone, intent on doing just that.

Shen Hongyuan promptly reached out to snatch it from her.

The two were on the verge of a physical altercation at the slightest disagreement.

Lu Ran yawned as he stood in the corridor.

Once upon a time, he had desperately wished to hear Madam Shen acknowledge him as her biological son in person.

He would have been willing to pay a great price for a single word from her.

Including his dignity, even his life.

But now, listening to Madam Shen's words, there was not a ripple of emotion in Lu Ran's heart.

For he knew very well that the emphasis in Madam Shen's "my son" was not on "son" nor Lu Ran, but on the "I."

Lu Ran observed the commotion in the living room with a calm demeanor.

He even allowed himself a moment to divert his attention to Shen Xingran.

Shen Xingran was also seated in the living room.

To Lu Ran's surprise, the man didn't show any sign of panic upon hearing Madam Shen's words. He lowered his gaze, appearing serene as he tried to reason with Shen Hongyuan, "Dad... It's only natural for Mom to want to reclaim her child. You shouldn't stand in her way." Lu Ran raised an eyebrow. What surprised him wasn't that Shen Xingran would say such a thing but rather the lack of sarcasm in his tone. Instead, there was a sense that everything was within his expectations. He was so calm and well-behaved. Even though Madam Shen had been angry at him lately, she couldn't help but cast him a glance. Lu Ran observed silently without interfering. If he could use this opportunity to return to the Shen family in an official capacity, it would be beneficial for him. Even if that didn't happen, it wouldn't be much worse than his current situation.

Lu Ran didn't pay attention anymore, yawned, and returned to his own room.

The door closed, leaving the faint argument outside still audible but distant and muffled.

Lu Ran changed his clothes and took a shower in the servants' bathroom at the end of the corridor.

When he came back, Big Yellow was already asleep.

The living room had also quietened down.

Lu Ran had unexpectedly slept for a long time today and wasn't feeling very sleepy.

He lay in bed reviewing vocabulary for a while and then looked over a few papers sent by his mentor.

Just as he was about to turn off the lights, his phone vibrated softly.

Pausing, Lu Ran reluctantly opened WeChat.

Amidst a chat interface filled with various part-time job postings, an avatar labeled "Demon King" sent a message:

Have you made up your mind?

Lu Ran: "..."

He recalled Ji Min's words before he returned home.

In the dimly lit corridor.

The man sat in a wheelchair, his broad shoulders and long legs still prominent.

Despite being shorter than Lu Ran when standing, he exerted a subtle sense of intimidation.

Ji Min had offered him a job as his personal assistant.

It was a short-term part-time position that would last through the winter vacation.

The salary offered was neither too high nor too low.

For Lu Ran, it was a rather favorable offer that wouldn't arouse his suspicion.

However...

Lu Ran gazed at the chat screen for a while, then pondered over the assistance Ji Min had provided him all along.

A hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.

On many occasions, Lu Ran had also received kindness from strangers.

It was heartwarming.

But those instances were often simple gestures, fleeting encounters with no follow-up connections.

This was the first time he had been repeatedly helped by someone.

Back then, Ji Min had even asked him at the coffee shop if he was looking for a new job.

But Lu Ran refused.

Given Ji Min's personality and status, he was a rather proud individual.

Such people typically wouldn't turn back after being rejected.

Lu Ran was well aware that, at first, he had only asked for Big Yellow to be taken care of.

But now...

He clutched his low-end, five-hundred-dollar cell phone and rolled over in bed.

Ji Min shouldn't lack assistants, right?

Just from delivering Big Yellow recently, Lu Ran had encountered no less than five assistants.

Suddenly, something occurred to Lu Ran.

He stared at the chat box on his phone as if facing a terrifying beast.

After a moment of hesitation, a message was sent, probing for a response.

Big Yellow Won't Destroy the House: Mr. Ji.

Big Yellow Won't Destroy the House: May I ask, who do you think is more handsome between me and Zhang Lin?

The Great Devil King: ?