Chapter 53: Reason

The car fell silent abruptly.

In the front passenger seat, Manager Chen and the driver both wore identical expressions of intrigue, as if they were watching an interesting spectacle.

Well now.

Something must have transpired outside.

Ji Min was even more stunned for a long while.

Staring at Lu Ran, he seemed unable to believe his own ears and tentatively asked,

"What did you say?"

The young man showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Repeating straightforwardly, "I'm asking if you like me."

This time, Ji Min heard him clearly.

He laughed absurdly.

As if he had just heard the joke of the century.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lu Ran spoke logically, "Then why are you so nice to me? Paying me for doing nothing but studying?"

"After finding out that I've been utilized by you, you aren't angry and still let me keep my job."

"You even just helped me save face in front of Shen Hongyuan."

His eyes, with distinct black and white irises, gazed intently at Ji Min.

As if to say, what else could this be if not love!

There was even a hint of distress in those clear eyes.

As if he was pondering how to decline the offer.

Ji Min felt dizzy from Lu Ran's words, an inexplicable frustration rising within him.

He found this teenager truly remarkable.

Turning his head slightly, he said earnestly, "I saw with my own eyes today how you rinsed your cup in the toilet."

How absurd.

Who would find that appealing?

But the young man clearly missed the hidden meaning in his words.

He even frowned as he explained, "Mostly, I did it to vent my anger, and incidentally teach that person a lesson for you. Don't be too touched."

The air was stuck in Ji Min's chest.

Isn't it too touching?

Ji Min rolled down the car window, inhaling the cool air outside to subdue the fury that filled his mind.

He turned his head and explained to Lu Ran with a serious demeanor, "I have no interest in those under twenty years old."

Upon these words, silence fell.

There, the youth was seen staring at him with a face drained of all color, struck by sheer terror.

For some reason, Ji Min suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

Assuming his rejection had been too blunt, he opened his mouth, intending to say something more.

There, the youth's eyes widened to their fullest extent, his expression one of ineffable complexity as he said:

"What could you possibly be thinking about that it would have an age restriction?"

Ji Min: "..."

Just what kind of creature did he invite?

Is it still possible to get rid of him now?

"Thank you, but I have no interest in you whatsoever, nor do I find pleasure in wasting money on someone useless. Since I've hired you, there must be my own reasons. Now, be quiet, retreat, and sit properly. Tomorrow, make sure to work diligently."

Ji Min, unprecedentedly, spoke at length in one breath, afraid that Lu Ran might interrupt him and say something absurd.

Lu Ran observed his expression carefully.

Upon seeing that Ji Min was genuinely serious, he reluctantly returned to his seat behind, still somewhat skeptical.

"I hope not," he said. "If the boss has feelings for an employee, that's called workplace bullying."

Ji Min: "…"

He turned his head to look out the window.

As they approached the vicinity of the Shen family's residence, he said in a cold tone, "Stop the car."

The driver pulled over to the side of the road.

Ji Min didn't even glance his way.

Seemingly to prove that he had no interest in Lu Ran, he spoke with an icy tone, "Get out."

"Aah?" Lu Ran was bewildered. "Didn't you say you'd send me home?"

"There's no such service now," the man said leisurely.

In the end, Lu Ran carried the dog and grumbled all the way back to the Shen family's house on his own.

He thought to himself, No wonder Ji Min is so wealthy but has no boyfriend or girlfriend.

His temper really is too bad.

But for some reason, after hearing Ji Min's words, Lu Ran also felt a sense of relief.

The recent unease from being overly favored gradually dissipated.

It made sense now that Ji Min had his own motives.

In another setting.

Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingran were also on their way back.

Shen Hongyuan remained silent with a solemn expression.

Confused, Shen Xingran couldn't quite grasp the situation.

Eager to join in the excitement today, he had rushed over after hearing that this banquet was a rare event. He even went for a special styling session and donned an exquisite tailor-made attire.

To his surprise, Shen Hongyuan failed to escort him inside.

Alone in the car for a long while, boredom drove Shen Xingran to slumber.

Now, upon seeing Shen Hongyuan, a tinge of resentment lingered within him.

If he were following Elder Brother Shen Xingyu, there was no way he would be waiting in the car like this, right?

But he couldn't say that out loud.

Shen Hongyuan would explode on the spot if he heard it.

But Shen Xingran wasn't too keen on catering to Shen Hongyuan's fragile ego at the moment.

Choosing to ignore Shen Hongyuan's expression, he buried himself in his phone.

Recently, he had mended his relationship with Madam Shen.

As a result, Shen Xingran was finally less on edge.

However, after scrolling through his contacts on his phone, he felt a slight sense of boredom.

Suddenly, he received a message.

Upon seeing it, Shen Xingran excitedly leaned over to Shen Hongyuan. "Dad! Is Brother Ningqi coming back?"

With enthusiasm, he finished his statement.

But he noticed that Shen Hongyuan didn't respond at all.

Shen Xingran was taken aback for a moment, sensing something amiss. Only then did he lift his head to examine Shen Hongyuan's expression carefully.

Shen Hongyuan was gazing intently out the window with a deep, serious look in his eyes.

His face was grave, bearing an air of impending storminess.

He hadn't even heard what Shen Xingran had just said.

After being observed for a while, Shen Hongyuan snapped back to reality and frowned, asking Shen Xingran, "What did you just say?"

Startled, Shen Xingran deliberately made his voice sound obedient. "Nothing important, Gu Ningqi just messaged me, saying he'll be returning to the country soon."

"Mm," Shen Hongyuan acknowledged, murmuring softly, "The Gu family..."

At the mention of the Gu family, a glint of interest flickered in Shen Xingran's eyes as well.

Previously, he felt it was a pity that Zhang Lin and Lin Yi were betrothed, but he hadn't actually done anything about it.

All because there was an informal alliance between the Shen and Gu families.

Gu Ningqi had even been his childhood friend.

The Shen and Gu families used to be on the same level as major aristocratic clans. The Shen family's situation hadn't been ideal in recent years, whereas the Gu family remained unchanged.

They could almost be considered a family of equal standing to the Ji family.

Shen Xingran wasn't an idiot; naturally, he wanted the best for himself.

With Gu Ningqi around, he had no intention of choosing the good-for-nothing Zhang Lin.

Shen Xingran was somewhat agitated.

In the moment, he pushed aside thoughts of Shen Hongyuan's condition.

Not until they returned to the Shen family's villa did he remember.

Shen Xingran followed Shen Hongyuan back to the living room.

He was about to share the news he had obtained with Madam Shen.

Just as he approached, he saw Shen Hongyuan, who was about to ascend the stairs, pause in his steps.

With an air of nonchalance, he turned around and asked Madam Shen, "Have you finalized the guest list you prepared earlier?"

Confused, Madam Shen replied, "What guest list?"

Shen Xingran was equally perplexed.

Then, Shen Hongyuan stood on the staircase, as if announcing a trivial matter, and said casually yet confidently, "Next month, I'll be acknowledging Lu Ran as part of the family. Didn't you have this intention not long ago? Continue with the preparations."

Upon hearing these words,

A deafening roar resonated in Shen Xingran's mind.

What did Shen Hongyuan say?

Who was he going to acknowledge as his own?

Lu Ran?

Why?

It was only yesterday that Shen Hongyuan was adamantly against this very notion!

Madam Shen was equally stunned.

She had suggested acknowledging Lu Ran as family solely as a precaution, in case Shen Xingran truly was Shen Hongyuan's illegitimate child.

She hadn't even had the chance to prepare herself.

Moreover, by bringing up the idea of acknowledging Lu Ran now, a barrage of complications she wanted to avoid suddenly surfaced.

She instinctively protested, "Why are you suddenly doing this? Why stir up trouble for no reason? It's such a hassle..."

Shen Hongyuan's expression darkened as he interrupted her, "Isn't it all because of you?"

Seemingly recalling something, he suppressed his anger.

He concluded firmly, "Alright, that's settled then. You better prepare well."

Without waiting for Madam Shen's response, he continued upstairs.

Halfway up, Shen Hongyuan paused again.

He turned to the stunned Shen Xingran and said, "Since you're in touch with Gu Ningqi, remember to inform the Gu family."

Shen Xingran suddenly clenched the phone in her hand tightly.

If Lu Ran returned to the Shen family...

Then the marriage alliance with the Gu family...

Shen Xingran suddenly realized that it was the late Elder Shen who had arranged the alliance with the Gu family.

Before Elder Shen passed away, he hadn't even been adopted into the Shen family.

So...

Who was the original candidate for the arranged marriage?

For a moment, the living room in the Shen residence fell completely silent.

Until the electronic gate outside beeped.

Shen Xingran turned his head to look.

Lu Ran entered the villa, holding his little dog, bathed in the dim streetlight.

The man looked no different from how he did a couple of days ago.

He was still dressed in that shabby manner.

The hem of his shirt and the pants were stained with an unknown substance, seemingly unnoticed.

As if sensing his gaze.

This orphan, who, in Shen Xingran's eyes, lacked affection and sophistication, and seemed prone to madness, lifted his gaze directly to meet his.

His dark eyes held an unsettling calm that stirred both fear and guilt within Shen Xingran.

Shen Xingran recalled that very morning.

They had both stood in the same spot. Arrogant from Mrs. Shen's favor, he had looked down on Lu Ran and coldly informed him that he would never be officially taken back into the Shen family.

Yet, just a dozen hours later,

everything seemed unchanged, yet everything was different.

At that moment, faint sounds came from upstairs.

They turned to look and discovered that it was Shen Hongyuan coming down again.

He had shed the formal attire he wore for the banquet.

Instead, he donned a more refined yet unassuming outfit, styling his hair meticulously as if he were about to meet an important client.

A fleeting sense of absurdity flashed through Shen Xingran's mind.

Was Shen Hongyuan specially here to welcome Lu Ran?

Upon reaching downstairs, he saw that only Lu Ran had returned, accompanied by the dog.

Shen Hongyuan's expression darkened, taken aback. "Why are you back alone?"

Lu Ran couldn't help but find his demeanor amusing.

"What else would you expect?"

His gaze swept up and down Shen Hongyuan's attire, exaggerating his amazement as he exclaimed,

"Goodness, Father, did you come here especially to greet me?"

Shen Hongyuan felt toyed with and was about to flare up instinctively.

But when he looked down and saw the puppy following Lu Ran, his expression changed.

Tonight, Lu Ran was by Ji Min's side.

And now he had returned with a dog...

Shen Hongyuan appeared rather astonished.

Ji Min...

He had actually taken in a dog for Lu Ran!

After a moment of silence, Shen Hongyuan managed a smile and said, "We'll be hosting a banquet at home in a month. Make sure you're well-prepared."

With that, Shen Hongyuan retreated upstairs.

Lu Ran returned to his room with Big Yellow in tow.

Thinking about Shen Hongyuan's expression just now, he couldn't help but chuckle.

He picked up his phone and sent Ji Min a message: Boss, you're really kind [hugging emoji].

Although he had no idea what Ji Min wanted him to do.

It was clear that Ji Min's status had given him a significant assistance.

The man on the other end seemed to have been intimidated.

He quickly and cautiously replied with an unrelated message: I don't like you.