Chapter 27: Banquet (III)

This was Shen Xingran's first encounter with Ji Min.

For some inexplicable reason, whenever others discussed this young head of the Ji family, they did so with great discretion and caution.

Shen Xingran gazed at the man in the wheelchair for a considerable while.

In his heart, he silently assessed—

What a pity he's handicapped.

But then, Shen Xingran's thoughts shifted to his plan for the day.

He looked at Ji Min, slightly hesitant.

On their first meeting, Shen Xingran wished to make a good impression on him.

If a scandal were to erupt at the banquet...

He wondered if it would drag the entire Shen family, even himself, into trouble.

But there was no better opportunity than this one right now.

If Lu Ran were to embarrass himself in front of Ji Min, with Shen Hongyuan's obsession with his reputation, he would never allow Lu Ran back into the Shen family again.

He would forever remain the Shen family's sole "Shen Xingran."

After a few minutes of hesitation, Shen Xingran's gaze gradually steadied.

Zhang Lin finally found an opportunity to slip away.

The first floor of the Shen family's villa was spacious, with a grand ballroom as soon as you entered, flanked by a living room and dining area.

A circular corridor wrapped around to the back of the villa, with servants' quarters lining both sides.

Zhang Lin walked down the corridor.

The lighting here was less ample than in the main hall, and the windows faced north, casting a gloomier atmosphere.

By now, the sunset outside was nearly gone, and as they stepped into the corridor, the light dimmed significantly.

Thoughts inevitably drifted back to the moment Zhang Lin had encountered Lu Ran in that private room.

He sat on the sofa while Lu Ran knelt on the floor, picking up the keys.

His fingers searched beneath his feet, reaching into the crevice of the coffee table, but found nothing.

He thus tilted his face up to look at him.

Even to this day, the mere thought of that scene still sends a thrill through Zhang Lin.

But it was merely a "thrill."

For whenever he recalled what happened that very night...

Zhang Lin glanced down at himself, then bitterly looked up.

He gazed at the door before him, feeling a hint of nervousness in his heart.

"Don't worry, Zhang Lin!"

Encouraging himself, Young Master Zhang said, "It's just a mental barrier. After today, you'll still be that fantastic person you once were!"

Yes, it was all for the future.

Taking the pill today didn't mean he was incapable.

With all the mental preparation he could muster, Zhang Lin took out a small blue pill and swallowed it.

Then, he gazed at the door before him, retrieved the key Shen Xingran had given him, and unlocked Lu Ran's room.

Click!

The door unlocked.

Zhang Lin mustered his courage and pushed the door open in one go.

Before he could even make out the scene inside, a trash bin came crashing down on his head.

"I've been bloody waiting for you!"

Without a word, Lu Ran picked up the trash can and hurled it.

"W-what the he-" Zhang Lin was caught off guard, dazed by the impact.

"You-you-you..." Struggling to clear the debris of the trash can and garbage away, he asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"

"Indeed, why wasn't I? Perhaps you'd like to try it?"

As Lu Ran held Zhang Lin's chin, he forced the remaining half of the glass of alcohol down his throat.

The banquet hall was bustling with activity.

However, everyone was discreetly observing the man in the wheelchair.

"I heard that his legs were injured by Ji Family's illegitimate son..."

Someone couldn't resist gossiping.

Barely beginning, he was interrupted by someone beside him, "Shh! Do you still know what to say?"

Shen Hongyuan put aside all his affairs and followed Ji Min, engaging in small talk.

Despite his pride and current mid-life crisis,

His businessman's nature remained unchanged; he would never hesitate to lower himself when necessary.

However, this time, Ji Min's expression remained indifferent,

Leaving others unable to discern his thoughts.

The Zhang couple also lingered nearby,

Fearful that the business opportunity might slip away to the Shen family.

Ji Min leaned back in his chair, looking slightly fatigued.

Despite the fervent conversation between the Shen family head and the Zhang couple, he kept his eyes half-lidded, showing little interest.

He would only occasionally respond with a word or two, leaving others unable to resist the urge to ponder and interpret his thoughts.

This was the scene that Shen Xingran witnessed when he arrived.

With a smile, he approached and stood beside Shen Hongyuan.

Understanding the cue, Shen Hongyuan promptly pulled Shen Xingran aside and introduced him, "Mr. Ji, this is my youngest son, Xingran."

Then, addressing Shen Xingran, he said, "Quickly greet Mr. Ji."

"Hello, Mr. Ji. I've often heard Father mention you," Shen Xingran put on an obedient demeanor.

In such situations, such a remark would typically be taken as politeness or a sign of the close relationship between the two families, thus bridging the gap between them.

However, the man in the wheelchair lifted his eyelids and looked at him directly, asking bluntly, "What has he mentioned about me?"

Shen Xingran's smile froze, and he momentarily lost his words, not daring to speak carelessly.

An awkward atmosphere subtly spread.

Shen Hongyuan nudged Shen Xingran with his elbow. Could Ji Min be approached casually like that?

He immediately laughed and smoothed things over. "It's just business matters."

Ji Min snorted, neither confirming nor denying the statement.

Shen Hongyuan regretted his words as soon as he finished speaking.

Ji Min was known for his ruthless tactics, instilling fear in others.

On top of that, he was disabled.

If they were to discuss him privately, it was likely not in a positive light.

The Zhang couple, observing the situation, wanted to intervene and take a jab at Shen Hongyuan.

But as they opened their mouths, they heard Ji Min say, "I'm tired. I need some quiet time alone."

With that, he maneuvered his wheelchair remotely towards a quieter area.

Butler Chen moved to follow.

Ji Min waved him off.

Understanding the unspoken message, Butler Chen didn't persist and continued to engage in small talk with the Shen and Zhang family members.

Ji Min maneuvered his wheelchair remotely, heading down the corridor toward a more secluded area.

He paused for a moment by a window in the hallway, gazing at the lawn in the backyard to soothe his nerves.

This visit to the Shen residence had no particular purpose for him.

Or rather, making the other families believe that he had an agenda was Ji Min's objective.

He had just concluded a business deal abroad earlier in the day and had rushed back on a flight in the afternoon. Now, he was on his way home, feeling slightly weary and impatient to deal with Shen Hongyuan and the others.

The backyard was relatively empty.

On the lawn, a small yellow dog was playing with a ball, limping on its hind legs yet persistently chasing after the rolling toy.

Ji Min watched for a while and felt that the dog seemed somewhat familiar.

He maneuvered his wheelchair closer with the remote control, but it didn't respond.

Looking down, Ji Min realized that the wheelchair's battery had run out.

His wheelchair didn't have a manual handle.

Ji Min had no choice but to call Housekeeper Chen.

Just as he took out his phone, a muffled thud came from the adjacent room.

Ji Min frowned and looked over.

With a creak, the door cracked open.

A fluffy head emerged, cautiously scanning the hallway left and right.

Unexpectedly, their eyes met.

Ji Min was taken aback.

It was that child.

"Y-You…" Ji Min was about to speak.

Lu Ran's eyes widened slightly.

In two strides, he rushed forward, covered Ji Min's mouth, and dragged both the person and wheelchair into his room.

The door slammed shut with a thud.

The lights in the room were off, casting a gloomy ambiance.

Ji Min, with their mouth and nose covered, had been pulled in with such force that the wheelchair lifted off the ground.

The wheels of the wheelchair grated against an unseen obstacle, jerking twice in response.

In Ji Min's twenty-seven years, apart from the kidnapping incident during his childhood, he had never been treated this way.

The scene bore an eerie resemblance to another abduction.

Except that the palm covering his mouth and nose was gentle, and the arm pressed against his cheek and neck, despite the thin layer of the hoodie fabric, revealed the fragility of bones and muscles beneath.

Even though Ji Min was disabled, he could have easily broken free with the strength of his arms alone.

Moreover, the young man trailing behind him was already panting "heyo heyo" after just a short walk.

Truly, I have never come across such an inept "kidnapper."

Awaiting the wheelchair to settle in place.

The shadowy "kidnapper" in the darkness grumbled, "Why are you and your wheelchair so heavy?"

Ji Min didn't respond.

When Lu Ran released his grip on Zhang Lin's hand, the latter pressed his lips together, sensing something for a moment before frowning and asking, "What did your hand touch just now?"

"Oh, the trash bin!"

Lu Ran casually switched on the light.

Ji Min felt a wave of disgust for a few seconds due to this response.

However, he quickly retracted his earlier judgment about Lu Ran being an incompetent "kidnapper."

Upon lowering his head, he noticed that his wheelchair had just run over something.

It was, in fact, a person, lying on the ground as if in a deep, unconscious sleep.

Lu Ran, with his back turned to Ji Min, pulled Zhang Lin aside.

He lifted his gaze to look at the solemn man standing behind him.

"Mr. Ji, correct? Would you mind keeping quiet for a moment?"

"Despite your assistance, for which I'm grateful, I'm not in the best of moods right now, and I'd rather not have you disrupt my plans."

Ji Min listened calmly to his "threat."

Now that the lights had come on, he realized that the figure on the ground had been lying down; however, the standing youth was also far from being in a good state.

With disheveled hair and signs of struggle on his body.

The zipper of his hoodie was pulled open, revealing red marks left by fingers on his neck.

Those usually obedient black eyes, now subdued, were half-lowered, concealing the emotions within.

In that instant, it reminded Ji Min of their first encounter with Lu Ran.

There he stood on the road, cradling in his arms the dog that had been hit by a car.

He appeared to have a thousand cunning tricks up his sleeve, diligently maneuvering around the wealthy young man in the sports car before him.

Yet, his body was rigid and wary, with a hint of desperation hidden deep in his eyes, as if he were on the brink of death.

Ji Min cast a downward glance at the ground.

There lay Zhang Lin, the wayward son of the Zhang family.

The man was on the ground with his pants halfway unfastened.

Ji Min furrowed his brow.

Just as he was about to lecture the youngster in front of him on the proper course of action in such situations—calling the police instead of involving an innocent passerby—he looked down to see Lu Ran crouching down, still trying to pull off Zhang Lin's pants.

Even Ji Min was taken aback for two seconds.

He began to ponder who the real victim might be.

After his moment of stunned silence, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking off my clothes," Lu Ran replied without looking up.

Ji Min fell into a brief silence.

Recalling something, he put a hand to his forehead. "Why are you always taking off your clothes?"

Either they belonged to him or someone else.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran didn't catch what was said and looked up.

Unlike last time when Zhang Lin had been weakened by diarrhea, he was a grown man after all.

So, Lu Ran didn't have it easy fighting him today.

He stepped aside to grab a wet wipe to clean his face before returning.

Considering that his hand had just touched Ji Min and he had passed him a tissue, Zhang Lin was aware of the sanitation issue.

Knowing Ji Min's aversion to dirt, he casually tossed an alcohol spray bottle over.

Ji Min caught the item and turned his gaze back to Lu Ran.

He saw that Lu Ran had already stripped Zhang Lin almost bare in a matter of seconds.

"..."

"What exactly are you doing?" Ji Min asked.

"Nothing much, just getting him naked and dragging him out," Lu Ran replied.

Visualizing the scene, Ji Min fell into a moment of silence.

Impatient with childish antics, he raised his hand to grab his phone for a call.

Before making the call, considering their few encounters, he advised, "It would be better to call for help than to handle it yourself."

"Call for help?" Lu Ran chuckled and turned to look at him. "Who? Who would come to my aid?"

His tone was laced with sarcasm.

Ji Min involuntarily paused in his phone call.

But Lu Ran continued his actions unperturbed.

With an even tone, he said, "Am I supposed to stand in the living room and loudly announce to everyone that Zhang Lin wants to sleep with me?"

He looked up at Ji Min.

The corners of his eyes still held their obedient curve, but his gaze was rebellious.

"And then what? Would Shen Hongyuan come to my rescue, or perhaps Madam Shen? Or should I rely on Zhang Lin's parents to discipline him?"

Lu Ran gave Zhang Lin a kick, who groaned in his sleep.

Ji Min was not privy to the inner workings of the Shen family.

He remained silent.

Something amusing seemed to have occurred to Lu Ran. He turned to face Ji Min and asked, "Mr. Ji, if you were to desire my company in bed, do you think my father would deliver me straight to your doorstep?"