Chapter 46: Paternity Test

Lu Ran leaned on his desk.

The jumbled English letters before him danced, making it hard for Lu Ran to concentrate.

That nagging doubt from this morning resurfaced in his mind.

Lowering his head, he stared at the desk, lost in thought:

Could Ji Min have some hidden passion for teaching?

In the afternoon, Ji Min had to attend a meeting.

Without thinking, Lu Ran gathered his things and stood up to follow.

Ji Min glanced at him but didn't decline.

Leaving the office, Ji Min maneuvered his wheelchair forward with a remote control.

Lu Ran followed closely behind him.

It was the weekend today, and the entire floor was practically deserted.

The elevator was equally empty.

Upon entering, Lu Ran stood to one side.

An awkward silence descended upon them.

Lu Ran turned his head and cast a glance at the handlebars behind Ji Min's wheelchair.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he straightforwardly asked, "If you don't want me to push your wheelchair or help with your belongings, then why did you ask for me specifically?"

Ji Min's expression showed slight astonishment.

He turned his head to gaze upon the youth by his side.

Lu Ran was still frowning, calculating, "Besides, my major is veterinary medicine. How would that be of use to you?"

Ji Min: "..."

What now? Does he actually want to use it?

The elevator beeped as it reached the desired floor and came to a stop.

The elevator doors glided open slowly.

Ji Min suddenly closed his eyes and said, "Come here."

"Aah?" Lu Ran was perplexed.

Ji Min opened his eyes.

A hint of helplessness flashed across his cold and somber face as he whispered, "Push."

Lu Ran was taken aback for two seconds before promptly responding, "Alright then!"

The instant the wheelchair's dual wheels rolled out of the elevator car, Ji Min softly closed his eyes.

Unlike the last time, which was caught off guard.

For the first time, he willingly relinquished control over the wheelchair, his pale and sturdy fingers suddenly easing their grip.

He leaned back in his chair, savoring the sensation of his body moving at a pace brimming with vitality and life, a tempo unfamiliar to him for quite some time.

A subtle sense of loss of control, intertwined with an intoxicating tremor.

The youth pushing the wheelchair behind him exerted considerable effort.

With a vitality as tenacious as wild grass, he didn't run quickly.

Yet, his steps carried the unique cheerfulness of youth.

The journey from the elevator to the meeting room was a short one.

But due to the person pushing the wheelchair being unfamiliar with the way, they took two or three extra corridors.

Ji Min found himself strangely seated in the wheelchair, strolling around several circles in this exceedingly familiar floor.

A strange occurrence.

Despite being able to guide with a simple word, he inexplicably remained silent.

When they reached the entrance of the meeting room, Lu Ran finally stopped. He promptly released his grip and shook his hand, astonished. "Why is this wheelchair so heavy to push?"

For this wheelchair was never designed to be pushed by humans...

Ji Min chuckled. "Perhaps you're just not strong enough."

Lu Ran felt a bit indignant.

Ji Min entered the meeting, while Lu Ran refrained from disturbing him, finding a corner in the hallway outside and sitting down to read some papers.

After all the hustle and bustle, he finally had a sense that his life was returning to normal.

She let out a soft sigh of relief.

At the Shen residence.

Madam Shen secretly sent away the samples she had in her hands.

They were Shen Xingran's hair and Shen Hongyuan's toothbrush.

To ensure the accuracy of the test results.

She had even plucked Shen Xingran's hair while he was asleep, just for this purpose.

On the surface, Madam Shen maintained her usual calm and composed demeanor.

This was perhaps the most cunning she had ever been in her life.

However, this time, Madam Shen insisted on acknowledging Lu Ran as a member of the Shen family.

Shen Hongyuan thought she was causing trouble unnecessarily and flew into a rage.

To the surprise of Madam Shen, Shen Xingran didn't object at all.

Whenever she brought up the topic, Shen Xingran was always the first to support her.

This made Madam Shen look at the son she had raised with a mix of heartache and nostalgia.

Sometimes, she even wondered.

Perhaps this was all Shen Hongyuan's doing.

Ranran was raised by her; perhaps he was unaware of the situation?

But, necessary actions must still be taken.

On this day, Madam Shen deliberately stayed downstairs later than usual.

Finally, after much anticipation, Lu Ran returned with the dog.

Considering that she would need to rely on her son in the coming days, Madam Shen adopted a more amiable demeanor.

"Why are you back so late today?" she asked softly.

Lu Ran tugged at the corners of his mouth, offering her a smile. "This is actually the earliest I've returned home, Madam."

Madam Shen's expression froze for a moment.

She couldn't help but grumble inwardly about how ungrateful this young man was.

But as she looked up, she couldn't help but study her son, whom she didn't particularly favor.

Is it perhaps an illusion...

Why did she feel that Lu Ran seemed somewhat different these past two days?

The aura of poverty that had irked her about him had diminished considerably.

Even when the youth returned home at ten o'clock in the evening, there was no trace of that weary, travel-worn look upon his countenance.

For some reason, he seemed well-nourished, with a touch more softness on his cheeks, giving him a gentle roundedness characteristic of his age.

Mrs. Shen gave him a suspicious glance and asked, "What have you been up to lately?"

Lu Ran took out his phone. "I'll answer for a hundred dollars."

After saying that, he thought about his recent salary and raised the price. "Two thousand for two questions."

Mrs. Shen: "..."

She disliked how Lu Ran always mentioned money, which immediately killed her interest in continuing the conversation.

Feeling somewhat distressed, she silently prayed that the paternity test would come back negative.

Otherwise, acknowledging Lu Ran as her son would be unbearable for her.

But thinking of her plans, Mrs. Shen coldly said, "Take good care of yourself recently. It won't be long before we officially acknowledge you as a member of the Shen family. Don't embarrass us."

When she said to prepare, Lu Ran would prepare.

If the paternity test result turned out negative, then it would just be a futile preparation.

Lu Ran raised an eyebrow, his inner self remaining unperturbed.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he replied, "Sure."

However, before Lu Ran could say more, Shen Hongyuan's voice echoed from upstairs:

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

With that, he rushed down and pulled Madam Shen along to head back upstairs.

The more Shen Hongyuan protested, the angrier Madam Shen became: "Stay out of my business! Shen Hongyuan, do you even think about whether you've been fair to me?!"

Shen Hongyuan was taken aback by her scolding: "When have I wronged you?"

Madam Shen scoffed: "Have you never done anything to guilt trip you?"

Madam Shen's family had merged with the Shen family.

Her guilt-tripping remark clearly referred to herself.

However, upon hearing this, Shen Hongyuan's expression suddenly froze, and his gaze subtly swept across Lu Ran, who was downstairs.

Madam Shen had just caught the change in his expression, causing her heart to sink further.

She had always been puzzled by Shen Hongyuan's attitude.

Why wouldn't he acknowledge Lu Ran, yet refuse to let him go?

He claimed it was out of fear that Lu Ran would cause trouble outside, tarnishing the Shen family's reputation.

But wouldn't sending Lu Ran abroad to be monitored be the best solution?

Why endure the distress of having him around?

Could it really be for the sake of paving the way for his illegitimate son?

Madam Shen's tone grew more resolute. "I'm definitely going to acknowledge Lu Ran."

Upon hearing her words, Shen Hongyuan gave her a deep, piercing look.

The sight even made Madam Shen shrink back in discomfort.

Considering that the paternity test results had yet to come out, she forcefully held back her temper.

Shen Hongyuan remained silent with a grim face and left without another word.

In Shen Xingran's room on the third floor, there was not a sound to be heard.

Three days later.

Madam Shen finally received a call from the courier service.

Her heart leapt into her throat the moment the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, we have a package for you. Are you available to sign for it today?"

Madam Shen's fingers gripped her phone tightly, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "May I ask... what kind of delivery is it?"

"It seems to be a document," the responder replied.

Madam Shen's heart nearly leaped into her throat.

She felt as if awaiting judgment and, in a hushed tone, surreptitiously inquired, "Then... what color is this document, or does it have any particular markings?"

The DNA testing agency she had chosen specialized in complicated family ethical issues.

To prepare the examinees emotionally, the color of the document envelope could hint at the outcome.

It was said that results confirming a biological relationship would be placed in a dark red envelope.

If not, it would be a regular manila envelope.

Madam Shen waited anxiously for the result.

On the other end of the call, the courier seemed perplexed and offered, "It's just a standard delivery envelope. Should I open it for you to check?"

"No!" Mrs. Shen exclaimed.

Her sudden outburst strained her voice,Startling the person on the other end of the phone.

After a moment, she cleared her throat softly and regained her usual gentle tone, "Just deliver it as usual."

Mrs. Shen didn't even have it sent to the villa.

Instead, she walked a considerable distance to a bus stop outside the neighborhood to retrieve it.

On her way back with the document bag in hand, Mrs. Shen's heart pounded wildly.

With great effort and after much deliberation, she had obtained the sample for testing.

When she sent it away, it was not only to verify her suspicion but also to throw a stone-cold fact in Shen Hongyuan's face.

To prove that both he and Shen Xingran had wronged her.

In this way, she could firmly stand on the moral high ground.

Yet now, with the report in her hands, Mrs. Shen found the envelope incredibly weighty.

It was merely a document, yet it held the power to alter the destinies of everyone in the Shen family.

Suddenly, Mrs. Shen was hesitant to look at the results.

Upon entering the residential compound, she noticed a trash can at a corner nearby.

She gazed at it for a long while, an idea flashing through her mind:

If she simply discarded the file, everything would return to normal.

She could continue treating Shen Xingran as her biological son and remain the blissful, wealthy matriarch of the family.

There would be no need to acknowledge Lu Ran as her son just to secure her own interests.

Wouldn't it be better if nothing had happened?

Mrs. Shen slowly approached the trash can, hesitated for a long time, but ultimately, she left with the document still in her possession.

She slipped the file folder into her bag, avoiding the gaze of all the servants, and locked herself in a guest room on the second floor.

The room was eerily silent.

Madam Shen sat alone for a long time.

Instead of hastily opening the envelope, she retrieved some old belongings from a chest.

They were all items Shen Xingran had used during his childhood.

Along with photographs of him growing up.

Ever since Shen Xingran came to the Shen family, Madam Shen had gone out of her way to prove herself as a loving mother, doting on him in every way possible.

Her eldest son, Shen Xingyu, had always been mature beyond his years, growing up under the guidance of Grandfather Shen, leaving her with no need to fuss over him.

Shen Xingzhuo was a troublemaker through and through.

As for Lu Ran...

Mrs. Shen paused, subconsciously skipping over that particular memory.

In short, Shen Xingran's existence was practically proof of her being a "good mother."

Towards Shen Xingran, Mrs. Shen had genuinely put in effort.

But now...

Mrs. Shen silently returned the photo to the box.

She picked up the paper bag beside her and examined the logo of the courier company printed on it.

With a resolute heart, she forcefully tore open the bag.

In the next second, a striking dark red color assaulted her vision.