Chapter 54: "Work"

Lu Ran stared at the chat screen for quite a while.

He was a bit puzzled.

Didn't everything get clarified already?

Why were they still emphasizing it?

It felt odd.

The next morning, Lu Ran got up as usual to go to his "job."

To his surprise, when he left the house, he found Shen Hongyuan up early as well.

Instead of heading to work, he was sitting on the sofa in the living room, seemingly waiting for someone.

With Big Yellow in tow, Lu Ran halted in his steps.

He lifted his gaze to scrutinize Shen Hongyuan intently.

Before he could speak, Shen Hongyuan put down his cup of black tea and casually said,

"I have something to discuss with President Ji today. You can ride with me."

Shen Hongyuan's tone was nonchalant.

However, Lu Ran keenly sensed something amiss.

Although Shen Hongyuan was profit-driven, he had a certain degree of pride.

It was understandable that he would officially come to greet him yesterday upon learning that Ji Min had sent him back.

But after the embarrassing incident, why would he still have the audacity to approach him today?

"That won't do," Lu Ran looked at him resolutely. "Family members aren't allowed during work hours."

Shen Hongyuan's brow furrowed. "I'm your father. Why can't I accompany you?"

Lu Ran scoffed.

He walked out with Big Yellow in tow.

At the entrance, he leisurely said, "If you dare follow me, I'll lie down in front of Ji Corporation's gate and say my dad brought me here to sell myself."

Shen Hongyuan: "…."

His raised butt barely managed to stop.

Lu Ran left with a swagger.

Shen Hongyuan gaped behind him.

So what exactly did Ji Min see in Lu Ran!

Lu Ran was a bit late today.

When he reached the floor where Ji Min's office was, the surrounding workstations were already occupied.

By now, the staff on this floor were quite familiar with Lu Ran and Big Yellow.

When employees from other floors dropped by and saw Big Yellow, they would greet him, "Wow, this is the dog of the boss's ex-boyfriend, right?"

Lu Ran thought to himself that news traveled fast.

Initially, it was just speculation about an ex-partner, but now it had narrowed down to an ex-boyfriend specifically.

Seems like Ji Min is indeed gay.

No wonder he was interested in sleeping Zhang Lin.

Lu Ran entered the office.

Ji Min was giving instructions to his assistant.

Lu Ran didn't disturb them. He put Big Yellow in his dog bed and, familiar with the routine, sat down at the small table.

The idea of "paid study leave" still made him slightly nervous a few days ago.

The moment he sat down in his chair, it was as if the homeroom teacher was watching, prompting him to swiftly immerse himself in studying.

Learning that Ji Min had his own agenda yesterday, he felt much more at ease.

He even took the liberty to lean on the desk and play with his phone for a while.

He was incredibly relaxed.

From behind his desk, Ji Min caught a glimpse of him entering and, though barely noticeable, paused in his conversation.

Until the assistant before him looked at him with a mixture of apprehension and confusion.

Only now did Ji Min dispel the soul-searching inquiry the youth had posed within the car the previous night.

Pausing for a full two seconds, he continued the previous topic.

After the assistant had left.

Ji Min switched on his computer, ready to begin work.

But...

He suddenly realized that the small desk was actually in an inconvenient location.

Despite being situated on the other side of the office.

But it was directly in front of his desk.

So much so that Ji Min, in an unintended glance upward, would find the youth engrossed in his mobile phone, propped up over the desk.

He seemed to be watching short videos, and with a suppressed smile on his lips, he was evidently trying not to laugh at something he had just seen.

Revealing a stark contrast to his earnest appearance from the past few days.

Today, the youth exudes an air of casual ease in his posture.

It irked Ji Min for no apparent reason.

His mind wandered back to Lu Ran's bizarre and earth-shattering question in the car last night.

Yet, before he could urge the boy to focus on his studies, Lu Ran suddenly lifted his head and, gazing up at Ji Min, inquired, "Mr. Ji, what was your ex-boyfriend like?"

Ji Min's breath hitched.

He took another look at Lu Ran.

The teenager asked with an air of openness and sincerity.

Absolutely unaware of prying into someone else's emotional life.

Why was he asking this?

Ji Min pressed his lips together before responding, "Why do you ask? I don't have any ex-boyfriends."

Lu Ran had initially intended to inquire if Ji Min's ex-boyfriend would mind the sudden addition of a dog in the rumors.

Upon hearing such an answer, he was taken aback. "What? Could it be an ex-girlfriend?"

He immediately shot Ji Min a reproachful look.

He was clearly entangled with that Zhang Lin, obviously gay, so why deceive those innocent girls' feelings?

Ji Min: "...."

What on earth was this kid trying to probe?

"I don't have any ex-girlfriends," Ji Min said.

So focus on your studies and forget about such thoughts.

Before he could finish his sentence, Ji Min lifted his head to see Lu Ran staring at him in shock.

In those eyes, there was not only surprise but also a hint of sympathy.

"Not a single one?"

Lu Ran was surprised that even his past relationships were subjects of others' speculation.

Ji Min fell silent once more.

He was certain that he had detected a hint of sympathy in the boy's words.

Frowning, he asked doubtfully, "Do you have experience?"

"I don't," Lu Ran replied frankly. "But I'm still young."

Thirty-year-old Ji Min felt as if an arrow had struck him in the knee.

The man raised a hand to his forehead.

Not wanting to discuss such matters with the boy, he spoke sternly, "Go read your books."

"Okay," Lu Ran acknowledged. Then, he added, "But you still haven't told me why you hired me and what exactly I'm supposed to do."

Ji Min paused.

Last night in the car, those words were merely spoken offhandedly to divert the young man from a particular train of thought.

He hadn't yet decided what role to assign to Lu Ran.

But such words could not be explicitly spoken.

"Think for yourself," he said coldly.

After Ji Min had finished speaking, he was suddenly reminded of the "reason" that the youth had arrived at last night after much contemplation and bewilderment.

He paused, then cleared his throat softly, adding in a grave tone, "Remember your own position."

Don't ask what you shouldn't.

And don't speculate wildly.

Lu Ran completely missed the hidden meaning in his words.

He muttered to himself as he took out an English exam paper.

What status does he have that even he himself is unaware of?

Is it the status of being a student with a salary?

He's even less significant than Big Yellow.

At least he was once the dog of an ex-boyfriend.

With this thought in mind, Lu Ran's fingers paused in mid-air as he reached for his pen cap.

Suddenly, it all became clear.

So it is!

As Ji Min was just settling into his work mode, the young man before him suddenly exclaimed, "I understand now!"

Ji Min was taken aback.

I failed to comprehend what exactly this person has grasped.

Then, Lu Ran declared earnestly,

"Rest assured, leave it to me. I'll fulfill my responsibilities!"

Ji Min: "..."

Well, that sounded quite sincere.

Let him be.

As long as he didn't use Ji Min's cup to rinse in the toilet, it should be fine.

Lu Ran felt like he grasped the essence of his job.

He was immediately filled with motivation.

Indeed, learning anything was merely a byproduct.

He still had an ulterior motive.

Approaching lunchtime, Lu Ran found his cup empty.

He glanced at the water dispenser nearby but didn't approach it.

Instead, he deliberately took his cup to the pantry.

Even at Ji Corporation, there were many slacking employees in the pantry.

Lu Ran leisurely filled his cup and waited inside for a while.

A staff member was on the phone with his girlfriend in the pantry.

It seemed they were having an argument, which lasted quite a while.

Upon hanging up the call, he turned around and was startled to see Lu Ran.

His face immediately revealed the awkwardness of being caught slacking off.

After all, Lu Ran was someone who worked in the Chairman's office.

Though they had no idea about the young child's identity.

What if he was a spy sent by that formidable Chairman?

The man immediately raised his phone and explained nervously, "It's a bit urgent."

"No worries, I don't concern myself with such matters," Lu Ran said, holding his cup as he walked out.

The man followed him.

Relieved by Lu Ran's words, his tension eased.

In the corridor, something came to mind, and he struck up a casual conversation, "Is your job to take care of the dog left behind by the Chairman's ex-boyfriend?"

Lu Ran gave him a steady look, thinking that an opportunity for work had arisen!

He shook his head solemnly, "No."

"Hmm?" The staff member was somewhat surprised.

Lu Ran sighed and said, "That's my dog."

"Oh, I see," the staff member hurriedly replied.

They walked together for a while until the man suddenly realized something was off.

He looked at Lu Ran, his pupils trembling in shock.

Lu Ran also gazed back at him. "Yes, exactly as you're thinking."

The staff member's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Lu Ran continued walking forward.

The man behind him tried his best to hold back but couldn't resist his curiosity, so he followed along.

Peeking ahead, he whispered, "You... When did you and the Chairman start dating?"

"Sometime in college," Lu Ran fibbed without a second thought.

The man was even more astonished upon hearing this.

He sized up Lu Ran from head to toe, his expression hard to read. "So... how old are you now?"

Lu Ran glanced back at him and continued his fabrication. "Almost thirty, but I just look young."

In his mind, he was doing this to prevent President Ji from being embroiled in a scandal involving pedophilia.

Probably because Ji Min's gossip was quite rare.

Others in the hallway, overhearing the conversation, couldn't resist joining in.

After understanding the background, they all stared at Lu Ran in disbelief.

Someone, unable to contain their curiosity, asked, "Then why did you two separate in the first place?"

Lu Ran stumbled for a moment.

Recalling how such scenes played out in TV dramas, he pretended to sigh deeply, as if in deep thought.

He sipped the warm water gently, then lifted his gaze melancholically towards the window, his eyes holding a profound depth.

It was as if he was saying, "I have a story, but I won't share it."

This made his youthful face appear much more mature.

After feeling that he had adequately prepared himself emotionally,

Lu Ran slightly lowered his head and sighed nonchalantly, "It was just a difference in principles."

The listeners around him, their imaginations running wild with possible scenarios, let out a collective sigh.

Then, remembering that Lu Ran was now at the Ji Corporation, hope flickered in their hearts.

Someone asked, "So, are you back together now?"

Lu Ran was taken aback once again.

He thought to himself that this job was indeed quite challenging.

But upon reflection about his employment under Ji Min and the latter's reminder of his position, Lu Ran shook his head with disappointment. "No."

"Ahh?"

A young lady nearby found it hard to accept. "That doesn't make sense. You're now in the chairman's office, and he's even willing to take care of your puppy. Shouldn't you two be back together? Unless the chairman is just too..."

"No!" Lu Ran remembered his responsibilities and promptly interrupted her.

He continued, "I'm the one who's been working hard to win him over, but I haven't succeeded yet!"

To substantiate his statement, Lu Ran added some details.

"You all know that I work at the coffee shop downstairs, and I do so because I want to be close to him. That's why I often deliver food to this building..."

"Ahh..."

The people around him instantly looked at him with a mix of regret, sympathy, and admiration.

Lu Ran is strikingly attractive.

In the office, both men and women couldn't help but steal glances at him whenever he appeared.

There were also whispers about his relationship with Ji Min.

Yet, even with wild imaginations, most people assumed that he had been captivated by Ji Min's power.

To their surprise!

Such a lovely and obedient young man was actually head-over-heels for that formidable tycoon!

Someone couldn't resist asking, "W-What exactly do you like about Chairman Ji?"

Upon finishing the question, the person immediately shut up.

Regretting having asked such an inappropriate inquiry.

Although Ji Min was disabled, he was still the head of the Ji family, not to mention his good looks in addition to his wealth.

Employees of the Ji Corporation were terrified of him yet couldn't help acknowledging his prowess.

Still, it had become a running joke to curse the chairman for being destined to remain single.

Asking such a question now would appear highly impolite.

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing this, Lu Ran knew that the real task had arrived!

He glanced back at the person.

Nonchalantly dropping a bombshell, he said, "Because he's exceptionally skilled in that aspect."

Everyone: "!!!"