Chapter 76: The Room

Lu Ran fell silent for a moment.

He spoke in a soft voice, "After being confined in a hospital for ten years, no one would want to return to such a place."

Ji Min didn't catch what he said and asked with a frown, "What?"

"I'm saying, what if you sell me into the hospital?" Lu Ran said loudly.

Ji Min: "..."

He glanced at Lu Ran and rapped the boy's forehead with his hand.

"Do you have any self-awareness at all? Sell you into a hospital?"

Ji Min scoffed and sarcastically remarked,

"Then the hospital director would be weeping and wailing in the middle of the night, bringing you back, and questioning me about what I found displeasing about their hospital that made me dump a troublemaker there."

Lu Ran: "..."

"I don't want to go anyway," he said, hugging Big Yellow tightly.

Ji Min sighed. "What if I say it's necessary for work?"

Lu Ran was taken aback.

He thought to himself, You really know how to exploit the working class. No wonder you're a wicked capitalist.

Struggle was visibly etched on his face.

But in the end, he said, "Then I won't do this job."

Ji Min studied him seriously for a moment, then didn't push further, signaling the driver to change direction.

In his mind, he pondered when to invite Doctor Kemler over.

Relieved, Lu Ran watched as the car turned at the intersection up ahead.

He asked, "Where are we going now?"

"We're going to eat," Ji Min sighed.

Lu Ran sat in the back seat, silently observing Ji Min without saying a word.

Ji Min should be an aloof person.

This aloofness wasn't conveyed through words or expressions but rather a general indifference towards others and their affairs.

In the dim light of the car, this man's features now took on a soft, hazy quality.

After a moment of watching, Lu Ran said, "Boss, don't worry. I'll work hard."

"Hmm?" Ji Min was taken aback.

Then, he saw the teenager in front of him clench his fists. "I'll make sure the rumors about your exceptional prowess spread throughout the entire city of Jing!"

Ji Min: "..."

Enough with your chatter.

The car stopped outside the restaurant Ji Min frequently visited.

At the thought of food, Lu Ran became extremely attentive.

He followed closely behind Ji Min's wheelchair like a little puppy, pushing it diligently.

Stopping only when they reached the accessible ramp, he stood still.

Ji Min was leaning back in his chair, enjoying the rare obedience of this young man.

Noticing the wheelchair had stopped, he was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Why have you stopped?"

As he spoke, he felt the weight on the wheelchair increase.

Turning his head, he saw Lu Ran resting his feet on the crossbar at the back of the wheelchair and leaning against the backrest.

With a justified tone, Lu Ran said, "Boss, I'm a bit tired. Don't you have that remote control? It's time to conserve human resources and energy..."

Ji Min was almost amused by the situation.

"I'm your boss or your driver?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

To his surprise, Lu Ran patted him on the shoulder from behind, urging, "Hurry up, the food will get cold!"

Ji Min: "..."

He had indeed spoiled him.

When he first started working, Ji Min wouldn't let him push, but he insisted on doing so with speed and vigor.

Now, not only did Lu Ran not push with effort, but he expected to be carried along as well.

The restaurant manager came out to greet them.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw a daring young man sprawled on the back of General Manager Ji's wheelchair.

Surprisingly, President Ji took on the task with unwavering dedication, carrying the person up in this somewhat peculiar manner.

Ascending the steps, he didn't ask anyone to alight; instead, he proceeded to pass by the young man's side, directly entering the dining hall with him still on his back.

From a distance, the cold and indifferent President Ji, who was usually distant from others, appeared to have transformed into an old yellow ox pulling a cart with unwavering dedication.

Patiently and tirelessly carrying the youth on his back, he beholds the scenery with him.

Only when they reached the private room did Ji Min's cold face instruct, "You may leave."

Without his prompt, Lu Ran leapt down as well.

Eagerly, he hurried to open the door.

He pushed the door to the private room wide open.

Some dishes had already been served.

Since it was only the two of them dining, the table wasn't extravagantly laden with food.

Only a few signature dishes were served.

Yet, there was a round cherry chocolate cake sitting by the table.

"Isn't it time to enter?"

Ji Min gently nudged the young man's waist from behind.

Lu Ran hummed softly before stepping inside.

He glanced at Ji Min.

Ji Min's wheelchair was parked on the other side.

Lu Ran took another look before slowly taking a seat in front of the cherry blossom cake.

He asked, "Aren't you eating?"

Ji Min lifted his gaze to witness the young man's drooling fascination with the cake.

He couldn't help but sigh,

"Not everyone can still have an appetite for this cake after your little performance, you know."

In his mind's eye, he still saw Shen Xingyu with cream and grass stains trickling down his face.

"Really?"

Lu Ran was pleasantly surprised and, without hesitation, took up the spoon to scoop a piece into his mouth.

His interrupted satisfaction was finally restored.

With each bite of food, he appeared exceptionally content.

His cheeks puffed up like a tiny, sneaky hamster.

This only made the flush on his cheeks more prominent.

Ji Min gazed at him for a while before lowering his eyes to study the patterns on his plate.

He didn't eat much.

By the time Lu Ran had polished off half of his cake, he finally spoke up slowly, as if in casual conversation: "Have you considered living outside?"

"Huh?" Lu Ran pondered for a moment before answering, "I initially planned on living in the dorms, but I can't keep Big Yellow there."

"Renting a place is too expensive, and besides…" Lu Ran narrowed his eyes, taking a big chunk out of the cake with determination, "Why should I be the one to move out?"

Ji Min pinched his chopsticks between his fingers, considering how to invite the other to live with him without sounding unreasonable.

As he was contemplating, Lu Ran had already confidently sneered:

"Heh, it's just Shen Xingyu, nothing more than that."

Ji Min raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then why didn't you kick Shen Xingyu into the pool?"

Lu Ran paused in his act of eating cake.

"Because he was too far away. I couldn't reach him."

Ji Min gave him a glance but didn't comment further.

When they finished their meal,

At Lu Ran's request, Ji Min still took the person back to the Shen family residence.

Normally, he would drop someone off nearby and leave.

But this time, he deliberately parked the car in front of Shen's villa gate.

Observing Lu Ran alight from the vehicle, he lingered for a moment longer.

He lowered the car window, gazing out at the youth who appeared poised for battle, as if marching towards the battlefield.

After a moment of silence, he still said, "Call me if you have something."

Lu Ran gave him a peculiar look.

But as he touched his still swollen cheek, he suddenly understood and made an OK gesture at Ji Min.

"I got it, I won't let myself get disfigured for sure!"

How could the ex-boyfriend of a domineering CEO ruin his looks?

Ji Min didn't understand what he had gotten.

After hesitating for a while, he eventually rolled down the window.

He waved for the driver to start the car.

Just as the car had driven a few meters, he suddenly said, "Reverse."

The driver silently shifted into reverse gear.

By the time they reached the entrance of the Shen family residence, Lu Ran had already taken Big Yellow inside.

Ji Min rubbed his forehead and sighed.

He didn't get out of the car but instead gestured to Manager Chen in the front seat, giving him some instructions.

When Lu Ran returned to the Shen family, it was already very late.

He happened to bump into Shen Xingyu, who had just come back.

Shen Xingyu had cleaned himself up; even at this late hour, he was dressed in a sharp suit, looking impeccable.

One could hardly imagine the disarray he had been in not long ago.

Upon seeing Lu Ran, Shen Xingyu furrowed his brow slightly.

He glanced outside and asked, "You and Senior Ji…?"

Halfway through his sentence, he didn't wait for Lu Ran's response.

Gazing at the flush on the young man's cheeks, he then lowered his eyes to check the time. With a sigh, he said, "Forget it, go get some rest."

Lu Ran cast him a glance and, without a word, led the dog to his room.

As he stepped into the first floor corridor, Shen Xingyu called out again, "Come back, where are you going?"

Lu Ran rolled his eyes dramatically. "Go to your room, or should I take my rest here?"

Shen Xingyu's brows knitted together once more.

"Do you live on the first floor?"

Observing Lu Ran's silence, he raised his hand to massage his temples and softly sighed. "How unsuitable."

He dropped his hand, reverting back to his usual stern demeanor. Addressing Lu Ran, he said, "Move upstairs to the second floor."

Without giving Lu Ran a chance to decline, he stopped a passing servant and instructed them,

"Clean the room on the east side of my second-story bedroom and transfer his luggage there."

The butler glanced at Shen Xingyu, then at Lu Ran, somewhat hesitant. "Mister and Madam...?"

"No way am I letting him stay downstairs."

Without sparing a glance at Lu Ran, Shen Xingyu finished his arrangements and, loosening his tie, ascended the stairs.

Yet, the young man behind him suddenly spoke up, "I'm not going to the second floor."

Shen Xingyu halted in his tracks, turning to regard him with a glance.

Lu Ran yawned, expressing his displeasure, "You both live on the second floor, it's annoying for me to stay down here."

Shen Xingyu's brows knitted even tighter.

He insisted without room for refusal, "Move upstairs. How does it look to outsiders if you keep living downstairs all the time?"

Lu Ran rolled his eyes once more.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he clapped his hands in delight:

"Perhaps you should ask Shen Xingran to move down from the third floor and let him reside in the servant's quarters on the first floor. Clean the third-floor room spotless, and I'll move in," Lu Ran suggested with a hint of irony.

Shen Xingyu turned to face him and replied solemnly, "I'm not in the mood to play games with you."

Instead of reacting negatively, Lu Ran chuckled, "It was you who asked me to move, and now when I agree, you say I'm joking. Young Master Shen, you're quite the character."

"Young Master Shen" was how outsiders referred to Shen Xingyu.

Shen Xingyu finally faced the youth before him.

He gazed intently at the youth's pair of obsidian-black, impeccably curved eyes, as though grappling with some inexplicable conundrum.

"How could you..."

Yet, Shen Xingyu still didn't manage to utter that sentence in its entirety.

He doesn't indulge in meaningless chatter.

At this moment, it became apparent that Lu Ran wasn't joking but was genuinely negotiating with him.

The man pondered for a moment before responding, "I can allow you to stay on the third floor, but he won't be moving to the first floor."

The door to the third floor was ajar.

Mrs. Shen was seated in the small living room on the third floor, comforting Shen Xingran.

Initially, upon hearing that Lu Ran and Shen Xingyu had collided, she had perked up and held Shen Xingran's hand, saying, "Your big brother needs to teach him a lesson and show him who's boss."

Upon discovering that Shen Xingyu was indeed planning to move Shen Xingran from the third floor, Mrs. Shen couldn't hold her tongue.

Slipping into her slippers, she marched down the hallway and declared loudly, "I object!"

Upon hearing her voice, a vein popped out on Shen Xingyu's forehead.

In recent days, it seemed that ever since Shen Xingyu had returned to the Shen family and been relatively cold towards Shen Xingran, there had been tension.

Madam Shen felt an overwhelming sense of maternal responsibility.

If not for her protection, wouldn't Ranran be expelled from the Shen family?

"Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?" Shen Xingyu asked, exhausted.

"How can I sleep with everything that's happened today?" Madam Shen descended the stairs step by step.

She frowned at Shen Xingyu and said, "Xingyu, what's going on? Why did you chase Ranran away?"

Shen Xingyu took a deep breath and tried to communicate calmly, "Mom, I didn't want to chase anyone away, I just asked him to move to the second floor."

"Ranran has always lived on the third floor. Now, you suddenly ask him to give up his room. How do you think he'll feel? Have you considered how your brother would feel?" Madam Shen pointed out.

Shen Xingyu pressed his temples and turned to gaze at the sky outside, now tinged with the pale light of dawn.

He replied, "But you can't let him live in the servant's quarters on the first floor either."

Shen Xingyu rarely mentioned "Shen Xingran" or "Lu Ran" by name.

Mrs. Shen pondered for a moment before realizing that the "he" in his statement referred to Lu Ran.

"What do you mean?"

She had just been reasoning with Shen Xingyu, but her tone suddenly turned urgent. "Are you blaming me? Blaming me for not being a good mother?"

Shen Xingyu opened his mouth but didn't offer an explanation.

Staring at her eldest son, Mrs. Shen's eyes instantly welled up with tears:

"Shen Xingyu, do you have any conscience at all?!"

"Do you remember when you were little and your grandfather took you away? He was so strict with you, and every time you saw me, you cried, asking when you could come back home!"

"You know your grandfather's personality. I risked offending him to personally bring you back and raise you by my side. What right do you have to blame me?"

"Mom, I'm not..." Shen Xingyu's voice softened.

"Get out! I don't have a son as heartless as you!"

Long before the two started their argument, Lu Ran had already retreated to his room with Big Yellow.

From the beginning, he hadn't expected Shen Xingyu to change his room for him.

He had no interest in the mother and son's squabble either.

By now, he had packed the clothes he wanted to wash and picked up the pet shampoo for the little dog.

Carrying the basket, he led Big Yellow into the ground floor's communal bathroom.

When they were both clean and he emerged from the shower, the outside had quietened down.

Upon returning to his room, Lu Ran found a servant waiting by the door.

The servant held a cherry tart in their hands and looked at Lu Ran with an odd, reevaluating gaze, as if assessing his worth anew.

As Lu Ran approached, the servant said respectfully, "Young Master asked me to bring you this cake and this tube of ointment."