Chapter 67: "Abduction"

Ji Min exchanged a glance with Butler Chen, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.

If Lu Ran were present, he would undoubtedly decipher the unspoken message between them.

It was undeniably—

There really is such a specialized community?!

At the thought of how that person almost touched his blanket just now, Ji Min couldn't help but shiver in disgust.

He immediately threw the thin blanket aside.

In the past, hearing someone talk about "imperfection being an unparalleled beauty," Ji Min might have assumed they were discussing art.

But after Lu Ran's influence,

upon hearing those key phrases, Ji Min's mind instantly flashed back to the bold headlines on that news article.

"Courting danger by intentionally contracting an infectious disease..."

Not to mention Lu Ran's constant references to "you gay men."

It made Ji Min wish he could maintain an eight-meter distance from this Shen Xingran.

Health and safety concerns weren't enough to make him treat the man like a plague carrier.

But having issues with one's mind and personal life was unacceptable!

Shen Xingran's outstretched hand remained frozen in place.

Stunned, he watched the scene unfold, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Surely Ji Min had some sort of problem?

He had meant his words as a compliment, so why did this person look so aghast?

Shen Xingran took a deep breath and tried again.

Assuming an innocent expression, he asked, "Did Brother say something to you?"

Little did he expect that his words would firmly establish his status as a member of a "special group" in Ji Min's mind.

The way Ji Min looked at him became even more peculiar.

Shen Xingran continued, "Actually, Brother has always disliked me..."

If it were any other man, they would have started feeling sympathy for him by now.

However, the man in the wheelchair across from him fell silent for a moment before asking sincerely, "Isn't it reasonable for him to dislike you?"

Shen Xingran was nearly choked by this response.

He felt that his charm was useless in this situation.

But he didn't think it was his own fault.

It must be because Lu Ran had said something bad about him.

There was also the matter of Ji Min's questionable taste.

How refined could someone who associated with Lu Ran be?

Adding to that...

Shen Xingran recalled what had happened at Shen Hongyuan's birthday banquet last time.

If he wasn't mistaken, Ji Min's dislike for him mainly stemmed from the fact that he wasn't his preferred type.

But when Shen Xingran did things, he usually had a backup plan.

Seeing Ji Min's attitude, which made him seem like a venomous snake, he wasn't disappointed. Instead, he smiled confidently and said,

"President Ji, please don't rush. I have a friend with me today, and I'm sure you'd be very interested in meeting him."

"No," Ji Min replied coldly with a scoff. "I have no interest in you or your friends."

Hearing his words, Shen Xingran showed no sign of backing down at all.

He remained confident and said, "But this person is different. I know you're in a bad mood today, but you'll definitely be delighted to see him."

His certainty piqued Ji Min's curiosity.

How could he not know who could make him happy?

But upon deeper thought, Ji Min's expression turned somber.

Could the person Shen Xingran was referring to be Lu Ran?

But wasn't Lu Ran in class? Or had the Shen family orchestrated something to forcefully bring the child back?

After all that talk, it seemed that Shen Xingran had finally revealed his true intentions, resorting to kidnapping and threats?

Ji Min promptly sent a message to Lu Ran on WeChat as a probe and shot a glance at Butler Chen.

Butler Chen immediately nodded in response.

Seeing his serious expression, Shen Xingran knew that his preparation hadn't been in vain.

He took out his phone and sent a message.

In no time, a figure strolled over.

To his surprise, it was Zhang Lin, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, wandering around with his phone, completely puzzled.

Spotting Shen Xingran, he remarked, "Why are you running? The auction has already started."

As he turned his head, he caught sight of Ji Min, and his complexion began to turn pale with envy.

Ji Min glanced at the man indifferently.

Fixing his gaze on Shen Xingran, he asked in a deep voice, "Who were you talking about?"

Shen Xingran was momentarily taken aback by the question.

He pointed to Zhang Lin beside him and said, "This is him!"

Ji Min glanced at Zhang Lin, his brows gradually furrowing. "Who is he?"

Then he added, "Drop the act. Tell me what you're up to."

"Huh?" Shen Xingran found the situation absurd for a moment.

Ha.

He was pretending.

This man must be trying to hide his vulnerability.

Thus, he was suppressing his joy and pretending not to know!

Shen Xingran smiled, appearing to understand the situation. "President Ji, isn't this a bit tedious of you?

"Everyone in the entire city knows what happened at your father's birthday banquet, right? I have no ill intentions, so there's no need to suppress your happiness now."

As he spoke, Shen Xingran reached out and forcefully pulled Zhang Lin closer.

Ji Min: "..."

For an instant, his expression was blank.

His previously tense and guarded mood suddenly turned into confusion.

Shen Hongyuan's birthday celebration?

Suppressing joy?

Ji Min glanced again at the person beside Shen Xingran, and his mind exploded with realization.

The bizarre memory of being caught 'in the act' with no way to explain himself resurfaced in his mind.

Ji Min's expression cracked wide open.

"Are you talking about him?" Ji Min pointed at Zhang Lin, asking.

Shen Xingran nodded.

"Really him?" Ji Min sought confirmation once more.

Shen Xingran replied, "That's right. Who else did you think it was?"

"Ha..."

Housekeeper Chen couldn't hold back and chuckled softly.

Ji Min's expression turned incredibly complicated in an instant.

He first instinctively let out a sigh of relief, his worries easing.

Then, he felt a bit speechless.

Upon realizing that his unconscious reaction was to worry about a child being kidnapped, a flush of embarrassment and anger arose.

Mixed with the frustration from being tricked by Lu Ran for the first time, it all brewed into a pent-up rage.

"Firstly," he said to Shen Xingran, "Don't keep calling him 'brother.' He isn't much older than you, and he has no obligation to treat you like a younger brother."

Shen Xingran was taken aback.

"Second," Ji Min's voice was cold and stern, "Scram with your people right now."

Finally, he turned to the side and glared at the supervisor, gritting his teeth as he demanded, "How did you let anyone in here?"

With that said, he turned to leave.

The supervisor dared not let him go and quickly called for security to throw Shen Xingran and Zhang Lin, who had approached, out.

When Shen Xingran was escorted out by the security, he was still in a daze.

What had just happened?

He had been so well-prepared!

So why was this happening now?

At the auction, Ji Min was desperate to leave early.

Yet, considering the painting, he eventually gave in to the organizers and stayed.

At that moment, his phone vibrated softly.

It was his personal phone, tucked away in the pocket of his coat.

Ji Min took it out and glanced at it. It was a message from Lu Ran.

Actually, his assistant had just confirmed Lu Ran's safety, informing Ji Min that he was attending a class in one of the classrooms at University Y.

Otherwise, Ji Min wouldn't have let Shen Xingran leave so easily.

Lu Ran was responding to the message Ji Min had just sent.

It was an audio message.

Ji Min put on his headphones before tapping on the notification.

Presumably, the class had just ended over there, as the background noise was quite chaotic.

There were also the sounds of bicycle brakes, students chatting and grumbling, "Who on earth scheduled this ridiculous timetable..."

The vibrant essence of youth poured out from the earphones in an abundance.

Most distinct was the slight panting of the young man.

It was as if he was running with books in hand from one academic building to another.

As he ran, he spoke into his phone's microphone, "Why do you need me to speak instead of texting?"

Upon hearing this voice, Ji Min found himself at a loss for words.

Today was Lu Ran's first day of school.

Suddenly, there was one less presence by his side.

The change wasn't significant, as there were still countless others around him.

Yet, the difference was immense.

To be precise, it wasn't a "change," but rather the removal of the sudden "change" that had occurred in his life during that period.

He slipped back into his former state.

Yet, surprisingly, such a state is currently rather unsettling.

In that very instant upon hearing the young voice, it might be somewhat exaggerated to say that the world transformed from black and white into vibrant colors.

Yet, Ji Min genuinely felt that Lu Ran's unique voice had pierced through the intangible shackles that bound him.

Let everything come alive, become vivid and genuine.

Life seems unchanged, yet somehow it feels different.

As he was listening to the first voice message, the youth sent another one over:

"I have back-to-back classes all morning and afternoon today, but they're rather superficial. If needed, I'll gladly skip them to be there!"

A smile tugged at the corner of Ji Min's lips, an unconscious gesture.

Becoming bolder.

He actually dared to openly tell him about skipping class.

"Focus on your studies," Ji Min typed in response.

It was likely a large break between classes over there, and lessons hadn't started yet.

The teenager was openly playing with his phone, so his reply came swiftly:

"So why did you look for me then?"

Ji Min fell into a brief silence, contemplating the reason behind his message. He felt a bit awkward.

That Shen Xingran kept mentioning someone who would make him "happy upon seeing them."

In a moment of foolishness, Ji Min's mind had drifted to Lu Ran, wondering if something had happened to the boy within the Shen family.

To his surprise, it turned out that Shen Xingran was the one who brought Zhang Lin along.

Ji Min was at a loss for words for a moment.

But there was one thing he knew with absolute clarity: Lu Ran must not find out about this, no matter which part of it. The guy would undoubtedly laugh himself silly.

So Ji Min replied straightforwardly, "Nothing much, just curious."

After sending that, there was no response from the other side for a while.

Ji Min assumed that class had finally started.

Unexpectedly, after some time, Lu Ran sent him a screenshot.

It was the initial message Ji Min had sent, brief and urgent, consisting of just a few words: Send an audio message, quickly.

Ji Min failed to comprehend the meaning behind the screenshot.

Then, they sent an emoji of a surprised puppy.

Finally, they subtly asked,

"Y-You... Aren't you just trying to hear my voice by making me send this?"

The meaning wasn't spelled out directly.

But each word seemed to carry the teenager's sighing tone: "See, you still like me after all."

Ji Min: "..."

Perfect, it was indeed Lu Ran's style.

Even without the voice message, it was clear that it was him.

Frustrated, Ji Min fired back multiple messages, "What on earth is going on in that head of yours every day?!"

"Turn off your phone and focus on your class!"

Lu Ran lounged on his seat, tapping away at his phone.

His device was rather slow, requiring several taps before new messages would load.

In reality, the salary Ji Min paid him was enough to afford a better phone.

But he hesitated to spend the money when it came down to it.

After all, as long as a phone wasn't broken, it could still be used.

A classmate, noticing him constantly chatting with someone labeled "Demon King," couldn't resist asking discreetly, "Got a new love interest?"

Lu Ran lifted his head, intending to say, "No, just my boss."

Yet, just as he was about to speak, he recalled the possibility of Ji Min visiting their school. If that happened, he'd have to keep up the charade of being an ex-boyfriend.

So, after a moment's thought, he replied, "Is it...my ex-boyfriend who's now my boss that I'm pursuing?"

Upon hearing such a convoluted relationship for the first time, the classmate was utterly bewildered.

But soon, Lu Ran had no more energy to dwell on it.

After finishing his morning classes, he rushed to the cafeteria for a meal and then visited the laboratory during lunchtime.

There, he received some encouraging news.

The Elite Academy was admitting new students this year.

Unlike the stringent requirements for freshmen, this time, all that was needed were passing grades in various subjects, along with an interview.

This was undoubtedly good news for Lu Ran. He calculated the required credits and promptly enrolled in several elective courses.

On that day, Shen Hongyuan didn't go to work in the afternoon.

Instead, he returned home early, eagerly awaiting Shen Xingran's good news.

Privately, he even wished that Shen Xingran wouldn't return tonight.

But Shen Hongyuan also knew that it was wishful thinking on his part.

Everything had to be done step by step. The fact that Shen Xingran could now talk and connect with Ji Min was already a good sign.

However, Shen Hongyuan still had great confidence in his son's abilities.

In no time, he saw Shen Xingran enter the villa.

Shen Hongyuan was taken aback for a moment and asked subconsciously, "Why are you back so early?"

Shen Xingran seemed a bit downcast as he replied, "There wasn't anything much, so I came back."

Shen Hongyuan smiled at him warmly and said, "Sit down first and have some water."

After Shen Xingran had eaten a little more.

Only then did Shen Hongyuan ask casually, "What did President Ji say? Did you arrange a time for your next meeting?"

Shen Xingran paused, but still couldn't hold back his grievance. "Dad, is Ji Min insane? He doesn't like this, he doesn't like that!"

"What do you mean?" Shen Hongyuan was taken aback.

Shen Xingran had no choice but to recount the incident of being kicked out by Ji Min along with Zhang Lin.

Shen Hongyuan was also in disbelief.

His expression then turned grim.

Seeing his father's mood, Shen Xingran hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Isn't Big Brother coming back soon? We can wait for him to come back and let him play matchmaker, right?"

"It's not about that!" Shen Hongyuan waved his hand irritably.

Then, he angrily scolded, "How useless are you?"

Shen Xingran was left speechless for a long while.

Shen Hongyuan paced anxiously in the living room.

One by one, they're all sources of worry.

It seems he'll have to take matters into his own hands.