Chapter 10: Working

Gazing at the items in the warehouse, a soft voice almost instantly echoed in Shen Xingzhuo's mind: "Gege, Grandpa said to put away the toys!"

Lost in thought while staring at the yellow plastic bucket, Shen Xingzhuo's phone buzzed.

He lowered his head for a glance.

Someone in the group had sent a message: "Brother Zhuo, we've arrived!"

A sudden realization struck Shen Xingzhuo as his mind buzzed. He had suddenly remembered the favor he had asked for last night.

Hastily covering the wooden plank with his muddy hands, he typed a message in the chat box: "Come back! Don't go!"

On the other side, whoever was occupied didn't respond.

Shen Xingzhuo sent another voice message.

He swiftly climbed out of the old house and rushed to his car, making a voice call as he hurried towards the pet store.

Traffic happened to be jammed at that moment.

Shen Xingzhuo's car was stuck, causing him immense anxiety.

Fortunately, halfway through, a few people in the group chat noticed his message and replied, "What's up, Brother Zhuo?"

"I take back what I said today," Shen Xingzhuo replied.

The others were puzzled and asked, "Weren't you going to avenge Ranran?"

At the mention of Shen Xingran, Shen Xingzhuo fell silent for a moment.

His mind was still in disarray, leaving him clueless about how to explain himself.

After a brief pause, he managed to say, "Don't ask now, we'll talk about it next time."

On the other end, the call obediently disconnected.

However, Shen Xingzhuo felt somewhat uneasy.

He knew these people's characters better than anyone.

Before connecting his call, they had already arrived at the pet store, who knows what trouble they might have caused.

Shen Xingzhuo didn't return to the Shen family but continued driving to the pet store.

Upon reaching the street, he realized that the pet store wasn't open today.

The cages and enclosures inside were all moved to the back.

A lock hung on the front door with some scratches on its keyhole, likely the work of those few individuals.

Shen Xingzhuo peered into the store but didn't spot the dog named Big Yellow, nor did he see Lu Ran. Yesterday's shop owner was also absent.

He instinctively reached for his phone, then remembered he didn't have Lu Ran's phone number.

Their relationship wasn't close enough to warrant direct phone calls.

And yet, prior to today, he had never imagined that there would come a day when he would actually want to reach out to Lu Ran.

The image of the child from his dream flashed across Shen Xingzhuo's mind once more.

Frustrated, he lit a cigarette and wandered aimlessly down the street.

In his mind, he alternated between thoughts of the dog and the plastic pail in the courtyard of the old house.

And those identical rubber balls.

It was rush hour, and the street was bustling with people.

Shen Xingzhuo strolled around until he paused in front of a fast-food restaurant.

There were still customers enjoying their breakfast inside, and a long queue had formed at the counter.

Initially, Shen Xingzhuo had walked past, but amidst the flow of people, he caught sight of Lu Ran.

Lu Ran, clad in the shop's uniform, stood at the counter, bustling with tasks.

The place was crowded, yet he methodically took orders, processed payments, printed receipts, and passed them to the kitchen staff.

Shen Xingzhuo paused to observe for a while, mentally comparing the person before him to the child from his dreams.

From this angle, Shen Xingzhuo couldn't see Lu Ran's eyes.

But they were still different.

Very different.

The child in the dream was carefree, with eyes shimmering like stars.

Lu Ran worked silently, his actions displaying a maturity beyond his years. An air of... pent-up stillness enveloped him, as if he had been holding back for many long years.

There was an inexplicable sense of gloominess about him.

When most of the customers had left, Shen Xingzhuo pushed the door open, found a seat, and sat down.

As soon as he stepped inside, the youth behind the counter promptly turned his gaze upon him, inquiring, "What brings you here?"

The tone was distinctly unfriendly.

It was utterly contrary to Shen Xingzhuo's dream.

Those eyes met his gaze as well.

Unlike the joyful gaze in the dream, Lu Ran stood behind the counter, his eyes half-lowered as he looked over.

His overly long eyelashes concealed his irises, making it impossible to discern his expression; only a cold and distant wariness could be sensed.

"I'm here to eat," Shen Xingzhuo looked away.

"Oh," Lu Ran gestured towards the menu with his finger. "Order whenever you're ready."

Shen Xingzhuo, distracted, picked a few items haphazardly.

Lu Ran collected the payment, sent the order to the kitchen, and then returned to his position behind the counter.

For a moment, Shen Xingzhuo was at a loss for words.

He wasn't even sure why he had come here in the first place.

The number of diners in the shop dwindled, leaving only a few scattered customers.

Lost in thought, Shen Xingzhuo sat motionless in his seat.

With fewer people at the counter, Lu Ran took on the task of delivering food to the customers as well.

When Shen Xingzhuo's order was ready, Lu Ran casually picked up the tray and placed it on the wooden-like tabletop in front of him.

"Click."

The plastic tray made a soft sound as it touched the surface.

Startled, Shen Xingzhuo looked up at Lu Ran, who had just served him.

In that instant, an overwhelming sense of dissonance washed over him, making Shen Xingzhuo feel profoundly uneasy.

Most of the time, he acted on his whims.

Without much thought, he followed the uneasiness in his heart and frowned, asking, "What are you doing?"

Lu Ran looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Delivering your food? Didn't you order it?"

Shen Xingzhuo was taken aback.

However, watching Lu Ran hold the tray, bow slightly as he placed it in front of him, and even neatly arrange the napkin, still made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

There were servants in the house.

Shen Xingran had never done such tasks before.

Or rather, the Shen family didn't need to do these things.

But now, Lu Ran was behaving like a waiter in front of him.

And he was the one being served.

Shen Xingzhuo suppressed the inexplicable discomfort in his heart.

Without much thought, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Lu Ran fell silent.

Now, his gaze at Shen Xingzhuo was more like looking at an intellectually challenged adult.

After some consideration, he said, "I bought this store yesterday and disguised myself as a server to inspect it today."

Shen Xingzhuo nodded, and the discomfort in his heart subsided slightly.

He didn't sense anything amiss.

In his life, among the people he had encountered, reasons like what Lu Ran described were more common and plausible.

But no sooner had he nodded than he heard the youth before him laughingly curse, "Idiot."

Back at the counter, Lu Ran took advantage of the lull to indulge in some leisurely activities.

He swiped through his phone nonchalantly before lifting his gaze and asking, "Second Master, might I ask if you've lost your sight? I'm working here."

Shen Xingzhuo was taken aback.

"Working."

A common term, but certainly an uncommon one in his world.

This was something he should have been aware of.

After all, he had just visited that pet store yesterday and witnessed Lu Ran cleaning the cat litter and changing the pee pads with his own eyes.

Back then, Shen Xingzhuo hadn't delved into whether Lu Ran was working there or engaged in some other activity.

He had simply sought out Lu Ran and the dog; since Lu Ran was at the pet store, that's where he went.

Beyond that, he didn't concern himself with anything else.

It was only now that Shen Xingzhuo seemed to truly grasp the fact that Lu Ran got up around five or six in the morning and returned home as late as eleven or midnight, all for the sake of working outside.

Working for others in exchange for a meager wage.

A subtle complexity stirred within Shen Xingzhuo's heart for a moment.

He recalled how Shen Xingran had volunteered during college.

For half a day.

Madam Shen, fearing he would overheat, personally fetched him back.

"I'm asking... why... are you here?" Shen Xingzhuo's voice was a bit dry as he struggled to explain, "Weren't you at... that pet shop yesterday?"

Upon finishing his question, Shen Xingzhuo felt another wave of anxiety.

Could it be that something happened with those people earlier this morning?

Lu Ran, having been busy until now, hadn't had breakfast yet. Taking advantage of the lull in customers, he sneaked behind the counter to grab a bite.

With a mouthful of burger, he mumbled, "Big Brother..."

At the sound of this title and the vague tone, Shen Xingzhuo's heart skipped a beat.

Lu Ran took a sip of water before continuing, "Don't tell me you think a part-time job can sustain a person?"

Shen Xingzhuo was taken aback.

Only upon hearing the word "part-time" did he recall that Lu Ran was likely still in university.

Suddenly, Shen Xingzhuo found it hard to stay seated.

The food in front of him remained untouched as he quickly got up and left.

Lu Ran watched Shen Xingzhuo's departing figure.

He hadn't lied to Shen Xingzhuo; he had indeed held multiple part-time jobs.

However, he had already quit his job at the pet store.

Given how Shen Xingzhuo had shown up at his doorstep the day before, he hadn't held high expectations for the second young master of the Shen family's behavior.

First, it was for Big Yellow's safety, and second, to avoid causing trouble for the pet store owner, Lu Ran had quit his job last night and asked the owner to be cautious over the next couple of days.

During the day, he took Big Yellow back to the orphanage's security office.

Although Director Lu was no longer there, the security uncle who had watched him grow up still was. Big Yellow was an old dog familiar with the place, so Lu Ran felt at ease leaving him there.

After Shen Xingzhuo left the shop, Lu Ran went to pack his belongings.

He glanced at the unopened food on the table, showed no disdain, and instead, promptly packed it into a bag, planning to have it for lunch.

Shen Xingzhuo stood by the car, and in that very moment he looked up, he caught sight of this scene unfolding in the store.

No contempt, no disdain.

In that instant, Shen Xingzhuo was overwhelmed with the urge to rush into the shop, snatch away whatever was in Lu Ran's hands, and pull him out by force.

But in the very next moment, he beheld the youth deftly unraveling the bag of fries on his desk, plucking out a single crisp and slipping it into his mouth.

As if savoring the taste of tomato sauce, the youth closed his eyes in blissful contentment.

Shen Xingzhuo couldn't bear to look any longer.

He hastily got into the car, fumbling with his seat belt before starting the engine. It was as if he were fleeing the scene.

For several days, Shen Xingzhuo didn't return to the Shen residence.

When Shen Xingran called him, he brushed her off with the excuse that "there were matters at the studio."

It wasn't until a few days later, on Madam Shen's birthday, that the family gathered outside the home for a meal.

Shen Xingzhuo arrived at the private room rather late, and most of the family had already assembled.

This was just a small gathering, so there was no grand banquet, nor were there any outsiders present.

Inside the private room were Shen Hongyuan, Madam Shen, and Shen Xingran.

Upon seeing Shen Xingzhuo's tardy arrival, Madam Shen grumbled, "You still know to come back?"

"Big Brother didn't return either," Shen Xingzhuo sauntered nonchalantly to his seat.

No sooner had he finished speaking when the door to the private room was knocked on.

A young man in a suit entered and bowed respectfully to everyone. "Mr. Shen, Mrs. Shen, good evening. I'm Assistant to Young Master Shen."

He handed over a gift box. "This is a present from Young Master Shen for Mrs. Shen, wishing her a happy birthday."

The assistant didn't linger and left after placing down the gift.

"Look at your elder brother, he even remembered to send me a gift while being abroad," Mrs. Shen said.

Shen Xingzhuo scoffed.

"Alright," Shen Hongyuan instructed the waiter beside him.

The waiter nodded and led the group into the inner chamber of the private room.

Shen Xingzhuo was very familiar with this routine.

The inner room was dimly lit, yet it held a cake and some surprises in store.

Usually, this part of the event wouldn't commence until everyone had arrived.

But...

Shen Xingzhuo instinctively interjected, "Wait, the guests are still..."

Mrs. Shen, Shen Hongyuan, and even Shen Xingran turned to him with puzzled expressions.

Shen Xingzhuo suddenly fell silent.

He realized, in that moment, that Lu Ran hadn't been factored into the plans from the very beginning.