Chapter 42: Photos

"Where are you taking it?" Ji Min asked in a low voice.

"Huh? Didn't you say you didn't like it?" Lu Ran queried.

"Put it down," Ji Min motioned to the table. "I suddenly have a craving for it today."

Lu Ran had no choice but to return.

He placed the paper bag on the table. "Enjoy your meal then."

"This is our shop's signature dessert; it sells out quickly every day," he said straightforwardly. "Today, I managed to grab the last box at a discounted price."

Ji Min: "..."

It was his first time receiving a discounted, unsold item as a gift.

Would they ever have a sense of propriety?

"I'll be on my way then."

Seeing Lu Ran's busy state that would likely last until late into the night, he left with Big Yellow in tow.

"Mm," Ji Min replied softly.

Lu Ran had already walked out of the house with the dog when something suddenly occurred to him. He poked his head back in and said, "Oh, right, send me a photo of yours."

"What for?" Ji Min asked.

"I need to print something out." Lu Ran clasped his hands together in a gesture of prayer. "Just send it to me on WeChat."

With that, Lu Ran left with Big Yellow.

As he was walking, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Lu Ran tapped on WeChat to find a message from Ji Min.

This person might genuinely not have many photos.

He had sent a passport photo.

Lu Ran suddenly found it amusing and laughed so hard that he could barely stand straight while walking.

In the end, he zoomed in on the picture.

One had to admit that good looks were an advantage; even in a photo that typically made everyone look unflattering, Ji Min's face still managed to exude irresistible charm.

The photographer's skills were commendable too.

They had captured the icy, world-weary vibe on Ji Min's face perfectly.

Another two or three hours passed.

It was only then that some sounds emerged from the chairman's office in Ji Corporation's building.

Ji Min methodically arranged the documents he was to hand over to his subordinates and placed them aside.

After reviewing the progress of several remote projects, he finally allowed himself to relax, leaning back into his wheelchair.

The entire building had fallen silent.

Even the bustling traffic outside the window had subsided.

Ji Min sat in the stillness for a moment, as he usually would before leaving work.

His gaze shifted, landing on a paper bag that seemed out of place amidst the cold, sterile atmosphere of his office.

And on the fluffy dog bed on the sofa.

Something had suddenly changed.

It was as if a small fish had unexpectedly disrupted the calm surface of a stagnant lake.

Occasionally, its tail swished, creating ripples in the water.

Ji Min didn't immediately turn off the light and leave.

Instead, he went to the water dispenser, filled a cup with steaming hot water, and returned to his desk, opening the paper bag on it.

A while later.

He took the elevator downstairs.

Outside the elevator on the first floor, Manager Chen was waiting quietly.

The sliding door of the business car outside opened, revealing a ramp for easy access.

Ji Min and Manager Chen got into the car.

As usual, Manager Chen asked, "What would you like for tonight's late-night snack?"

Ji Min usually had very long working hours.

Moreover, he deliberately maintained his exercise routine at the gym, resulting in high daily caloric expenditure.

But today, after Butler Chen inquired, Ji Min replied, "Tell the kitchen there's no need to prepare anything."

"Hmm?" Butler Chen was somewhat surprised.

The corners of Ji Min's lips curved up slightly. "I had some discounted, slow-selling desserts."

Butler Chen: "?"

He glanced at Ji Min through the rearview mirror.

The man's expression had returned to normal.

Well then, it seemed there was a secret here.

Having settled matters with Big Yellow, Lu Ran finally felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Eagerly, he prepared himself to take on more jobs.

Yet, as the new year approached, the atmosphere within the Shen family was far from harmonious.

Madam Shen had been having trouble sleeping lately.

Recently, she had been searching for an illegitimate child and even hired private investigators.

She had also become extremely sensitive to outsiders' gazes.

Every day, she was on edge, awaiting the final outcome.

But after all her anxiety, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

The rumored illegitimate son was none other than her own biological son, Lu Ran.

And the gossip had originated from her beloved youngest son, Shen Xingran.

This turn of events left Madam Shen with a heartache.

At the same time, it felt like she had punched a pillow, leaving her with a sense of emptiness and no resolution.

She was behaving nervously, constantly suspecting that Shen Hongyuan might have hidden illegitimate children outside their marriage.

Due to her behavior, Shen Hongyuan hadn't returned home for quite some time.

On this day, Madam Shen emerged from her room.

As soon as she stood at the stairway entrance, she heard Shen Hongyuan's voice downstairs.

Madam Shen composed herself.

She tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

The rumors about an alleged illegitimate child had yet to die down, and if it got out that Shen Hongyuan wasn't spending time at home, she could only imagine the ridicule they might face.

Descending a few steps, Madam Shen heard Shen Hongyuan laughing heartily downstairs.

His laughter sounded genuinely joyful.

Mrs. Shen peered in and noticed that it was Shen Xingran and Shen Hongyuan engaged in conversation.

The atmosphere between the two was harmonious and pleasant.

Shen Xingran must have said something amusing, as it provoked another bout of hearty laughter from Shen Hongyuan.

In the past, witnessing this scene would always bring a warm smile to Mrs. Shen's face.

However, at this moment, she felt an unexplainable discomfort.

Shen Xingran had truly crossed her bottom line.

She hadn't given Shen Xingran a kind look these past few days.

Not only did Shen Hongyuan not reprimand Shen Xingran as she had hoped, he was treating him even better?

By the time they reached the first floor, the initial effort to remain calm had vanished.

Madam Shen passed by the sofa and cast a glance at the two of them.

A sarcastic remark slipped out of her lips, "How sweet."

Shen Hongyuan couldn't stand her attitude and frowned, asking, "How dare you speak like that?"

Shen Xingran kept her head down, not responding.

Mrs. Shen, on the other hand, was suddenly fueled with anger.

Why were they now united against her, making her feel like an outsider?

She vented her frustration at home before storming out.

Mrs. Shen had arranged a beauty session with a few of her girlfriends.

Normally, she would be surrounded by more wealthy ladies.

But recently, some of their gazes made her uncomfortable, so she gradually distanced herself from them.

This time, Mrs. Shen only invited three people to join her.

There was also one who arrived rather late.

"Mrs. Li hasn't come yet? Why?"

"Did something happen at home that kept her from coming?"

Madam Shen, lying on the massage bed, was also somewhat displeased, contemplating whether she should exclude Mrs. Li from future gatherings.

Before she could make up her mind,

the curtains of the private room were drawn aside, and the slightly plump Mrs. Li squeezed in.

Despite the cold weather, she was drenched in sweat.

Upon entering, she plopped onto the sofa, picked up a magazine, and panted as she flipped through it.

"My, what happened to you? Did you run here or something?"

"Never mind that!" Mrs. Li waved her hand. "I've got quite the juicy gossip for today."

"What's the matter?" Those lying down instantly perked up.

Madam Shen also pricked up her ears.

Mrs. Li continued, "I have a cousin back home who married a nouveau riche from the same area; you all know about this, right?"

"Uh-huh, go on. Tell us quickly."

"After they got married, they never had children, but the nouveau riche didn't mind. They adopted one together."

Mrs. Li said,

"We all praised this man for being quite kindhearted, and their family was harmonious. Now, the child is already grown. Guess what happened next?"

"What's going on?"

Mrs. Li slapped her hands together. "It turns out that this child is actually the man's biological son!"

The group was confused. "Wait, isn't this child adopted? How did it become his biological child?"

Madam Li's fingers, adorned with the ring, flickered so rapidly they nearly left afterimages. "It's this child, the result of an affair between this man and another woman."

"Adopt him, and voilà! The illegitimate child becomes legitimate!"

"Is that even possible?"

"Then hasn't your cousin been unknowingly raising someone else's child?"

The other two ladies listened with great interest.

Mrs. Shen, lying on the massage table, suddenly felt a chill.

She unconsciously clenched the pristine white sheet beneath her.

In the past few days, Ji Min had been away on a short trip.

Big Yellow was left in the care of his assistant, as usual, and Lu Ran fetched him every evening.

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it.

With this revelation, Big Yellow's existence suddenly became shrouded in mystery.

During his absence, people would occasionally pass by the glass wall outside the chairman's office during their work breaks, just to catch a glimpse of the little yellow dog on the sofa.

A hundred and eighty versions of Big Yellow's origin story began circulating around the office.

The most absurd rumor was that the dog was a gift from Ji Min's former partner.

Due to a deep love and intense hatred, they neither wanted to keep it at home nor give it away.

Thus, it found its place in the company.

When Lu Ran delivered food and overheard these whispers, he was momentarily unsure whether to be astonished by the employees' imaginative speculation or by the fact that Ji Min, who clearly seemed difficult to get along with, had once had a partner.

Yet, upon adding the prefix "ex," it seemed rather reasonable.

Ji Min was completely oblivious to this.

He was somewhat curious as to why Lu Ran would need his photo.

Back then, when he asked, Lu Ran merely said it was for printing something.

Ji Min furrowed his brows.

He thought of some young fans who loved to print pictures of their idols.

Lu Ran was nineteen years old.

An age where such actions were plausible.

Thus, that day, he only had his assistant find a passport photo of his.

In the morning.

Ji Min had just landed from his flight when he hurriedly made his way to the company.

He was rather early.

While pondering how to persuade a certain young one to focus on his studies, Lu Ran arrived, accompanied by Big Yellow.

In his hand today was a delivery box.

As they entered, Lu Ran greeted effortlessly, "Good morning."

Ji Min acknowledged him with a nod.

With one eye on his schedule for the day, he subtly observed Lu Ran's actions.

Lu Ran quickly unpacked the box.

From within, he took out a collar.

Fixing his gaze on the collar, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Then, with great effort to suppress his laughter, he put it on Big Yellow.

Afterwards, Lu Ran patted the dog's head twice and, still holding back his laughter, praised, "It really suits him."

Finished, he said goodbye, ready to take the dog out for a walk.

Ji Min had a hunch that this had something to do with him. He spoke coldly, "Come back."

Lu Ran halted in his steps.

"What did you put on him?" Ji Min asked.

"Nothing much," Lu Ran replied. "Just something that looks mighty and majestic."

Not buying his nonsense, Ji Min said, "Bring him over so I can see."

One had to bow under the eaves, after all.

Lu Ran knew full well that Ji Min wouldn't chase after him if he ran, but still chose not to.

But this person exuded an imposing presence, and upon hearing his voice, Lu Ran couldn't help but follow along and lift Big Yellow up.

They moved slowly toward the desk.

Only after Lu Ran had fully cradled Big Yellow did Ji Min condescend to shift his gaze over.

He casually glanced at Big Yellow's new collar.

There was a circular metal pendant hanging from it.

The pendant was adorned with the shape of a bone on its exterior, and there was a small switch on its side.

Ji Min extended his long fingers and pressed the switch.

With a "click," the pendant snapped open.

Ji Min's eyebrows immediately twitched.

Half of the pendant was engraved with a phone number and contact information.

The other half...

bearing his ID photo.

The image was trapped within the slender pendant, emanating a chilling aura of mortality...