Chapter 109 - Concern

Ji Yue emerged from the tea room just as Lu Ran was descending from upstairs.

The young man's face was lit with the thrill of having completed his homework.

He was completely unaware of how wealthy he had become.

Ji Yue paused in his steps.

But in the end, he said nothing more.

The Ji family spared no effort in pursuing profit, but they were still level-headed.

With Ji Min protecting the boy so fiercely, nobody dared to cause him trouble.

After exchanging a few polite words with Lu Ran, Ji Yue left.

Lu Ran paused on the stairs, surprised by Ji Yue's demeanor.

Moments later, Ji Min emerged from the tea parlor.

Lu Ran approached and stretched, instinctively leaning against the backrest of the man's wheelchair.

Yawning, he inquired, "What were you guys talking about? Your aunt looked at me a bit strangely after she came out."

"Nothing much," Ji Min smiled. "Just a trivial matter."

However, it wasn't long before Ji Min found that "a trivial matter" was no longer an adequate description.

Kemler sent a message, informing about his scheduled surgery.

This surgical timing isn't a specific date, but rather a range of time.

Including pre-operative conditioning and preparation, the surgical procedure itself, and the subsequent recovery period.

As Ji Min intends to keep the surgery news under wraps, preparations are underway such that once it commences, all involved personnel will be required to sign confidentiality agreements and the corresponding surgical building will be sealed off.

On the very day the news of the surgery was received.

During dinner, Ji Min pondered over the most appropriate way to share this news with Lu Ran.

The man ate his food with deliberate slowness.

Throughout the meal, he frequently paused his chopsticks mid-air, lifting his gaze to observe the young man opposite him valiantly engaged in a battle with a crab leg.

"Shall I help you with that?" Ji Min extends his hand toward the youth.

Yet, Lu Ran, with his soup-covered hand, firmly declined with decisive words.

"No need! It's always more delicious when you prepare it yourself!"

He discarded all the crab cracking tools and resorted to using his teeth, munching away vigorously.

Ji Min couldn't help but chuckle.

Staring at the young man for a while, he unexpectedly developed an appetite. He also proceeded to extract some crab meat and consumed it.

Looking up, he had to admit that, indeed, Lu Ran's method of enjoying the crab seemed to hold a unique flavor.

Ji Min paused after savoring a crab.

He wiped his hands clean and watched silently as Lu Ran on the opposite side devoured the remaining crabs.

Not until the young man had genuinely satisfied his hunger, slumping limply in the chair, did he cease moving.

Ji Min lowered his head to take a sip of water from the glass, pondering for a moment.

He spoke in a slow and casual manner, "I'm about to start the surgery."

"Hmm?"

Lu Ran lifted his head, his eyes sparkling with interest. "Really?"

Ji Min nodded. "Mm."

"That's great news."

Removing his gloves, Lu Ran wiped his hands before pulling over a chair to sit beside Ji Min.

The youth's eyes shone bright, purely elated by his own choice.

Seeing his carefree demeanor, Ji Min felt a sense of relief instead.

"When are you planning to undergo the surgery? It seems like you'll need quite a bit of preparation for this operation," Lu Ran inquired.

Ji Min hesitated for a moment but still disclosed the approaching date.

Hearing the time, Lu Ran was momentarily taken aback for two seconds.

"So fast?"

The young man was clearly unprepared and fell into a daze for a moment, not uttering a word.

After a long while.

Gently lowering his gaze to Ji Min's knee, he whispered, "You'll be fine once you've had the surgery, won't you?"

"Indeed." Ji Min nodded at him and reached out to caress his hair, whispering comfortingly, "Don't worry."

Night fell.

Lu Ran tossed and turned in his room, unable to find sleep.

Perhaps it was because he had overeaten during dinner; he struggled to drift off.

No wonder Ji Min had been so busy lately.

Unable to sleep, Lu Ran got up and grabbed his phone to search for literature related to Ji Min's surgery.

However, being only a first-year university student, he had yet to complete many of his specialized courses.

Reading about such a complex and professional surgery proved to be a challenging task.

After tossing and turning in bed for a while longer, Lu Ran found himself still uneasy.

He sprang up from the bed like a leaping carp.

Big Yellow, sleeping on the carpet, was startled by his movements and lifted its head to look at him quizzically.

"Go back to sleep, Big Yellow, I have something to do."

With that, Lu Ran shuffled out of the room in his slippers.

He walked down the corridor and stood there for a moment.

Seemingly having made up his mind, he turned his head to look at the room at the end of the hallway.

He strode purposefully towards that room.

Passing the elevator and crossing the invisible boundary line that had never been breached before, he stepped into the territory on the other side of the second floor.

When he arrived at Ji Min's door, Lu Ran gazed intently at the identical dark gray door to his own room for a while.

Then, he bent down to peer through the crack at the bottom.

The light was still on, indicating that the person inside was still awake.

Perfect.

Without hesitation, Lu Ran pushed the door open and entered.

Upon opening the door, he saw the man in the wheelchair changing his clothes.

His tie had been removed and casually draped over the arm of a nearby sofa chair.

The buttons of his white shirt were undone down to the last few, revealing his collarbone all the way to his abdomen.

Displaying his pale yet impressively toned chest and abs in their entirety.

It seemed that the man in the wheelchair hadn't expected someone to barge in so brazenly.

He froze, lifting his head to look towards the door.

Lu Ran: "..."

"Apologies for the disturbance, Boss."

In his nervousness, the term "Boss" slipped out again.

With that, Lu Ran hastily shut the door with a slam.

Standing in the corridor, Lu Ran frowned, deep in thought.

This was truly an inauspicious start.

Moments later, the door behind him opened once more.

Ji Min stood on the other side, looking at him and softly sighed. "Come in."

Lu Ran silently rubbed his nose.

Peeking secretly at Ji Min, he noticed that the man had buttoned up his shirt.

Though not all the way to the collar as during the day, it was mostly fastened.

Lu Ran finally let out a silent sigh of relief.

Following his line of sight, Ji Min looked down, then raised an eyebrow as he looked back, asking,

"Who did you just call 'boss'?"

Lu Ran: "..."

He quietly corrected himself, "Ahem, boyfriend."

"Oh, why did you run if it was just watching your boyfriend change clothes?"

Ji Min teased him.

Lu Ran remained silent, pushing Ji Min back with force. He placed his hands on his hips and declared, "I came here today to have a conversation."

Halfway through his sentence, Lu Ran hesitated slightly upon actually stepping into Ji Min's room.

Ji Min's office was entirely normal and unremarkable.

Ordinary enough to conceal any hint of the man's leg injury.

It was only at Ji Min's home that one could spot the accessibility features.

Now, standing in Ji Min's room, Lu Ran noticed numerous spots where an arm could find support.

The floor was also covered with thick, plush mats.

Lu Ran's gaze shifted from the living room to the wardrobe, then to the adjacent bedroom.

Such dense accessibility accommodations could only indicate that, even in a wheelchair, the man preferred to handle his personal affairs independently.

Lu Ran found himself mesmerized by the sight.

He stood quietly for a while, so engrossed that he forgot the reason for his visit.

Eventually, he tore his eyes away but couldn't resist reaching out to gently squeeze Ji Min's arm.

Beneath his fingers lay the firm sensation of well-toned muscles.

His gaze shifted to the buttons Ji Min had fastened haphazardly.

Yet, he asked, "Boss, do you always do these tasks alone?"

"Why wouldn't I do something that can be done by one person?" Ji Min lifted his gaze to meet his.

He reached out to gently grasp the young man's hand, pulling him closer.

Only then did he turn to survey the room, noticing a discarded suit jacket and tie lying casually on the sofa. He cleared his throat gently and said,

"It's a bit untidy since I haven't had the chance to tidy up yet."

"I mean, I mean..." Lu Ran glanced around, uncertain if his words had crossed a boundary.

Yet, after hesitating for a while, he still said, "But you could ask me to do these things. We're very close, naturally..."

Ji Min couldn't help but chuckle at the wandering gaze of the young man.

He gently squeezed the calloused fingers in his palm and said, "But what if your boyfriend can't bear for you to do these tasks?"

"I'm quite strong, so you don't need to worry about that," Lu Ran replied.

With a bit more force, Ji Min pulled the man into his embrace.

Lu Ran had been held like this many times before, so he instinctively adjusted his position to sit comfortably across the man's lap.

Wrapping his arms around Ji Min's waist, he rested his head on the man's chest.

Yet, after a while, he lifted his head and asked, unable to resist, "Am I sitting on you too heavily? Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"No, not at all."

Ji Min nestled his chin on top of Lu Ran's head.

He whispered, "It's a weight that feels reassuring and comforting."

Lu Ran nestled in his embrace for a moment.

Ji Min led him to the door and closed it.

Then, he took the man into the inner bedroom.

However, the one nestled in his arms lost the mood to observe their surroundings.

With a muffled voice, he said, "But I still want to help you."

Ji Min chuckled softly against his ear.

"Help with what?"

"I can help a lot! For example..."

Lu Ran lifted his head from Ji Min's embrace, looked around for a while, then pointed at Ji Min's bed, "For example, I can carry you to bed!"

"Embrace?" Ji Min raised an eyebrow.

It seemed like he wanted to prove his capability.

Lu Ran promptly leaped out of his arms, standing before him and reaching out to hug him.

First, he attempted a princess carry.

However, their sizes were vastly different, making it nearly impossible to execute.

Next, he tried hugging Ji Min from the front.

His face turned red with the effort, but the result was minimal, and he unintentionally unbuttoned the man's freshly fastened shirt in the process.

But Lu Ran was oblivious to such details, frowning deeply in thought:

"That can't be right. Are you deliberately making things difficult? I clearly managed to drag your wheelchair quite a distance earlier."

Ji Min: "..."

Could it be because the wheelchair has wheels?

"Then I'll carry you!"

Lu Ran bent down in front of Ji Min and grasped the man's two arms.

This time, he barely managed to hoist him up onto his back.

With great difficulty, he made his way to the bed. But as he reached the bedside, his foot caught on the corner of the bed, causing him to lurch forward and crash onto the bed, pinning Ji Min underneath him.

Ji Min was tall and had broad shoulders.

This completely enshrouded the young man from head to toe.

"Ugh!" Finally, Lu Ran managed to pry his head out.

Feeling the weight on his back, he fell silent for a moment before remarking, "My dear boyfriend, I'd say you weigh around 200 pounds."

The scene was indeed quite comical.

Ji Min couldn't resist; his arm encircled the youth, and he buried his head at the boy's nape, chuckling softly.

The man was tickled by some unseen humor.

Laughed silently for a long time.

Laughter resonated through the entire chest, causing Lu Ran's back to tremble in its wake.

"Stop laughing!" Lu Ran tried to speak loudly.

But due to being firmly suppressed, it lacked any intimidating presence.

"Have you learned your lesson now?" Ji Min whispered into the youth's ear.

He could easily release the person just by shifting his arm, but the man deliberately didn't do so.

He places great emphasis on physical conditioning, resulting in a high density of well-developed muscles across his body.

Despite their inability to move independently, my legs undergo specialized training daily to maintain muscle vitality, thus they are far from weak.

Now that he was completely relaxed, without exerting any effort at all, he was essentially crushing the other person beneath him.

"Remember now? Beg me," Ji Min taunted him further.

Lu Ran was not one to admit defeat. With his neck stiff and face flushed, he struggled to crawl out.

After struggling for a while, the man's leisurely teasing expression shifted slightly.

Ji Min reached out to press against him, whispering, "Stop crawling."

"No, I'm almost out!"

Lu Ran stubbornly persisted, squirming forward.

This time, Ji Min's brows suddenly knitted together.

The man closed his eyes briefly, softly clicking his tongue. With both hands, he restrained the struggling figure.

Only then did Lu Ran realize something was off.

He stretched out his hand and mumbled, "Is your belt undone? Why is it... pointing upward?"

Mid-sentence, he suddenly fell silent.

The room turned eerily quiet.

Although the absurd atmosphere lingered, there was an undeniable shift that couldn't be ignored.

Lu Ran's hand remained extended behind him.

Ji Min, who had fallen against him, let out an uncontrollable gasp in his ear.

Lu Ran: "...F*ck."

Shocked to the core, he was now utterly confused, with no coherent thoughts in his mind.

The first thing that crossed his mind was...

How large were those shiitake mushrooms they sold at the supermarket?

Past images of button mushrooms crossed his mind, only to be crossed out with a red X.

Then, a slideshow of various vegetable pictures flickered through Lu Ran's thoughts.

He was so engrossed that he remained still for too long.

The man leaned close to his ear and whispered, "What are you thinking about?"

Lu Ran obediently replied, "Eggplant… or maybe zucchini?"

Ji Min: "…"

Typical of you.

After an awkward pause, Ji Min finally rolled over.

His buttons had already come undone, leaving his shirt wide open.

Lu Ran quickly scrambled to his feet.

Gazing at Ji Min's state, he felt a twinge of guilt yet was also intriguingly curious, unable to resist stealing a glance.

Ultimately, with a semblance of responsibility, he inquired, "Do you... need help?"

"Could I be of assistance?"

The words from his memory echoed once more.

But this time, it was evident that Ji Min wasn't overthinking.

He closed his eyes briefly.

After managing to regain his composure for so long, it all crumbled in an instant.

A rare hint of irritation flickered in Ji Min's dark eyes as he glanced at the person beside him.

Lu Ran, now obediently seated on his own bed.

Due to the earlier mishap, his clothes were creased, and his hair was slightly disheveled. His ears were also slightly flushed red. "Oh, then you help," Ji Min said on purpose. To his surprise, the man was incredibly obedient. Upon hearing those words, he actually reached out slowly. Ready... to lend a hand. Ji Min: "..." He reached out and grabbed Lu Ran's wrist, letting out a sigh. Then, Lu Ran saw the person he had struggled mightily to carry onto the bed just now. With a long stretch of his arm, he pulled the wheelchair close to the bedside. Supporting himself with the armrest, he effortlessly transferred himself back into the wheelchair. He then threw a remark at Ji Min, "Stay put here."

He then headed to the bathroom.

By the time Ji Min finished his grooming routine, he assumed Lu Ran would have quietly slipped away.

However, upon pushing open the bathroom door, he found the youth still obediently waiting.

As Ji Min drew closer, he noticed Lu Ran's expression.

Only now did he realize that the waiting was true, but the obedience was not necessarily so.

The person sat cross-legged on the bed with his arms folded, his expression seriously intense.

Upon seeing him, he threw out a remark, "Ji Min, you lied to me."

Ji Min: "..."

He protested innocently, "It was clearly your misunderstanding. How could I possibly..."

Ji Min pondered for a moment, his expression a mix of emotions. "I can't exactly chase after you to prove myself, right?"

Lu Ran pointed at him, fuming for quite some time.

Then, he lowered his head, fell silent for a while, and whispered, "Let's drop that matter. But why did you wait until now to tell me about your surgery preparations?"

Ji Min was taken aback and quickly maneuvered his wheelchair closer.

He leaned on the bedrail and transferred himself onto the bed.

Once again, he took the youth's hand and gently pressed it against his cheek, inquiring tenderly, "Are you upset?"

"Not at all," Lu Ran replied. "It's good that you're willing to undergo the surgery."

"Well, it's just that..."

After a moment of contemplation, the youth finally looked up and said earnestly, "What you're doing is wrong. We're already together. It's one thing for other matters, but something as significant as surgery—how could you keep that from me?"

Lu Ran's voice was earnest and pure.

It left Ji Min momentarily at a loss for words. "Sorry, I just…"

The teenager usually seemed carefree and insensitive, yet he was also astute.

Upon learning about the surgery, even if Ji Min initially felt joy for him, it was inevitable that he would later fall into worry.

Ji Min didn't wish for Lu Ran to confront these matters.

Be it concerns for his health or the unease over an impending separation from a potential lover.

If possible, he would even wish to tuck the youth into a tourist group or have their tutor whisk them away to another city for an academic conference.

Return when the dust has settled.

Ji Min was also aware that his behavior was inappropriate.

He shouldn't treat Lu Ran entirely as a child to be shielded.

But he couldn't help himself.

"I'm not angry this time, but I will be if you do it again next time," Lu Ran said.

"Sorry."

Ji Min whispered softly.

Lu Ran nestled slowly into his embrace.

They held each other in silence for a while.

Lu Ran's eyes began to wander around Ji Min's room again.

He pointed at the cushions on the floor and asked curiously, "Why do you have so many cushions? Do you still fall over?"

"Normally not," Ji Min replied.

Then, a hint of embarrassment appeared on the man's face as he continued,

"At first, I couldn't accept the fact that I couldn't stand up, so I kept trying."

Rarely did Ji Min wear such an expression on his face.

It was unexpectedly endearing.

Lu Ran couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Laughing at me?" Ji Min raised an eyebrow.

"No!" Lu Ran shook his head, but his facial expression clearly said "yes."

After some more playful banter,

Lu Ran couldn't fight off his drowsiness and yawned.

He thought about simply sleeping in Ji Min's room.

But after gazing at him quietly for a moment, the man reached out to pat his waist and said,

"Go sleep in your own room."

Lu Ran rubbed his eyes, not too keen on leaving.

Ji Min whispered to him softly, "Big Yellow will be scared if he sleeps alone."

"Big Yellow won't be," Lu Ran replied.

Ji Min glanced at the person lying beside him and sighed gently before pulling him into an embrace, whispering,

"I beg you. Otherwise, I'll send you back."

The man's voice was deep and low.

As the surgery date drew closer, Ji Min began to behave unusually.

He initiated affectionate gestures towards Lu Ran more frequently.

Yet, it was not excessive.

Occasionally, he would reach out to hold the young man's fingers or take the initiative to ask someone to stay by his side.

In their most intimate moments, he would seize the chance when no one was watching to pull the person into his embrace.

They would quietly kiss in secluded corners.

However, he kissed fiercely.

His teeth were biting down on Lu Ran a little too hard, causing some pain.

Unable to resist, he complained, "I'd rather be your subordinate than your boyfriend."

Ji Min didn't seem annoyed. He nodded in agreement.

As he turned to kiss, he added,

"Since you don't want an office romance, every time we kiss will count as a break."

Then, lifting his eyebrows, he inquired of Lu Ran, "Well, shall we kiss?"

Lu Ran: "..."

Who wouldn't want a break when a kiss counted as one?

He truly knew how to exploit the working class.

It wasn't until Ji Min accompanied him to see Doctor Kemler that things changed.

Doctor Kemler elaborated on the precautions for the surgery, reiterating the possible consequences of an unsuccessful operation.

The best outcome, perhaps, would be no change at all.

More severely, there was a risk of full-body paralysis or even death.

Lu Ran had researched these risks himself.

But hearing the doctor outline them in detail now, he suddenly realized that Ji Min's recent odd behavior might be due to anxiety.

Leaving the hospital together, Lu Ran suddenly said in the elevator,

"In fact... being completely paralyzed is still paralysis. Anyway, you'll be using a wheelchair now, so there's not much difference."

Ji Min: "..."

What an extraordinary form of comfort.

Even if the surgery wasn't made public, at least some of Ji Min's team members would have an inkling.

Lately, many people had come to comfort him.

Lu Ran's comment, "In any case, you'll be in a wheelchair now," was truly one of a kind, unparalleled.

Strangely enough, hearing those words, Ji Min's anxiety vanished entirely.

All that remained was a profound sense of speechlessness.

Surprisingly, it works incredibly well.

Especially as the person behind him leaned in with a chuckle and said to him:

"Rest assured, I'm well-versed in attending to those with full-body paralysis. Should your surgery not go as planned, I'll make sure to take exquisite care of you!"

Ji Min could only laugh and cry in response. "That's truly reassuring."

Exiting the hospital, I was greeted by the bustling flow of people on the streets outside.

The man hesitated for a moment but still said, "What if..."

He managed to utter only two words before a hand reached from behind him, clutching tightly around his neck.

He warned sternly, "You're not allowed to speak of it!"

Lu Ran's voice held a touch of hoarseness.

Ji Min had no choice but to pat his hand in surrender.

In such major surgeries, doctors would repeatedly explain the possible outcomes during the procedure.

It was the second time Lu Ran accompanied Ji Min out of the hospital.

Counting as the floor numbers in the elevator dwindled downward.

He suddenly said, "Ji Min, what if... we don't do the surgery?"

Ji Min turned to him, surprised.

Lu Ran had always been supportive of his surgery.

Upon learning about the scheduled operation, he was mostly delighted.

Initially, to urge him to undergo the surgery, Lu Ran even brought up the topic of special groups.

But now, the usually optimistic and cheerful child was looking at him worriedly, saying, "Can we not have the surgery, please?"

Ji Min let out a slight sigh.

This was the reason he didn't want to tell Lu Ran.

"What are you talking about?"

He held onto Lu Ran's hand, "How can we go back on our decision once it's already made?"

Back in the car, Lu Ran nestled into Ji Min's embrace.

He wrapped his arms around the man's waist and whispered softly,

"I feel that you're already excellent just the way you are. You're so capable, managing your life so well on your own."

Seemingly unable to contain a disoriented flurry, the youth stammered, "And you're really good too, super good, there's absolutely no need... umph!"

Ji Min cast his gaze upon the seat in front of him and, with an air of resigned helplessness, covered the youth's lips.

Lowering my gaze, I met those eyes filled with concern.

He lowered his head once more, gently pressing a kiss to the youth's closed eyelids.

"Don't be afraid," Ji Min whispered in reassurance. "Focus on your classes, it'll be over soon. When I'm discharged from the hospital, I'll take you to the beach during summer vacation, okay?"

"Okay," Lu Ran replied.

After a moment's thought, he added, "I'll accompany you for the surgery. I know it'll be a long and closed procedure, but I can ask for leave!

Ji Min chuckled.

"How could that work? It's such a long time, and you might miss your exams. You've worked so hard to accumulate credits, how can you let all that effort go to waste?"

"I don't care anymore."

Lu Ran buried his head in the crook of Ji Min's neck. "You can ask our counselor for leave, just say you're my guardian..."

His sentence was interrupted by a gentle kiss on the chin.

The kiss was light yet incredibly intimate.

A silent solace seemed to unfold.

As the kiss ended, Ji Min chuckled into Lu Ran's ear, "Even boyfriends become parental figures now?"

The next day marked the beginning of their journey to the hospital.

That very evening, Ji Min took care of some final arrangements.

But no matter how well-organized everything was, the sight of Lu Ran that day still weighed heavily on his mind.

When Ji Min emerged from his study, the hallway lights had been turned off.

He went to check on Lu Ran's room.

The lights were off inside, indicating that he was likely already asleep.

So Ji Min decided not to disturb him.

He returned to his own room.

He then went to the bathroom to freshen up.

Upon returning to the bedroom, Ji Min had just shifted himself onto the bed.

The quilt beside him stirred.

A fluffy head emerged from within.

The youth gazed at him with eyes wide awake, devoid of any hint of drowsiness, maintaining an unwavering, tranquil stare.