Chapter 30: Rent

Shen Hongyuan's birthday celebration had concluded.

Yet, the Zhang family's embarrassment had spread far and wide.

Although discussions within their social circle were somewhat restrained due to Ji Min's status, gossip was an inherent human trait.

Now and then, someone would vividly recount the scene of Zhang Lin running out with his bottom bared.

However, Ding Wei was completely oblivious to it all.

After leaving Lu Ran's side the previous day, he informed Zhang Lin before making an excuse about stomach discomfort to hide in the restroom.

He even left the banquet early.

As it was his first time engaging in such an act, Ding Wei was incredibly anxious, terrified that others might find out his involvement in the incident.

He told himself inwardly that it was Lu Ran's good fortune to be noticed by Young Master Zhang, even as he couldn't help but worry about what he would do if Lu Ran were to confront him.

Yet, after several days passed without any sign of Lu Ran causing trouble or any news of misfortune befalling Lu Ran, Ding Wei gradually set his worries aside.

Indeed, given the circumstances, Lu Ran wouldn't dare to make a fuss about it.

An orphan with no one to stand up for him, what was there for him to brag about?

It was better to cling onto the coattails of Young Master Zhang.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Ding Wei began subtly probing his classmates who had attended the banquet that day.

In fact, he had already discreetly inquired about it when they returned that day, but those few individuals had clammed up, their expressions suggesting they had witnessed something unspeakable.

Ding Wei could somewhat understand the situation.

In such a grand gathering, any incident would undoubtedly be kept under wraps.

But a few days had passed, and Ding Wei seized an opportunity to inquire further, "Was there something that happened during that banquet?"

His classmates were astounded, "You didn't know about that major incident?"

Ding Wei pretended to be calm, "What incident are you talking about?"

The classmates exchanged glances and subtly gestured, "It was Young Master Zhang, he was found... naked... cough, cough."

As he spoke, he blinked a couple of times, leaving the rest unsaid for Ding Wei to comprehend.

"Oh..."

Ding Wei finally put his mind at ease.

It seemed that the task had been successfully carried out.

One would have to be naked for that matter, right?

With reassurance, Ding Wei began to anticipate the promise Zhang Lin had made to him.

It was a direct recommendation for graduate school, something professionals aimed for!

With this spot secured, he could simply coast through the next three years of university.

Then, he could leisurely watch Lu Ran struggle to earn credits while desperately chasing after what he already possessed.

That would be sheer bliss.

Aside from the graduate school recommendation, he had also done Zhang Lin a favor, earning himself some recognition from this young master.

In a way, he had one foot in the circle of wealthy young men; perhaps next year, he might even be admitted to the Elite Academy!

Ding Wei waited eagerly for Zhang Lin to express his gratitude.

However, Zhang Lin seemed to have vanished, and he never showed up.

On several occasions, Ding Wei even stationed himself outside the Elite Academy's academic building, hoping to catch Zhang Lin visiting Shen Xingran. Yet, he never did.

As time passed, Ding Wei grew restless with anticipation.

A few days later, Ding Wei encountered Zhang Lin at the entrance of the laboratory.

Ding Wei thought to himself, He's here!

With a smile, he approached and greeted, "Young Master Zhang!"

Suppressing his jealousy, Ding Wei forced a grin and said, "You're here to look for Lu Ran, right?"

Zhang Lin slowly turned his head upon hearing this, fixing Ding Wei with a terrifying gaze. "You dare mention Lu Ran to me?"

Confused, Ding Wei had no idea what was going on.

He assumed that Zhang Lin was now defending his lover, Lu Ran.

Nonetheless, Ding Wei playfully nudged Zhang Lin's shoulder, jesting, "Hey, how could you have had that experience the other day without my help?"

His words were a thinly veiled attempt to take credit.

Upon finishing, he saw Zhang Lin's sudden realization, "Sure enough, it was you!"

"Yeah, it's me! Did you forget?" Ding Wei replied joyfully.

He even winked at Zhang Lin, "So, how about it? Were you satisfied with what happened at the evening banquet?"

Zhang Lin saw nothing but provocation in his ingratiating gaze.

"I knew damn well why Lu Ran was still awake—it was because of you!"

Ding Wei was taken aback, not yet comprehending the situation when a sharp pain shot through his scalp.

Zhang Lin grabbed his hair and dragged him into a corner, unleashing a barrage of punches.

"But, weren't we talking about the graduate school recommendation?" Ding Wei asked, still bewildered.

Zhang Lin interpreted this as sarcasm and intensified his blows, "Recommend! I'll recommend your ancestors! If I can't handle Lu Ran, I sure as hell can handle you!"

Zhang Lin finished his assault and left.

Only Ding Wei was left behind, his face a mess, clueless about what had just transpired.

The Shen family was far from peaceful either.

At Shen Hongyuan's birthday party, Ji Min had made the effort to attend, albeit reluctantly.

Unfortunately, an embarrassing incident had occurred.

Up until this very moment, as he lay in bed at night, Shen Hongyuan still couldn't help but regret how he couldn't control his foot, ending up kicking out impulsively.

His reckless action had ruined Ji Min's plans.

Yet, a glimmer of hope lingered within Shen Hongyuan.

Considering Ji Min's sour attitude towards the Zhangs in the end, it was uncertain who might ultimately take over the Ji family's project.

But days passed, and Shen Hongyuan received no communication from the Ji family.

It seemed as though Ji Min's visit for the birthday celebration was merely an impulsive act on that particular day.

A few more days passed.

That highly sought-after project finally found its recipient.

It wasn't the Shen family or the Zhang family that took it over, but a well-renowned company from another province.

The last bit of business intuition Shen Hongyuan had left told him that both he and the Zhangs had been outmaneuvered by Ji Min.

At first, Ji Min had given hope to the Zhangs, then appeared at his birthday party – these were merely strategic moves made during negotiations with that company.

Whether it was the Zhangs or the Shens, Ji Min didn't hold either in high regard.

But Shen Hongyuan's pride wouldn't allow him to accept this, so he convinced himself that he was overthinking it.

However, with the project slipping through his fingers, his anger needed an outlet.

At the dining table, Shen Xingran was buried in his phone, sending messages.

When Shen Hongyuan took a dislike to someone, everything they did grated on him.

He asked in a stern voice, "What are you doing, not focusing on your meal?"

Shen Xingran had been spoiled by his family.

He had witnessed many times when Shen Hongyuan's temper flared, often directed at Lu Ran, Shen Xingzhuo, or even Shen Xingyu. Even Madam Shen occasionally found herself in the line of fire.

But Shen Xingran had never been scolded before.

Thus, even sensing the tension in Shen Hongyuan's tone this time, he casually replied, "I'm messaging Brother Lin. He just went through such a terrible incident, so naturally..."

As he spoke, Shen Xingran realized his mistake.

Shen Hongyuan lifted his gaze to look at him. "Zhang Lin, Zhang Lin! It's always Zhang Lin with you, day and night. When did you become so close to him? He has a fiancé; why are you getting so cozy with him?"

The tone of his words was as if he was accusing Shen Xingran of wanting to be a mistress.

Indeed, Shen Xingran did have such thoughts.

But when Shen Hongyuan said this, his eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Shen Hongyuan also realized that he had been too harsh and softened his expression slightly.

Madam Shen, seated aside, couldn't tolerate it anymore. She frowned and questioned, "What do you mean by that? How could you talk to Ranran like that?"

This retort fueled Shen Hongyuan's anger again.

"Did I say something wrong? Why does he care about Zhang Lin? Can an adult man like Zhang Lin get lost?"

"Isn't Ranran just being kind?"

Shen Hongyuan pointed at Shen Xingran. "If he was being kind, why didn't he tell you? Why did he have to barge in while I was talking to Manager Chen?"

Caught off guard, Shen Xingran lowered his gaze to hide the guilt in his eyes.

He was livid with resentment.

After all the preparation he had put in for so long, not only did he fail to utterly crush Lu Ran, he had even implicated himself in the scolding.

Why on earth would Mr. Ji, who seemed indifferent and distant from everyone, appear in Lu Ran's room?

And as for Zhang Lin's state...

Shen Xingran only knew that Zhang Lin intended to humiliate Lu Ran by stripping him naked.

But judging from that day's events...

Zhang Lin couldn't possibly have wanted to... be with Lu Ran...

Hiding behind Madam Shen, a surge of fury and panic arose within Shen Xingran, as if something precious had been stolen from him.

Madam Shen and Shen Hongyuan were still arguing.

Shen Hongyuan bellowed, "President Ji even praised me for raising such an excellent son!"

His voice echoed through the first floor, followed by the sounds of doors opening and closing.

Moments later, Lu Ran entered the dining room with his dog in tow, locking eyes with the quarrelling family of three.

In the middle of his outburst, Shen Hongyuan glanced at Lu Ran and then at the dog he was holding, instinctively clamping his mouth shut and falling silent.

"I can't believe this racket," grumbled Lu Ran, clearly still groggy from sleep.

Technically, it wasn't even evening yet.

But after a recent stretch of intense experimentation, Lu Ran had finally managed to catch some early rest, only to be awoken by Shen Hongyuan's shouting.

Lu Ran's dark eyes narrowed. "Keep going, and you won't eat dinner. You can forget about sleeping tonight too."

At the mention of food, Mrs. Shen abruptly fell quiet.

Lu Ran's few words were enough to quell the dispute.

Shen Xingran sat with her back to Lu Ran, feeling no gratitude towards him; only a burning sensation on her cheeks.

Lu Ran paid no attention and took Big Yellow to the yard for a toilet break before returning to his room with his messy hair.

Shen Hongyuan was left seething but refrained from lashing out for fear of Lu Ran's potential retaliation. Ultimately, he sulkingly retreated to his own room.

Mrs. Shen sat on the sofa, comforting Shen Xingran.

Huddled in her arms, Shen Xingran closed her eyes and pondered for a moment before speaking, "Mom... Why were President Ji and Brother Lin in Brother's room that night?"

Mrs. Shen also frowned, deep in thought.

Both she and Shen Hongyuan believed it was an unfortunate coincidence – likely because Lu Ran's door was the only one left unlocked, leading them to mistake it for an empty room.

Shaking with fear in her embrace, Shen Xingran asked, "Mom, will Dad be so angry that he'll kick me out?"

"How could he?" Mrs. Shen hurriedly reassured her.

Shen Xingran cried even harder, "But it was Brother who brought outsiders into the room. Why is Dad scolding me?"

Madam Shen couldn't bear to see Shen Xingran in tears.

She promptly instructed the servant, "Go, fetch him here and ask why he didn't close the door properly that day, causing unnecessary trouble."

The servant hesitated, thinking, Why don't you go and call him yourself?

The servant went.

In no time, they returned, looking dejected, and reported to Madam Shen, "Young Master Lu Ran said..."

"Still acting like a young master," Madam Shen scoffed. "I acknowledge him as such, so he is. If I don't, he's nothing."

The servant awkwardly had no words to add.

"What did he say?" Madam Shen asked.

"He said..." The servant was even more embarrassed. "That you should go to the hospital because there might be an issue with your hormones."

Madam Shen was livid.

Yet, she quickly composed herself and scoffed, "Do they really think I can't do anything to him?"

Lu Ran slept soundly that night.

The next morning, he found a slip of paper on the door as he was leaving.

Upon taking it down for a closer look, he realized it was a rent reminder notice.

Madam Shen descended the stairs at a leisurely pace.

Spotting the paper in his hand, she chuckled. "You're already eighteen. How can you keep living here for free? It's time to pay your dues."