Chapter 66: A Special Group

Ji Min, however, remained composed and merely took the phone, turning his wheelchair to face the floor-to-ceiling window for their conversation.

Lu Ran noticed that Butler Chen had also entered the room, sitting on the sofa and playing with Big Yellow.

The assistant didn't leave either, standing quietly by the side.

No one spoke in the office, but Lu Ran somehow sensed that everyone was subtly paying attention to the outcome of Ji Min's call, even himself.

In Lu Ran's memory, Ji Min had always been in a wheelchair. The original text he had access to barely mentioned Ji Min.

It was merely mentioned that his elder brother, Shen Xingyu, knew Ji Min, as if he were a casual background character in an aristocratic novel.

Wherever Ji Min went, his disability and wheelchair were inevitably mentioned alongside his status and wealth, becoming an inseparable label.

But now, from what the assistant had just said, it seemed that Ji Min had a chance of being cured?

Lu Ran couldn't help but pay attention.

Dr. Kemler, who was on the phone with Ji Min, sounded like a middle-aged man with a rapid speaking pace, and his voice was not very clear.

Ji Min spoke sparingly, only occasionally responding with a few words.

Not much sound came out of the phone's speaker.

Lu Ran could only infer from Ji Min's occasional responses.

It seemed that Ji Min's attitude toward Doctor Kemler was entirely different.

The doctor appeared to be earnestly and regretfully urging Ji Min to proceed with the surgery.

Ji Min, on the other hand, responded with a vague and indifferent refusal.

He invoked the "too busy" excuse.

Lu Ran felt that this "too busy" was a pretense.

Although Ji Min was indeed very occupied, his health issues were undeniably more significant than work.

If his leg could genuinely be cured, why wouldn't he treat it?

Ji Min quickly ended the call and handed the phone to his assistant.

Lu Ran found the situation perplexing.

Unable to resist, he asked Manager Chen, who was sitting on the sofa, "Is his leg actually curable?"

Butler Chen responded to Lu Ran in great detail, "There's a high chance. Sir has undergone two surgeries already, but the last one has been postponed."

"Why the delay?" Lu Ran asked.

Butler Chen was about to say more.

Ji Min interrupted, "Uncle Chen, the Li family is planning to return to Jing City soon. You should make the necessary arrangements."

Uncle Chen could only halt his words, offering a smile to Lu Ran before rising and leaving the office.

Lu Ran didn't get an answer.

Throughout lunchtime, he couldn't help but ponder over this issue.

Ji Min seemed to be deliberately avoiding the topic of the final surgery.

Lu Ran didn't comprehend his attitude.

In his previous life, when he first laid on the hospital bed,

Aside from an utter inability to accept his own disability, there was also a absurd glimmer of hope hidden in his heart.

He hoped that the Shen family would truly find a doctor to heal him.

After all, they were still his blood relatives, connected to him by ties of kinship.

His mother, father, and elder brothers.

Even if they despised him and held resentment due to Shen Xingran, would they really be able to bear seeing him disabled in bed for the rest of his life?

As time passed, that hope vanished entirely.

Lu Ran realized how naive he had been.

Perhaps his current state—incapable of movement, unable to speak, at the mercy of others—was precisely what the Shens desired most.

However, Lu Ran's disappointment was directed solely at the Shen family.

Despite having no alternatives, he still couldn't accept the idea of lying there forever without trying.

If someone had told him back then that there was a chance for recovery, no matter how slim, Lu Ran wouldn't have given up.

So he couldn't comprehend why Ji Min would choose to avoid the opportunity when it was clearly within reach.

From Ji Min's office, to the elevator, and then down to the staff cafeteria in the basement.

Throughout this journey, Ji Min distinctly sensed someone's gaze lingering on his legs.

The person kept glancing down from time to time.

Intellectually, Ji Min understood that this youngster must have been pondering about his leg after overhearing the earlier phone call.

However, considering the kid's temperament and recent actions...

For a moment, Ji Min was unsure which of his legs the young man was actually contemplating.

Enduring the prolonged scrutiny, the man couldn't help but grit his teeth, asking, "Have you had your fill of staring?"

Normally, anyone else would have felt embarrassed and quickly averted their gaze after such a sharp retort.

But this was Lu Ran we were talking about.

In response to the question, instead of averting his eyes, he shifted from sneaking glances to openly observing the man.

He asked logically, "Why haven't you treated your leg? Can't it be cured?"

The youth's question was incredibly straightforward.

Direct enough to leave Ji Min momentarily taken aback.

Given his status, few people would speak to him so frankly.

Especially on matters pertaining to his body.

Even the family's devoted butler, Chen, tended to avoid discussing such matters.

Only this child, whether out of genuine fearlessness or recent spoiling by him, dared to pose such a question.

It genuinely left him speechless.

Beside them, Butler Chen maintained a composed demeanor, his eyes fixed on his nose and nose on his heart, though it was clear he was secretly amused.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ji Min sputtered in exasperation, "Why do you even care about these things?"

Lu Ran gave him a glance and simply responded with an "Oh."

He really didn't pursue the matter further.

Ji Min's carefully crafted response in his mind came to an abrupt halt.

Trapped in mid-air, he felt awkward and uncomfortable all over.

How did the conversation end so abruptly?

Based on his understanding of this kid, it shouldn't have been like this.

But to Ji Min's surprise, Lu Ran really didn't say anything further.

He remained well-behaved until lunch was over.

Finishing his food quickly and attentively, the teenager sipped his juice while waiting for Ji Min, scrolling through his phone in the meantime.

Upon seeing something, his gaze flicked back to Ji Min again.

Pausing with his chopsticks mid-air, Ji Min sensed that tangible stare return to his legs.

Even the table seemed powerless in blocking it.

Ji Min looked up.

There, across from him, Lu Ran sat with his dark, gleaming eyes fixed on Ji Min.

He held a straw between his teeth.

The straw was black, distorted by his grip, its surface nibbled on by his fair and sharp incisors.

With the straw clenched between his lips, he gazed at... Ji Min's legs.

Unconsciously, Ji Min's fingers tightened around his chopsticks.

After a moment, he still let out a soft "pat" as he set the chopsticks down and asked:

"What are you looking at again?"

"Um?" This time, the youth reacted as though caught off guard, lifting his head in a dazed manner.

He quickly waved his hand at him and explained, "I wasn't looking at anything!"

Saying this, he cast another glance at his phone, seemingly unable to resist, and then stole a look at Ji Min.

This attitude caused Ji Min's eyes to narrow slightly.

Just moments ago, he was standing tall and justified, yet now he's acting like a thief in the night.

"What's on your phone?" Ji Min asked in a low voice.

"Well... it's nothing much," Lu Ran said.

Ji Min's eyebrows shot up in skepticism. He didn't believe a word and simply reached out to him. "Hand it over."

When this man wore a serious expression, he looked just like a strict school principal.

Unconsciously, Lu Ran handed over his phone.

Ji Min took the device and glanced at the youngster before looking at the screen.

On display was a Weibo account revealing a piece of news.

"Shocking! Certain gay communities, in search of excitement, are deliberately exposing themselves to illness..."

Ji Min studied the news for a considerable while, failing to find any connection between the content and himself.

He looked up at Lu Ran again.

The boy seemed to have been caught red-handed while gossiping about his teacher; his eyelashes held a hint of guilt.

Ji Min didn't understand the reason for his guilt and asked, "What's wrong with this news?"

"Cough, nothing's wrong," Lu Ran reached out to take back his phone.

But Ji Min quickly raised his hand, avoiding him.

"Explain," he said.

Lu Ran poked around in his cup with the straw.

"You're the one who asked me to speak," he said.

If Ji Min had witnessed Gu Ningqi's dramatic spectacle, he would probably be urging Lu Ran to shut up right now.

Unfortunately, he had missed that event.

Now, with evident curiosity, he urged, "Spill it."

As Lu Ran heard this, he could barely contain his excitement anymore.

Looking around at the others in the cafeteria, he leaned forward slightly and covered his mouth with his hand.

Then, in a hushed and secretive tone, he said, "You know, the news mentioned that gay men like you seek thrill by intentionally contracting sexually transmitted diseases..."

"So what?" Ji Min still couldn't see the connection.

But... what did he mean by "gay men like you"?

Just as Ji Min was about to correct him, Lu Ran's gaze shifted back to his legs.

This time, his expression was clearly different from the one he had in the elevator.

It was now filled with an intense sense of astonishment.

"Cough, I know it's not the most appropriate thing to say."

For the first time ever, Lu Ran displayed a hint of bashfulness on his face. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but inquire, "So you're passing up the chance to heal your leg and prefer to remain as you are now?"

"Is it... because you have some particular preferences in that aspect?"

Upon hearing Lu Ran's lengthy question, Ji Min's initial reaction was...

No wonder he had been so well-behaved all this while; he had been waiting for this.

Upon discerning the hidden meaning in Lu Ran's words, Ji Min was utterly shaken.

Veins popped out on his forehead, a clear sign of pent-up anger or intense emotion.

"Lu Ran!" he gritted his teeth in frustration.

The youth opposite seemed to recall as well that this person was, in fact, their boss.

He quickly added, "I understand! Everyone has the freedom to explore their own preferences."

Noticing that the man's grim expression showed no sign of easing, he racked his brains for more words.

"Well... perhaps you, as part of this unique group, might perceive it as a sort of... ahem... flawed beauty?"

The teenager seemed genuinely devoid of the skill to say something complimentary.

Despite attempting to "praise" earnestly, his words still inadvertently conveyed a strong sense of astonishment at oddities.

Ji Min was on the verge of suffocating from anger.

The hesitation and frustration from receiving the doctor's call earlier had long vanished into thin air.

With an almost forced utterance between his teeth, he said, "First of all, I'm not gay..."

His "secondly" was yet to be spoken.

Thereupon, the youth opposite was seen hastening to refute, "You've done such things to Zhang Lin! How can you still claim not to be gay!"

Ji Min: "..."

In that instant, he almost felt capable of jumping up and chasing Lu Ran for 800 meters.

It was out of sheer frustration.

But despite being in a wheelchair, he could still chase someone down to give them a piece of his mind.

Seeing the situation escalate, Lu Ran quickly stood up from his seat and bolted away with his tray in hand.

As he ran, he grumbled softly, "How can you be like this?!"

"I didn't plan on telling you in the first place. You were the one who asked me to."

"And now that I've told you, you're actually angry?!"

"Come here, I promise I won't hit you."

Ji Min growled lowly.

Only after his outburst did he realize they were in the cafeteria.

Although the remaining staff hadn't overheard their conversation, the sight of one chasing after another had them all staring in astonishment.

Even the cafeteria auntie behind the counter adopted a spectator's expression, craning her neck to watch the spectacle.

Ji Min took a deep breath, then another, swallowing his frustration.

He decided, this won't do!

He needed to contact Doctor Kemler right away.

No matter what, he had to maintain a proper attitude.

He couldn't allow this mess of a "special group" reputation to stick to him!

Shen Xingran also felt that something must be done.

He had to figure out a way to establish a connection with the Ji family.

At the previous gathering, Lu Ran had made quite a splash by leaving with Ji Min. Furthermore, Shen Xingran later learned from others that Gu Ningqi's status as heir was still under consideration. Ji Min even had the power to influence Elder Gu's decisions. Regardless of the reason, Shen Xingran couldn't allow Lu Ran to monopolize the Ji family's patriarch. Shen Xingran had initially intended for Madam Shen to continue making demands of Lu Ran. But after the incident with the trash dumped on her head, she was terrified and adamantly refused. She even warned him not to provoke Lu Ran anymore, just so their household could have two days of peace. Shen Xingran hadn't expected this outcome. However, he wasn't about to give up. If he couldn't act openly, he could still proceed covertly. Ji Min's personal movements were highly secretive, and although Shen Xingran had many friends,

Yet, whenever these friends heard Ji Min's name, a look of awkwardness would appear on their faces.

But perseverance pays off!

After much effort, Shen Xingran finally discovered that Ji Min was going to attend a small charity auction.

Even more satisfying was the fact that it was Y University's opening day.

Lu Ran wouldn't be following Ji Min, and there would be no interruptions at all!

On the day of the auction.

Ji Min entered with a cold expression.

He seemed to be in an especially bad mood.

The figure that usually stood behind his wheelchair's armrest was absent.

It made the space feel strangely empty.

The man didn't appear to be angry; rather, there was a listless air about him, a hint of indifference compared to his previous demeanor.

As if he had lost interest in everything.

It wasn't until his assistant led in a small yellow dog and handed him the leash, bending down in the process, that Ji Min's expression improved somewhat.

"Big Yellow has already gotten familiar with the surroundings."

Despite his advanced age, the older dog wasn't as adaptable as a puppy would be to new surroundings.

Therefore, whenever they arrived at a new location, Ji Min always had his assistant accompany Big Yellow around the area to get acclimated before entering.

On the stage, descriptions and images of the auction items flashed by.

Relaxing in his wheelchair, Ji Min held onto the ears of a white rabbit plush toy attached to the leash of the little dog.

He didn't seem particularly interested in the items being displayed on stage.

Until a watercolor painting appeared on stage.

In the painting, a small yellow dog was rolling on the grass with its tongue lolling out.

Ji Min's gaze finally lingered, instructing his assistant to jot down the number.

He then glanced at the quiet puppy lying at his feet.

In his mind, he could almost hear someone's reaction upon seeing this particular artwork.

He would undoubtedly use a childlike tone of wonder, pointing at the puppy in the painting and exclaiming, "Big Yellow, look how this drawing resembles you!"

A fleeting smile tugged at Ji Min's lips.

Housekeeper Chen glanced at him and asked with a smile, "Are you not feeling well today?"

The atmosphere had been oppressive since the morning.

The man suppressed the curve of his lips, letting out a cold, indifferent "huh," and said,

"Frustrated," Chen butler couldn't help but chuckle.

After returning home last night, Ji Min, for the first time ever, proactively called Mr. Kemler.

Although they didn't finalize the surgery, he inquired about the details of the operation.

Usually adopting an uninterested demeanor, his initiative to learn more delighted both the doctor and Butler Chen.

Housekeeper Chen thought to himself, indeed, the young ones have their ways.

With just a few words yesterday in the cafeteria, Lu Ran had goaded Ji Min into wanting to get surgery on the spot.

To that end, he had even invented this notion of a "self-infected" and "beauty in imperfection" special group.

Recalling Lu Ran's words from yesterday, Ji Min's expression cracked for a moment.

What special group was he talking about?

It had nothing to do with him.

At that moment, a voice sounded not far from the two of them. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Ji?"

Ji Min frowned.

He looked over and saw Shen Xingran, the adopted son of the Shen family, standing not far away.

Shen Xingran had managed to obtain an invitation and squeezed his way into the auction.

However, the seating arrangement was quite scattered, and it took him some time to locate Ji Min's seat.

Just as he was wondering how to approach and greet Ji Min, he spotted Lu Ran's dog.

Although he was surprised that Ji Min was actually taking care of Lu Ran's dog, this also presented a perfect opportunity for conversation.

Shen Xingran squatted down and pretended to be delighted as he clapped his hands at the puppy. "Big Yellow, it's me!"

Soon, the surprise on his face froze.

This was because the puppy that had been lying by the wheelchair glanced at him and, out of fear, darted under Ji Min's wheelchair.

Ji Min bent down to look at the puppy, then cast a glance at Shen Xingran.

His brows furrowed.

Lu Ran didn't often mention the Shen family nor did he pass any judgments about them.

Ji Min paid even less attention to this adopted son.

But now, he found it rather unexpected.

Big Yellow was an affectionate dog. Even if accidentally stepped on or trodden upon in the company, it wouldn't react with such fear.

It was the first time Ji Min had seen Big Yellow avoid someone like this.

He handed the leash to his assistant, asking them to coax the puppy away with treats.

He then looked at Shen Xingran earnestly.

The embarrassment on Shen Xingran's face flickered away quickly.

He didn't dodge the gaze but continued smoothly, "Big Yellow is more afraid of me at home. Because when he wants to get close to me, my brother always…."

He left his sentence unfinished, leaving room for imagination.

Ji Min raised an eyebrow silently.

What could Lu Ran possibly do to Big Yellow?

Even if Big Yellow were to poop on his pillow one day, this guy would probably just hug the dog and kiss it, praising, "My son sure knows how to pick a spot!"

Ji Min was losing patience and asked his assistant to fetch the auction house's director.

However, Shen Xingran added, "Brother often talks about you at home…"

Upon hearing that, Ji Min waved his hand again, signaling the assistant to stop.

He wanted to hear how Lu Ran spoke about him at home.

Noticing Ji Min's receptive attitude, Shen Xingran quickly started to prepare tea.

"I've heard that you've been taking great care of Brother, and you even know my eldest brother. Father and I have always wished to pay our respects in person. But Brother mentioned that you..."

Shen Xingran cautiously glanced at Ji Min before pressing his lips together, feigning a troubled expression before continuing,

"He said your temper isn't the best...and that if we were to come looking for you, he'd..."

At this point, Shen Xingran bit his lip and lowered his head.

Upon hearing this, Ji Min fell into a brief silence, almost finding the situation amusing.

Shen Xingran clearly had a knack for fabrication.

But these words did seem like something Lu Ran would say...

This ability to perfectly align one's actions with others' perceptions, even surpassing them, was characteristic of Lu Ran.

Not everyone can possess it.

Shen Xingran spoke for a while but received no response.

He frowned slightly, feeling a bit annoyed in his heart.

To say that he was overly concerned about Ji Min, that wasn't quite the case.

Shen Xingran knew Ji Min's status and position, but once he learned that the man was crippled, his interest waned.

If he could lure Ji Min into his trap, that would indeed be a good thing.

But someone of Ji Min's status posed significant risks if provoked, especially considering his disability.

Previously, Shen Xingran had weighed the pros and cons and didn't pay much attention to Ji Min.

However, now that he had decided to proceed, Shen Xingran spent the night devising a plan!

What does a disabled person like Ji Min need the most?

Of course, it's the warmth and comfort from others!

And these were precisely what Shen Xingran excelled in.

Wouldn't Ji Min be an easy catch once he made his move?

Shen Xingran gazed at the man in the wheelchair.

He stepped closer abruptly, looking at Ji Min's legs, hidden beneath the thin blanket, with a tender and compassionate gaze.

In a gentle voice, Shen Xingran said, "But those are just Brother's opinions. I don't share the same view."

As he spoke, he lifted his head and looked straight into Ji Min's eyes with sincerity.

Attempting to melt the man's heart with the warmth in his eyes.

Then, he fixed his gaze on Ji Min and spoke with utmost devotion:

"In my eyes, your disability is by no means a shortcoming."

"Incompleteness is an unparalleled kind of beauty!"

As Shen Xingran spoke, he reached out to touch Ji Min's knee.

Before his hand could make contact, the man in the wheelchair—who had been perfectly still just a moment ago—and his butler suddenly retreated more than a meter away.

Something was amiss with this master and servant pair.

Both of them were looking at him with what could only be described as horrified expressions.