Chapter 20: The Tale

Chapter 20: The Story

The two crouching figures immediately began playing rock-paper-scissors.

Of course, not all wealthy second-generation offspring were foolish.

The one standing at the edge remained calm and composed.

He didn't buy the buns that Lu Ran was selling for two hundred each; instead, he went to a nearby supermarket and bought two buns for just two yuan, along with a pack of pickles.

But after stuffing the pickles into the bun and taking a bite, he froze for two seconds.

Looking at his own bun in one hand and Lu Ran still munching on his, he turned to Chen Sheng, who was standing beside him, and asked, "Why... do I feel like the ones in his hands smell more appetizing?"

Chen Sheng shot him a glance. "You don't know anything. Those buns are a hundred each."

Madam Shen watched this scene, her eyes wide with astonishment.

She was both amazed at how Lu Ran had become so acquainted with these wealthy young masters and embarrassed by the situation.

How could he be selling plain steamed buns right in front of the Shen family's gate?

But Madam Shen remembered that they were in public, so she immediately put on a warm smile. She walked forward and pretended to be enthusiastic. "Why are you all just standing here?"

As if she had just noticed Lu Ran on the ground, she exclaimed, "Oh, why are you sleeping here? Come inside quickly, it's so cold out here."

Without waiting for Lu Ran's reply, Madam Shen smiled apologetically at the few people in front of her. "I don't know what temper tantrum he's throwing. Please forgive him, everyone."

Despite her convincing act, the person lying on the ground wasn't going to play along.

Lu Ran finished packing the plastic bag in his hand and looked up at her with a disdainful gaze. "What temper tantrum? Didn't you kick me out?"

Madam Shen: "..."

Her face flushed with embarrassment.

"You, you silly child, stop talking nonsense. Quickly tidy up and come inside," Madam Shen urged.

"No thanks," Lu Ran remained sprawled on the ground, unmoving. "I'm quite comfortable here. The air is fresher, and there's someone to talk to."

Not to mention, there was money to be earned.

"Who knows, if I were to move in, I might wake up with both my luggage and myself thrown out. Wouldn't it be better for me to skip that step altogether?"

The people standing outside were left speechless by his words.

Did the Shen family really have no regard for their reputation when it came to disputes?

Even Madam Shen's renowned composure was pushed to its limits by Lu Ran's remarks.

"You!" She struggled to maintain a smile as she pointed at him. "Fine! Then just stay outside all you want!"

With that, she stormed back to the villa.

Upon returning, she sipped some water to calm herself down.

Mrs. Shen soon regretted her outburst.

She shouldn't have lost her temper in front of outsiders. If word got out, she'd become the subject of gossip at the next social gathering of wealthy housewives.

Mrs. Shen grew restless once more.

After a short while, sounds came from the staircase.

Looking up, Mrs. Shen saw Shen Xingran descending from upstairs, seemingly just having woken up.

It was already quite late.

Outside, Lu Ran had already finished his breakfast.

On any other day, seeing Shen Xingran rise at this hour, Mrs. Shen would teasingly call her "little lazy pig."

Yet at this moment, Madam Shen was experiencing an indescribable shift in her mood.

She had spent the entire previous night on edge due to Lu Ran's situation and hadn't slept well.

Then, without having a proper breakfast, she rushed out to confront Lu Ran in a one-woman battle.

Shen Xingran, on the other hand, seemed to have had a restful sleep.

Her mood was genuinely pleasant.

After all, it wasn't easy for her to get rid of Lu Ran. She didn't care whether he was lying outside the door or not.

As long as he couldn't enter the Shen residence, that was even better.

She took her seat by the dining table as usual.

After taking a couple of bites, she noticed something amiss when she glanced at the utensils placed across from her.

"Mom... Aren't you going to have breakfast?" Shen Xingran asked cautiously.

"Eat? Do I even have the mood for that?" Mrs. Shen pointed outside with a sour expression. "Look, he's quite comfortable out there!"

Shen Xingran lifted his head and caught sight of Chen Sheng and Lu Ran engaged in an animated conversation.

Startled, he became guarded.

When did Lu Ran become so close to these people?

But then Shen Xingran reassured himself.

They were just minions around Shen Xingzhuo; not anyone from prominent families, so there was no need to worry too much.

However, Mrs. Shen's following words dampened his mood again.

"He's perfectly content outside! I just asked him to come in, and he refused."

Shen Xingran paused in his eating.

He consoled her, "Mom, don't ruin your health over this."

Throughout the entire morning, Lu Ran remained motionless at the entrance of the Shen family residence.

Chen Sheng and his friends invited him to hang out, but Lu Ran declined their offers.

It just so happened that these past few days were busy, and today was the weekend with Lu Ran having no classes scheduled for the following day.

Some of the tasks he had taken on could be completed through his phone.

This presented the perfect opportunity for him to spend ample time with the Shens.

Mrs. Shen was about to be driven crazy.

She had arranged to meet someone in the afternoon, but now, with Lu Ran blocking the entrance, she couldn't even drive out of the house.

Trapped indoors, Mrs. Shen was simmering with frustration.

On the other hand, Shen Xingran did want to go out.

He was tempted to stride right over Lu Ran's body.

He also wanted to mock him, comparing Lu Ran to a stray dog that could only lie at the doorstep, unable to enter the house.

But Shen Xingran knew he couldn't do that.

Lu Ran wasn't someone who would tolerate verbal abuse.

If he dared to speak up, Lu Ran would dare to grind his head against the pavement in front of the Shen family's gate.

In the late afternoon, Shen Xingzhuo made a brief return.

He had intended to drive straight into the courtyard, but when he spotted someone lying at the entrance from afar, he nearly had a heart attack.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Lu Ran.

"What are you doing lying here?" Shen Xingzhuo was baffled.

"I've been kicked out of the house. Didn't you see?" Lu Ran glanced at him before resuming his work on his phone.

Shen Xingzhuo was taken aback.

These past few days, he hadn't returned to the Shen family home, not because he lacked time, but because he inevitably felt complicated when facing both Shen Xingran and Lu Ran simultaneously.

Shen Xingzhuo wasn't yet ready to confront these emotions.

However, he hadn't expected that within just a few short days, Lu Ran would be expelled.

"So you're just lying here?"

Shen Xingzhuo found the situation rather amusing.

He knew Mrs. Shen's personality well and could imagine how furious she must be with Lu Ran, yet also how powerless she'd feel against him.

Lu Ran ignored him, engrossed in his phone.

Big Yellow nestled cozily in a corner of the sleeping bag.

Shen Xingzhuo reached out to stroke the dog.

A sharp glance from Lu Ran swept across.

Though he didn't speak a word, the wariness and prohibition in his eyes were evident.

Shen Xingzhuo paused but still retracted his hand.

"Are you staying here? What if it rains?" Shen Xingzhuo inquired.

"I have a tent prepared," Lu Ran patted his suitcase.

Silence fell upon Shen Xingzhuo.

Did Madam Shen know how thoroughly Lu Ran had prepared?

Shen Xingzhuo glanced up at the villa.

He couldn't make out much.

After a moment's hesitation, Shen Xingzhuo asked, "Would you like to stay with me?"

Lu Ran lifted his gaze from his phone and looked at Shen Xingzhuo with a teasing smile, asking, "Does Shen Xingran know that her brother is so kindly inviting me?"

Shen Xingzhuo felt a burning sensation on his face as if he had just been slapped hard by those words.

He wanted to say, "I'm your brother too."

But for some reason, the words wouldn't come out, and they seemed feeble and unconvincing even to himself.

Moreover, there was an inexplicable sense of guilt in his heart, as if he had betrayed Shen Xingran.

In the end, Shen Xingzhuo simply threw out, "Don't come if you don't want to."

As he got into his car and rolled down the window, he said to Lu Ran, "Don't stand there blocking the way. I need to drive in."

Staring at the wheels inches away, Lu Ran's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't budge.

Instead, he lay flat on the ground.

With his hands interlaced and resting on his abdomen, he spoke calmly, "It's alright, you can run me over. I won't mind."

Shen Xingzhuo: "..."

In the end, he returned home but didn't even dare to enter. Instead, he reversed out while grumbling.

Both Shen Xingran and Madam Shen noticed Shen Xingzhuo's visit.

From the living room window, Shen Xingran watched as Shen Xingzhuo approached, knelt down to talk to Lu Ran, and then left.

As Madam Shen approached, Shen Xingran quickly patted her chest in relief, saying, "Oh my, that was scary. Luckily, Brother saw him. Otherwise, if he had just come in directly..."

"Don't even mention it!" Madam Shen imagined the scene and also patted her chest in fear.

Shen Xingran glanced at Madam Shen, assuming she was concerned about Lu Ran.

But Madam Shen softly said, "For something like this to happen right in front of our gate, how embarrassing."

A wave of discomfort washed over Shen Xingran in an instant.

Despite the situation being one that should elicit joy, he found himself strangely unable to feel it.

It was already mid-afternoon.

The intensity of the sunlight had softened slightly.

The wealthy housewives from neighboring homes began to venture out.

Some gathered in small groups, others were preparing to leave with their purses, while still others strolled with their children in tow.

Though the villas were spaciously separated, there were shared pathways between them.

Before long, someone passed by the Shen family's entrance.

Upon seeing Lu Ran lying on the sleeping bag, everyone was taken aback.

A kind-hearted lady, noticing his young age and the backpack by his side, as well as the scattered homework on the sleeping bag, couldn't help but approach and ask, "Student, are you from nearby University Y?"

Lu Ran had always been polite towards those with good intentions.

He lifted his head from the pile of homework and nodded obediently.

The woman before him was gentle, offering him a warm smile. "I was also a student at University Y back then. Why are you staying here and not going home?"

"Nice to meet you, Senior," Lu Ran sat up from the sleeping bag.

He pointed at the grand entrance of the Shen family's residence behind him. "This is my home."

Lu Ran's addressing her as 'Senior' softened the woman's expression even more.

"Why don't you go back then?"

Thoughtfully, Lu Ran said, "I plan to spend the weekend outdoors, acting as a wandering performer."

The woman chuckled and asked, "What do you intend to perform?"

"I haven't decided yet. How about telling a story?" Lu Ran replied with a smile.

Madam Shen didn't have a good lunch that noon and couldn't nap properly in the afternoon.

Every time she closed her eyes, images of the servants reporting Lu Ran's latest antics would flash through her mind.

After tossing and turning for a long while, she finally descended the stairs, feeling drained.

As soon as her foot touched the ground on the first floor, she heard the servant's voice.

"Mrs., Mrs.! Lu Ran is conversing with someone outside again."

"Oh," Madam Shen responded calmly, having already come to terms with the situation.

As expected, the anticipated occurred, leaving her emotions undisturbed.

She asked calmly, "Who is he talking to?"

The maid struggled to describe the situation, "He's chatting with the ladies around us. I don't know why, but all the ladies have gathered at our front door!"

"Oh, what are they talking about?" Mrs. Shen took the freshly brewed black tea with a poker face.

"The story, ma'am. They're telling a story...about...about..." The maid glanced at Mrs. Shen's expression twice before continuing, "A lost boy who eventually found his way home, only to discover that his name and identity had been taken."

"Oh," Mrs. Shen sipped her tea.

Just as the tea reached her throat, she suddenly realized the implications of what she'd heard and choked on it.

Mrs. Shen reached out and grabbed the maid's arm, her eyes widening in disbelief, "What did you say?"

Upstairs, Shen Xingran stood there, stunned.

It felt as if she had been plunged into an icy cellar.

Madam Shen knocked over the tea with a wave of her hand.

"We can't continue like this. Quick, call the property management!"