Chapter 71: Normality

Chapter 71: Normality

In that instant, Shen Hongyuan suspected he was hallucinating.

Not just hallucinating.

He studied Ji Min's overly calm demeanor closely, and for a moment, self-doubt crept up on him.

Did he really... utter those embarrassing words?

Or was it just in his mind, and his body had subconsciously stopped him from speaking them out loud due to the shame?

Was that why Ji Min didn't react much?

The feeling at that moment was delicate.

When the other person's reaction seemed too ordinary, one couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with themselves.

Thus, Shen Hongyuan stared at Ji Min doubtfully and cautiously repeated himself:

"Lu Ran threw dog feces... onto our dining table."

Yet, Ji Min across from him remained as unperturbed as ever.

He nodded and said, "I heard you."

Shen Hongyuan fell silent once more.

After a while, he couldn't resist adding more details, pointing at Big Yellow beside Ji Min's wheelchair:

"It was this one who did it."

He had expected Ji Min to at least glance at the dog.

To his surprise, Ji Min replied, "Big Yellow has excellent toilet habits, so what exactly did you do?"

Shen Hongyuan fell silent again.

This time, his silence dragged on for a long while.

After the silence, the facade of his paternal kindness crumbled completely.

With animated urgency, he narrated, "We were having dinner, and he just let his dog defecate right there. Then it fell onto the table and was pushed toward our faces, forcing us to apologize. He even threw the bag directly at his second brother's back!"

As Shen Hongyuan spoke, he leaned forward dramatically.

His tone conveyed a sense of injustice.

This time, Ji Min reacted. He retreated in his wheelchair and pulled Big Yellow closer to him.

It was as if he was protecting the dog from Shen Hongyuan.

Seeing that Ji Min was actually shielding the dog, Shen Hongyuan became even more agitated.

He almost lost his voice shouting, "Do you know how close that thing was to my face?!"

Perhaps it was his pitiful tone and vivid description of the incident.

Finally, a hint of sympathy appeared on Ji Min's face.

This thread of sympathy wasn't directed at anyone else.

Perhaps it was simply a human's most instinctive and pure emotion for another person who had fallen into a predicament.

Noticing the sympathy in Shen Hongyuan's eyes, he finally let out a sigh of relief and no longer appeared as desperate as before.

Sure enough, he didn't believe that anyone could remain unmoved by such a story!

Shen Hongyuan picked up the water glass on the table and took a sip to moisten his throat before saying, "I apologize, President Ji, for my loss of composure."

He gradually regained his composure.

It was a good sign that Ji Min was affected; this way, he could proceed with his next step to thoroughly portray Lu Ran as an insane madman.

Ji Min was too close to Lu Ran.

Moreover, he was overly protective of Lu Ran, which was a very dangerous signal for him.

Now, he needed to utterly shatter Ji Min's trust in Lu Ran.

One might believe a child's words, but they would never take a madman seriously.

Should Lu Ran recall something and mention it to Ji Min in the future, Ji Min likely wouldn't believe him either.

Shen Hongyuan was contemplating how to portray the role of a father discovering that his son was mentally ill. As he was doing so, he saw Ji Min, who appeared "moved," looking at him and saying, "From what you're saying, he was just holding a garbage bag and didn't do anything."

Shen Hongyuan was stunned once more.

Wait a minute!

What did he mean by "didn't do anything"?

How could that be considered "not doing anything"?!

Why don't you try it and see for yourself if nothing happened!

Shen Hongyuan was on the verge of being overwhelmed with shock.

In fact, Ji Min, sitting across from him, also found it surreal.

He found it surreal that he was reacting to this with such calmness.

The scene described by Shen Hongyuan was undoubtedly revolting.

Yet his first thought was: What on earth had the Shen family done to push that child to such extremes?

Who would willingly come into contact with such things if they could help it?

Besides, Ji Min wasn't unfamiliar with Lu Ran engaging in similar acts.

He had witnessed firsthand Lu Ran making the Lino trio drink diluted toilet water.

It had actually gone into their mouths.

Just last weekend, Jin Lino had forcefully downed two cups.

At this thought, Ji Min's remaining sympathy for Shen Hongyuan vanished.

Looking at the somewhat hysterical Shen Hongyuan across from him, he even found the man to be overreacting.

He frowned and said, "He was only scaring you. He didn't really make you eat it, nor did he throw your utensils into the toilet and then ask you to use them again."

Shen Hongyuan was at a loss for words.

What on earth was the man across from him talking about?

Was he still the powerful head of the Ji family?

The tone in his words clearly conveyed, "He has already shown great mercy. What more do you want?"

Ji Min's presence was too overwhelming.

His tone was far too confident.

As a result, all Shen Hongyuan could think about now was that single phrase, "He didn't really make you eat it."

He even began to doubt himself again.

Could it be that...

This really didn't count for anything?

They indeed hadn't kissed.

In that case, this argument seemed rather weak?

Shen Hongyuan felt a bit flustered.

He had imagined many obstacles beforehand, such as not being able to meet Ji Min, or Ji Min completely disbelieving his words.

He had even planned how to persuade Lu Ran to reenact the scene from that day.

At that time, he would let Lu Ran go crazy in the restaurant.

After Lu Ran finished his outburst and was feeling pleased with himself, Shen Hongyuan would then open the side door, revealing Ji Min's furious and disgusted face to Lu Ran.

Little did Shen Hongyuan expect that his carefully laid plan would stumble right here.

Did Ji Min witness it? He did.

Did Ji Min believe his words? He did.

Yet, Ji Min found it insignificant!

He even thought it was their fault?

Shen Hongyuan wrestled with confusion within himself for a while.

In the end, he couldn't bear to let go of the investment he had made.

It seemed that his stake wasn't substantial enough.

After all, he had already gone this far and sacrificed his pride. What more could happen if he pushed it further?

Thus, Shen Hongyuan steeled his heart.

With his eyes closed, he said, "Mr. Ji, I actually lied to you just now. To save face, I downplayed the severity of the situation."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "That day, Lu Ran forced that thing into my mouth and his mother's! We..."

As he finished, Ji Min fell silent, staring at Chairman Shen who had admitted to consuming whatever it was.

After uttering those words, Shen Hongyuan felt drained, as if all his energy had been sapped.

Living most of his life, he had never felt such an urge to cry before. He wiped his forehead, wondering if this would finally be enough.

But then, after Ji Min's silence, he looked at Shen Hongyuan with a frown and said,

"Given what you've done, it's only fitting that he treated you like that."

Shen Hongyuan: "..."

Ah—

Shen Hongyuan roared inwardly.

Is that it?

IS THAT IT?!!

He had given so much, almost willing to admit even the most humiliating things, and this is what he gets in return?!

This time, it was Shen Hongyuan who took a step back.

His movement was so forceful that the chair screeched loudly as it retreated.

In that moment, Shen Hongyuan no longer doubted himself.

He gazed at the man sitting across from him.

Ji Min remained steadfast in his wheelchair, his pale face serene.

His gaze held a profound disapproval when looking at Shen Hongyuan.

Yet, Shen Hongyuan suddenly recalled Shen Xingran's words.

Wasn't Ji Min sick in the head?

Whether Lu Ran was normal or not, he had no idea.

But this Ji Min was definitely abnormal!

Would a normal person react like that when hearing such news?

Shen Hongyuan had been so desperate to reveal his scandal and even added exaggerations to it.

In the end, their long-planned conversation concluded with him fleeing in panic.

Butler Chen stood guard outside the private room.

With a thud, the door swung open, and Shen Hongyuan bolted out as if a fierce beast were chasing him from behind.

Butler Chen was momentarily taken aback.

He even suspected that perhaps Ji Min couldn't resist revealing his excessive possessiveness towards the other's son, scaring the person away.

But with Shen Hongyuan and Lu Ran's relationship, it shouldn't have come to that.

After Shen Hongyuan disappeared, Butler Chen glanced into the private room with suspicion.

Ji Min looked as composed as ever, but there was a hint of contemplation in his eyes.

Big Yellow lay steadily there too.

Its little eyes held a touch of curiosity, seemingly puzzled about why the person across from them had suddenly left.

"Anything happen?" Butler Chen asked.

Ji Min shook his head and exited the private room.

Sitting in his wheelchair, he didn't say anything.

As he reached the exit, he suddenly said without any prior context, "He guessed incorrectly."

"Hmm?" The butler, Chen, didn't understand.

But Ji Min didn't bother to explain further.

When Shen Hongyuan returned to the Shen residence, his face was ashen.

Shen Xingran greeted him with concern, asking, "Dad, what's wrong with you?"

Shen Hongyuan glanced at him and patted his shoulder, sighing. "You were right."

That sigh concealed a myriad of bitter emotions.

To undermine Ji Min and Lu Ran's trust in each other, he had been busy for nearly a month.

First, he waited at the banquet for Lu Ran to lose his mind.

Then, he prompted Shen Xingran to vie for Lu Ran's "affection."

And now, he personally took matters into his own hands.

He had spilled all the beans! Yet, it had achieved no desired effect whatsoever.

Shen Hongyuan held a certain fear for Ji Min.

When two madmen like him and Lu Ran joined forces, who knew what chaos they could create.

But judging from Ji Min's current state, the concern he had seemed not to have come to pass yet.

Soon, Shen Hongyuan found himself too preoccupied to dwell on such thoughts.

The bidding for the HZ project is soon to commence.

The Shen family is determined to secure this project.

Ever since the patriarch passed away, the Shen Corporation has maintained an outwardly prosperous appearance, but its ranking within the industry has consistently declined.

The family's financial situation has also encountered some issues.

Otherwise, Shen Xingyu wouldn't have been so busy that he barely had time to rest after taking over.

Only by securing this project could the Shen Corporation's position be stabilized.

If they missed this opportunity, the outcome would be unpredictable.

However, Shen Hongyuan had also heard about the Linos' return to the country.

The competition for this project was bound to be fierce.

Lu Ran wasn't entirely ignorant of this situation either.

Upon returning to the Shen residence, he specifically researched some information and familiarized himself with the Shen Corporation's business structure.

He was also aware of the bidding for this project.

One day, he returned home from school.

On the second floor, servants were moving in and out, cleaning.

Lu Ran lifted his gaze, noticing that the room being cleaned was one on the second floor, facing east and basking in sunlight.

If he wasn't mistaken, it belonged to Shen Xingyu.

Seeing him pause, Shen Xingran, who had been directing the servants, suddenly turned his head to glance at him.

He smiled and said, "Big Brother is coming back."

Then, a bit embarrassed, he added, "Oh, I forgot. You haven't met Big Brother yet, have you?"

Mrs. Shen, standing nearby, also turned her head to look at Lu Ran.

Her usual cautiousness, as if afraid of offending him, seemed to fade slightly, as if Shen Xingyu's return had given them a sense of reassurance.

Lu Ran looked at her, then back at Shen Xingran.

Truly puzzled, he asked, "Why are you so happy? Does he dote on you a lot?"

Shen Xingran was caught off guard by the question.

Shen Xingyu is someone... who treats him differently from Shen Xingzhuo.

Lu Ran didn't pay attention further and returned to his room to put down his belongings, locked the door, and then went to Ji Min's place.

But...

The room on the second floor had been tidy for several days, and it was said that Shen Xingyu had also returned to the country.

Yet, Lu Ran hadn't seen the figure of his elder brother for several consecutive days.

At first, he was quite cautious, but then he just let it be.

On the weekend, Lu Ran accompanied Ji Min to an event.

This time, the occasion was relatively more formal.

Lu Ran even specially went to Ji Min's house to change into a "work outfit," trying to uphold his identity as the "former boyfriend."

To his surprise, after this change, the previously well-fitting clothes now seemed a bit loose.

Outside, Ji Min, upon witnessing this, furrowed his brows slightly.

But he still recalled the overly forward tease from their previous car ride.

Thus, he didn't comment further.

Instead, he asked casually, "What have you been eating lately?"

During winter break, he had put in a great effort to gain some weight, but now that school had started again, it seemed to have all come off.

"I've just been eating at the cafeteria. But I've been so busy lately that by the time I get there, the food service windows are already closed."

Lu Ran bent down to tie his shoelaces.

"What are you busy with?" Ji Min's frown deepened. "Do you have that many classes?"

Lu Ran explained about the Elite Academy situation.

He rubbed his palms together eagerly. "I should be able to make it in this time!"

Ji Min was rather surprised by this.

For him, academics were something from many years ago.

Moreover, some of the younger generations around him weren't very committed to their studies due to their backgrounds.

Seeing how enthusiastic Lu Ran was, he found it rather peculiar, "You've already returned to the Shen family. Does this academy still hold any significance for you?"

"How can that be the same?"

Lu Ran looked up at him, "I worked hard to get in here on my own."

There was an obstinacy unique to young people in his tone.

This caused a hint of amusement to flash across Ji Min's eyes.

However, he still didn't mince words as he urged, "Hurry up, putting on a pair of shoes is more troublesome than me having a meal."

"Coming right away!"

Lu Ran acknowledged the request but didn't spare any effort in tying his shoelaces.

The shoes on his feet were limited edition.

Lu Ran wasn't knowledgeable about them, but boys' affection for shoes seemed innate.

Although he claimed not to care, he couldn't help being extremely meticulous with them at this moment.

He was wearing a white shirt that day.

The hem was slightly loose, yet it was neatly tucked into his black casual trousers, which fit him obediently.

His waist was defined tightly.

And due to the act of bending down, it created a very resilient curve.

Ji Min's gaze lingered subconsciously for two seconds before he quickly averted it.

He shifted his attention to the lawn in the villa's yard.

Fingers involuntarily recalled the sensation of touching him as he was lifted into the wheelchair that day.

It's delicate yet resilient, capable of stirring up great commotion.

Like a lively fish in water, the more it flails, the more one is tempted to hold it firmly in place.

The man's fingers gently pinched the leather armrest of the wheelchair, dispelling the inexplicable thoughts in his mind.

He then turned his attention once more to the young man beside him, who was donning his shoes.

Recalling something, he frowned and said, "Your father came to see me."

"Hmm?" Lu Ran wasn't too surprised; he merely asked, "What did he want?"

Ji Min fell silent for a moment.

What for?

Of course, to recount everything you've done.

The trivial matters that Shen Hongyuan mentioned didn't bother Ji Min much.

However, Shen Hongyuan's attitude caught Ji Min off guard.

In the past, as described by Lu Ran, Shen Hongyuan was a ruthless businessman.

One who would not hesitate to sacrifice his son for personal gain.

But this time, Ji Min found that it wasn't quite the case.

It seemed that Shen Hongyuan didn't intend to allow Lu Ran to get too close to him.

Unrelentingly endeavoring to sabotage the relationship between the young man and him.

For this, he was even willing to offend him, to offend the Ji family.

At the previous banquet, Ji Min had already sensed something vague, and this time, he was certain.

This was quite an unusual act for Shen Hongyuan.

What could make Shen Hongyuan put aside even his own interests?

Ji Min felt that he should remind Lu Ran about this.

He said, "There's something off about your father."

"What's wrong with him?" Lu Ran asked.

With a frown, Ji Min described the situation,

"Before, you said that if I wanted, your father would send you to my bed, but now he doesn't seem to have that intention..."

Upon reaching this point, Ji Min abruptly stopped speaking.

The words sounded a bit peculiar.

Why did it seem to carry a hint of regret?