Chapter 82: “Caress”

Chapter 82: "Caress"

Lu Ran was taken aback by the question.

He sat up straight and fell into a moment of silence.

Ji Min had initially just tried to change the subject with a casual remark.

Noticing the sudden stillness in the car, he too was startled.

He turned his gaze sidelong to the youth at his side.

The youth gazed with those eyes of gentle curvature, faintly knitting his brows.

Even his lips curled up involuntarily.

This is a look of intense contemplation.

He was earnestly pondering over the answer to this question.

Ji Min, who had spoken casually, suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

Time seemed to slow down abruptly.

Even the intricate cityscape fleeting by outside the car window turned into a blur of indistinct shapes.

The sounds of the driver's breath and Manager Chen's breathing in the front seat appeared to grow distant.

In this nearly motionless small space,

Ji Min felt his heart beating heavily and distinctly within his chest.

"Thud, thud..."

Once, twice, three times...

Ji Min's Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed.

He gazed at the youth by his side, aware that it was nothing more than a lighthearted jest to initiate their exchange.

Now, the one who had initially initiated the playful banter seemed to be awaiting a judgment preceding doomsday.

Finally, under the man's gaze.

The youth, who had been deeply engrossed in thought, stirred. He raised his hand to touch his forehead, then caressed his own cheek.

He then paused, sitting with a furrowed brow, seemingly lost in thought about something.

A subtle shift could be detected in Ji Min's Adam's apple.

He was somewhat inclined to ask, "Is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell?"

But then again, he feared that the slightest utterance might disrupt the young man's contemplation.

Thus, obtaining answers they'd rather not hear.

Another minute passed.

The youth raised his gaze to look at him, blinking twice before saying, "I don't think I like you... at all."

Ji Min was taken aback.

His heart, suspended in mid-air, thumped heavily back into place with a "pat."

Not...?

All that effort, all those schemes and maneuvers for nothing?

Without much thought, almost on instinct, Ji Min asked, "Why?"

The moment he asked, he immediately regretted it, realizing he had gone too far.

But the youth seemed utterly unfazed.

He answered earnestly,

"Given that you just posed this question, I didn't blush or experience a racing heart as depicted in those novels. I even counted my pulse just now, and it's well within the normal range, not accelerating at all!"

Ji Min: "..."

The man's expression froze in place.

Almost instinctively, he wanted to say, "All that nonsense in novels is fake. Think about it carefully!"

But after realizing what he was thinking, his expression grew even darker.

The child by his side continued, "Boss, you really have an overactive imagination. How could I possibly like you?"

"You're my boss, and you have such a terrible temper..."

Biu~

Another dagger pierced President Ji's heart.

"Still remember that I'm your boss, huh?" Ji Min gritted his teeth.

Without waiting for Lu Ran's response, he called out to the driver upfront, "Stop the car."

Then, turning to face Lu Ran with a cold expression, he said, "Get out."

Unfazed by the other's demeanor, Lu Ran replied, "But there's still one more stop until my school."

"Catch a walk," Ji Min said with icy indifference.

Grumbling, Lu Ran slung his backpack over his shoulder and got out of the car.

As he closed the door, he continued to gripe, "You're so petty. I've turned you down more than once or twice; why are you still so upset?"

Ji Min: "…"

How could it be the same?

That was merely your one-sided rejection.

Watching the sedan drive away, Lu Ran shook his head and sighed. "Why must you be so petty?"

At the Shen residence.

The recent internal issues within the Shen Corporation were still severe.

When Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingyu returned home the next day, they found Madam Shen celebrating with Shen Xingran.

The two of them had opened a bottle of champagne and ordered a feast, seemingly in high spirits.

When Shen Hongyuan was exhausted, he disliked seeing anyone in the house indulging in merrymaking.

He immediately spoke in a stern tone, "What's all this ruckus? After a long day outside, we can't even have peace at home."

Shen Xingran pretended to be slightly fearful and put down his chopsticks.

Madam Shen promptly said, "We're celebrating because something good has happened. Can you guess what it is?"

Shen Hongyuan initially thought that Madam Shen might have a connection to facilitate their new project.

Just as he was about to feel delighted, he heard her say, "Lu Ran has moved out."

Shen Hongyuan froze, his expression darkening instantly. "What did you say?"

Unaware of his reaction, Madam Shen continued, "Finally, no one is causing trouble at home or messing with those filthy things. Now, we can sleep soundly."

Shen Xingyu's expression was also somewhat grim.

He frowned and asked, "Mom? What do you mean? Where did Lu Ran go?"

"He was picked up by Ji Min," Mrs. Shen said with a huff. "He didn't think highly of our Shen family, so he went to enjoy the benefits at the Ji residence."

As soon as she said this, she saw Shen Hongyuan, who had been wearing a stern look all along, suddenly lose his temper.

He slammed his hand on the table, toppling the champagne bottle.

The sound of the bottle hitting the ground mixed with Shen Hongyuan's roar:

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

"How could you let Lu Ran go?"

"I raised that orphan in the Shen family, throwing away all dignity. I held a grand banquet to welcome him back publicly, and now you just let him go with a single word?"

Mrs. Shen was startled by Shen Hongyuan's sudden outburst.

She covered her chest, looking at Shen Hongyuan in confusion, and said, "Why are you angry? If he wants to leave, Ji Min came to pick him up personally. What can I do about it?"

"But we can't let Lu Ran go. He's... he's..."

Shen Hongyuan stumbled over his words for a while before finally pointing at Madam Shen's nose and yelling, "He's your biological son!"

Madam Shen seemed to have been struck by something, suddenly freezing in place.

Then, like a madwoman, she leaped up to grab Shen Hongyuan's face.

The room was now filled with Madam Shen's shrill cries, "What do you mean, Shen Hongyuan? Are you coming to me now with your problems? If you hadn't argued with me during that trip, our child wouldn't have been lost!"

"It's all because of you! I'm his mother, aren't you his father?"

In the living room, the middle-aged couple began to grapple with each other.

Shen Xingran was rather stunned.

Although Madam Shen and Shen Hongyuan often quarreled, this was the first time he had seen them fight so fiercely.

He instinctively took two steps back, positioning himself in a corner away from the conflict.

Shen Xingyu looked at Shen Hongyuan and Madam Shen.

He first called out, "Dad! Mom!"

But the two, caught up in their heated argument, didn't respond.

Shen Xingyu stood by, watching them silently for a while.

He covered his forehead, sighing as if seeking refuge from the scene.

Eventually, he lowered his hand and stepped forward to forcibly separate the pair.

The living room was noisy for a while longer before it returned to silence.

Shen Hongyuan did not leave the Shen residence for work as he usually would after an argument with Madam Shen.

But the ruckus today was too great.

Even in the villa area, it was likely that the neighbors had heard something.

If he were to leave now, would the Shen family's dignity still hold any value?

In the evening.

Shen Hongyuan sat alone in the small living room, smoking a cigar.

After her outburst, Madam Shen had already retreated to their bedroom to sleep.

Shen Hongyuan's expression was somber.

Reaching out, he clipped the cigar open. As he lit it, he realized his hands were trembling.

But then, he reassured himself.

Lu Ran and Ji Min's close relationship wasn't a recent development; they had spent the night together before.

He wouldn't overreact just because Lu Ran had moved in now.

After all, they were merely two eccentric individuals; how much trouble could they really cause?

Moreover...

With a cigar between his fingers, Shen Hongyuan gazed through the partially drawn curtains at the dark night outside.

His gaze was distant.

It had been more than a decade since those events; there was no point dwelling on them.

Lu Ran was just a four-year-old back then, and after going missing, surviving a landslide – he wasn't someone worth such fear.

Still, for the sake of the Shen family's peace, Lu Ran couldn't be left to roam freely.

Something needed to be done to keep him in check.

But with these crucial days for the Shen Corporation, it might be for the best to let that Lu Ran stay outside for a few days.

Preventing any trouble at home.

With this realization, Shen Hongyuan calmed down entirely.

He was no longer in a hurry.

Gently moving his fingers, he leisurely puffed on his cigar.

The cigar was already in his mouth when he suddenly noticed something moving.

The ceiling light was off, and the room was dimly lit.

With the cigar between his teeth, Shen Hongyuan's eyes caught sight of a shadow almost as long as the cigar itself creeping slowly along its surface.

Slowly, it drew closer and closer to his face.

For a moment, both of Shen Hongyuan's eyes bulged like those of a cockfighting rooster.

Until those slender whiskers brushed against the edge of Shen Hongyuan's lips.

With a sudden cry, he leaped right off the sofa.

The lit cigar fell onto his thigh, causing him to howl in pain yet again.

His screams echoed through the room.

Mrs. Shen, who had just dozed off in the bedroom, was instantly roused. Clad in her pajamas, she stormed out irritably and asked Shen Hongyuan, "What on earth are you howling about? It's the middle of the night; someone might think our house is on fire."

"No! There's... there's..." Shen Hongyuan couldn't quite make out what it was.

After all, the object in question bore a striking resemblance to the cigar, and the lighting in the room was rather dim.

"It's from the cigar," Shen Hongyuan pointed out, gesturing toward it.

By now, the burning cigar had tumbled onto the sofa, leaving a hole in the leather upholstery.

"My goodness, what were you doing? !"

Mrs. Shen said with concern.

She walked over, picked up the cigar, and examined it from both sides. "There's nothing here. Are you just seeing things because of your age?"

At that moment, Shen Hongyuan was also somewhat uncertain.

The two of them circled around the sofa but found nothing suspicious.

Mrs. Shen scoffed. "We just had a pest control company over a few days ago. The place is spotless. There couldn't be anything here."

"Could it be… that I really saw wrongly?"

Shen Hongyuan was no longer sure.

He was indeed too exhausted today, with no progress at work and then the commotion at home.

Over there, Mrs. Shen had already gone to bed, reassured.

Shen Hongyuan gave one more suspicious look around before finally entering the bedroom.

Unbeknownst to all, a dark silhouette was climbing steadfastly on the living room's curtains.

Within the folds of the curtains, another two or three figures lay concealed...

At first glance, they seemed to blend seamlessly with the pattern of the drapes.

In the dead of night.

Mrs. Shen found herself in a half-awake, half-asleep state, sensing a slight itch on her foot.

It felt as if something was crawling over it.

Reaching out to touch it, she found nothing there.

For a moment, Mrs. Shen snapped to full awareness, then chuckled with understanding.

Back when she and Shen Hongyuan had their arguments, he often employed such tactics to soothe her.

Seems this time is no different.

Thus, Madam Shen slept soundly once more.

For the following few nights, she felt as if something was gently "caressing" her.

Sometimes it was her toes and calves, other times her arms, and occasionally, it seemed to be stroking her hair.

Initially, Madam Shen was rather pleased, thinking that he was apologizing in his own way.

Each time this happened, she pretended to be deeply asleep and deliberately remained still.

However, as the "touching" occurred more frequently, Madam Shen found it disruptive to her sleep.

The anger from their argument days ago had long dissipated for Madam Shen.

One morning during breakfast, she chided Shen Hongyuan, "We're already an old couple; there's no need for all these affectionate gestures all day. Just behave at night and sleep properly."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingran, who had just descended from upstairs, chuckled and said, "Mom and Dad really have a great relationship."

Only Shen Hongyuan was left bewildered.

He glanced at Madam Shen and asked in puzzlement, "What's gotten into you early in the morning?"

With that, he put on his coat and left for work.

Madam Shen said to Shen Xingran, "Look at him, he's even blushing."

Night fell once again.

The familiar sensation, resembling both a crawl and a caress, returned.

Madam Shen smiled slightly.

She thought to herself, she had finally caught him red-handed.

Didn't he deny it? Well, let her catch him in the act then.

Quick as a flash, Madam Shen slapped out with her hand.

After her attempt, Madam Shen's fingers missed their target, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Soon, she felt something moving in her palm.

Curious, Madam Shen picked up the object.

Under the moonlight seeping through the window, she brought it closer for a better look.

There, in her hand, was a cockroach larger than her thumb, wriggling its antennae and claws in a desperate struggle.

Wasn't this what one would call "caressing"?

Madam Shen: "..."

Madam Shen: "Ahh——"

A shrill scream pierced the silence of the night, echoing throughout the entire Shen residence.