Chapter 101: Sweet Treats

Chapter 101: Sweet Treats

The bodyguards trailing behind Lu Ran were unable to keep up with his swift actions.

They stood there, dumbfounded, watching as Gu Ningqi and Shen Xingran landed in the cesspool.

That was Young Master Gu!

It was an incredible feat to have shoved the future heir of the Gu family into their own septic tank.

Despite their astonishment, the bodyguards still remembered whose side they were on. Noticing figures approaching from a side path, one of them promptly informed Lu Ran, "Young Master, someone's coming!"

The newcomer was Ji Yue.

Since her son had been invited to the Gu residence, she had decided to tag along.

As an elder, upon hearing Gu Ningqi and Shen Xingran's shrieks, she instinctively drew closer to investigate.

Approaching, she unexpectedly caught sight of Lu Ran.

Ji Yue furrowed her brow, wondering what mischief Lu Ran was up to now.

To her surprise, upon seeing her, not only did Lu Ran not hide, but he actually picked up a bucket beside him and splashed its contents onto Gu Ningqi and Shen Xingran.

With his action, a captivating scent wafted over.

Realizing what Lu Ran was pouring, Ji Yue froze in astonishment.

Hearing the bodyguard's voice, Lu Ran lifted his head to look at Ji Yue.

"Is there something you need from the boss's aunt?"

Ji Yue glanced at what Lu Ran was holding, then at the disheveled Gu Ningqi and Shen Xingran.

In that instant, Ji Yue suddenly comprehended the meaning behind the "restraint" this man had mentioned earlier.

With the arrival of help, Gu Ningqi promptly sought assistance: "Auntie, look at him..."

Lu Ran also turned to look at Ji Yue.

Ji Yue glanced at the bucket Lu Ran was holding and suddenly chuckled,

"Heh, heh! You young folks sure know how to have fun. Enjoy yourselves... enjoy, I won't disturb you, heh heh..."

With that, she quickly left in her high heels.

At the archery range, Gu Zhi had just managed to appease the fury of both Shen Xingyu and Shen Xingzhuo.

Ji Min was wondering why Lu Ran hadn't returned yet.

Looking up, I saw the youth strolling in slowly.

He lowered his head, making it somewhat difficult to read his expression. He had also taken off his jacket, leaving him only in a long-sleeved T-shirt.

Only when they drew closer did Ji Min notice the mess on the child's trousers and shoes.

Noticing Lu Ran's subdued mood, Ji Min inquired softly.

"What's the matter?"

"Boss, my coat is stained. I'd like to change in the car."

Lu Ran spoke with a muffled voice.

The youth's voice had returned to normal, though it still carried a faint hint of hoarseness upon listening.

Ji Min frowned.

It was understandable to get his shoes dirty after strolling around the fields, but how did his clothes get soiled too?

He glanced at the bodyguard trailing behind Lu Ran.

The bodyguard wore a distant expression, seemingly lost in some astounding reminiscence.

Ji Min had no choice but to avert his gaze.

He extended his hand towards Lu Ran, "Come here."

The youth's hand reached out, as cold as water freshly drawn from a well, sending a chill through the air.

Only when he pulled the person close did Ji Min look up and notice that the child's eyes were unexpectedly rimmed with red.

Ji Min was taken aback.

Knowing Lu Ran for so long, he had seen him laugh heartily, get angry, and even experience moments of melancholy.

Yet, he had never seen this appearance of him as if he was about to cry.

"What happened?"

Ji Min's voice lowered slightly before suddenly softening.

Thereupon, the youth's voice emerged hoarse, saying, "I've dirtied my shoes."

Ji Min stood there in a momentary daze, quickly followed by a slight urge to laugh.

He gently held the youth's fingers, calloused from their toil, and whispered,

"A pair of shoes, is it really worth your reaction? It's common for shoes to get dirty when you wear them; they're dirty, so be it. Look at you, not daring to run or jump these past two days."

"Yet... it was someone else who made the stain."

Lu Ran lowered his head to survey the disarray on the sole of his shoe.

Ji Min also noticed.

Ever since Lu Ran put on those shoes yesterday, he had been exceptionally meticulous with them, as if even his steps were more cautious.

Now, however, the shoes were terribly soiled.

"Who did this to you?" Ji Min inquired.

At that moment, others in the archery range also noticed Lu Ran's plight.

Upon hearing Ji Min's question, Gu Zhi, Shen Xingyu, Shen Xingzhuo, and the butler who hurried over later, all gathered around.

The butler was the most anxious to see Lu Ran in this state.

Logically, he had taken someone away and was supposed to bring them back safely to Ji Min.

But how could something have happened after such a short absence?

"I wasn't bullied," Lu Ran said in a muffled voice. "It was Shen Xingran who spilled coffee on my shoes."

Everyone thought that he was finally going to express his grievances.

Instead, they saw him still with red-rimmed eyes, staring at his soiled shoes with a pained expression.

Yet, he spoke, "Then I pushed both him and Gu Ningqi into a manure pit."

Everyone: "???"

The teenager, with an appearance of having suffered an immense injustice, then said coldly,

"And I splashed all the fertilized water from the field onto their bodies."

Everyone: "..."

Who on earth was the one being wronged here?!

The butler from the Gu family was also stunned.

Did he hear it wrong?

Kicking someone into a manure pit?

And the most outrageous part was that he not only did it, but he also admitted to it?

This was happening in their very own Gu family residence!

For a moment, the butler had no idea what expression to make.

Then, they heard the man in the wheelchair say,

"It is rather excessive."

"When we meet Mr. Gu later, I'll speak up for you," Ji Min said.

Everyone: "...."

Speak up for whom?

Did they just hear things?

Leaving the stunned group behind, Ji Min accompanied Lu Ran back to the car to change clothes.

By the time Lu Ran changed his clothes and shoes and climbed out of the car, his expression was still far from pleasant.

Ji Min glanced at him and couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you really that angry?"

The youth said nothing, lowering his head as he carefully placed his grime-coated shoes into the bag.

After a moment of silence, he said, "I wonder if it can still be cleaned."

Ji Min recognized those shoes; they were the ones he had prepared for Lu Ran's birthday.

He instinctively said, "If it doesn't clean up properly, just discard it. There will be more every year."

Saying those words, Ji Min paused slightly.

Of course, shoes weren't something one bought only once a year.

Once a year, only a birthday gift.

Ji Min raised his gaze, and sure enough, he found the youth looking straight back at him.

"Cough... I mean, it's just a pair of shoes, no need to worry too much about it," Ji Min explained, trying to smooth things over.

But Lu Ran remained silent, his gaze fixed on him.

"Since you're dressed now, let's go. Mr. Gu should be up by now," Ji Min said, taking the initiative to maneuver the wheelchair forward.

Behind him, the youth leapt forward in two or three agile steps, reaching out once more to tousle his hair affectionately.

Ji Min swiftly grasped his wrist with deft agility.

He said helplessly, "What do you want to do now?"

"Allow me to touch, Boss!" Lu Ran requested.

At that moment, the butler's voice sounded nearby, filled with awkwardness.

"Mr. Elder has awoken, and he requests the presence of Mr. Ji and Young Master Shen together."

Upon hearing this, Ji Min finally released the youth's hand.

Upon following the butler to the main hall, I found it surprisingly crowded with people.

Mr. Gu was in his seventies, not in the best of health. He leaned on a cane while seated in a chair.

With his sparse, silver hair, he sat sipping tea, his every movement imbued with the characteristic deliberateness of advanced age.

In front of him, a middle-aged man was bowing his head, listening to a scolding. "Yes, yes, I didn't expect him to contact outside media to put pressure on you either."

Upon hearing this, the elder Gu lifted his head from his teacup and stared at the man for a moment before suddenly raising his cane as if to strike.

"Putting pressure on me? Is that putting pressure on me?" The old man's voice was filled with rage. "Now that the Gu family is under your charge, your son is forcing his way to the top, and you're still nodding your head in agreement!"

As Lu Ran stepped into the room, he heard the scene of a father reprimanding his son.

Seeing his curiosity, Ji Min motioned for him to lower his head and whispered in his ear, "This is Gu Ningqi's father, Gu Qing, Gu Zhi's older brother. You should call him Uncle."

Lu Ran nodded and looked up again.

He himself hadn't been exposed to many similar family scenarios.

The only comparable situations he had witnessed were classmates being scolded by their parents when he was young, or Shen Hongyuan disciplining Shen Xingyu or Shen Xingzhuo.

But after watching for a while, Lu Ran realized that the scene before him was quite different from what he had encountered before.

Although the elder Gu was also angry, his outburst wasn't a simple venting of emotions like Shen Hongyuan's.

It was clear that he couldn't hold back his anger towards his son, as his scolding carried the tone of frustration with an iron will to forge steel.

Meanwhile, despite being scolded, Gu Ningqi's father was evidently more concerned about the elder's health.

Lu Ran was absorbed in watching.

Ji Min paused, not immediately speaking up.

He knew that because the boy had never experienced such family interactions, he was particularly curious about them.

However, he only stood at a distance, observing without any desire to participate or attempt it himself.

It was Gu Qing, who was being reprimanded, that turned his head and blushed upon seeing the two of them. He then said to Elder Gu, "Dad, the younger generation is here, so please don't scold me anymore."

Elder Gu turned his head and saw Ji Min and Lu Ran, responding calmly, "Oh, you're here."

The old man's gaze lingered on Lu Ran's face for a moment but didn't say anything further.

Ji Min led Lu Ran forward, just about to speak.

Suddenly, an unpleasant odor wafted into the main hall.

The smell was so strong that all present instinctively turned their gazes towards the entrance.

Grandpa Gu even muttered, "Why does this year's manure smell so pungent..."

Upon lifting their heads, they saw Ningqi and Shen Xingran, both in a deplorable state.

Their bodies were stained brown, their heads covered in straw, and their hair tips adorned with something rather revolting.

Upon seeing their appearance, everyone in the main hall was stunned.

Spotting Lu Ran among the crowd, Ningqi knew he had arrived at the right time.

Regardless of what Lu Ran had come to do today,

after he lodged his complaint, he would make sure he got the hell out of there!

Ningqi took Shen Xingran forward by the arm, who kept his head down, embarrassed beyond measure.

Looking up at his own father and grandfather, Ningqi declared sternly, "Grandfather! It's all because of him!"

Pointing at Lu Ran behind Ji Min, he exclaimed, "He randomly pushed me into the cesspool!"

"This is our Gu family's territory! How dare he be so audacious? Does he have any respect for our family?"

Both Grandpa Gu and Gu Qing were taken aback upon hearing this.

They also turned to look at Lu Ran behind Ji Min.

Grandpa Gu frowned first and looked at Ningqi, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting? He pushed both of you into the cesspool?"

Pointing at Lu Ran, the old man then shook his head. "Look at his tiny arms and legs. You could overpower him twice over. How could he possibly push you into the cesspool?"

Ningqi was dumbfounded.

Lu Ran blinked twice in response to these words.

He leaned closer to Ji Min, appearing even more vulnerable, pitiful, and helpless.

Noticing everyone's gaze, he even wrinkled his nose and said in a pretentious manner, "Ew, Boss, what kind of filth is on them? Why do they smell so bad? It's disgusting!"

Ningqi, who had been personally pushed by Lu Ran into the cesspool, and Shen Xingran, who was dragged along with him, both thought, "..."

Disgusting?

You actually know the meaning of disgusting?

You were the one who shoved them in, yet you're asking what's on them?

"No, how can you say that, Grandfather?" Ningqi deliberately didn't clean himself up and brought Shen Xingran along just so he could complain to his grandfather.

But his grandfather didn't believe him?

"Enough, how can you still have the face to speak after ending up like this?" Gu Qing covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight.

Hearing his father echo the same sentiment, Gu Ningqi couldn't hold back any longer.

"If it weren't for him, why would Ruan Ruan and I have come all this way around from behind the archery range looking like this!"

He unleashed his barrage of scolding with intense vehemence.

There, the young man opposite appeared startled, swiftly pulling Ji Min's wheelchair back several steps.

He wrinkled his nose and complained pitifully, "Boss, they're so fierce. Shall we leave?"

"Enough! Look at how frightened he is!" Gu Qing immediately scolded.

But Elder Gu's expression darkened. He stared at Gu Ningqi and asked, "Did you come from the archery range?"

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Gu Ningqi quickly replied, "Yes! Many people there saw us like this, they…."

Before he could finish his self-defense, Elder Gu raised his cane and struck him. "I'll beat you to a pulp, you good-for-nothing! You've brought shame to the Gu family!"

He could have cleaned himself up before coming to complain but deliberately chose to arrive in a dirty state for dramatic effect.

What else could it be but disgraceful!

Seeing the situation, Gu Qing hurriedly asked someone to pull Gu Ningqi away.

Immediately, a few more servants entered, some mopping the floor while others ventilating the room.

It took quite some time for the main hall to return to its tranquility.

Old Master Gu poured himself another cup of tea.

He lifted his gaze to meet Lu Ran's across the room.

The old man's face had lost all signs of anger. He asked calmly, "Young man from the Shen family, did you push Ningqi and the others?"

Asked at last, the youth who had but moments ago feigned an expression of utter innocence now dared to declare with audacious boldness:

"Oh, yes, not only did I push them, I also drenched them in feces."

Ji Min, who was just about to speak up for Lu Ran, fell silent.

To everyone's surprise, Old Master Gu chuckled upon hearing this.

He held his teacup and pointed at Lu Ran with it, addressing Gu Qing, "Looking at how mischievous he is and how bold, it seems to be true."

Gu Qing immediately apologized, "Father is old and his eyesight isn't good enough to recognize people. Don't mind it."

Old Master Gu shot his son a glance and said, "How could it be that easy to recognize? If it was truly that simple, how come his father hasn't found him after all these years?"

After saying this, Old Master Gu reached out his hand to Lu Ran and said,

"Come here, let me take a look."

Lu Ran looked down at Ji Min before stepping forward.

Old Master Gu took hold of Lu Ran's wrist and then asked the butler for his reading glasses, examining Lu Ran's face meticulously.

After a long while, the elder sighed and said, "You've grown so fast. The last time you were here... you were only slightly taller than this table."

As he spoke, the old man gestured with his hand to illustrate.

Lu Ran had never encountered such a warm scene before. He instinctively turned his head to look at Ji Min.

Ji Min was just a short distance away, smiling at him.

The old man pushed up his reading glasses, glanced at the two of them, and then fell silent.

At this point, Gu Qing reminded, "Dad, you should eat something. You haven't had anything all morning."

The elderly Gu nodded. "Then both of you youngsters come over."

Lu Ran had initially expected an elderly person's breakfast to be very light.

But when he followed to the dining room, he found that the table was filled with desserts.

Gu Qing explained, "Old people are like little kids – they love sweets, but can't have too much. They only indulge a bit in the morning."

Ji Min clearly knew about this habit of Elder Gu's, so he sat at the table without touching the desserts.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, was feeling quite hungry.

He didn't hesitate and started savoring a bowl of Mango Pomelo Sago dessert.

With just one bite, his eyes lit up.

He turned to Ji Min and said, "Boss, this is delicious. It's not too sweet."

As he spoke, he tried another dish.

Seeing his reaction, Mr. Gu suddenly remarked, "So you've developed a taste for sweets now?"

"Hmm?" Lu Ran looked up, puzzled.

Mr. Gu sighed and said,

"Your grandfather has diabetes. Whenever he comes here, he's very picky about what he eats. He doesn't consume sweets, so neither does his family prepare any."

Mr. Gu's voice was slow and nostalgic as he continued,

"After you came here, when I asked if you wanted something, you would only cover your mouth and shake your head."

The child refused to eat, nor did he show any interest in the desserts on the table.

However, Grandpa Gu observed and couldn't help but feel that the child was actually craving them.

Seizing the opportunity when the child wasn't paying attention, he slipped a piece of cake into the child's mouth. The child's eyes immediately lit up.

But when Grandpa Gu offered him a slice, the child still shook his head, insisting he didn't want any.

This piqued Grandpa Gu's curiosity, and he asked the child why.

At that moment, Master Shen was studying a chess manual not too far away.

The child stole a glance at his grandfather and whispered to him, "Everyone else can have something sweet, but Grandpa is the only one who can't. That's just too pitiful for Grandpa."

He said, "I'll accompany Grandfather in not eating."