Chapter 121 – Hunger

Chapter 121 - Hunger

Daylight illuminated the room once more.

With bleary eyes, Lu Ran opened them to see the same brilliant white light as the previous day.

He had blinked in and out of sleep, remaining in bed the whole time.

It was as if the entire day before had vanished into thin air.

Lu Ran merely lifted his hand to shield his eyes, not moving from the bed.

His limbs felt numb, weighed down by an invisible stone, making it difficult to lift them.

He blinked again, looking at the curtains fluttering beside him.

These were Ji Min's bedroom curtains, not those of the hospital room with no windows that he remembered.

Despite having been reborn for quite some time, there were still moments when Lu Ran would wake up from a dream unsure whether the world before his eyes was real or not.

Occasionally, he wondered if his so-called rebirth was nothing more than a dream he had while lying in his sickbed.

This applied to Ji Min and Big Yellow as well.

Thus, Lu Ran didn't linger in bed for too long.

He refused to indulge in such fruitless speculation.

With great effort, Lu Ran moved his heavy limbs and rolled over to climb out of bed.

As soon as he propped himself up on his arms, he couldn't help but pause.

Perfect.

Now, he was certain it wasn't a dream.

In his previous life, he had never experienced anything like this; a dream could never feel so real and surreal.

Ji Min had just returned to the room, planning to check if Lu Ran had woken up.

The moment he pushed open the door to the bedroom, he beheld the youth bending his slender form as he descended from the bed.

His gaze swept unobtrusively over the youth's collarbones, amusement not yet rising in his thoughts.

Ji Min witnessed the person beside the bed lose their strength, collapsing onto the carpet with a soft thud.

"Hey!" Ji Min hurried over to help the person up.

Ji Min's face wore an expression of disbelief.

He paused, yet couldn't resist asking, "Is it really that bad? I don't recall being too harsh..."

But as he spoke, he realized his words sounded like an attempt to evade responsibility.

So he softly inquired, "...Does it hurt?"

"Hurt?"

Lu Ran held Ji Min's arm with one hand and supported his own forehead with the other, his voice nearly drained of strength as he said,

"Let's discuss that later. Right now, the most important thing is, do we have any food?"

Ji Min: "…?"

Lu Ran held his forehead, feeling dizzy and lightheaded with black spots before his eyes.

After a careful self-examination, he stated confidently, "I'm starving. I'm about to die from hunger, give me something to eat!"

Ji Min: "…"

Lu Ran had woken up late yesterday morning, missing breakfast.

He didn't have time for lunch either.

Then, he engaged in an intense physical activity that lasted the entire afternoon.

By the time he finished, he was completely drained.

All he could think about was sleep; who could remember to eat?

Having slept straight through until early morning, Lu Ran found himself famished, feeling as if he were withering away from hunger, his chest almost sticking to his back.

Despite his weakened state, Lu Ran remained resolute.

He insisted on going downstairs to the restaurant to have breakfast by himself.

Ji Min tried to carry him halfway, but was waved off.

Lu Ran justified his refusal, "You walk too slowly when you carry me!"

Ji Min: "..."

After a struggle, they finally reached the dining table. Lu Ran sat down in a chair and, with two large bowls, slurped down the congee before him.

Next, he picked up the entire plate of fried shrimp balls and devoured them all.

Just as Ji Min was about to grab his chopsticks: "..."

After devouring an entire plate of shrimp dumplings, polishing off a whole steamer of soup dumplings, and consuming two pan-fried buns along with a slice of cheesecake, Lu Ran finally felt his soul returning.

He then helped himself to another bowl of soup, which he drank down.

As he finished, Ji Min was seen holding his own bowl, silently observing him.

"…What are you looking at?" Lu Ran asked, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

Ji Min replied, "…Nothing much."

He was merely contemplating how, as expected, it was only fitting for someone like Lu Ran.

Even the morning after such an event was spent in an extraordinary manner.

At first glance, it seemed Lu Ran had eaten more than Ji Min, who had exerted himself the entire afternoon before.

Ji Min let out a sigh.

With Lu Ran seemingly intent on reaching for yet another bite, he gently intervened, extending his hand to stay the youth's movement. "Your stomach will start feeling unwell if you continue," he cautioned.

He couldn't help but chuckle as he added, "Last night, who was sound asleep like a log when I tried to wake you up for a midnight snack?"

Lu Ran rolled his eyes but still couldn't resist having one more steamed bun before stopping.

Today is still a day of respite.

After finishing his breakfast, Ji Min found himself with some leisure time.

The villa was devoid of servants; Manager Chen had gone out to play chess with his old friends.

Only Ji Min and Lu Ran were left in the house.

Lu Ran still appeared rather listless.

He was lying on the sofa, transferring files to his phone.

Even while lying down, he couldn't seem to stay still, changing positions every now and then.

Ji Min watched for a moment before reaching out to draw the person into his embrace.

"Please don't interrupt, I'm sending a file to the counselor."

Lu Ran spoke.

Ji Min's lightly stubbled chin grazed against his nape, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction as he murmured, "Must you transmit it right now?"

The moment the youth's finger touched the send button, the man reached out to snatch the phone away and threw it aside. He then embraced the person and spun around in a circle.

"Hey, don't move," Lu Ran said, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "I ate too much just now. If you hug me too tightly, I'll end up vomiting on you."

Ji Min: "..."

"Do you have an allergy to romance or something?" the man asked through gritted teeth.

Lu Ran couldn't hold back his laughter, and he straddled the man's knees, giggling uncontrollably.

In the midst of his laughter, his knee slipped, and he accidentally split his legs wide open.

Just then, he accidentally tugged on the muscle in his thigh that was already subtly aching.

Lu Ran: "…"

His smile vanished.

Ji Min pulled the person back into his embrace.

He gently squeezed Lu Ran's wrist, then moved upward to his elbow and shoulder.

With a hint of seriousness in his expression, he asked, "Are you feeling any discomfort?"

Lu Ran: "…"

He stared at Ji Min with a wooden face and countered, "Uncle Ji, where do you want me to say I'm hurting?"

Ji Min clicked his tongue and patted his waist, "I'm being serious. Are your joints painful?"

Lu Ran paused imperceptibly before responding, "I said it doesn't hurt."

Finishing his statement, he lifted his gaze to meet the man's dark, intense eyes.

With both hands circling his waist, the man leaned back on the sofa and spoke in a cold, measured tone:

"Certain individuals forbade me from keeping this or that from them, yet they themselves hide things tightly, not revealing anything to me."

The words were laced with sarcasm and irony.

Lu Ran felt a sudden pang of guilt upon hearing this, and he scratched his head.

Noticing his expression, Ji Min's eyebrows lifted in surprise as he asked, "You're really hiding something from me?"

Lu Ran: "..."

"So you were just trying to deceive me?" he said.

"I was being sincere with you," Ji Min straightened his posture slightly and asked again, "To be honest, does your joint still hurt?"

Lu Ran: "..."

He fell silent for a moment, then ambiguously replied, "It doesn't hurt that much, and since it's constant pain, you get used to it—it's almost like it doesn't hurt at all."

Ji Min's expression darkened, but he patted Lu Ran's waist again before ultimately saying nothing.

In the afternoon, Lu Ran, who had been lying in bed to catch up on sleep, was abruptly roused.

Ji Min didn't explain; he simply bundled him into the car.

It wasn't until they were on the road and had driven for quite some time that Lu Ran fully regained consciousness.

He rolled down the car window and glanced outside before turning to Ji Min, asking, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to see a doctor," Ji Min said.

Lu Ran instinctively responded, "I'm not going to the hospital."

Ji Min explained helplessly, "Not a hospital, it's a counseling session for your mental health."

Lu Ran fell quiet.

He had read Ji Min's will.

On the surface, the guy seemed calm, but he had taken the doctor's words to heart during the last car accident.

Before the surgery, he had already selected a few renowned psychotherapists.

In his will, he even reminded Lu Ran to give them a try.

Now, without any prior discussion, he simply dragged Lu Ran here.

Lu Ran didn't resist.

The persistent pain was indeed irritating.

But Lu Ran was well aware that this wasn't something a doctor could easily resolve.

Once they entered the therapy room, Lu Ran sat on the sofa.

Ji Min followed him in but didn't sit down; instead, he stood behind Lu Ran.

The psychiatrist sitting diagonally across from him studied Lu Ran carefully and then smiled.

"Student, it's you, isn't it?"

"Hmm?" Lu Ran was slightly surprised.

He lifted his gaze to look at the doctor in front of him.

The doctor was a kind-looking woman who appeared younger than Madam Shen.

However, Lu Ran didn't recall ever seeing her before.

She chuckled and explained, "I was on vacation visiting family one time and passed by the spot where you were lying down in the neighborhood. I listened to a story you were telling."

Only then did Lu Ran recall the incident.

This must have been referring to the time when he was chased out of the Shen family's home.

There had been many people listening to his story back then, so Lu Ran hadn't kept track of all their faces.

"Story?" Ji Min inquired. "You were telling stories while lying outside?"

Lu Ran coughed and replied, "Just something I made up on the spot."

After a moment's thought, he realized that apart from his own background, he hadn't shared anything else.

So, he admitted openly, "An autobiography, actually."

However, as soon as the formal consultation began, Ji Min was politely "asked" to leave.

Lu Ran didn't have a habit of confiding in others, nor did he feel the need to do so.

He merely cooperated with the psychiatrist, participating in therapies and exercises.

He didn't hold high expectations.

Regular visits to the therapy room each week mostly served to alleviate Ji Min's concerns.

Anyway, it's not busy during the summer vacation.

But recently, the business circle in Jing City has been bustling with activity.

The signing ceremony for the HZ project is soon to be held.

Now, it's evident to all that there's a 90% chance for this project to fall into the Shen family's hands.

Furthermore, the recent technological breakthroughs made by the Shen corporation have indeed aroused envy with their remarkable achievements.

A craze for the Shen family began to flourish within their social circle.

Madam Shen became even more enthusiastic about socializing, attending an endless string of salon gatherings every day.

Shen Xingzhuo also found himself surrounded by many admirers.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, immersed himself in the laboratory and paid little attention to these matters.

Only when Fang Chen visited him would he hear a few gossip tidbits whispered in his ear.

Initially, these incidents didn't bother Lu Ran at all.

Until, there was a senior in the lab who frequently took the initiative to approach him.

Whether it was during experiments or group meetings, this senior would eagerly offer assistance and speak up for him.

On one occasion, under the pretense of discussing an experiment, the senior even accompanied him to the school gate at night.

It was then that Ji Min, who had come to pick him up, caught them in the act.

The man's jealousy knew no bounds; the air was filled with acrid vinegar.

Lu Ran was speechless for a moment before directly asking the senior what he really wanted.

The senior was thoroughly intimidated by Ji Min.

Only then did he stammer out the reason behind his attempts to get close to Lu Ran.

It turned out that he had heard Lu Ran was also from the Shen family.

His family wanted to establish ties with the Shen family but couldn't find the right approach, hence their attempt to cozy up to Lu Ran.

Lu Ran was speechless for a while, not expecting that someone would suck up to him.

This alone spoke volumes about the Shen family's rising status recently.

Not to mention Shen Xingran.

He had recently returned to his life of being the center of attention.

Even when he came back to school during summer break to submit some documents, he was surrounded by a group of friends.

One day, after leaving the counseling room,

Lu Ran spotted Shen Xingran not too far away.

By Shen Xingran's side was a familiar figure—none other than Jin Rino, who had tasted Lu Ran's toilet water on several occasions.

The two appeared quite close, yet they parted ways after chatting for a while.

Shen Xingran turned around and spotted Lu Ran not far away. He was taken aback for a moment.

Then he quickly smiled and said, "What a coincidence."

"It is quite coincidental," Lu Ran commented, glancing at Jin who had already walked away.

Shen Xingran lifted his chin, his smile brimming with smugness. "How does it feel to see your admirer fawning over me now?"

Lu Ran: "..."

He fell silent for a moment before he couldn't resist asking sincerely, "Did you know that he'd drunk toilet water before you kissed him?"

Shen Xingran's expression instantly cracked.

There was nothing more to discuss between the two of them.

Shen Xingran turned and started walking away.

Halfway through, he turned back to look at Lu Ran, smiling as he said,

"Now that the Shen family is thriving, even our archrival, the Lenoir family, is seeking to ingratiate themselves with me. You might regret leaving the Shen family!"

Lu Ran smiled but didn't respond.

When he returned to the car, Ji Min pulled him close and asked, "Why are you in such a good mood today?"

"Yes, it's been quite nice," Lu Ran admitted.

Lu Ran's gaze pierced through the car window, resting on Shen Xingran's departing figure.