Chapter 127: Tussling

Chapter 127: Tussling

Ji Min was taken aback.

The two of them exchanged glances and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Big Yellow, not understanding their merriment, yawned and curled up to sleep beside them.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Ji Min asked.

"No," Lu Ran rejected mercilessly.

"No?"

The corners of the man's eyebrows lifted high. "I could understand if you were too busy with your lab work earlier, but you still have no time now?"

Lu Ran teased him, "You're the one who asked if I had time, and I gave an honest answer. Why aren't you happy about it?"

Frustrated, Ji Min rapped his forehead.

Nighttime.

The lights were off in the bedroom.

Lu Ran was sleeping soundly under the air-conditioned blanket, on the verge of snoring gently. Despite the cool temperature in the room, he found it stuffy and kicked the thin blanket into a disarray with his legs.

Still feeling hot, he nestled closer to the man lying beside him, who had a slightly lower body temperature.

His sleeping position wasn't the most graceful, as his legs sprawled across the other person's body.

Ji Min reached out to draw the man into his embrace, though his dark eyes were wide awake, devoid of any sign of sleep.

Lately, he couldn't help but think about the psychological self-portrait that the therapist had shown him.

Of course, matters concerning the Shen family also occupied his thoughts.

The Ji family's background was different from the Shen family's.

Yet, Ji Min was also a businessman, and his household had its fair share of troubles.

At times, he could easily discern Shen Hongyuan's or Shen Xingyu's intentions.

Shen Hongyuan had altered the will, seizing the inheritance that originally belonged to Lu Ran.

Years later, Lu Ran was found.

To the Shen family, he was like a time bomb waiting to explode.

Should he be exploited by their rivals or, if Lu Ran himself discovered something, chose to expose it to the media, it would cause immense turmoil within the Shen Corporation.

Thus, even though Shen Hongyuan didn't favor this son, Lu Ran, he had to keep him within the Shen family, or at least under their control.

By the time Shen Xingyu took over the Shen Corporation, the situation was irreversible, and he leaned more toward safeguarding the corporation's interests.

However, even disregarding familial ties, Shen Xingyu wouldn't resort to extreme measures.

The aftermath of such actions would be too severe, and any unintended revelation could result in a massive scandal.

Shen Xingyu would likely prefer to draw Lu Ran into the Shen family, strengthening the ties between Lu Ran and the Jins, ideally forming an interest-based alliance.

This was the logical approach for a typical family.

Unfortunately, by the time Shen Xingyu returned, the situation at the Shens had already become a mess.

Ji Min could somewhat comprehend Shen Xingyu's actions.

But what about Shen Hongyuan?

Ji Min couldn't help but feel that Shen Hongyuan had an inexplicable deep fear towards his son, Lu Ran.

He seemed to wish for his youngest son to vanish.

This led Ji Min's thoughts to drift back to Lu Ran's car accident.

Gazing down at the slumbering figure nestled in his embrace, he drew the person even closer.

However, the individual seemed to find it too warm and pushed him away unappreciatively.

Arching their body sideways, they created quite a distance between them.

Ji Min chuckled before resuming his thoughts.

It was inevitable that he would entertain certain speculations.

If Lu Ran hadn't crossed paths with him...

If Shen Hongyuan had indeed orchestrated that car accident, resulting in Lu Ran falling completely into the hands of the Shen family.

Who would have come to Lu Ran's aid?

Madam Shen's attention was solely fixed on Shen Xingran.

Shen Xingzhuo was utterly irresponsible.

Even if Shen Xingyu would feel heartache, given that the situation has already reached this point, he would still choose to protect the Shen family.

Once again, Ji Min's mind was filled with that self-portrait.

The figure lies trapped on a square bed, his body adorned with an intricate web of black lines that symbolize his pain.

"After being trapped in a hospital for ten years, no one would want to return to such a place…"

The youth's indistinct words echoed faintly within Ji Min's mind.

It stirred his heart for an instant.

Presently, it was naturally impossible for Lu Ran to be confined in a hospital for a decade.

Nor would he be pushed into an icy cold pool.

But what if...

An absurd speculation flashed through Ji Min's mind.

It was so absurd that he immediately dismissed it and couldn't help but laugh.

Yet, this seemingly preposterous speculation continued to linger in his mind.

Suddenly, Ji Min recalled how Lu Ran had woken up in the hospital after the car accident.

The youth raised his head from the sickbed, gazing at him with those pitch-black eyes that were nearly devoid of life.

Question: "Ji Min, are you truly real?"

But how can I be sure you're not just a figment of my imagination?

Ji Min instantly sat up straight in bed.

He reached out his arm, extending it to touch the wrist of the youth beside him.

The warm temperature of the youth, accompanied by the pulsing of veins in his wrist, was transmitted to Ji Min's palm.

Yet, it didn't completely dispel the fear in his heart.

Ji Min reached out to embrace Lu Ran into his arms.

The slumbering person, somewhat vexed by the disturbance, reached out a hand to push him away.

Ji Min, however, had no time to dwell on such matters.

His lips trembled as they pressed upon the pulsating vein at the nape of the youth's neck, relishing in the vibrant throb beneath the delicate skin.

Once again, he reached out to clasp the youth's fingers.

Yet, Lu Ran's entire arm was limp with sleep, devoid of any strength.

Ji Min made an effort to interlace their fingers, leaning in to kiss his lips.

Lu Ran was almost at his wit's end.

"I'm not doing anything. I want to sleep," he mumbled, still half-asleep.

Normally, at such times, the man would mercifully let him be.

But this time, Ji Min held his chin with a slight firmness and called his name, "Lu Ran, don't you dare fall asleep!"

Until he was lifted straight off the bed.

The sensation of weightlessness roused Lu Ran, even if he didn't want to wake up.

"What's going on? Earthquake?" Lu Ran asked, rubbing his eyes.

He lifted his gaze to meet the man's bloodshot eyes.

Lu Ran was taken aback by the sight.

"Painful?" The man bent down to kiss the joints of his fingers.

Lu Ran was still somewhat dazed.

The man then lowered his head to gently bite his wrist and asked again, "...Can you feel it?"

The bedroom was dimly lit and quiet.

With his back against the floor-to-ceiling window, the light from outside illuminated Lu Ran's face, allowing him to clearly see the expression in the man's eyes.

"I..."

Suddenly, Lu Ran grasped something.

He blinked, intending to ask, "Did you go see my psychiatrist?"

But before he could utter a word, Ji Min kissed him.

It was a fierce kiss.

His heart pounded fiercely.

Despite the recent tranquility in his life, the intensity of the moment felt like a fierce regained loss.

Lu Ran understood.

There was no need for him to say anything more.

The next day.

The sun was shining bright, and the chirping of birds in the garden was excessively loud.

In bed, Lu Ran turned over and covered his ears with a pillow.

After a while, he abruptly sat up and was about to get out of bed.

Unfortunately, as soon as his foot touched the ground, Lu Ran stumbled and fell to his knees with a thud.

Ji Min entered with a tray of food, catching sight of this scene.

Ji Min: "…."

He fell silent for a moment before putting down the tray and approaching him.

"It can't be that bad," Ji Min couldn't help but comment. "You did have dinner last night, right?"

Lu Ran leaned on his arm to stand up.

He gritted his teeth and said through clenched jaws, "This time, it's not because of hunger. It's thanks to you. Are you satisfied now?"

Ji Min: "…"

He touched his nose, acknowledging his fault. He helped Lu Ran up and spoke gently, "Well, you still need to eat something to fill your stomach first."

To his surprise, Lu Ran pushed the tray away with a twisted expression on his face. He exclaimed in despair,

"I don't want to eat anything! My bladder is about to burst! Don't block my way to the bathroom!"

Ji Min: "…"

He quickly put the tray down, holding back his laughter as he carried Lu Ran into the bathroom.

After relieving himself, Lu Ran finally emerged, alive and well.

Only then did he feel how desperately hungry he was. Supporting himself against the door frame, he dragged himself out.

The man he had just chased out of the bathroom had already placed the tray on the small table on the balcony.

Upon hearing the sound, he glanced over and asked with a smile, "You're up. Do you need me to help you?"

"Get lost!" Lu Ran snapped.

He sturdily walked over to the small sofa and was about to pick up his chopsticks.

As he lifted his head, he noticed the dried water stains on the window glass, causing his ears to turn crimson.

"I'm not eating here," Lu Ran declared.

Ji Min also caught sight of the marks and coughed softly, looking down.

Lu Ran held back his frustration and added, "You're not hiring a cleaner for this. You'll have to clean it yourself."

Ji Min raised an eyebrow, teasing him,

"It was both of us who made that mess, why should I be the one to deal with it alone?"

Lu Ran replied, "…Have some dignity, will you?"

Last night's activities were too intense, leaving telltale signs throughout the room.

Ji Min didn't plan on calling anyone over. Instead, he descended the stairs to fetch a cleaning cloth himself.

Upon returning, he crouched by the window, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and began wiping the surfaces with a forlorn expression.

A supervisor sat beside him, offering guidance:

"You should use a dry cloth to wipe again; otherwise, there'll be water stains, and anyone can tell you're inexperienced in this."

Lu Ran was genuinely exhausted from the previous night.

Ji Min had driven him to the brink of madness.

Starting from the tips of his fingers all the way to his shoulders, Ji Min had virtually touched and even nibbled on every joint of his body.

He even asked, "Does it hurt? Can you feel anything?"

At one point, he'd carried Lu Ran around the entire room, spinning them both in a wild dance.

Practically every corner of the bedroom had been explored, except for the bed itself.

Lu Ran woke up with sore joints all over his body in the morning.

It wasn't an illusion; this time, the ache was real.

Seems like even youth couldn't withstand such exhausting positions.

Seeing how exhausted he truly was, Ji Min suggested, "There's nothing much to do anyway, why don't you go back to sleep?"

Lu Ran pulled a long face. "You're the one with nothing to do, not me."

"Hmm?" Ji Min was surprised. "What's the matter?"

"I have to meet someone."

Yawning, Lu Ran frowned as he mentioned this, slightly annoyed. "I was supposed to meet them outside, but now I'll have to ask them to come over instead."

Ji Min chuckled at him. "Why can't you go out now?"

Lu Ran shot him a subtle glance. "You still have your wheelchair, right? Maybe I could sit on it and you could push me over?"

Ji Min froze upon hearing this, dropping the rag to pinch Lu Ran's cheek.

"Don't talk nonsense. You're not allowed to say things like that."

Ji Min didn't inquire about whom Lu Ran had invited.

He had assumed it was a classmate or someone of the sort.

But when the guest arrived, he realized that Lu Ran had actually invited Shen Cheng.

Ji Min's eyebrows twitched.

He had been investigating Shen Cheng recently.

This man was a gambler with a considerable debt.

Much of Shen Hongyuan's embezzled wealth had ended up in his pockets.

Shen Cheng's father had made significant contributions to the Shen Corporation, and now Shen Cheng has taken his father's place, holding a seat on the company's board of directors.

However, Shen Cheng is an exceedingly cunning individual, completely uninvolved in the company's financial affairs.

He also has a notorious weakness for women, with a multitude of illegitimate children outside of marriage.

His legitimate wife has long since divorced him.

Seeing Shen Cheng, Ji Min understood why Lu Ran was reluctant to invite him over to the house.

Probably because he found it tainted.

Lu Ran took a seat in the courtyard.

"Oh, the layout of this courtyard is quite impressive. Hey... this pine tree is pruned beautifully!"

After a round of flattery, Shen Cheng sat down in front of Lu Ran.

He looked at Lu Ran and sighed, "Oh my, it's been ages since I last saw you, Cousin. I even carried you when you were a child."

He then stood up again to take Ji Min's hand. "President Ji! I've heard so much about you..."

Lu Ran yawned.

He said coolly, "Let's get down to business. Didn't you say you had information regarding my grandfather to share with me?"

"Indeed, indeed."

Shen Cheng exaggerated, "You have no idea how much your grandpa dotes on you. He holds you in the palm of his hand, afraid to drop you, and keeps you close to his heart, afraid to lose you!

"He took you in specifically because of how your father was. In the entire family, he might be the one who loves you the most. Otherwise, why would he leave all his inheritance to you, right?"

Shen Cheng rambled on.

Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, listening to Shen Cheng's words.

Ji Min sat beside him, ignoring Shen Cheng as he held onto Lu Ran's arm, gently kneading his joints.

This display made Shen Cheng's eyes gleam with interest.

Lu Ran glanced at Shen Cheng and asked with a tone full of anticipation,

"Really? Could you tell me more about Grandpa?"

His voice echoed like that of a child yearning for familial affection desperately.

This made Ji Min unable to resist raising an eyebrow at him.

Lu Ran gently pinched the man's fingertips, signaling him not to interrupt.

He then turned back to Shen Cheng and continued, "But I don't even remember what Grandpa looked like. Telling me this doesn't seem to hold much significance."

"How can it be insignificant!" Shen Cheng exclaimed emotionally, "You can ask Uncle me!"

After saying that, he seemed to realize his eagerness and laughed it off. He got up from the table and strolled around the courtyard.

Lu Ran remained seated in his chair.

"Quite the convincing act," Ji Min chuckled.

Lu Ran shot him a withering glance.

In his possession were photos of Elder Shen, and compared to Shen Cheng's words, Lu Ran placed more trust in Elder Gu's descriptions.

The longing for familial affection was an inherent human trait.

If he were any other orphan who had never felt a parent's love, Lu Ran supposed he might have been deeply moved by Shen Cheng's words.

But Lu Ran was not interested.

A few days prior, Shen Cheng had sought him out at school, speaking in vague allusions.

Lu Ran speculated that with Shen Hongyuan's downfall, Shen Cheng, burdened with gambling debts, had turned his eyes toward him.

Frankly, Lu Ran had little interest in the shenanigans between Shen Cheng and Shen Hongyuan.

Yet, considering... the inheritance from Elder Shen, Lu Ran decided to make contact with Shen Cheng after all.

Though he was unsure of the elder's intentions behind the gift, it was still the only present he had ever received from an elder.

For the sake of this "uniqueness," he intended to investigate further.

As he watched Shen Cheng's departing figure, Lu Ran suddenly cast a glance at Ji Min, mischief brewing in his eyes.

Perceiving his gaze, Ji Min asked, "What's up?"

Lu Ran leaned closer to him.

Ji Min chuckled, "Why are you whispering secrets at home?"

Lu Ran shot him a look before saying, "I really detest this person."

Shen Cheng was rather unscrupulous and had even harassed Shen Xingran.

Even though Shen Xingran was adopted, he had been living with the Shens for quite some time.

It was utterly disgusting to lay hands on one's adopted nephew.

"Hmm?" Ji Min leaned in as well.

"But I still want to extract some information from him," Lu Ran said.

"In that case, you go back first. I'll be the one to interact with him," Ji Min offered.

"No way," Lu Ran said, somewhat stubbornly. "I want to ask him myself."

"Then..."

Ji Min tried to gauge what Lu Ran had in mind. "Should I cause him some trouble after you've gotten what you need?"

"No, that would take too long. I want to get to him right now," Lu Ran stated.

Ji Min fell silent for a moment.

Considering Lu Ran's methods, he cautiously asked, "How do you plan on punishing him?"

Lu Ran lifted his finger, pointing at the empty cup on the table, and said, "Fill it with some toilet water for him."

Ji Min: "..."

The esteemed Chairman of the Ji Corporation had never heard such an outrageous yet confidently delivered command in his life.

For a moment, he was at a loss, pointing at himself in confusion, seeking confirmation:

"Ah? Me?"

"Yes," Lu Ran replied with a grin. "After you've put me through all this, do you expect me to do it myself?"

Ji Min: "...."

Who exactly are you trying to tease here?