Chapter 81: Doctor
By the time Shen Xingran finished his story, Lu Ran had already twisted the lid back on and placed the can back into his backpack as if he hadn't done anything.
Shen Xingran assumed that Lu Ran was stunned by his taste and knowledge, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.
He turned to Ji Min and asked, "Mr. Ji, what do you think?"
Ji Min: "..."
What did he think? He hadn't even heard half a sentence.
His full attention was on the can in Lu Ran's hand, afraid that the guy might accidentally shake the cockroach onto him.
Afterward, Shen Xingran took them to visit the main bedroom of the villa, which was the suite currently occupied by Madam Shen and Shen Hongyuan.
As soon as Ji Min opened the door, he caught sight of Lu Ran once again pulling out a canister.
Not only did he promptly pour a considerable amount into the crack of Madam Shen's bedroom door, but as he passed by Shen Xingyu's room, noticing that Shen Xingyu wasn't home, he also slipped several bugs underneath the door.
From the corner of his eye, Ji Min could only glimpse at the terrifying black shadows scurrying about on the ground.
It seemed that the fear of cockroaches was ingrained in human nature.
At this moment, even Ji Min, who was in a wheelchair, felt an urge to retract his feet.
Shen Xingyu, who had tasted cockroaches before, might have an unpredictable reaction when he returned home and saw these creatures crawling all over the floor...
By the time they reached the first floor, Lu Ran's large canister was almost empty.
Shen Xingran then led them to the kitchen.
The kitchen was spacious, and he intended to introduce the chef the Shen family had hired.
As Shen Xingran turned to call the chef, Ji Min swiftly wheeled his chair around to look at Lu Ran.
There were hardly any cockroaches left in the jar Lu Ran held, but it was still covered with a thick layer of egg cases.
Lu Ran then opened the kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator, stuffing the egg cases from the jar into every compartment.
Lastly, he poured the remaining ones into the gaps between the cabinets.
Ji Min: "...."
That was ruthless.
When Shen Xingran returned, he still persisted, "Chef Wang has gone out to buy groceries, Mr. Ji. Why don't you stay for dinner?"
The moment he finished asking, Ji Min firmly rejected the offer, "No!"
"Cough, let's leave now."
With that, Ji Min hastily led Lu Ran out of the Shen family's villa and into a car.
After leaving the villa, Lu Ran tossed the empty can into a trash bin.
Watching this scene, Ji Min couldn't help but ask, "Did you get rid of everything?"
"Relax! I left it all for them!" Lu Ran replied enthusiastically.
A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he continued,
"I've been wanting to pour it into their room, but cockroaches can crawl everywhere, and I would suffer too if I lived there. Now that we've moved out, I don't have to worry about it!"
Ji Min: "..."
Large cockroaches were not commonly seen in the capital city.
In a family like the Shens, they might never have encountered such pests before.
If Lu Ran had openly poured the contents into their room, the Shens would likely have immediately called pest control services.
But now, an entire can had been emptied silently...
The Shen family would have quite a time realizing the infestation, finding pest control, and eradicating them completely.
Besides, there was nothing that insecticide could do against egg cases.
At this moment, Ji Min felt as if he had invited a deity into his home.
But then again, this was the only source of amusement for the child. It wasn't too much to bear.
The car slowly exited the gated community where the Shen family resided.
As the familiar yet oppressive house gradually disappeared from view, Lu Ran, who had just been gleefully releasing the cockroaches, fell silent.
He turned to stare out the car window, watching the Shen family's residence fade away, his emotions mixed.
This was because Lu Ran recalled the first time he left the Shen family in his previous life.
Deciding to sever ties with his biological parents was no easy task.
Especially since it severed the family bond he had yearned for over a decade.
When he left, Lu Ran was determined, feeling both relieved and strangely bewildered.
Yet, his resolve to leave the Shen family ultimately resulted in him being bedridden for ten years.
Upon his rebirth, Lu Ran swore he would never leave the Shen family.
Even if every idiot in the Shen family were to depart, he would remain.
He would endure until they were all gone.
But now, he still chose to leave.
The young man fell into a long silence.
Ji Min glanced sideways at him.
To his surprise, the child hadn't gone to the back seat; he hadn't even pulled out the folding seat in the middle row.
Once Shen's mansion was entirely out of sight, he sat directly in the car.
Noticing Ji Min's gaze upon him, the youth leaned slightly to the side.
He didn't touch Ji Min's leg but gently rested against the armrest of the wheelchair.
He said, "Boss, if there comes a day when you no longer want me to live with you, please inform me a month... no, three months in advance, okay?"
He gestured three fingers toward Ji Min and said, "I need to find a place early before I can move out."
Something softened within Ji Min.
The man didn't say, "I won't let you leave."
He understood that to a child who had always been homeless, such a promise was as fleeting as a castle in the air, offering no real comfort.
So, he simply nodded.
Extending his broad palm, he gently placed it on the child's soft hair and rubbed gently, saying, "Alright."
The car just happened to pass by a bustling commercial street. Ji Min gently ruffled the youth's hair and said, "Don't curl up any longer. Come on, take a look and tell me what you'd like for dinner tonight."
Lu Ran climbed up and peered out the car window for a while. He then said, "I'm going to buy some ice cream."
Ji Min's brows lifted subtly.
Though it's early spring, having ice cream is quite excessive, are you trying to give your stomach a hard time?
Yet, the thought that this boy could polish off four ice creams in one go during winter made him hold back any scolding.
He simply instructed the driver to pull over by the roadside.
Whatever Ji Min wanted to eat today, he was free to do so.
Lu Ran opened the car door and got out.
Ji Min didn't follow but lowered the window to look outside.
The young man entered an ice cream fast-food shop, but soon returned empty-handed.
"Why didn't you get any?" Ji Min asked.
"Because they didn't have the flavor I wanted," Lu Ran replied.
Ji Min thought to himself that this boy was quite particular.
Just as he was about to ask Lu Ran to get back into the car, he saw Lu Ran head for a shop a little further away.
After visiting three shops back and forth, the youth finally returned with four ice creams held delicately in both hands.
It was Ji Min who eventually opened the car door for him.
Seeing how many he was holding, Ji Min instinctively reached out to help share the load.
However, Lu Ran bypassed his hand and slid directly into the car.
Ji Min: "...Are you really going to eat all four by yourself?"
Lu Ran regarded him warily. "Of course, these four are all mine!"
With that, he bent down to bite off the tips of all four ice creams.
Ji Min rolled his eyes at him. "Look at how easily you're pleased."
Lu Ran ignored him.
"Nothing else?" Ji Min asked.
Upon seeing the youth nod in agreement, he then instructed the driver to proceed to a respectable restaurant.
Dinner couldn't possibly consist solely of ice cream, right?
Following Ji Min into the restaurant, Lu Ran still held the four ice creams in his hand.
It's not particularly warm outside right now; it would be quite a challenge to consume four in one go.
Yet the youth continued to eat at a leisurely, unhurried pace.
Ji Min furrowed his brow and took a closer look.
The youth held four ice creams in his hand, each representing three distinct flavors.
Two of them are vanilla-flavored, and the pink one is likely strawberry.
There was also a light yellow one, exuding a subtle lemon fragrance.
Ji Min possesses exceptional memory.
Vaguely, he recalled that last time Lu Ran had enjoyed ice cream in his office, it was these very flavors he'd chosen.
Ji Min inquired, "You really like these three flavors, particularly vanilla?"
Upon hearing the question, Lu Ran gave a vague response, "I guess so."
As he spoke, he took another large bite of the ice cream, all the way down to the cone.
In the evening, Lu Ran returned to Ji Min's villa.
It wasn't his first time visiting, so he was quite familiar with the place.
However, he hadn't expected that Ji Min had actually prepared a room for Big Yellow.
The room was fully equipped with a dog bed and toys.
Lu Ran couldn't help but marvel; indeed, men were willing to put in effort when it came to certain rumors...
Oh wait, he should commend his boss for his generosity.
Despite Ji Min providing a new doghouse for Big Yellow, Lu Ran still brought along the old one.
Big Yellow had accompanied him through several environment changes, always with this doghouse.
Although Big Yellow was already very familiar with Ji Min's place, having something with his own scent would likely provide the puppy a sense of security.
Having tended to Big Yellow's needs, Lu Ran returned to his own room. He caressed the soft bed. He clearly remembered his reaction the last time he slept on such a plush mattress. He still wasn't accustomed to sleeping on a soft bed. However, Lu Ran didn't call for anyone. Instead, he removed the bedding from the mattress and spread it out on the carpet, making himself a makeshift floor bed. Then, he laid down on it and studied his schedule for the next day. Downstairs, Ji Min was still occupied with his tasks. Looking up, he asked the butler, "Has everything been arranged?" "I've already informed Doctor Kemler, and he should be arriving shortly," replied Butler Chen.
Ji Min nodded.
Shortly after, the sound of a car echoed from outside the courtyard.
He instinctively glanced at the lit window upstairs.
Instead of waiting for the vehicle to come in, he went out to greet personally.
Doctor Kemler was a middle-aged man in his fifties, but his hair and beard were both snowy white.
He appears to be an energetic little old man, full of spirit.
He was slightly surprised to see Ji Min, and greeted him warmly, "Ji! You've actually come out in person to welcome me!"
"So eager, have you decided to go through with the operation?"
Saying this, he opened the car door and was about to step out.
In the fraction of a second before he could descend, Ji Min called out, "Wait a moment."
Dr. Kemler: "?"
He looked down to see Ji Min scrutinizing him from head to toe with great scrutiny.
Ji Min frowned and said, "You look too much like a doctor, that won't do."
Dr. Kemler: "?"
"I did tell you not to dress so professionally, but your stethoscope is even sticking out of your shirt pocket," Ji Min pointed out.
"But I am a doctor," Dr. Kemler replied.
Ji Min turned to the butler Chen and said, "Find him something more casual to wear."
Only then did he explain to Dr. Kemler, "The children at home have a strong aversion to hospitals, so please don't give off that hospital vibe when you go in."
Dr. Kemler tried hard to recall who this "child" Ji Min was referring to, but couldn't figure out where this person came from or why they held such importance to Ji Min.
Yet, after some contemplation, he decided to be honest and said:
"I'm not well-versed in pediatrics. Should I call for a pediatrician who is more skilled in dealing with children?"
Ji Min: "..."
Butler Chen couldn't help it and chuckled.
Observing the expression on Butler Chen's face, Doctor Kemler gradually grasped the situation.
He took the adoptive father from Butler Chen and teased in a clear, fluent Mandarin, "Ji Min, have you ever heard that every tycoon has a miserable doctor friend?"
"So what?"
Ji Min raised an eyebrow, his tone cold and detached, "You're not my friend, just a doctor I hired at great expense."
"Also, change your clothes quickly."
Dr. Kemler: "..."
After Ji Min waited for them to change clothes in the car, he allowed them entry into the yard.
He led the way into the villa.
Before going upstairs, he paused and turned to Dr. Kemler, saying, "Your glasses are too doctor-like. Change them."
Unable to resist, Dr. Kemler muttered under his breath,
"Is your 'child' really just afraid of doctors? He sounds like a delicate little princess."
Ji Min ignored the teasing tone in his words and corrected him, "He's a boy."
Dr. Kemler raised an eyebrow and smoothly adjusted his phrasing, "Then what's the issue with this delicate young male?"
Ji Min frowned as he recalled,
"He occasionally falls into a state of rigidity, drenched in cold sweat, and trembling. It usually happens when he sees a specific person."
"From your description, it sounds like a panic attack," Dr. Kemler said.
"And…" Ji Min paused, "I'm not sure, but you should check if there are any issues with his limbs and joints later."
"I could do that, but without professional equipment and without being able to reveal my medical identity, it might be quite challenging," Dr. Kemler replied.
Ji Min shot him a chilly glance and, in a tone of a concerned family member, complained, "Can't you just look with your eyes?"
Dr. Kemler: "…"
Was he supposed to be an X-ray machine?
However, Ji Min's cautious preparation piqued Dr. Kemler's curiosity.
Ever since Ji Min's car accident, he had been the latter's primary physician. But he also knew all too well that Ji Min was rather indifferent about his own health, let alone anyone else's.
Ji Min led him to a room on the second floor.
Doctor Kemler took note of the cushioned runner along the hallway.
As Ji Min raised his hand to knock, Kemler expected to see a delicate, pea-princess-like youth.
To his surprise, the door opened to reveal a lively teenage boy, around eighteen or nineteen, playfully crawling on the floor with a small dog.
Spotting an outsider by the door, the boy lifted his head in curiosity.
His healthy cream-colored skin was flushed from exercise.
Next to the pale Ji Min, this boy seemed to be the picture of vitality, not illness.
Feeling deceived, Doctor Kemler was tempted to turn and leave.
But remembering his substantial salary, he swallowed his frustration.
Then, Ji Min beside him cleared his throat and introduced their guest to the young man inside, "This is a friend of mine, visiting today."
"Oh." Lu Ran knelt on the ground, straightening his body.
There was still a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Disregarding his life in the orphanage, ever since he returned to the Shen family, Lu Ran had always been excluded from their social circle.
Therefore, he didn't quite understand why Ji Min's friend would come to visit him.
Ji Min noticed this as well.
His words paused, and he quickly fabricated an excuse: "He's very interested in Y University's veterinary program, so he heard about it and wanted to discuss it with you."
"Bring him in," Lu Ran tidied up the toys on the living room rug.
Before Dr. Kemler entered the room, Ji Min shot him a warning glance.
A silent message to not reveal his profession as a doctor.
Dr. Kemler responded with a serious OK gesture.
He then greeted Lu Ran with a smile, "Hello there, young one. I have a great interest in the nutrition program at your school."
Upon Dr. Kemler's voice, Lu Ran's ears perked up with acute sensitivity.
The youth's pair of lustrous, jet-black eyes appraised him for a moment, their gaze pausing significantly upon the pen fastened at his collar.
Gazing over at Ji Min once more.
Ji Min didn't notice.
The door to Lu Ran's bedroom was ajar, allowing Ji Min a clear view of the room upon entering.
The bedding had been removed from the bed and neatly arranged on the carpet.
Ji Min was somewhat surprised.
He turned to look at the child sitting beside him and asked, "Why aren't you sleeping on the bed?"
Lu Ran felt a bit awkward but still answered honestly, "The mattress is too soft; it's not very comfortable."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ji Min asked with a frown.
"I can sleep on the floor too," Lu Ran replied.
Ji Min's lips twitched but he ultimately said nothing.
It seemed that the child had made do with such conditions last time as well.
Dr. Kemler, who was attempting to diagnose the patient with his keen observations, couldn't help but spare a moment's attention to their conversation upon hearing them.
Not fond of soft beds.
Some patients with joint pain did have this preference.
But for a teenager like the one before him, it wasn't typical.
Both Ji Min and Dr. Kemler were lost in their own thoughts when they heard the quiet child suddenly ask, "Doctor, which hospital are you affiliated with?"
"Oh, the New City Private Hospital," Dr. Kemler responded instinctively.
As soon as he spoke, he shuddered in realization.
Lifting his gaze, he met Ji Min's menacing stare.
Dr. Kemler hurriedly clarified, "Oh no, it wasn't me! I was trying my best to hide it!"
Ji Min sighed and gently placed a hand on his forehead.
Lu Ran found the situation amusing and asked, "Isn't it just a doctor making a house call? Why are you being so secretive, Boss?"
Ji Min thought to himself, 'You've got nerve.'
He sighed and asked, "How did you figure out that it was a doctor?"
"Didn't this doctor call you before?" Lu Ran pointed out.
Upon hearing this, Dr. Kemler immediately straightened up.
See, it wasn't that he couldn't withstand deception.
It was Ji Min who had let something slip ahead of time.
Ji Min never imagined that Lu Ran, who had only heard Dr. Kemler's voice once over the phone, would actually remember it.
Despite initially observing Lu Ran's aversion to hospitals, Ji Min had assumed he would also be resistant to doctors.
Ji Min had already envisaged various scenarios of the challenges of dealing with a sick child.
Surprisingly, Lu Ran was unexpectedly cooperative when he heard about the physical examination.
As Dr. Kemler was about to examine his joints, the youth hesitated momentarily, but then obediently extended his arm as requested.
Ultimately, Dr. Kemler was unable to discern anything unusual.
"Soothe your worries, Ji Min. Your young one is in perfect health."
Lu Ran, relieved but unnoticeably so, replied, "I told you!"
The next morning arrived.
Ji Min drove Lu Ran to school on his way to work.
In the car, Lu Ran continued to dwell on the matter, "You actually invited the doctor home and pretended he was a friend to hide it from me."
Feeling a bit awkward, Ji Min chose to ignore him.
Lu Ran gave him a scrutinizing look.
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he asked, "Boss, if you have time to worry about a lively me, why haven't you had your leg surgery?"
Ji Min was taken aback.
Previously, Lu Ran's provocation had indeed prompted him to inquire about the surgery.
It wasn't yet certain that surgery was necessary.
Ji Min turned his head to look out the window, not responding.
It wasn't impatience but rather uncertainty about how to reply.
He also didn't wish to reveal his insecurity and... unease about the surgery in front of the child.
But the moment he turned, he felt someone boldly poke his arm.
Then, a fluffy head leaned in, persistently asking, "Why is that?"
Ji Min: "..."
After some thought, he simply employed the tactic Lu Ran often used.
Lowering his gaze to the young man before him, he inquired, "And what of you? Why do you take such an interest in my leg? Could it be that you harbor feelings for me?"
Lu Ran was taken aback.