Chapter 88: Restraint
Chapter 88: Restraint
The scene in the private room was momentarily breathtaking.
Probably because Shen Hongyuan's sincere promotion of his son just now had been too convincing.
Although the wine had an unusual taste, Old Linno still took a large sip without hesitation.
And the result was...
That jet of peculiar-tasting liquid shot out from his mouth.
It flew a long distance.
It soared over the dining table in front of him, bypassed Shen Hongyuan with eyes popping out, and directly splashed onto Shen Xingran, who was sitting across the round table.
Though his two sons hadn't drunk much, their conditions weren't much better either.
Upon impact, it scattered like a divine goddess scattering flowers, splashing everywhere.
Old Linuo was a ranged attacker, and he just indiscriminately hurled his attacks everywhere.
It was impressive that Jin Huan still remembered his flirtatious persona and tried his best to maintain his elegance without bursting out in laughter.
Yet, this scent was something no one could resist.
And so, this "wine" silently trickled down from the corners of his mouth and chin.
A trail of moisture stained the lapel of his robe.
Shen Hongyuan was dumbfounded.
He glanced at Shen Xingran and then at the Lino family, hurriedly standing up to ask, "What's going on?"
Old Lino thumped his chest and stomped his feet, pointing at Shen Xingran across from him, unable to utter a single word.
He and his two sons scrambled to grab the water cups on the table.
He hastily gulped down the water, unsure whether he should spit it out or swallow it, causing him to rush around the table in a panic.
Just as he managed to slightly suppress the taste in his mouth, he immediately pointed at Shen Hongyuan and then at Shen Xingran, angrily exclaiming, "What did you give us to drink? Toilet water?!"
Yang chimed in with agreement, "Exactly, what have we done to offend you? Look at this mess you've served us!"
Shen Xingran was also dumbfounded.
The smugness in his eyes hadn't faded when he immediately tried to defend himself: "No, I didn't..."
Shen Hongyuan also chimed in, "Is there some misunderstanding? My son has always been very reliable in his actions..."
"Misunderstanding?" Old Lino was enraged.
He raised his hand and splashed the remaining half of the "wine" onto Shen Hongyuan's face. "Experience the misunderstanding for yourself!"
A loud splash echoed.
Shen Hongyuan reached out to wipe his face, falling silent.
After the silence, he pointed at Shen Xingran and unleashed a torrent of abuse. "Disgraceful child, what kind of drink is this? Who told you to bring such a disgusting thing here?"
Seeing even Shen Hongyuan was scolding him, Shen Xingran panicked instantly.
He hadn't done anything!
He hadn't tampered with anything; he had merely brought over the wine that Lu Ran had prepared!
Recalling that when he went to fetch the wine, Lu Ran was in the restroom, Shen Xingran suddenly fell quiet.
He looked down at the "wine stains" on his clothes and cautiously lifted them to his nose for a sniff. His face paled immediately.
Gazing at the furious Lino trio and Shen Hongyuan, Shen Xingran couldn't afford to care about anything else now.
He hurriedly confessed the truth. "I'm sorry, Uncle, and two elder brothers, I didn't pour this wine—it was actually my brother, Lu Ran, who poured it. I just brought it over…"
"Bullshit!" Old Linaro pointed at him and scolded. "You clearly said you poured it yourself just now."
"I, I..."
Usually, it was Shen Xingran who slandered others. When had he ever been in a situation where he couldn't defend himself?
Shen Xingran could only grit his teeth and admit his mistake. "I was wrong. I lied at first."
But no matter what he said, the others only thought he was trying to shift the blame, not believing a word of his explanation.
Jin even sneered at him coldly, "You're saying it was your brother who poured it? I've drunk from your brother's cups countless times without issue, so why would something go wrong just because you're here?"
"Yeah!" Yang said angrily, "Can the urine you poured compare to the fine wine that Lu Ran serves?"
Shen Xingran stomped his foot in frustration, "But this is the wine Lu Ran poured!"
The Lino trio didn't believe a word of it:
"Hah, we've all had wine poured by your brother before. It has a unique, slightly bitter aroma. How could it be anything like this stuff that seems to have been scooped straight out of a toilet?"
Over there, Lu Ran emerged from the restroom and noticed that his tray, left aside, had vanished.
For a moment, he felt a twinge of anxiety.
Hopefully, it hadn't been taken by someone unaware and consumed.
But after pondering for a while, Lu Ran quickly guessed who was behind the prank.
He stealthily returned to the private room.
Cracking the door open just enough, he caught the scene of Old Leon spewing out the drink.
Lu Ran's concerns eased slightly.
The right person had consumed the appropriate beverage – that was only reasonable.
He stood outside the room, quietly observing for a while.
Until Shen Xingran began desperately trying to prove his innocence, did Lu Ran push the door open and enter.
As soon as Lu Ran entered, he waved his hand in disgust, "Ew... Why does it smell like a toilet?"
The sight of him made Shen Xingran lose his mind.
Pointing at Lu Ran, he exclaimed, "How can you say that? Didn't you spill the wine?"
Lu Ran looked at him in surprise.
Confusion and disbelief flickered in his eyes before he finally sighed, adopting a hurt tone that anyone could hear, "If you and Father insist on believing that, then I'll take the blame."
Shen Xingran was overwhelmed by this obvious act of 'serving tea' and was utterly dumbfounded.
This was the first time in his life that he had been 'served tea' by someone else!
Sure enough, Jin Heyang, sitting across the round table, immediately spoke up indignantly, "Shen Xingran, how dare you accuse him!"
Old Leonardo could no longer remain seated.
He stood up and pointed at Shen Hongyuan, yelling, "Look at the fine son you've raised! You want an alliance with our Leonardo family? Think again!"
"In this project competition, the Lino family won't hold back at all!"
With that, he swept his hand and swiftly left the private room with his two sons in tow.
Seeing the situation turn sour, Shen Hongyuan hastily followed them out.
Before exiting, he didn't forget to give Shen Xingran a resounding slap. "Look at the mess you've caused!"
Shen Xingran took the blow without dodging.
Soon, the once bustling private room was left with only Lu Ran and Shen Xingran.
Covering his cheek, Shen Xingran glared at Lu Ran with resentment.
Lu Ran's gaze was clear. "You anticipated that I'd retrieve the drink you poured, so you deliberately set me up!"
Lu Ran fell silent for a moment.
Then, he spoke sincerely, "This time, it wasn't planned."
But Shen Xingran, of course, didn't believe that. He was convinced that Lu Ran had planned this all along.
When Lu Ran left the restaurant, he saw Ji Min's car waiting outside.
He got into the car and said in surprise, "Boss, why are you here?"
Ji Min glanced at him and replied, "I was passing by."
Chen Butler, sitting in the front passenger seat: "…"
Your "passing by" sure is quite a roundabout way to put it.
Lu Ran didn't pay attention to such nuances.
As soon as he got in the car, he couldn't resist leaning over the backrest of Ji Min's wheelchair and eagerly recounted the incident of feeding Shen Xingran the "Original Liquid" to the Lino family members.
After finishing his story, he sighed with a hint of regret, "How did those drinks end up in his hands?"
"Are you unhappy about it?" Ji Min asked.
"Certainly, it's more satisfying to feed them personally!" Lu Ran declared.
Ji Min, who had hurried over in a rush, fearing that someone might be at a disadvantage, was speechless.
Well, he had worried unnecessarily.
Given the current situation, offending the Linos would likely keep Shen Hongyuan and Shen Xingyu preoccupied with troubles for a while.
Shen Hongyuan hadn't bothered Lu Ran for several days.
However, another topic had recently arisen in the upper echelons of Beijing's social circles – Ji Min's twenty-ninth birthday.
Families associated with the Jis and companies that had business ties with the Ji Corporation were already in the midst of preparations.
But not everyone could attend Ji Min's birthday soirée.
Unusually, the Ji residence had become bustling with activity lately.
A professional team was in charge of planning the banquet decorations.
However, Lu Ran had been busy lately, constantly rushing around to the point where he was hardly seen.
There were even two instances when he unusually forgot to walk Big Yellow, leaving the task to Butler Chen.
By Saturday morning, Ji Min could no longer hold back his curiosity.
After finishing his breakfast, he glanced upstairs and asked Butler Chen, "What has he been up to lately? Was he out very late last night?"
Butler Chen simply smiled without responding.
Ji Min lowered his gaze, sipping his tea with furrowed brows. "How can a child stay out so late?"
"Perhaps he's preparing a birthday gift for you," Butler Chen suggested.
Ji Min was taken aback.
moments later, Lu Ran descended the stairs, yawning widely.
He had returned in the wee hours of the morning, and his hair was now tousled from sleep.
When he descended to the dining room, his voice still carried the roughness of just waking up.
"Good morning, Master," Lu Ran rubbed his eyes.
Recalling what Butler Chen had just mentioned, Ji Min hurriedly averted his gaze.
Clearing his throat softly, he asked, "Why have you been busy until such late hours lately?"
The voice carried a barely perceptible hint of anticipation.
Yet the youth beside the table merely lifted his head to take a sip of water, his words indistinct as he murmured, "Mm... There's been something on my mind lately."
Glimmering at the corner of Ji Min's eye, his gaze inadvertently froze.
The youth raised his head to drink, extending his fair neck, revealing a tiny scarlet mark nestled beneath the collar of his garment at the nape.
Not just one.
Glimpses of faint, indistinct markings could be discerned nestled within the collar's crevices.
A vivid scarlet mark, layered upon the milky-white, youthful health of the boy's skin, was strikingly conspicuous.
Ji Min stood frozen for a moment, then hastily averted his gaze to look out the window.
Unconsciously, he wondered if there were any mosquitoes around lately.
Is it possible that the bedding or the fabric of the clothing is causing an allergic reaction in the youth?
While such scenarios might unfold elsewhere, they were absolutely forbidden within Ji Min's residence.
Eliminating these possibilities, coupled with Lu Ran's recent late nights, another explanation began to dawn on them.
Ji Min's fingers, holding the glass of water, unconsciously clenched tighter.
Upon realizing this, he deliberately relaxed his grip.
Still, an uneasiness lingered, prompting him to lift the glass and place it back onto the dining table.
In this moment, Ji Min's emotions were a complex entanglement.
An indescribable emotion welled up, tugging at his heart within his chest.
Another surge of anger.
Anger towards the person who could have inflicted these marks upon the young man.
Yet, amidst this intense tug, he couldn't help but think that Lu Ran was already nineteen years old.
Though... he always regarded Lu Ran as a child, legally, he was an adult.
Children from their kind of family tended to grow up quickly.
There were plenty who got into trouble in their teens.
Lu Ran was already considered late by comparison.
His heart continued to be torn apart.
Ji Min's fingers trembled slightly, and he couldn't resist doing something.
For instance, pulling the young man into his embrace.
Fingertips gently press against the mark on the side of his neck.
Conceal these traces with something even more substantial.
Yet, Ji Min was also deeply grateful.
Thankful that Lu Ran was seated farther away, and grateful for the wheelchair that restrained his actions, Ji Min prevented himself from truly succumbing to those horrifying impulses.
He pondered again, realizing that he had always positioned himself as Lu Ran's elder.
He had consistently treated Lu Ran like a child.
So, as an elder, what should he say in this situation?
Admonish the young man to pay attention to his physical well-being?
Feeling that he had to say something, Ji Min spoke up.
One had to suppress the impulse within the bones, muscles, and nerves with words.
"You..."
Ji Min heard his own voice crack as he asked, "Have you recently found a girlfriend... or a boyfriend?"
"Hmm?" Lu Ran, with a shrimp ball halfway to his mouth, lifted his head.
Struggling to maintain his usual composure, Ji Min said with effort, "Be mindful of the boundaries."
Saying this, he swiftly maneuvered his wheelchair to leave.
Before he could even turn around, he caught sight of the youth by the dining table, whose eyes suddenly lit up.
Laying down his chopsticks, he slid his chair across the floor, drawing himself closer to Ji Min until both he and the chair were nestled beside him.
Ji Min wished to retreat.
He wanted to say, don't get so close to him at a moment like this.
Should he lose control...
But the youth, with his bright, sparkling eyes wide open, suddenly tugged at his collar and leaned in close, asking:
"Boss, did you see this!"
In the next instant, the warm, milk-white skin drew even closer to Ji Min's eyes.
He could discern the pulsing blue veins beneath the surface.
And the subtle tremors in the skin as the carotid artery throbbed beneath.
Ji Min's jaw muscles bulged momentarily. He turned his head away awkwardly, biting down on his itchy gums in restraint.
At that moment, the child before him said with an air of triumph, "Look, Boss! Doesn't my grip look realistic?"
Ji Min: "?"