CFRFGC Chapter 60

⌈It’s time to let Ji Min see Lu Ran’s true face!⌋

“Short and small.”

Even being considered insignificant.

The banquet hall fell into silence.

The band was playing “Joyful, Joyful,” with an upbeat and melodious tune.

At the entrance, Shen Hongyuan’s voice could be heard welcoming guests, and laughter echoed in the courtyard.

However!

None of that could stop the phrase “short and small” from echoing in everyone’s ears.

Oh my!

What kind of vicious words were these?

Who would dare to say such things in public?

Wait!

Could it be that Gu Ningqi really was that small?

So small that even this unappreciated Lu Ran didn’t want to save face and hurriedly rejected the Gu family’s proposal?

It was rumored that it was seen in the restroom.

That seemed pretty credible!

Such words were too blunt.

How could the self-styled noble families ever hear something like this in such a formal setting?

But in that instant, everyone couldn’t suppress their curiosity.

Unfortunately, Gu Ningqi was still holding that gigantic gift box.

It blocked him completely.

At that moment, Gu Ningqi had yet to react.

He instinctively said, “I know that; I’m not asking you this!”

Once his brain processed what Lu Ran had said, he suddenly bit his tongue.

For a moment, it was almost as if he had an out-of-body experience, doubting whether he had even understood Lu Ran’s words at all.

What was small?

What was he talking about?

When Gu Ningqi finally regained his senses, his face flushed bright red.

He felt as if the gazes of those around him were sweeping over him like X-rays.

He had never felt so embarrassed in his life.

He struggled to speak coherently: “Huh? What did you say? Who’s small? How can you just slander someone like that?”

Seeing Gu Ningqi’s reaction, Lu Ran immediately understood.

It seemed he really wasn’t that big after all.

He feigned a sigh, looking troubled as he said, “I didn’t want to talk about this either, but you all came straight to me, so you forced me to say it!”

As he spoke, he shot Gu Ningqi a glance filled with a mix of sympathy and pity.

“I just took a quick look in the restroom; I didn’t expect…”

Lu Ran patted his chest and expressed his relief, saying, “Luckily, I took a look.”

His expression was full of emotion, convincing those around him with almost a hundred percent certainty.

Gu Ningqi was about to explode: “Stop talking nonsense! What evidence do you have? You just looked at it from afar!”

Lu Ran slowly pointed at him: “Isn’t the evidence in your pants? If you’re brave enough, show it to everyone.”

Gu Ningqi’s blood boiled: “I’ll show it, fine! I will!”

Saying this, he dramatically threw down the gift box he had been carrying.

His fingers even hovered over his belt buckle.

But then, he suddenly cooled down and snapped back to reality.

He glanced at the gift box that had fallen to the ground.

Then he slowly looked down at his crotch.

There… were still unknown water stains from the restroom.

A large patch.

At first glance, it looked as if he had accidentally wet his pants.

The gift box had fallen open, revealing it to be empty inside.

Everyone looked at the gift box on the ground, then back at Gu Ningqi’s pants.

Suddenly enlightened.

Damn, he had been holding that box to cover up his wet pants?

Wait, how did they get wet?

And looking at this, it really seemed like he wasn’t doing too well…

When Gu Ningqi raised his eyes, he found everyone staring at him as if he were a fool.

It felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, making him feel exposed in front of everyone.

In that instant, Gu Ningqi’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.

The facade of the polished heir he had forced himself to maintain crumbled, revealing the awkwardness of a naive young man who had never experienced such a situation.

Lu Ran continued to sigh, advising, “Come on, I was just joking. Why are you getting so defensive?”

Everyone strongly agreed.

It was so easy to break down… it was obvious.

“You! You have no shame!” Gu Ningqi shouted, trembling as he pointed.

Shen Xingran was completely dumbfounded.

He had never expected that the situation he had painstakingly arranged would lead to this outcome.

But he couldn’t let Gu Ningqi be left with a reputation like this.

Otherwise, how would others see him in the future?

Shen Xingran’s mind was still sharp and he couldn’t care less about anything else. He immediately said, “So you just say you saw it, and that’s it? What if you’re making it up?”

Lu Ran smiled knowingly at him, having been waiting for this response: “Of course I have evidence.”

Shen Xingran’s heart sank. “Wh-what evidence?”

Lu Ran pulled out his phone and opened a photo: “Let’s all take a look.”

The moment Gu Ningqi saw Lu Ran’s action, he realized something was off.

Everyone leaned in to see the phone screen.

What appeared was a picture of Gu Ningqi in a very compromising position in a restroom stall.

The photo was taken from behind and to the side.

From this angle, it looked as if Gu Ningqi had stuck his head into the restroom, almost like he was eating something inside.

Or perhaps he was on the steps outside the restroom stall.

But no matter how one looked at it, it certainly didn’t appear large.

The crowd’s eyes were glued to Lu Ran’s phone screen, stunned by what they saw.

They never expected the dignified heir of the Gu family to have such a hobby behind closed doors!

When Shen Xingran saw this photo, his scalp went numb.

If it were anyone else, one might think Gu Ningqi had just accidentally fallen and Lu Ran had taken the opportunity to snap a picture.

But Shen Xingran was different.

He knew Lu Ran’s methods!

At a glance, he could tell this was definitely Lu Ran’s handiwork.

At that moment, Shen Xingran felt a bit lost.

He suddenly didn’t know what he had been working on all this time.

He had been trying to keep Gu Ningqi interested in him by using the tactic of keeping him on edge, maintaining his curiosity.

He had spread rumors about the alliance between the Gu and Shen families and about Gu Ningqi returning to the country for him.

He had put in so much effort to ensure that the Gu family’s engagement fell into his hands.

He had also been wary of Lu Ran, keeping an eye on him.

But while he was doing all of this, what was Lu Ran doing?

He had shoved the Gu Ningqi, whom he had wanted to cling to, into the squat toilet.

In that instant, Shen Xingran felt like he had made a huge mistake.

How had he not realized that Lu Ran was a lunatic!

The commotion from inside the banquet hall spilled out into the corridor.

It was a chaotic mess.

A servant looked at Shen Hongyuan and asked, “Should we intervene?”

Shen Hongyuan waved his hand dismissively: “Let them make a scene.”

His tone was not one of helplessness or indulgence.

Instead, it carried a sense of dark satisfaction, as if he was pleased with how things were unfolding.

Let them make a scene.

He was just waiting for him to go insane.

Chen Sheng and a few familiar faces came over.

Lu Ran finally released Gu Ningqi, who had nearly exposed himself in public to prove his innocence.

Gu Ningqi hurriedly took a shower and changed clothes before coming back out.

But as he moved through the banquet, he felt as if everyone around him was looking at him with strange eyes.

One moment they would glance at his pants, the next at his face.

Shen Xingran trailed behind Gu Ningqi, his heart racing.

He even felt a bit of sympathy for Gu Ningqi.

Although… they were both caught in Lu Ran’s antics.

However, Gu Ningqi was in a worse position.

Because he had been publicly humiliated!

At that moment, someone familiar approached to greet them.

Looking at Shen Xingran and Gu Ningqi, the person said, “You two… I assume you’re back to discuss the engagement, right?”

Unlike the usual envious gazes, Shen Xingran felt that there was a hint of… pity in this person’s eyes as they looked at him and Gu Ningqi.

Instantly, Shen Xingran felt uncomfortable.

This person was quite familiar with Shen Xingran.

After walking for a while, he intentionally fell back a step and leaned in to whisper to Shen Xingran.

“Actually, size doesn’t really matter; it’s all about performance.”

Shen Xingran: “…”

After saying that, the person felt a bit awkward, realizing they had just said something completely ridiculous.

If it was too small, it wouldn’t matter how well he performed.

Quickly, he added, “If it really doesn’t work… maybe you could swap roles.”

Shen Xingran’s expression changed multiple times.

He had always been the center of attention, surrounded by stars—when had he ever heard such words or seen such looks?

Unable to hold back, he instinctively replied, “Actually… the engagement isn’t set yet…”

But immediately afterward, he felt like everything was wrong.

He had initially intended to use Gu Ningqi to embarrass Lu Ran.

Now that Lu Ran had shouted about it, the whole world knew that Gu Ningqi was inadequate.

Even if he and Gu Ningqi ended up marrying, others wouldn’t see it as him entering the Gu family; they would think… Gu Ningqi was inadequate.

Shen Xingran felt a lump in his throat, unable to find a way forward or backward.

Lu Ran didn’t care about any of this.

He was currently showing Chen Sheng and the others around his room.

“You… you really live here?”

Chen Sheng and the others looked at the cramped servant’s room, astounded.

Forget about a walk-in closet or a small living room; there wasn’t even a private bathroom.

Lu Ran leaned against the door frame and glanced at him. “What do you know? Living on the first floor is completely different from living on the second or third.”

“When I want to cause trouble, I can just stash the sound system upstairs. They’ll be knocked out by the noise while I sleep soundly on the first floor. Isn’t that great?”

Chen Sheng: “…”

Living like this felt like fighting a guerrilla war.

Chen Sheng wanted to say something but looked up at Lu Ran and got stuck in his words.

Today, Lu Ran was just too impressive.

Even though they had witnessed how he had forced someone into a toilet, facing Lu Ran’s eyes now made Chen Sheng and the others feel a bit embarrassed to look directly at him.

Chen Sheng had brought his little cousin along today.

This cousin had only heard about Lu Ran’s exploits and was quite skeptical, insisting that if it were him, he wouldn’t be afraid of Lu Ran at all.

But now, this cousin was keeping his head down like a quail.

As they left Lu Ran’s room, Chen Sheng felt a tug from this little guy.

He looked down.

His cousin glanced at Lu Ran and then blushed as he looked down, saying to Chen Sheng, “Bro, how can you casually speak ill of others? How could Brother Ran do the things you mentioned?”

As he spoke, he turned back to take another look at the cramped servant’s room, his eyes nearly turning red.

“Brother Ran is really pitiful, always being bullied.”

Chen Sheng: “…”

If only you had seen how he used a toilet brush to poke someone!

Gu Ningqi walked around for a bit before finally heading to the game room.

He had initially planned to leave directly.

But he couldn’t; he had to hold on, as holding on would give him a chance to retaliate.

If he couldn’t hold on, then today at the banquet, everyone would remember him as the one who was “short and small” and who had ended up in the toilet.

If this news reached his grandfather’s ears, he could forget about being the heir.

The game room was filled with guests of status who preferred a quieter atmosphere, and so far, they hadn’t heard the “rumors” from outside.

The people inside were still discussing some serious topics.

This made Gu Ningqi breathe a slight sigh of relief.

The guests in the game room were different from those outside, more in the loop about the news.

When they saw Gu Ningqi, they just nodded, their attitude polite but not particularly warm.

To them, no matter how prominent Gu Ningqi was, he was still just a junior.

Besides, the Gu family’s situation was still uncertain.

Someone brought up the main character of the banquet.

“The Shen family is really something; they’ve been silent for fifteen years and now they’re in a hurry to claim someone back.”

“You wouldn’t understand this.”

The person speaking had a certain status in the business circle. He didn’t elaborate much, only said, “Just a reminder, be nice to the young master of the Shen family who was just acknowledged.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t he just a kid in his teens?”

Someone pressed for more information, but the man merely took a puff of his cigar and refused to say anything else.

However, someone couldn’t hold back and blurted out, “I heard that this young master was seen following that person from the Ji family the other day?”

“Who? You don’t mean Ji Min, do you?”

As soon as this was mentioned, it stirred up quite a reaction.

The gossip spread like wildfire.

“He was sitting in a wheelchair, holding that kid all wrapped up in a blanket…”

Gu Ningqi listened for a while and finally understood.

No wonder Lu Ran looked down on him and spread rumors about his shortcomings.

So it turned out he was involved with Ji Min?

Gu Ningqi had just been through a lot because of Lu Ran and was feeling particularly disgruntled.

Besides, he didn’t really have a good opinion of Ji Min.

The Gu family and the Ji family had a fairly close relationship, even having some familial ties.

Strictly speaking, Gu Ningqi and Ji Min were of the same generation.

But among their peers, Ji Min had long since become the head of the Ji family, managing a large corporation and having the final say.

Gu Ningqi was still just an heir under evaluation.

The old man Gu thought highly of Ji Min and often praised him, constantly chattering about him in their ears.

Gu Ningqi had practically grown up in Ji Min’s shadow.

Hearing the discussions among the crowd at that moment, he couldn’t help but let slip a hint of malice.

“Ji Min? He really knows how to pick them. How can a cripple like him be any good?”

Whether or not he was any good, in what aspect?

The men in the game room understood immediately.

Since Ji Min had become disabled, rumors about him had been incessant.

With hardly anyone around him, it was easy for people to make malicious speculations.

Ji Min had a cold and severe demeanor.

Those who received help from him were genuinely loyal, but those who looked down on him truly couldn’t stand him.

As someone started the conversation, another chimed in.

“With legs like that, he can’t do much.”

“Given his condition, he hardly qualifies as a man. It’s normal for him to have a bad temper.”

Lu Ran was leading Chen Sheng and the others to the nearby game room when they happened to pass by the card room.

The muffled sounds of mocking laughter from inside were clearly audible.

Lu Ran stopped in his tracks and looked at the door in front of him.

He realized that the people inside were laughing at Ji Min.

At that moment, for some reason, Lu Ran suddenly thought of the man in the wheelchair, stretching his arm to reach a file folder on the top shelf.

His expression was indifferent; he showed no sign of embarrassment or frustration at being the target of others’ ridicule.

Behind that calm, unyielding demeanor lay an unknown weight of ridicule, burdened by a car accident and the need for a wheelchair.

So when people mentioned him, the first thing that came to mind wasn’t his outstanding abilities but rather all these jumbled associations.

Chen Sheng and the others had already reached the game room.

Noticing that Lu Ran hadn’t followed them, they called out, “Brother Ran, what are you standing there for?”

Lu Ran turned to look at him, his hand resting on the door handle of the card room.

He smiled at Chen Sheng and said, “You guys play first; I have some work to do.”

With that, he pushed the door open and stepped into the card room.

Outside the villa, Shen Hongyuan finally spotted the person he had been waiting for.

The long luxury business vehicle slowly came to a stop.

The eyes of everyone at the banquet were drawn to it in unison, followed by whispers of surprise and curiosity.

Today…

Both the Gu family and the Ji family were present?

Gu Ningqi was there for Shen Xingran.

But the Ji family…

As the car door slid open, the wheelchair rolled down the accessible ramp.

The crowd’s astonishment reached new heights.

It was Ji Min himself!

Shen Hongyuan hurried over to greet him, “President Ji, you’ve finally arrived, please—”

He instinctively reached to push Ji Min’s wheelchair.

However, Ji Min halted him with a mere glance.

Ji Min swept a glance at him and then looked behind him.

There was no one there.

Shen Hongyuan sheepishly withdrew his hand, quickly realizing who Ji Min was looking for. He smiled kindly and said, “The child was too restless and couldn’t stay outside, so I let him go in.”

Ji Min averted his gaze, leaning back in his wheelchair with a soft “Hmph.”

If one listened closely, they could detect a hint of resentment in his tone.

Behind him, Butler Chen couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Shen Hongyuan didn’t understand what was so funny between the master and servant.

He could only smile awkwardly and lead them inside.

Ji Min’s face was icy, his fingers gripping the wheelchair remote control tightly.

He had rushed over immediately after the board meeting.

He was waiting to confront someone and demand an explanation.

He intended to ask that little brat what nonsense he was spreading in the office.

Did he still want his salary?

After entering the room, he glanced around but didn’t see Lu Ran.

He looked again.

He caught sight of Shen family’s adopted son hiding in the corner, his face stiff with discomfort.

A few others also wore expressions as if they had been caught off guard.

Butler Chen quietly said behind Ji Min, “It seems that even if you don’t come, Xiao Ran can’t stand being wronged.”

Ji Min snorted coldly, emphasizing, “I’m here to seek an explanation.”

Butler Chen only smiled without responding.

Someone in the group urged the driver to hurry up, afraid of being late.

After inquiring with the servers, Shen Hongyuan came over and said, “Xiao Ran is in the card room.”

He then guided Ji Min toward the card room.

The card room was on the second floor, but it was inconvenient for Ji Min to navigate the wheelchair, so they had to go around to take the elevator.

The area around the elevator was relatively quiet.

Many people huddled in the corridor, whispering to each other.

“Unbelievable! Who would have thought he could say that?”

“You didn’t see Gu Ningqi’s face; it turned bright red and then pale in an instant.”

“So is it true then?”

“And when he reached out, he just yanked off that person’s wig.”

“That guy ran off covering his head without saying a word.”

Ji Min listened to it all.

He had reasonable suspicions that this was all someone’s doing.

While listening, Shen Hongyuan felt a twinge of guilt and apologized, “The child can be a bit mischievous.”

Ji Min shot him a glance but didn’t respond.

Shen Hongyuan immediately lowered his gaze.

A glint of calculation flashed in his eyes.

Shen Hongyuan valued his reputation and was most averse to scandals occurring during events at his home.

But today, someone was making things difficult for Lu Ran at the banquet and he had condoned it.

Even Gu Ningqi was deliberately invited by him.

Shen Hongyuan’s gaze turned distant.

He never imagined that Lu Ran could connect with Ji Min.

If it were Shen Xingran getting close to Ji Min, Shen Hongyuan would have gladly celebrated and sent him over.

At worst, he’d be fine with Shen Xingyu or Shen Xingzhuo, his two sons.

But why was it Lu Ran?

Lu Ran’s closeness to Ji Min made things likely to spiral out of control, which was not what Shen Hongyuan wanted to see.

Yet he wasn’t overly worried.

He figured that Mr. Ji was simply captivated by Lu Ran’s youthful appearance, unaware of the chaos he could unleash.

He wanted this well-mannered, somewhat fastidious Ji Min to have a good look at that lunatic.

That would probably extinguish his interest.

So, Shen Hongyuan had specially invited Gu Ningqi.

He knew neither Shen Xingran nor Gu Ningqi would let things go easily and would definitely cause trouble for Lu Ran.

What he wanted was for someone to provoke Lu Ran, pushing him to the brink of madness.

It would be best if he went completely crazy to the point where Ji Min would immediately keep his distance!

As they exited the elevator, they approached the card room and saw a crowd of people blocking the entrance.

A youthful, clear, yet arrogant voice rang out.

“Is it you who said he’s no good? How dare a short little thing like you talk about others?”

Shen Hongyuan felt a jolt of energy.

Here it comes!

He was starting to go mad!

It was time for Ji Min to see Lu Ran’s true colors!

Shen Hongyuan feigned a flustered demeanor and quickly squeezed through the crowd, even clearing the way for Ji Min.

He wanted Ji Min to see the situation clearly!

As Ji Min approached, he immediately sensed something was off.

The people blocking the entrance to the card room were all looking at him with a peculiar gaze.

That look was all too familiar.

Ji Min was taken aback and raised his eyes toward the card room.

The large door was half-open.

He caught a glimpse of the boy’s profile.

Dressed in dark gold high fashion, he tilted his chin up, his nose slightly wrinkled.

A sense of willful arrogance radiated from him.

With that dazzling and precious demeanor, he said, “Hmph, Ji Min is amazing—once a night, every night, you know?”

He then pointed at Gu Ningqi, saying: “Do you even know the difference between a golden needle mushroom and a king oyster mushroom?”

“He’s even bigger than a king oyster mushroom. You? A golden needle mushroom is taller than you!”

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