CFRFGC Chapter 81

⌈The kid only had this one bit of fun—it wasn’t such a big deal.⌋

Once Shen Xingran finished speaking, Lu Ran had already twisted the lid back onto the jar and put it into his backpack.

He wore an expression as if he hadn’t done anything at all.

Shen Xingran thought Lu Ran was stunned by his taste and insight, a trace of smugness flickering in his eyes.

He turned to Ji Min and asked, “Mr. Ji, what do you think?”

Ji Min: “…”

What do I think? I didn’t catch a single word.

His entire attention had been on the jar in Lu Ran’s hand, terrified that this guy might accidentally shake it and send cockroaches flying onto him.

Next, Shen Xingran led them to tour the master bedroom of the villa, the suite where Madam Shen and Shen Hongyuan currently resided.

As soon as the door opened, Ji Min caught a glimpse of Lu Ran repeating his earlier antics with the jar.

Not only was Lu Ran quick and stealthy, but he also managed to pour a significant amount through the crack under Madam Shen’s bedroom door.

Passing by Shen Xingyu’s room, since Shen Xingyu wasn’t home, he casually shoved several cockroaches under the door gap as well.

Out of the corner of Ji Min’s eye, he could only see some horrifying black shadows darting erratically across the floor.

The innate human fear of cockroaches seemed to be carved into his very bones.

At that moment, even Ji Min, seated in a wheelchair, had an urge to lift his feet.

When Shen Xingyu, who had once eaten a cockroach, came home and saw these things scuttling all over the place…

Who knew what his reaction would be?

By the time they returned to the first floor, Lu Ran’s large jar was nearly empty.

Shen Xingran then took them to the kitchen.

The kitchen was relatively spacious, and Shen Xingran wanted to introduce the Shen family’s chef.

As Shen Xingran turned to call for the chef, Ji Min quickly swiveled his wheelchair to look at Lu Ran.

The jar in Lu Ran’s hand was almost devoid of cockroaches but still had a thick layer of cockroach eggs at the bottom.

Ji Min watched as Lu Ran opened the kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator, stuffing bits of the egg cases into every compartment.

The remaining ones were all dumped into the crevices of the cupboards.

Ji Min: “…”

So ruthless.

Shen Xingran returned and continued chatting, “Chef Wang has gone out to buy groceries. Mr. Ji, why don’t you stay for dinner…”

Before he could finish speaking, Ji Min decisively refused, “No!”

He cleared his throat and added, “We’ll leave now.”

With that, Ji Min quickly led Lu Ran out of the Shen family villa and into the car.

Once outside the villa, Lu Ran tossed the now-empty jar into a trash bin.

Watching this, Ji Min couldn’t resist asking, “You emptied it all, right?”

“Don’t worry! Left it all for them!” Lu Ran said excitedly.

A mischievous grin spread across his face.

“I’ve wanted to dump them in their rooms for ages, but cockroaches crawl everywhere. Back when I lived there, I’d have suffered too. Now that I’ve moved out, there’s nothing to worry about!”

Ji Min: “…”

Cockroaches that big weren’t common in the capital.

For a family like the Shen’s, they’d probably never even seen them before.

If Lu Ran had brazenly dumped them where they could see, the Shen family would’ve immediately called pest control.

But now, stealthily scattering an entire jar…

By the time the Shen family noticed, called someone, and thoroughly exterminated them, it would take a while.

And those egg cases—those things couldn’t even be dealt with by insecticides.

At that moment, Ji Min felt like he’d truly invited an ancestor back home.

But on second thought, the kid only had this one bit of fun—it wasn’t such a big deal.

The car slowly exited the villa complex.

As the familiar yet oppressive house faded into the distance, Lu Ran, who had been so jubilant while releasing cockroaches earlier, gradually quieted down.

He turned to stare out the car window, watching as the Shen family home receded, his emotions growing complicated.

Because Lu Ran thought back to the first time he had left the Shen family in his past life.

Deciding to sever ties with his biological parents hadn’t been easy.

Especially breaking away from the familial bond he had yearned for over a decade.

When he left, he was resolute, filled with a sense of relief, but also a vague sense of uncertainty.

In the end, however, the determination with which he left the Shen family only led to him spending ten years bedridden and disabled.

When he was reborn, Lu Ran vowed that he would never leave the Shen family.

No matter how ridiculous the Shen family was, he wouldn’t leave.

He would endure, even if it meant outlasting them all.

But now, he had left after all.

The boy stayed silent for a long time.

Ji Min glanced sideways.

He noticed the boy hadn’t gone to the back seat, nor had he unfolded the middle-row jump seat.

As the Shen family villa completely disappeared from view, the boy simply sat down in the car’s compartment.

Sensing Ji Min’s gaze, the boy shifted slightly to the side.

Lu Ran didn’t touch Ji Min’s legs but gently leaned against the armrest of the wheelchair.

He said, “Boss, if one day you don’t let me stay at your place anymore, let me know at least a month… no, three months in advance, okay?”

He held up three fingers and said, “I need time to find a new place before I can move out.”

Ji Min felt a soft ache in his heart.

The man didn’t say, “I won’t make you move out”.

He understood that for a child who had always been adrift, such a promise was like a castle in the air, utterly meaningless.

So, he simply nodded.

He extended his broad hand, gently placed it on the boy’s soft hair, and gave it a light ruffle, saying, “Okay.”

The car happened to pass by a commercial street. Ji Min patted the boy’s head and said, “Stop curling up there. Sit up and see what you want to eat for dinner.”

Lu Ran sat up and looked out the car window for a while before saying, “I want to buy ice cream.”

Ji Min raised an eyebrow.

It was only early spring, and eating ice cream seemed a bit much. Did he not care about his stomach?

But then he remembered this kid could devour four ice creams in one go even in the dead of winter and decided not to say anything.

He simply told the driver to pull over.

Today, whatever the boy wanted to eat, he’d let him have it.

Lu Ran opened the car door and got out.

Ji Min stayed in the car, lowering the window to watch.

The boy entered a fast-food shop selling ice cream but returned empty-handed not long after.

“Why didn’t you buy anything?” Ji Min asked.

“They didn’t have the flavor I wanted,” Lu Ran replied.

Ji Min thought to himself that this kid was surprisingly picky.

Just as Ji Min was about to call Lu Ran back into the car, he saw the boy heading to another store a little farther away.

He went back and forth between three different stores before finally returning, holding four ice creams in both hands.

In the end, it was Ji Min who opened the car door for him.

Seeing how much Lu Ran was holding, Ji Min instinctively reached out, wanting to help him.

But Lu Ran sidestepped his hand and climbed straight into the car.

Ji Min: “…Are you really going to eat all four by yourself?”

Lu Ran looked at him warily. “Of course! All four are mine!”

As he spoke, he immediately bit off the pointed tops of all four ice creams.

Ji Min rolled his eyes at him. “Look at you, so petty.”

Lu Ran ignored him.

“Not buying anything else?” Ji Min asked.

When he saw the boy nod, he instructed the driver to head to a proper restaurant.

Dinner couldn’t just consist of ice cream, after all.

When they entered the restaurant together, Lu Ran still had all four ice creams in hand.

It wasn’t exactly warm outside, and eating four ice creams at once seemed a bit excessive.

Yet the boy continued eating slowly, one bite at a time.

Ji Min glanced over at him and noticed something.

The boy was holding four ice creams, but they were of three different flavors.

Two were vanilla, one was pink, likely strawberry, and the last was a pale yellow, exuding a faint lemon fragrance.

Ji Min had a good memory.

He vaguely recalled that the last time Lu Ran had ice cream in his office, he had chosen the same flavors.

Ji Min asked, “Do you really like these three flavors? Is vanilla your favorite?”

Hearing the question, Lu Ran only mumbled a vague response, “I guess.”

Then he took another big bite of the ice cream, this time all the way to the cone.

That evening, Lu Ran returned to Ji Min’s villa.

It wasn’t his first time there, so he was quite familiar with the place.

What he didn’t expect was that Ji Min had actually prepared a room for Da Huang as well.

The room was fully equipped with a dog mat, toys, and everything else a small dog might need.

Seeing this, Lu Ran couldn’t help but marvel. As expected, when it came to rumors of this kind, Ji Min really spared no effort…

Wait, no—he should be praising his boss for being wealthy and generous.

Even though Ji Min had prepared a new dog bed for Da Huang, Lu Ran still brought the old one over.

Da Huang had moved with him several times, and each time, they brought this same dog bed along.

Though Da Huang was already quite familiar with Ji Min’s place, having something that carried its own scent would still provide the little dog with a sense of security.

After tidying up Da Huang’s things, Lu Ran returned to his own room.

He ran his hand over the soft, luxurious bed.

He still remembered how he had reacted the last time he slept on such a plush mattress.

He wasn’t used to soft beds.

But Lu Ran didn’t call for anyone.

Instead, he removed the top layer of bedding from the mattress, spread it out on the carpet, and made himself a makeshift bed on the floor.

Then he lay on his improvised bed and began reviewing his schedule for the next day.

Downstairs, Ji Min was still busy.

He looked up and asked Butler Chen, “Is everything arranged?”

“I’ve already informed Dr. Keimler. He should be arriving any moment now,” Butler Chen replied.

Ji Min nodded.

A moment later, the sound of a car approaching came from the driveway.

Ji Min instinctively glanced up at the lit window upstairs.

Instead of waiting for the car to pull in, he personally went out to greet it.

Dr. Keimler was a man in his fifties with white hair and a white beard.

He looked like a spirited, lively older gentleman.

Seeing Ji Min, Dr. Keimler seemed a bit surprised. He waved enthusiastically and said, “Ji! You actually came out to meet me in person!”

“With this kind of enthusiasm, have you finally decided to go ahead with the surgery?”

As he spoke, he opened the car door to get out.

But just as he was about to step out, Ji Min stopped him. “Wait a moment.”

Dr. Keimler: “?”

He paused and watched as Ji Min scrutinized him from head to toe, his gaze sharp and critical.

Ji Min frowned and said, “You look way too much like a doctor. This won’t work.”

Dr. Keimler: “?”

“I told you to tone down the professional look, but you’ve got your stethoscope sticking out of your coat pocket,” Ji Min said.

“But I am a doctor,” Dr. Kamler replied.

Ji Min turned to Butler Chen and said, “Find him something more casual to wear.”

Then he explained to Dr. Keimler, “The kid at home really hates anything related to hospitals. Don’t bring that hospital vibe in with you.”

Dr. Keimler tried to recall who this “kid” might be, puzzled about why Ji Min seemed to care so much.

After thinking for a while, he honestly replied.

“I’m not great with pediatrics. Do you want me to call a pediatrician? They’re better at handling kids.”

Ji Min: “…”

Butler Chen couldn’t hold back and let out a chuckle.

Seeing Butler Chen’s reaction, Dr. Keimler gradually pieced things together.

Taking the casual clothes handed to him by Butler Chen, Dr. Keimler quipped in carefully pronounced Chinese.

“Ji, have you ever heard that every domineering CEO has a beleaguered doctor friend?”

“And?” Ji Min raised an eyebrow and replied coldly, “You’re not my friend; you’re just an expensive doctor I’ve hired.”

“Now hurry up and change your clothes.”

Dr. Keimler: “…”

Once the doctor had changed in the car, Ji Min finally allowed him onto the property.

Leading him into the villa, Ji Min paused at the stairs, glanced back, and said, “Your glasses still make you look too much like a doctor. Change them.”

Dr. Keimler couldn’t help but mutter, “Is this ‘kid’ of yours really just afraid of doctors? She sounds more like a delicate little princess.”

Ji Min ignored the teasing tone and simply corrected him, “He’s a boy.”

Dr. Keimler raised an eyebrow and smoothly adjusted his phrasing: “Then what’s wrong with your delicate young man?”

Ji Min frowned, taking a moment to think.

“Sometimes, he freezes up completely, breaks out in a cold sweat, and starts trembling. It usually happens when he encounters a certain individual.”

“From your description, it sounds like panic attacks,” Dr. Keimler observed.

“And…” Ji Min hesitated for a moment, his voice lowering, “I’m not sure, but check his joints later to see if there’s anything wrong.”

“That’s doable, but without the right equipment—and given that you don’t want me to reveal I’m a doctor—it’s going to be a challenge,” Dr. Keimler replied.

Ji Min cast a frosty glance at him, using the condescending tone typical of a patient’s family member: “Can’t you just use your eyes to check?”

Dr. Keimler: “…”

Does he think I’m an X-ray machine?

Still, all of Ji Min’s meticulous preparations intrigued Dr. Keimler.

He had been Ji Min’s attending physician since his initial car accident and knew very well that Ji Min wasn’t the type to care much about his own health, let alone someone else’s.

Ji Min led him to a room on the second floor. Along the way, Dr. Keimler noticed the soft padding laid down along the hallway.

When Ji Min raised his hand to knock on the door, Dr. Keimler half-expected to see a frail, princess-like young man inside.

However, when the door opened, he was met with an entirely different sight—a lively boy of around eighteen or nineteen sprawled on the floor, energetically playing with a dog.

Noticing the stranger at the door, the boy looked up curiously.

His healthy, milky-white skin was tinged with a rosy flush from physical activity.

Standing beside this vibrant youth, the pale-skinned Ji Min looked like the sickly one.

Dr. Keimler felt utterly deceived and wanted to turn around and leave immediately.

But remembering his hefty paycheck, he bit back his irritation.

He then heard Ji Min clear his throat and introduce him to the boy in the room: “This is a friend of mine. He came to visit today.”

“Oh,” Lu Ran said as he knelt on the floor, sitting back on his heels.

There was still a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

Since leaving the orphanage and returning to the Shen family, Lu Ran had always been excluded from the family’s social circle.

As a result, he didn’t quite understand why Ji Min’s friend would want to visit him.

Ji Min noticed the confusion.

After a brief pause, he fabricated a reason: “He’s very interested in Y University’s veterinary program. I thought he might chat with you about it.”

“Come in, then,” Lu Ran said, tidying up the toys scattered across the carpet in the small sitting area.

Before Dr. Keimler could enter, Ji Min shot him a warning glance.

The look clearly said: Don’t you dare reveal that you’re a doctor.

Dr. Keimler responded with a playful “OK” gesture and then turned to Lu Ran with a smile.

“Hello there, young man. I’m very interested in the nutrition science program at your university,” he greeted.

The moment Dr. Keimler spoke, Lu Ran’s sharp ears twitched slightly.

The boy’s dark, sparkling eyes studied him for a moment, lingering on the pen clipped to his collar, before shifting his gaze to Ji Min.

Ji Min hadn’t noticed.

The door to Lu Ran’s bedroom was left open, so as soon as he entered, he could see the setup inside.

The bedding had been removed from the bed and neatly laid out on the carpet.

Ji Min was a little surprised.

Turning to the boy seated nearby, he asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping on the bed?”

Lu Ran seemed a bit uncomfortable but still answered honestly, “The mattress is too soft. It’s not very comfortable.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Ji Min frowned.

“I can sleep on the floor just fine,” Lu Ran said.

Ji Min’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he stayed silent.

It seemed that the boy had done the same thing last time, making do without saying a word.

Meanwhile, Dr. Keimler was trying hard to “diagnose” using only his eyes. Hearing the conversation between the two, he also took note.

Dislike for soft beds.

Indeed, some patients with joint pain have this preference.

But at this boy’s age, that shouldn’t be the case.

Ji Min and Dr. Keimler were both lost in their own thoughts when the boy, who had been quiet all along, suddenly asked out of the blue.

“Doctor, which hospital do you work at?”

“Oh, New City Private Hospital,” Dr. Keimler replied instinctively.

The moment the words left his mouth, he froze.

Looking up, he was met with Ji Min’s murderous glare.

Dr. Keimler quickly explained, “I didn’t mean it! I tried to cover it up!”

Ji Min sighed softly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Lu Ran, on the other hand, found the situation amusing and asked, “It’s just a doctor’s house call. Why are you being so secretive, Boss?”

Ji Min: You dare talk.

He sighed again and asked, “How did you figure out he’s a doctor?”

“This doctor talked to you on the phone before, didn’t he?” Lu Ran replied.

Hearing this, Dr. Keimler immediately straightened his posture.

See? It’s not that he can’t keep a secret—it’s that Ji Min spilled the beans earlier.

Ji Min hadn’t expected that Lu Ran, who had only heard Dr. Keimler’s voice once over the phone, could recognize him.

Initially, considering Lu Ran’s aversion to hospitals, Ji Min assumed he would feel the same about doctors.

Ji Min had even braced himself for various scenarios of the boy being difficult during a medical consultation.

Unexpectedly, when told about the health checkup, Lu Ran was very cooperative.

When Dr. Keimler needed to examine his joints, the boy paused briefly but still obediently extended his arm.

In the end, Dr. Keimler didn’t find anything unusual.

He turned to Ji Min and said, “Relax, the kid in your house is very healthy.”

Lu Ran also let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief and said confidently, “See? I told you so!”

The next morning, Ji Min gave Lu Ran a ride to school on his way.

In the car, Lu Ran was still talking about the incident.

“You actually invited a doctor to your house and even pretended he was a friend to keep it from me.”

Ji Min felt a bit awkward and didn’t respond.

Lu Ran stared at him, studying him for a moment.

Then, as if something occurred to him, he suddenly asked, “Boss, you have the time to worry about someone as healthy as me, but why don’t you get surgery for your own leg?”

Ji Min froze.

Previously, he had been provoked by Lu Ran into inquiring about the surgery, but he hadn’t reached the point of deciding to go through with it.

He turned to look out the window, remaining silent.

It wasn’t out of irritation but because he didn’t know how to answer.

Nor did he want to reveal his uncertainty about the surgery—or the nervousness that came with it—in front of the boy.

But just as he turned his head, he felt someone boldly poking his arm.

Then a fluffy head leaned closer, pestering him relentlessly, “Why not?”

Ji Min: “…”

He thought for a moment and decided to borrow one of Lu Ran’s usual tactics.

Lowering his gaze to the boy in front of him, he asked, “What about you? Why are you so concerned about my leg? Do you like me or something?”

Lu Ran froze.

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