⌈”Am I dazzled? The person standing on the stage is actually Lu Ran.”⌋
“You didn’t see his face this morning.”
Madam Shen sat in the back seat of the car, chatting and laughing with Shen Xingran.
Earlier that morning, after hearing her words, Lu Ran didn’t say anything. He silently accepted the rent reminder and later the lease renewal contract that Madam Shen handed him, giving her a meaningful glance before leaving.
When had Lu Ran ever been so quiet during this time?
Madam Shen felt she had gained some ground.
Leaning back against the soft cushion, she leisurely admired her freshly done nails from yesterday.
“Recently, he’s been acting so high and mighty, thinking he can come and go as he pleases in the Shen household. I say he’s family; he is family. But if I don’t acknowledge him one day, he becomes just a tenant.”
“Make sure he pays the rent honestly.”
Listening to Madam Shen’s words, Shen Xingran didn’t feel the anticipated joy upon hearing that Lu Ran had been put in his place. In fact, her words made him uncomfortable.
Suppressing his chaotic thoughts, he held Madam Shen’s hand and asked, “Mom, will he stop living at home because of this?”
“If he wants to leave, he should leave early,” Madam Shen replied.
Shen Xingran hoped Lu Ran would indeed leave; he always felt uncomfortable with him staying at the Shen residence.
However, after some careful consideration, he asked indirectly, “Will Dad be unhappy if he finds out?”
Shen Xingran had a lingering feeling that Shen Hongyuan didn’t want Lu Ran to leave.
At the mention of this, Madam Shen paused for a moment.
But she quickly waved her hand dismissively. “Who cares? He needs to be taught a lesson.”
Shen Xingran fell silent.
The car slowly drove into Y University.
Today was a special day. Upon seeing Madam Shen’s car, the staff waiting at the campus gate immediately greeted them politely.
“Is this the Shen Group? We have a dedicated parking area for businesses over here.”
The car window slowly rolled down. Madam Shen politely smiled at the person outside without getting out.
Shen Xingran leaned out and said to the waiting staff, “Senior, you can get back to what you were doing. My mom is visiting our school for the first time, so I’ll show her around.”
The senior, who had been standing in the cold wind for credits, immediately looked at Shen Xingran in envy.
He had already heard that the young master of the Shen Group had enrolled this year. He was surprised to find that the rumors were true.
“Well, well, junior, you and your mother have a great time,” the senior said nervously, stumbling over his words.
Shen Xingran smiled modestly, rolled up the car window, and signaled the driver to continue toward the school facade.
The student who was there to greet them stood still, quietly hoping that this would be his chance to make an impression in front of the Shen family.
Today was a funding conference hosted by their school.
Unlike the various grants organized by the government, the school’s funding conference didn’t have strict review processes. Instead, it was more about connecting students who needed help or had excellent grades with local businesses.
How contracts would be signed afterward was up to the students and the companies to negotiate.
This meant that it often came down to personal connections.
The student planned to participate in the funding conference today.
Before the conference started, he had taken the initiative to offer his services as a greeter.
He wanted to become familiar with the Shen family before the event kicked off.
Even after the car had driven quite a distance, Shen Xingran could still feel the envious gazes behind him.
Such looks made him feel very comfortable and calmed his mindset considerably.
After venting her frustrations that morning, Madam Shen was also in a good mood.
The two strolled around the campus for quite a while before heading to the venue for the funding conference.
On their way, they encountered many students.
It was already winter break, and while many had gone home, a considerable number remained on campus.
Most were there for today’s funding conference.
Madam Shen rolled down the car window, admiring the students waiting eagerly for her to choose them.
After a while, feeling cold, she rolled the window back up.
“Look, there are so many people eager to get connected with our Shen family,” Madam Shen remarked.
The assistant sitting in the front passenger seat broke into a sweat at her words.
He just hoped that none of the students outside could hear her.
Typically, such events were personally attended by the eldest young master or the master, but this year, Shen Xingyu was tied up with business overseas and Shen Hongyuan was in a bad mood and didn’t want to get involved.
The second young master, Shen Xingzhuo, was also abroad for reasons unknown and couldn’t be relied on.
Thus, Madam Shen and the young master were the ones who had to come.
Listening to the subtle disdain in Madam Shen’s words, the assistant wanted to remind her that although this was called a funding conference, it resembled an early recruitment fair more than anything else.
Many outstanding students in various fields were being sought after by competing companies.
Although there was an undeniable sense of superiority hidden beneath the surface, once they got out of the car, Madam Shen maintained her usual elegant demeanor.
When she encountered students who knew Shen Xingran and greeted her, she politely nodded in acknowledgment.
Shen Xingran also warmly greeted those he recognized.
However, as he held Madam Shen’s hand and settled into a seat at the front of the lecture hall, he couldn’t help but feel the distinction between people as he looked at the throng of students behind him.
Many first-year and even fourth-year students squeezed their way over, hoping for a chance to connect with the Shen family.
Yet here he was, just half a year into his studies, sitting at the front as a judge.
Before long, the funding conference officially began.
Shen Xingran noticed that at the other end of the long table, a teacher hurriedly removed a chair.
Then, a black electric wheelchair slowly made its way along the accessible path and stopped in front of the table.
The recent drop in temperature made the man in the wheelchair’s pale skin stand out even more, as cold as the frost left on an outdoor window sill.
An awkward situation arose.
The long table had been set up for able-bodied individuals and there wasn’t enough space to accommodate the bulky wheelchair.
Several officials immediately gathered around.
One of them pointed at the teacher standing nearby and scolded, “What kind of situation is this? Don’t you know that Mr. Ji comes every year?”
The man in the wheelchair raised a hand to stop the dispute.
“It’s nothing,” he said.
He then gestured for Butler Chen, who had accompanied him, to take a seat in the prepared spot while he casually lingered at the side of the aisle, placing a hard folder on his lap.
The officials continued to apologize.
The man displayed a hint of impatience in his brows, spoke a few more words, and the officials quickly urged the conference to start.
The small commotion came to an end.
Shen Xingran watched intently, unable to help but tug on Madam Shen’s arm, saying, “Mom, the school’s teachers are so polite to Mr. Ji.”
“Well, the Ji family is quite influential,” Madam Shen replied with a huff.
The assistant standing nearby couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
The people in charge at the school weren’t foolish.
The extra politeness towards Ji Min was due to the fact that the Ji family’s business provided a significant number of job opportunities for the school each year.
How could they not be courteous?
On stage, the host began introducing the various companies in attendance.
Next up were the students, who would come on stage to introduce themselves.
Madam Shen handed the notes she had taken to her assistant while she and Shen Xingran engaged in casual conversation.
“By the way, Lu Ran goes to the same school as you, right?” Madam Shen asked.
Shen Xingran’s mood instantly became complex.
On one hand, he was surprised that Madam Shen had suddenly brought up Lu Ran.
On the other hand…
Lu Ran had been staying at the Shen household for several months.
It was surprising that Madam Shen still wasn’t sure which school Lu Ran attended.
After receiving Shen Xingran’s confirmation, Madam Shen let out a huff of amusement.
She said, “We should let him come take a look. If we hadn’t brought him back to the Shen family, he’d have to squeeze in with those students at this funding conference.”
Just then, it was finally the turn of the veterinary program from Y University on stage.
The host introduced, “The next student to come up is our top freshman this year. He also had the highest GPA in the first semester…”
Madam Shen was somewhat intrigued by this announcement.
She raised her head to look at the stage, only to feel her breath catch in her throat.
Lu Ran?
Lu Ran was here at the funding conference?
Madam Shen was stunned for a full three to five seconds.
Until Lu Ran began introducing himself on stage, she couldn’t help but grip Shen Xingran’s arm in disbelief: “Am I seeing things? That’s actually Lu Ran standing up there.”
Shen Xingran was equally stunned.
The two who had originally sat there filled with a sense of superiority now felt their cheeks burning hot.
Why was Lu Ran here?
Was he really going to pitch himself on stage along with other underprivileged students?
Madam Shen felt an absurdity wash over her in an instant.
Though she had always disdained Lu Ran, often wondering how she could have such a son, in her mind, bringing Lu Ran back to the Shen family was already a monumental act of kindness.
What reason did he have to come to this conference seeking funding?
Madam Shen found it utterly ridiculous.
If others saw this…
How would they perceive the Shen family?
Madam Shen felt as if she had been pricked by needles in an instant.
Although the Shen family had never officially introduced Lu Ran, the last time he had caused a scene at the villa entrance, he was personally invited in by Shen Hongyuan.
Anyone could tell that Lu Ran had some connection to the Shen family.
Moreover, Y University was a local institution.
Today, all the attending enterprises were familiar faces; the people in attendance had recently participated in Shen Hongyuan’s birthday banquet.
Everyone present were acquaintances.
Madam Shen felt an almost palpable gaze directed at her from all around.
Shen Xingran felt even more uncomfortable.
He simply couldn’t understand.
What was Lu Ran thinking? Was he really so shameless?
If he remembered correctly, during this funding conference, students were supposed to give a brief introduction about their families…
On the other side of the long table, near the aisle, Ji Min, sitting in his wheelchair, also caught sight of the young man on stage and was momentarily taken aback.
When he looked up again, the surprise in his eyes had already faded back to calm.
Lu Ran on stage was oblivious to it all.
Even if he sensed it, he wouldn’t care.
The Shen family didn’t give him tuition, didn’t provide him with living expenses, and now they were asking him to pay rent.
What was wrong with him being here?
Furthermore, even without considering his family situation, his grades were sufficient for him to qualify for this funding conference.
Others speculated various identities for Lu Ran, but it was always just speculation.
Yet Madam Shen couldn’t sit still any longer.
She stared blankly at the boy on stage.
Ironically, even though she had brought Lu Ran back to the Shen family early on and they had even conducted a paternity test, it seemed that until now…
Until this moment, Madam Shen suddenly became acutely aware.
The boy standing on stage, speaking confidently, this child deemed “in need of assistance”, was her biological son.
This realization made Madam Shen feel increasingly awkward.
Because now, the fact that Lu Ran stood on stage felt like a public indictment of her as a mother in front of all the familiar companies, all the teachers, and all the students in the classroom.
In an instant, Madam Shen felt utterly embarrassed.
She quickly turned to look at Shen Xingran beside her.
Seeing Shen Xingran, whose every aspect, even his hair, exuded elegance, Madam Shen finally relaxed.
Shen Xingran was her child.
Look at how well she raised him.
A sense of relief crept into Madam Shen’s heart.
The fact that Lu Ran was part of the Shen family—well, no one knew that.
At that moment, Lu Ran had finished introducing his academic achievements.
The slender boy stood on the high platform, scanning the audience below.
With a very calm tone, he said.
“As for my family, I don’t have much to say. Because I am… an orphan.”
