CFRFGC Chapter 40

⌈”Stop talking. I don’t agree with this marriage.”⌋

Lu Ran exchanged a few words with Xiao Wang, tidied up his things, and then left with Chen Sheng.

Once he got into the car, he realized that Shen Xingzhuo was also there.

He must have noticed that he wasn’t very likable.

Surprisingly, he didn’t just barge into the store.

Lu Ran didn’t mind.

When they arrived at their destination,

Lu Ran glanced out the car window at the Twin Towers.

He was quite surprised and looked at Chen Sheng with admiration, saying, “You’re actually willing to come here for a meal?”

Then he recalled what happened last time in this club.

Chen Sheng and Shen Xingzhuo: “…”

After a moment, Chen Sheng silently wiped his face and said, “Because I only have a membership card for this place.”

This was where Lu Ran had initially clashed with Lin Yi.

Once inside, he noticed that Chen Sheng and the others hadn’t booked the same booth on the first floor as last time.

Instead, they had chosen a different one.

The booth was warm and cozy.

A hot pot that had been prepared earlier was bubbling away.

Red cherry tomatoes bobbed up and down in the broth.

Chen Sheng invited everyone to sit down and didn’t say much; after exchanging a few pleasantries, they got straight to eating.

After drinking a little, the conversation began to flow.

Chen Sheng scooted his chair closer to Lu Ran.

“Sorry about this, Brother Lu.”

The others also turned their attention to him.

Chen Sheng scratched his face, saying, “Although we didn’t mention it before, you know how our circle is—there’s always some… hesitation about illegitimate children.”

He waved his hand dismissively, “Who knew you weren’t one!”

Lu Ran found it a bit amusing.

Not holding back, he laughed out loud.

He candidly admitted, “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about; my position in the Shen family is even worse than that of an illegitimate child.”

At least an illegitimate child has a biological mother who seriously considers their well-being.

Sitting silently and eating beside them, Shen Xingzhuo tightened his grip on his chopsticks.

Everyone else felt a pang of emotion at Lu Ran’s words.

Although they hadn’t treated Lu Ran as poorly as Lin Yi did, they still showed indifference, exclusion, and occasional mockery.

However, Lu Ran mostly ignored it all.

Perhaps it was due to Lu Ran’s impressive achievements.

So…

His indifference came off as exceptionally magnanimous.

Everyone present couldn’t help but reflect: if they were looked down upon as illegitimate children in public, they would likely retaliate fiercely.

If it were Lu Ran, he would probably shove their heads into a toilet and flush.

Thinking this way…

Lu Ran’s tolerance seemed almost tear-jerkingly admirable.

“Ah, let’s not talk about it; it’s all in the drink!”

The atmosphere at the dining table became lively again.

As the meal neared its end, Lu Ran sat on the sofa, digesting and lost in thought as he gazed out the window.

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the booth revealed the bustling lights of the city.

At this hour, the Twin Towers were at their most vibrant.

Of course, this was only true for the accessible building.

The other building only had the hallway lights on.

Outside, it remained solemn and quiet.

The sofa beside him sagged slightly.

Lu Ran turned to see Shen Xingzhuo had sat down next to him.

“Isn’t it too late to head back? Don’t you still have to go a few streets away to pick up your dog?”

Shen Xingzhuo asked.

He was waiting to naturally ask Lu Ran if he wanted to ride back with him.

However, when he glanced down, he saw the boy looking at him in shock.

With a stunned expression, Lu Ran asked, “Are you secretly in love with Da Huang?”

Shen Xingzhuo: “?”

Shen Xingzhuo: “…”

“Huh?” He let out a ridiculous laugh. “Lu Ran, what nonsense are you talking about?”

“Then why are you sneakily following it around and asking where it’s being boarded?” Lu Ran argued back, completely justified.

Shen Xingzhuo was at a loss for words. “I was just…”

As he spoke, his phone slipped from his hand and fell onto the sofa.

The phone screen was still lit up.

On it was the order page for a certain foreign pet brand.

He had bought dog food, a dog bed, and a leash.

Lu Ran was even more shocked. “You’ve even prepared a bride price? But Da Huang is a male dog!”

Shen Xingzhuo: “…”

His face turned ashen. He just wanted to reach out and strangle this guy in front of him.

“Stop talking nonsense; I was just—”

Lu Ran shook his head solemnly. “Don’t say anything else. I do not approve of this marriage.”

Shen Xingzhuo: “…”

Heaven!

Someone come and deal with him!

Just when Shen Xingzhuo was at a loss for words and nearly ready to jump onto the sofa in frustration, the streetlights outside the other building suddenly flickered on, one by one.

Then the lobby lights followed.

The bright illumination spread like flames, gradually reaching up the building.

Before long, a once-quiet building came to life.

Figures could be seen moving in the windows.

A few staff members in the lobby were coordinating various matters.

In no time, they had arranged for waiters to stand by at the entrance.

The sudden brightness of the building’s lights was quite eye-catching.

Chen Sheng and the others were astonished.

“Isn’t that building supposed to require a reservation? Why is it so urgent this time? Who has such pull?”

Someone chimed in, “Who else could it be? There are only a few people in the business circle.”

Another ten minutes passed.

Lu Ran saw a familiar business car pull up in front of the building.

Meanwhile, Shen Xingzhuo was talking about something beside him.

However, Lu Ran suddenly found himself somewhat distracted.

“Da Huang is also my dog, so of course I need to…”

His ears caught one of Shen Xingzhuo’s comments, snapping Lu Ran back to attention.

He looked at Shen Xingzhuo in shock. “What do you mean Da Huang is your dog? Your infatuation has its limits, you know!”

Shen Xingzhuo: “…”

He was about to roar!

What a creep!

Whose younger brother was this guy anyway?

Certainly not his!

Fortunately, Lu Ran quickly excused himself to go to the restroom, saving Shen Xingzhuo’s heart from being on the verge of exploding.

However, Lu Ran did not go to the restroom.

He walked down the corridor he had passed through last time.

He arrived at the emergency exit of another building.

The security guard at this level was still the same one as before.

When he saw Lu Ran, he paused for a moment.

Before Lu Ran could speak, the guard proactively asked, “Looking for Mr. Ji?”

Lu Ran nodded, feeling a bit anxious.

This time, without Butler Chen present, he thought he wouldn’t be able to get in.

However, the guard didn’t let him go on his own this time.

Instead, he called someone on the intercom to escort Lu Ran into the corridor.

The corridor seemed even longer than before.

After entering, Lu Ran felt a bit impulsive.

He would have been better off delivering the takeout to Ji’s company tomorrow.

While he was lost in thought, the waiter in front of him stopped in front of a door.

The waiter smiled at Lu Ran and raised his hand to knock on the door.

A voice from inside replied, “Come in.”

The tone was flat, offering no hint of the owner’s emotions or whether they were busy.

But the waiter didn’t inquire further.

He merely gestured for Lu Ran to enter and then turned to leave.

Lu Ran: “…”

He almost reached out.

No way, bro.

Aren’t you going to open the door and report in?

You just leave him standing here?

We’re both workers; can’t you show a little empathy?

Lu Ran stood alone outside the door.

His palm touched the doorknob, but he only touched it without moving.

He kicked the nonexistent stones on the polished marble floor with the tips of his shoes.

After kicking for a while, he finally raised his head and took a deep breath.

“Creak…”

The heavy door was finally pushed open a crack.

“Compress tomorrow’s schedule a bit more,”

Ji Min said as he handed the schedule to his assistant.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw a furry little head poking out from the gap in the door.

The boy had taken off his padded coat and was wearing only a somewhat thin milky-white hoodie.

The hood had slipped down. His fine, soft black hair was sticking out in all directions due to static electricity.

Between the strands of hair, two pale ears peeked out with a hint of pink.

With his dark eyes wide open, he cautiously peered inside like a mouse sneaking into a cat’s territory to steal cheese.

Ji Min’s fingers curled slightly, crumpling the corner of the schedule ever so slightly.

Their gazes met.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Lu Ran bit his lip, uncertain if he was interrupting some important work.

He felt a bit embarrassed.

Just as he was about to retract his head, he heard the man inside the room casually say, “Wrong way; the restroom is at the end of the corridor.”

Lu Ran: “…”

In that instant, the pot that had been boiling in his chest all day finally turned off.

All sense of awkwardness flew away.

“I’m not going to the restroom every time!”

He pushed the door open wide and stepped into the room, slamming the door shut with a “bang”.

“Oh.”

The man replied softly and then turned back to the other documents at hand.

Once the boy’s feet had firmly stepped into the room, the thin layer of red on his ears had nearly faded away.

He slowly spoke again, “I thought you were going to kick the marble and crawl in.”

The faint blush that had just retreated surged back in an instant.

Lu Ran shoved his hands into his pockets, his ten fingers fidgeting chaotically.

Well then.

He knew it was too easy to get in.

Turns out that his earlier actions outside were visible to this guy!

Lu Ran fiddled with his fingers, unsure of what to say.

The room fell silent again, mixed with an indescribable awkwardness.

At that moment, Butler Chen approached and handed Ji Min a cup of red tea.

Ji Min glanced at the butler.

In a soft voice, he reminded, “He’s looking for you.”

The butler raised his eyebrows in surprise.

At that point, the previously silent boy spoke up.

With a firm tone, Lu Ran said, “I’m not here to find Uncle Butler.”

Ji Min looked over.

Caught off guard, he met the boy’s honest and resolute dark eyes.

Within those eyes hid a bit of shyness mixed with embarrassment and a hint of retreat.

Yet the owner of those eyes remained steadfast, straightforwardly saying, “I’m here to apologize to you.”

Ji Min was momentarily taken aback by this candid and sincere apology.

For a moment, he found himself at a loss for words.

The old butler standing nearby glanced at Ji Min.

His expression seemed to say: Even kids know to apologize immediately, while some people have been waiting for takeout for two days.

Ji Min avoided Butler Chen’s teasing gaze.

Butler Chen smiled, handed a cup of tea to Lu Ran, and then left the room.

Click.

The door opened and closed again.

In the spacious suite, only Lu Ran and Ji Min remained.

Ji Min lowered his head, flipping through the documents in his hands.

After turning a few pages, he rubbed his temples and set the documents aside.

He used the remote control for his wheelchair to turn towards the floor-to-ceiling window.

“What are you apologizing for?” he asked quietly.

Once the butler had left, Lu Ran felt a bit awkward.

He quickly said, “Oh, and I should thank you for offering to send me to study abroad, and for asking about my job.”

“Hmm.” The man half-closed his eyes.

It was unclear whether he was looking at the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window or at the boy’s reflection in the glass.

Apologies and thanks.

The involved parties accepted them.

It seemed the whole process was complete.

“Hmm… I’m fine now.”

Lu Ran lightly turned on his heel.

He glanced back.

The wheelchair remained quietly in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

“Then I’ll be going.”

Lu Ran’s hand pressed against the door lock.

Click.

The door opened once more.

Ji Min silently gazed at his pale reflection in the glass.

Suddenly, he frowned.

He turned the wheelchair back.

Just as words were about to leave his mouth, he heard a soft “pop”.

The door closed.

The fluffy-haired boy who had just slipped inside was gone.

A wave of irritation surged up without warning.

Before Ji Min could make sense of this feeling,

Whoosh.

The recently closed door opened again.

The black-haired boy in a hoodie dashed in.

Ji Min had just regained his senses when he felt a slight warmth on his knee.

He glanced down slightly.

There, the previously reserved child was now crouching in front of him, his hands resting on Ji Min’s knee, which was covered by a thin blanket.

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