CFRFGC Chapter 41

⌈”Mine.”⌋

The young man’s chin was nearly resting on Ji Min’s knee.

Seeing him look over, Lu Ran, who was practically sprawled across Ji Min’s knees, clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.

“President Ji, Mr. Ji, Bodhisattva Ji, I was the one who didn’t know my place before. You’re generous, please help me out one more time, okay?”

Ji Min didn’t respond for a long time.

He just stared at the young man in front of him.

With their obedient curve, those eyes looked up at him, halfway tilted.

Lethal.

Lu Ran waited a long time, squatting until his legs went numb, but still got no reply.

“Hey.” He patted the man’s knee.

Finally, Ji Min spoke: “Hands off.”

His voice had a slight rasp to it.

“Will you help me or not?” Lu Ran asked.

Ji Min turned his head aside.

Suppressing a strange itch rising in his throat, he asked in his usual, calm tone, “What is it?”

After asking, he casually added, “Stand up.”

But Lu Ran didn’t stand.

Noticing that Ji Min seemed to dislike others touching his leg, he simply let go and plopped down on the floor.

“It’s just a small matter.”

He lifted his eyes to look over again.

“……”

Ji Min simply maneuvered his wheelchair to face another direction.

Just as he finished turning, Lu Ran crawled in front of his wheelchair again.

Ji Min: “…If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

Lu Ran glanced up at him quickly.

His eyelashes fluttered, then lowered.

“I know that at first you advised me to study abroad. I didn’t go and you were upset.”

Lu Ran said softly.

“I’m not that inconsiderate, asking someone for a favor after refusing them.”

He mumbled, “I just wanted to ask if, during the day, I could leave Da Huang with you?”

Ji Min was stunned.

He lowered his gaze again to look at the young man.

The boy’s milky-white cheeks and the earlobes between his soft black hair were tinged with a faint blush.

Clearly, asking for help with such a humble attitude wasn’t easy for him.

Yet after hesitating so long, the thing he’d chosen to ask for wasn’t about his own future.

It was just for a little dog.

Ji Min’s gaze was heavy.

His expression was indifferent, his gaze carrying the oppressive weight unique to an adult and someone in a position of authority.

Lu Ran watched for a while and thought Ji Min was going to refuse.

He quickly added, “You wouldn’t need to do anything. Just give it a place to stay and I’ll walk and feed it morning and evening.”

“It’s old, doesn’t like to move, and hardly ever barks. Keeping it in a cage is fine too.”

The boy explained hurriedly.

Perhaps from anxiety, the redness on his cheeks deepened, slowly spreading down to his neck.

“Why ask me?” Ji Min’s tone was indifferent. “You should go to a pet store.”

Lu Ran was straightforward. “Because it’s cool in the shade of a big tree. If I leave him with you, no one would dare touch him.”

Though Lu Ran had been joking around with Shen Xingzhuo earlier today, the fact that Shen Xingzhuo had secretly found Da Huang’s location made Lu Ran feel tense.

He could never let down his guard with the Shen family.

Lu Ran would never forget that in his past life, it was Shen Xingzhuo who had ordered Da Huang’s death.

He’d never had the delusion that he could compete with Shen Xingran for Shen Xingzhuo’s affection.

Lu Ran was very clear on this.

Shen Xingzhuo and Shen Xingran had lived together for over ten years.

Even if, at times, Shen Xingzhuo had a falling out with Shen Xingran and suddenly remembered he had another little brother, they would always make up.

“Do you think I would agree?”

Ji Min’s tone was cold, but his voice had softened.

“I’m begging you,” Lu Ran said.

President Ji let out a cool “heh.”

“Please, I’m begging you!” Lu Ran continued to plead.

Ji Min turned his wheelchair and rolled away, his back radiating cold indifference.

But then, out of nowhere, he tossed back an address, saying, “Bring it to my office tomorrow morning.”

Outside in the hallway.

Shen Xingzhuo looked at the slightly ajar door in front of him.

He stood there quietly for a moment, then turned and walked down the corridor.

At the emergency exit, a security guard asked him, “Second Young Master Shen, weren’t you looking for your brother?”

At that, the security guard glanced at this notorious second young master of the Shen family, who simply tugged his lips into a stiff, unpleasant smile.

That night, President Ji appeared entirely indifferent to Lu Ran’s request.

The next day, in the Ji Corporation building.

Just minutes before clock-in time, every department’s employees were already at their stations.

Some were hurriedly eating breakfast, while others had already opened their computers and were busy with work.

Nearby, an employee was whispering into their phone, “You’re too late; should I clock you in? Hey, keep it down—we’re right under the Demon King’s nose, you think I’d dare punch in for you…”

It was a lively scene, uniquely suited to the busy corporate morning.

Amid the chaotic buzz of the morning, the elevator doors quietly slid open.

Ji Min wheeled himself out with a remote control.

For the first time, he was more than ten minutes late for work.

At this hour, everyone assumed he was already in his office, so no one noticed him immediately.

That is, until the sound of another set of light, tiny footsteps echoed—”tap-tap-tap.”

Finally, someone exclaimed, “Huh? Why is there a little dog?”

“Wow, it’s so cute!”

“Hey, what happened to your paw, little one?”

After a round of surprised remarks, they noticed that the dog had a leash tied around its neck, a leash that stretched…stretched…

Stretched all the way up to the armrest of a wheelchair.

Tied in a neat little knot.

The entire office floor suddenly went silent.

Only the guy who’d been on the phone continued yelling, “I clocked you in! Hurry up…”

Suddenly, he sensed the unusual silence around him.

Looking down, he met his boss’s piercing gaze: “…”

Ji Min didn’t say anything. In the quiet that had fallen over the room, he simply led a dog—completely out of place with his usual serious demeanor—slowly into his office.

As the door to his office closed, a wave of whispers exploded outside.

The news that the chairman had brought a dog to work spread like wildfire.

But since President Ji’s cold, grim demeanor made him seem like the last person who’d own a pet, the story morphed as it circulated, until it became: “The chairman’s office has a stray dog!”

The rumor made its way to the cleaning department.

The head of cleaning, wiping sweat from his brow, rushed in with a net in hand.

In his urgency, he knocked twice, but without waiting for an answer, burst into the office. “Chairman! Where’s the dog?”

As he finished, he took in the spacious, well-lit office. In the corner, a small, soft dog bed had been placed on the sofa.

A little mutt was nestled there, looking up at him with round, shiny black eyes.

Seeing the net in his hand, the dog shivered, jumped off the sofa, and scurried behind the desk.

The manager found himself accidentally locking eyes with Ji Min, who sat on the other side of the desk.

As always, the chairman wore his usual cold expression.

Glancing at the net, Ji Min asked in a calm voice, “What’s that for?”

The head of cleaning forced an awkward smile. “Uh… the dog.”

After speaking, he saw the unapproachable chairman lower his gaze to the little dog by his feet and say: “It’s mine.”

“Oh, oh!” Swallowing his surprise, the manager hurriedly left.

Once he’d gone, the office floor buzzed with more whispers: “No way, the chairman actually owns a dog?”

“It’s odd—given his status, I thought he’d have some rare breed.”

“Who knew it’d be just a mutt…”

Ji Min paid no mind to the conversations outside.

Once he was absorbed in work, his efficiency was unmatched.

Besides…

Except for being a few minutes late, today didn’t feel much different from any other day.

He worked continuously for a few hours, until lunchtime.

Ji Min lifted his head from the pile of documents and rubbed his temples.

His gaze drifted over to the bundle on the sofa.

A faint, absurd sense of disbelief crept in.

Had he really agreed to help Lu Ran by looking after a dog during the day?

Ji Min found himself in a stare-off with Da Huang on the sofa, both of them wide-eyed.

An intense feeling of unreality hit him.

It was no wonder he was only just processing it now.

After all… this dog was unbelievably quiet.

It had curled up on the sofa, unmoving for hours.

Quiet enough to seem like a fluffy little ornament.

Ji Min observed it from behind his desk for a while.

Sensing his gaze, the dog on the sofa began eyeing him back, appearing obedient but with a hint of wariness in its eyes.

Whenever it sensed any unfamiliar movement, it would dart to his feet.

Once the perceived danger was gone, it would silently retreat from him again.

Just like its owner.

Ji Min maneuvered his wheelchair around the back of the sofa.

Checking the time, he took a water bowl out of his bag, filled it, and placed it in front of Da Huang.

Da Huang looked at him, gave a few polite licks, then continued staring.

President Ji found himself locked in yet another stare-off with the little dog.

After a brief pause, he frowned and curtly commanded, “Drink.”

Da Huang glanced at him, then trotted back to curl up on the sofa.

Ji Min: “…”

Forgive him—he hadn’t taken any courses in animal behavior or animal psychology in college.

After waiting a while, he realized the dog had no intention of drinking.

Ji Min left the water bowl there.

Hesitating for a few minutes, he finally picked up his phone.

Scrolling through his WeChat contacts, he tapped on the little yellow dog icon.

“Why won’t your dog drink water?” he asked.

There was a delay as if the other person was busy. A reply came a few minutes later: [?]

Ji Min described as accurately as he could, “I told it to drink water. It took two licks, looked at me, and then went back to sleep.”

Da Huang Doesn’t Wreck the House: [Huh?]

Da Huang Doesn’t Wreck the House: [Why is it you taking care of him? I thought it’d be one of your household staff or maybe Uncle Butler…]

Ji Min read the message, feeling an odd flash of irritation.

He replied, “If you’re not happy with it, come get the dog yourself.”

A meme of someone bowing and kowtowing popped up as the instant reply.

Ji Min, feeling a bit compulsive, pressed on, “So why won’t he drink?”

Da Huang Doesn’t Wreck the House: [He wants you to sprinkle some goat milk powder. It’s in the backpack.]

Ji Min: “…”

So picky.

Both dog and owner.

That evening, Lu Ran clocked out from work and headed over to the Ji Corporation building.

Most employees had already left for the day, with only a few still around, working late.

Lu Ran reached the floor where the chairman’s office was located.

Recently, he’d been coming here quite a bit.

Though mostly just to deliver takeout.

Now, with the floor mostly deserted and eerily quiet, Lu Ran found himself walking deeper toward that particular office.

After a few steps, he paused, feeling like a brave warrior venturing into a dragon’s lair.

No, actually, more like a warrior rescuing a princess.

Only this princess was named Da Huang.

The thought made Lu Ran chuckle.

Truthfully, it had been a long time since he’d felt this light-hearted and happy about picking up Da Huang.

When he’d left Da Huang in the security room at the orphanage or when he’d left him temporarily at a pet store each time he finished work, Lu Ran would rush over, anxious and flustered.

On the way, his mind would replay the sight of Da Huang’s accident.

Knock, knock.

Lu Ran knocked on the office door.

“Come in.”

It was Ji Min’s usual cool, steady voice.

Pushing open the door, Lu Ran took in the clean and spacious office.

He paused for a moment.

Before coming in, he’d imagined what Ji Min’s office might look like.

Since Ji Min had mobility challenges and this was his personal space, he thought there might be a lot of unusual adaptations.

But now that he was here, he found Ji Min’s office surprisingly ordinary.

The ordinary nature of the office masked any sign of this man’s challenges.

It just felt particularly spacious.

Behind the dark desk, Ji Min was still frowning at something.

Sitting in his wheelchair in such a large, cool office gave him a somewhat lonely air.

Yet, the little yellow dog curled up on the nearby sofa seemed to dilute that loneliness in an odd way.

It added a touch of warmth to the otherwise muted-toned office.

Seeing Lu Ran enter, Da Huang barked excitedly, jumped off the sofa, and bounded over to greet him.

“Da Huang! Did you miss Daddy?” Lu Ran knelt and hugged Da Huang tightly.

Ji Min looked up from his documents.

The young man stood by the door, enthusiastically ruffling the small dog’s fur.

The noise in the otherwise silent office was somewhat disruptive.

Yet it was strangely endearing, not annoying.

Ji Min watched for a moment, the frown between his brows softening noticeably.

When the young man lifted his head, his eyes brimming with joy and looked over at him, Ji Min averted his gaze casually and sneered, “Looks like you’re scrubbing the floor clean by the door.”

Lu Ran: “…”

He cautiously sized Ji Min up.

Seeing that Ji Min didn’t seem inclined to kick him out, he carried Da Huang and walked further inside.

“Not leaving?” Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran patted the paper bag in his hand.

Ji Min raised an eyebrow at him.

Lu Ran said, “It’s a gift.”

Ji Min’s hand, still holding his pen, paused slightly.

He looked up, noticing the paper bag from a dessert shop.

Desserts in Jing City weren’t exactly cheap.

For a young man working part-time in a café, it must have been a bit of a splurge.

“Don’t buy these in the future,” Ji Min said. “I don’t like sweets.”

“Really?” Lu Ran replied with delight, swiftly pulling the bag back.

Ji Min: “…”

---