⌈I just helped, so what?⌋
When Lu Ran was leaving the house, Shen Hongyuan happened to be coming downstairs.
Last night, Madam Shen had somehow managed to calm Shen Hongyuan down.
This morning, his expression had already returned to normal.
Seeing him come down the stairs, Shen Xingran waved cheerfully like a child and called out, “Dad! The porridge Mom made is super tasty; come have a taste!”
“Dad, don’t you have a banquet to attend this afternoon…?”
Ji Corporation, Chairman’s office.
Ji Min glanced up at the clock.
It was already nearly ten minutes past a certain someone’s usual arrival time.
But soon, the office door opened.
The young man walked in, leading a dog.
He paused on the mat by the door and used a damp towel to wipe Da Huang’s paws.
Ji Min noticed that besides his backpack, Lu Ran was also carrying a paper bag from a fast-food restaurant.
It looked like breakfast.
By now, Ji Min was aware that Lu Ran’s breakfasts were typically quite simple.
Most often just buns.
Often, two steamed buns would be all he’d get.
This time, buying breakfast at a fast-food restaurant was a rare “big splurge”.
Ji Min was a bit surprised.
But then he saw Lu Ran place the paper bag on his little desk and take out four ice creams from the bag.
Eating ice cream on such a cold day.
And buying four at once.
Ji Min frowned slightly.
Seeing him buy so many at once, Ji Min instinctively assumed that the kid was buying discount items as gifts again.
He was just about to say he didn’t want any.
Then he saw Lu Ran tear off the packaging of each cone and take a bite out of each of the four ice creams.
Ji Min: “…”
He scoffed, “Not worried about your stomach?”
Lu Ran stated confidently, “Ice cream is best eaten in winter!”
He quickly polished off all four cones.
The office was well-heated, but as the creamy ice cream went down, Lu Ran couldn’t help but shiver a little.
The assistant knocked and entered, reminding Ji Min of his schedule for the day.
He also handed Lu Ran a copy of the agenda.
Lu Ran looked at it with curiosity.
After a glance, he saw that Ji Min had three places to visit today.
Though all were in Beijing, they were quite far apart.
“Do I have to follow you to all three places?” Lu Ran asked.
Ji Min considered for a moment.
He usually had several people around him—assistants, a driver, and bodyguards.
But this was the first time he had to consider and arrange for the “little shadow” trailing him.
After another look at the schedule, Ji Min said, “The first two stops will be quick; you can wait in the car. For the last one, you can choose whether to come in with me.”
Lu Ran’s gaze drifted to the evening banquet on the schedule.
Being given a choice to go in also meant he could choose not to.
He stared at the schedule for a bit, seemingly considering the possibility of clocking out early.
But soon, he asked a very practical question: “Will there be food at this banquet?”
Ji Min: “…”
He nearly felt like laughing.
Suppressing the tickle in his throat, he replied in a cold tone, “You won’t starve.”
“Then I’ll go,” Lu Ran said.
After the arrangements were set, Lu Ran settled into a familiar routine, sitting at the desk to read for a while.
He didn’t ask Ji Min what he needed to do.
Near noon, he took Da Huang out for a short walk and brought Ji Min’s lunch back upstairs.
After a few days, other employees at Ji Corporation noticed the addition of a young man, around eighteen or nineteen, in the chairman’s office.
He was often seen roaming around with the dog, which was rumored to be left by the chairman’s “ex”.
Someone recognized Lu Ran as the barista from the coffee shop downstairs and, summoning the courage, struck up a conversation, asking about his background.
Lu Ran looked at Da Huang, then at Ji Min’s office, and made up a story.
“Mr. Ji hired me to take care of his ex’s dog.”
The person listening looked shocked and asked in disbelief, “The president actually has an ex?”
Lu Ran: “…”
Look at Ji Min, this so-called “boss”.
Other CEOs are known for being top-tier bachelors, constantly pursued by admirers.
But when it comes to Ji Min, just the idea that he might have an ex was enough to shock his employees.
Just how bad must his usual temper be?
Lu Ran grumbled silently to himself.
He walked up to Ji Min’s office door.
It was ajar. Through the gap, he could see Ji Min frowning as he looked at the filing cabinet.
Then he stretched his arm to reach a file folder that someone had carelessly placed on the top shelf of the bookshelf.
Ji Min had broad shoulders and long arms.
But even so, he was still having a bit of trouble reaching it.
Still, he didn’t call anyone for help.
His face remained expressionless, as gloomy as a still, dark lake, showing no hint of anger.
At that moment, Lu Ran suddenly understood.
Perhaps the shock of Ji Min having an “ex” wasn’t due to his bad temper.
But rather because he was disabled.
Lu Ran lingered outside the door for a moment.
He intended to pretend he hadn’t seen anything, planning to wait until the man in the wheelchair returned to his desk before going in.
But a calm voice sounded from within the office: “Are you waiting for the food to get cold before coming in?”
Lu Ran: “…”
He walked in slowly and, out of curiosity, asked, “How did you know I was outside?”
Already back behind his desk, Ji Min lifted his chin, gesturing toward the dog at his feet.
Lu Ran looked down at Da Huang.
Great… so you sold me out, huh?
He set the food in front of Ji Min.
As he turned, his gaze fell on the filing cabinet.
Since Ji Min had already seen him, he didn’t bother trying to hide it.
Without hesitation, he reached up and moved the folders from the top two shelves down to where Ji Min could easily reach them.
Ji Min watched his actions quietly, his gaze darkening slightly.
In truth, Ji Min had a terrible temper.
It was just part of his nature.
And after the accident that left him disabled, it had only worsened.
Ji Min’s bad temper wasn’t the type that led to random outbursts; rather, he had very peculiar triggers for what annoyed him.
If an assistant put something in a spot he couldn’t easily reach, Ji Min wouldn’t get angry.
He’d just figure out a way to get it himself.
But if someone, out of excessive caution, went out of their way to treat him as a helpless invalid, that’s when Ji Min would be truly displeased.
Like now—this should have been a moment when he felt the most annoyed.
And yet…
The young man finished arranging the files without even glancing back for any sort of approval.
Instead, he casually dusted off his hands, returned to his little desk, opened his own lunch box, and started eating with gusto.
His manner was entirely nonchalant.
Almost like a defiant “Yeah, I helped. Take it or leave it.”
Ji Min’s irritation circled around in his chest for a moment, then—strangely—fizzled out on its own.
Finally, after staring at him for a while, the man muttered, “You don’t need to put them that low.”
“Eh?” Lu Ran looked up from his lunch, cheeks puffed out as he chewed.
Ji Min added in a taunting tone, “Not everyone has arms as short as yours.”
Lu Ran: “…”
If he ever helped again, he’d be as loyal as a dog.
That afternoon, Lu Ran tagged along as Ji Min went out for two business meetings.
Ji Min seemed to be meeting with people to discuss business.
Lu Ran didn’t get out of the car; instead, he stayed in the back of the SUV with Da Huang, the two of them watching the world go by through the open window.
Even though they were just sitting in the car, Da Huang was thrilled.
Its little beady eyes were wide with excitement.
Lu Ran was usually very busy, juggling classes and his part-time job.
Da Huang hadn’t been out during the day to play in a long time.
By evening, Ji Min was heading off to his last stop, some kind of financial salon.
On the schedule, Lu Ran saw that it was listed as a small banquet.
Since it was a banquet, he assumed Ji Min would spend a lot of time preparing.
After all, that’s how the Shen family did things.
But to his surprise, after finishing his previous engagement, Ji Min went straight to the event.
Still in the same plain business suit.
He looked as if he was just casually headed to the company cafeteria, not to any evening banquet.
But Lu Ran wasn’t familiar with these types of gatherings.
And Ji Min was, after all, his boss.
So, after thinking it over, Lu Ran asked straightforwardly, “I’ve never been to a place like this before. Is there anything I shouldn’t do?”
Ji Min glanced at him sideways. “Just follow me.”
Then, as if double-checking, he asked, “You’re nineteen this year?”
Lu Ran nodded, unsure of why he was asking.
The man went on as if to himself, “Then don’t drink any alcohol.”
Lu Ran: “…”
Was he supposed to be a boss or his dad?
When Ji Min arrived, the banquet had already begun.
Nonetheless, someone was waiting specifically for him outside.
There was also a foreigner, who, upon seeing Ji Min, started speaking animatedly in another language.
It wasn’t English.
Lu Ran listened carefully, guessing it was probably Italian.
The translator nearby explained, “This is the second son of the Lino family, Yan Lino. He says his father has been waiting for you for a long time.”
Ji Min replied coolly, “If he wanted to arrive early, that’s his business.”
The translator relayed this. The foreign man promptly fell silent.
Lu Ran stood quietly behind Ji Min’s wheelchair, listening.
In truth, he didn’t understand a single word.
He didn’t dwell on it, though; when the host gestured for them to enter, he naturally pushed Ji Min’s wheelchair up the accessible ramp.
He pushed steadily, though he silently noted that the ramp was quite steep and took some effort.
As he started pushing, however, the surrounding people seemed frozen in place, staring at him in shock.
Unsure of what was happening, Lu Ran instinctively stopped moving.
So there they were, halted midway on the accessible ramp.
“Keep going,” Ji Min said.
“Oh.” Lu Ran resumed pushing.
It was a bit of a struggle.
Whoever had designed this ramp had clearly not thought things through; it was both steep and long.
Unable to hold back, he muttered under his breath, “Can you press the control a bit? I’m about to drop dead here.”
Ji Min’s lips curved up slightly, but his hand stayed still. “Weren’t you the one who insisted on pushing?”
Lu Ran: “…”
Summoning all his strength, Lu Ran finally got Ji Min up the ramp, even breaking into a light sweat on his forehead.
He gritted his teeth and muttered, “Did you secretly apply the brakes or something?”
Ji Min just smiled without replying.
Lu Ran was fuming.
Little did he know, everyone around them had been left gaping.
The entire upper echelon of Beijing knew that the young Ji family head, disabled at a young age, hated it when people touched his wheelchair.
But this time, he’d allowed a young man to push him slowly up the accessible ramp, without any objection.
After entering, Lu Ran discovered the banquet was split across two levels.
Some guests could only enter from the other side and were restricted to the first floor.
Meanwhile, the host guided Ji Min through the main area on the first floor and into a scenic elevator on the opposite side.
Everywhere Ji Min passed, whispers followed in his wake after a moment of silence.
“Was that the Ji family’s young master?”
“Was it? But why was someone pushing a wheelchair?”
Lu Ran kept his head down, focused on pushing the wheelchair, his expression unreadable.
The elevator rose to the second floor.
There wasn’t a strict barrier between the two levels; standing at the railing on the second floor, one could overlook the entire view of the first floor.
It was like watching a show.
Unlike the first floor’s setup, the second floor had round tables scattered about.
Rather than a banquet, it looked more like a space for private negotiations.
Lu Ran’s eyes, however, were scanning for food.
Noticing, Ji Min gave him a knowing look and said, “Weren’t you hungry? Go get something to eat.”
Lu Ran nodded eagerly and headed straight for the food.
The host standing next to Ji Min glanced at Lu Ran’s retreating figure.
Dressed in simple student attire, he seemed entirely out of place in the elegant venue.
Recalling the earlier scene, the host lowered his voice to inquire, “Mr. Ji… that young man is?”
Ji Min was about to say he was a newly hired assistant.
His gaze swept over the lavish, indulgent surroundings and returned to the boy happily gathering snacks at the long table as if a thought had struck him.
The man sighed softly, “A relative’s child. I’m indulging him as a young master for now.”
