⌈”I just rinsed a cup in the toilet and didn’t wash my hands!”⌋
They exited the banquet venue.
Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent and a cold wind hit their faces.
Butler Chen handed over a coat.
Ji Min leaned against the back of the wheelchair without moving, merely lifting his chin to indicate that Butler Chen should drape it over him.
Butler Chen complied and covered the blanket with the coat, wrapping Lu Ran in it as well.
The person in charge, who had been following, exchanged a few pleasantries before stepping aside.
For a moment, the outdoor area outside the banquet was spacious and quiet.
Only the orderly sound of Butler Chen’s footsteps could be heard.
Along with the faint sounds of Ji Min controlling the wheelchair’s movement.
Lu Ran nestled deeper into the blanket and coat.
His mouth and nose were covered, leaving only his eyes partially exposed.
But it didn’t seem to help much.
The blanket and coat belonged to the man behind him.
They carried Ji Min’s unique, heavy, woody fragrance.
It lingered at the tip of his nose, refusing to dissipate.
Ji Min’s gaze dropped slightly as he glanced at the fluffy tuft of hair in his arms.
He halted the wheelchair and turned to Butler Chen, saying, “Uncle Chen, go have the driver bring the car over.”
Butler Chen nodded in understanding and turned to leave.
Once Butler Chen’s footsteps faded away, Ji Min keenly sensed the stiffness in the boy’s body in his arms relax somewhat.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Ji Min’s eyes.
The banquet had not yet concluded.
As soon as Butler Chen left, in an instant, the large outdoor parking lot was left with only Lu Ran and Ji Min.
Neither of them spoke.
The atmosphere was painfully quiet.
Suddenly, the previously obedient boy gently lifted his head.
The dark blue blanket slipped from his cheek to his shoulder.
Underneath his slightly disheveled hair, a pair of extremely alert and calm eyes appeared.
Those eyes, dark and bottomless under the streetlight, were now fixed on Ji Min.
“Not pretending anymore?” Ji Min asked.
“I wasn’t pretending to begin with,” the boy replied, slightly averting his gaze as if feeling cold. He wrapped the blanket around himself tighter.
He had merely fallen asleep; he wasn’t a dead pig.
He was picked up and placed in the wheelchair and after being bombarded by the people from the Lino family, if he didn’t wake up now, he would truly be like a dead man.
“Aren’t you supposed to have known that Shen Hongyuan would be at the banquet today?”
The man’s voice was slow and calm.
He controlled the wheelchair, leisurely moving through the empty parking lot.
“Who knew you and he wouldn’t be on the same floor?” Lu Ran mumbled.
He tried to get up from the wheelchair.
He moved but couldn’t break free.
Lu Ran: “…”
He struggled again but remained completely still.
Lu Ran: “!”
He couldn’t believe he was weaker than a disabled person.
Lu Ran turned to look at Ji Min.
The man didn’t glance at him, focused instead on the path ahead.
His jawline was sharp and his thin lips were pressed together with a hint of sharpness.
He appeared completely indifferent, making it impossible to tell what was bothering him.
Or was it just his usual expressionless demeanor?
Lu Ran stared at him for a moment, then suddenly stretched his hand out from under the blanket and brought it close to Ji Min’s face.
In a devilish whisper, he said, “I just rinsed a cup in the toilet and I didn’t wash my hands!”
Ji Min, unfazed, replied, “I saw you wash them.”
Lu Ran: “…”
The hand around his waist felt like an iron hoop.
After pondering for a while, he exclaimed in surprise, “But I clinked glasses with them when I toasted!”
“But you went to the restroom again after that,” Ji Min replied.
Lu Ran: “…”
He had snuck off, not expecting that the man sitting at the negotiation table would even notice.
He was about to say something else.
Ji Min finally lowered his gaze and glanced at the boy, frowning.
He reached out and grabbed Lu Ran’s flailing arms, tucking them back under the blanket.
“Sit still,” Ji Min said in a deep voice, “You’re not wearing a coat. It’s below minus ten degrees. Are you trying to kill yourself by jumping out?”
With that, Lu Ran was once again pushed back into the blanket.
He was covered by a thin dark blue blanket, over which lay a man’s wool coat.
It effectively blocked out the cold wind.
His back leaned against the man’s chest.
The warmth and heartbeat transmitted through the not-so-thick shirt and suit jacket to Lu Ran’s back.
Ji Min looked like he was freezing to death, his skin a pale hue that hadn’t seen sunlight.
But his body temperature was surprisingly high.
It felt scorching.
Lu Ran shifted uncomfortably.
He lowered his brows.
Eventually, he looked up and said recklessly, “Yes, I’m using you.”
“I’m not stupid; I know exactly what your identity represents. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have felt at ease leaving Da Huang with you,” he continued.
“I heard this morning that Shen Hongyuan would be attending this banquet and I specifically came here with you.”
The boy’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before he continued, “I know Shen Hongyuan’s character. If he knew I had a connection with you, he would definitely try to use me to get closer to you.”
Lu Ran calculated the timing just right, calling out “Dad” to Shen Hongyuan in front of everyone.
That way, even if Shen Hongyuan wanted to deny it, he wouldn’t be able to.
Lu Ran wasn’t a fool.
Even his peer Ding Wei could see the power of the Shen family and choose to affiliate himself.
Having barely lived two lives, Lu Ran naturally understood Ji Min’s influence.
So when Shen Xingzhuo frequently inquired about Da Huang, Lu Ran asked Ji Min to ensure Da Huang’s safety.
Because he knew that Ji Min could definitely protect Da Huang.
As long as he had a connection with Ji Min, the Shen family wouldn’t dare come after Da Huang again.
After living again, as long as Da Huang was arranged for, he could ensure that his family wouldn’t go hungry.
He had long stopped hoping to be recognized by the Shen family.
He only wished to avoid being quietly locked away in a hospital room like in his previous life.
But a couple of days ago, when Madam Shen stirred up a scene…
Lu Ran noticed something was off with Shen Hongyuan.
Whenever the topic of fifteen years ago came up, Shen Hongyuan’s attitude was too strange.
It seemed like he was hiding some enormous secret.
Later, when he heard Madam Shen merely accusing him of raising an illegitimate child, Shen Hongyuan’s expression at that moment was almost one of relief.
Lu Ran wasn’t too reassured by that.
He had a gut feeling that whatever Shen Hongyuan was hiding was related to him. If he didn’t clarify things, he might end up dying in a muddled way like in his previous life.
“You clearly don’t want to get involved with the Shen family, so I deliberately followed you to this banquet and used you,” Lu Ran said.
Ji Min glanced at him, his eyes lowered.
The boy tilted his chin up, forcing an air of pride and justification.
“Hmm, very cunning,” the man said.
“Of course,” Lu Ran replied, raising his chin again, though his eyelashes flickered slightly.
“Who would have thought that I was inviting a wolf into the house and attracting such a cautious subordinate,” Ji Min observed, looking down at him.
The boy kept his chin raised, appearing resolute and determined.
“We people who handle big matters are like this,” he said.
The man’s dark eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of amusement.
He still held onto the boy’s waist, not letting go.
He walked slowly through the empty parking lot while embracing the boy.
Suddenly, he said, “So self-righteous, cautious at every step, prioritizing benefits—why were you hiding under the blanket just now when Butler Chen was here?”
“I—!”
Lu Ran froze, instantly deflating like a punctured balloon.
The calmness he had been trying to maintain in those black eyes shattered at the edges, revealing the confusion and guilt of a young man beneath.
Sometimes, Lu Ran truly envied Shen Xingran.
He envied how with just a word or an expression, so many people would charge into battle for him.
He envied Shen Xingran’s ability to evoke guilt from Madam Shen.
Of course, what he envied most was Shen Xingran’s ease in exploiting his adoptive mother’s guilt without any qualms.
Today, Lu Ran successfully achieved his goal.
In his plan, the Ji Min he had taken advantage of didn’t even need to do anything.
He just had to let Lu Ran push his wheelchair past the banquet as usual.
But Lu Ran didn’t expect Ji Min to lift him into the wheelchair.
To wrap him in the blanket.
Clearly, the outcome exceeded Lu Ran’s expectations.
Yet, even as he buried himself in the blanket, Lu Ran still couldn’t suppress the threads of guilt that he simply couldn’t shake off.
Ji Min was one of the few people who had helped him.
But he had used Ji Min.
The wave of guilt surged up, making Lu Ran almost unable to face Ji Min.
Let alone facing Butler Chen, who stood beside Ji Min.
He couldn’t bear to think about how that kind elder, who had always been kind to him, would view him after knowing what he had done.
But what was done was done.
He ought to bear the consequences.
“I can forgo my salary,” Lu Ran muttered. “After all, I haven’t done much in the past few days.”
Ji Min raised an eyebrow, not understanding why he suddenly brought this up.
“And the agreement regarding Da Huang no longer counts. I will take Da Huang and not disturb you,” Lu Ran continued.
Upon hearing this, Ji Min’s brow furrowed tighter.
Seeing him frown, the boy paused for a moment before continuing, “But if you make me pay, I can’t afford it right now.”
Ji Min lowered his gaze, staring at him.
Lu Ran turned to look at him, sitting up a bit straighter.
The cold wind seeped into the blanket.
He was still sitting on the man’s lap, looking at him and saying, “Anyway, I’ve offended you. If you have other ways to retaliate, feel free to come at me.”
The boy’s eyes were filled with determination.
He didn’t plead for sympathy or beg for mercy, nor did he express his difficulties or sorrow.
He was direct and unyielding.
He had used Ji Min with clarity and now he was equally clear-headed and resolute in accepting the consequences.
Ji Min suddenly recalled the first time he met Lu Ran.
The boy had been standing in front of that rampaging sports car.
His eyes then were just as clear, devoid of any hope.
So clear it was almost despairing.
Ji Min wasn’t in the habit of doing charity.
Perhaps it was that very look in the boy’s eyes that had made him choose to stop the car and let him in.
At this moment, once again meeting those eyes,
Ji Min’s lips unexpectedly curled into a smile.
He tugged at the corners of his mouth, leaning back against the chair, and asked leisurely, “With such awareness now, why didn’t you ask me for help earlier?”
“Hmm?”
The person who was looking at him with determination showed a hint of confusion in his eyes as he asked, “On what basis would you help me?”
Ji Min: “…”
That sounded very reasonable.
But coming from Lu Ran, the person involved, it felt a bit different.
Ji Min recalled how Lu Ran had handled the situation with the Lino family earlier.
He had been teased by Jin and had wine splashed on him.
Clearly, those were people he had brought along, yet Lu Ran hadn’t cast a single look his way, seeking help.
It seemed the boy had long grown accustomed to this kind of isolation.
He fought back with all his might.
And he even showed consideration by not causing trouble for Ji Min.
Ji Min’s fingers brushed against the wine stain on Lu Ran’s sweatshirt.
The stain had dried, but it still felt a bit rough against the fabric.
“Try it; what if I’m willing to help?” he said.
Lu Ran tilted his head to look at him and asked, “Would you?”
Ji Min quickly replied, “No.”
The boy gave him a strange look, “Then isn’t that settled?”
Ji Min: “…”
He slightly pressed his lips together.
Ji Min wasn’t sure why he was engaging in this nonsensical conversation.
“I left some things on the table; I’ll go to your office to collect them tonight,” Lu Ran said.
His time attending school with a salary was coming to an end.
And Da Huang needed a place for foster care.
He propped himself up, calculating what to do next.
Suddenly, the man said, “Come closer.”
Lu Ran paused.
“Are you not cold?” Ji Min looked down at him.
The cold wind had filled the blanket completely.
Any warmth had dissipated entirely.
“…It’s fine,” Lu Ran replied.
“But your boss is cold,” the man said.
“Oh.”
Lu Ran then remembered that Ji Min was only wearing a suit.
His corporate slave instincts kicked in for a moment. He quickly leaned back against the man’s chest, making sure to pull the blanket snugly around them.
After doing this, he suddenly froze.
He straightened up, asking, “Aren’t you going to fire me?”
Ji Min glanced at him. “Even if you’re the Young Master of the Shen family, I can still afford you.”
Lu Ran blinked a couple of times. “But…”
The man looked down at the space between them.
Shortly, he said, “I’m cold.”
“Oh!”
Lu Ran hurriedly leaned back again.
He even asked with enthusiasm, “Is your neck cold?”
Saying this, he reached out as if to wrap his arms around Ji Min’s neck.
Ji Min looked at him for a moment and said, “Sit still.”
Lu Ran quickly adjusted himself, ensuring the blanket was snug to keep the heat in.
It wasn’t until the wheelchair came to a stop in front of the business car that Lu Ran’s mind was still a bit dazed.
When he decided to use Ji Min, he had prepared for the worst.
That was why he had called Shen Hongyuan “Dad” in public, forcing Shen Hongyuan to announce in front of everyone that he was recognized.
This was to prevent Shen Hongyuan from turning his back on him if things went sour between him and Ji Min.
But now…
Lu Ran suddenly realized that everything today seemed to have gone too smoothly.
It felt as if someone was deliberately cooperating with him…
That sense of incongruity that had lingered in his mind resurfaced.
“You…”
Lu Ran looked at Ji Min suspiciously.
“What?”
The man raised an eyebrow.
His face remained cold and indifferent.
“It’s nothing,” Lu Ran shrank back again.
But then, Uncle Chen got out of the passenger seat and walked around to open the door.
Lu Ran noticed him and still felt a bit uneasy.
However, Lu Ran suddenly realized that the business car was parked in the space and hadn’t moved.
Clearly…
Initially, Ji Min had called Butler Chen to bring the car just to send him away.
Lu Ran’s mind was still a bit dazed as he clutched the blanket, firmly leaning against Ji Min without moving.
So when Butler Chen walked around, what he saw was still the two of them intertwined in the wheelchair.
Butler Chen: “…”
He paused for a moment, looking down at his watch, then glancing at Ji Min.
It was as if he was asking, “Haven’t you had enough hugging yet?”
Ji Min: “…”
He suddenly realized that their position was a bit too ambiguous.
The boy nestled in his arms, completely covered by the blanket.
That thin blanket seemed to create a closed-off space where people could act without restraint.
The more tightly it was wrapped, the more it made one curious.
What was happening underneath the blanket? What was the scene like?
Ji Min’s fingertips felt as if they had been burned and he abruptly let go of his grip.
He said coldly, “Get down.”
“Okay!”
The boss’s words were absolute. Lu Ran quickly hopped down.
He jumped down with agility.
Not a hint of reluctance.
However, for Ji Min, the heavy sensation in his arms suddenly lightened and the cold wind rushed in immediately.
It was uncomfortable.
Fortunately, they quickly got into the car.
Inside, the heating was abundant.
But Lu Ran had been outside for so long. He only climbed in after Ji Min was already seated.
So, as soon as he entered the car and experienced the sudden temperature change, he couldn’t help but sneeze.
Ji Min turned to look at him and then withdrew his gaze.
He said in a soft voice, “My coat.”
Butler Chen promptly handed Lu Ran the coat that was on his side.
Ji Min paused for a moment before adding, “Hot water.”
Butler Chen obeyed and handed over a steaming cup of hot water, cautioning, “Be careful, it’s hot.”
Lu Ran put on the coat and held the hot water in his hands.
He felt warmth spreading through his entire body.
Usually, during winter when he worked outside, it was common for him to run in the cold wind without having time to put on a coat.
Now, his body suddenly warmed up.
Lu Ran lowered his head, lightly biting the rim of the cup. He couldn’t help but glance up at the person in front of him who was supposed to be his boss.
His upbringing made it difficult for him to accept kindness from others with confidence.
Any kindness that exceeded his internal boundary would make him rack his brains to find a reason for it.
Now, as Lu Ran sipped the hot water, thinking about his paid schooling job and reflecting on what had happened that night, the sense of incongruity in his heart became even more pronounced.
Suddenly, he thought of something and his eyes widened in disbelief.
After a long moment, he leaned forward, looking at Ji Min incredulously.
Ji Min looked at him in confusion: “What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Ji,” Lu Ran slightly widened his dark eyes and asked with certainty, “You don’t happen to… like me, do you?”
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
