CFRFGC Chapter 54

⌈Now comes the real work!⌋

Lu Ran stared at the chat page for a good while.

He didn’t quite understand.

Hadn’t it all been made clear?

Why keep emphasizing it?

Something felt off.

The next morning.

As usual, Lu Ran got up to “go to work”.

When he stepped out the door, he unexpectedly found that Shen Hongyuan was up bright and early. Not only that, but he hadn’t left for work yet. Instead, he was sitting on the couch in the living room, looking like he was waiting for someone.

Lu Ran, holding onto Da Huang, stopped in his tracks.

He looked up, scrutinizing Shen Hongyuan.

Before he could speak, Shen Hongyuan set down his cup of tea and said nonchalantly.

“I have some business with President Ji today. You can ride with me in the car.”

Shen Hongyuan said it casually.

But Lu Ran picked up on something unusual right away.

Although Shen Hongyuan was profit-driven, he had a certain aloof pride. Yesterday, it seemed that Ji Min had brought him home, and welcoming him formally was understandable.

But after making a fool of himself, why was he still shamelessly cozying up today?

“That won’t do,” Lu Ran stared at him steadily. “You can’t bring family members to work.”

Shen Hongyuan’s brows furrowed. “I’m your father. Why can’t I go with you?”

Lu Ran let out a scoff.

He led Da Huang out the door. When he reached the entrance, he said lazily, “If you dare follow me over, I’ll lie down in front of Ji Corporation’s doors and say my dad brought me to sell myself.”

Shen Hongyuan: “…”

His half-risen backside paused mid-air.

Lu Ran swaggered off.

Shen Hongyuan stared after him, stunned.

So, what exactly did Ji Min see in Lu Ran, anyway?

Lu Ran arrived a bit late today.

When he entered the floor where Ji Min’s office was, the workstations around were already filled with people.

Over time, the employees on this floor had become somewhat familiar with Lu Ran and Da Huang.

Some employees from other floors had come over to chat and, seeing Da Huang, called out in greeting, “Wow, so this is the dog that belongs to the boss’s ex-boyfriend!”

Lu Ran: Word sure travels fast.

Previously, they’d only been speculating about a former partner; now it had been pinpointed down to “ex-boyfriend”.

It seemed Ji Min really was gay.

No wonder he’d be interested in the sleeping Zhang Lin.

Lu Ran entered the office.

Ji Min was giving instructions to his assistant.

Not wanting to interrupt, Lu Ran placed Da Huang in his dog bed and, with practiced ease, sat down at the small table.

In the past few days, this “paid schooling” had made him a bit anxious.

The moment he sat down, it was like a strict teacher was watching over him, and he’d instantly dive into studying.

But after finding out yesterday that Ji Min had his own agenda, he’d relaxed quite a bit.

At this point, he even leaned on the desk, playing on his phone for a bit.

He looked completely at ease.

From behind his desk, Ji Min caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye. His words faltered slightly.

Only when the assistant standing in front of him gave him a nervous, puzzled look did Ji Min shake off the lingering thoughts of last night’s strange question from the boy in the car.

He paused for a full two seconds before picking up the conversation again.

After the assistant left, Ji Min opened his computer to get to work.

But…

He suddenly noticed that the small desk was really in an inconvenient spot.

Although it was placed on the other side of the office, it directly faced his own desk.

This meant that every time Ji Min unintentionally lifted his eyes, he would see the boy leaning over the desk, playing on his phone.

It looked like he was scrolling through short videos. Whatever he was watching, he seemed to find it funny, stifling a laugh with his lips pressed together.

Gone was the earnest look from the past few days.

Today, the boy’s posture was casual and relaxed.

Seeing this somehow irked Ji Min.

He thought again of Lu Ran’s bizarre, soul-searching question in the car last night.

But before he could urge the kid to focus on his studies, Lu Ran suddenly looked up and asked, with his face tilted up, “Mr. Ji, what kind of person was your ex-boyfriend?”

Ji Min’s breath caught.

He looked at Lu Ran again.

The boy’s question was so straightforward as if he didn’t even realize he was prying into someone’s personal life.

Why would he ask that?

Ji Min pressed his lips together before replying, “Why are you asking? I don’t have an ex-boyfriend.”

Lu Ran had originally wanted to ask if Ji Min’s ex-boyfriend would mind the rumor involving a dog.

Hearing this response, he was startled: “What? Does that mean it was an ex-girlfriend?”

He immediately gave Ji Min a reproachful look.

Getting involved with Zhang Lin so ambiguously—it was obvious Ji Min was gay. How could he have deceived a girl’s feelings?

Ji Min: “…”

What exactly was this kid probing for?

“I don’t have an ex.” Ji Min said.

So just focus on your studies.

But before he could get that last part out, Ji Min looked up and saw Lu Ran staring at him in shock.

There was surprise in his gaze, but also a faint trace of sympathy.

“Not a single one?”

Lu Ran hadn’t expected that even Ji Min’s supposed ex was just a rumor.

Ji Min fell silent again.

He was now absolutely certain he had sensed sympathy in this kid’s tone.

He frowned, puzzled, and asked, “Do you have one?”

“I don’t,” Lu Ran answered openly. “But I’m still young.”

Ji Min, who wasn’t even thirty yet, felt a sudden jab to his pride.

He raised a hand to his forehead, not wanting to discuss this any further with the kid. In a stricter tone, he said, “Go read your book.”

“Oh.” Lu Ran acknowledged, but then asked, “By the way, you still haven’t told me why you hired me. What exactly am I supposed to do?”

Ji Min paused.

Last night in the car, he had only mentioned hiring Lu Ran to dispel a certain idea from the boy’s mind. He hadn’t actually figured out what he wanted Lu Ran to do.

But he couldn’t exactly say that.

“Figure it out yourself,” he replied coolly.

After speaking, Ji Min suddenly recalled the bizarre “conclusion” Lu Ran had drawn last night, after trying so hard to make sense of things. So he added, with a light cough, in a steady tone, “Just remember your role.”

Don’t ask unnecessary questions.

And don’t make wild guesses.

Lu Ran didn’t pick up on his meaning at all. He mumbled to himself and took out an English exam paper.

What role did he have that he didn’t already know?

Was it his role as a student on a salary?

He was barely better off than Da Huang.

At least Da Huang had the status of an ex-boyfriend’s dog.

With that thought, Lu Ran’s hand, which had been about to uncap a pen, stopped mid-air.

Suddenly, a realization hit him.

So that’s it!

Ji Min had just started working when he heard the boy exclaim, “I get it!”

Ji Min was taken aback.

He had no idea what Lu Ran thought he’d understood.

Then he heard Lu Ran declare confidently, “Don’t worry, leave it to me. I’ll do what I’m supposed to!”

Ji Min: “…”

Sounded pretty serious.

He’d just let him be, as long as he didn’t try cleaning his cup in the toilet.

Lu Ran felt like he finally understood the essence of his “job”.

Motivated, he suddenly felt full of energy.

As expected, studying was just a side thing. He clearly had another purpose here.

Near lunch break, Lu Ran’s water cup was empty. He glanced at the nearby water dispenser but didn’t go over.

Instead, he deliberately took his cup to the break room.

Even in a place like Ji Corporation, there were always people hanging out in the break room.

After filling his water cup slowly, he stayed around for a bit. A staff member was on the phone with his girlfriend, seemingly in the middle of an argument, and had been on the call for a long time.

When he finally hung up, he turned around and was startled to see Lu Ran, his face immediately showing the awkwardness of someone caught slacking off.

After all, Lu Ran was someone who stayed in the president’s office.

Although they didn’t really know the identity of this young-looking kid, what if he was a spy sent by the “big boss”?

The man immediately raised his phone, nervously explaining, “It was an urgent matter.”

“It’s fine, I don’t care about that stuff,” Lu Ran said, holding his cup as he walked out.

The man followed him out.

Hearing Lu Ran’s response, he breathed a sigh of relief.

As they walked down the hallway, he suddenly remembered something and casually asked, “So, is your job to look after that dog left behind by the chairman’s ex?”

Lu Ran shot him a steady look: Here’s my chance to get this rumor going!

He shook his head solemnly. “No.”

“Hm?” The staff member looked surprised.

Lu Ran sighed and said, “That’s my dog.”

“Oh, oh,” the man replied quickly.

They walked together a bit further before the man sensed something was off. He looked at Lu Ran, his pupils widening in shock.

Lu Ran looked back at him. “Yes, it’s just as you’re thinking.”

The man’s eyes looked like they might pop out.

Lu Ran continued walking forward.

Behind him, the man hesitated, struggling to hold back his urge to gossip, but he eventually gave in and caught up.

He leaned closer and whispered, “You… you and the president, when did you get together?”

“College, I guess,” Lu Ran blurted out.

The man was even more shocked. He gave Lu Ran a once-over, his expression hard to describe. “Uh… and how old are you now?”

Lu Ran glanced at him, making up something on the spot. “Almost thirty. I just look young.”

Lu Ran: This is all to prevent any rumors of Ji Min getting tangled in a scandal.

Rumors about Ji Min must be rare.

Hearing this, other people in the hallway couldn’t resist and started inching closer to listen in.

After hearing the full backstory, everyone stared at Lu Ran in astonishment.

Someone couldn’t hold back their curiosity and asked, “So, why did you two break up back then?”

Lu Ran paused, taken aback.

He thought back to how it played out in TV dramas, then sighed in a dramatic, deep way.

He lowered his head, took a small sip of hot water, then lifted his gaze to look out the window with a melancholy expression, his eyes distant.

It was the perfect look of someone who had “a story but wouldn’t tell it”.

It made his youthful face look surprisingly mature.

Once he felt he’d set the mood well enough, Lu Ran looked down slightly and sighed as if it were nothing. “Just… differences in values.”

The people around him, listening to this tale, couldn’t help filling in their own imagined scenarios. They sighed along with him.

Then, realizing he was now at Ji Corporation, hope sparked in them again.

“So, does that mean you’re back together now?” someone asked eagerly.

Lu Ran froze again.

Lu Ran: This job is harder than I expected.

But when he considered his employment relationship with Ji Min and remembered Ji Min’s words, “Remember your role”, he shook his head, looking disappointed. “No, we’re not.”

“Huh?” A young woman next to him couldn’t accept it. “That doesn’t make sense! You’re in the president’s office now, and he’s even willing to take care of your dog. Shouldn’t you two be getting back together? Unless… is it because the president is too…”

“No!” Lu Ran remembered his “job duties” and cut her off promptly.

“It’s me who’s working hard to win him back. So far, I haven’t succeeded!”

To make his story more convincing, Lu Ran added some extra details.

“You all know I work at the café downstairs, right? It’s just so I can get close to him, which is why I frequently come to this building to deliver food…”

“Ah…” The people around him immediately looked at him with a mix of regret, sympathy, and a touch of admiration.

Lu Ran was good-looking.

Everyone in the office, regardless of gender, couldn’t help but take a second look whenever he was around.

And some were already gossiping about his relationship with Ji Min.

But even in their wildest guesses, most people assumed he had been forcefully won over by Ji Min.

No one expected this!

This sweet, innocent young man was actually throwing himself wholeheartedly at that “big boss”!

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “What… what exactly do you like about the president?”

But as soon as the question left their lips, they closed their mouth immediately, realizing it might have been inappropriate.

Although Ji Min was disabled, he was still the head of the Ji family—not to mention wealthy and good-looking.

The employees of Ji Corporation feared him to no end but couldn’t deny his abilities.

In fact, jokingly wishing the president a life of loneliness had become something of an inside joke.

But now, asking such a direct question felt a bit too impolite.

Unexpectedly, the moment Lu Ran heard this question, he knew his real task had arrived!

He turned and gave the person a calm look.

Then, without hesitation, he dropped a bombshell: “Because he’s amazing in that area.”

Everyone: “!!!”

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Moonlit: Mr. Ji, you’ll regret not giving proper instructions HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!