CFRFGC Chapter 56

⌈He is no worse than Shen Xingran.⌋

Today’s board meeting went very smoothly.

However, Ji Min couldn’t shake the feeling that some people present were looking at him in a strangely peculiar way.

This was especially true outside the conference room.

An elder, someone Ji Min was familiar with, came over.

The elder patted him on the shoulder with a look of sentimentality and said, “If your grandfather knew you were doing this well, he wouldn’t worry anymore.”

Ji Min: “…”

He scrutinized the elder for a moment, suspecting—rather disrespectfully—that perhaps the elder was getting old.

The last time they met, this elder had sighed at the sight of Ji Min’s legs, saying that if his grandfather knew, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace underground.

Just over a month had passed and the tone had already changed.

Ji Min didn’t respond.

He planned to inform this elder’s family later to remind the elderly man about his regular health check-ups.

His temper was well-known to be peculiar.

Usually, when he prepared to leave, even elders wouldn’t stop him.

But this time, the elder followed him.

As if remembering something, he sighed, “What a pity you like a boy; otherwise, you could have a son and a daughter to carry on the Ji family line.”

A hint of disgust flashed instinctively across Ji Min’s brow.

He was about to say that he had no intention of continuing the Ji family bloodline when he suddenly realized something was off.

“I like a boy?” Ji Min frowned and repeated.

Seeing Ji Min’s poor attitude, the elder advised, “It’s not a secret; you spend all day in the office being all lovey-dovey. Why are you hiding it?”

Ji Min was taken aback.

Being all lovey-dovey in the office?

The elder continued to persuade him, “Besides, the same-sex marriage bill has already passed; it’s not a big deal.”

Ji Min finally pieced it together.

The elder must be referring to Lu Ran.

He instantly facepalmed: “No, who told you that…”

Just then, Gu Zhi walked by, holding a cup, and chimed in with a sour tone.

“Your little lover said it himself; everyone knows he’s super satisfied with you and has been pursuing you all out of sorts. What are you trying to hide?”

As the words fell, Ji Min keenly sensed that all the men present were casting envious glances at him.

Ji Min was almost thirty years old and could recognize those knowing looks that adults shared. At that moment, a nerve in his brain suddenly sparked.

He recalled the amazed expressions of the employees recently.

Gu Zhi’s inexplicable questions.

And now, the surrounding people’s eyes that carried an undertone of jealousy along with their envy…

Ji Min closed his eyes.

Grinding his teeth, he muttered, “Lu! Ran!”

Meanwhile, Lu Ran had no idea he was about to get into trouble.

He was still basking in the happiness of having completed his work perfectly a few days ago.

He even took the time to search online for cases of people who had broken up but remained extremely satisfied with their exes, longing for them.

He aimed to make his performance seem more genuine.

At that moment, he was measuring his clothing size.

In between, he kept glancing at his phone, marveling at the various stories on the screen.

Madam Shen sat beside him, forcing a smile on her face.

She hadn’t initially planned to take Lu Ran to the shop.

However, she couldn’t resist her familiar friends who kept asking. After a few refusals, the way they looked at her changed.

It dawned on Madam Shen that although the Shen family hadn’t publicly acknowledged Lu Ran’s identity, he had been coming and going in the neighborhood. There was even a time he had directly lain at the gate of the villa, telling stories to passersby.

Back then, they had merely said Lu Ran was a relative’s child, and now they suddenly recognized him as part of the family.

It was practically a slap in the face, echoing “pop, pop” with embarrassment.

Madam Shen was left with no choice. She could only seize this opportunity to bring Lu Ran to the shop.

The tailor measuring Lu Ran’s size was busy with his work while praising, “Young master, your physique is truly great; look at those long legs, your neck is practically just legs!”

Madan Shen wore a satisfied expression as if her child was being complimented.

Yet inside, she grumbled, “If the neck is just legs, then that’s not a person; that’s a monster.”

Then the tailor glanced at the soft measuring tape and added, “Though, he is a bit thin.”

That one sentence struck a nerve with Madam Shen.

She hurriedly feigned looking through a magazine and casually remarked, “He’s picky; he doesn’t eat this and doesn’t eat that, no wonder he’s so thin.”

“Ah? What am I picky about? I can’t be picky if there’s nothing to choose from!” Lu Ran lifted his head from his phone and replied.

Madam Shen: “…”

She suddenly found herself reluctant to speak.

She almost forgot that Lu Ran never held back in giving people face.

A wealthy lady sitting nearby watching the scene said lightly, “The child has endured a lot outside for so many years; he needs to be well taken care of.”

Madam Shen awkwardly chuckled.

The wealthy lady snorted softly.

She usually didn’t get along well with Madam Shen.

What era is it, and yet, Madam Shen still struts around proudly because she has given birth to three sons, subtly mocking her for having only one daughter.

She boasts about how well-behaved her youngest son is and how well she has raised him.

All that boasting, yet her own biological sons are poorly raised.

Just look at how miserable that child is.

Madam Shen wasn’t present back then and didn’t know about the story that Lu Ran had told outside about the adopted son and the biological son.

That story hadn’t circulated widely in their circle, but now, upon hearing that the Shen family’s long-lost youngest son had been found, many people connected the dots.

Isn’t it just a perfect match?

So…

The Shen family really neglected their biological son and claimed that he was just a poor child from a relative’s family?

How ridiculous is that?

Madam Shen still had no idea what the people around her were thinking.

When she saw Lu Ran go into the fitting room to get styled, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But as soon as she exhaled, she heard one of her friends ask, “Hmm, has this child been lost for about fifteen years? Didn’t you search for him all this time?”

Those words caused Madam Shen to freeze.

“Of course we searched; it’s just that we couldn’t find him,” she quickly replied.

Faced with the incredulous gazes of those around her, she hurried to explain, “There was a mountain flood back then, and we all thought…”

As she spoke, she lowered her head to put on a sorrowful expression.

But that tactic wasn’t effective.

The others looked at her with vague, questioning expressions.

When a child goes missing, which family wouldn’t cry and shout in search?

Besides, families like theirs have more power than ordinary people.

If they truly wanted to find him, how could it take over a decade?

And talking about a mountain flood?

What kind of parents would so easily accept that their child was gone? They wouldn’t struggle or fight for him at all?

In any case, the Shen family had kept the news under wraps remarkably well over the years.

If it weren’t for the fact that the child had been found now, no one would have ever heard that the Shen family’s youngest son had gone missing.

What a peculiar family.

In the end, Madam Shen couldn’t withstand the gazes of those around her.

Without waiting for Lu Ran to come out, she found an excuse to head home.

She left Lu Ran alone in the shop.

Various grievances stirred within her heart.

The more displeased she was with Lu Ran, the more she wanted to draw closer to Shen Xingran.

So, although today was the day the Shen family formally introduced Lu Ran to the public, Madam Shen spent most of her time helping Shen Xingran choose a formal suit.

She felt justified in her actions.

This time, as Lu Ran was recognized by the Shen family, Shen Xingran felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart.

As his mother, she naturally wanted to make it up to him.

It wasn’t until the evening that Shen Xingran finished his styling and came down from the upper floor in his formal suit.

He still wore the outfit of a little prince, dressed in a white suit that looked pure and noble.

Standing in the banquet hall decorated for Lu Ran’s introduction, it seemed like he was the true protagonist of the event.

Madam Shen’s eyes flashed with satisfaction.

She leaned in and gently hugged Shen Xingran, sighing, “My precious baby always looks so beautiful, no matter the time.”

“Mom, you’ve smudged my makeup,” Shen Xingran playfully protested.

The mother and son were laughing and chatting.

Suddenly, a commotion of cars could be heard outside the villa.

Madam Shen looked toward the door, puzzled. “It’s not time yet; could someone really be so oblivious to show up now?”

Both of them glanced outside.

The villa’s main door swung open.

A figure with a youthful aura stepped out of the car.

The young man wore a dark suit, tall and slender.

The sky had already darkened and streetlights illuminated one by one, casting a dim, golden glow on the young man and the tips of his hair.

He took slow, measured steps along the pebble path leading to the Shen villa.

His footsteps were carefree, yet imbued with a sense of youthful strength.

He resembled an ancient noble stepping out from a dim, classic oil painting.

Madam Shen stood frozen on the spot.

Only when the young man nimbly stepped onto the stairs and walked into the lavishly decorated hall did they finally get a clear look at Lu Ran.

Typically, he donned a hoodie and appeared disheveled from his busy lifestyle.

Now, he wore a black suit embroidered with gold. A dark golden bow tie hung elegantly beneath his small throat, complementing the black silk shirt perfectly.

A cat brooch adorned the left side of his chest.

The brooch was shaped like a cat stretching and yawning, embodying both elegance and playfulness.

His soft black hair was styled meticulously, with delicate gold powder sprinkled between the strands, glimmering under the lights.

That rich dark gold color suited him just right, without appearing exaggerated in the slightest.

What stood out the most were his eyes.

What should have been innocent and slightly confused black eyes were playfully accentuated at the corners by the makeup artist.

That innocence remained, yet it carried a devilish mischief.

One couldn’t help but feel soft-hearted at the innocence in his gaze while also feeling a surge of irritation.

Now, those eyes narrowed mischievously at Madam Shen and Shen Xingran.

“If you keep staring, I’ll start charging you,” he said.

Madam Shen suddenly awoke from her daze, finally realizing that the person before her was Lu Ran.

She was somewhat taken aback.

Since the first time she met Lu Ran, she had never regarded this son with any importance.

Lu Ran usually appeared unkempt and disheveled.

He had never had the opportunity to dress himself up like this.

It wasn’t until today that Madam Shen realized her biological son, when adorned with wealth and luxury, was no less than Shen Xingran.

No, he was not just on par with Shen Xingran…

Madam Shen’s mood became inexplicably complicated.

But she couldn’t dwell on these complex feelings.

The more she thought about it, the more it felt as if the past decade had been a joke.

“Oh, right.”

Lu Ran narrowed his eyes slightly and confidently stated, “All of this was bought with your money, so remember to settle the bill.”

Madam Shen’s expression instantly broke.

Shen Xingran remained frozen on the steps.

To be precise, he had been immobilized since Lu Ran entered.

Shen Xingran looked at the sparkling young man across from him with almost incredulous eyes.

In the face of Lu Ran, Shen Xingran always felt a sense of superiority.

A person’s past life can be reflected through their speech, actions, and even the subtle details of their expressions when facing others.

Shen Xingran was afraid that Lu Ran would replace his position.

Yet at times, he was entirely unafraid.

In his eyes, a person like Lu Ran, even dressed in imperial robes, wouldn’t resemble a prince.

Even if everyone in Lu Ran’s family feared him, what difference did it make?

He was still relying on those filthy and unrefined means.

But now, seeing Lu Ran dressed so elegantly,

Shen Xingran’s sense of superiority shattered completely.

The Lu Ran before him did not appear at all like a beggar in royal robes.

He seemed born to wear these luxurious garments.

He deserved to have such exquisite things presented to him, allowing him to proudly lift his chin and make selections.

What made Shen Xingran even more uncomfortable was that he realized Lu Ran was different from him.

Lu Ran didn’t need to hide the dark thoughts lurking in his heart.

He didn’t need to pretend to be pure, kind, or obedient.

There was an unabashed malice in his brows and eyes.

As a result, everything about him complemented each other perfectly.

Shen Xingran even shrank back a little.

At no moment had he ever realized so clearly as he did now—

He had taken something that originally belonged to Lu Ran.

Now, the one he had tried his best to push away was like a demon crawling out of hell, casually strolling into the villa that rightfully belonged to him.

Shen Xingran couldn’t help but take a step back.

“Ding-dong.”

Shen Xingran’s phone rang.

He picked it up and glanced at it; it was a message from a friend.

[Xingran, Gu Ningqi is back in the country! He rushed straight to you as soon as he got off the plane. He looks anxious to death!]

The friend also sent a photo.

In the picture, the man had a handsome face, his expression hurried and worried.

Seeing this message, Shen Xingran’s inner panic subsided and gradually transformed into certainty.

So what if Lu Ran returned to the Shen family?

Even if he came back, he wouldn’t be able to threaten his position.

Besides…

Did he really think he could return in such a grand manner?

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