CFRFGC Chapter 99

⌈”Don’t worry, boss. Next time I see him, I’ll scold him for you.”⌋

When Lu Ran woke up in the morning, the sunlight was very good.

He rubbed his cheek against the pillow.

Later, he forgot where the little bear from the class went.

Or rather, at that time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get that bear.

And he couldn’t help but be sad about it.

So, he could only try his best to suppress his feelings of liking, making himself stop caring, stop paying attention, and lose interest.

But now, Lu Ran suddenly really wanted to touch the soft fur of the little bear.

However, Lu Ran didn’t have the habit of staying in bed.

With a quick movement, he got out of bed and went to wash up in the bathroom.

Before heading downstairs, Lu Ran lingered in front of the shoe cabinet for a long time.

Inside were the shoes that Ji Min had prepared for him.

They were all the styles that eighteen or nineteen-year-old boys loved.

But aside from accompanying Ji Min to some events, Lu Ran hardly ever wore the shoes inside.

He crouched in front of the shoe cabinet, slowly looking up from the bottom.

The shoes at the very top were the ones Ji Min had prepared for him the first time he came to his house.

They were from that birthday, too.

But at that time, Lu Ran didn’t connect these shoes with himself.

Later, Ji Min casually said they were “work shoes”, and he believed it.

Now, Lu Ran realized.

These were probably the first birthday gifts he had ever received in his memory.

Suddenly, Lu Ran felt a little interested.

He inspected the shoes in the cabinet for a long time, still unable to decide which one he liked the most.

So, he picked the first pair from the top, sat on the bench, and put them on.

Once he finished putting them on, he didn’t stand up immediately.

Instead, he crossed his legs and stared at the shoes for a while.

Today is the weekend. Lu Ran doesn’t have any classes, so he’s not in a hurry.

But Da Huang thought he was being too slow and couldn’t help but nudge over, slapping Lu Ran’s wandering shoes with a paw.

Lu Ran: “…”

If it were any other time, he wouldn’t care about these things.

But today, Lu Ran gently moved Da Huang’s paw away and seriously said to him: “You can’t step on my birthday gift.”

Then, just like usual, he took Da Huang downstairs.

Downstairs, Ji Min had already woken up early.

He was sitting at the dining table and glanced up when he heard the sound, saying, “You’re awake?”

Lu Ran didn’t respond.

Ji Min looked up at him again and saw the boy standing at the stairway, looking at him with a peculiar, very complicated expression.

Ji Min’s heart skipped a beat from the way he was being looked at.

Before he could process it, the boy had already jumped down the stairs in a few steps and was at the dining table.

Ji Min cleared his throat and brought up the main topic.

“This weekend, tomorrow, we’re going to the Gu family.”

“Huh?” Lu Ran was surprised. “That fast? Boss, you’re so efficient.”

Ji Min snorted.

If it were really that easy to settle, should they have waited for Gu Zhi’s reply first?

Lu Ran, still surprised, thought for a moment and asked, “If it’s that easy, why did we contact Uncle Gu last night…?”

Ji Min: “…”

Yeah, why?

Lu Ran ate breakfast for a while, then suddenly remembered something and asked, “Did Uncle Gu contact me again later?”

“No.”

Ji Min took a sip of tea from the table.

Asking for contact information is hardly what you would call “contacting”.

Ji Min had already finished eating but was still sitting at the dining table without moving.

He leisurely sipped his tea.

Suddenly, he paused for a moment, then looked up at the boy sitting by the table.

What he saw was the usual person who only had eyes for food, now biting into half of a small steamed bun, one hand propping up his cheek, staring at him.

“…What are you looking at?” Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran shook his head, still holding the bun in his mouth, but only sighed heavily as he continued to stare at Ji Min.

Ji Min: “…”

He was familiar with this scene.

He could already predict what the boy was about to say next, even with his eyes closed.

Ji Min nearly held his breath, waiting for the boy to ask that one question.

But this time, after the sigh, Lu Ran seemed to have finished his thoughts.

He turned his head and silently went back to eating his breakfast.

Ji Min, who had been waiting for a long time: “…”

The next morning, Lu Ran and Ji Min were preparing to head to the Gu family’s estate.

The younger generation of the Gu family, like Gu Ningqi, had been assigned to the overseas branches of the company or sent to special cities for experience.

Gu Zhi’s generation, on the other hand, supported the domestic operations, and they lived very close to the company.

But in recent years, Old Mr. Gu had retired and now lived alone in a garden on the outskirts of the city.

As they neared the Gu family’s estate, Lu Ran had been eagerly peering out the window.

The garden was vast, with one side covered in neatly arranged fields, where vegetables were even being grown.

On the other side was a beautifully landscaped garden.

However, Lu Ran didn’t have much of an impression of these scenes.

After looking for a while, he withdrew his gaze and asked Ji Min again, “I wonder if Uncle Gu will be here today. If he is, he could be our guide.”

Ji Min glanced at him and replied, “I’m quite familiar with the Gu family too.”

Lu Ran had been calling him “Uncle Gu” so smoothly.

Ji Min genuinely felt that Gu Zhi wasn’t all that reliable.

Gu Zhi was the late child of Old Mr. Gu. With a few older brothers ahead of him, he only had to focus on eating, drinking, and playing.

He usually played freely.

He was good to his family and friends, but if he ever developed feelings for Lu Ran…

Ji Min furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment. He finally decided to say something based on facts: “Before, in the company cafeteria, Gu Zhi openly asked me some random questions. He’s too playful, with no sense of seriousness. You should stay away from him.”

“Mm?”

Lu Ran raised his head, curious. “What kind of questions did Uncle Gu ask?”

Thinking back to the questions Gu Zhi had asked, Ji Min paused for a moment.

“Just some… personal stuff,” Ji Min coughed lightly and answered vaguely.

Hearing this, Lu Ran glanced up at him and then lowered his gaze again, muttering, “Oh, so you two talk about personal matters?”

Ji Min: “…”

He suddenly felt like the atmosphere had gotten a bit strange.

If he spoke, it might seem like he was unfairly tarnishing Gu Zhi’s reputation.

But if he didn’t, it would still seem a bit dangerous.

After a pause, Ji Min decided to follow his instincts and explained: “He said he wasn’t doing well, so he asked me for… some experience in that area.”

When Ji Min said this, his tone was very calm.

There was no hidden superiority that men usually have when discussing such topics.

He simply stated the facts.

But when he looked up, he noticed that the slight awkwardness that had been on Lu Ran’s face had completely disappeared. In its place was a mixture of surprise and obvious sympathy.

Ji Min froze, completely unable to understand where the “sympathy” was coming from.

Before he could process it, Lu Ran indignantly said: “How could he ask you such a question? Was he mocking you on purpose?”

Ji Min: “?”

Realizing what Lu Ran meant, Ji Min fell into a deep silence.

His expression became complicated.

Was Lu Ran implying that Gu Zhi, knowing Ji Min’s situation, still dared to ask him such questions to mock him?

Meanwhile, the boy was still seething with anger: “That’s too much. No wonder you don’t like him, Boss.”

Ji Min: “…”

He stared at the distressed look on Lu Ran’s face and suddenly felt a shift in his thoughts.

Ji Min then feigned a look of grievance, lowering his gaze and saying, “Yeah.”

Lu Ran immediately felt even more sympathy and said, “Don’t worry, Boss. Next time I see him, I’ll curse him out for you.”

Ji Min lightly curled his lips, “Alright.”

When the car finally stopped by the Gu family’s garden, Lu Ran and Ji Min got out, only to be surprised by the number of cars parked around.

Lu Ran leaned out to take a look and was even more surprised to spot the Shen family’s car among them.

The garden was very lively.

At a glance, there were several familiar faces.

Ji Min frowned when he saw the scene as he got out of the car.

The person who came to greet them immediately explained: “You mentioned that Young Master Shen would be coming. The old master thought it would be livelier with more people, so he invited some younger members of the family as well.”

Ji Min’s frown didn’t ease.

If he had come to discuss business by himself, he would have turned around and left upon seeing this scene.

But since it was Lu Ran who was coming to see the old master, Ji Min looked at him and asked with a questioning glance.

“Shall we take a look?” Lu Ran said.

Ji Min nodded and signaled the Gu family’s butler to lead the way.

The butler didn’t dare be negligent and led them straight to the main hall.

The furnishings in the main hall of the Gu family were very antique.

It was clear that the old master of the Gu family was very nostalgic; the furniture showed signs of wear, but none of it had been replaced.

The butler glanced at Lu Ran and pointed to a nearby reclining chair, smiling as he said, “I wonder if Young Master Shen remembers, you used to love playing with this chair as a rocking car when you were little.”

Hearing this, Ji Min looked up at Lu Ran: “Still so mischievous when visiting?”

Lu Ran: “…” He certainly didn’t remember that.

The butler then went into the inner room.

But when asked, it turned out that the usually early-rising old master had been so angered by Gu Ningqi this morning that he went back to sleep after a nap.

The butler seemed a bit awkward.

He came over personally and apologized to Ji Min: “The old master is getting on in years and sometimes, his sleepiness comes in waves. Please bear with us.”

Ji Min wasn’t meeting the old master for the first time, so he understood the situation.

He didn’t say much, just nodded to show he understood.

The butler went off to attend to other guests.

Ji Min turned around and noticed the young man next to him was staring at him.

“What are you looking at?” Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran grinned and moved a little closer, “It’s so rare, Boss, to see you being kept out by someone.”

“Enjoying the show?” Ji Min raised an eyebrow.

Meeting the young man’s gaze, he sighed slightly and said, “The old master is getting on in years. He’s an elder, what can I do?”

When Ji Min said this, there was a hint of helplessness in his expression.

He rarely showed such emotions.

But Lu Ran found it quite amusing.

He watched Ji Min for a while, then suddenly reached out to pat Ji Min’s head.

“What are you doing? Do you not want your hand anymore?”

Ji Min grabbed his wrist.

Lu Ran leaned against the back of the wheelchair and, with wide eyes, lied, “Boss, you have grass on your hair!”

“You think I’ll believe that?” Ji Min didn’t loosen his grip on his wrist.

As they were speaking, an unbearable voice interrupted them: “How much longer are you two going to keep playing like you’re the only ones here?”

Lu Ran turned his head and saw that it was Shen Xingzhuo and Shen Xingyu who had entered together.

Shen Xingzhuo’s expression twisted: “I’ve been here for three to five minutes already, can you at least give me a glance?”

Shen Xingyu, on the other hand, didn’t say anything.

He still had a cold demeanor. But his gaze briefly swept over Lu Ran’s wrist, which was held by Ji Min.

Ji Min raised an eyebrow but didn’t loosen his grip.

Shen Xingzhuo’s mouth twitched in irritation and, without any politeness, said: “Mr. Ji, now that both of us older brothers are here, it’s time to release him, right? My little brother can’t just keep trailing behind you as a lackey!”

Ji Min chuckled but didn’t say anything. He simply released Lu Ran’s wrist.

Shen Xingzhuo was about to call Lu Ran over.

The young man by the wheelchair furrowed his brow and looked at Shen Xingzhuo, saying, “Why are you being rude to my boss?”

Shen Xingzhuo: “…” Was I being rude?

Ah—this was really getting on his nerves!

Shen Xingyu had probably already anticipated this humiliating moment, so he walked to the side and started examining the decorations in the main hall of the Gu family.

At that moment, the butler entered.

Noticing the slightly tense atmosphere in the living room, he quickly said, “The old master will need a little while longer to wake up. Why don’t you all go to the archery range and have some fun in the meantime?”

“There’s an archery range here?” Lu Ran’s interest was piqued.

Shen Xingzhuo snorted and was the first to speak.

“It’s just an archery range. We’ve already gotten bored of it.”

Ji Min looked at Lu Ran and explained, “When the old master was young, he loved archery and even won the provincial championship, so he set up an archery range in the garden.”

“Do you want to take a look?” Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran nodded lightly.

Ji Min then turned to the butler, saying, “Take us there.”

The butler led them outside.

The path to the archery range was a small, cobblestone road.

It was fine to walk on, but a bit bumpy when sitting in a wheelchair.

Lu Ran noticed this and reached out to gently hold onto the armrest at the back of Ji Min’s wheelchair, supporting him.

Ji Min was momentarily stunned, then lowered his gaze.

Fortunately, the path wasn’t long.

The archery range wasn’t large, but it was well-equipped with professional equipment.

When they arrived, Lu Ran looked back and realized that Shen Xingzhuo and Shen Xingyu had followed them.

“Weren’t you bored of it already?” Lu Ran asked.

Shen Xingzhuo was momentarily at a loss for words.

Shen Xingzhou: Who else would teach you if not us? Are you relying on Ji Min, who’s in a wheelchair, to teach you?

Thinking this, Shen Xingzhuo picked up his usual bow and shot an arrow at the target across from him.

It landed in the nine-ring.

He whistled and said, “Not bad, didn’t lose too much skill.”

After saying that, he glanced at Lu Ran.

To his surprise, Lu Ran was crouching beside the wheelchair, listening to Ji Min explain how to wear the protective gear.

Not once did he glance over at Shen Xingzhuo.

Shen Xingzhuo didn’t believe in bad luck and shot several more arrows, with the lowest score still being in the eight-ring.

However, Lu Ran didn’t come over as he had expected.

Shen Xingzhuo was grinding his teeth in frustration.

He put down his bow and walked over to Shen Xingyu, unable to hold back a complaint.

“Look at this kid!”

Shen Xingyu didn’t move his bow, merely sitting to the side and watching.

He lifted his gaze to glance at Lu Ran.

The young man had pulled over a chair and sat obediently in front of Ji Min’s wheelchair, gazing up at him with a serious expression.

His demeanor was almost exactly like the way he used to lean against the window of Shen Xingyu’s study.

Even though the man before him was confined to a wheelchair and couldn’t actually teach him anything.

Shen Xingyu lowered his gaze.

He spoke indifferently, “What’s there to look at?”

“Look at him! With us two standing here, why does he insist on having that Ji Min teach him!” Shen Xingzhuo said, dissatisfied.

“Such pointless things,” Shen Xingyu said, flipping through a magazine.

He sat quietly for a while, seemingly growing bored, and then stood up to stretch a bit.

He adjusted his protective gear, picked up a bow, and tested it out.

The way Shen Xingyu drew the bow was elegant.

It drew the attention of the other people in the archery range.

When he released the arrow, it hit the ten-ring.

Just after one shot, he lost interest.

But when he set the bow down, Shen Xingyu couldn’t resist casting a glance over at the young man.

The boy was holding the bow loosely, seemingly hearing the commotion from this side, and looked over.

But when he saw it was Shen Xingyu, he quickly turned his gaze away.

He resumed his stance to draw the bow and looked back at Ji Min for approval.

It was Ji Min who glanced over.

The man didn’t seem angered or upset by the subtle implications of his archery action.

Instead, he took his time selecting a bow.

He didn’t wear any protective gear, simply sitting in his wheelchair.

With a calm motion, he pulled the bowstring, adjusting the angle of the arrow.

The “whoosh” of the arrow cutting through the air echoed.

The arrow hit the bullseye.

“Wow~”

The boy’s voice of admiration was as pure as a child’s.

In the past, Shen Xingyu didn’t need to do much.

An unintentional movement from him would trigger such amazement.

The boy would clap his small hands until they were red, look up at him with eyes full of admiration, and say: “Big Brother, you’re amazing!”

But now, that amazement and praise no longer belonged to Shen Xingyu.

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