CFRFGC Chapter 147

⌈”Ji Min, I like you!”⌋

Lu Ran leaned back slightly, a look of disdain on his face.

“What kind of reaction is that?”

Fang Chen quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe the table clean, then looked up at Lu Ran with disbelief.

“You want to sleep with Ji Min?!”

How could this not be called liking someone?

“It’s just a thought,” Lu Ran corrected him.

Seeing the utterly baffled expression on Fang Chen’s face, Lu Ran grew a little annoyed. “What, is that not allowed?”

Fang Chen: “…”

He gave Lu Ran a once-over, from head to toe, then said earnestly, “I don’t see how it’s possible.”

Good grief, that’s Ji Min they were talking about!

Lu Ran felt indignant. “Don’t worry, I can still grow taller.”

“It’s not just about height,” Fang Chen replied. “Think about Ji Min’s aura…”

“What aura?” Lu Ran asked, genuinely puzzled.

Fang Chen was momentarily silent.

Alright, fair enough—Ji Min didn’t really have much of an intimidating aura around Lu Ran.

If anything, it was more of a spoiling-you-rotten aura.

After thinking for a bit, Fang Chen’s expression shifted as he looked at Lu Ran.

Come to think of it, with how much Ji Min indulged Lu Ran, if Lu Ran said he wanted to sleep with him…

But then Fang Chen remembered the way Ji Min looked at Lu Ran.

Somehow, he felt that Lu Ran was more likely to end up on the losing side.

Not wanting to crush his friend’s enthusiasm—while also hoping Lu Ran wouldn’t end up in too dire a situation—Fang Chen diplomatically said, “Actually, you could adjust your goals a little.”

“Or maybe change your approach to achieving them. You know, there’s more than one way to reach Rome!”

Lu Ran had no idea what kind of nonsense Fang Chen was spouting.

The two ended up talking past each other until Fang Chen finally asked, “If you already have thoughts about him, isn’t this engagement a good thing?”

“…How is that the same?” Lu Ran replied vaguely.

—

When he got home, Lu Ran fed Da Huang some dog food.

His grandpa was downstairs practicing the Five Animal Frolics.

If Lu Ran went down, he’d definitely get roped into joining.

So, he flopped onto his bed instead.

Unable to help himself, his thoughts drifted back to the engagement.

It seemed… he really did have those kinds of thoughts about Ji Min.

Especially when he touched Ji Min’s abs yesterday.

With other things, if Lu Ran wanted to do something, he’d just go ahead and do it.

Not only that, but he’d make sure Ji Min couldn’t refuse him.

However, Lu Ran might be willful, but he wasn’t without a sense of propriety.

When it came to matters like this, he exercised a bit of restraint.

After all, when he was younger, he really did think of Ji Min as an older brother.

Just as he was lost in thought, Lu Ran’s phone chimed.

He picked it up and saw a message from Ji Min.

Ji Min’s new profile picture still looked a bit unfamiliar.

Lu Ran opened the message—it was Ji Min asking if he wanted to go on a trip during summer vacation.

“Do you have time? Where to?” Lu Ran replied.

After sending the message, he paused to think.

Given his not-so-innocent thoughts about Ji Min, was it really appropriate to go on a trip with him right now?

But Lu Ran was used to being carefree around Ji Min.

He quickly brushed aside the awkwardness and cheerfully chose the seaside from the locations Ji Min had suggested.

—

That evening, Lu Ran went to Ji Min’s house again.

This time, he didn’t forget the purpose of his visit.

While sitting at the dining table eating dinner, Lu Ran stared at the man across from him for a while.

Ji Min was cutting his steak.

Lu Ran didn’t like tender steak—he preferred the kind with sinew.

But that type was harder to cut.

So, since they were young, Ji Min had always cut it for him.

Ji Min’s hands were beautiful.

They were thin yet wide, with distinct knuckles. When exerting force, his knuckles would stand out prominently.

The way he held the knife and fork had an indescribable charm.

After cutting the steak into bite-sized pieces and drizzling on the sauce Lu Ran liked, Ji Min pushed the plate over to him.

Looking up, he caught Lu Ran staring and raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What’s wrong? Not hungry?”

Lu Ran pulled the plate closer.

He had spent a long time rehearsing in his mind. He wanted to ask: “Were you about to kiss me that night?”

But what came out instead was: “Someone heard about our engagement.”

The engagement wasn’t officially announced.

But at Old Master Shen’s birthday banquet a few days ago, the news had quietly spread among those who needed to know.

That’s why Ji Min had been forced to drink round after round of toasts that night.

Ji Min paused with the knife and fork in his hands.

Looking up at Lu Ran, he said, “No matter what they say, you don’t need to pay attention. If it bothers you, tell me. I’ll take care of it.”

Ji Min’s response was perfect.

But for some reason, whenever Lu Ran heard this kind of reassurance from him, it made him feel annoyed.

Lu Ran poked at his steak a couple of times and said: “They said you’re after the Shen family’s company. That once my grandpa dies, you’ll swoop in and take everything.”

With that, Lu Ran rolled his eyes dramatically.

Ji Min chuckled softly.

He asked, “Oh? Do you believe them?”

“Believe my foot,” Lu Ran replied, exasperated. “I told them, there’s nothing in my family you’d be interested in.”

Hearing this, Ji Min raised his eyes to look at the boy across from him and said, “How is there nothing?”

“Huh?” Lu Ran was momentarily stunned.

He had a good grasp of his family’s business structure. After listing everything out, he asked, “So, what are you interested in?”

Ji Min seemed like he was about to say something.

But after gazing at the boy across from him for a while, he swallowed his words.

“Wait a bit longer and I’ll tell you,” he said.

Lu Ran: “…”

He hated it when Ji Min acted all cryptic like this.

—

In the afternoon, they were set to head to the beach.

Ji Min still had work to do at the company in the morning.

Lu Ran decided to tag along and ended up in Ji Min’s office.

Lu Ran was incredibly familiar with Ji Min’s office.

As soon as he walked in, he didn’t bother with any formalities. He sprawled out on the leather sofa like he owned the place.

Grabbing a magazine to cover his face, he lay there for a nap.

Seeing him like this, Ji Min said softly, “If you want to sleep, go to the lounge.”

Lu Ran ignored him.

Ji Min sighed and simply instructed the staff coming in to report their work to keep their voices down.

At that moment, Assistant Zhang entered.

Spotting Lu Ran, he asked in a low voice, “Young Master Ran, what would you like for lunch? I’ll order for you.”

Lu Ran casually rattled off a few dishes.

Assistant Zhang then looked at Ji Min.

Ji Min said, “Get whatever he wants.”

Assistant Zhang didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

Ji Min had many assistants, but this one was specifically assigned to handle matters related to Lu Ran.

The job could be seen as both complicated and simple.

On one hand, it was complex. He had to ensure every single call from Lu Ran was answered without fail. He also needed to relay Lu Ran’s various demands to Ji Min, plan Lu Ran’s birthday celebrations in advance each year, and make adjustments according to Ji Min’s preferences. Even the stationery kit for Lu Ran’s college entrance exams had been prepared by him.

On the other hand, it was remarkably simple. His only responsibility was to take care of this young master.

When Assistant Zhang first started, he had been a little nervous.

In his mind, children from wealthy families generally had bad tempers.

But after working with Lu Ran, he discovered… this young master indeed had a bad temper.

However, his anger was always directed at Ji Min, never at Assistant Zhang, the mere corporate worker.

That said, the job wasn’t without risks.

Not long ago, Assistant Zhang had narrowly escaped unemployment.

It had been during Lu Ran’s 19th birthday celebration.

At the time, their boss, Ji Min, had inexplicably flown abroad for some reason.

Despite this, Ji Min had meticulously planned the birthday event from overseas.

Assistant Zhang remembered it vividly.

Because Ji Min couldn’t attend in person, a video call with him was included as a highlight of the party.

The birthday celebration had been grand, with nearly all of the elite families in Jing City in attendance to celebrate Lu Ran’s special day.

But just as the moment arrived for Ji Min’s video call, the young master suddenly cut the feed.

It happened at the most critical moment, with all eyes on the massive display screen as Ji Min was apologizing to Lu Ran through the video.

At that moment, everyone—Assistant Zhang included—couldn’t help but marvel at how indulgent Ji Min was toward Lu Ran.

And then, with a crisp “click”, Lu Ran turned off the video.

Ji Min’s face disappeared instantly.

The room fell into an awkward silence, followed by a wave of murmurs.

Assistant Zhang broke into a cold sweat.

This was a public slap to Ji Min’s face!

For a fleeting moment, Assistant Zhang’s mind was filled with dramatic business war scenarios.

Could this action symbolize a statement from the Shen family? Was Shen Hanshan finally severing ties with the Ji family?

Many members of the Ji family had been present. Their expressions turned thoughtful and uncertain.

Even Lu Ran’s own grandfather frowned and scolded him at the time, saying, “Lu Ran! Turn the video back on and listen to your brother properly.”

Yet the star of the party shut off the video, strutted back to his room, and ignored everyone else.

Assistant Zhang thought he was doomed.

This wasn’t a private squabble; it had happened in front of so many people.

No matter how much Ji Min doted on Lu Ran, this time he had to be angry.

And if Ji Min was angry… what use would there be for an assistant dedicated solely to Lu Ran?

Assistant Zhang was certain he’d be unemployed by the next day.

As expected, Ji Min called shortly after.

Assistant Zhang braced himself, imagining all the ways Ji Min might express his anger.

The most likely scenario, of course, was Ji Min coldly saying he no longer needed anyone to handle Lu Ran’s affairs.

But when he answered the phone, what he heard was completely unexpected.

His boss sounded hesitant and nervous: “Is he… upset?”

Assistant Zhang froze. “Huh?”

Ji Min’s tone even carried a hint of panic: “Is he really angry? What has he been into lately? Think of a way to cheer him up.”

Assistant Zhang: “…”

Oh my god, I seem to have stumbled into something extraordinary.

The head of the Ji Corporation, who had just been publicly embarrassed, was now worried about whether the spoiled young master was upset?

And not only that—Assistant Zhang then heard Ji Min anxiously ask: “Did the old man scold him? Tell him—no, I’ll handle it myself.”

It seemed Ji Min was too distressed to care about appearances. Before even hanging up with Assistant Zhang, he picked up another phone to call Old Master Shen directly.

Assistant Zhang couldn’t help but overhear parts of the conversation.

To summarize: All Lu Ran had done was end his video call—no big deal.

It was completely understandable for Lu Ran to be upset since Ji Min had been away for so long, and under no circumstances should Old Master Shen punish Lu Ran.

After hanging up, Assistant Zhang sat in a daze.

But a few days later, something even more bewildering happened.

Lu Ran went two full weeks without contacting Ji Min or Assistant Zhang, leaving the assistant in a strange state of paid leave.

However, this didn’t last long—because his boss cracked first.

Every day, Ji Min would regularly message him, asking how Lu Ran was doing, if there was anything he wanted or wanted to do, or if someone had upset him.

But Assistant Zhang had no answers.

Unable to hold it in, he finally said, “Boss, Young Master Lu hasn’t contacted me for a few days. Would you like to ask him yourself?”

After sending that message, Ji Min didn’t reply for a long time.

Assistant Zhang thought Ji Min must be busy with work.

Then, around noon on Assistant Zhang’s side and in the deep of the night on Ji Min’s side, he received a message from his boss: “He’s blocked me.”

Though the message was only a few short words, the emo tone practically leaped off the screen.

Assistant Zhang was once again thrown into a panic.

He thought to himself that his job was probably secure forever.

After spending so much time with Lu Ran, Assistant Zhang had a pretty good understanding of his temperament.

Looking at Lu Ran’s current state, he made a gesture to Ji Min: “Is he angry?”

Ji Min nodded and motioned for him to leave.

Once the assistant was gone, Ji Min quietly got back to reviewing documents.

Everyone thought he spoiled Lu Ran and that Lu Ran was spoiled in turn.

But no one knew that, even when he was angry, he still remembered to add the dishes that Lu Ran liked to the order.

At that moment, another assistant entered, holding a phone.

Ji Min glanced at Lu Ran.

The young man had a magazine over his face and appeared to have fallen asleep.

Ji Min signaled the assistant to keep it quiet.

It wasn’t anything urgent, so the assistant lowered his voice and reported: “A call came from the prison. They said Ji Chi wanted to see a relative. But since his mother has passed away, Ji Chi said you were his only relative, so they contacted you.”

Ji Min hadn’t dealt with Ji Chi since their youth.

Later, during the most chaotic time for the Ji family, Ji Chi had taken advantage of the situation and got involved in illegal activities, landing himself in prison.

Now, hearing Ji Chi’s name, Ji Min found it somewhat amusing: “What kind of relative is he to me? Just turn them down next time.”

The assistant nodded and left.

When Ji Min turned around, he saw that the person who had been slouched on the sofa earlier was now sitting up, looking particularly energetic.

Lu Ran’s eyes went wide with disbelief as he asked, “Ji Chi is still alive?”

Ji Min: “…”

The way he asked.

In Lu Ran’s mind, Ji Chi was someone who should’ve been long gone.

“You still remember Ji Chi?” Ji Min was a bit surprised.

Lu Ran had only been at the Ji family’s house for two months and had met Ji Chi during that time. After returning to the Shen family, he had no further contact with him.

During the period when Ji Min took over the corporation, he made sure the Ji family kept their distance from Lu Ran.

He had thought that, given Lu Ran’s goldfish-like memory, he would have forgotten everything that happened back then.

It was true that Lu Ran didn’t remember much from his childhood.

He had heard that he had once gotten lost and was found by Ji Min.

But Lu Ran had no recollection of that moment at all.

However, he remembered Ji Chi.

Lu Ran always remembered a particular scene.

It seemed that Ji Chi had tried to do something to him and Ji Min had someone kick Ji Chi out.

When Ji Min was carrying him back, Ji Chi shouted many things from behind.

Lu Ran even remembered exactly what Ji Chi had said.

That guy had revealed the truth about Ji Min’s mother’s death.

He had told Ji Min that he was a person who had neither a father’s love nor a mother’s affection.

After that, Ji Min never mentioned Ji Chi again and avoided talking about his parents.

Lu Ran didn’t know if Ji Min remembered that scene, but for him, Ji Chi’s words were a shadow of his childhood.

They were some of the nastiest things he had ever heard in his life.

That’s why they left such a strong impression on him.

Later, Lu Ran secretly asked his grandfather about it.

He found out that Ji Min’s parents had a business marriage.

Both of them had people they truly loved and had agreed to divorce immediately after having Ji Min, each going off to find their true love.

Lu Ran didn’t know the details, but he knew that Ji Min must have had a difficult childhood.

So…

Lu Ran had thought that Ji Min would never engage in a business marriage again.

“What are you thinking? You’ve been distracted this whole time?”

A warm fingertip brushed against Lu Ran’s ear.

Lu Ran snapped out of his thoughts and realized that the car had already stopped outside the seaside hotel they had booked.

“Hmm… where’s Da Huang?” Lu Ran asked.

“He’s asleep over there,” Ji Min replied.

This time, it was just the two of them who had come out.

Lu Ran sat in the car, acting like a big shot.

Ji Min parked the car, took out the check-in papers, and opened the door.

Only then did Lu Ran grab Da Huang and get out of the car.

“This hotel allows pets, right?” Lu Ran asked as he walked.

“Yeah, it’s a pet-friendly hotel,” Ji Min replied.

The two of them walked toward the front desk. After just a few steps, a surprised voice suddenly came from the side.

“Lu Ran!”

Ji Min turned to look.

It was a boy, about Lu Ran’s age.

The boy, seeing Lu Ran, had an expression of surprise, mixed with some bashfulness and excitement that was easily noticeable to outsiders.

Lu Ran also turned back to look. “Class monitor?”

He handed Da Huang to Ji Min and walked toward the boy.

For a moment, the boy hesitated to look at him, then quietly asked, “Are you here to play?”

“Yeah, it’s summer vacation, after all,” Lu Ran replied.

The boy finally gathered his courage, looked up, and said, “I live around here. I can be your tour guide. There are a lot of fun things to do here…”

As he spoke, the boy suddenly felt a gaze, so sharp it seemed almost tangible.

He looked up and saw, not far behind Lu Ran, a man in a suit, leaning against the front desk.

The man had an impressive appearance, his stature imposing, and his eyes were cold, fixed on them.

The boy couldn’t help but feel a sense of hostility.

“Uh, Lu Ran, who’s that person behind you?” the boy asked.

Lu Ran glanced at Ji Min and answered, “That’s my…”

He suddenly paused.

He turned his head slightly to look at Ji Min, hesitating for a while before saying, “He’s my brother.”

Upon hearing that, Ji Min’s eyes turned even colder.

However, hearing Lu Ran’s words, the boy on the other side visibly relaxed.

The boy shyly took out a few discount coupons and handed them to Lu Ran, saying, “This is a shop my family owns. The food isn’t anything special, just seafood that’s fresh. If you want to try it, you can come by…”

After chatting for a bit more, Lu Ran took the coupons and walked back.

As soon as he reached the front desk, he heard Ji Min’s cold voice suddenly ask, “Is there something important? Why did you talk so long?”

“Huh?” Lu Ran looked up at him. “It’s nothing. He’s our class monitor. He’s really nice. Everyone in our class likes him.”

Ji Min slightly pursed his lips.

He pushed the little dog forward in his hands, interrupting Lu Ran’s words.

“Da Huang has been wanting to find you.”

Sure enough, Lu Ran’s attention was diverted. He immediately took Da Huang back into his arms.

They had booked a suite, with two bedrooms and a living room.

Ji Min first went to Lu Ran’s room, put his things away, and checked the room’s facilities.

Once he confirmed everything was fine, he went to unpack his own things.

When he came back after finishing, he saw Lu Ran sitting at the table, counting the few discount coupons in his hands.

“This restaurant seems to be by the beach. It looks pretty good. Should we go there for dinner tonight?” Lu Ran asked.

“You’re allergic to seafood.”

As Ji Min walked by, he casually took the discount coupons from Lu Ran’s hands and placed them on a nearby cabinet.

“Huh? How come I don’t know about that? Last time I went with Fang Chen, I didn’t have any problems,” Lu Ran said.

“Eating too much will make your stomach hurt,” Ji Min replied.

“I think it’s just that you don’t want to eat it,” Lu Ran said, rolling his eyes.

But he didn’t press further.

They still had several more days to enjoy themselves.

In the evening, they ordered food and had a casual meal.

The hotel’s food wasn’t as good as what Ji Min made.

Lu Ran only took a few bites before setting his chopsticks down and watching the man across from him eat.

He started thinking about the engagement.

“You…” Lu Ran poked at his rice a couple of times and asked, “What do you actually need from my company? Just tell me and I can ask my grandfather.”

“You don’t need to… marry into the family.”

At the sound of this, Ji Min raised his head.

The man put down his chopsticks, sighed, and asked, “Are you very concerned about the engagement?”

Lu Ran: “…”

“No, not at all,” he said.

Otherwise, it would seem strange!

“I just think… we young people are all going to end up with the person we like anyway.”

Lu Ran wasn’t sure why he was saying such nonsense.

At that moment, Ji Min’s piercing gaze fixed on him, and he asked in a deep voice: “Do you have someone you like?”

Lu Ran’s heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly thought of the conversation he had with Fang Chen and immediately felt guilty. “No… not really.”

Ji Min quietly stared at him.

At that moment, Ji Min’s phone rang.

It was a call from Old Master Shen.

The man furrowed his brow as if being pulled out of some strange state.

Ji Min answered the phone, “Hello? Yes, we’ve arrived. Hmm, don’t worry…”

Lu Ran couldn’t help but feel a little relieved.

It was probably his grandfather asking if they had arrived at the location.

But what puzzled Lu Ran was that every time he went out with Ji Min, his grandfather always chose to call Ji Min instead of his own grandson.

Taking advantage of the gap while Ji Min was on the phone, Lu Ran snuck back to his room to freshen up.

He took a quick shower, wiped his hair a little, and then lay down on the bed.

Lu Ran wasn’t tired.

He was just thinking about Ji Chi and his engagement with Ji Min.

He also thought about the lonely and sad young boy from that rainy night in his memory.

Lu Ran turned over on the bed.

He thought that Ji Min still wanted to be with the person he liked.

At this thought, Lu Ran secretly felt a little sad.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint where this sadness was coming from.

Perhaps it was because… if Ji Min married someone else, then he wouldn’t be able to casually touch Ji Min’s abs anymore.

But that was a small thing.

Lu Ran wasn’t the type to hold onto things.

He had been feeling down about the engagement for a long time. Now it was time to resolve it.

So, Lu Ran got up and simply went to Ji Min’s room.

Ji Min had just come out of the bathroom.

The bedroom door was suddenly opened. Lu Ran barged in without knocking.

Ji Min quickly tied his bathrobe closed.

He sighed and said, “Remember to knock next time.”

“Oh,” Lu Ran responded casually.

Ji Min could tell that he wasn’t in a good mood, so he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to you,” Lu Ran said, sitting down solemnly at the edge of Ji Min’s bed.

Ji Min paused for a moment while drying his hair and then looked up at him.

“We should cancel our engagement,” Lu Ran said.

Ji Min’s Adam’s apple moved slightly.

He set the towel down and asked, “Do you really hate our engagement that much?”

For some reason, Lu Ran’s anger suddenly flared up, rising higher and higher.

He had been angry ever since Ji Min unexpectedly went abroad.

The sudden appearance of the engagement made him even more confused about what to do.

Lu Ran had never been the type to bottle up his emotions.

Now, after holding it in for nearly a year, he felt like he was about to explode.

He jumped onto Ji Min’s bed and looked down at Ji Min.

“I just won’t allow you to marry anyone!” he declared.

Ji Min’s expression darkened.

He asked, “So the guy who gave you the coupon is fine, but I’m not?”

Lu Ran’s mind was still boiling with anger, but Ji Min’s words left him momentarily stunned. He thought to himself, what does this have to do with anything?

But his anger wasn’t over yet.

“You don’t even like me! You didn’t kiss me that day, so why did you agree to the engagement?”

Saying these words made Lu Ran feel even worse.

He felt embarrassed and humiliated but still insisted on finishing what he started.

“I won’t let you do this to yourself!”

“You can’t be like your parents! I won’t allow you to marry someone you don’t like!”

Even if it’s me… I won’t allow it.

After hearing the boy’s words, Ji Min froze for a moment.

He could tell that Lu Ran was rejecting the engagement, but he had never imagined this was the reason.

For a split second, it felt as though a warm current had been injected into his chest.

His heart unexpectedly swelled with emotion.

Ji Min didn’t respond right away. Lu Ran started to panic.

He knew Ji Min didn’t like others mentioning his parents.

He was afraid Ji Min would feel hurt and upset.

Lu Ran’s voice softened, “Big brother, don’t be angry…”

He reached out to grab Ji Min’s hand, even prepared for it to be pushed away.

But Ji Min firmly held his wrist.

“Is it because of this?” Ji Min asked in a low voice.

“W-what?” Lu Ran stammered.

He tried to jump off the bed.

But the force on his wrist pulled him back, causing him to lose his footing and fall directly back onto the bed.

Ji Min leaned down because of his movement.

The man’s gaze was deep.

A color Lu Ran couldn’t fully comprehend.

Lu Ran suddenly realized this wasn’t his room.

This was Ji Min’s bedroom.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sea was rising with the tide.

In the darkness of the night, the sea appeared calm. But beneath the surface, it was tumultuous.

“You’re that worried about me, afraid I’ll follow in my parents’ footsteps?” Ji Min asked.

“So what if I am?” Lu Ran turned his head away and reached out to push Ji Min.

His palm touched the man’s body but then quickly retracted.

But Ji Min pressed his hand back down against his.

Ji Min asked again, “Is it because I didn’t kiss you that day?”

The man’s voice carried a hint of amusement, and it made Lu Ran flare up.

“I didn’t… mm!”

A soft kiss suddenly landed on his lips.

It was as quiet as falling snow, yet as intensely hot as if it could burn him alive.

“What about this?” Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran: “…”

He was stunned by the kiss.

It took him a long time to respond.

Then he felt it was a bit unreal. “Did you kiss me?”

Ji Min chuckled softly, then lowered his head to kiss him again.

This kiss was deeper, longer.

It brushed lightly against Lu Ran’s lips, unmistakably making it clear what they were doing.

Lu Ran blinked twice.

He suddenly felt incredibly happy, as if the frustration that had been suffocating his heart for a year had disappeared in that instant without a trace.

Ji Min lifted his head slightly, smiling as he looked at him.

Lu Ran pressed his lips together.

Unable to resist pushing further, he tilted his chin up and ordered, “Then kiss me again.”

Ji Min’s gaze darkened.

He leaned down gently, kissing the boy’s lips again for a while.

The man’s breath was heavier.

It was clearly something Lu Ran had asked for, but now he hurriedly turned his head away and said, “Alright, I… I got it!”

But the moment he moved, the large hand that had gently cupped his cheek earlier suddenly seized his jaw.

The scorching breath mixed with lips and tongue, pressing down heavily again.

Lu Ran: “!!”

He instinctively tried to pull away, only to have his upper jaw licked deeply.

Lu Ran froze.

The muscles against his palm were tight, as hard as stone.

It was completely different from the other day when Ji Min had let him touch as he pleased.

For the first time, Lu Ran realized that Ji Min could be aggressive.

However, in front of him, Ji Min had always hidden those sharp edges well.

Until now, when they were finally revealed.

Ji Min kissed deeply.

The air in his chest was ruthlessly taken away.

Lu Ran’s heart raced wildly.

He even felt a little scared.

But, despite the fear, he subconsciously clung to the man in front of him.

The more he feared, the more tightly he held on.

Finally, when he found a bit of space, the boy desperately turned his head, reaching up to cover his mouth with his hand, “No, no more kissing!”

But this time, Ji Min didn’t listen to him.

The hot breath hit the back of his ear again and the sharp canine teeth bit into the earlobe.

Lu Ran immediately tried to cover his ear.

The next moment, lips and teeth landed on his neck.

Lu Ran tried to block again.

But he only had two hands.

In the end, the man found another opening and kissed him on the lips again.

As the kiss went on, Lu Ran had no choice but to bury his face into the blanket like an ostrich, trying to hide.

“Stop kissing me!” he said hoarsely, raising his voice.

Noticing that Ji Min had slightly pulled away, Lu Ran quickly kicked his legs, trying to escape.

But as soon as his legs moved, Ji Min grabbed his knee and pulled him back.

Lu Ran froze instantly.

Ji Min slightly withdrew, his dark eyes locking onto him, and asked: “Who said I don’t like it?”

That night, Lu Ran quickly escaped back to his own room.

The next morning, before dawn, Lu Ran and Ji Min, as usual, went out holding Da Huang to play on the beach.

Neither of them mentioned what happened the night before.

Just as they were about to leave the hotel, Ji Min took something out of his pocket and handed it to Lu Ran: “Medicine for your lips.”

Lu Ran: “…”

He silently took the ointment.

It hadn’t felt like much the night before, but when he woke up, he noticed his lips were chapped.

Lu Ran turned and glared at Ji Min’s lips.

After staring for a while, he muttered in dissatisfaction, “The force is mutual—why are your lips fine?!”

Ji Min chuckled.

Of course, it was because someone had been kissed into a daze.

After laughing, the slight awkwardness between them began to dissipate.

The beach was already crowded.

Lu Ran went to grab the surfboard.

Ji Min, holding Da Huang, sat on a chair.

When Lu Ran entered the water, he turned his head to glance at Ji Min.

He and Ji Min were so familiar with each other.

So familiar that they could easily forget many little things.

However, as Lu Ran carefully recalled last night’s events…

Hmm, there were still many unfamiliar aspects.

His mind started to bubble again.

After playing on the board for a while, Lu Ran suddenly figured out why Ji Min had gone abroad.

Could it be… that he had caused the situation that night?

Thinking about this, Lu Ran lost his balance and, “Plop!”—he fell into the water.

Ji Min looked up briefly, confirming that Lu Ran had popped his head out of the water before he relaxed.

In fact, Lu Ran’s guess wasn’t wrong.

At the time, when Ji Min first realized his own feelings, he had been a bit overwhelmed.

He didn’t want to give himself the chance to make a mistake. So the very next day, he decisively went abroad, distancing himself from Lu Ran.

During the more than half a year abroad, Ji Min remained cautious.

He tried to maintain the role of a “neighboring older brother”, not allowing himself to become too distant and definitely not… too intimate.

But no matter how much he tried to hide it, no matter how much he distracted himself with work, some thoughts just wouldn’t leave his mind.

In fact, the separation only made those feelings grow stronger.

Ji Min even started to slowly convince himself.

He was a little unwilling.

The Ji family, the Gu family, the Fang family… all of Lu Ran’s acquaintances could pursue him.

Why should he be the only one who couldn’t?

But no matter how much he tried to convince himself, there was always one barrier Ji Min couldn’t cross.

He couldn’t imagine how Lu Ran would look at him if he knew how Ji Min felt.

That uneasy feeling reached its peak when Ji Min discovered that Lu Ran had blocked him.

Could it be… that Lu Ran had guessed it?

Or was it that morning when he woke up, Lu Ran… saw something?

The various doubts tormented Ji Min greatly.

At first, he didn’t even dare to try contacting Lu Ran.

But after gradually calming down, Ji Min began to sense a faint glimmer of hope in Lu Ran’s decision to block him.

Lu Ran wasn’t someone who would endure things.

If he had noticed and rejected it from the beginning, he would have blocked Ji Min right away.

And though Lu Ran was spoiled by him and could be willful, he wasn’t the type to block people without a reason.

If Lu Ran only saw him as an older brother, then a business trip by that brother wouldn’t make Lu Ran angry enough to block him.

With this slight, uncertain hope, Ji Min returned to the country.

He didn’t dare to meet Lu Ran immediately; instead, he first sought out Old Master Shen and formally discussed the engagement.

Old Master Shen wasn’t surprised or suspicious.

He only set two conditions: Lu Ran could not marry before he turned 24. Before the marriage, Lu Ran could cancel the engagement at any time.

Ji Min didn’t feel the conditions were harsh.

When he proposed the engagement, he never expected to truly be with Lu Ran.

He just… wanted to give himself a chance.

Using the engagement to break the long-standing relationship between him and Lu Ran.

Ji Min wanted to earn the chance to be chosen by Lu Ran.

This was enough for Ji Min.

But after proposing the engagement, he didn’t know how to face Lu Ran’s rejection of it.

He even… still restrained himself, not daring to get too close, not daring to kiss.

He wanted Lu Ran to have the freedom to choose.

Rather than inadvertently guiding him into giving the answer he wanted.

…

After last night’s kiss, Lu Ran still hadn’t given him a response.

Ji Min didn’t ask.

He patiently gave Lu Ran enough space to think.

Their relationship was always Lu Ran’s choice.

If Lu Ran wanted him to take the next step, Ji Min would step closer.

If Lu Ran didn’t like it, he would return to being the older brother.

He treated this engagement as just a business arrangement.

Lu Ran lay on the surfboard, floating for a while.

Though he was floating in the sea, his eyes were focused on the man on the beach.

Not far away, the man was wearing a loose white shirt and beach shorts.

He sat under a sunshade, with the sea breeze blowing, lifting the corners of his shirt and subtly revealing the contours of the muscles underneath.

No matter how you looked at it, he was attractive.

Moreover, Ji Min was holding a small puppy.

Lu Ran had only floated in the water for a short while when he saw no less than ten people slowly approaching, attempting to strike up a conversation.

But most of them, intimidated by the “don’t approach” aura surrounding the man, quietly backed off.

Only one person remained persistent and came closer to try and greet Ji Min.

Lu Ran paddled a few times and stood up from the sea.

He threw his board aside and ran toward the beach.

He charged forward with great momentum, his expression fierce and threatening.

When he reached Ji Min, he blocked the person trying to approach and shouted at them: “Hey, stay away from my boyfriend!”

His tone was so fierce that it immediately scared the person off.

Ji Min was a bit surprised and looked up at the young man.

But after Lu Ran said this, he ran back toward the sea.

Lu Ran walked into the water, lifting his surfboard.

A wave crashed over him, knocking him back into the sea.

He quickly surfaced and wiped his face.

He looked back at the beach.

Ji Min was walking toward him, frowning with concern.

For some reason, Lu Ran suddenly felt like laughing.

A glimmer of morning light finally appeared on the sea.

The golden-red dawn pierced through the dark sky. The sun, as red as paper cut-outs, rose from where the sea met the sky.

Ji Min walked toward the shore.

He squinted slightly and saw the boy, nearly blending into the rosy glow, standing on the surfboard.

The boy cupped his hands and loudly shouted to him: “Ji Min, I like you!”

The man froze.

Everyone on the beach heard the confession and instinctively looked over.

The boy, grinning, continued to shout loudly: “I like you the most in the whole world!”

“The kind of like where I want to date you!”

The boy’s direct and sincere voice echoed across the beach.

The sun fully rose above the sea, casting a golden light everywhere.

Ji Min stood still, enveloped by the sunlight.

He thought about the warmth that had once left his life.

Finally, in another form, it had returned to his side.

From now on, they would walk hand in hand.

They would walk together for a long, long time.

— End of Extra Chapter —

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Moonlit: It’s finally completed! I’m gonna miss Lu Ran’s crazy tactics. Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it~

If you can/want, please support the author by buying locked chapters «here».

Thank you everyone! See ya on my other works~