CFRFGC Chapter 103

⌈Can you kiss me again?⌋

The man’s kiss trembled, almost restrained.

Lu Ran was slightly startled.

He lifted his gaze to look at Ji Min.

Just as he raised his face, it was covered by the man’s large hand.

There was a commotion of noise around them.

Familiar voices leaned in, asking how he was doing.

But in his vision, there was only a reassuring and warm darkness.

It felt like the black interior of Ji Min’s business car, which never had its lights on.

In this quiet yet noisy darkness,

Lu Ran felt a wave of hot breath brush against his cheek.

Then, a touch lighter than petals or feathers landed on his still slightly trembling lips.

The scent on the man’s body—a dominant yet warm, deep, and steady woody fragrance—filled his nose.

Gradually, even the last hint of noise around them disappeared.

Lu Ran buried his face in the rise and fall of the man’s chest.

A thin blanket blocked out the surrounding light.

He quietly nestled there, feeling the phantom pain triggered in his nerves by the car accident, pulsating faintly.

The man’s embrace remained tight, unrelenting.

Still lingering in this moment of loss and recovery, too vivid to forget.

Until the sound of an ambulance approached.

Lu Ran poked his head out from under the blanket, whispering, “I’m not going to the hospital…”

The man’s hand, with distinct knuckles, pressed gently on his head, guiding him back into his embrace.

“There’s really no need. I just fell,” Lu Ran protested again.

After speaking, he felt Ji Min lower his head, pressing a kiss to his hair.

By his ear, Ji Min softly said, “But I’m really worried. Please, I beg you.”

Lu Ran instantly fell silent.

After a long while.

When Ji Min carried him into the ambulance, Lu Ran finally whispered again, “Then you’re not allowed to leave me alone in the hospital.”

“Alright.”

Ji Min kissed the tip of his ear again.

At the hospital, the familiar smell of disinfectant and the uniquely cold, detached atmosphere of the place assaulted them once more.

Lu Ran couldn’t help but close his eyes.

After a hurried series of examinations, he was lying on a hospital bed in the emergency ward.

The boy curled up, turning his head to the side, refusing to look at the ceiling.

After a round of palpations, the doctor carefully reviewed the examination report.

He turned to Ji Min and said, “The patient only has minor abrasions and bruises. There’s no internal bleeding or other severe injuries.”

Ji Min’s tense heart finally began to relax.

But then the doctor frowned. “However, the palpations revealed significant pain responses in his limbs.”

Ji Min had already noticed this.

Lu Ran’s muscles frequently tensed and trembled.

He also often massaged his joints.

When Ji Min had asked, Lu Ran had simply said it was nothing.

Hearing this, the doctor said, “We’ll need to conduct more detailed examinations.”

Upon hearing that, Ji Min frowned.

He glanced at the trembling figure curled up on the hospital bed and said, “Today… forget it. Let him sleep first.”

The doctor, noticing Lu Ran’s unusual state, instructed the nurse to administer a sedative.

Sleepiness quickly washed over him.

Even his taut nerves began to relax.

But beneath the drug-induced calm, Lu Ran was hesitant to fall asleep.

Not until Ji Min returned to his bedside and held his hand.

Sleep fogged Lu Ran’s mind.

His eyelids drooped uncontrollably, but he forced them open again and again.

Repeating the struggle several times.

Finally, Ji Min reached out, covering Lu Ran’s eyes with his hand. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

In his daze, Lu Ran reached out to grasp Ji Min’s hand.

But the man’s hand was broad. Lu Ran could only grasp three of his fingers.

“I’m not sleepy,” Lu Ran said.

“Nonsense.”

Ji Min felt the soft tickle of eyelashes brushing against his palm.

“It’s alright. Go to sleep. I won’t leave you alone in the hospital,” Ji Min coaxed in a low voice.

“Then you’re not allowed to leave even when I’m asleep,” Lu Ran demanded.

“Alright,” Ji Min promised softly.

When Butler Chen received the news and rushed to the hospital, he pushed open the door to the ward and saw this scene: Ji Min sat in a wheelchair while holding the boy, who was supposed to be lying on the hospital bed, in his arms.

His palm gently patted the boy’s back, soothing him to sleep.

Seeing Butler Chen enter, Ji Min made a gesture for silence.

He looked down at the boy in his arms.

After ensuring he was sound asleep, Ji Min allowed Butler Chen to approach.

“How is he?” Butler Chen asked in a hushed voice.

“The car accident wasn’t too serious.” Ji Min adjusted the boy’s position slightly, making him more comfortable.

Then he added, “But it’s still uncertain if there are other issues.”

Butler Chen nodded and reported the situation: “The police have inspected the accident scene, but things don’t look good. The driver who caused the crash has already died. The specific details are pending further investigation.”

“Dead? What a convenient coincidence.” Ji Min sneered coldly.

If a car blindly charged through, it could be blamed on the driver running a red light.

But this car had clearly stopped at the red light and only started moving when Lu Ran was crossing.

How could it not have been targeting Lu Ran?

“Investigate thoroughly,” Ji Min said, his voice icy.

Butler Chen nodded again and left to make arrangements.

When he returned, he reported: “The Shen brothers are waiting outside. They say they want to check on Young Master Lu Ran.”

“Tell them to get lost,” Ji Min snapped.

His tone carried a rare edge of fury.

After speaking, Ji Min worried about waking the boy in his arms. He lowered his head to check that Lu Ran hadn’t stirred before relaxing.

Butler Chen wasn’t surprised by Ji Min’s reaction.

The peculiar circumstances of the accident made it hard to rule out a connection to the Shen family.

“But Young Master Gu Zhi is also here,” Butler Chen said. “After all, this happened right after leaving the Gu family. Old Master Gu called to inquire.”

“Don’t meet any of them,” Ji Min replied.

Butler Chen nodded.

As he turned to leave, he heard Ji Min add, “Call Keimler over.”

Butler Chen paused briefly before responding with understanding.

Meanwhile, Gu Zhi, along with Shen Xingyu and Shen Xingzhuo, waited in a hospital corridor.

Not the one where Lu Ran’s room was located—they hadn’t even managed to find out which ward he was in.

Shen Xingyu paced up and down the hallway, while Shen Xingzhuo sat in a chair, propping his chin on his hand in silence.

Gu Zhi, however, seemed relaxed, sitting back with his legs crossed.

“What are you two so anxious about? Didn’t they say it wasn’t serious? Besides, Ji Min is with him!”

“It’s easy for you to say; you weren’t at the scene,” Shen Xingzhuo muttered gloomily.

He glanced at Shen Xingyu and then added in a low voice, “Even if the car didn’t hit him, falling that hard—who knows if there’ll be any complications?”

Hearing this, Shen Xingyu turned to look at him. “What are you trying to say? It’s still better than someone like you standing uselessly on the side.”

“You!” Shen Xingzhuo shot to his feet.

Seeing the brothers on the verge of a fight, Gu Zhi stared in disbelief.

He quickly stood and grabbed them both. “This is a hospital! Don’t you dare start something here.”

At that moment, Butler Chen arrived.

He smiled at the three of them and said, “Young Master Lu Ran is fine, but he needs further observation. You may all head back now.”

Hearing this, Gu Zhi immediately responded, “If he’s fine, can we at least see him? My dad couldn’t come and is insisting I send him a video of Xiao Ran.”

But Butler Chen only offered an apologetic smile and said, “Thank you for Old Master Gu’s concern.”

Gu Zhi, familiar with dealing with Butler Chen, instantly recognized that there was no chance of meeting Lu Ran today.

Shen Xingyu frowned slightly and glanced at the time.

Seeing this, Shen Xingzhuo said, “You probably need to get back to work. I’m not leaving. I’ll stay here and wait.”

Butler Chen didn’t concern himself with whether they left or not. After delivering his message, he turned and walked away.

Gu Zhi slumped back into his chair and muttered, “That’s it, we’re done. Even bringing up my dad didn’t work. Looks like Ji Min is holding a grudge against everyone indiscriminately now.”

“What do you mean, ‘indiscriminately holding a grudge’?” Shen Xingzhuo asked.

“Well, obviously, everyone within a hundred-meter radius is under suspicion,” Gu Zhi replied.

The people present all came from complex family backgrounds. Hearing this, they immediately grasped the implication.

Shen Xingyu said nothing further, turning and walking out.

When Butler Chen returned to the ward, he found Dr. Keimler already there, talking with Ji Min.

As soon as Dr. Keimler saw Ji Min holding Lu Ran while he slept, his medical instincts kicked in.

“You can’t hold him like that; it’ll affect his sleep,” Keimler remarked.

“But if I put him on the bed, he’ll wake up,” Ji Min replied, instinctively tightening his hold before relaxing slightly.

Seeing Ji Min’s reaction, Keimler raised an eyebrow and thought to himself: Is it that the one sleeping can’t settle on the bed, or the one holding can’t bear to let go?

“He’s had a sedative. He won’t wake up for now. But his body is in pain, and holding him like this only makes it worse,” Keimler said.

Hearing this, Ji Min paused before carefully placing the boy back onto the hospital bed. He pulled up a thin blanket, covering Lu Ran’s ears with its edge.

Only then did he turn to Kaimiler and say,

“I called you here to inform you that my surgery will be moved up.”

“Moved up? Wasn’t it originally scheduled for six months from now?” Keimler asked in surprise.

“Now is the best time,” Ji Min said, looking at the sleeping boy on the bed.

A car accident had just occurred. The ensuing investigation would keep everyone on edge.

Whoever was behind this would be forced to lie low for the time being.

If the surgery were delayed any further, Ji Min wouldn’t dare leave.

“Uh…”

Ji Min’s sudden urgency caught Keimler off guard.

“But… but this isn’t something you can just decide to move up! Your body needs to be prepared, the recovery period for the surgery is long. You’re well aware of the risks. You’ll need to ensure all your work and responsibilities are taken care of…”

Ji Min interrupted him, “That’s my concern. I’ll make the arrangements. You only need to prepare for the surgery.”

His tone left no room for argument.

Dr. Keimler could only say, “Alright then. When do you want it scheduled? Within two months?”

Ji Min threw out just two words: “As soon as possible.”

Left with a headache, Keimler left the room.

When Butler Chen came in, Ji Min issued a series of further instructions.

Keimler wasn’t wrong—Ji Min had an entire company behind him and there was much to arrange.

Moreover, during this time, Ji Min had no intention of making his surgery public, which added to the pressure.

After everything was planned, Ji Min turned his gaze back to the person on the hospital bed.

He extended a finger and gently stroked the warm, sleeping cheek of the boy.

The surgery carried a certain probability of death.

He had to prepare for the worst.

Lu Ran didn’t sleep long.

When he woke up, it was evening.

The sky had cleared and the sunset was beautiful.

But when Lu Ran opened his eyes, what caught his attention wasn’t the picturesque light.

It was the hospital ceiling and the lingering smell of disinfectant.

Lu Ran stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time.

Waking up in a haze of phantom pain, the first sight he saw was that unchanging ceiling.

His limbs felt weak and sore, as though they had vanished entirely.

This scene was all too familiar to Lu Ran.

Just like every moment he woke up in his past life.

A familiar voice broke the silence by his side: “Awake?”

Lu Ran turned his neck gently and looked over.

Ji Min closed his laptop, set it aside, and maneuvered his wheelchair to the bedside with the remote control. He asked, “Does it still hurt? Is there anywhere else uncomfortable?”

Lu Ran didn’t reply. He simply looked at Ji Min quietly.

After a while, he asked, “Where’s Da Huang?”

Ji Min reached out to touch his forehead, finding it cold and damp with sweat.

The man’s brows furrowed instantly. “Da Huang is at home. Butler Chen is taking care of him. I’ll call the doctor over.”

Ji Min raised his hand to press the call button, but Lu Ran grabbed his wrist to stop him.

The boy’s fingers gripping his wrist were icy cold.

He didn’t speak, just stared at Ji Min with those overly dark eyes.

“What’s wrong? Does it still hurt badly?” Ji Min’s worry deepened.

Lu Ran gazed at him for a long time.

His eyes were distant, eerily so—just like that rainy night when Ji Min first met him.

The boy had stood in front of the sports car, wearing the same dark and cold expression in his gaze.

Now, he looked at Ji Min in the same way.

Suddenly, with a hoarse voice, he asked, “Ji Min, are you real?”

Ji Min froze at the question, caught off guard.

Concerned yet slightly amused, he reached out and patted the boy’s head. “What nonsense are you thinking?”

The familiar touch softened some of the chill in Lu Ran’s eyes.

He grabbed Ji Min’s hand, his voice betraying a hint of urgency. “But… how do I know you’re not just something I imagined?”

The boy crawled out from under the blanket and climbed onto Ji Min’s lap, giving the man no chance to refuse.

Leaning closer, he stared earnestly at the man before him and asked, “Boss, did you kiss me? Can you kiss me again?”

Instinctively, Ji Min wrapped an arm around him.

Recalling his impulsive actions earlier, Ji Min averted his gaze and murmured, “Stop fooling around. Let me call the doctor first. There are more tests later. Once they’re done, we can go back…”

But the boy in his arms leaned in and kissed him.

His lips were a bit cold, pressing urgently, his shallow breaths brushing against Ji Min like a small kitten or puppy eagerly nudging against him.

There was no technique to the kiss at all.

Yet it made Ji Min’s fingers tighten instinctively.

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