CFRFGC Chapter 104

⌈We have kissed before! How can we not be in love?⌋

Their lips pressed together tightly.

What started as cool quickly turned searing hot.

Ji Min’s one hand held the boy’s waist, while the other gripped the armrest of his wheelchair with such force it seemed like he might crush it.

His muscles were taut, his body frozen like a sculpted statue, unmoving as the boy kissed him with urgency, brushing and pressing against his lips.

Ji Min wanted to say, “Stop, something’s not right with you.”

He wanted to say, “Focus on recovering your body first; we can deal with everything else later.”

But simply remaining still was already his greatest act of restraint.

He could feel his rationality, his concerns, slowly crumbling away.

Finally, the boy—frustrated by the lack of response—lightly bit down on his lips in desperation.

With the sudden sting came a fleeting warmth, soft and wet.

Ji Min’s eyes closed in an instant.

All of his self-control collapsed.

His hand moved to the back of the boy’s head, his fingers weaving through the soft strands of hair, and he pressed down firmly.

The boy, who had been kneeling on Ji Min’s lap, looking down from above, suddenly fell, landing helplessly astride him.

As Ji Min leaned forward abruptly, the boy was forced to tilt back, his body yielding under the pressure of the man’s weight.

The calm facade shattered; heavy, urgent breaths fell on the boy’s nose.

Their once gentle kiss turned into a fervent clash, lips flushed and swollen from relentless bites and nips.

But it wasn’t enough.

Ji Min invaded deeper, claiming everything, leaving no room for air even in the boy’s chest.

The one who had initiated the kiss began to resist slightly, weakly pushing at Ji Min’s chest.

But he couldn’t escape. The man held him firmly in place, keeping him pinned on his lap with no way out.

In this heart-achingly intense desperation, fragments of memory surfaced in Ji Min’s mind.

He recalled the second time he had met Lu Ran.

It was in the other tower of the Twin Towers.

It was the Zhang family that invited Ji Min to discuss business.

In the private room prepared for the meeting, the Zhangs had lit some strange and overpowering incense.

Sensitive to such things, Ji Min left the room before their representatives arrived, seeking refuge in the restroom to calm himself.

The effect of the incense was unsettling, making it hard to endure.

Ji Min barely managed to suppress the instinctive agitation rising within him when the restroom door opened.

Lu Ran walked in.

The boy entered and immediately shrugged off his jacket, lifting the hem of his T-shirt underneath to reveal a sliver of a well-defined waist.

He reached down to unbutton his jeans.

One button was undone, and his fingers pinched the zipper.

Ji Min recognized him instantly—the boy who had stood calmly in front of a sports car, the one Ji Min had helped once before.

But he misinterpreted the boy’s intentions.

On the surface, Ji Min appeared calm and composed, like a serene and undisturbed lake.

Yet only he knew that the suppressed impulse was surging back to life.

And the boy, with his overly innocent eyes, had the audacity to look at Ji Min and ask, “Do you need help?”

Help?

Help with what?

Ji Min closed his eyes, cutting off his view of the scene, and said in a cold, hoarse voice, “Leave.”

His voice was raspier than usual.

But the boy, bold as ever, replied, “No.”

Even though Ji Min always saw himself as an elder figure.

Even though his feelings for Lu Ran had always been more protective than anything else.

But no matter how much Ji Min denied it, that yearning had been mistakenly planted from the very beginning.

Like a secret seed buried in the cracks of a rugged and barren stone crevice.

And yet, in unexpected moments, in the dim solitude of the night, it would uncontrollably sprout and grow wildly.

That was why Ji Min never went to Lu Ran’s room at night.

Yet, Ji Min had “coaxed and deceived” the boy back into his lair, drawing a firm yet illusory boundary for himself as a pretense.

He repeatedly reminded himself to be a proper guardian, a protector.

He wanted to give the boy everything he had lacked.

Thus, he donned the honorable guise of an elder figure.

But only Ji Min knew the truth.

He wasn’t content.

He wanted more—much more.

He wanted to possess, to lock the boy entirely at his side.

He held the brightest spark of light in his life.

And as a protector, he vigilantly fought against his own selfish, treacherous desires.

Even now, Ji Min despised his despicable nature.

What elder figure?

It was nothing more than a shameless excuse to stay close to the boy.

Perhaps from the very beginning, what he wanted was far beyond what he claimed.

For a long while, Ji Min finally let go of the boy before him.

But “let go” wasn’t entirely accurate.

His arms still held the boy tightly, offering only a brief reprieve to catch his breath.

“Do you still doubt my existence?” Ji Min asked.

Lu Ran gasped for air, his eyes misted with unshed tears from oxygen deprivation.

He didn’t answer directly but instead muttered, “My… my tongue hurts.”

“Where does it hurt? Let me see,” Ji Min said hoarsely.

The pad of his thumb gently caressed Lu Ran’s jaw, carefully avoiding the boy’s swollen lips.

His tone was soft, far too soft, indistinguishable from his usual concern.

It concealed all underlying danger completely.

Lu Ran instinctively leaned into him, obediently opening his mouth to show the culprit his aching tongue.

Ji Min’s gaze darkened.

The fingers gripping the boy’s chin tightened as he lowered his head and kissed him again.

It wasn’t until a knock came at the door of the hospital room that he stopped.

Ji Min furrowed his brows and turned around, seeing the doctor and nurse standing there awkwardly.

The doctor awkwardly said, “I figured you’d be awake by now, I just got the test order ready.”

“I don’t need the test. I can leave the hospital right now.”

Hearing this, Lu Ran, barefoot, tried to jump out of the wheelchair.

Halfway through, he was pulled back.

“We’re going now.” Ji Min said.

Ji Min didn’t let him down.

He continued to hold the boy in his arms, controlling the wheelchair remotely as they moved through the hospital corridor.

Lu Ran was curled up on his lap, his head lowered.

When they reached a checkup station, Lu Ran jumped down. But once they passed that point, he naturally returned to Ji Min’s embrace.

“Cold?”

Ji Min reached out and gently touched the boy’s ear hidden in his hair.

Lu Ran shook his head.

“I don’t want to look at the hospital ceiling.”

He said this halfway, then pressed his lips together, clearly uncomfortable.

After pressing them, it became even more uncomfortable.

“Mm.” Ji Min responded, raising his hand to shield his eyes. “Then don’t look.”

They walked a little further.

Lu Ran shifted his position, nesting in again.

He frowned and said, “Boss, your belt is too stiff, it’s digging into me.”

“…Sorry.”

Ji Min said softly.

He adjusted his position slightly and said, “It doesn’t dig in now.”

Lu Ran nodded. “Mm.”

Seeing how much Lu Ran disliked the hospital, Ji Min didn’t make him stay longer.

After the checkup, he took the boy outside and went back in to get the test results.

To Ji Min’s surprise, Lu Ran was in good health.

No hidden injuries were causing him pain.

The doctor, after reading the report, said to Ji Min, “From the symptoms, while we can’t completely rule out the possibility of nerve pain, I’m more inclined to think it’s psychological pain.”

“Mr. Ji must have heard of phantom pain.” The doctor continued.

Ji Min frowned.

“But doesn’t that only occur in amputees?” he asked.

The doctor shook his head: “There are many psychological factors behind pain. What normal people avoid, for certain patients, can actually be a form of comfort.”

The doctor said a bit more and then handed Ji Min some information.

When Ji Min returned to the car, he was surprised to find that the boy, who had been nearly lifeless in the hospital, was now back to his usual energetic state.

When they got home, Lu Ran even went out for a walk with Da Huang for an hour, as though nothing had happened.

That evening, Ji Min received a message from the police.

The driver involved in the accident was found to have been excessively drunk.

The driver’s family and friends confirmed that he had a habit of heavy drinking.

The investigation could only conclude that the accident was caused by drunk driving.

When Ji Min heard the result, his expression remained calm.

He didn’t say much, only instructing Butler Chen to investigate the movements of the driver’s family further.

That night, Shen Xingyu returned home.

He stood in the yard for a moment before heading to Shen Hongyuan’s study.

As soon as he opened the door, he said, “Lu Ran was in a car accident.”

Shen Hongyuan was shocked and quickly asked, “What happened? How is he now?”

“Didn’t even notify the family.” Shen Hongyuan instinctively complained, “Were there any media around? You need to pay attention to PR. At this point, don’t let this blow up into a big issue.”

Shen Xingyu observed Shen Hongyuan’s expression carefully before slowly, very slowly, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Dad, he’s fine. He’s temporarily in hiding.” Shen Xingyu said.

Shen Hongyuan patted his chest, “Thank goodness.”

“Mm.” Shen Xingyu nodded.

There wasn’t much for father and son to discuss.

He turned to leave the study.

Just as he was about to step out the door, he turned back to Shen Hongyuan and said, in an almost reassuring tone: “Dad, the Shen family will get better.”

Shen Hongyuan froze for a moment before nodding, “Good, good.”

After deciding to proceed with the surgery as soon as possible, Ji Min became busy.

He worked through the night until the early hours before finally going to bed, so he was inevitably a bit late the next day.

When he arrived at the dining room, he glanced up at the floor above.

Seeing this, Butler Chen remarked, “Young Master Lu has already gone to school.”

“He woke up that early today?” Ji Min frowned.

“Yes, he said he slept too much yesterday and wasn’t tired.” Butler Chen replied.

Ji Min paused for a moment, then vaguely said, “Never mind.”

Lu Ran hadn’t mentioned the kiss in the hospital room again.

And Ji Min hadn’t asked.

The power of choice was always in Lu Ran’s hands.

It always had been.

If Lu Ran wanted him to step back, he would step back.

If Lu Ran allowed him to approach, then he would move forward.

Moreover…

The surgery was imminent.

What if he didn’t make it off the operating table…

Indeed, Lu Ran had been busy.

The day after the accident was their department’s midterm exam, and the midterms also counted for credits.

He had worked hard for half a semester; he couldn’t let it all fall apart in an instant.

On the last day of the midterms, the final exam was in the morning.

There were no classes in the afternoon.

However, Lu Ran didn’t return until the afternoon.

Ji Min didn’t go to the company but instead had a meeting with Ji Group’s management team in his study at home.

Lu Ran waited for a while until the study door finally opened.

A group of executives filed out, greeting Lu Ran before chatting among themselves as they walked out of the Ji family’s front gate.

Lu Ran peered into the study.

The door was left ajar.

He checked the items he had brought, then stepped into Ji Min’s study.

Ji Min was still sitting behind his desk.

When the man worked, he exuded an air that seemed to say, “Do not approach”.

Hearing the sound, Ji Min initially thought it was someone returning with concerns about the meeting.

When he looked up and saw Lu Ran, he froze for a moment.

“Back already?” Ji Min rubbed his temples.

He glanced at the time and said, “Are you hungry? It’s been a long meeting; the kitchen should have dinner ready by now…”

Lu Ran stared at the faint trace of fatigue between his brows for a while.

Then, he pulled out the chair in front of Ji Min’s desk and sat across from him.

The boy’s face was serious, holding a stack of documents, which made Ji Min pause in surprise.

Soon, Ji Min saw Lu Ran take out an envelope and push it toward him.

He said seriously, “This is my resignation letter.”

Ji Min’s fingers touched the envelope and saw the word “Resignation” written on it.

Ji Min felt as though he had been splashed with a bucket of cold water.

The lingering sense of urgency from his work just moments ago completely dissipated.

The man’s lips moved, but he futilely asked, “Resignation? Why are you quitting?”

But those weren’t the questions he wanted to ask.

After asking, he quickly responded, “I disagree. Are you dissatisfied with the salary, the accommodation, or is it something I did…?”

Lu Ran, sitting across from him, didn’t expect that kind of response and was taken aback.

He froze for a moment, then, after a long pause, frowned in frustration as he thought carefully.

He asked, “But… if I don’t quit, how can you be my boyfriend? I don’t do office romances.”

Ji Min was stunned.

Lu Ran squinted at him in dissatisfaction, “And we’ve already kissed! How can we not be in a relationship?”

Boyfriend, a relationship.

After a long pause, Ji Min slowly pulled back his body, which had leaned forward in his eagerness.

“Ahem.”

The man cleared his throat, slowly retracting his previously firm and unyielding refusal.

In a rather uncharacteristic display of weakness, he said, “Quitting… isn’t out of the question.”

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