Chapter 52: Holding on After

leaving the banquet venue,

the whole body suddenly became quiet, and the cold wind blew on the face.

Butler Chen handed over a coat.

Ji Min leaned on the back of the wheelchair without moving, just raised his chin and motioned Butler Chen to put it on.

Butler Chen followed his instructions and covered the thin blanket with the coat. He

also covered Lu Ran.

The person in charge who had been following him exchanged a few words and then left.

For a moment, the venue outside the banquet was empty and quiet.

Only the regular footsteps of Butler Chen beside him could be heard. There was

also the faint sound of Ji Min's remote control of the wheelchair.

Lu Ran hid a little deeper in the blanket and coat.

The mouth and nose were covered, with only a pair of eyes half exposed.

But it seemed to be of no use.

The blanket and coat both belonged to the man behind him.

With the unique heavy wood fragrance of Ji Min.

It lingered at the tip of his nose.

Ji Min lowered his eyes slightly and glanced at the furry hair in his arms.

He stopped the wheelchair, looked at the butler Chen on the side, and said: "Uncle Chen, go and ask the driver to drive the car over."

Butler Chen understood, nodded, and turned to leave.

Butler Chen's footsteps disappeared.

Ji Min was sensitive to the stiff limbs of the boy in his arms, and relaxed a lot.

There was a flash of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

The banquet has not ended yet. As soon as

Butler Chen left.

All of a sudden, Lu Ran and Ji Min were the only two people left in the huge outdoor parking lot.

Neither of them spoke.

The scene was deadly quiet.

Suddenly.

The boy who had been curled up obediently raised his head gently.

The thin navy blue blanket slid from his cheeks to his shoulders.

Under his slightly messy hair, there was a pair of extremely clear and calm eyes.

Under the light of the street lamp, these eyes were dark and bottomless, and they were staring at Ji Min at this moment.

"Not pretending anymore?" Ji Min asked.

"I wasn't pretending in the first place." The boy looked away slightly, as if he was afraid of the cold, and wrapped the blanket around himself again.

He just fell asleep, not a dead pig.

He was picked up and put on a wheelchair, and then he was yelled at by the Lino family. If he didn't wake up, he would really be dead.

"Didn't you know that Shen Hongyuan would attend the banquet today?"

The man said in a contemptuous voice.

He controlled the wheelchair remotely and walked slowly in the empty parking lot.

"Who knew that you and he were not on the same floor." Lu Ran muttered.

He stood up and tried to get out of the wheelchair. He

moved, but didn't break free.

Lu Ran: "..."

He struggled hard again, but didn't move at all.

Lu Ran: "!"

He couldn't even compare his strength to a disabled person?

Lu Ran turned his head and looked at Ji Min.

The man didn't look at him, but focused on the road in front of him.

His chin was neatly lined, and his thin lips were pursed with a hint of sharpness. He

looked so arrogant . It was

impossible to tell what he was angry about.

Or was he just keeping an expressionless face out of habit?

Lu Ran stared at him for a while, then suddenly stretched his hand out from the blanket and moved in front of him.

The devil whispered, "I just rinsed the cup in the toilet and didn't wash my hands!"

Ji Min said calmly, "I saw you washed them."

Lu Ran: "..."

The hand on his waist was like an iron hoop.

He pondered for a while, then said in surprise, "But when I toasted them, I touched the cup again!"

"But you went to the bathroom again after you left." Ji Min said.

Lu Ran: "..."

He went there secretly, but he didn't expect that this person, who was sitting at the negotiation table, actually noticed it.

What was he going to say?

Ji Min finally lowered his eyes and glanced at the boy, frowning.

Reaching out and grabbing Lu Ran's two dancing arms, he stuffed him back into the blanket.

"Sit tight." Ji Min said in a deep voice, "You're not wearing a coat. It's more than ten degrees below zero now. Are you going to die if you jump down?"

Lu Ran was stuffed back in again.

He was covered with a thin layer of navy blue velvet blanket, and a man's woolen coat was covered on the blanket.

The cold wind was blocked out.

Her back was leaning against the man's chest.

The body temperature and heartbeat were transmitted to Lu Ran's back through the not-so-thick shirt and suit jacket.

Ji Min looked terribly cold, and his skin was pale from not seeing the sun.

But his body temperature was not low.

It was all hot.

Lu Ran moved uncomfortably.

He lowered his eyebrows.

Finally, he raised his head and said, "Yes, I used you."

"I'm not stupid. Of course I know what your identity means. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Da Huang with you." He said.

"I heard that Shen Hongyuan was coming to this banquet this morning, so I came here with you."

The boy fluttered his eyelashes twice before continuing, "I know that with Shen Hongyuan's personality, if he knew that I had a connection with you, he would definitely choose to use me to establish a relationship with you."

Lu Ran calculated the time and called Shen Hongyuan "Dad" in public.

This way, even if Shen Hongyuan wanted to shirk responsibility, he couldn't.

Lu Ran is not a fool.

Ding Wei, who is the same age as him, can see the power of the Shen family and can choose to attach himself to them.

Lu Ran, who has barely lived two lifetimes, naturally knows Ji Min's influence.

So when Shen Xingzhuo frequently inquired about Da Huang's news, Lu Ran asked Ji Min to settle Da Huang.

Because he knew that Ji Min would definitely be able to protect Da Huang.

As long as he was related to Ji Min, the Shen family would never have the courage to kill Da Huang again.

Lu Ran lived his life again, and as long as he arranged for Da Huang, he could feed the whole family by himself.

He no longer hoped to be recognized by the Shen family and was unwilling to do so.

I just hope that I won't be locked up in a ward quietly by the Shen family like in my previous life.

But two days ago, Mrs. Shen made a big scene.

Lu Ran noticed that something was wrong with Shen Hongyuan.

When it comes to fifteen years ago, Shen Hongyuan's attitude was too abnormal.

It seemed that he was hiding some huge secret.

Later, when he heard that Mrs. Shen only accused him of raising an illegitimate child, Shen Hongyuan's expression for a moment was relieved.

Lu Ran was not very reassured about this.

He intuitively felt that what Shen Hongyuan was hiding was related to him. If he didn't find out, he would probably die in confusion like in his previous life.

"You obviously don't want to interfere in the affairs of the Shen family, so I deliberately followed you to this banquet and used you."

Lu Ran said.

Ji Min lowered his eyes and glanced at him.

The boy raised his chin, trying to look proud and righteous.

"Yeah, you are very capable." The man said.

"That's right." Lu Ran raised his chin again, but his eyelashes fluttered.

"I didn't expect that I would let a wolf into the house and recruit such a cautious subordinate." Ji Min lowered his head and stared at him.

The boy raised his chin, looking very determined.

"Those of us who do big things are like this." He said.

The man's black eyes suddenly flashed a smile.

He still held the boy's waist in his hand, and didn't loosen it.

He just walked slowly in the empty parking lot with the person in his arms.

Suddenly, he said:

"You are so righteous, cautious, and profit-oriented, why did you hide under the blanket and dare not see anyone when Butler Chen was here just now?"

"Me!"

Lu Ran was startled, and instantly fell down like a punctured balloon.

The forced calmness in those black eyes broke a corner, revealing the panic and guilt of a young man underneath.

Sometimes, Lu Ran really envied Shen Xingran.

He envied Shen Xingran for a word or an expression, and so many people rushed to fight for him. He

envied Shen Xingran even more for having Madam Shen's guilt.

Of course, what he envied most was that Shen Xingran could use his adoptive mother's guilt without any scruples.

Today, Lu Ran successfully achieved his goal.

In his plan, Ji Min, who was used by him, didn't even have to do anything.

Just let him push the wheelchair through the banquet as usual.

But Lu Ran didn't expect that Ji Min would carry him in the wheelchair

and protect him in a blanket.

The result was obviously better than Lu Ran expected.

But when he buried himself in the blanket, Lu Ran still couldn't suppress the lingering guilt that he couldn't get rid of no matter what.

Ji Min was one of the few people who helped him.

But he used Ji Min.

This guilt surged up, making Lu Ran almost dare not face Ji Min.

Let alone Chen, the butler beside Ji Min.

He didn't dare to think about what the elder who had always been gentle to him would think of him after knowing what he had done.

But what was done was done. He

should bear the consequences.

"I can do without salary." Lu Ran said in a muffled voice, "Anyway, I haven't done anything in the past few days."

Ji Min raised his eyebrows, not understanding why he suddenly mentioned this.

"Also, the agreement with Da Huang is naturally invalid. I will take Da Huang away and won't bother you." Lu Ran continued.

Hearing this, Ji Min frowned.

Seeing him frown, the boy paused, and then continued: "But if you ask me to pay money, I can't afford it now."

Ji Min lowered his eyes and stared at him.

Lu Ran turned around and looked at him, sitting up a little straighter.

The cold wind poured into the blanket.

He was still sitting on the man's lap, looking at the man and said, "Anyway, I have offended you. If you have other ways to retaliate, come over."

The boy's eyes were firm.

He did not explain his difficulties and pity with reason or emotion, nor did he humbly beg for mercy, praying to be let go.

He was straightforward and frank.

He used him consciously, and took the consequences consciously and firmly.

Ji Min suddenly remembered the first time he saw Lu Ran.

This man stood in front of the sports car that was running rampant.

His eyes were sober, without any luck.

Sober to the point of despair.

Ji Min did not have the habit of doing charity.

Perhaps it was this kind of look that made him choose to stop the car and let the boy in.

At this moment, he met those eyes again.

Ji Min smiled suddenly.

He pulled his lips, leaned back in his chair, and asked calmly:

"You are so aware now, why didn't you ask me for help in advance?"

"Yeah?"

The person who was looking at him firmly showed a trace of confusion in his eyes and asked, "Why can you help me?"

Ji Min: "..."

This sounded very reasonable.

But when Lu Ran, the person involved, said it, it was a little subtle.

Ji Min thought that it seemed to be the same when he was embarrassed by the Lino family just now. He

was teased by Jin and splashed with wine by Yang.

Obviously, he brought this person, but Lu Ran did not cast a look at him for help the whole time.

The boy seemed to have long been accustomed to this helpless situation.

He just fought back desperately.

He also knew to be careful not to cause trouble for him.

Ji Min touched the wine stain on Lu Ran's sweater again with his fingertips.

The wine stain had dried, but it was still a little tactile on the fabric.

"Give it a try, what if I'm willing to help?" he said.

Lu Ran looked at him sideways and asked, "Can you do it?"

Ji Min quickly answered, "No."

The boy glanced at him strangely: "That's it?"

Ji Min: "..."

He pursed his lips slightly.

He didn't know what nonsense he was talking about.

"I left some things on the table. I'll go to your office to pick it up in the evening." Lu Ran said.

The time for paid schooling is coming to an end.

Da Huang also needs to find a place to be fostered.

He propped up his body and thought about what to do next.

But he heard the man suddenly say, "Come closer."

Lu Ran was startled.

"Aren't you cold?" Ji Min looked at him with his eyes down.

The cold wind had already filled the blanket.

A little warmth was dissipated.

"...It's okay." Lu Ran said.

"But I, your boss, am cold." the man said.

"Oh oh."

Lu Ran then remembered that Ji Min was only wearing a suit.

His social animal soul came online in a second, and he leaned back on the man's chest swiftly, not forgetting to pull the blanket.

After doing all this, he suddenly froze. He

sat up straight again and asked, "Aren't you going to fire me?"

Ji Min glanced at him: "Even if you are the young master of the Shen family, I can afford you."

Lu Ran blinked twice: "But..."

The man lowered his eyes and looked at the space between the two. He

said concisely: "I'm cold."

"Oh!"

Lu Ran quickly stuck back.

He also asked attentively: "Is your neck cold?"

As he said that, he stretched out his hand to put his arm around his neck.

Ji Min lowered his eyes and glanced at him: "Sit tight."

Lu Ran hurriedly sat down and covered himself with a blanket to prevent the heat from escaping.

Lu Ran was still a little confused until the wheelchair under him stopped in front of the commercial vehicle.

As early as when he decided to use Ji Min, he had already made the worst plan.

That's why he called Shen Hongyuan dad in public, forcing Shen Hongyuan to announce in public that he recognized him.

It was to prevent Shen Hongyuan from turning his face against him after he and Ji Min had a quarrel.

But now...

Lu Ran suddenly thought that today's events seemed to be too smooth.

As if someone was deliberately cooperating...

The sense of incongruity that had been lingering in his heart came up again.

"You..."

Lu Ran looked at Ji Min suspiciously.

"What?"

The man raised his eyebrows.

His face was still cold and indifferent.

"Nothing." Lu Ran shrank back again.

Butler Chen got down from the passenger seat and came around to open the door.

Lu Ran noticed him and still felt a little uncomfortable.

But Lu Ran suddenly noticed that the business car was parked in the parking space and didn't move.

Obviously...

Ji Min asked Butler Chen to call the car over at the beginning just to get Butler Chen away.

Lu Ran was still a little confused, grabbing the blanket, leaning tightly in Ji Min's arms without moving.

So Butler Chen came around, and still saw the two of them stacked in the wheelchair. Butler Chen

: "..."

He was silent for a moment, looked down at his watch, and glanced at Ji Min again.

As if asking: "It's been so long, haven't you hugged enough?"

Ji Min: "..."

He suddenly realized that this posture was a little too ambiguous.

The boy nestled in his arms, covered tightly with a blanket.

The thin blanket seemed to have created a closed space that

allowed people to do whatever they wanted. The more tightly it was covered, the more people wanted to explore.

What happened under the blanket, and what was the situation?

Ji Min's fingertips seemed to be burned, and he suddenly let go of his hand.

He said coldly: "Go down."

"Okay!"

The boss's words were like an imperial decree, and Lu Ran jumped down swiftly.

He jumped very neatly.

Without any reluctance.

Ji Min, on the other hand, felt a sudden relief from the heavy feeling in his arms, and a cold wind rushed in.

It made him feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, he got into the car quickly.

The car was well heated.

But Lu Ran had been outside for so long, and he just got in after Ji Min got in.

So when he got in, he couldn't help sneezing because of the alternating hot and cold temperatures.

Ji Min looked back at him, then looked away. He said in a

low voice, "Coat."

Butler Chen handed over the coat that Lu Ran had left with him.

Ji Min paused, then said, "Hot water."

Butler Chen followed his instructions and handed over a cup of boiling hot water, and warned, "Be careful of the burns."

Lu Ran put on his coat and held the hot water in his hands. His

whole body was warm.

Usually, he worked outside in the winter, and it was normal for him to run in the cold wind without having time to put on a coat.

Now his body suddenly warmed up.

Lu Ran lowered his head and nibbled the rim of the cup, but couldn't help looking up at the man in front of him who should be his boss.

The life he had since childhood made it difficult for him to accept other people's kindness to him with a clear conscience. As long as

this kind of kindness exceeds the limit in his heart, he will rack his brains to find the reason.

Now, Lu Ran drank hot water sip by sip.

Thinking about his paid job and what happened tonight, the sense of violation in his heart became stronger.

Suddenly, he thought of something and his eyes widened.

After a long while, the boy quietly came forward and looked at Ji Min in disbelief.

Ji Min was puzzled by his look: "What for?"

"Mr. Ji."

Lu Ran slightly widened his black eyes and asked firmly: "Are you... in love with me?"