Chapter 52 Ex-lover Shen

Zhi was discharged from the hospital, but Shen Yuan didn't come.

He called to explain: "Why were you discharged early? I have an appointment today and I really can't leave. Let's go to your house tomorrow."

"No, just do your thing."

"I asked someone to keep an eye on Feng Ran. He didn't go home, nor did he go to that kid named He's place."

"Okay."

"Shen Zhi, what are you planning?"

"Me?" Shen Zhi smiled weakly, "Why do you care about me?"

"I'm not caring about you, but you always have something to do, so I have peace of mind."

"I don't know, just stay home."

"You're looking for death all day for a man," Shen Yuan didn't like the way he looked, "I really can't stand you. Three-legged frogs are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere. I didn't know you were that kind before, but you two are done anyway. Next time, let's go to a gay bar, there's everything you want."

"I'm not going."

"You're not allowed to not go."

"Mind your own little piece of land," Shen Zhi's tone turned cold, "don't try to hit on me."

Shen Yuan fell silent. After a while, he said again: "That guy, He Xun, came to me and asked about your surgery. I just gave him a brief introduction and didn't tell him where you were. This guy is not a reliable character. He is so old, but he doesn't go home. I don't know what he does all day long. He seems to care about you, but he didn't even give you a red envelope. He is hypocritical. By the way, he got divorced a few days ago." Shen

Zhi didn't say anything.

Shen Yuan talked about some random things before hanging up.

The driver took him back to his empty home. Everything was the same as when Feng Ran left.

On the dining table was a washed apple, wrinkled.

Feng Ran said that eating some fruit occasionally would be good for him. Shen Zhi picked it up and looked at it, but he couldn't bear to part with it anyway.

This might be the last apple Feng Ran would wash for him.

At night, lying alone in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his mind full of Feng Ran.

Feng Ran was gone. Really gone. Thinking of this, Shen Zhi felt as if his heart was blocked by a ball of wet cotton, and his eyes were sore that tears were streaming. It wasn't until dawn, hugging the clothes Feng Ran had forgotten to take, that he finally fell into a light sleep. The scent of Feng Ran's body on them reassured him.

The next day, Chen Zhi drove to the Hai City Orphanage.

Ruoruo had grown taller, and seeing him and the large bag of snacks in his hand, she jumped for joy.

The director approached: "The couple who want to adopt Ruoruo have been wanting to meet you. Coincidentally, their son is here today."

"They already have a son, so why adopt Ruoruo?

" "They've always wanted a daughter," the director said. "Let's go meet him."

In the office, a man sat at a long table. He stood up and nodded politely when the two entered.

He was tall, with an elegant demeanor, and Chen Zhi immediately sensed something unusual. After spending time with Feng Ran, he had always been unusually sensitive to this group of people.

"This is Xiao Shen, who saved Ruoruo on the beach. Xiao Shen, this is Mr. Chen."

"Hello, I'm Chen Shuze." He extended his hand and smiled.

"Hello," Shen Zhi smiled and shook his hand.

The director left for something, leaving the two to chat.

Chen Shuze comes from a well-off family. His mother, a sign language teacher at a special needs school, and his father, a medical device businessman, has inherited his father's business.

He's 28 years old and patient, able to graciously explain even to Chen Zhi's pointed questions.

Chen Shuze explained that his relationship with his family wasn't great, having disobeyed them in his early years, much to their dismay. More importantly, he had no plans to marry, let alone have children, so his parents had been considering adoption.

Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Shen Zhi wanted to add him.

While scanning the QR code, Chen Shuze noticed the bruise on the back of his hand from the IV and asked, "Are you sick? Do you want me to take you home?"

Shen Zhi declined.

He felt relieved as he left, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. He felt a good impression of Chen Shuze, and his parents were probably reliable people.

Perhaps he didn't need to worry about Ruoruo's future.

Feng Ran eventually followed He Chuan back to his shop in Jiang City.

He asked why he didn't go to Chu Ming's place, and He Chuan said that the place was small and business was not so good.

In Jiang City, not only was the salary higher, but he also had a small house for the two of them to live in.

Jiang City was also good, with a rich nightlife. Feng Ran thought. That night, he went to the bar and drank all night. He

soon couldn't finish flipping through the clean address book, and was dazzled by all kinds of people, with messages popping up one after another.

He Chuan was very dissatisfied when he saw this and kept finding fault.

Feng Ran restrained himself a little. When he opened his eyes in the morning, he went to the silver shop with He Chuan to help move the computer over and install the network cable. When there were no customers, he played games. He

also got a gym membership and went there every day. He

still went to the bar, but changed the time to every weekend.

When he drank too much and couldn't go back, He Chuan took him over, his face as black as charcoal.

Feng Ran sang loudly in the quiet street with a bottle of wine in his arms, and He Chuan could hardly resist kicking him.

"Just be quiet."

Feng Ran gave him a strange smile: "I heard from Xiao Muzi before that when you picked me up once..." He Chuan's face darkened. He realized that he was drunk. His eyes rolled and he straightened his tongue, "I took a taxi. Why didn't you take a taxi today?"

He Chuan said: "Why take a taxi for two kilometers."

Feng Ran thought that he had not opened a business recently and was short of money. His old motorcycle was locked at home by his father and he couldn't take it out.

So he took He Chuan's ID card and picked up a new motorcycle.

He paid the full amount of 150,000 yuan, and the vehicle inspection and registration went smoothly. When he drove back, it was three days later. He Chuan was bending over at the door to check the goods. He heard a roar coming from afar and looked up. Feng Ran took off his helmet on one foot and shook his weighed hair.

"Small displacement, 4000 rpm during the running-in period, about right? I haven't driven it for a long time." He flicked the LCD instrument panel and handed the helmet to He Chuan, "Come and try it? See how it compares to your previous one."

The sunset glowed on the people and the car, shining golden. Feng Ran's eyes were also bright, and he kept smiling at him.

He Chuan forgot to breathe for a moment and stood there stupidly. Feng Ran urged him, and he threw down the goods in his hand, locked the shop door, and climbed into the car.

After a circle, Feng Ran slapped his thigh with satisfaction: "It's good to have money, it's so cool. Your skills are really good."

He Chuan circled the car several times, wet the cloth and gently wiped off the freshly splashed mud, his movements as gentle as an old man touching a family heirloom.

"It costs two thousand to maintain it every month."

"Don't worry," Feng Ran said with a sly smile, "No matter how hard it is, I can't let my child suffer. If I don't have money, I'll blackmail Shen Zhi."

Jiang City stipulates that only those with a residence permit can pick up a car, so this car can only be registered in He Chuan's name.

With the car, He Chuan was obviously much more tolerant towards him. Feng Ran was the kind of person who would be tough if you were soft on him. With less restraint, he couldn't help but return to his old ways and became even worse.

In just a few days, he'd been dating several men simultaneously. When He Chuan found out, his mood plummeted.

Feng Ran, oblivious, even showed him photos and asked which one was the best.

His motto was that without Chen Zhi, there would naturally be thousands of others to fill his void. With so many people around him, it wouldn't be hard to fill the emotional void. People are different, but their personalities are largely the same. Some are aloof and uninspired, while others are warm and engaging. Just like food, there are sweet, sour, salty, and salty flavors, each with its own merits. Anything edible is good, and Feng Ran isn't picky.

However, Chen Zhi was unique in this respect: he wasn't very interesting and only caused him frustration.

When He Chuan received the call, Feng Ran was hunched over on the silver shop's only sofa, playing games.

"Now..." He glanced at Feng Ran. "Okay."

After hanging up, he patted Feng Ran's shoulder. He removed his headset and said, "What's up?" "

Someone's coming in a minute."

"Who?"

"A client,"

Feng Ran said, "Oh," and put his headset back on.

"...No, you can die from this, right? You're so awesome, my brother. Position yourself, position yourself, you know? Don't go out and fight him. Just come with me, okay? Don't run around..."

He was patted on the shoulder again. He looked up and removed the headset: "What's the matter?"

"Aren't you going out to buy food today?"

"Let's talk after this game,"

He Chuan said. "Let's play later."

"Oh," Feng Ran understood. Someone important was coming soon, and he was worried he'd make a fuss and drive them away. "Ten minutes, okay?"

"Sure."

Fifteen minutes later, Feng Ran closed the game.

He looked around and said, "Where's your big client? He hasn't arrived yet? Who is he? What's the big deal?" He

Chuan was about to speak when a man pulled aside the door curtain.

He smiled at He Chuan as a greeting, then his eyes fell on Feng Ran and froze.

"This is..."

He Chuan said, "a friend."

Feng Ran stood up from the sofa, his expression strange.

Chen Shuze. He almost blurted it out.

Six years—six years since they last saw each other. Chen Shuze hadn't changed much, still elegant and well-dressed as always. Money is a nourishing thing.

Time flowed between them like a long river, neither of them having the courage to take the first step.

"Hello," Chen Shuze smiled again. "Boss, I'm here to pick up some goods and pay the balance."

He Chuan called out, "Feng Ran, keys."

The shop had a basement, and He Chuan had put a large item there a few days ago. It turned out to be this man's.

Feng Ran reassured him that he didn't need to help move it. He Chuan said, "You go. I'll let you check the goods."

Feng Ran was speechless. He had been there once before, unfamiliar with the basement, and not only had he sprained his ankle, but he had almost thrown the goods out, a fact He Chuan still remembered.

The two of them looked at each other in bewilderment.

Feng Ran never wanted to let things get awkward, even when old lovers—old lovers who had parted in a rather unceremonious way—reunited. He offered him a cigarette, but Chen Shuze shook his head and said he didn't smoke anymore.

He poured more tea, and Chen Shuze thanked him and took a sip.

Seeing him glancing at the door, Feng Ran said, "Are you in such a hurry? It was finished a few days ago."

The other party also smiled and said, "I know, I've been busy lately.

" Feng Ran said, "Actually, we can deliver to your door. Next time, just let me know and I'll drive over."

Chen Shuze looked at him and asked, "Have you always been here?"

"Huh? I've been here recently. As for before..." He thought, before that, He Chuan wasn't here either. Chen Shuze also started doing large items two weeks ago, so he said, "I was here too."

"Strange. I've been here three or four times, and this is the first time I see you."

"When did you come?"

"I contacted Boss He online to place an order. I came here every day after work recently."

Feng Ran understood: "It must be a coincidence. I was not here at that time."

Chen Shuze hummed.

He raised his head again: "You are..."

"Alright." Feng Ran said, "How about you?"

"Also alright."

Feng Ran smiled: "Does your business have a big business? He Chuan's place is not cheap."

"No, same as always." Chen Shuze said lightly.

He Chuan returned and lifted the velvet cloth, revealing a massive silver screen, two meters high and four meters wide. Its intricate, ornate, openwork patterns made it a truly handmade, high-end work of art. Chen Shuze carefully inspected it, finding no issues, and paid the remaining balance of two hundred thousand.

He Chuan disassembled the screen, individually packaged each panel, and the three of them carefully placed them in the trunk.

Chen Shuze said, "Is it easy to put back together after disassembling it?"

"Yes,"

Chen Shuze hesitated. "I'm a little afraid I might break it. How about asking the boss to go with me? I'll take you back when we get back."

He Chuan didn't respond. Feng Ran, knowing he still had a lot of work to do today, said, "I'll go."

"That's fine," Chen Shuze nodded. "Can you do it?"

Feng Ran said, "Of course." He Chuan remained silent. He turned to look at him. "I'll be back in a while and bring you lunch."

Feng Ran got into Chen Shuze's Mercedes-Benz.

Chen Shuze said, "I didn't expect to meet you here."

"Yes, I thought I'd never see you again in this life."

Chen Shuze laughed, "That's too exaggerated."

While waiting for the red light, he turned on the music and asked, "Do you still like that American band?"

"No."

"Well, whatever you like, just find it yourself and listen to it."

"Okay, thank you."

Chen Shuze laughed again and said, "How did you become so polite?"

"...I was very rude before?"

"Not really," he said, "I just feel like you've grown up."

"I don't think you've changed."

"How are you now?"

Feng Ran thought for a moment, "Just like that. What about you?"

"It's almost the same as before." Chen Shuze glanced at him, "Feng Ran, you've learned bad habits."

It was Feng Ran's turn to laugh, "Thank you for the compliment."

Chen Shuze didn't ask any more questions.

His house was a large, well-decorated flat, a new house with only signs of being lived in.

Feng Ran put the screen in place, and Chen Shuze asked him to stay: "Eat something before you leave?"

"Forget it, I promised He Chuan to bring him food."

"You can eat here, so it won't affect his bringing it to him." Chen Shuze said gently, "Or you can call him and let him go eat by himself, right?"

"Really. No need. I won't bother you."

Chen Shuze asked suddenly: "You two are not together, right?"

"No."

"He seems to know about our relationship and has been trying his best to stagger the time. But you," Chen Shuze smiled slightly, his tone full of temptation, "Feng Ran, you are still so hurtful."