Chapter 75:
At a certain market, today welcomed two rare guests.
As soon as the two entered the market, many eyes fell on them. Among the many middle-aged women and uncles, the two tall figures, dressed remarkably, stood out conspicuously. Not to mention that one of them had green hair.
Qin Man asked, “There’s a supermarket near our house, why don’t we go there to buy?” Although this market was well-managed in terms of hygiene, there was still a distinct smell when entering. All kinds of vegetables and meats were mixed together, which wasn’t very pleasant.
Even though they were wearing masks, Qin Man still wasn’t quite used to it.
“The supermarkets usually have frozen ones,” Ji Ran was too tired, his voice was hoarse. He walked up to the shop and carefully examined the pork in front of him, “This is fresh, just slaughtered and delivered.”
Yesterday, he searched online and the “experts” said that drinking bone broth would be beneficial for healing fractures and also for calcium supplementation.
So he got up early this morning, planning to buy some bones from the market to make soup. But as soon as he moved a little on the bed, Qin Man opened his eyes.
Seeing Qin Man frown slightly, he chuckled, “I told you to stay at home, but you insisted on coming with me… Young Master, not used to this kind of place?”
Qin Man smiled, “Do you come here often?”
Before Ji Ran could reply, the pork vendor spoke first.
“Oh, I could recognize you from afar!” The pork vendor was a stout auntie, “It’s been a long time since you last came, little brother. What’s with your hair? It looks weird!”
“I had some business, so I didn’t come,” Ji Ran glanced at the hanging pork and said, “Are these pigs raised at home? Give me some loin meat.”
“Yes, yes, you’ve been buying from me several times!” The auntie said while deftly cutting several pieces of loin meat. “I never sell feedlot pigs!”
“I feel like you’ve lost weight again? You need to pay attention to your diet during puberty, or it will affect your development! Let me cut a few pieces of good ones for you.” She looked up and couldn’t help but ask, “Is this your relative?”
Because Ji Ran looked relatively young, the auntie always thought he was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and Ji Ran couldn’t be bothered to correct her.
Before he could speak, Qin Man raised his hand and put it on his shoulder, pretending to embrace him.
Qin Man smiled, “Looks like my little one here was taken care of by you before.”
Ji Ran yawned halfway through but abruptly stopped.
The auntie was puzzled, “I didn’t really take care of him…”
With their bags filled with purchases, they bought quite a lot of things. Before leaving the market, Ji Ran’s phone rang.
It was Yue Wenwen lamenting in their group chat, saying he had been kicked out of the house by his dad again, this time because his cross-dressing clothes were found in his room.
Yue Wenwen: “Please, someone kind-hearted, take me in. If nobody responds, then I’ll just eat takeout alone in some anonymous motel. My dad is really furious this time, I dare not even check into a hotel, wuwuwu…”
Yue Wenwen: “Mainly because I only have seventy-three bucks on me right now, is there any kind soul who can lend me a hundred grand? I’ll definitely repay it in the future! If not, I can repay it in flesh.”
Ji Ran glanced at the message, realizing it was sent ten minutes ago.
Since Cheng Peng always had his WeChat notifications on due to work, he would be the first to respond in the group if something happened. The fact that he hadn’t said anything yet meant he was probably busy and didn’t have time to respond.
Ji Ran: “Repay it in flesh? How poetic.”
Ji Ran: “Where are you right now?”
Yue Wenwen: “I’m in a bubble tea shop. Luckily, the aunty here opened early, or I wouldn’t have anywhere to go… I was just about to order a $12 braised noodles.”
Ji Ran: “Come to my place.”
After sending those three words, Ji Ran closed his phone and didn’t bother to read the rainbow-fart-like messages Yue Wenwen had sent.
Back at home, Ji Ran put all the ingredients into the pot and was studying the recipe. Although he had cooked before, he rarely made soup; it was too time-consuming for him to bother with.
As he was adding water according to the recipe, he heard the doorbell ring.
Qin Man got up. “I’ll get it.”
Yue Wenwen had planned it out on his way over. As soon as Ji Ran opened the door, he was going to give him a big hug. But when he saw Qin Man’s face, he didn’t retract his motion in time. Qin Man swiftly moved aside, and Yue Wenwen nearly fell over.
“What’s that smell? It smells amazing,” Yue Wenwen exclaimed.
“He’s making soup,” Qin Man replied.
Yue Wenwen tossed his backpack aside and ran into the kitchen.
“Xiao Ran Ran, I haven’t seen you cook in years… What soup are you making?”
Ji Ran closed the lid of the pot. “None of your business. When did you get kicked out?”
“Last night,” Yue Wenwen replied pitifully.
“Where did you sleep last night then?”
“I got kicked out in the middle of the night, so I went out with some friends. But when it was time to pay, I realized all my cards were frozen! Not a single one worked! I’m completely broke…” Yue Wenwen sighed. “I had some food, then just caught a cab here. Now I only have forty left.”
The two chatted for a bit more before Yue Wenwen casually flopped onto the sofa in the living room.
He hadn’t slept well the previous night, so now he felt like sleeping no matter what. Half-closing his eyes, he asked the nearby Qin Man, “Xiao Man Man, how’s your injury?”
Qin Man replied succinctly, “The cast can be removed in another week.”
Yue Wenwen expressed further concern before picking up the remote control and turning on the TV.
Ji Ran finished preparing the soup and walked into the living room, lightly kicking the sofa where Yue Wenwen was lying. “Are you planning to stay here, or should I give you some money so you can go stay elsewhere?”
If it were before, Yue Wenwen would have definitely opted to stay there. But now, with someone at home who’s also unwell, it might not be convenient for him to stay. Plus…
“Not staying here. Can you lend me some money?” Yue Wenwen grinned. “These days, I’ve been going to bars at night and coming back late. I don’t want to disturb you guys.”
Ji Ran raised an eyebrow. “Why, getting too old to go out every night?”
Like Ji Ran, Yue Wenwen used to spend every evening at bars, but he toned it down after getting drunk one too many times, reducing it to two or three times a week.
“I saw a guy at the bar yesterday… he was exactly my type,” Yue Wenwen said unabashedly. “But unfortunately, there were too many people last night, so I couldn’t strike up a conversation with him. I’ll have to keep an eye on him these days.”
Ji Ran had nothing to say, but Qin Man chuckled, “That’s quite determined of you.”
“Yeah, it’s not easy to meet someone you like. Whoever hesitates is a fool.”
Ji Ran responded coolly, “I hope your approach works better this time.”
After having lunch, Yue Wenwen was ready to leave. Because all his cards were frozen, Ji Ran lent him cash. Before leaving, he pulled Ji Ran outside the door.
Suddenly stepping out into the air without air conditioning, Ji Ran felt a bit annoyed. “What, do you expect me to escort you to the gate?”
Yue Wenwen moved his backpack to the front and rummaged inside, saying, “No, I want to give you something.”
In broad daylight, Yue Wenwen looked like a peddler as he pulled out a bunch of genuine products from his backpack.
Ji Ran was stunned.
“My dad threw these out before kicking me out,” Yue Wenwen said, holding them in front of Ji Ran as if they were treasures. “Forget about the rest, these few are my collectibles. It’s not appropriate for me to carry them around on the street… So I might as well give them to you. Since Qin Man is injured, look, this airplane cup, I saw online reviews that are hundreds of words long, all great reviews. I haven’t used it yet, it’s clean. This sleeve is amazing, spiral protrusions, strawberry flavor, it’s fantastic! Everyone who’s used it says it’s great!”
Yue Wenwen lifted up the bottle of lubricant. “And this one has an amazing effect, especially suitable for… “
Ji Ran: “Get out.”
Yue Wenwen persisted, “Really don’t want it? Forget about the rest, this airplane cup is already out of production…”
“Want me to throw you out?”
Yue Wenwen took back the items, disgruntled. “Fine, I’m leaving then.”
He had only taken a couple of steps when his backpack was grabbed.
Ji Ran hesitated with a dark expression for a moment, then said softly, “Um… that lubricant, give me a bottle.”
After seeing off Yue Wenwen, Ji Ran turned back to the house and found that the dishes on the table had already been put into the dishwasher. Qin Man was sitting on the sofa, hearing the movement, and raised his eyes calmly.
Ji Ran was wearing pajama pants without pockets. He calmly placed the items in his hands behind a vase, which was also in Qin Man’s blind spot.
Qin Man didn’t think much of it. He asked, “He’s gone?”
“Yeah.”
“I still have some time left on the lease for the place I rented before. If he doesn’t mind, I can give him the keys,” Qin Man paused and added, “Those debt collectors won’t come again.”
“No need, the money I gave him should be enough for him to stay…” Ji Ran’s words were cut off as the doorbell rang again.
Has Yue Wenwen forgotten something?
Ji Ran opened the electronic peephole and was slightly startled when he saw the person inside.
Seeing his expression change, Qin Man stood up. “Who is it?”
“It’s my grandmother’s driver,” Ji Ran snapped back to reality. He grabbed Qin Man’s hand. “You should hide for now.”
Qin Man chuckled. “What’s there to hide from? Am I not allowed to stay here?”
What if Grandma Ji sees Qin Man? She might start nagging about the property issue again. Besides, Grandma Ji always had sharp eyes, and it’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Ji Ran insisted, “No.”
Qin Man sighed in resignation, but at least this time he wasn’t banished to the guest room. Ji Ran ushered him into the bedroom. “Stay here and don’t make a sound.”
On his way to the door, Ji Ran was lost in thought.
Normally, Grandma Ji would only return to China once a year, usually during the Chinese New Year. But now, she had suddenly returned without a word…
It couldn’t be anything good.
As the car pulled into the garage, Grandma Ji stepped out without saying a word. She glanced at Ji Ran with neither warmth nor coldness, brushed past his shoulder, and walked straight into the house.
She didn’t say anything, and Ji Ran couldn’t be bothered to guess. Finally, after sitting silently on the sofa for half a minute, Grandma Ji spoke first.
“In the past few days, I’ve heard quite a lot of things while I was abroad,” she said, taking a sip from her thermos. “You haven’t been idle lately.”
“I told you not to go pay respects to that woman. Why did you go again?” she continued.
Ji Ran smirked. “I’ve already done it. It’s too late for you to bring it up now.”
“Enough,” she said, clearly not wanting to dwell on irretrievable matters. “I came to see you today for another reason.”
Before Ji Ran could respond, Grandma Ji’s assistant made a move. From the pocket of his suit jacket, he pulled out a stack of photos.
“Pick one you like.”
Ji Ran looked at the girl in the photos. “What do you mean?”
Grandma Ji replied, “There will be a wedding in the Ji family next Wednesday.”
Ji Ran calculated and realized it must be Ji Wei’s wedding with his fiancée.
He hated these vague conversations. “So?”
Grandma Ji remained composed and said solemnly, “You are the groom at that wedding.”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
