Chapter 87:
Today, Ji Ran drove the most conservative and dignified Land Rover from the garage.
Because Qin Man woke up late, they bought some fried dough sticks and soy milk on the way and ate in the car.
The airport was a bit far from the city center. Finally arriving, Ji Ran remained seated in the driver’s seat. “You go… I’ll wait in the car.”
It would be a waste to leave his Junior Brother’s carefully chosen clothes in the car.
“Let’s go together. The plane still has about ten minutes, and we have to wait for the luggage check-in. It’s boring to wait alone.”
“…You’re already an adult? And you still need someone to accompany you to pick up?”
Ji Ran grabbed the soy milk and got out of the car with him.
The weather was good today, and the plane was very punctual. It landed three minutes early according to the flight information.
Ji Ran stood for a moment. “…. I’ll just wait for you in the car.”
“No,” Qin Man held him back, “Wait a bit longer. They’ll be here soon.”
When Father Qin and Mother Qin came out, they saw their son holding onto someone, not letting go.
Ji Ran was about to say something, but when he saw the two people standing at the exit, he immediately froze in place.
He recognized Qin Man’s mother, whom he had seen at a school parent meeting. She wore a light blue cheongsam back then, with her hair tied up, looking gentle, virtuous, noble, and dignified.
Now, despite the changes at home, her demeanor remained unchanged. She wore a simple shirt and long pants, with a straw hat, looking extremely amiable.
Mother Qin instantly recognized her son’s back. “Xiao Man?”
Qin Man turned around at the sound of her voice, then smirked, “Mom, Dad.”
After a long time apart, the couple hugged their son excitedly.
Qin Man remained calm. After the embrace ended, he reached out and grabbed Ji Ran’s wrist.
“This is my school junior, Ji Ran. I’ve been staying at his place during this time.”
Ji Ran greeted Qin’s parents awkwardly, “Uncle, Aunt.”
The couple looked at him with some confusion in their eyes.
Ji Ran had another reason for initially refusing to go pick them up.
His relationship with the Ji family wasn’t exactly a secret in the city, and Father Qin and Mother Qin probably heard some gossip about him.
“Oh,” Mother Qin looked him up and down, then seemed to recall something, “I remember you.”
Suddenly, Ji Ran felt a dryness in his throat, growing increasingly uncomfortable.
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Mother Qin smiled.
Ji Ran raised his eyebrows, “….. What?”
“You’re Xiao Man’s junior, and you were probably a student at Man Highschool before, right?” Mother Qin reminded him, “When Xiao Man was in his senior year, I went to a parent-teacher meeting for him. Back then… were you on the basketball court?”
She smiled with her eyes curved, wrinkles at the corners not diminishing her beauty, “I almost got hit by a basketball, but thankfully, you helped me block it. But you left in a hurry, and I never got to thank you. And now you’re helping Xiao Man again, thank you.”
Ji Ran licked his lips, feeling even more nervous.
During that parent-teacher meeting, Ji Ran had peeked into the top-tier class and glanced at the person sitting in Qin Man’s seat.
Later, he was chased away by the head teacher before the meeting ended. While playing basketball, his playmate almost hit someone else’s face with the ball, but Ji Ran intercepted it just in time.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the person who had come to the parent-teacher meeting for Qin Man.
Feeling guilty after the brief glimpse, Ji Ran quickly left before the person could speak.
So many years had passed, he had almost forgotten about it…
Qin Man raised an eyebrow before Ji Ran could say anything. “Although I haven’t heard about this incident, why do you still remember after all these years?”
“For other things, I might not remember, but Xiao Ran looks so good.” Mother Qin chuckled, covering her mouth. “I don’t know why, but I just can’t forget.”
Father Qin paused for a moment, then cleared his throat lightly, his hand clenched into a fist in front of his mouth.
Ji Ran snapped back to attention and said, “…. It was just a reflex.”
The couple didn’t plan to stay in the country for long this time, and they only brought a large suitcase. Qin Man effortlessly lifted it and said, “Let’s get in the car first.”
As they got into the car, Mother Qin said, “You could have just come to pick us up by yourself. Why bother bringing Xiao Ran along? It’s quite an inconvenience.”
“It’s not an inconvenience,” Qin Man fastened his seatbelt. “My relationship with my junior is good, and he doesn’t mind.”
Feeling the gaze from the back seat, Ji Ran added, “…. Our relationship is okay, I didn’t have anything to do today anyway.”
“Living together and still just okay?” Qin Man smiled.
Ji Ran replied, “Just okay is better than nothing.”
“A hundred times better.”
The couple exchanged surprised glances upon hearing the conversation in the back seat. They had never seen Qin Man chat like this with anyone before.
Even Qin Man’s close friends, who got along well, usually discussed topics like stock prices and real estate. This kind of playful banter was unheard of.
Ji Ran was about to start the car when he remembered something. “Aunt…. have you booked a hotel? Or do you have other accommodations?”
Father Qin was about to speak but got his thigh pinched by his wife. “We’ve booked a hotel, but it’s not check-in time yet.”
She glanced at the soy milk cup placed in the front seat. “Since you came to pick us up so early, you probably didn’t have much breakfast. We didn’t eat much on the plane either… Would you like to go eat something?”
The group went to a Cantonese-style breakfast restaurant.
The only difference between Mother Qin and what Ji Ran had imagined was that she was surprisingly….talkative.
It wasn’t the typical elder-style inquiries but more like a friend, asking him if he preferred stuffed or fried dumplings, sweet or savory tofu pudding.
Ji Ran felt overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, and he breathed a long sigh of relief when breakfast was over. Then, Mother Qin smiled and invited them to dinner.
Ji Ran felt choked up again.
After seeing off the guests, Ji Ran exclaimed, “Why didn’t you refuse just now?!”
Qin Man raised an eyebrow, innocently asking, “It’s just one meal, and we didn’t have other plans for dinner anyway. Why, don’t you want to go?”
It’s not that Ji Ran didn’t want to go; he just…. couldn’t handle it.
Qin Man took out his phone. “Then I’ll tell her that you suddenly have something to do and can’t make it.”
Ji Ran quickly stopped him. “Don’t. Say it’s you who suddenly has something and can’t go.” He had just agreed, and backing out now would seem bad no matter how he thought about it.
Qin Man clicked his tongue lightly. “Junior, lying isn’t nice.”
Ji Ran: “……….”
In the end, they went.
Mother Qin had booked a high-end Western restaurant that required a two-week advance reservation.
Ji Ran changed into a suit. As soon as they entered the private room, they were greeted by Mother Qin’s gentle and friendly gaze.
She looked around and asked Qin Man, “It’s just the two of you?”
Qin Man asked, “Is that a problem?”
She gently scolded Qin Man with a glare. “Alright, sit down.”
Although it was a private room, the table size was the same as outside, it was just enough for four people.
The two big men across the table were well-built, and wearing suits only accentuated their broad shoulders. Despite being unusually tall and robust, they sat side by side without looking out of place.
Mother Qin glanced at Ji Ran a couple of times. Ji Ran, holding his knife and fork, awkwardly sliced into his steak, appearing somewhat uncomfortable.
After a few exchanges, Qin Man stood up. “I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.”
With Qin Man gone, the private room was left with only three people. Father Qin quietly ate, while Mother Qin’s gaze occasionally fell on Ji Ran. Having finished his meal and with nothing else to do, Ji Ran sat upright, feeling the awkwardness of the situation.
The awkwardness was palpable.
Two minutes later, Ji Ran quietly sent a message to Qin Man.
Dad Ji: Have you fallen into a pit? Why are you taking so long in the restroom?
Q: I met a friend. Will be back after a quick chat.
Dad Ji: Not acceptable.
Dad Ji: We’ll talk about this later… Hurry back.
Ji Ran bombarded the screen with threatening emojis.
“Xiao Ran,” Mother Qin suddenly spoke up, “did Auntie make you uncomfortable?”
Taken aback, Ji Ran quickly put down his phone. Accustomed to arguing with teachers and elders since childhood, he stumbled over his words. “Oh, no, it’s not… I just…”
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to tell the truth. “I’m not very good at interacting with elders.”
Mother Qin laughed lightly. “That’s okay then. I was worried… Actually, you’re the first friend of Xiao Man that he’s introduced to us. I used to have to wait until the parent-teacher meeting to quickly chat with his friends.”
“If I made you feel uncomfortable, I’m really sorry,” she said sincerely.
Ji Ran quickly waved his hand. “No, it’s my issue.”
If anyone else witnessed this scene, it might be like…
[The elders of the Ji family and the middle school teachers were kicked out of the group chat for their overly aggressive language.]
“But seeing that Xiao Man has a good friend like you, I’m also very happy,” Mother Qin smiled. “Can we exchange contact information?”
Ji Ran, confused, added Mother Qin on WeChat.
“Oh, right,” Mother Qin rested her chin on her hand, slowly getting to the point. “Ji Ran, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Okay, please ask.”
“Why didn’t Xiao Man bring his girlfriend today?”
Ji Ran pursed his lips, blinking a bit faster, trying not to sound strange. “Girlfriend?”
“Yes, I haven’t heard him mention her lately… Did they have a fight?” Mother Qin raised an eyebrow.
Ji Ran hesitated for a moment. “Did he tell you that himself?”
“Yes,” Mother Qin nodded. “Since you’re so close, haven’t you met his girlfriend?”
“I have,” Ji Ran readily agreed. But then he wasn’t sure how to continue. “Well… they probably didn’t have a fight. I’m not really sure.”
The trap was set, and Mother Qin was delighted. “So, Xiao Man really got her, huh?”
Ji Ran: “…. What?”
“He told me he likes a girl and is pursuing her,” Mother Qin chuckled. “Can you tell me what kind of girl she is? Actually, it doesn’t matter, as long as he likes her. I’m just curious…”
Father Qin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. “Why are you asking others about this?”
“Because Xiao Man has never been willing to tell me,” Mother Qin explained.
Ji Ran fell silent for a while.
He knew deep down that the person Qin Man was pursuing was probably him.
But… why did they have to say it was a girl?
If he felt that revealing his gender wasn’t appropriate to his parents, then there was no need to bring it up in front of Mother Qin.
The thought came to him briefly, then Ji Ran pushed it away. It seemed ridiculous; he was the one who didn’t want Qin Man to come out, so why was he dwelling on it now?
Ji Ran took a sip of water. “I haven’t had much interaction with him, so I’m not really sure.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I was being too forward. Xiao Man has never had a girlfriend, so I’m especially happy…” Mother Qin chuckled, covering her mouth. “I’ve even been looking into various wedding planning companies lately. Am I being too eager?”
“…..” Ji Ran tugged at his lips. “A little, maybe.”
Just as Mother Qin finished speaking, her phone chimed—a wedding planning company she had added on WeChat had finally accepted her friend request.
She immediately lifted her phone, eagerly scrolling through the company’s moments.
Now Ji Ran could freely use his phone without worry.
Two minutes ago, Qin Man had replied to him.
Q: It’s an old friend I haven’t seen in years. Won’t be long, wait for me.
Ji Ran stared at his profile picture for a moment, then subconsciously scrolled up, revealing their previous chat history.
Across the table, Mother Qin continued to praise the wedding scenes. Hearing her excitement, Ji Ran couldn’t help but feel ashamed of his unusual relationship with her son.
Though Mother Qin was friendly and warm, treating him with kindness, he still felt an intense inner turmoil.
When he snapped back to reality, he realized he had opened a particular image in their chat history.
It was a picture sent by Qin Man, with the caption “Dear Beloved Little Junior Brother.”
…How clingy.
Ji Ran was about to close it when he glanced downward and noticed something odd beneath his own profile picture.
【Group: .】
Being people of the new era, everyone knew what this function was—it allowed users to share posts selectively with certain individuals by placing them in a specific group.
So even someone with Qin Man’s personality would use this kind of small feature.
…What group did Qin Man put him in?
What did Qin Man want to show him, but also didn’t want to show him?
He clicked on Qin Man’s Moments, finding it exceptionally clean with only one post from several months ago about job hunting and some photos of American bully dogs from even earlier. If it were someone else, he might have thought it was an alternate account.
Even Ji Ran himself, in his spare time, would occasionally post some random photos, sometimes a corner of his newly acquired car, sometimes clouds floating in the sky.
…So it wasn’t that Qin Man didn’t like posting Moments, but that he had blocked him?
With this realization, the caption “Dear Beloved Little Junior Brother” suddenly seemed glaring.
“Xiao Ran?” Mother Qin’s voice brought Ji Ran back to reality.
Ji Ran instinctively locked his phone and looked up. “Yes?”
“How old are you this year?”
“24, why?”
“Well, you’re around the right age. Do you have a girlfriend? Oh… don’t misunderstand, Auntie isn’t trying to set you up.” Mother Qin held her phone in front of Ji Ran.
On the screen was a particularly elegant and simple wedding scene. “When I saw this, I thought it would be perfect for you. You should consider it for the future. Shall I send you a business card? You’ll definitely find it useful.”
Ji Ran paused, retracting his gaze from the photo.
Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. It was Cheng Peng, who had just returned from the Maldives.
“Where are you?” Cheng Peng asked.
“I’m out for dinner. What’s up?” Ji Ran replied.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
Ji Ran chuckled, “Bringing back gifts?”
“Yeah, but it’s mainly about something else.” Cheng Peng glanced at the documents in his hand and got straight to the point, “I have a document regarding Qin Man.”
Ji Ran’s smile faded slightly.
“When I found out about that land in Wangxing, I thought that was already Qin Man’s trump card,” Cheng Peng paused, “I underestimated him.”
“The land in Wangxing used to belong entirely to Qin Man’s grandfather. Later, it was reclaimed by the government and then bought back by his grandfather at an extremely low price for the next fifty years. Of course, now I suspect that his grandfather left behind more than just that.”
“So… if we talk about Qin Man going bankrupt, then my company might just be a convenience store.”
Ji Ran listened quietly.
Meanwhile, Mother Qin was already looking at wedding dresses and suits.
“I understand,” Ji Ran said after a moment, “Where are those documents now?”
“At my place.”
Ji Ran nodded, “I’ll head over now and pick them up along with the gift.”
After he hung up the phone, Mother Qin said, “Ji Ran, I’ve already sent you the business card…”
“No need,” Ji Ran smiled, “I don’t need those, Auntie.”
Mother Qin was momentarily stunned, not understanding, “Why wouldn’t you need them?”
“Because I like men,” Ji Ran said frankly, “My partner probably wouldn’t appreciate white carriages or swings at a wedding.”
“…” Mother Qin was somewhat surprised, but quickly caught on, “Ah, sorry, Xiao Man hasn’t mentioned it to me…”
As she spoke, she suddenly realized something and was taken aback.
Ji Ran saw through her thoughts at once and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Auntie, Qin Man and I are just ordinary friends.”
“No, Auntie didn’t mean that,” Mother Qin frowned, explaining, “I just feel sorry, I kept bringing it up…”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” Ji Ran stood up, “I have something to take care of, could you please tell Qin Man for me? I’ll head back first.”
“See you next time, Auntie.”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
Oh no.