Chapter 0426

Luo Yao leaned her ear closer, "Ah Ran, what did you say? Were you calling me?"

"Yao... Yao... sleep... now..." Four very, very faint words murmured from Lin Ran's lips, but Luo Yao heard them clearly.

So even in his unconscious state, Ah Ran was still thinking about her?

"Alright, I'll sleep. Ah Ran, you rest well too. I'll wait for you to wake up, and for you to come back..."

At dawn, the first ray of sunlight shone over the rooftop garden. Lin Ran reflexively opened his eyes and immediately turned to look beside him.

A three-years-younger version of Luo Yao was curled up in his arms. Lin Ran let out a sigh of relief.

What he had just dreamed of must have been Luo Yao's state after he was injured—specifically, the incident three years later when he was hurt by "Little Black" in the Luo family vault.

He desperately wanted to tell Luo Yao not to worry, to urge her to rest and sleep properly.

But no matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn't come out, as if he were trapped in sleep paralysis.

Still, after struggling, he seemed to have managed to say "sleep well"—though he wasn’t sure if Luo Yao had heard it.

He reached up to touch his forehead, finding it covered in fine beads of sweat.

Beside him, Luo Yao opened her eyes and was surprised to see Lin Ran already awake. "I... slept this long?"

Lin Ran was about to nod when Luo Yao suddenly slapped him.

"Ah Ran, does it hurt?"

Lin Ran nodded. Luo Yao smiled. "So it’s real."

Lin Ran: "..." So why did you hit me?

Ah, this life is like walking on thin ice.

"Ah Ran, you're sweating." Luo Yao noticed the sweat on his forehead and frowned in concern.

"I had a dream," Lin Ran said, wiping his brow.

Luo Yao’s voice softened with worry. "A good dream or a nightmare?"

"A good dream, I guess, because you were in it." How could any dream with Luo Yao not be a good one?

Sure enough, Luo Yao’s face lit up with happiness.

Lin Ran stretched. "Are you heading to the company later?"

"Wherever you go, I go," Luo Yao answered without hesitation.

Lin Ran didn’t want Luo Yao to neglect her work, but he also didn’t want to be apart from her—nor did he want Little Black to starve. So he said, "You go ahead to the company. I’ll catch up with you later."

He couldn’t admit he needed to check if Little Black was still alive—Luo Yao might get jealous.

After all their years together, Lin Ran had long since figured Luo Yao out. Whether it was women, men, or even animals, anything could tip over Luo Yao’s jealousy.

Once things settled, he’d have to explain Little Black to her properly.

Otherwise, every time they met, the cat would end up "disappearing." What cat could handle that?

No wonder Little Black was terrified of Luo Yao. He’d be scared too in its place.

Luo Yao pouted. "Ah Ran, don’t you want to be with me?"

"Of course I do. Don’t worry, I’ll come find you soon."

After a long pause, Luo Yao finally nodded.

"Okay."

After breakfast, Luo Yao reluctantly turned to leave. Lin Ran suddenly remembered something. "Yao Yao, uh... could you lend me some money? My phone’s out of credit."

This was the "first time" he’d ever asked Luo Yao for money, and he felt a little awkward. But then he remembered he was essentially a kept man, and his tone grew more confident.

Luo Yao immediately pulled out a black card—Lin Ran recognized it at a glance.

"Spend as you like." She then personally topped up his phone credit. She knew his number by heart, and the whole process was smooth.

This familiar, domineering Luo Yao still had Lin Ran utterly captivated.

He took the card, momentarily dazed. "I might not need this right away."

Luo Yao’s expression instantly turned icy. Sensing the shift, Lin Ran quickly pocketed the card without another word.

Only then did Luo Yao’s frosty demeanor thaw.

"Yao Yao, I’ll grab a car from the garage."

"A car? Sure, go ahead."

After seeing Luo Yao off, Liu Meng gave Lin Ran a surprised glance.

This freeloader had refused Luo Yao yesterday morning, only to seek her out in the afternoon and end up staying at her place by evening.

No backbone at all, buddy. Why not keep up the act?

What did Luo Yao even see in him? She’d searched for him for so long.

Finding Lin Ran hadn’t been easy. Luo Yao had no address, no fingerprints, not even a photo of him.

It was like searching for a needle in a haystack, relying solely on Luo Yao’s vague descriptions. That they’d found him at all was nothing short of miraculous.

As soon as Luo Yao got into the car, Liu Meng signaled the driver to leave.

"Go buy some sports cars for the garage."

Liu Meng was taken aback—she didn’t recall Luo Yao having such an interest.

But as a professional assistant who’d worked with Luo Yao for years, she knew what questions to avoid.

"What kind, and how many?"

"The most expensive, the best—whatever men like, get them all."

"Understood." Liu Meng’s reply carried a hint of confusion.

Luo Yao glanced at her, her voice calm and emotionless. "They’re for Ah Ran. Also, let me make one thing clear: Ah Ran is my man, and the future master of Luo Corporation. You’d do well to drop that disdain in your heart."

Liu Meng swallowed hard, her back breaking out in a cold sweat. "I understand, President Luo."

For a moment, she’d felt like she’d glimpsed the gates of hell.

In the garage, Lin Ran was baffled.

At this point, the garage hadn’t yet been stocked with supercars. It looked almost desolate, with only a few identical black Mercedes-Maybachs lined up.

Uncle Fu stood beside him. "Young Master Lin, which one would you like?"

Lin Ran was puzzled. "What’s the difference between these?"

They were the exact same model and color.

"If there’s a difference, there really isn’t any."

Lin Ran chuckled wryly and picked the nearest, most low-key Maybach.

Uncle Fu closed the car door for him. "Young Master Lin, drive safely."

Lin Ran waved. "If I should drive safely, then I suppose I’ll drive safely."

He mimicked Uncle Fu’s earlier nonsense with a grin.

Leaving the estate, he crossed the bridge and decided to pick up Little Black along the way.

[Lin Ran: Little Black, where are you?]

"Meow—"

A cat’s cry answered. [I thought you weren’t coming back.]

[Lin Ran: How could I? I promised you.]

[Little Black: In your eyes, I’m not even one ten-thousandth as important as Luo Yao. It’s normal for you to forget when you’re with her. Love-struck fool.]

Little Black leaped into the car, licking its sleek, glossy fur with pride, even showing off its coat to Lin Ran like a smug little human.

Lin Ran: "Where’s the backpack?"

[Little Black: Fell in the water.]

"Whatever, it’s just a bag. Not mine anyway." Lin Ran didn’t dwell on it. He could always buy Wu Zhishang a new one.