Chapter 052

Although Lin Ran was injured, it didn't stop him from sharing a bed with Luo Yao.

Luo Yao climbed onto the bed, lying on the sheets stained with Lin Ran's blood. The two of them resembled lovers bound together in death, their fates intertwined.

By dawn, Lin Ran experienced the luxury of being waited on hand and foot.

Luo Yao personally helped Lin Ran freshen up.

Returning to the bedroom, Lin Ran saw the kneeling bodyguard and Uncle Fu, who stood with his head bowed in silence.

Lin Ran immediately understood the situation and quickly spoke up.

"Uncle Fu, I'm hungry. Could you prepare something to eat?"

"And to this gentleman here, thank you for your hard work protecting me recently."

Lin Ran knew Luo Yao would have someone monitoring him, and today he finally met the person behind the surveillance.

Uncle Fu promptly replied, "Of course, I'll have someone prepare it right away."

Lin Ran's seemingly casual remark was actually a way to give Uncle Fu an out, and the shrewd old man understood it perfectly.

The bodyguard took a deep breath and kowtowed to Lin Ran. Lin Ran hesitated, wanting to help him up but stopping himself.

"Get up! This is modern China; we don't follow feudal hierarchies. What's your name?"

The bodyguard stood up and said, "My name is Wang Bao. I'm sorry, Young Master Lin. It was my mistake in reporting that led to your injury."

Lin Ran smiled and said, "Good. From now on, you'll stay by my side openly, not in the shadows. That way, such mistakes won't happen again."

Wang Bao looked up, shocked. "I can still stay by your side?"

After all, the most lucrative job in the entire security system was monitoring Lin Ran.

Lin Ran nodded. "Of course. Right, Yao Yao?"

Wang Bao glanced at Luo Yao, who was inwardly delighted. Lin Ran's words made it clear she could monitor him openly in real-time.

"Since A-Ran doesn't want to punish you, I'll agree. But remember, protect A-Ran well. If he loses even a single hair, I'll hold you accountable."

Wang Bao nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Miss. If Young Master Lin loses even a strand of hair, I'll take my own life as atonement."

He then bowed deeply to Lin Ran again. "Young Master Lin, I'm not good with words, but I can never repay your kindness. Just watch my actions from now on."

After the bodyguard left, Lin Ran asked Luo Yao, "You're not upset with how I handled that, are you?"

Luo Yao replied, "Of course not. You're A-Ran. You have the final say in household matters. Whatever you decide is right."

Lin Ran said, "Alright then. But I haven't punished you yet!"

Luo Yao suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry!"

Lin Ran quickly interrupted, "No, no, I'm not blaming you. I just want to punish you. That's not too much, is it?"

Luo Yao looked up at him with her big, watery eyes. "Okay, A-Ran. Punish me then."

Lin Ran said, "Fine. Wait until I recover. I won't let you off, you little temptress."

Injured and with a perfectly valid excuse, Lin Ran didn't have to go to school or work.

Luo Yao also skipped work, and her assistant team was "invited" to work at the estate.

Luo Yao stayed in the bedroom with Lin Ran. At mealtime, she fed him bite by bite. When it was time for him to use the restroom, she helped him. And during work hours, she told everyone to scram.

Liu Meng couldn't help but shake her head and sigh.

Lin Ran was undoubtedly a man who could bring ruin to kingdoms and cities.

She tried to handle most of Luo Yao's work, but there was one crucial document that only Luo Yao could deal with.

When she entered the bedroom again, she saw her usually icy boss feeding Lin Ran spoonful by spoonful.

Liu Meng was utterly dumbfounded.

Lin Ran said, "Assistant Liu has work for you. Handle it first. Don't get too carried away."

Luo Yao replied, "You are my drive and my distraction."

But since Lin Ran had spoken, Luo Yao went ahead and dealt with the document, leaving Liu Meng's worldview in shambles.

Alright, so this is how they're playing it?

Would it be more convenient to just report important matters directly to Lin Ran in the future?

Liu Meng was startled by her own thoughts, but upon further reflection, she realized it wasn't feasible.

If she got too close to Lin Ran, she might as well be signing her own death warrant.

Still, she could always turn to Lin Ran for help in critical moments.

Three days passed like this, with the assistant team stuck at the estate the entire time.

Now, the entire team was chanting, "The king has abandoned his court."

Today, Luo Yao finally returned to the company with her assistant team, only to be met with a mountain of work.

After several days of unexplained absence, there were countless backlogged meetings and negotiations to handle.

Lin Ran, now mostly recovered, decided to visit the company and then go find Luo Yao.

Since his injury wasn't completely healed, a driver took him out, with Wang Bao openly following him.

At the company, Lin Ran was surprised to see Wu Zhishang there. The company had also hired a few new staff members, including a janitor.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class today?"

Wu Zhishang looked at Lin Ran like he was an idiot. "Bro! We're seniors now. We should focus on our careers. I've got enough credits, and I'm not planning to go to grad school. Why bother with classes?"

Lin Ran could only marvel at his logic.

"What about Zhang Xiaolong?"

Wu Zhishang said, "I can't reach him."

"What?"

Wu Zhishang then explained the situation.

Zhang Xiaolong had been unreachable since yesterday. As a result, their recently thriving live stream had to be paused for a day. If Zhang Xiaolong didn't show up today, Wu Zhishang planned to take over the stream himself.

Lin Ran dug out Zhang Xiaolong's employment records and called his sister, but no one answered.

After some thought, he called Zhang Xiaolong's father.

The call connected, and the voice on the other end was gruff.

"Who is this?"

Lin Ran said, "I'm looking for Zhang Xiaolong."

The man on the other end shouted, "I don't know any Zhang Xiaolong. You've got the wrong number."

Before the call could be disconnected, Lin Ran heard faint cries for help.

"Please... help... my sister..."

Lin Ran sensed something was wrong.

He tried calling again, but the call was rejected. Lin Ran was stunned.

Zhang Xiaolong was now his employee, and he wasn't sure if his rebirth had altered Zhang Xiaolong's original fate.

Without hesitation, he took out his phone and called Luo Yao.

Luo Yao answered, "What is it? Did you miss me, A-Ran?"

Lin Ran said urgently, "I did, but I need your help right now. I need to find someone—my employee."

Luo Yao's voice turned cautious. "Is it a man or a woman?"

"A man. His name is Zhang Xiaolong."

There was a brief silence on the other end before Luo Yao asked, "You've been spending a lot of time with Wu Zhishang lately, and now it's Zhang Xiaolong. A-Ran, you're not into men, are you?"

Lin Ran was taken aback and quickly retorted, "You know exactly who I'm into."

Luo Yao agreed to help Lin Ran locate Zhang Xiaolong. A short while later, she sent him a message.

"38 Jiaodong Road, Lane 2. If you want to see your employee again, you'd better hurry."