After the Young Master’s Death, He was Kissed by His Mortal Enemy! - Chapter 58

In the end, Shen Ran still chose a soup at random and drank it down.

Fortune changes like the wind. Who knew—maybe by the time he hit thirty, his vitality might actually come in handy?

Either way, listening to Cheng Yi and giving his kidneys a boost couldn’t hurt.

The day he could turn the tables on Cheng Yi… was drawing ever closer!

“Hey, Cheng Yi, not gonna lie—your cooking’s really good. This soup is delicious.”

“Of course it is.”

Shen Ran dug in with gusto, so focused on his meal he was practically face-down in the bowl.

While he was eating like a man on a mission, Cheng Yi’s phone suddenly rang.

“President Cheng, you sure are busy. You miss one morning at the office, and people are already blowing up your phone~”

Cheng Yi remained unfazed by the teasing. “Boss Shen, focus on your food. Less talking, more eating.”

Hearing that, Shen Ran nodded in satisfaction and took an even bigger bite.

Yep, that was the Cheng Yi he knew and loved.

That cool, deadpan tone? It was oddly comforting.

But just as he got into the rhythm of eating, Cheng Yi answered the phone, paused for a beat—and then handed it to him.

Staring at the phone being pushed into his face, Shen Ran forced himself to swallow and eyed Cheng Yi warily.

“…What? Are you trying to make me answer some scam call for you?”

Cheng Yi nudged the phone closer. “Cut the drama. It’s for you.”

“For me?”

Now Shen Ran was even more confused.

He wasn’t some high-profile figure or big-time CEO—who would need to reach him through Cheng Yi?

He took the phone and pressed it to his ear. “Hello? Who is this?”

A deep, familiar voice came through the line.

“It’s me. Shen Ran, I need to talk to you.”

“Huh? …Oh!”

—

Café.

Shen Ran sat upright, hands wrapped around a ceramic coffee cup.

His fingers unconsciously traced the smooth edges of the porcelain.

Seeing Luo Mu again stirred something complicated inside him.

After recovering his memories, Shen Ran felt a certain closeness and familiarity toward Luo Mu.

After all, the happier half of his childhood had been built by Ai Ziqing and Luo Mu together.

But… Luo Mu had changed a lot over the years.

Not in personality—Luo Mu had always been the quiet, stern type.

Even as kids, Shen Ran and Luo Mu hadn’t spoken much.

What had changed was Luo Mu’s appearance.

Back then, even with that perpetual poker face, he had still looked like a delicate, solemn boy.

But now? Broad-shouldered, slim-waisted, and standing at 188 cm tall, Luo Mu had become a cold and imposing CEO-type who looked nothing like the boy he remembered.

Still… Shen Ran had to admit—he did look reliable now.

He took a sip of his coffee, thinking about how to start the conversation.

But before he could say anything, Luo Mu spoke first.

Luo Mu’s nose twitched slightly as his long, narrow eyes swept over Shen Ran—and then over Cheng Yi, who sat beside him.

“You two are together.”

It wasn’t a question. There was no upward lilt in his tone.

His voice was calm, like stating a self-evident truth.

“Whoa?!” Shen Ran blinked in surprise. “Yeah, we got together last night. How did you figure that out? Were we that obvious?”

Luo Mu shook his head slightly. “It wasn’t anything I saw. But the way you two interacted before… always felt ambiguous.”

Shen Ran let out an awkward chuckle and didn’t argue.

Honestly, others probably had seen it coming long before they did.

“So how did you know for sure, Luo Mu-ge?”

Luo Mu raised a hand and tapped the side of his nose. “The scent. You and Cheng Yi… carry a particular scent now.”

He didn’t mean anything else by it—Luo Mu simply had an extraordinary sense of smell.

His nose was more sensitive than most people’s. He could pick up the scent of someone’s emotions.

Just like how he once understood Ai Ziqing’s sorrow through her scent, he could now sense the strong sweetness radiating from Shen Ran and Cheng Yi.

But Shen Ran… misunderstood completely.

“A particular scent…”

Suddenly feeling guilty, Shen Ran’s eyes darted away, and he nudged Cheng Yi twice under the table.

He shot Cheng Yi a look: Cheng Yi, do you think it’s because of… last night? Do we still smell like… that?

Cheng Yi responded with a look of his own: No idea.

Shen Ran bared his teeth at him: This is all. Your. Fault! You embarrassed me in front of Luo Mu-ge!

Cheng Yi curled his lips into a shameless grin: Let’s continue tonight.

Shen Ran clenched his fists. He seriously wanted to throw hands with this thick-skinned man!

Meanwhile, Luo Mu gently inhaled the increasingly sweet scent lingering in the air and sighed silently.

Sensing that sigh, Shen Ran immediately stopped glaring at Cheng Yi and straightened up, pulling the conversation back on track.

“Ahem… Sorry, Luo Mu-ge. I really didn’t recognize you before. I wasn’t trying to ignore you on purpose…”

Luo Mu shook his head, as if unconcerned. “It’s fine. I already know everything that’s happened. None of it was your fault.”

“So, Luo Mu-ge, you asked to meet today because…?”

“There’s something I’d like to ask of you.” Luo Mu’s gaze steadied. “Shen Ran, can you help me invite Ziqing to come to K City?”

“Huh?” Shen Ran was caught off guard. “I mean, I can—but couldn’t you just ask Brother Ziqing yourself? Wouldn’t it be simpler than going through me?”

At his question, Luo Mu lowered his eyes, and for a moment, a faint trace of loss flickered across his otherwise stoic face.

“If I asked him, he absolutely wouldn’t come.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Shen Ran recalled his last visit to Qingshan Orphanage—how strangely distant Ai Ziqing had been toward Luo Mu. In that moment, something clicked in his mind.

“…Did you and Brother Ziqing get into a fight?”

“No. Not a fight.”

“Phew~ Scared me for a second.” Shen Ran let out a breath. “If it’s not a fight, then it can’t be that serious, right?”

“But I believe… what happened between Ziqing and me is far more serious than a simple argument.”

Shen Ran sighed, exasperated. “Luo Mu-ge, could you please just explain everything at once? What exactly happened between you and Brother Ziqing?!”

So Luo Mu gave him a brief, matter-of-fact account of what had happened years ago—

What had happened at Qingshan Orphanage while he was away.

—

After listening to Luo Mu’s story, Shen Ran sat in stunned silence for a long time.

He had always assumed that Luo Mu and Ai Ziqing had just had a small falling out. He never imagined that the two had been completely estranged since college graduation.

No wonder Luo Mu had asked him for help.

In truth, Shen Ran could understand Luo Mu’s choice—at least, to some extent.

He knew that Luo Mu’s goal in starting a company and building a business had never been for fame or fortune. It was all for the sake of giving Ai Ziqing a better life.

But Luo Mu wasn’t good at expressing himself. The things that outsiders could see clearly, Ai Ziqing—trapped in the middle—might not have understood at all.

“I get it. I’ll help you,” Shen Ran nodded, then added, “But Luo Mu-ge, there’s one thing I still want to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“You like Brother Ziqing, don’t you?”

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