I Found My Future Wife Next Door - Chapter 2

Ranran, you’ll take care of me, right?

The first setback in Yu Qianran’s life came from greedily eating the cookie Lu Zhishen handed him. Now, tears welled up in his eyes as he turned his head and shouted toward the villa for help: “Mommy, Mommy, come save Ranran!”

“Mommy, a kidnapper is trying to take Ranran away, wuwuwu, ”

Lu Zhishen was stunned. He never expected Yu Qianran, who had accepted his offer, to suddenly change his mind. Part of him thought Yu Qianran was a bad kid, but as he watched the tears streaming down Yu Qianran’s face, he panicked: “Don’t cry, I’m not a kidnapper.” Flustered, he covered Yu Qianran’s mouth with his hand.

Wuwuwu!

Ranran is going to be sold and will never see Mommy and Daddy again, wuwuwu!

Yu Qianran stared fearfully at Lu Zhishen, his face pale as a sheet. His body felt as heavy as if filled with cement, unable to move.

“Listen to me, I’m really not a kidnapper,” Lu Zhishen said, holding back his own tears as he spoke to Yu Qianran. “You ate my cookie but don’t want to be my wife, and now you’re trying to have me arrested as a kidnapper. You little liar.”

After saying this, Lu Zhishen let go of Yu Qianran, looking at him with a hurt expression, hoping for an apology.

Ranran is not a little liar! Ranran never agreed!

Yu Qianran’s gaze was filled with confusion and anger, momentarily forgetting that he could break free from Lu Zhishen and run away.

In the distance, the sky was fragmented by the sycamore leaves overhead. Fierce, scorching sunlight pierced through the gaps between the leaves and struck the ground. Urgent voices and the sound of running footsteps echoed from afar.

Gu Kexin ignored the mud and grass clinging to her feet as she rushed over, pulling Yu Qianran into her arms. After a few seconds, she released him and crouched down, looking up to examine him with concern. “Ranran, Ranran, are you okay?”

The moment she heard Ranran’s tearful cry for help, she lost all reason and didn’t even think to call the family bodyguards. Only now, seeing that Ranran had no injuries, did she feel a slight sense of relief.

Her chest heaved up and down, her heart pounding rapidly with a faint, throbbing pain. She feared that in the moment Ranran needed her most, she might have arrived even a second too late.

“Mommy, Ranran is scared,” Yu Qianran said, stepping forward to hug Gu Kexin and pointing at the flustered Lu Zhishen. “He’s a kidnapper. He wanted to take Ranran away.”

Hearing this, Gu Kexin tightened her embrace around the child in her arms. When she looked up at Lu Zhishen, her gaze turned sharp, and she scolded coldly, “Whose child are you? What do you want with my Ranran?!”

Startled by the sudden reprimand, Lu Zhishen was terrified. He opened his mouth, stammering “I, I…” but couldn’t form a complete sentence.

Just as Gu Kexin was about to call the family butler to handle the situation, she saw the child who had tried to take her Ranran away burst into tears…

Gu Kexin was taken aback. Regaining her composure, she noticed that Lu Zhishen had fair, handsome features, clearly destined to grow into a good-looking young man. His clothes were custom-made, likely from a wealthy family.

However, having lived in this neighborhood for so many years, she knew all the adults and children here by sight, yet she had never seen this child before.

Gu Kexin had never been good at comforting other children. She lowered her voice and asked, “What’s your name? Who are your parents?”

Lu Zhishen’s tears fell even faster as he wiped his face haphazardly with both hands. “Wuwuwuwu, you’re all liars! Give me back my cookie wife!”

After getting a clearer picture of the situation, Gu Kexin finally understood the whole story. Feeling quite embarrassed, she apologized to Lu Zhishen and offered him some snacks as a way to make amends.

Gu Kexin took the fruit platter handed to her by the nanny and looked at little Lu Zhishen, who was sitting on the sofa sipping his drink. “Do you remember your parents’ phone number?”

Lu Zhishen’s dark eyes shifted around before he shook his head, indicating he didn’t remember.

Of course, he remembered the number, but his parents were the bad guys who had sent him off to be a child star, filming videos every day. There were always uncles pointing cameras at him, and among them was one who kept pushing him to finish tasks. Today, he had managed to slip away when they weren’t paying attention.

Now that he was finally free from being surrounded by a crowd, Lu Zhishen knew that if he gave out the phone number, he would be sent right back.

The beautiful auntie’s house not only had a little prince but also snacks and drinks. He really liked it here.

Gu Kexin, noticing that Lu Zhishen wore all his thoughts on his face, smiled slightly and called for the butler, instructing him to contact Lu Zhishen’s parents.

Hearing this, Lu Zhishen’s face instantly fell, and even the drink in his hand didn’t taste good anymore. He carefully placed the drink on the coffee table, trotted over to Gu Kexin on his little legs, blinked his big eyes, and pleaded earnestly, “Beautiful Auntie, could you please not call my mom and dad? I’ll go back on my own after a little while.”

Gu Kexin shook her head. “No, that won’t do. It’s easy for a child alone outside to get taken away. If you’re bored, you can watch TV or play with Ranran.”

Lu Zhishen glanced over at the little prince and, lacking any better option, agreed with a reluctant “Mm.”

Even though the little prince had eaten his cookies and refused to be his wife, he was willing to forgive the little prince for his mistakes, all because of that adorable face.

Lu Zhishen leaned closer and asked, “Ranran, can I bring cookies to see you again tomorrow?”

Yu Qianran shifted his little body away from Lu Zhishen, moving to a distance he felt comfortable with, and shook his head in refusal.

“Why? Don’t you like eating them?”

Yu Qianran still remembered how Lu Zhishen had tried to drag him away earlier and replied firmly, “You were trying to take me away.”

Lu Zhishen’s face fell in disappointment. He knew he had made a mistake.

“Ranran, can I come play with you again tomorrow?”

“Ranran, what cartoons do you like to watch?”

“Ranran, do you like cars or airplanes? I’ll bring one for you tomorrow, okay?”

“Ranran…”

Yu Qianran: “…”

So noisy, like the cicadas chirping endlessly outside the window.

Yu Qianran puffed out his cheeks, annoyed. “Lu Zhishen, can you please be quiet for a while?”

“Okay,” Lu Zhishen replied, closing his mouth with a pout.

He really just wanted to play with Ranran.

…

When Ji Nuan received a call from the director saying Lu Zhishen was missing, she almost thought she had misheard. After confirming it repeatedly, she immediately dispatched bodyguards and, leaving work behind, drove back to the villa from the company.

Under the scorching 39-degree heat, Ji Nuan’s clothes were soaked with sweat, and her beautiful face showed signs of exhaustion. She wiped away the sweat and asked, “Still no sign of him?”

“Ms. Ji, we’ve searched the entire neighborhood but haven’t found him yet. We’re still reviewing the surveillance footage.”

Ji Nuan felt physically and mentally drained. Suddenly, her vision went dark, and her legs nearly gave way, causing her to almost faint. Fortunately, her assistant was by her side and caught her in time to prevent an accident.

The assistant said, “Be careful, Ms. Ji. The young master will be fine.”

Ji Nuan was helped to a chair in the shade of a tree. Just as she was about to contact her husband, her phone rang first,

“Hello, is this Ms. Ji Nuan? Your son, Lu Zhishen, is here. Do you have time to come over now?”

“Yes, yes, I have time. Please tell me the address, I’ll head over right away.”

After a brief explanation of the situation and the address was given over the phone, Ji Nuan repeatedly expressed her thanks.

Ji Nuan turned and instructed, “Let everyone know they can stop searching. Lu Zhishen is fine. You come with me to the Yu family’s house.”

The Yu family lived right next to her villa. She had originally planned to visit them after finishing the show, but she never expected her own mischievous son to run off to someone else’s house and even try to lure their precious son home.

“Mom.”

Lu Zhishen paused, still holding Yu Qianran’s hand, and looked guiltily at Ji Nuan as she approached.

“Lu Zhishen, do you have any idea how frantic I’ve been looking for you?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Lu Zhishen’s body stiffened abruptly. He slowly turned around and looked up at the woman filled with anger, a guilty expression flashing across his face. He grinned and said, “Mom, listen to my excuse, I didn’t mean to.”

Ji Nuan was both angry and amused, glaring fiercely at him. “Listen to your excuse? If I don’t make you cry out in pain today, I’d be letting you off too easy for what you’ve done!”

Sensing that his mother really intended to hit him, Lu Zhishen’s quick-witted mind raced. Still holding Yu Qianran’s hand, he urgently shouted, “Mom, Mom, don’t hit me yet, look at the beautiful wife I found!”

Only then did Ji Nuan notice the adorable little child standing beside her son. He seemed a bit younger than her own troublemaker, much more well-behaved, and particularly endearing.

“Ms. Gu, I’m so sorry for the scene. I was just too anxious earlier.” Ji Nuan immediately composed herself, her eyes locking onto Gu Kexin, whom she had overlooked. She smiled apologetically and said, “My naughty son has caused you trouble. I’ll bring him over another time to apologize properly.”

Gu Kexin waved her hand, understanding Ji Nuan’s feelings, and smiled. “I can understand how you feel. First, check if the child is alright.”

“This kid is definitely fine, otherwise, he’d be crying his eyes out already. I’ll take him home first. I’m really sorry for disturbing you.” Ji Nuan bent down to grab Lu Zhishen.

Lu Zhishen nimbly dodged Ji Nuan’s outstretched hand, hiding behind Yu Qianran. He shouted at Ji Nuan, “I don’t want to go back! I want to stay with Ranran!”

Ji Nuan smiled.

“No, you haven’t finished your work. I’ll bring you over next time.”

Thinking of his companions from the show, Lu Zhishen made a disgusted face and snorted, “I don’t want to play with them! None of them are as pretty as Ranran!”

“You agreed to the show yourself, and now you can’t back out.” Ji Nuan felt a headache coming on. How did she end up with such a little rascal? “If you don’t go back, I’ll deduct all your allowance, and you won’t get any for the next ten years.”

Lu Zhishen looked incredulous, glancing at Yu Qianran beside him and then at Ji Nuan’s stern face. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Fine, I don’t need allowance! I want to be with Ranran!”

With that, without waiting for Ji Nuan to say anything else, he hugged Yu Qianran from behind and loudly conspired, “Ranran, you’ll take care of me, right?”

Yu Qianran: Huh?

His small mind hadn’t yet processed this plotline he’d never encountered before. He wondered when he and Lu Zhishen had become so close, wasn’t this their first day meeting?

“Ranran, if you don’t want to be with me, that’s okay. I’m willing to be with you,” Lu Zhishen said.

Yu Qianran tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. “Why should I be with you? I want to be with my mom.”

Ranran and her mom are the best in the world.

Yu Qianran broke free from Lu Zhishen’s hug and rushed toward Gu Kexin. The stunned Lu Zhishen followed suit, pouncing after her. The whole scene looked like a game of “eagle catches chicks,” with Ji Nuan playing the role of the eagle.

Lu Zhishen felt deeply hurt, but his little hands clung tightly to Yu Qianran’s clothes. He looked up at Ji Nuan and asked innocently, “Mom, can you give me to Ranran as her little brother?”

Ji Nuan: ?

“Lu Zhishen, get over here right now!” Ji Nuan felt she had been spoiling Lu Zhishen too much lately. At such a young age, he was already thinking about switching families. If he grew up like this, there would be no stopping him.

Lu Zhishen trembled and pressed himself tightly against Yu Qianran, leaning in to plead for help. “Ranran, save me.”

Yu Qianran blinked, let go of his mom’s hand, and turned around. Under Lu Zhishen’s hopeful gaze, he firmly grasped his hand instead. “Auntie, I caught him for you.”

He looked at Ji Nuan as if seeking praise.

“Good boy, Auntie will bring you a toy next time.” Ji Nuan beamed with joy, taking Lu Zhishen while gently patting Yu Qianran’s soft head.

Lu Zhishen burst into tears. “Ranran, you heartbreaker… Waaah…”

Ji Nuan lowered her gaze, anticipating Lu Zhishen’s next move, throwing himself on the ground and throwing a tantrum, and spoke first. “Lu Zhishen, don’t you dare cry on the floor!”

Little Lu Zhishen paused his sobbing for a moment, then ignored her and lay on the floor, rolling around and wailing loudly.

Yu Qianran squatted beside Lu Zhishen, tilting her head as she watched quietly.

Ji Nuan helplessly shot an apologetic glance at Gu Kexin, who nodded in understanding. Neither adult paid any attention to the crying child on the floor. Instead, they squatted beside Yu Qianran with great interest.

Gu Kexin asked, “Ranran, do you like this little friend? Do you want to be friends with him?”

Yu Qianran looked away and shook her head. “Too noisy.”

Hearing this, Lu Zhishen on the floor stopped crying.

Ji Nuan chuckled inwardly. This arrogant little tyrant actually listened for once. She watched Yu Qianran thoughtfully, a smile playing on her lips.

“Ranran, would you like Auntie to tell you a story about him?” Ji Nuan pointed at Lu Zhishen. “A couple of days ago, Lu Zhishen tried to ride a dog but ended up being ridden by the dog instead. Do you like that story?”

Yu Qianran met Ji Nuan’s gaze, puzzled. “Why was he ridden by the dog?”

Ji Nuan secretly glanced at Lu Zhishen’s reaction, taking in his anxious expression. Her tone softened. “Well, that’s because he-”

“Don’t say it!” Lu Zhishen rolled over to Ji Nuan, frantically covering her mouth with his hands.

He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Ranran. He was the older one, and such humiliating things shouldn’t be known by many people. Otherwise, everyone would laugh at him. Ranran already didn’t like him, and if he found out, he would definitely like him even less.