CH 5

Song Zhi Xu simply toast the bread and fry the eggs. The moment he brought them out, Lin Ran had just changed his clothes and come down from upstairs. 

He was wearing a plain white t-shirt that covered his buttocks and a pair of sport pants underneath, which were too long so he folded it several times around his ankles. Lin Ran himself was small,so like this, he looked more like a child who had secretly worn the adult clothes.

“Come down for breakfast!” There were no clothes that fit him at home so Song Zhixu didn’t say much either. 

Lin Ran nodded obediently, walked to the table and stopped for a moment, then walked to the fridge to bring out the leftovers to eat.

The food was cold and the oil was a bit solidified, but he shoved it into his mouth anyway.

Song Zhi Xu watched for a while, then he took it and warmed it up before putting it back again.

Lin Ran could wash dishes, scrub floors and do laundry, but he seemed only unable to cook. This morning, he woke up early yet he didn’t make any breakfast and he looked like didn’t know how to use anything in the kitchen. 

After eating, Song Zhi Xu dried Lin Ran’s clothes and let him change into it before the two of them went out

The whole time, Lin Ran who watched the pedestrians walking past and the traffic flow outside the car window, seemed to be somehow uneasy, sitting quietly on the front passenger seat and curled up into a ball while his hands gripping the safety belt tightly. 

Song Zhi Xu got out of the car and pulled Lin Ran out after they arrived at the underground parking area, before taking him upstairs using the lift.

Lin Ran was afraid of people, but he didn’t say it. He would subconsciously restrain himself as he was afraid that if he told Song Zhi Xu about it, Song Zhi Xu would dislike him and think he was such a troublesome person. He didn’t want to be sent to the place he used to live before. 

Song Zhi Xu was good to him, he wouldn’t hit him or scold him. He wanted to live with Song Zhi Xu so he tried hard to be obedient.

When they went upstairs, there were so many people around him that Lin Ran got even closer to Song Zhi Xu, his entire person almost hanging on to him. 

Song Zhi Xu took him to the entrance of the men’s clothing shop before he inclined to one side and asked him.

“Jjc sbe mtbbrf sbeg mibatfr?” 

Olc Ejc ibbxfv jgbecv cfgnberis jcv rtbbx tlr tfjv.

Vbcu Itl We mbeiv bcis qeii tlw jibcu klat tlw jcv mtbbrf atf mibatfr obg tlw. Coafg mtbbrlcu rfnfgji rfar lc j gbk, Olc Ejc bcis rtbbx tlr tfjv jcv vlvc’a rjs jcsatlcu, ibkfglcu tlr tfjv jcv qegrlcu tlr ilqr alutais. 

Song Zhi Xu was a bit annoyed, he didn’t even like to come to such crowded places himself. It was already rare for him to bring someone here and choose several clothes for him, yet it was rejected. Lin Ran could only cling to him.

They came to another shop again, only then Lin Ran finally said something, “No need to buy, Ran Ran… can wear what you don’t want.” 

Song Zhi Xu’s face sank, he used some strength and directly pushed Lin Ran off of his body, pulling him into the shop and shoved him towards the shop assistant.

“Help him choose and match several outfits, I’ll buy what he likes.” 

The female shop assistant’s eyes lit up, she knew it was time for her to do some performance, so she immediately turned around to choose the clothes.

The other shop assistants also immediately came up to him when they heard that he wanted to buy everything Lin Ran liked. Before Lin Ran had time to react, two pieces of clothes were shoved into his arms as he was escorted and pushed into the fitting room. 

Before the door closed, he glanced at the entrance of the shop and he was relieved to see that Song Zhi Xu was still standing there.

Song Zhi Xu was a little annoyed and took the advantage while Lin Ran was picking out his clothes, he walked out of the shop to the smoking area in the corner, lit a cigarette and smoked quietly. 

In fact, Song Zhi Xu’s temper was not considered to be good. If it were other people, he would have left them behind a long time ago, but of all people, he really could not lose his temper with Lin Ran.

Maybe it was because he was childlike, pure and had innocent eyes, or maybe it was because he was… Lin Mu’s younger brother and he promised to take care of him. 

Song Zhi Xu somehow disliked Lin Ran and avoided him, because he was too used to living on his own and Lin Ran was too much trouble, but he still wouldn’t leave Lin Ran in the care of anyone else.

Although he didn’t ask, he could see that Lin Ran didn’t have a good life before. Indeed, Lin Ran was just a little fool who easily got bullied by others. 

After Lin Ran finished changing his clothes and walked out from the fitting room, he immediately looked again at the place where Song Zhi Xu had been standing, so when he saw the entrance was empty, panic appeared on his face.

He pushed away the shop assistant who had come up to him again and anxiously ran to the entrance of the shop to look for him. After looking outside the shop for a while, there was still no sign of Song Zhi Xu. 

He took the clerk’s arm and asked with the pleading tone in his words.

“Song…Where is Song Zhi Xu? He…is gone.” 

“Huh?” The shop assistant was stunned for a moment and also noticed that Song Zhi Xu was gone, she subconsciously pulled Lin Ran, “You just wait here, maybe he’ll be back in a while, he might have gone to the toilet.”

“Toilet?” Lin Ran struggled so hard to break away that the saleswoman was pushed to the ground as he ran out quickly, looking for where the toilet was. 

When the shop assistant got up from the ground, the person was already gone. She went out in a hurry to find him, knowing that the clothes the teenager was wearing hadn’t been checked out yet. Moreover, she had just taken out the most expensive clothes in the shop and she couldn’t afford to pay if she couldn’t find the person back.

Lin Ran searched the toilets and still couldn’t find Song Zhi Xu, so he went to look for other toilets, he didn’t even wear his shoes. He searched all over the mall in his bare feet. 

Song Zhi Xu came out of the smoking area and by the time he returned to the shop, it was already a mess. The shop assistant couldn’t find Lin Ran so when Song Zhi Xu came back and she saw him, she immediately pulled him in and didn’t let go of him.

“The person you brought here just wore our shop’s clothes and ran away. You have to pay.” 

Song Zhi Xu quickly reacted and looked at the female shop assistant with a grim face.

“What do you mean by ran away? Where is he?” 

“Who know? Crazy as hell, shouting ‘Song’ something while running away. How do I know where he is? Anyway, you brought the person here so you have to pay for the clothes.” The female shop assistant had some fear, but still dare herself to grab Song Zhi Xu’s hand tightly.

Song Zhi Xu took out his wallet, took out pile of cash inside, shoved them at her, and said with calm and collected face, 

“You better expect that I can find him.”

After saying that Song Zhi Xu pushed the person away and ran out to look for Lin Ran. 

He searched the entire floor and couldn’t find Lin Ran, but it was good that someone in the mall said they had seen him, so Song Zhi Xu felt a little at ease.

He found nothing on the first floor, so Song Zhi Xu went back down to the stairs and just as he exited the stairs he heard a voice over the mall’s radio broadcast. 

“Is Mr. Song Zhi Xu there? Mr. Song Zhi Xu, your family child got separated in the mall and is now at the lost and found desk on the third floor, please come here quickly when you hear this!”

The female voice on the radio broadcast sounded three times before it was replaced by another somewhat timid male voice. 

“Song… Song Zhi Xu, have you gotten lost? Ran Ran is waiting for you here, okay? Don’t you get lost.” The voice had some sobbing tone at the end of the sentence, enough to prove the owner’s panic and helplessness now.

Song Zhi Xu let out a fierce sigh of relief and went back up the stairs, striding towards the third floor. 

He asked the questions along the way and found the location of the lost and found office. Before he could get close, he saw Lin Ran who was surrounded by several women.

Lin Ran was a good-looking man. Because he was nervous, his eyes were red. He looked so pitiful that the women felt sorry for him, went over to coax him and give him something to eat. 

Lin Ran used to frequently go hungry before, so he never refused to eat when he saw food, holding back his tears while stuffing his mouth full of food.