The wait became unbearably agonizing. Although Han Shen had promised that he would come, Ji Ran still couldn’t stop himself from sinking into an overwhelming state of anxiety. Every passing second seemed to stretch endlessly and the uncertainty of whether Han Shen would arrive in time left him increasingly restless.
He had no idea how much time had passed when the main door was suddenly shoved open with a loud “BANG!”
Had Han Shen arrived?
But the people who entered were two men dressed in suits. The man who had brought Ji Ran inside earlier let out a cold, mocking laugh before striding toward him without the slightest courtesy.
“I knew it. There was no Zhang San at all and here you are, still putting on airs and pretending to be some rich guy. You really think I’m a fucking idiot? Get out. The client has been waiting long enough.”
Ji Ran turned his gaze toward Manager Zhao but the latter merely spread his hands helplessly.
“Little friend, people who deceive others in our establishment get locked up in the little dark room.”
Ji Ran’s heart sank heavily.
The other man looked him up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement.
“Who would’ve thought there’d be such a pretty face hiding beneath that mask? Why are you crying? Do you have any idea how many people would kill to have a face like yours? I’m doing you a favor here, kid. The client who’s taken a liking to you is a major big shot. He’s a little old, sure but he knows how to treat someone well. Once you go with him tonight, you’ll be set for life. By then, you’ll be thanking me instead of crying like this.”
Ji Ran tightened his grip around his phone, as though holding it firmly enough might somehow give him the courage he needed.
Did Han Shen know what was happening on his end? What if he couldn’t make it in time? At the very least, Ji Ran had to find a way to stall them for a little longer.
Ji Ran lifted his eyes and the entire air around him seemed to change.
“Is that so?” he asked with a soft chuckle, putting on an ingratiating yet disdainful expression. “How rich is this big boss you’re talking about?”
“Rich enough to make sure you’ll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life.” After saying that, the man urged him impatiently, “Stop dawdling. The fashion show is about to begin.”
The first runway show was about to start and the entire backstage area had descended into chaos. People rushed about in every direction, making preparations and calling out to one another. As they passed by the dressing table, the long haired androgynous beauty who had pointed Ji Ran in the right direction earlier looked up and glanced at him.
For some inexplicable reason, Ji Ran felt a little guilty. He gave the other person a small nod before taking the clothes and entering the changing room.
His phone had been confiscated by them. Ji Ran wasn’t sure whether Han Shen would be able to make it there in time but even if Han Shen didn’t come, he still had to find an opportunity to escape.
The first time he’d tried to run away, he’d taken the wrong route. When he came out of the bathroom, he had turned right. If he went left instead, he should be able to reach the rear exit directly.
Manager Zhao had already left but the other man remained stationed outside the door, urging him to hurry up. With no other choice, Ji Ran first changed into the maid outfit.
“Where’s the makeup artist? Where the hell did the makeup artist go?” Unable to find anyone, the man raised his voice and shouted throughout the room.
“Brother Diao!” From a short distance away, the androgynous beauty lifted their head and called out to him. “My makeup artist is almost finished but there’s still a little problem. Come over and give me a hand.”
“What is it now?” Brother Diao complained but he still obediently walked over.
Perhaps it was merely a coincidence but this person had helped him yet again. Ji Ran cast a grateful glance in their direction, then took advantage of the moment when nobody was paying attention and escaped through the rear door.
The high heels were far too inconvenient. Ji Ran slipped them off, picked them up in one hand and hurried barefoot through the long corridor. When he reached the fork in the passage, he turned left.
The air gradually grew colder. The floor beneath his feet was icy, a sign that he must be getting close to the exit.
At the far end of the corridor, a small door came into view. Ji Ran threw his body against it, forcing it open with a loud crash. A gust of cold wind mixed with raindrops immediately struck his face. The chill made his entire body tremble yet he couldn’t stop himself from feeling happy.
He had finally escaped that place!
Ji Ran hadn’t even had time to savor his relief when someone suddenly grabbed him and pulled him away. He instinctively began struggling,
“Shh, don’t be afraid. It’s me.”
The familiar voice made Ji Ran freeze.
He lifted his head in confusion, his eyes meeting Han Shen’s calm, composed gaze.
“Samuel?” Ji Ran stared at him blankly, almost afraid to blink, as though the scene before him might disappear the moment he looked away.
Noticing how thinly he was dressed, Han Shen removed his overcoat and draped it around Ji Ran’s shoulders. He wrapped an arm around him, shielding him from the crowd and led him into the car.
The heating inside the vehicle was turned up high and a soft woolen carpet covered the floor. Ji Ran’s bare feet touched the plush surface and he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty about getting the carpet dirty.
He curled his toes awkwardly, trying to minimize the area he might stain, as though keeping his feet tucked in would somehow reduce the extent of the contamination.
“Are you all right?” Han Shen’s deep, measured voice broke the silence. He took out a blanket and handed it to Ji Ran.
Ji Ran wrapped the blanket tightly around himself and lowered his head, letting out a soft, barely audible “Mm.”
He wanted to apologize to Han Shen. He wanted to explain what had happened, or perhaps express his gratitude for coming to save him.
But the moment he opened his mouth, his voice began to tremble and soon his entire body started shaking.
“I… I…”
Ji Ran clutched the blanket tightly in both hands. It was only after he had truly escaped the danger that he realized he had been far more frightened than he had imagined.
…..
He didn’t even know how he had managed to get out of that place. Just moments ago, he had nearly been unable to escape at all.
Han Shen retrieved a cup of hot water from somewhere and handed it to him.
“Take your time and calm down first. You don’t need to rush into explaining anything.”
Ji Ran held the warm cup in both hands and took small, careful sips. Several more minutes passed before his body finally began to warm up and his mind gradually cleared enough for him to regain his composure.
“Feeling any better?” Han Shen asked.
Ji Ran nodded, his voice carrying a slight nasal quality. “Much better. Thank you, sir.”
As he said this, his bare feet rested on the carpet. Because he was afraid of dirtying it, he was practically keeping them suspended above the surface. His toes poked out through the holes in his torn black stockings, curling helplessly, with faint traces of redness visible from the cold.
Moving upward, his legs were covered in a pair of black suspender stockings with an intensely suggestive appearance. Han Shen hadn’t been able to see them clearly at first but as the heating inside the car continued to rise, Ji Ran seemed to grow a little warm. The blanket slipped down from his shoulders, unintentionally revealing the maid outfit underneath.
The skirt was outrageously short, barely reaching the tops of his thighs. Two black straps connected the stockings beneath it, leaving a gap of four or five centimeters of exposed thigh between the hem of the skirt and the stockings. The stockings dug into his skin, creating a soft ring of flesh around his thighs, a style known in anime culture as the absolute territory.
It made him look young, sexy and cheap.
As if he were nothing more than a plaything that anyone could handle and toy with at will.
Han Shen had never concerned himself with his employees’ private lives yet at this moment, an inexplicable wave of anger rose within him.
He didn’t know where it had come from and it made no rational sense.
Suppressing the emotions stirring in his chest, he said coldly, “Cover yourself with the blanket.”
Ji Ran lowered his head and glanced down. Only then did he realize that the blanket had slipped sometime earlier, leaving his vulgar maid outfit completely exposed beneath Han Shen’s icy gaze.
“S… sorry.” Somewhat flustered, he hurriedly picked up the blanket and pulled it over himself, covering his body. Beneath its lower edge, his bare feet crossed awkwardly over one another.
Han Shen’s gaze shifted upward until it settled on Ji Ran’s face. His tone was cold and sharp.
“I want you to explain something to me. Why were you here?”
Ji Ran was far too sensitive to changes in tone like this. Almost instantly, his entire body went on alert.
He lowered his head and simply stopped speaking altogether.
Han Shen’s breathing grew heavier and a long familiar anger began to rise within him.
Ji Ran’s silence was far more infuriating than he had anticipated.
Instinctively, he wanted to reprimand and discipline Ji Ran but he was held back by the fact that he had no legitimate position to do so.
Suppressing his rising temper, Han Shen asked, “Do you even know what kind of place this is? How could you dare come here alone to have fun?”
Ji Ran continued to keep his head lowered, maintaining his silence.
This only aggravated Han Shen further. When he spoke again, his tone unconsciously took on the unmistakable severity of a scolding.
“Tell me, why did you come to a place like this? Look at the state you’ve gotten yourself into! If I hadn’t happened to call you, do you have any idea what you would have faced? Didn’t your parents ever teach you that a young man needs to know how to protect himself when he’s out in the world?”
Han Shen was far angrier than he had expected to be.
During the half hour between receiving the phone call and driving over, Han Shen had been in a state of unease almost every single second.
That uneasiness had intensified even further when Ji Ran hung up on him midway through the journey. It had been as though an already inflated balloon had suddenly expanded to its limit, stretching his anxiety to an unbearable degree.
He had clearly told Ji Ran that he would come over yet Ji Ran had stubbornly insisted on acting on his own, choosing the course of action that carried the greatest risk.
That was why, when Han Shen saw Ji Ran fleeing the club in a state of dishevelment, his first reaction had been relief, immediately followed by anger.
But this anger wasn’t directed outward. It was, to a much greater extent, turned inward, forcing Han Shen to recognize something with painful clarity: Ji Ran didn’t trust him.
When faced with a critical situation, Ji Ran had chosen to hang up the phone and escape on his own rather than seek Han Shen’s help.
Han Shen was accustomed to keeping everything under his control yet at this moment, he found himself experiencing a profound sense of unease.
He understood clearly that something had slipped beyond his control.
And it wasn’t merely the situation unfolding before him. Something deeper within his own heart had also begun to fall outside the boundaries he was accustomed to maintaining.
That realization made Han Shen want to regain control of the present circumstances. He wanted to reclaim the familiar ground where he was the one in charge.
And so, he had abandoned his usual composure. Again and again, he had pressed Ji Ran for answers, forcefully demanding that he explain everything.
Yet Ji Ran simply refused to say anything.
It was as though he had grown accustomed to enduring other people’s anger, accustomed to remaining silent whenever conflict arose.
“Thank you for coming to pick me up. I’m sorry for causing you trouble.” Ji Ran pushed open the car door and spoke in a subdued voice. “I’ll be leaving now…”
He wasn’t even wearing shoes.
Han Shen reached out and grabbed Ji Ran by the wrist. “Where are you going?”
The difference in their physiques and physical strength was enormous. With a single tug, Han Shen pulled Ji Ran back, causing him to fall into the seat.
The fall itself didn’t hurt but the humiliation did.
Ji Ran landed awkwardly across the back seat of the car, his body tilting to one side as an overwhelming sense of grievance welled up inside him.
He had already been unlucky enough to get tricked into working at a nightclub under the pretense of a part time job. He had never expected that, after everything he’d gone through, he would still have to sit here and be scolded by someone.
“What else do you want?” Ji Ran suddenly wrenched his wrist free from Han Shen’s grasp and the frustration he had been suppressing finally erupted. “Isn’t it enough that you scolded me? After finishing, you won’t even let me leave?”
“I only want you to understand how serious this situation is.” Han Shen’s tone returned to its usual calmness. “This isn’t a proper entertainment venue. If you want to have fun, there are plenty of healthy and interesting places you can go.”
Han Shen actually thought he had come there to have fun!
Was that really how Han Shen saw him? Did he think Ji Ran was the kind of person who would willingly indulge in such things?!
“Who said I came here to have fun?” The more Ji Ran spoke, the more aggrieved he became. As memories of everything that had happened earlier resurfaced in his mind, he finally couldn’t stop his eyes from turning red. “I clearly came here to work part time as a model! How was I supposed to know they were looking for people to accompany clients drinking?!”
“Part time work?” A flicker of astonishment crossed Han Shen’s eyes. “Are you really that short of money?”
Although Ji Ran was only an intern, his internship salary was fairly generous. On top of that, his salary had doubled just last month, which was more than enough to cover his basic living expenses, including food, clothing and transportation.
Even if the young man had a habit of spending money freely, he still had his parents to provide financial support. There should have been no reason for him to come to a place like this looking for part time work, much less be deceived into doing so.
“Parents’ financial support?” Ji Ran let out a cold laugh. “Why don’t you guess for yourself why I’m so short of money?”
He was already too tired to keep pretending.
He had no energy left to maintain the image of an outstanding, well behaved person and he no longer cared whether exposing his own shortcomings would make him look bad. It didn’t matter anymore. His family had always been in a terrible situation to begin with and he had never expected Han Shen to respect him.
Ji Ran told Han Shen, “Both my parents are migrant workers. I had to start sending money home during my very first month of internship. They’re planning to come here from our hometown for a visit at the end of the year and I’ll be responsible for all the expenses. That’s why I came here to find part time work.”
Han Shen suddenly fell silent.
The silence was filled with a mixture of shock, disbelief and self reproach.
For a long time, he had assumed that Ji Ran came from a middle class family, the sort of household where everyone pooled their efforts to raise a child who was cherished and carefully nurtured, someone who had been held in the palm of the entire family’s hand.
Because of that, Han Shen had naturally accepted Ji Ran’s excellent academic performance, his gentle personality, his willingness to endure hardship and even his outstanding work abilities. He had regarded all of those qualities as nothing particularly remarkable.
After all, an elite was supposed to be like that.
That was simply what he had believed.
Yet the answer Ji Ran had given him was entirely different from what he had imagined.
It was difficult to imagine how such an impoverished and backward family, with parents whose perspectives were so limited, could have raised a child as outstanding as Ji Ran.
What Ji Ran had experienced could hardly be called proper nurturing or upbringing.
The fact that he had managed to make it this far was nothing short of a miracle.
Han Shen’s emotions grew complicated. He raised his hand, wanting to gently touch Ji Ran’s head but ultimately restrained himself. Instead, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about any of this. I shouldn’t have criticized you so casually.”
Ji Ran hugged his knees and remained silent.
He hadn’t expected Han Shen to apologize to him.
In Shanghai, Ji Ran had no family or close companions he could rely on. The only person he was familiar with was Han Shen, his superior at work. To some extent, Ji Ran had genuinely come to regard him as an elder he could trust.
But now, Ji Ran also realized that Han Shen was different from the elders he had known.
Elders generally spoke to him from a position of authority, looking down from above. Han Shen, however, communicated with him as an equal. He was even willing to apologize to him.
That realization left Ji Ran feeling somewhat embarrassed instead.
He lowered his head and stared at his toes before shaking his head.
“It’s fine. I’m used to it anyway and I know you’re only worried about me.”
He was really far too well behaved.
Han Shen hadn’t even needed to coax him or make any effort to win his forgiveness yet Ji Ran had already forgiven him on his own.
He had even turned around and comforted Han Shen instead.
A child as outstanding as Ji Ran should have been the pride of the entire family. Everyone should have worked together to support him, helping one another build a better life and allowing the family to move forward together.
Yet Ji Ran’s parents were narrow minded and short sighted. The moment their child had spread his wings and begun to rise, they had all climbed onto him, as though they were silkworms spinning their silk, intent on dragging him back down into the mud.
Han Shen couldn’t bear to watch him sink.
For once, he made an exception and said a little more than he normally would.
“I know it’s impolite to make unsolicited judgments about someone else’s family but your most important task right now is to establish a stable foundation for yourself. Only when you’re doing well can you help your family live a better life.”
Ji Ran, of course, understood that principle.
After entering high school, he had already begun to vaguely realize that his family wasn’t normal. Most parents wouldn’t treat their children the way his parents treated him.
Later, as the internet became more widespread, Ji Ran would occasionally come across stories from people condemning the harm caused by their families of origin, as well as accounts from those who had chosen to escape and sever ties with their relatives.
He could have refused, too.
He could have simply walked away and never looked back.
But whenever such thoughts arose in his mind, Ji Ran would find himself unable to bear it.
His parents treated him poorly but their own lives were also terribly difficult.
They seemed to have grown accustomed to suffering long ago.
When Ji Ran was little, his father had suffered an injury while working at a construction site and lost part of one of his fingers. Several months had already passed since the accident yet Ji Ran had remained completely unaware of what had happened.
It wasn’t until his parents returned home for the New Year that he overheard his father casually bringing it up, speaking about the incident as though it were nothing worth mentioning. His father had even deliberately teased him with the remaining stump of the finger.
Ji Ran had been so frightened that he wanted to cry but didn’t dare to. For a long time afterward, he couldn’t bring himself to look at his father’s truncated little finger.
His mother’s life hadn’t been easy either. She had suffered lasting injuries from giving birth to him and when she gave birth to her second child, she experienced severe postpartum hemorrhaging. Her health had never fully recovered and even now, she wasn’t in particularly good condition.
Ji Ran had once visited the place where his parents lived while working away from home. It was a dilapidated single room with a monthly rent of just two hundred yuan, so crude and bare that it could hardly be called a proper home.
His parents had suffered too much. After struggling so hard to pursue his education and finally making something of himself, Ji Ran couldn’t bring himself to enjoy his own life while leaving them to continue struggling on their own.
Besides, his parents’ childhoods had been far worse than his own.
His grandparents had gone away to work in the fields, leaving several young children behind. They would tie the children together with ropes and fasten them inside the house before leaving. Back then, the family often didn’t have enough food to eat. The children were beaten and scolded at the slightest provocation and they had to start working from a very young age.
To people like them, children were a source of labor. They could also be treated as expendable.
That was the environment in which Ji Ran’s father had grown up.
Primitive and almost surreal yet this was the reality they had lived through.
Although Ji Ran’s parents hadn’t treated him particularly well, they hadn’t been so cruel that he could simply abandon them without a second thought. He couldn’t bring himself to blame them as though he had every right to condemn them from a comfortable distance.
To Ji Ran, family relationships were never something that could be divided into simple categories of black and white. They were more like a vast gray area, shifting between periods of warmth and moments of pain, sometimes good and sometimes bad.
At least for now, Ji Ran wanted to guide their relationship in a better direction.
That was why he hadn’t refused his parents’ request to come over for a visit. Even though it would put him under considerable financial pressure, he didn’t want to disappoint them.
As for what Han Shen had said…
Ji Ran couldn’t immediately put his advice into practice but he had to admit that there was a great deal of sense in it. Even he himself sometimes wished he could escape the weight of his family for a little while, just long enough to breathe freely.
“Thank you for reminding me.” Ji Ran nodded, his tone sincere. “I’ll give it serious consideration.”
Han Shen was about to say something more when a sudden burst of footsteps sounded outside the car. A group of burly men in suits approached them.
Ji Ran’s body instantly stiffened. Like a startled cat reacting to danger, he quickly curled into the blanket, shrinking into himself.
They were security guards from the club.
“I’m taking you away from here,” Han Shen said.
Ji Ran, however, reached out and grabbed his wrist.
Thinking that Ji Ran was frightened, Han Shen reassured him, “No one is going to catch up with us.”
But Ji Ran said, “I want to report this to the police.”
Han Shen remained silent for several seconds before nodding.
“All right. Leave it to me.”
Ji Ran nodded, then asked, “Won’t this cause trouble for you?”
Han Shen shook his head and made a phone call.
It wasn’t long before a black Jeep Wrangler drove over. The window was lowered halfway, revealing a man dressed in a leather jacket. He looked at them and called out, “Brother Han, are you ready? Want to have some fun together tonight?”
Only then did Han Shen explain to Ji Ran that the man was a friend of his who worked as a criminal police officer. Han Shen would be cooperating with their undercover operation.
Because of his identity as a wealthy second generation heir, Han Shen was less likely to arouse suspicion. His presence would provide the police operation with an additional layer of cover.
Ji Ran grew somewhat nervous. “Then won’t you be in danger?”
“They’ll ensure my safety,” Han Shen replied.
“But…” Ji Ran felt a sudden heaviness in his chest. If he hadn’t wanted to report the incident to the police, Han Shen wouldn’t have ended up putting himself in danger.
He looked at Han Shen and asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nothing,” Han Shen replied.
“We really are short one person,” the man in the leather jacket interjected.
“Jiang Yi.” Han Shen’s voice grew slightly deeper, carrying a clear warning.
“Of course, it’s entirely voluntary.” Jiang Yi continued, unfazed. “We’re mainly here to cooperate with you. Otherwise, you’d have to find an actual rich young master to play the part.”
“You don’t have to go,” Han Shen told Ji Ran.
Ji Ran remained silent for a while before asking another question.
“Will there be any danger to our lives?”
“Generally speaking, no,” Jiang Yi replied.
Ji Ran made up his mind.
“Then I’ll go.”
He was afraid, of course but he wanted even more to do whatever he could to help, even if his contribution was small.
Han Shen didn’t say anything further, so Jiang Yi began explaining their entire plan to Ji Ran.
Ji Ran’s task was simple. He would return to the nightclub and resume his role as one of the male companions, cooperating with Han Shen to put on a performance.
“If everything goes according to plan, you won’t be in any danger.” Jiang Yi explained the arrangements to Ji Ran. “Once you go inside, Brother Han will film you. All you need to do is cooperate with him and take part in a few games designed to look like you’re having fun and indulging in the nightlife.”
Han Shen ultimately said nothing more. He only offered a brief reminder.
“Don’t act recklessly. Protect yourself.”
Ji Ran nodded. Avoiding the crowd, he made his way back to the side door through which he had escaped earlier.
The people conducting the inspection had already passed through the area and the surroundings were now quiet.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Congratulations. You survived the chapter. Now survive the coffee request. 😈
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · A cold-hearted bossChapter 2 · “Your skirt?”Chapter 3 · Ji Ran was caught off guardChapter 4 · Relax, you bit your lip until it bledChapter 5 · Don’t want toChapter 6 · Women’s clothing and DaddyChapter 7 · Ji Ran hunched over and began to sob softly.Chapter 8 · Rebellion, offense, and self-rewardChapter 9 · I hate it when people flaunt their wealth in front of meChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · Why are you following me?Chapter 12 · Damn, he forgot to take off his leg chainChapter 13 · Ji Ran was indeed still afraid of him.Chapter 14 · A message came from OrcaChapter 15 · Self-blame, anger, and tears.Chapter 16 · You have to pay more!Chapter 17 · Did you come here just to yell at me?Chapter 18 · Just bear with it a little longerChapter 19 · Women’s clothing live streamChapter 20 · Could you come and pick me up?Chapter 21 Part 1 · It’s all an actChapter 21 Part 2 · It’s all an actChapter 22 · The actions could be even more brutalChapter 23 · A slapChapter 24 · He wanted to surrender a part of himself