Chapter 31 : Ran Ran is gone

Lin Mu had sent Song Zhi Xu his flight time in advance, which was on Saturday morning.

Originally, Song Zhi Xu had some work to do on the weekend, but since Lin Mu was coming over he naturally put off his work.

He woke up at seven in the morning and went to the kitchen to make breakfast which happened to be ready when Lin Ran woke up and came downstairs.

Lin Ran let out a “wow” and ran to the table, using a knife to cut  the crispy sausage into a small piece that had been fried by Song Zhi Xu and handed it over to him first.

Song Zhi Xu bit it casually and ate it, then went into the kitchen to bring out the rest.

Lin Ran cut another small piece for himself using the knife and fork in his hand.

It was only eight o’clock when they finished eating. Song Zhi Xu didn’t go upstairs. He sat on the sofa downstairs and read the newspaper that had just arrived this morning.

Lin Ran turned on the TV and sat next to Song Zhi Xu and asked in a small voice, “Is Gege coming over today?”

Song Zhi Xu nodded and said, “It’s still early. We’ll go pick him up later.”

Lin Ran gave a “Hn” and leaned beside Song Zhi Xu to watch TV.

Although he still missed his Gege very much, Song Zhi Xu was there and would call him, so Lin Ran didn’t have to worry about anything and just watched cartoons without worrying.

Song Zhi Xu would occasionally glance at the time and see that it was still early and continue to wait.

After reading the newspaper, he would watch TV with Lin Ran, although it was not very interesting, but it was always a way to pass the time.

It was not until half past nine that Song Zhi Xu patted Lin Ran’s back.

“Go and change your clothes, get things ready and we’ll go out.”

Lin Ran’s eyes lit up as he nodded, running quickly into the cloakroom. This time, not staying for a while longer because of the cartoons that he hadn’t finished watching. 

Song Zhi Xu also stood up and went back to his room.

Wait until the two of them have finished getting things ready before they go out together.

Lin Mu’s flight landed at eleven o’clock and because his place was not really close to the airport, Song Zhi Xu took Lin Ran to leave early, arriving before the time. 

Both of them waited at the pick-up gate for a while, Song Zhi Xu stood quietly. There were many people around, Lin Ran had some uneasiness clinging to his side, but still couldn’t help looking around to find Lin Mu.

Another wave of people came out and even though Lin Mu was wearing a mask, Song Zhi Xu still immediately saw him at the first glance. He patted Lin Ran beside him and pointed with his chin toward Lin Mu’s direction.

Lin Ran looked over and saw Lin Mu too. He forgot his fear for a moment and took a step forward, raising his voice and calling out, “Gege, Ran Ran is here.”

Lin Mu heard the sound and looked over, his eyes rippling with a smile as he waved at him.

Because he didn’t plan to stay for a long time, Lin Mu didn’t carry any luggage. He just carried a backpack and wore long trousers and a casual shirt, looking fresh like a college student returning from vacation.

Until Lin Mu finally came close, Lin Ran let go of Song Zhi Xu and quickly ran over to hug Lin Mu, shouting happily, “Gege, you come.”

Lin Mu stroked the top of Lin Ran’s hair gently and the two of them hugged for a while before he pulled Lin Ran toward Song Zhi Xu again and took off his mask.

“Zhi Xu, I’ve bothered you these days. You’ve taken very good care of Ran Ran, he’s gained some weight. Before, he was taken care of by a nanny and always didn’t grow any flesh.”

Song Zhi Xu didn’t answer Lin Mu’s words, he just took a look at Lin Mu before he said, “You have lost some weight.”

“Hn?” Lin Mu looked at himself and smiled without saying much.

The three of them left the airport and got into Song Zhi Xu’s car. Song Zhi Xu drove in the front while Lin Ran sat in the back seat and intimately pestered Lin Mu, talking to him non stop. 

Most of it was Lin Ran who talked while Lin Mu quietly listened and would occasionally say some words. The small space in the car was filled with Lin Ran’s cheerful voice.

Having lived and spent some time with Lin Ran, Song Zhi Xu could easily tell that Lin Ran was really happy today.

He was probably excited, expecting Lin Mu to come and pick him up too.

The three of them went to the Royal Garden again and only after sitting down in the private room did Song Zhi Xu ask Lin Mu, “You haven’t been back to the capital for a long time either. Stay more for a few days and go out strolling around?”

Lin Mu took a glance out of the window and shook his head gently.

“There are still a lot of things to handle in the company, plus I’m still in the learning stage. I’m a bit busy, I’ve booked a flight back tomorrow. I’ll come back later when I have free time. I still quite miss it here.”

Back then, because of the matter of Lin Ran being sent away, Lin Mu gambled with his parents, after the college entrance examination, he filled in for the university in the capital, staying here for four years before being forced to return to Haicheng after graduation, so he was still very familiar with this side.

Song Zhi Xu knew that he was busy, so he didn’t insist on him to stay and respond to him, 

“Then see what you want to eat, have a good meal for today. The taste of food here is still different from that of Haicheng.”

After all, the North is a bit far away from the South, so there was a lot of different food. 

“Okay.” Lin Mu agreed, but first unfolded the menu and showed it to Lin Ran, “Ran Ran see what you want to eat! After we go back to Hai Cheng tomorrow, some of the food there won’t taste this authentic.”

Lin Ran froze, seeming to have some confusion as to what Lin Mu meant and looked at him with some doubt.

“Ran Ran is going to go where?”

“We’re going home ah, Gege is here to pick you up and take you back. In the future, you’ll live with Gege, okay?” Lin Mu explained to him seriously.

Lin Ran subconsciously nodded, but immediately looked across at Song Zhi Xu and asked in a small voice, “What about Song Zhi Xu?”

“Zhi Xu isn’t leaving with us. He has work to do. He’s been looking after Ran Ran for a long time, so we can’t keep bothering him.” Lin Mu added.

Lin Ran bit his lip, looked at Song Zhi Xu, and finally lowered his head and nodded his head, somewhat lost.

Gege said that Song Zhi Xu still had work to do, so he couldn’t bother Song Zhi Xu. 

But Lin Ran still couldn’t bear to let Song Zhi Xu go and he didn’t know what to do.

It was a rare occasion that Lin Ran did not eat much during the meal, even when he was leaving, he kept his head down. He rarely didn’t think about the unfinished dishes on the table and the unwashed bowls.

　　

After returning to the villa, Lin Mu saw that Lin Ran took up a large portion of the clothes in the cloakroom. There was some surprise and a touch of bitterness flooded his heart. Lin Ran had been sent away since he was a child, as his brother, he always did not do a good job.

He said thank you to Song Zhi Xu several times and briefly packed Lin Ran’s things. When Lin Ran first came here, Lin Ran was in a hurry and only carried a bag, but when he went back, all of his clothes and belongings were even packed in a small suitcase.

Lin Ran stood by the side all the time, biting his lip and not saying anything, stealing a glance at Song Zhi Xu every now and then.

It was not until the end that Lin Ran went to the cloakroom by himself and found the white shirt that he had once worn and held it in his arms, asking Song Zhi Xu in a low voice.

“This one, Ran Ran wore it before, can…can I take it?”

Lin Mu looked at Song Zhi Xu with some confusion. Song Zhi Xu coughed lightly, avoiding his gaze, and nodded gently.

Only then, did Lin Ran hand the shirt to Lin Mu.

At night, Lin Mu and Lin Ran slept in the same room. The two brothers lying on the bed, Lin Mu looked sideways at Lin Ran beside him and asked in a soft voice.

“Ran Ran can’t bear to leave?”

The tip of Lin Ran’s nose was a little sour, and he buried his cheek half under the quilt and gave a small “Hm”.

Lin Mu was silent for a moment, but still said, 

“Ran Ran, we can’t bother others too much, Song Zhi Xu is still busy with work. He is also very busy and can’t take care of you all the time, so if you want to come back later after we return, Gege will bring you back, okay?”

Although Lin Mu trusted Song Zhi Xu, it was only because the Song family had some friendship with his family, plus Song Zhi Xu was a senior he had known for many years. They had quite a good relationship and Song Shi Xu was also a reliable senpai. Most importantly, Song Zhi Xu was in the capital city and had nothing to do with the business circle in Haicheng.

These days had made Lin Mu understand that accepting someone’s kindness more or less comes with some price, so he did not want to trouble Song Zhi Xu too much.

Lin Ran’s eyes were all red, but the room was too dark for him to be seen by Lin Mu.

　

After a while he agreed and said in a low voice, “Ran Ran will not be a problem for Song Zhi Xu.”

Lin Mu said softly, “Good.”

The next day, after Lin Ran woke up, he felt a little better, but he still liked to follow behind Song Zhi Xu, just like when he first arrived, a stranger to everything, only wanting to follow Song Zhi Xu.

After lunch, Song Zhi Xu took them to the airport and when it was time to leave Lin Ran still couldn’t hold back his tears, hugging Song Zhi Xu in the crowded airport as he sobbed out. In the end, he just said in small voice, 

“Song Zhi Xu, Ran Ran will remember to eat properly, not eat the leftover dishes and will remember to drink the milk.”

“Good.” Song Zhi Xu nodded. Hearing the radio reminding the passengers to board the plane, he patted Lin Ran’s back, “Go, don’t delay it.”

Lin Ran departed from Song Zhi Xu’s embrace. He was pulled by Lin Mu step by step towards the boarding gate while he kept turning his head back along the way.

Song Zhi Xu suddenly recalled that day he pulled Lin Ran away from the cemetery, Lin Ran was also like this. The difference was that last time Lin Ran didn’t cry.

Until they were inside the plane, Lin Ran sat down and he gazed into the distance yet he could no longer see Song Zhi Xu’s figure.

He asked Lin Mu in a small voice with some sobs in it.

　

“Gege, let’s come and see Song Zhi Xu sooner, okay?”

Before he left, Song Zhi Xu had already told Lin Mu about Lin Ran’s situation. Now, Lin Mu was also heartbroken. He hugged Lin Ran and said, “Okay.”

After the plane landed in Haicheng, Lin Mu took Lin Ran back to the old mansion and personally tidied up his room for him. 

Because of what had happened to the Lin family, disaster after disaster, the previous nanny had already left. Lin Mu had originally thought of finding a nanny to take care of Lin Ran when he returned, but after knowing his condition, Lin Mu did not intend to do so for the time being, waiting for Lin Ran to get used to it, this matter would be put off until some time later. After his condition was stable, he still needed to take him to the hospital to examine. 

The moment Lin Ran returned to the Lin family’s house, he locked himself in his room. Lin Mu stood at the front of his room door for a while, knowing that he was sad, so he did not disturb him.

　　*

　

Song Zhi Xu returned to the villa alone, because Lin Ran had left, somehow he felt that something was missing from the house. 

But after all, he is an adult and didn’t let the sudden absence of something affect his life.

So the empty feeling in his heart only existed for a moment, since he had work to do, he then changed his clothes and went straight to the company.

After Lin Ran left, Song Zhi Xu had not heard any news about him. Lin Ran did not use his mobile phone much and Song Zhi Xu did not have much contact with Lin Mu either, even Song Zhi Xu did not go back to the villa. 

He had several houses in the capital. All the social engagements he had put off before were now brought up. He was done with all the social engagements at night, drank some wine and rested directly at a nearby house.

Until a week later, Song Zhi Xu received a call from Lin Mu in the evening and as soon as the call was answered, Lin Mu’s anxious voice sounded. 

“Zhi Xu, Ran Ran has disappeared. He didn’t bring anything with him, only carried the bag he had before. He had his passport and ID card inside. He… did he go looking for you?”