You were supposed to have a fake marriage with the diva, so how did you become her father?

Chapter 374 I Want to Go to School

At noon, Chen Xiaoming came downstairs again.

This time he didn't smoke; he probably ran out of cigarettes. He took an empty cigarette pack out of his pocket, crushed it, and threw it into the trash can.

Lu Ran noticed that he hesitated for a moment before throwing away the cigarette pack, but still put it in the trash can instead of just throwing it on the ground.

This small detail improved Lu Ran's impression of Chen Xiaoming.

A person who casually tosses a tissue but later throws an empty cigarette pack in the trash can isn't completely hopeless; they're just sometimes too lazy to pay attention.

"Xiao Ming," Lu Ran called out to him.

Chen Xiaoming turned to look at him, his eyes wary: "What?"

"You can play the guitar?"

Chen Xiaoming's expression changed, from wary to surprised.

"Did my mom tell you that?"

"Yes. She said you used to play very well."

Chen Xiaoming sneered: "The past is the past. It won't be like that now."

Let's go.

Lu Ran didn't stop him, but said from behind him, "I recently wrote a song with a few lines in Hokkien. I don't speak Hokkien very well, and I'm worried about pronouncing it wrong, so I'd like to find someone to listen to it. If you speak Hokkien, could you listen to it for me?"

Chen Xiaoming paused for a moment.

He didn't turn around, stood there in silence for a few seconds, and then said, "I'm not your tool."

After saying that, he went upstairs.

Shen Yuege came out of the house, watched Chen Xiaoming's figure disappear at the top of the stairs, and turned to ask Lu Ran, "What did you say to him just now?"

"I told him I wrote a song and wanted him to listen to it to see if my Hokkien pronunciation was correct."

"What did he say?"

He said he wasn't just a tool for me.

Shen Yuege couldn't help but laugh: "Your method is too stupid. If you just tell him 'Play me a song,' he'll definitely think you're just making excuses to get close to him."

"I was just looking for an excuse to get close to him."

"Then come up with a better excuse."

Lu Ran thought for a moment: "I won't change it. Let it be as it is. He'll come looking for me."

Shen Yuege glanced at him: "Are you so sure?"

"I'm not sure. But it doesn't cost anything to try."

...

Around 3 p.m., Lu Ran was taking a nap in his RV when he heard someone knocking on the door.

He groggily got up, pulled back the curtains, and saw Chen Xiaoming standing outside the car, holding a newly bought pack of cigarettes that hadn't been opened yet.

Lu Ran opened the car door: "What's wrong?"

Chen Xiaoming stood at the car door, hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone from his pocket and handed it over.

"Sing that song of yours once, and I'll record it so I can listen to it later."

Lu Ran looked at him, not answering the phone: "I have a recording device in my car. It's not professional, but it's enough to record a demo. Come in, I'll play it for you."

Chen Xiaoming hesitated for a moment, then finally climbed into the car.

He sat in the booth, looked around, his gaze lingered briefly on the double bed, then quickly looked away.

Lu Ran pulled a guitar out of the locker.

This guitar isn't his; it was a gift from Mr. Huang when the RV was being converted. He said it was a small gift for a client, an entry-level guitar that cost a few hundred yuan. The tone is so-so, but it's usable.

He tuned the strings, sat down opposite Chen Xiaoming, and cleared his throat.

"This song is called 'The Prodigal Son Returns,' and it's in Hokkien. My Hokkien isn't very fluent, so please bear with it."

He played a prelude.

The single-note arpeggios are very clean.

Chen Xiaoming leaned back in the booth, crossed his legs, and his face was full of "I want to hear what tricks you can pull off".

Lu Ran spoke up.

His Hokkien pronunciation wasn't perfect, but the melody was there, and the emotion was there, so the linguistic flaws actually made the music seem more real.

The verses are very gentle, like someone slowly telling their own story.

When he sang the chorus, his voice became louder, and a sense of sudden repentance welled up from the song.

Chen Xiaoming put his legs down, which he had been crossing.

He straightened up, leaning back in the booth.

His expression changed from somewhat nonchalant to shocked, and then from shocked to deeply understanding.

Lu Ran finished singing the last note, and the guitar sound slowly faded away in the carriage.

The carriage was silent for several seconds.

Chen Xiaoming didn't speak, staring blankly at the wood grain on the coffee table.

Lu Ran didn't rush him, but put the guitar aside and waited.

After about half a minute, Chen Xiaoming spoke.

"Did you write this song?"

"right."

"What's your name?"

"Lu Ran".

Chen Xiaoming frowned. "Lu Ran? Which Lu Ran? The one who makes games?"

"Yes, that's the one."

Chen Xiaoming was somewhat surprised by Lu Ran's answer.

He had only asked casually, even with a hint of sarcasm, but he never expected that the person in front of him would actually be real.

He stared at Lu Ran for several seconds, as if trying to match his face with an image from his memory.

"Are you Lu Ran from Tutu Technology?"

"right."

"Are you Tomorrow's alternate account?"

Lu Ran nodded.

Chen Xiaoming's hand trembled slightly.

He suddenly stood up, his head almost hitting the sunroof of the car.

"Are you Tomorrow? Are you really Tomorrow?"

Do you need to see my ID?

Chen Xiaoming didn't speak. His hands were trembling, his eyes were red, and the corners of his mouth were turned down, as if he was desperately holding back something.

Then he cried.

It wasn't the kind of loud crying; tears fell silently, and she didn't bother to wipe her runny nose. She just stood there, staring at Lu Ran, like a lost child who had finally found someone who knew the way.

Lu Ran was a little flustered by his crying: "Are you alright?"

Chen Xiaoming shook his head, wiped away his tears, and said in a hoarse voice, "I've heard all the songs you wrote."

"I copied the lyrics of many of your songs into a lyric book."

"The way I am now has something to do with you."

Lu Ran was stunned: "What does this have to do with me?"

"Because you wrote those songs, I felt that the world wasn't so bad, and I felt that I could do something. Later, I realized that I couldn't do anything, and that made me feel even worse."

Lu Ran breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out to be a positive relationship.

Chen Xiaoming sat back down in the booth, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled.

It was a feeling of excitement upon seeing an idol, but also a sense of not wanting their idol to see them in such a depraved state.

Lu Ran looked at him, feeling as if someone had squeezed her heart.

He's seen fans cry before; many fans leave messages or even send him videos crying in the private messages on TUTU's platform.

But that was the emotion conveyed on the screen, and it had no direct connection to him.

Now a living person is sitting across from him, tears falling on the floor of his car. This person is the rebellious teenager he originally wanted to help.

This feeling is wonderful.

"Listen to me." Lu Ran pushed a box of tissues in front of him.

Chen Xiaoming drew a card, wiped his face, and sniffed.

"Your current state has nothing to do with me," Lu Ran said. "It's all about yourself. You chose to become who you are. You can't shift the blame to anyone else."

Chen Xiaoming lowered his head and didn't say anything.

"But it's not too late for you to change back now."

Chen Xiaoming looked up at him, his eyes red.

"You're only eighteen, you haven't even graduated high school yet. Go back and finish your last semester of senior year, even if you don't get into a good university, a vocational college will do. Your mother runs a hotel downstairs by herself, getting up at five every morning to cook porridge and cleaning the stove at midnight. What does she get out of it?"

Chen Xiaoming's mouth was trembling.

"She hopes that one day you can go back to the way you were before."

Chen Xiaoming cried again, this time crying very loudly, like a baby.

Lu Ran didn't say anything more, pushed the tissue to his side, and let him cry on his own.

After crying for a while, Chen Xiaoming finally stopped and blew his nose.

"That song of yours was really good, could I listen to it again?"

"No problem, I'll give it to you if you like."

"Because this song was originally written for you."

Chen Xiaoming was taken aback: "When did you write it?"

"Last night. Seeing you like this yesterday reminded me of a song, so I wrote it down."

Chen Xiaoming remained silent for a long time before saying, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Just do your job well."

Chen Xiaoming stood up, walked to the car door, stopped, and turned to look at Lu Ran.

"Brother Lu Ran".

"Um?"

I won't let you down.

After saying that, he got out of the car and strode back into the house.

Lu Ran sat in the car and heard Chen Xiaoming coming upstairs from inside the house, followed by his mother's surprised voice: "Xiaoming? What's wrong? Who bullied you?"

Chen Xiaoming's voice came down from upstairs, muffled: "Mom, I'm fine."

Then came the sound of the door closing.

Lu Ran leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

Shen Yuege walked in from outside, got into the car, and sat next to him.

"What did you say to him in the car just now? He ran inside crying."

"I didn't say anything. I just played a song for him."

"What song?"

"The Prodigal Son Returns"

Shen Yuege glanced at him: "Your song title is too straightforward."

"Straightforwardness is good. He has no patience for beating around the bush."

Shen Yuege looked at him and suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek.

"What are you doing?" Lu Ran's face was pinched so hard it was distorted.

"Nothing. I just think you look especially handsome today."

"I look especially handsome every day."

"You look especially handsome today."

Lu Ran rubbed his cheek that had been pinched and smiled.

...

The next morning, Lu Ran and Shen Yuege were having breakfast when Chen Xiaoming came downstairs.

Lu Ran almost didn't recognize him.

The blond afro was gone, replaced by a buzz cut that lay short against his scalp, making him look much more energetic.

She changed her floral jacket into a dark blue cotton coat, removed her silver chain, and the earrings she wore were gone.

He seemed like a completely different person.

When Aunt Chen came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of porridge, she almost dropped the bowl when she saw her son's expression.

"Xiao Ming? Where's your hair?"

"I cut it." Chen Xiaoming sat down at the table, ladled himself a bowl of porridge, picked up a steamed bun and took a bite. "Mom, I want to discuss something with you."

Aunt Chen sat down, her voice trembling slightly: "What is it?"

"I want to go back to school. I want to finish my last semester of senior year."

Aunt Chen's eyes immediately reddened, and tears fell into the porridge bowl with a pattering sound.

"Don't cry!" Chen Xiaoming panicked. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm so happy," Aunt Chen said, wiping her eyes. "I'm so happy."

Chen Xiaoming glanced at his mother, then at Lu Ran, before lowering his head to continue drinking his porridge.

Lu Ran noticed that his hand holding the bowl was trembling.

...