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

Chapter 269 Heading to the Disaster Area

The dumplings are cooked; they're filled with pork and cabbage, Lu Ran's favorite flavor.

He sat at the dining table, eating one bite at a time, while Shen Yuege sat opposite him, quietly watching him.

"You should eat too," Lu Ran said vaguely.

"I'm not hungry." Shen Yuege shook her head. "You should eat more. When we get to the disaster area, we might not be able to get a hot meal."

Lu Ran didn't force herself and finished the plate of dumplings completely.

After finishing the last bite, he stood up and picked up the backpack that was placed by the door.

The bag contained a few changes of clothes, a power bank, a pack of compressed biscuits, two bottles of water, a box of cold medicine and a small bottle of iodine that Shen Yuege had slipped in the night before.

"I'm leaving."

Shen Yuege stood up, walked to him, tiptoed, and gently kissed his forehead.

"be safe."

"Um."

Lu Ran opened the door, and a blast of cold air hit her face.

He glanced back and saw Shen Yuege standing at the door, backlit, so his expression was obscured.

But he knew she was smiling.

He smiled and turned to walk into the dawn.

The logistics park on the outskirts of Shanghai was already bustling with activity at the crack of dawn.

A dozen large trucks were lined up in a row, with red banners hanging on their sides: "Joint Disaster Relief Supplies from Tutu Technology, Xingyao Entertainment, Xingguang Entertainment, Xinghua Entertainment, and Shenhua Entertainment."

Workers are loading goods onto the truck: tents, quilts, food, drinking water, and medicine, all neatly stacked in boxes.

Zhou Mingzhe stood in front of the convoy, holding a list in his hand, checking the quantity of supplies.

He was wearing a military overcoat, his nose was red from the cold, but he was in good spirits.

"Three thousand two hundred tents, six thousand quilts, fifteen hundred boxes of food, three thousand boxes of drinking water, two hundred boxes of medicine, fifty generators, and one hundred sets of lighting equipment." He read the items to Lu Ran one by one. "The quantities are all correct. The list has been sent to the liaison in the disaster area."

Lu Ran nodded: "When will the convoy depart?"

"Leave at seven o'clock sharp." Zhou Mingzhe glanced at his watch. "You still have half an hour. Go grab something to eat first; the cafeteria has steamed buns."

"I'm not eating, I just ate at home." Lu Ran walked to the first truck, patted the door, and said, "I'll follow this one."

Zhou Mingzhe was taken aback: "You really want to go with them? I thought you were just saying that."

"When have I ever lied to you?" Lu Ran laughed. "Keep an eye on things in Shanghai. Don't stop the fundraising. We need to continue procuring supplies—a second batch, a third batch—we can't stop."

Zhou Mingzhe was silent for a few seconds, then took something out of his pocket and stuffed it into Lu Ran's hand.

It was an unopened pack of Band-Aids.

"Take it with you," he said. "Don't be put off."

Looking at the pack of band-aids, Lu Ran suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

"Thanks, Brother Zhou."

"What are you thanking me for?" Zhou Mingzhe pushed up his glasses, turned his head away, and said, "You should leave now and stop being so sentimental."

Lu Ran smiled, stuffed the band-aid into his pocket, opened the car door, and prepared to get in.

"Brother Lu!!!"

A loud, boisterous voice came from afar.

Lu Ran turned around and saw Tan Yu jumping out of a taxi, carrying a huge backpack, running breathlessly.

"Why are you here?" Lu Ran frowned.

"Didn't I say I'd come with you!" Tan Yu ran up to him, leaning on his knees and panting for a while. "You didn't reply to my messages yesterday, so I just came straight here!"

Lu Ran remembered that she had indeed seen Tan Yu's message last night, but she was too busy to reply.

"It's dangerous over there," he said. "Aren't you afraid?"

"I'm scared." Tan Yu straightened up and looked at him earnestly. "But if I don't go, I'll be even more scared. Brother Lu, you told me last time that a man should be responsible. I think this is the time to take responsibility."

Looking at him, Lu Ran suddenly realized that this kid had really grown up.

He's no longer that spoiled rich kid, but a young man with flesh and blood and a sense of responsibility.

"Okay." He nodded. "Get in the car."

Tan Yu grinned, yanked open the passenger door, tossed his backpack in, and climbed in himself.

Lu Ran turned around and glanced at Zhou Mingzhe, who waved at him.

"Let's go, let's go, stop dawdling."

Lu Ran smiled, opened the car door, and got into the driver's seat.

With the engines running, the convoy slowly drove out of the logistics park.

In the morning light of Shanghai, a dozen large trucks lined up in a long queue, slowly heading west.

On the bus, Tan Yu was as excited as a primary school student going on a spring outing.

"Brother Lu, what's the situation like in the disaster area right now?"

"It's not very optimistic," Lu Ran said as he drove. "Many roads are blocked, and we can't get into some places. We'll go to the provincial capital first, connect with the local rescue command, and follow their instructions."

"How long are we going to stay there?"

"It depends. They'll be back once the supplies are delivered. It could be as quick as a week, or it could take much longer."

Tan Yu nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, Brother Lu, I brought a tent, a sleeping bag, some dry food, and water. Is that enough?"

Lu Ran glanced at his bulging backpack: "How much stuff did you bring?"

"Hehe," Tan Yu scratched his head, "I brought enough for three people. I figured you might not have brought enough, so I took an extra one."

Lu Ran paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Alright, at least you've put your heart into it."

As the car entered the highway, it was already fully light. The fields on both sides of the road stretched out in the morning light, and the distant mountains appeared and disappeared in the distance.

Lu Ran glanced at his phone; the signal was full.

He sent Shen Yuege a message: [I've set off. Don't worry.]

Shen Yuege replied instantly: 【Be careful. Call me when you arrive.】

Lu Ran typed "Okay," then deleted it, typed a new line, and sent it:

Wait for me to come back, and we'll go eat Haidilao together.

Shen Yuege replied with a smiley face emoji, followed by a sentence:

【Wait for you.】

...