Inside the store.
Sheng Qingxi listened intently to the shopkeeper’s introduction: “Young lady, this pair of gloves is professional-grade. The inside and outside are seamlessly connected, with minimal padding. This will give the punches more impact. These gloves just arrived this morning, and you won’t find a more beautiful pair in the whole city. Trust me, that boy will definitely like them.”
Such beautiful, professional gloves came with a steep price.
Sheng Qingxi had hardly touched the money in this card, which was filled with years of scholarship savings. Before high school, the card had always been with Sheng Lan, but after Sheng Qingxi entered high school, Sheng Lan returned the card to her, letting her manage it herself.
The money wasn’t too much, nor too little, but after purchasing the gloves, nearly half of it was gone.
At the street corner, Sheng Qingxi hugged the gloves, unsure of where to go. She had never tried to comfort anyone before; the only experience she had was with the children at the orphanage.
Most of those children stayed at the orphanage for only a short time. Sheng Qingxi was the only one who had stayed for so long. Over the years, she had lingered between comings and goings, sending off one child after another, only to welcome more who were either abandoned or left without guardians.
The night wind was slightly cool.
After hesitating for a long time, Sheng Qingxi finally boarded the bus to Guangnian. Today, she wasn’t in her school uniform, having worn casual clothes instead, so no one stopped her at the entrance.
Sheng Qingxi walked to the stands, scanning the area. She didn’t see Lin Ran, only noticing He Mo and Xie Zhen standing by the railing, with two others by their side, pointing at the racetrack and talking about something.
The people in the stands had expressions of excitement and anticipation, as if ready to spring into action.
Suddenly, the roar of motorcycles filled the arena.
Sheng Qingxi couldn’t quite follow the race, so she focused on the screen, where the data flashed and updated. At that moment, the name “Ran” was in first place.
She walked up to the railing and looked down. Despite the many heavy motorcycles on the track, she instantly recognized Lin Ran. He was riding a bike she hadn’t seen before, but his figure was all too familiar to her.
The red motorcycle was wild and aggressive, its lines smooth yet sharp. The beautiful body of the bike bore Lin Ran’s signature—a burning flame.
In the dark of the night.
The dazzling red bike sped through the darkness like a phantom. The rider chasing Lin Ran cursed under his breath, calling him a madman. He had never seen anyone crazier than Lin Ran. Several times, Lin Ran almost lost control and crashed, yet he never slowed down.
What did this person think of his own life?
It wasn’t just the racers who noticed this, even Sheng Qingxi could see it.
But Lin Ran didn’t care what anyone else thought at that moment. If he could, he would gladly trade his life for Lin Yanyan’s, so she could live a life full of happiness and joy.
Adrenaline surged through his body. Lin Ran’s hands lightly twisted the handlebars, creating a subtle friction between his gloves and the grips. Even as he crossed the finish line, Lin Ran didn’t slow down!
It looked like he was about to crash straight into the wall outside the track, and people in the crowd began to cry out in alarm.
Xie Zhen anxiously called out Lin Ran’s name.
The staff inside the racetrack started running.
Sheng Qingxi’s heart tightened. Her upper body was nearly leaning out from the stands. When she shouted Lin Ran’s name, it felt like her entire chest was vibrating, the sound buzzing in her ears.
“Lin Ran—”
The girl’s shout seemed to come from a far-off place. Her voice penetrated through the hard helmet and reached his ears. In that moment, Lin Ran felt like he had heard this kind of shout more than once.
A shout that was equally desperate and hoarse.
She didn’t call his name just once. It sounded like she was crying.
Lin Ran suddenly slammed on the brakes, just before he was about to crash into the wall.
In the stands, Tiger Fang curled his lips into a playful smile, setting down his cigarette. His raspy voice chuckled, “This kid’s interesting. Someday, I’ll race him myself. Have we contacted him yet?”
One of his team members shook his head. “Not yet, I’ll ask him sometime.”
Tiger Fang touched the tooth pendant on his chest, his fingers running over its sharp tip as he laughed, “Sometime? Let’s do it tonight.”
…
After Lin Ran got off the bike, he instinctively looked up to find Sheng Qingxi’s figure, but she wasn’t inside. He casually tossed his helmet aside, wanting to go out and find her. At that moment, only one thought filled his mind: was she crying?
Breathing heavily, Lin Ran walked towards the exit, but someone seemed to stop him, asking him something in his ear.
He shoved the person aside, his voice cold. “Get lost.”
Lin Ran didn’t even wait to change out of his racing suit, but before he could find Sheng Qingxi, Xie Zhen hurried down and blocked him. Stammering, he asked, “R-Ran…Brother Ran, are you okay?”
Lin Ran stared at him for a moment, the familiar face slightly calming the madness in his eyes.
He unzipped his racing suit and tossed it into Xie Zhen’s arms, his mind entirely focused on finding the person he was searching for. A strange feeling welled up in him. He felt like he had seen Sheng Qingxi before.
Where?
His memory was a chaotic mess, as if burned to ashes by that great fire, and he couldn’t recall it right away.
Lin Ran found Sheng Qingxi sitting alone on a bench by the entrance to the club. Her small figure looked lonely, her head bowed, making it hard for him to see her expression.
She seemed to be holding something in her arms.
Lin Ran paused for a moment, then walked up behind her, his voice hoarse as he called out to her, “Sheng Qingxi, look at me.”
Hearing Lin Ran’s voice, Sheng Qingxi slowly lifted her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly. It was as if she had been transported back to that night, the night Lin Ran had been consumed by flames.
Sheng Qingxi placed the gloves she had been holding down and turned to face him. The boy in front of her didn’t look much better either.
His upper body was drenched in sweat, his black, messy hair pushed back casually. His dark eyes stared at her intently. She softly asked, “Lin Ran, what are you doing?”
Lin Ran looked at her red, tear-stained eyes but couldn’t respond.
What was he doing? He didn’t even know.
His throat was dry, and he wanted to tell her not to cry, but the words got stuck there, unable to come out.
In the end, he only said, “Call my name again.”
Shout my name.
Sheng Qingxi was very angry at that moment. She wanted to ask him what he was doing to himself, what he was thinking, but looking into those burning dark eyes, she relented. She couldn’t help but soften her heart toward him.
Because he was standing right in front of her, alive.
She tilted her small face upward, looking at him seriously. His figure was reflected in her black eyes.
She called his name, “Lin Ran.”
In that instant, the restless turmoil inside Lin Ran suddenly quieted. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and almost involuntarily, he reached out, gently touching the top of her head. “I’m here.”
Lin Ran told himself, I’m still alive, I’m still here in this world.
After a long while, both Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran calmed down, though neither of them knew the storm that had just raged inside the other’s heart.
Lin Ran lowered his gaze to look at her and softly asked, “You came to find me?”
Sheng Qingxi hesitated, then nodded slightly. She picked up the neatly packaged gloves beside her and handed them to him. “For you.”
Lin Ran didn’t take them right away. He glanced at the package, unable to see clearly what she was holding. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Why are you suddenly giving me something?”
Sheng Qingxi obediently replied, “To cheer you up.”
Lin Ran was taken aback for a moment, then laughed softly, “Cheer me up?”
Sheng Qingxi’s dark eyes dimmed slightly. She tucked her chin inward, pursing her lips as she looked at him, and said in a small voice, “I upset you that day, I’m sorry.”
The smile slowly faded from Lin Ran’s lips. He looked at her with a complicated expression. At that moment, there was no need to question her feelings for him, because her affection for him was almost bursting from her eyes.
He bent down, meeting her gaze, and said seriously, “Sheng Qingxi, you don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault. I… I just have a bad temper.”
It was already 11 p.m.
After tutoring Song Shiman, Sheng Qingxi had left at nine, then went out to buy the gloves for Lin Ran. The hours had slipped by without her realizing it.
Just as Sheng Qingxi was about to say something, her phone suddenly rang.
Lin Ran saw her glance at the screen before answering the call. The girl softly called out to the person on the other end, “Mama Sheng, I’m heading home now. I’ll catch a ride, so don’t wait for me.”
Lin Ran frowned. What kind of address was that?
While she was on the phone, Lin Ran quickly sent a message to He Mo.
Not long after, He Mo appeared, holding two helmets. When he saw Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi together, his curiosity was piqued, but before he could observe further, Lin Ran sent him away.
Lin Ran’s usual motorcycle was parked at the entrance. He patiently waited for Sheng Qingxi to finish her call.
As she put away her phone, Sheng Qingxi looked up to see Lin Ran handing her a helmet. She was momentarily stunned. “What are you doing?”
Lin Ran tilted his chin up. “Put it on. I’ll take you home.”
Sheng Qingxi hesitated for a moment but accepted the helmet. She looked down at the gloves in her hands and asked, “Do you want these? I picked them very carefully. Are you still mad?”
Lin Ran pointed at the package she was holding and asked, “Can these be returned?”
Sheng Qingxi quickly shook her head.
Lin Ran frowned at her. “Don’t buy me anything again.”
Sheng Qingxi nodded again.
At this moment, she seemed even more obedient than Lin Yanyan. Lin Ran smirked, taking the bag from her hand. He went back into the club to store the bag and grabbed his keys before returning.
Lin Ran pointed at the helmet and asked, “Do you know how to wear it?”
Sheng Qingxi hesitantly tried putting it on, clumsily fastening the strap. It was her first time wearing a racing helmet, and it felt like her head was wrapped in something soft.
Lin Ran chuckled and reached over to fasten the strap for her.
He tapped her helmet gently. “Hold onto me tightly later.”
Originally, Lin Ran had planned to help her onto the bike, but to his surprise, Sheng Qingxi rested one hand on the seat, gave a slight push, and easily swung onto the bike. Once seated, she looked at him with wide, expectant eyes.
Lin Ran stared at her for a few seconds, then climbed onto the bike and started the engine. The next moment, a pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist tightly, just like the first time—holding on as if she would never let go.
Sheng Qingxi heard the engine roar to life, but Lin Ran didn’t move right away, so she couldn’t help but shift her head slightly.
That small movement brought Lin Ran back to his senses, pushing away the scattered thoughts in his mind. He asked, “Where do you live?”
Sheng Qingxi gave him an address.
Lin Ran twisted the throttle, pressing down with his foot, and the motorcycle shot off like the wind.
The gentle moonlight bathed the two of them, who were pressed closely together, while the clouds seemed to drift along their path, lazily observing the boy and girl hidden in the darkness.
Tonight, the moonlight was hazy and beautiful.