At 1 a.m., Lin Ran sat in the living room, staring at the torn-open gift bag, his expression hard to read.
Inside the bag was a pair of limited-edition boxing gloves—beautiful and expensive.
Lin Ran rubbed his forehead, then suddenly covered his eyes with his hand as he leaned back on the sofa, his mind in chaos. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do about Sheng Qingxi.
He had just returned from Shengkai Orphanage Home, where he had personally watched her walk through the gates.
He wasn’t a fool. Thinking back, especially to the moment when Sheng Qingxi had called someone “Mom Sheng” on the phone, the situation had become painfully obvious.
Lin Ran couldn’t stop thinking about where Sheng Qingxi had gotten the money to buy him these gloves. Had she saved up for a long time since childhood? Or had she earned it by working? Would she get scolded for it?
Then he suddenly remembered the question he had asked her that night—
“Didn’t your parents tell you to focus on your studies and avoid early relationships?”
She hadn’t explained anything to him, just obediently replied, “I won’t get into a relationship early.”
Frustrated, Lin Ran ran his hand through his hair and went up to the rooftop on the fourth floor to smoke a cigarette.
Even though it was early morning, the entire city of Chucheng had yet to sleep.
In the distance, the city lights twinkled. Lin Ran gazed westward. In Chucheng, the west side was a rather remote area filled with old residential neighborhoods, far from No. 1 High School.
Sheng Qingxi had attended No. 2 High School, which was near the west side of the city. After transferring to No. 1 High, she took the bus to school every day, a commute that took her two hours, all while dealing with a strange new environment and unfamiliar people.
It was the price she willingly paid.
For him.
By the time Lin Ran came back down and showered, it was already quite late. Yet as he lay in bed, he couldn’t fall asleep. Staring into the void of darkness, his mind was full of Sheng Qingxi.
He had many pairs of gloves—custom-made ones, limited-edition ones, gifts from others.
But no pair had ever left him feeling so unsettled.
Damn it.
…
At the “Poison” club.
Tiger Fang sat at the bar, glancing at the people competing against Lin Ran. He tapped out a cigarette and asked, “So, how does it feel to race against that kid?”
The team members exchanged looks. The answer was obvious.
Lin Ran was crazy. Crazier than “Poison.”
A muscular man in a tank top said, “Brother Fang, I don’t think that kid has any intention of joining the club. The guys from ‘Addiction’ came to see him that day, specifically to check him out, but I heard he didn’t even show up on the track. Tonight, it was only because we signed him up that he came out for a few laps. Judging by his performance tonight, I’d say he’s not interested in our club either. I’m worried he’s going to team up with ‘Addiction’ to play us.”
Currently, in Chucheng’s motorcycle racing scene, no team could rival “Addiction” except for “Poison.” More importantly, new sponsors were scouting the various teams in Chucheng for future prospects.
The battle between “Addiction” and “Poison” for talent had been raging for nearly a month.
It was clear that Lin Ran was one of the key targets in this fight.
Tiger Fang paused for a moment while lighting his cigarette. This kind of thing had happened before. A few years back, they had been played by “Addiction,” and that’s when the feud between the two teams began.
But after a moment, Tiger Fang smiled again and spoke gently, “I heard that kid has a little sister. Why don’t you send someone to ‘look after’ her? But don’t scare the little girl. Keep it moderate—just enough to send Lin Ran a message. What happens next is up to him.”
The seemingly gentle words sent chills down everyone’s spine.
—
For a whole week, Sheng Qingxi hadn’t seen Lin Ran. He hadn’t shown up to the two gym classes they had together, which made her uneasy. The time when Lin Yanyan would have her accident was fast approaching.
The junior high department had a different schedule from theirs; they didn’t have evening classes, and once afternoon lessons ended, most kids, except those boarding, would go home.
Lin Yanyan was picked up and dropped off by Lin Ran every day.
So, at the start of the new week, Sheng Qingxi told Song Shiman that she wouldn’t be able to have dinner with her for the time being.
Song Shiman was a little upset but didn’t make a fuss. She figured Sheng Qingxi had something else to take care of. Besides, Song Shiman had been focusing on completing the study tasks Sheng Qingxi assigned her every day. She had never been this diligent before.
Sheng Qingxi was too kind, even if she had to explain a problem a hundred times, she never lost her patience.
Song Shiman couldn’t help but take things seriously.
—
On Wednesday afternoon, two days before Lin Yanyan’s accident, Sheng Qingxi, like the previous days, rushed to the junior high department as soon as class ended. She discreetly watched Lin Ran pick up Lin Yanyan after school. Lin Ran always arrived early, waiting by the stairwell for Lin Yanyan.
She peeked at Lin Ran taking Lin Yanyan’s backpack, leading her toward the school gate.
Lin Yanyan tilted her head and said something to Lin Ran. He reached out and ruffled her hair, but his face remained cold, carrying a slight chill.
Today was different from the usual routine. Instead of heading to the parking garage, Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan walked directly to the school gate.
Sheng Qingxi watched them leave the campus and slowly walked back, a bit puzzled. In the previous life, did Lin Ran also come early to wait for Lin Yanyan every day?
This was a deep scar in Lin Yanyan’s heart, so Sheng Qingxi hadn’t asked for too many details. She only knew that it had something to do with Lin Ran’s racing team.
Sheng Qingxi bit her lip. Something must have gone wrong that day; otherwise, Lin Ran wouldn’t have let Lin Yanyan end up in such a terrible situation.
—
The south gate of No. 1 High School wasn’t as lively as the west gate. Aside from a few breakfast stalls, there were no other shops. Across the street was a residential area still under development, making the scene desolate and lonely.
Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan left early, and apart from a few parked cars, there were hardly any people around.
Not long after leaving the school, Lin Ran sensed something was off. It felt like someone was following them. His face darkened, and he instinctively pulled Lin Yanyan closer to his side, discreetly glancing back.
Two people.
One was a bald man, and the other was skinny.
A moment later, Lin Ran suddenly stopped. Ahead, there was a secluded alley, and the sound of metal striking against a concrete wall echoed from within, rough and rhythmic.
There were people in the alley.
There were probably more people waiting to ambush them at the corner up ahead too.
Lin Ran pulled Lin Yanyan closer and lowered his voice. “Yanyan, in a moment, when I count to one, run back to school as fast as you can. Go straight to the security office and call the police. Got it?”
Hearing this, Lin Yanyan froze for a second, but she quickly realized what was happening. Nervously, she called out, “Brother…”
Lin Ran didn’t hesitate anymore. He turned and walked straight toward the two men behind them.
At the same time, he started counting down—
“Three.”
The two men didn’t seem surprised that Lin Ran had noticed them. One of them even chuckled. “Brother Fang was right. This kid’s sharp.”
Lin Ran stared at the mocking smile at the corner of the man’s lips, and a surge of anger instantly ignited within him.
The bald man gruffly asked, “Hey, kid, how about coming with us to see Brother Fang?”
The skinny guy added, his tone lewd, “And bring your little sister along.”
Lin Ran’s expression turned ice-cold. Without a word, he tossed Lin Yanyan’s bag aside.
“Two.”
The two men were startled by his sudden move, exchanging glances. From the look on Lin Ran’s face, it was clear he wasn’t planning on talking things through peacefully. A chill ran down their spines.
One of them immediately called out, “Qiangzi!”
Not even a second passed after his shout when Lin Ran suddenly launched his attack. He threw a punch straight at them, his eyes sharp and filled with menace. His feet followed swiftly, his movements relentless.
Without looking back, Lin Ran shouted, “One!”
Lin Yanyan didn’t dare hesitate any longer. She bolted, running as fast as she could across the street, putting distance between her and the group. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, filled with both fear and urgency.
By the time Qiangzi and his men emerged with iron rods in hand, Lin Yanyan had already darted across the road. He spat out a cigarette butt, then started walking toward Lin Ran.
Ahead, the blue and white school uniform fluttered with the boy’s fierce movements.
Fists and kicks collided, and chaos ensued.
—
Inside the school.
The further Sheng Qingxi walked, the slower her steps became. Her instincts told her something was wrong. Why hadn’t Lin Ran driven Lin Yanyan home?
His car was clearly parked under the bike shed.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, turned around, and sprinted toward the school gate. The wind lifted her black hair, stinging her eyes as she weaved through the crowd, picking up her pace.
It was after school, and most people were walking out.
So, those coming in stood out, and Sheng Qingxi immediately spotted the pale-faced Lin Yanyan, running frantically toward the security office.
Sheng Qingxi ran up to the gate just as Lin Yanyan, too panicked to speak, tried to explain. She raised her voice and asked, “Lin Yanyan, where’s your brother? Where’s Lin Ran? Where is he?”
Lin Yanyan’s wide, deer-like eyes were full of fear. “Brother… Brother is across the road. He told me to come report it to the police. There are a lot of people surrounding him…”
The security guard, realizing something was wrong, quickly picked up the phone to call the police and sent someone to help.
But Sheng Qingxi was already gone.
—
In the narrow, damp alleyway, the sounds of chaotic footsteps and dull thuds filled the air. Lin Ran bent his knee and kicked a man charging at him into the corner, then swiftly dodged an iron rod swinging at him from behind, retaliating with a brutal elbow strike. The man behind him groaned, and the iron rod clattered to the ground.
By now, most of the people were already down.
Lin Ran casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His once-tidy black hair was now disheveled, his brows furrowed tightly. His cold, narrow eyes gleamed faintly red, and the line of his jaw was clenched tight.
A slender hand suddenly picked up the iron rod from the ground.
Lin Ran gripped the rod tightly, his gaze dark and ominous, lifting his eyes to look at Qiangzi. The man had a scar above his left eye—Lin Ran remembered him. He was one of the men who had tried to bully Lin Yanyan.
Qiangzi spat blood onto the ground. “Lin Ran’s a tough one,” he thought. His real-life combat experience wasn’t inferior to theirs, and even with six of them, they hadn’t been able to take him down.
The once-pristine white sneakers Lin Ran wore were now filthy, soaked in the muddy puddles of the alley.
Lin Ran let out a low chuckle and raised the iron rod in his hand.
—
When Sheng Qingxi arrived at the mouth of the alley, she saw Lin Ran gripping Qiangzi’s head and slamming it viciously against the wall. The others lay on the ground clutching their stomachs, still gasping for breath.
The bald man on the ground gritted his teeth and struggled to reach for the bloodstained iron rod. Grasping it, he staggered to his feet, cursing under his breath, “Damn kid.”
Lin Ran paid no attention to the man’s actions behind him, not until he heard the sharp sound of the rod slicing through the air. He tilted his head slightly, trying to dodge the blow, but the seemingly unconscious Qiangzi suddenly raised his hand like a blade, aiming directly for Lin Ran’s neck.
Instinctively, Lin Ran twisted Qiangzi’s hand away, but that split-second delay allowed the iron rod swinging above him to find its mark.
There was no way for Lin Ran to escape.
He braced himself for the pain, his expression remaining unchanged.
But just at that moment, a slender, pale hand shot out from the side, forcefully intercepting the iron rod aimed at the back of Lin Ran’s head. The collision of metal and flesh produced a dull thud.
Lin Ran’s pupils contracted as he quickly turned his head to see what had happened.