So, what was it that she wanted from all this?
So far, she had gained nothing and only continued to give.
At the back of the 113 bus, it was just the two of them. Without looking directly at her, Lin Ran stared ahead and suddenly asked, “Sheng Qingxi, are you happy at No. 1? Compared to before, things seem tougher for you now.”
Sheng Qingxi turned her head slightly, and with a single glance, she could see Lin Ran’s profile.
She had seen his profile countless times before. Before high school graduation, she could only stand at the school gate, watching him from afar, even though he didn’t remember her. But even that had been enough for her.
After graduation, all she had were a few photos of him to look at.
Lin Ran didn’t like being photographed. Those pictures were either taken secretly by others or were with Lin Yanyan.
Only when he took pictures with Lin Yanyan did his expression soften ever so slightly. Though the rebelliousness in his eyes never fully faded, there was a rare tenderness in those moments.
Sheng Qingxi knew that beneath Lin Ran’s cold exterior, there was always a soft heart.
The boy she had liked all along had never really changed.
Sheng Qingxi’s lips curved into a quiet smile. “Yes, I’m very happy at No. 1. Life here is different from what it was before. No. 1 is great. Shiman is great. And you… you’re great too.”
“Just as I thought, it’s good,” Sheng Qingxi said.
Lin Ran’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Doesn’t going to school feel exhausting? A completely unfamiliar environment, new classmates, the long commute every day—none of that bothers you?”
Sheng Qingxi turned her head to look out the window, her voice soft yet firm. “It doesn’t matter. Even if it’s tiring, it’s fine. Lin Ran, I have something I absolutely must do.”
Lin Ran looked down. “Is it something really important?”
Sheng Qingxi hesitated briefly, then sighed softly. “Yes, very important.”
Extremely important.
The wind outside the bus window carried a cool drizzle into the bus, causing Sheng Qingxi’s eyelashes to tremble slightly. She clenched her right hand.
In this lifetime, she was determined to ensure that Lin Ran survived.
Neither of them spoke again after that, and the bus ride remained silent and still.
When the announcement for their stop rang out, Lin Ran stood up, ready to get off. As he did, he repeated the same words he had said the previous night: “Sheng Qingxi, hold onto my shirt.”
Lin Ran didn’t move right away—he was waiting.
A few moments later, he felt a gentle tug on the hem of his school uniform. It was as if a soft, fluffy creature had brushed against him, and his heart softened at the sensation.
That light, delicate touch came from Sheng Qingxi’s hand.
Lin Ran smiled.
—
That day, nearly everyone in Class One noticed something was off about Lin Ran.
The first to notice were Xie Zhen and He Mo. During the morning reading session, Lin Ran would usually have his earphones in, either napping on his desk or lounging sideways. But today, he was daydreaming.
If it had been ordinary daydreaming, it wouldn’t have been so strange. But he was staring at two one-yuan coins on his desk.
They had never seen Lin Ran carry loose change before. With the rise of mobile payments, it was rare for young people to have cash on hand anymore. Even street performers had QR codes on display for tips.
The next person to notice something strange was the class representative in charge of collecting homework after morning reading.
The poor class rep nearly dropped all the assignments in his arms when Lin Ran called him over. He stammered nervously, “Brother R-Ran, d-do you need something?”
Lin Ran, with a serious expression, asked, “Do we have homework every day?”
The class rep swallowed hard. “Y-Yes… but don’t worry, Brother Ran, we’ve never marked down your name. The teachers know, and they won’t mention it.”
As long as you don’t cause trouble, they’re happy.
Lin Ran nodded. “Good. As long as there’s homework.”
The class rep: “…”
As soon as Lin Ran finished speaking, the class rep bolted, terrified Lin Ran might call him back for more questions.
The final person to notice something strange about Lin Ran was their homeroom teacher, Mr. Qu. Mr. Qu was a mild-mannered, incredibly kind teacher who had fought hard to keep Lin Ran from being expelled last time.
In Mr. Qu’s eyes, every student in Class One was a good kid.
Because of this, the students had a great relationship with him. Instead of calling him “Mr. Qu,” they all affectionately called him “Old Qu.”
After morning reading, Lin Ran went straight to the office to find Old Qu. Mr. Qu was just sitting down to breakfast—two steamed buns and a cup of soy milk. When Lin Ran saw him, he couldn’t help but tease, “Old Qu, didn’t your wife make you breakfast today?”
Old Qu gave him a side-eye. “Your teacher’s wife is off traveling. I’m stuck here eating buns every day.”
He set his bun aside and took a sip of hot soy milk, sighing contentedly as he leaned back in his chair. “Alright, tell me, what do you need?”
Lin Ran didn’t beat around the bush. “Old Qu, is there any spot left for our class in the study room? Save one for me.”
Old Qu paused, surprised, and picked up his glasses to take a closer look at Lin Ran, making sure it was really him before taking them off again.
“You want a study room spot? You barely study in the classroom, and now you want to go to the study room? Did one of those good students annoy you or something?”
Lin Ran’s face darkened as Old Qu’s guess went further and further off track.
“I just want to study,” Lin Ran explained, clearly exasperated.
Old Qu was silent for a long moment.
Frowning, Old Qu thought it over. Finally, he said, “In about a week, after the second round of mock exams for the third years, we’ll have our monthly test. If you score in the top 300 of your grade, I’ll swallow my pride and get you a spot.”
Lin Ran: “…?”
The entire second-year class only had 307 students. With Sheng Qingxi’s recent transfer, that made it 308.
Was Old Qu underestimating him?
But, to be fair, you couldn’t really blame Old Qu. Since Lin Ran had started high school, he hadn’t bothered writing his name on a single exam. Every time the invigilators collected the papers, they marked him as absent.
When Old Qu had asked him about it, Lin Ran had kindly told him that he was doing it to keep the class average from dropping.
Yet, despite his behavior, Lin Ran still showed up for every exam—only to nap through them.
Over time, Old Qu had accepted this as Lin Ran’s style. All he could hope for was that Lin Ran didn’t cause too much trouble. Exams, he figured, were trivial compared to keeping Lin Ran in check.
So, Old Qu hadn’t dared to hope for the day Lin Ran would turn over a new leaf.
But now that the day had come, Old Qu was more excited than ever.
If a spot in the study room could get Lin Ran to focus on his studies, Old Qu would give him two spots if necessary. Worst case, he’d beg to squeeze in an extra desk.
With that in mind, Old Qu added a piece of advice, “The kids in the study room are good kids. Don’t go in there and scare them.”
Lin Ran: “…I’m going there to study.”
Old Qu waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, I know you’re going to study. Now get back to class; it’s almost time. Oh, and why haven’t you been leaving early these days? Aren’t you picking up your sister?”
Lin Ran had already informed Old Qu ahead of time, to avoid any trouble with the administration.
As he turned to leave, Lin Ran waved without looking back. “Not anymore, someone else is picking her up.”
…
Lin Ran’s odd behavior didn’t fade after the morning ended. Even when he returned to class, he continued staring at the two coins on his desk, as if they might sprout flowers if he looked long enough.
One was minted in 2009, and the other in 2018.
He Mo glanced at Lin Ran. Is he sick or something?
Later in the morning, during the break between classes, He Mo and Xie Zhen invited Lin Ran to join them for lunch in the cafeteria, since he no longer needed to eat with Lin Yanyan.
Lin Ran lazily trailed behind them as they walked toward the cafeteria. Other students rushed past them, eager to grab a seat, but the trio didn’t seem to care, taking their time as they slowly made their way down the stairs.
As they turned the corner on the first floor, He Mo, always observant, spotted Song Shiman and Sheng Qingxi ahead, with the top student of the grade, Gu Mingji, walking behind the two girls. They seemed to be chatting about something.
He Mo glanced back at Lin Ran, trying to signal him with his eyes.
But Lin Ran, completely clueless about the intentions of someone who spent his time watching owl videos, responded impatiently, “I’m not an owl, how am I supposed to know what you mean? Just say it.”
Xie Zhen burst out laughing, “Hahahahaha!”
He Mo wanted to curse but held back, sighing dramatically. “Brother Ran, the goddesses are up ahead.”
At this, Lin Ran finally lifted his gaze, scanning the crowd.
Up ahead, Song Shiman had her arm linked with Sheng Qingxi’s, playfully pinching her cheek. Whatever she said made both Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji laugh.
At first glance, the three of them looked quite harmonious.
But Lin Ran’s face darkened. That little thing, smiling so brightly—who’s she smiling for?
Without saying anything more, Lin Ran quickened his pace, tossing back a casual, “You guys eat by yourselves.”
And with that, he left.
—
Half an hour later.
After lunch, Sheng Qingxi and Song Shiman took a lap around the field before heading back upstairs to class. As soon as Sheng Qingxi entered through the back door, she felt a few curious glances sneaking her way. She didn’t pay much attention and simply walked toward her seat.
But when her eyes landed on her desk, she froze.
Where there had once been just a few books and a notebook, her desk was now piled high with snacks of all kinds, forming a small mountain. And that wasn’t all—when she got closer, she realized that even her chair was covered with snacks.
Chen Yi looked up and whispered, “Sheng Qingxi, Lin Ran brought them over.”
About ten minutes earlier, Lin Ran had strolled into Class Six with two huge bags of snacks. He had even asked, quite politely, where Sheng Qingxi sat.
And he didn’t just drop the bags and leave. No, Lin Ran took his time arranging the snacks into a display on her desk, meticulously setting everything up before snapping a picture of his handiwork.
Once he was satisfied, he walked out without a word.
Staring at the mountain of snacks covering her desk and chair, Sheng Qingxi didn’t know what to do for a moment.
After thinking it over, she decided to go find Lin Ran.
When she arrived at Class One, the room was still mostly empty. Peeking her head inside, she saw Lin Ran sitting at his desk, head lowered, seemingly absorbed in something.
Sheng Qingxi called softly from the back door, “Lin Ran.”
Lin Ran immediately turned to look at her.
He had been waiting for her to come find him for a while now, so her appearance didn’t surprise him. But his mood wasn’t the best at the moment, and knowing how Sheng Qingxi usually let him have his way, he instinctively felt like throwing a bit of a tantrum.
Still sitting in his seat, Lin Ran didn’t move but beckoned her with a casual wave of his hand. “Come in.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
Over the past few days, Lin Ran had pretty much figured out Sheng Qingxi’s personality. She was smart when it came to academics, but completely clueless about social interactions. She followed school rules strictly and probably had never done anything rebellious in her life.
The most rebellious thing she had ever done was probably liking him.
At that moment, Lin Ran really wanted to tease her.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, locked in a silent standoff. Lin Ran saw the slight unease in her clear, watery eyes, and suddenly, his heart softened. He cursed himself internally, Lin Ran, are you even human?
But just as he was about to get up, Sheng Qingxi, who had been peeking at him, quietly walked into the classroom.
She stopped beside his desk but didn’t sit down in the empty seat next to him. Instead, she lowered her gaze and stood there silently, looking at him.
She softly called his name again, “Lin Ran.”
Lin Ran froze, his eyes darkening slightly.
The more obedient she was, the more he wanted to bully her.
Tapping his long fingers lightly on the empty desk, Lin Ran closed his eyes for a moment and said in a low, raspy voice, “Sit down.”
Sheng Qingxi knew he didn’t have a deskmate. After only a brief hesitation, she sat down.
Once seated, she spoke obediently, “Lin Ran, I don’t want that many snacks. I’ll bring them over for you and your friends to eat. Don’t your two friends love snacks?”
Lin Ran smirked, teasing her, “How do you know they like snacks? They don’t. I bought them for you.”
Sheng Qingxi pursed her lips. “I don’t want them.”
Seeing her stubborn expression, Lin Ran felt the urge to tease her even more. “Why don’t you want them?”
He propped his head on his hand and turned to watch her, curious to see what reason she could come up with.
Sheng Qingxi thought about it for a while, her delicate brows knitting together slightly.
A minute later, Lin Ran watched as Sheng Qingxi, with a serious expression, said with full conviction, “Because I don’t know how to sort the trash, Lin Ran. I can’t risk causing the class to lose points.”
Lin Ran: “…”
After all that, this was the reason she came up with?