Lin Ran, feeling agitated, scoffed when he heard the girl’s words. His voice carried a hint of cold indifference, “What’s the use of having a girlfriend?”
As soon as he looked up, his eyes met Sheng Qingxi’s.
Clear, beautiful.
A stark contrast to his cold and thorny demeanor.
Lin Ran: “…”
I’ll kill myself.
—
Sheng Qingxi had clearly heard what the school beauty from No. 6 High had said.
The once indifferent boy sitting on the sofa immediately stood up, looking at her nervously.
Sheng Qingxi glanced at the table. The bottles of alcohol were all unopened, which clearly contradicted Xie Zhen’s claim that Lin Ran was drinking like crazy.
“Sheng Qingxi, I…” Lin Ran struggled for a long time before blurting out, “I’m an idiot.”
The school beauty: “……”
She was now certain—Lin Ran hadn’t “saved” her that day. He just wanted to fight.
He Mo, trying hard to stifle his laughter, shrank to the side and quietly gave Xie Zhen a thumbs up.
Dude, you’re incredible—not only did you manage to get Sheng Qingxi here, but you also happened to catch her at the perfect moment. This had to be divine intervention.
Sheng Qingxi ignored Lin Ran and instead turned to the school beauty beside her. She asked softly, “Lin Ran saved you?”
“I didn’t!”
“He was there for a fight!”
Two voices rang out simultaneously.
Lin Ran: ?
Helping someone is better than getting into a fight, right? What’s up with this girl?
No. 6 High’s school beauty: ?
I knew it! This guy is just as bad as he looks—fierce and mean!
Ugh! Stupid man!
With that, the school beauty spun on her heel and left.
He Mo and Xie Zhen, sensing the tension, quickly slipped to the other side of the private room, leaving only Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran alone in the corner.
The lighting in the corner was dim, with just a few small lights overhead.
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t seen Lin Ran in a while. She lifted her gaze to take a good look at the boy standing in front of her. His black hair was cut shorter, he looked thinner, and there was a faint trace of weariness between his brows.
She knew Lin Ran had been working hard on his studies these past few days.
Sheng Qingxi stared at him for a moment before suddenly saying, “Lin Ran, come a little closer and lower your head.”
Lin Ran didn’t ask any questions. He stepped closer to Sheng Qingxi and bent his head down in front of her.
He was tall, and even with his head lowered, she had to stand on her tiptoes.
Sheng Qingxi raised her hand and gently stroked his head. His short, rough hair pricked her fingers slightly, and she felt Lin Ran tense up the moment she touched him.
She smiled softly. “Lin Ran, you’ve worked hard.”
Lin Ran’s throat tightened. He didn’t know how to respond. Some things can’t be achieved through effort alone, and he was acutely aware that he hadn’t made it into the top 50 this time.
Reaching for something he couldn’t grasp was torture.
Sheng Qingxi could see the conflicting emotions in his eyes. He was angry at himself.
She sighed inwardly. Lin Ran always had a way of softening her heart.
In a soft voice, she asked, “Lin Ran, do you want a hug?”
Lin Ran stared at her in silence for a few moments before suddenly reaching out and pulling the girl in front of him into his arms.
She was really thin.
He could almost encircle her whole body with one hand. She was small, like a docile little creature nestled in his arms. The frustration in his heart began to fade, replaced by an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
In a low voice, Lin Ran murmured, “Sheng Qingxi, I’m sorry.”
For the first time, Lin Ran realized that no one would stay in place, waiting for him.
If he wanted a future with Sheng Qingxi, he would have to give everything he had to catch up to her.
Lin Ran’s chest carried a faint scent of tobacco.
Leaning against his chest, Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but clutch at his shirt. He’d been smoking too much lately.
“Lin Ran, can you… maybe cut back on the smoking for now?”
Sheng Qingxi knew how hard it was to quit smoking. In her past life, the senior colleagues at her workplace all promised to quit while at home, but as soon as a case came up, they couldn’t help themselves.
Without a word, Lin Ran pulled the pack of cigarettes and the lighter from his pocket and stuffed them into her hands.
His slightly heated black eyes were fixed intently on her as he promised, “I won’t smoke anymore.”
As long as she asked, he would do anything.
The cold metal of the lighter rested in her palm.
Sheng Qingxi tightened her grip around it, clutching the lighter firmly. She looked up at Lin Ran. “Earlier, Yanyan asked me about tutoring. She said you all stay at the garage during the holidays. I’ll go to the garage next week to tutor her.”
Stay at the garage?
Lin Ran had no intention of staying at the garage. If he stayed there, everyone would be able to see his “Xiao Xi,” and he wasn’t having that.
Lin Ran quickly denied it, “I’m not staying at the garage. Next week, I’ll pick you up, and we’ll tutor at Chengnan Garden.”
Strictly speaking, Sheng Qingxi should’ve discussed these things with Lin Yanyan’s guardian, but since Lin Yanyan was under Lin Ran’s care, she had no choice but to sit down with him to talk about the tutoring arrangements.
Sheng Qingxi had already discussed the specific tutoring content with Lin Yanyan. What she needed to talk to Lin Ran about was the scheduling.
After thinking for a moment, Sheng Qingxi said, “Lin Ran, I’ll give Yanyan eight classes a week, two per day. Yanyan has a habit of napping, so I’ll tutor her in the evenings.”
Lin Ran froze at the last part.
His pupils slightly dilated. The information contained in Sheng Qingxi’s words was overwhelming.
Indeed, Lin Yanyan used to have a habit of napping—but that was in the previous life. After the accident, her mental state had deteriorated, and they had to force her to rest at noon.
In this life, Lin Yanyan didn’t have that habit.
Sheng Qingxi’s words meant that she had interacted with Lin Yanyan in the previous life.
Suddenly, Lin Ran reached out and grasped Sheng Qingxi’s slightly cool hand. His voice was low but incredibly clear. “After… after that fire, Yanyan survived, didn’t she?”
Sheng Qingxi could feel the pressure in his grip—he was desperate.
She replied slowly, word by word, “Lin Ran, Yanyan lived well.”
Lin Ran’s eyes reddened slightly, and after a long moment, he responded hoarsely, “Good.”
That’s good.
Actually, Lin Ran preferred that Sheng Qingxi tutor Lin Yanyan during the day since it would be safer. But considering the heat of summer, he agreed to the evening sessions, since he could personally send her home afterward.
Sheng Qingxi hesitated and asked, “Isn’t four days a week too much?”
Lin Ran frowned. “Only four days?”
He’d rather have Sheng Qingxi at their house every day.
Sheng Qingxi, a bit exasperated, replied, “Four days is already a lot. Yanyan’s only in eighth grade; she should have her own summer break.”
Sheng Qingxi’s firm stance left Lin Ran with no choice but to reluctantly agree.
The private room was loud and chaotic, not a setting Sheng Qingxi was comfortable with. After finishing her conversation with Lin Ran, she said she wanted to leave, and of course, Lin Ran wouldn’t let her go home alone.
As they walked downstairs together, they realized it was raining outside.
The summer rain came quickly and suddenly, the glass windows instantly covered in a sheet of raindrops. Sheng Qingxi had barely stepped outside when the rain hit her collar, soaking her clothes. Lin Ran quickly pulled her back, her thin shoulders colliding with his chest.
Frowning, Lin Ran said, “You’ve lost weight again. Haven’t you been eating properly?”
Sheng Qingxi had always been on the lighter side, and due to recent emotional stress, her weight had been dropping. It had only started stabilizing this month.
She pressed her lips together, “No, I haven’t.”
Lin Ran stared at her sharp chin for a moment, then let out a light hum. “Starting next week, I’ll pick you up at four for tutoring. And this month, you’ll eat dinner at my place. I’ll cook for you.”
Sheng Qingxi instinctively shook her head. “That’s not necessary.”
But Lin Ran wouldn’t take no for an answer. He pulled her closer and said domineeringly, “You don’t get to decide. I do.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
Lin Ran glanced outside at the pouring rain. “Wait here for two minutes while I go get an umbrella.”
Before leaving, Lin Ran repeatedly warned Sheng Qingxi to stay put, and she nodded in agreement. However, when Lin Ran returned with the umbrella and a jacket, Sheng Qingxi was no longer standing by the lobby window.
Lin Ran’s face darkened immediately.
She had agreed just a moment ago, and now she was gone in the blink of an eye.
Before Lin Ran could go looking for her, the heavy glass door suddenly swung open.
Sheng Qingxi walked in, drenched from head to toe. Her thin school uniform clung to her body, and her once smooth black hair was now plastered wetly to the side of her face. Despite this, her eyes were innocent and clear, making her look as if she’d just been pulled out of a pool.
Lin Ran, holding back his frustration, draped the jacket over her head. “You ran off again.”
Sheng Qingxi shivered from the cold, then wriggled out from under the jacket and lifted her hands, revealing what she had been holding. She spoke softly, “Lin Ran, a kitten.”
Lin Ran froze for a second.
In her arms was a small, equally drenched black kitten, dirty and pitiful. But its bright, wide eyes looked just like Sheng Qingxi’s—dark and clear.
Lin Ran stared at her for a long moment, feeling helpless as he took the kitten from her arms. “I leave you alone for just a minute, and you start picking up strays.”
Sheng Qingxi bit her lip, her gaze still fixed on the kitten.
Because of the many children at Shengkai, they avoided keeping pets, especially strays, as they posed too many uncertainties. Sheng Lan and the others would periodically leave food in the park for the strays, but they never brought them home.
The upper floors of Mingmen had a hotel, so Lin Ran booked a room and told Sheng Qingxi to go take a shower.
Lin Ran lightly poked her on the forehead. “Will you run off again?”
Sheng Qingxi shook her head slightly.
Lin Ran raised a hand to ruffle her wet hair. “Go wash up and change your clothes. I’ll take the little one to the vet. Stay here and wait for me. If you run off again, I’ll toss the kitten.”
Sheng Qingxi carefully tugged at the hem of Lin Ran’s shirt.
Lin Ran looked down.
Her slender, pale fingers were clutching his shirt, and though she didn’t say a word, Lin Ran felt like she was acting a little spoiled.
He gave her a gentle push toward the room. “Go take a shower.”
With that, Lin Ran closed the door and left.
When he returned with the little black kitten in his arms an hour later, the cat had been quiet the whole time. Even during the vaccinations, it barely struggled, only letting out a few soft meows. Lin Ran couldn’t tell who was better behaved—the kitten or Sheng Qingxi.
Luckily, the kitten was in good health, just a bit malnourished.
Lin Ran knocked on the door.
Moments later, a small, fluffy head peeked out, eyes eagerly searching for the kitten in his arms.
Her first thought was for the little one.
Lin Ran chuckled, amused, and gently placed the freshly bathed kitten into her arms. “Were you really afraid I’d toss it?”
Sheng Qingxi didn’t answer, just cradled the kitten carefully and then looked up, giving him a small smile.
For a moment, Lin Ran was stunned. It had been a long time since he’d seen her smile.
Ever since Song Shiman left, Sheng Qingxi had been on her own—eating alone, going home alone. She was used to living this way, never caring about others’ stares or whispers.
While Sheng Qingxi played with the kitten, Lin Ran ordered some takeout. They had been so busy all evening that neither of them had eaten.
The little black kitten curiously sniffed around the soft sofa, occasionally rolling around, and whenever it looked at Sheng Qingxi, it would let out a soft, obedient meow.
Sheng Qingxi crouched by the sofa, watching the kitten intently as it played. After a long while, she asked, “Lin Ran, is there a rescue shelter nearby?”
Hearing this, Lin Ran raised an eyebrow. “A rescue shelter? After I took it in, you still want to send it to a shelter? I’ve already thought of a name for it—it’s my cat now.”
Sheng Qingxi blinked, surprised that Lin Ran would be willing to keep the kitten.
A little confused, she asked, “What’s its name?”
Lin Ran glanced at the little black ball of fur and casually replied, “2018.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
What?