Sheng Qingxi froze. With just that brief description, she knew this incident had to be Lin Ran and his friends’ doing.
He never let go of that issue.
After acknowledging her warning, Sheng Qingxi said goodnight to Sheng Lan and the others.
By the time Sheng Qingxi was getting ready for bed, Lin Ran had just arrived at No. 1 High. Under the cover of darkness, he climbed over the school wall. The security guard was dozing off in his chair, and with the school on break, the entire campus was empty.
Walking through the dark, Lin Ran felt a wave of regret.
Why was the “big shot” of No. 1 High sneaking into school at night during summer vacation?
To find his summer homework, of course. 🙂
—
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a soft glow across the room.
Sheng Qingxi was bent over, tidying up the dolls at the foot of her bed. The weather was nice today, and she planned to take them outside to soak up some sun. This was the last batch she was carrying out.
In the backyard, the dolls hung from thin rods, soft and adorable, swaying gently in the warm breeze. The sunlight lazily filtered through the gaps between the trees, casting a warm glow across the yard.
The rows of dolls, shimmering in the sunlight, looked quite charming from afar.
As Sheng Qingxi hung up the last doll, she heard some commotion outside. She turned her head and glanced back, recognizing the sounds as the arrival of the volunteers that Sheng Lan had mentioned yesterday.
Ever since Sheng Qingxi brought Song Shiman and Lin Ran back, Sheng Lan had created a new WeChat account, saying that girls should have their own space and lives.
In the past, when Sheng Qingxi didn’t have many friends, Sheng Lan didn’t interfere much. But now, Sheng Lan didn’t want small matters to affect Sheng Qingxi’s life.
The voices grew clearer, and Sheng Qingxi walked out of the dormitory, intending to take a look. But before she could step outside, she spotted someone unexpected in the crowd. Among the volunteers, there was a girl in a white dress with a volunteer armband, smiling and chatting with the others.
Cheng Jiayue was also a volunteer.
Sheng Qingxi’s steps suddenly halted.
She remembered what Sheng Lan had said last night about a pitiful girl who had signed up to volunteer. It seemed that Sheng Lan had been referring to Cheng Jiayue.
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t intended to hide the fact that she was an orphan, but she didn’t want Cheng Jiayue following her so closely. Coming to her privately hadn’t been enough; now Cheng Jiayue had found her way to Shengkai.
Her professional instincts from her past life told Sheng Qingxi that this girl had ulterior motives.
This couldn’t be hidden from Lin Ran. Last time, after just one meeting with Cheng Jiayue, he had nearly exploded with anger. If she kept this from him and he found out on his own, Sheng Qingxi was certain she’d be in trouble.
Sheng Qingxi went back to her room and called Lin Ran.
The first time she called, Lin Ran didn’t pick up. It wasn’t until the second time that he answered.
Before Sheng Qingxi could say anything, she heard Lin Ran’s irritated voice on the other end, clearly groggy as if he had just been woken up. His tone was thick with impatience, “Say what you need to say or hang up.”
Sheng Qingxi froze for a second, then softly called out, “Lin Ran.”
On the other end: “…”
Her voice was soft and gentle, and it seemed like she was hurt by his harsh tone, carrying a bit of grievance.
Lin Ran snapped awake instantly. His voice was still hoarse as he explained cautiously, “Sheng Qingxi, I wasn’t trying to be mean. I just answered without checking.”
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together. “Lin Ran, I saw Cheng Jiayue at Shengkai. She’s here as a summer volunteer.”
“Wait there.”
Lin Ran uttered those two words and hung up.
—
Half an hour later.
The roar of Lin Ran’s motorcycle filled the air as he arrived at Shengkai, immediately catching the attention of the kids playing in the yard.
They had been around him long enough that they weren’t afraid of him anymore. One by one, they ran over, grabbing onto his legs, asking to touch the “big beast.” Lin Ran picked them up, one in each hand, and placed them on the seats.
After playing with them for a moment, Lin Ran headed inside to find Sheng Qingxi, leaving the children in the care of one of the aunties.
He had been in a terrible mood, irritated by Lin Youcheng’s problems, which somehow always dragged Sheng Qingxi into them. But as he walked into the backyard and saw Sheng Qingxi sitting on the swing, staring at the rows of dolls, his frustration eased.
She sat there in the sunlight, clean and soft.
Lin Ran had intended to say something to her, but at that moment, he simply stood there, watching her quietly from a distance.
After a while, Lin Ran left.
In another building, Sheng Lan was introducing the classrooms, art room, and playroom to the volunteers.
Lin Ran went upstairs and greeted Sheng Lan before casually scanning the crowd. Most of the volunteers curiously glanced at him, except for one person who kept her head down.
Lin Ran walked directly toward that person and said coldly, “Come with me.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed toward an empty classroom nearby.
Sheng Lan, somewhat surprised, glanced at the volunteers. She then noticed the girl who had visited the orphanage the day before slowly walking out, clearly showing that they knew each other.
Sheng Lan frowned slightly.
She knew Sheng Qingxi well, after all, she had raised her. Sheng Lan had long been aware that Sheng Qingxi liked Lin Ran. This wasn’t something she had discovered on her own; Sheng Qingxi had never bothered to hide it from her.
—
In the Art Room.
Large, childlike doodles covered the white walls, turning the once plain space into a vibrant and imaginative display of colorful artwork. The tables and chairs in the room also bore similar patterns, and a few scattered crayons of various lengths lay in the corners.
Lin Ran leaned against the teacher’s desk, watching as Cheng Jiayue entered the room.
She didn’t walk quickly, pausing midway as if hesitant or unsure. Throughout, she never lifted her head to look at him.
Lin Ran had seen many people in his life, and to him, someone like Cheng Jiayue was barely a “bronze” level in comparison. He didn’t want to waste words with her, so he averted his gaze and spoke coldly, “What do you want?”
Cheng Jiayue hadn’t expected Lin Ran to be so direct. Her heart raced, but she maintained a calm exterior. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to see you. I couldn’t think of any other way. That girl wouldn’t help me.”
Lin Ran let out a mocking laugh. “Whatever you’re after, I can’t give it to you. You’re better off going to Lin Youcheng. But one thing—stay away from Sheng Qingxi. Otherwise, you’ll lose even what little you have now.”
Cheng Jiayue clutched the hem of her clothes, her eyes reddening as she whispered, “I don’t want anything. I just wanted to apologize. About the sponsorship from your father—I only found out about it recently. I had no intention of causing trouble between you and him.”
Lin Ran’s eyes glinted with sarcasm. “Figuring out why the sponsorship suddenly stopped must have taken you quite a while. Don’t bother acting—there’s no point. I’m not interested in whatever’s going on between you and my father.”
Cheng Jiayue hesitated for a moment before dropping her pitiful facade.
Lin Youcheng’s son was worse than she had expected, but she knew he had a weakness.
When she spoke again, her face was expressionless, and her voice was soft, as though she was confirming something. “Since you’re not interested in what’s happening between your father and me, does that mean you won’t interfere anymore?”
At that, Lin Ran smiled slightly, but he didn’t answer her question. He simply left the room.
As Cheng Jiayue watched him walk past, she clenched her fists.
The sharp curve of his brow and the natural arrogance in his demeanor made her feel as if he had seen something ridiculous. It wasn’t an insult—it was the innate pride they both possessed.
Lin Ran’s purpose in confronting Cheng Jiayue was to warn her to stay away from Sheng Qingxi. As for whatever was going on between her and Lin Youcheng, that wasn’t his concern.
Recently, Xu Yirong had been making quite a few moves. It seemed this situation had made her realize that even the facade of a perfect marriage could no longer hold up, which was a deeply humiliating prospect.
—
When Lin Ran returned to the dormitory, he searched the backyard but couldn’t find Sheng Qingxi. The only thing left were those stuffed dolls, sitting proudly in the sunlight, each one plump and fuzzy.
Sheng Qingxi wasn’t in her room either, so Lin Ran headed toward the kitchen in search of her.
Lin Ran hadn’t expected to find Sheng Qingxi in the kitchen, considering he had never seen her in there before.
Yet, there she was, standing by the stove with a spatula in hand, her expression serious but her movements hesitant. She’d stir the pot a couple of times, then take a step back, unsure of herself.
If this were any other scene, Lin Ran would have stood at the door and watched for a while, amused. But since it was in the kitchen, his heart leapt in concern.
In a few strides, he was by her side, turning off the stove and taking the spatula from her hand. His face darkened as he looked at her.
Sheng Qingxi tilted her head up, her innocent face gazing at him.
Lin Ran frowned and scolded her, “Sheng Qingxi, how old are you? You’ve never touched any of this before, and now you’re playing around in the kitchen? Do you even know how dangerous this is? What if something happened?”
Sheng Qingxi glanced at the pot of noodles, now burnt to a sticky mess, and quietly replied, “I wanted to make you breakfast.”
Lin Ran had been gearing up for a full-on lecture, but hearing her soft explanation, his heart immediately softened. Still, he forced himself to be stern for one last line: “If you step foot in the kitchen again, I’ll come here every day just to catch you.”
He pushed her aside gently and began dealing with the pot of noodles. As he worked, he asked without looking up, “Sheng Qingxi… how did you live before?”
Both of them knew what he meant by “before.”
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together, then answered honestly, “I ate at work or ordered takeout.”
Lin Ran’s hand paused for a moment upon hearing the word “work.” When he spoke again, his voice was strained. “Why did you come back? When did you return?”
Sheng Qingxi didn’t mind talking about it, but she feared the topic might upset Lin Ran. She stayed silent for a while before responding, “Something happened at work, and I came back this January.”
Lin Ran swallowed hard, about to say something, but the water in the pot began boiling over.
He held back the words he wanted to say.
Now wasn’t the right time.
By the time the noodles were scooped out, they were beyond saving, a mushy mess. Sheng Qingxi glanced at them and realized she really had no luck with cooking. She fiddled with her fingers and softly said, “Lin Ran, don’t eat it…”
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow and gave her a sidelong glance. “Not eat it? How could I not eat the noodles my Xiao Xi personally made for me? This might be the only chance I’ll ever get in this lifetime.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
He was definitely teasing her.
Lin Ran finished the noodles in just a few bites.
He didn’t bring up the situation with Cheng Jiayue; instead, he told Sheng Qingxi that they were going out to have some fun today.
The moment Sheng Qingxi heard they were going out, her first thought wasn’t to change into something nice. Instead, she hurried to the yard to collect her dolls. Lin Ran trailed behind her at a leisurely pace.
In the morning, Sheng Qingxi had used a small stool to hang the dolls, but now the stool was nowhere to be found. She had to stand on tiptoe to reach them.
Watching her struggle, Lin Ran chuckled softly. He walked up behind her, watching for a moment before saying lazily, “Say something nice, and I’ll help you.”
Sheng Qingxi turned her head to look at him, her movements suddenly stopping.
Lin Ran was standing so close behind her, just a fraction away from them being in each other’s arms.
His warm breath brushed across her forehead, and the pronounced curve of his throat shifted slightly as he swallowed. Above that, his jawline was sharp and defined, with faint stubble dotting his chin.
She was almost leaning into his chest.
Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but think about that day at the hotel when she had wanted to steal a kiss from Lin Ran. They had been this close back then too.
She blushed quietly, unable to resist.
Just as Sheng Qingxi was about to put some distance between herself and Lin Ran, his husky voice, laced with a hint of amusement, sounded above her head—
“Officer, is it convenient to give me a kiss?”
“If you kiss me, I’ll grab a doll for you. There are… 31 of them in total.”
“So, will you kiss me?”