“Are you going to kiss me?”
The young man’s voice carried a lazy amusement.
Sheng Qingxi reached out to push Lin Ran away. She turned her back, hiding her blushing, heated face, and murmured softly, “Isn’t this a bit inappropriate? You… you should keep your distance.”
Lin Ran stopped teasing her. This girl was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, and it had taken him a great deal of effort to coax her back. He couldn’t risk scaring her away again.
Lin Ran, with his long limbs, easily packed up all the dolls in just a few trips. Once he finished, he casually said goodbye to Sheng Lan and whisked Sheng Qingxi away.
Sheng Lan waved at them cheerfully, smiling kindly, “Go have fun. No need to come back for dinner.”
Sheng Qingxi: “……”
Rather than just having fun, in Lin Ran’s mind, this was nothing short of a date.
A date with just the two of them.
No Song Shiman, no Lin Yanyan, no He Mo or Xie Zhen. Today, no one could interrupt his and his Xiao Xi’s first date together.
But these two…
Lin Ran had lived for eighteen years and had zero experience in love.
Sheng Qingxi had lived for twenty-seven years and also had zero experience in love.
As everyone knows, two zeros together usually result in nothing. So Lin Ran switched to seeking help from the outside. After getting Sheng Qingxi into the car, he left her there and started sending messages.
Group Chat: Share the Joy, Drop the Pain (3)
[Firegun: Come out.]
[PandaDada: Your panda just woke up, what’s up?]
[Sea of No One: Brother Ran is actually awake at this hour? Did you pull an all-nighter?]
[Firegun: What do you do when you go out with your girlfriend?]
[Sea of No One: Just the two of you?]
[Firegun: Yeah.]
[PandaDada: Ooooh, Brother Ran, did you finally win over the fairy?]
[Firegun: Be serious.]
[Sea of No One: Well, it depends on what you want to do.]
[PandaDada: ? Mozi, you better watch your words! Brother Ran can’t end up in jail!]
[Sea of No One: What’s going on in your head every day?]
[PandaDada: Better than you staring at owls all day.]
[Sea of No One: Do you believe I’ll get out of bed right now and hit you?]
[Firegun: ?]
[PandaDada: Okay, okay, let’s get serious.]
[Sea of No One: Personally, I think the more secluded the place, the better. Like the haunted house at an amusement park, the last row in a movie theater, or just go make pottery together. Think about that scene, tsk tsk tsk.]
[PandaDada: Wow, you’re such a creep.]
[Firegun: Pretend I didn’t ask.]
Lin Ran put away his phone and glanced at Sheng Qingxi, who was sitting in the backseat. “Where do you want to go?”
Sheng Qingxi tilted her head and thought for a moment. She wasn’t very fond of crowded places. After a brief hesitation, she asked tentatively, “How about we go hiking? It’s cooler up in the mountains.”
Hiking?
Lin Ran was silent for a moment.
In the scorching summer, when no matter where you go, you’re drenched in sweat, Sheng Qingxi’s idea for a date was to climb Luoyun Peak, the highest mountain in Chucheng.
Still, Lin Ran willingly agreed to take her hiking.
Perhaps due to the heat, there were fewer cars on the road than usual.
Sheng Qingxi sat in the backseat, leaning against Lin Ran, her head tilted as she gazed at the clear blue sky. The scenery outside the window changed constantly, and the horizon stretched out to a point beyond her sight.
She quietly watched for a while before letting out a small yawn.
The wind blowing in helped ease the oppressive heat of summer a bit. As Sheng Qingxi leaned against Lin Ran, her eyelids gradually grew heavy. It was nearing noon, a time when drowsiness easily crept in.
Lin Ran noticed something was wrong the moment he felt the slight looseness in the hand resting against his waist.
He slowed the car and called out Sheng Qingxi’s name.
There was no response.
Lin Ran: “……”
Luoyun Peak was located in the outskirts, and the only thing nearby was a five-star resort hotel.
Maintaining his current speed, Lin Ran turned off at the next junction and drove to the hotel.
Once he parked, Lin Ran started to feel something wasn’t quite right.
Weren’t they supposed to be going on a date? Why were they suddenly at a hotel? He couldn’t help but feel like some kind of scoundrel.
This hotel had a partnership with the Lin family, so Lin Ran didn’t enter the lobby. Instead, he called the manager to arrange a room. Then, he carried Sheng Qingxi through the VIP entrance and straight up to the suite.
Throughout the entire time, Sheng Qingxi quietly rested in his arms.
Lin Ran knew that Sheng Qingxi had high alertness. He still wasn’t sure if it was due to what happened in that alley in her previous life, or if it had to do with her later career.
Only when he was by her side did she relax like this.
Lin Ran sighed softly.
How foolish he had been to think that her kindness toward him was merely out of sympathy.
Bending down carefully, Lin Ran placed Sheng Qingxi on the bed. He crouched down and silently removed her shoes.
With the air conditioning softly humming in the room, Lin Ran pulled a blanket over her before sitting beside her.
Sheng Qingxi looked as gentle and well-behaved in sleep as she did when awake, though a trace of vulnerability lingered in her expression. She had the most delicate features but also the strongest heart.
The Sheng Qingxi that Lin Ran encountered back then had been frail and delicate.
But in this life, she was different.
Lin Ran couldn’t help but wonder what the trajectory of her life had been in her previous existence. During those days he hadn’t been able to see her, what kind of life had she led? And why had she passed away?
These were things Lin Ran didn’t know.
He was waiting—waiting for the day she would be willing to tell him everything.
…
Sheng Qingxi had a dream.
In her dream, the sky was dark and the fine rain fell like mist, shrouding the lush, green mountain.
In the distance, the mountains were speckled with pale pinks and fresh yellows, the entire scene appearing soft and tranquil, even the annoying drizzle in the air seemed to turn tender and lingering.
But to Sheng Qingxi, this scene felt utterly shattered.
The low growls of a man and the broken sobs of a woman pierced through the quiet tableau.
She stood there with He Mo and Xie Zhen, watching from a short distance away.
Lin Yanyan knelt before Lin Ran’s grave, quietly sobbing, while Song Xingyu knelt beside her, holding her close.
At that point, it had been ten years since Lin Ran’s death.
Her Lin Ran, lying all alone in this cold, desolate mountain.
Sheng Qingxi’s heart was in turmoil. They had found the person responsible for Lin Ran’s death, but how was she supposed to keep living now? In the days to come, what else could she do for Lin Ran?
It felt like she was trapped in a cage.
Why did this have to happen to Lin Ran?
He had done nothing wrong, and he had fought so hard just to live.
A wave of hatred surged in her chest.
Sheng Qingxi had thought about taking revenge for Lin Ran herself, but her professional ethics wouldn’t allow it.
The complex emotions tore at her heart. She no longer wanted to look at this absurd and painful scene. She couldn’t accept that Lin Ran had died for such a ridiculous reason.
Sheng Qingxi turned and walked away.
The sounds and shattered images slowly faded behind her.
—
“Sheng Qingxi?”
Lin Ran’s worried voice sounded close to her ear, very near.
Sheng Qingxi’s cold and distant gaze gradually focused on Lin Ran’s face.
Unlike the lonely grave on the mountain in her dream, Lin Ran was standing right in front of her now. He leaned in close, staring at her intently. The emotions in his dark eyes were unmistakable, and the warmth of his hand rested gently against her cheek.
Sheng Qingxi’s face was pale as she simply called out his name.
She called it over and over again.
And Lin Ran responded, over and over again.
“Sheng Qingxi, you…”
Lin Ran’s words suddenly stopped.
Sheng Qingxi suddenly threw herself into his arms, clinging tightly to him.
Lin Ran couldn’t bring himself to ask any questions, because his neck was already wet with her tears. She sobbed quietly, like a wounded little animal, her breath coming in ragged gasps by his ear, sounding both pitiful and strained.
Lin Ran wrapped his arms around Sheng Qingxi, gently comforting her.
His long fingers brushed against the cool skin on the back of her neck, and he could feel her trembling. It was as if she were trapped in some terrifying scene, her entire body cold to the touch.
Frowning, Lin Ran pulled a blanket over her, wrapping her up.
Between her sobs, Sheng Qingxi choked out an apology by his ear: “Lin Ran, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She felt guilty that in the end, she could do so little for him, knowing it could change nothing.
She had lost Lin Ran forever.
Lin Ran softly coaxed her, and slowly, her emotions began to settle.
This was the first time he realized that, in Sheng Qingxi’s heart, his death had become her obsession. He didn’t know how to comfort her. He wanted to tell her that none of it was her fault, that it was all just a tragic accident.
But the words stuck in his throat.
Lin Ran had a growing suspicion that there was more hidden beneath the surface.
Because he could confirm that the “ten years” Song Shiman mentioned were real.
That night when Sheng Qingxi had a fever, she’d said in the car that she had been looking for him for ten years.
Lin Ran understood now—those ten years were the ten years after his death.
…
Sheng Qingxi, having regained her composure, realized that she had been crying in Lin Ran’s arms like a little girl, babbling incoherently. She shifted her head slightly, too embarrassed to look at him.
Lin Ran knew the moment her sobbing quieted that she had finally broken free from her nightmare. He glanced down at her.
Her delicate face was streaked with tears, her thick eyelashes clumped together, wet and drooping. Her nose was red from crying, and, feeling shy, she kept her head buried, unwilling to meet his gaze.
Lin Ran gently patted her back and suddenly let out a low chuckle. “Is our little Yuan Yuan a crybaby?”
Sheng Qingxi remained motionless in his arms, her ears, hidden beneath her hair, slowly turning red.
Lin Ran ruffled her hair and then stood up to go to the bathroom, giving her some time to gather herself.
When he returned with a damp towel, Sheng Qingxi had already wiped away her tears. She was curled up at the head of the bed, looking like a quiet, beautiful doll.
Lin Ran walked over, tapping her on the forehead as a reminder. “Look up.”
Sheng Qingxi clenched her hands under the blanket, her lowered eyelashes trembling uncontrollably. She was nervous. After a long moment, she lifted her head as Lin Ran prompted her to, pressing her lips together. “Lin Ran, I can do it myself.”
Lin Ran chuckled softly, but without hesitation, he gently wiped her face with the towel.
After cleaning the tear-streaked face that resembled a little kitten, Lin Ran casually tossed the towel onto a nearby table. He wanted to lighten the mood and tease her a bit, making the heavy atmosphere feel less oppressive.
With a lazy motion, Lin Ran sprawled beside Sheng Qingxi. He looked up at her, sitting on his left, his voice carrying a playful tone. “Officer, is it convenient for me to get a kiss now?”
The once quiet girl turned her head to look at him, her dark, shining eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite understand.
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow and asked again, “Can I kiss you?”
A soft voice floated down from above—
“Kiss.”
The next second, Sheng Qingxi leaned in closer.
That one word, “kiss,” threw Lin Ran’s mind into complete disarray, leaving him momentarily frozen.
The warmth and softness of her lips carried with it a faint sense of restlessness.
In his daze, Lin Ran vaguely thought, This is the third time.