Life at the summer camp was dull and boring. It was nothing more than a change of location for classes. After two days of novelty, the students became sluggish, especially since there wasn’t even a weekend break this time.
This continued until the school announced that tomorrow night they would watch a movie in the classroom using a projector.
Every class cheered when they heard the news.
In Class One.
Lin Ran sat lazily in his chair, casting a casual glance at the noisy, chattering classroom. His expression was indifferent, “It’s just a movie. What are they getting so excited about?”
Hearing this, He Mo turned around and gave Lin Ran a strange look.
Xie Zhen, gnawing on a chicken foot, also shot a reproachful glance at Lin Ran.
Lin Ran: “?”
He Mo scratched his head. It seemed that Lin Ran was completely oblivious to the significance of the day. He leaned over Lin Ran’s desk, lowered his voice, and said, “Brother Ran, tomorrow is Qixi. Didn’t you prepare anything?”
Lin Ran: “……”
Tomorrow is Qixi? Why is tomorrow Qixi?
And on Qixi, he was stuck in this place, attending classes.
In both of his lifetimes, Lin Ran had never really celebrated Qixi. But in the past, he would often receive a bunch of mysterious gifts around this time. Digging through his fragmented memories, he vaguely recalled how he used to spend the holiday — racing cars or gaming all night long.
Now that he finally had someone to celebrate Qixi with, he was stuck here in this dull place.
Lin Ran began to ponder how he could sneak Sheng Qingxi out tomorrow.
He Mo, noticing Lin Ran’s deep thought, figured out what he was planning and quickly reminded him, “Brother Ran, Sheng Qingxi is aiming for the full merit scholarship. If she skips even one class, she might lose it.”
At these words, all of Lin Ran’s thoughts came to a screeching halt.
Frowning, Lin Ran, for the first time ever, began to seriously consider something.
What does Sheng Qingxi like?
He Mo and Xie Zhen, who spent their days indulging in endless matches in Summoner’s Rift, obviously had no experience with girlfriends either. So, they both turned around and joined the conversation, eagerly offering suggestions.
He Mo was the first to speak up: “Roses!”
Xie Zhen followed closely: “A handbag!”
“Candles, balloons, cake!”
“It’s not her birthday! Don’t suggest random things.”
“What do you mean random? If you’re so smart, give a better suggestion.”
“I… I can’t think of anything at the moment, but still, your idea is dumb.”
“You can’t think of anything, so how can you criticize mine?”
He Mo and Xie Zhen bickered back and forth until Lin Ran, growing impatient, tapped the table to shut them up. They finally quieted down, but continued trying to kill each other with their glares.
Xie Zhen, finally serious, asked, “Brother Ran, what does Sheng Qingxi like?”
Lin Ran replied without hesitation, “She likes me.”
He Mo: “……”
Xie Zhen: “……”
So, why exactly had they even bothered getting involved?
Lin Ran spent the entire afternoon frowning, deep in thought.
Even at dinner, Lin Ran was still preoccupied with the matter, so much so that he didn’t even hear Sheng Qingxi talking to him.
Sheng Qingxi, sitting next to Lin Ran, watched him as he absentmindedly tried to put a piece of ginger in his mouth. After calling his name twice without any response, she had no choice but to reach out and grab his wrist.
Only then did Lin Ran snap out of his trance and look at Sheng Qingxi, confused as to why she had stopped him.
He hadn’t realized what was in his hand and looked at her with questioning eyes.
Sheng Qingxi glanced at the ginger on his chopsticks and said helplessly, “Lin Ran, what are you thinking about?”
Following her gaze, Lin Ran saw the wobbly piece of ginger dangling on his chopsticks. He quickly put the chopsticks down and looked at Sheng Qingxi, asking, “Sheng Qingxi, is there… is there something you want?”
Sheng Qingxi blinked. Something she wanted?
After a brief thought, she understood why Lin Ran was acting this way. These past couple of days, the whole class had been discussing how to spend Qixi. Today, Jiang Mingyuan had mentioned that they would be watching a movie tomorrow night, and the girls had been excitedly talking about what to wear and going to the supermarket to buy snacks.
The happiness of girls was often that simple.
Sheng Qingxi smiled slightly, “Lin Ran, could I ask for a flower?”
Lin Ran was stunned.
But after a moment, he responded immediately, “What kind of flower?”
Sheng Qingxi picked up the chopsticks from the table and handed them back to Lin Ran. “A rose. Now, eat your meal properly.”
A rose?
That simple?
Though Lin Ran found it hard to believe, he didn’t question it. After dinner, he went straight to order the flower. One rose wouldn’t do—he’d have to get at least 999.
During evening study session, Class Six was busy discussing what movie to watch tomorrow night. The boys wanted a horror film, while the girls preferred a light and sweet romance.
Chen Yi leaned over and whispered to Sheng Qingxi, “Sheng Qingxi, what do you want to watch? I bet they’ll take a vote soon.”
Sheng Qingxi thought for a moment and replied, “I think they both fit the occasion.”
Chen Yi froze.
How could a horror movie be fitting for Qixi?
While Class Six was debating their movie choices, Class One was doing the same. But while most were focused on the movie, Xie Zhen and He Mo were busy deciding what feast to treat themselves to tomorrow night.
Nothing felt more fitting on a summer evening than a barbecue and some crayfish.
Of course, they’d need a few cans of beer to go with it.
Lin Ran, however, didn’t bother with the voting process. After all, whenever he gave his opinion, the others would simply drop any further discussion. Lin Ran couldn’t help but wonder if they had some sort of misunderstanding about him.
He Mo and Xie Zhen were quick to clarify: they hadn’t misunderstood anything at all.
In the end, Lin Ran still didn’t know what movie they had chosen.
—
On Qixi.
Because it was summer school, they didn’t have to wear uniforms. On his way to pick up Sheng Qingxi, Lin Ran noticed that all the boys and girls had dressed up carefully, and the various perfumes in the air were as overwhelming as the blooming flowers in spring.
Lin Ran didn’t mind the perfume much, but he always felt that none of these scents could compare to the smell of his little Xiao Xi.
However, when Lin Ran arrived downstairs, Sheng Qingxi was nowhere to be seen.
This was rare. Usually, she’d be downstairs waiting for him early, and even though he had scolded her a few times for being so eager, the stubborn girl never listened.
Thinking back to all the people he saw on the way, Lin Ran wondered if Sheng Qingxi was hesitating about what to wear to meet him.
With that thought, a small sense of anticipation crept into his heart.
Five minutes later, Lin Ran finally saw Sheng Qingxi.
Wearing her school uniform.
Lin Ran: “……”
He didn’t mind, though. He walked over, pressed her head under his arm, and began to grumble, “What were you doing up there? Why are you still wearing your uniform here?”
Sheng Qingxi didn’t catch on to Lin Ran’s thoughts. Struggling under his arm, she explained, “Shiman called me and said she sent me a gift. She told me to pick it up at lunch, so it’s easier to wear the uniform here.”
Lin Ran let out a faint snort but didn’t say anything.
The cafeteria was noticeably busier this morning, with more people eating breakfast than usual. Even though they still had classes during the day, it didn’t stop them from feeling excited about the evening ahead.
Lin Ran watched Sheng Qingxi in front of him, eating her soup dumplings with great focus. She seemed completely unaware that today held any special significance. Her cheeks puffed up as she chewed, not paying the slightest attention to her surroundings.
Frustrated, Lin Ran thought to himself: Will my little Xiao Xi prepare a gift for me?
…
As the afternoon approached, the girls started bringing out their snacks, getting ready for the movie later. During their lunch break, they continued to chat about what movie to watch, and some of them were eagerly anticipating what gifts they might receive. When the topic of gifts came up, they naturally thought of Sheng Qingxi.
They were all dying to know what Lin Ran would give her.
Since none of them were close to Sheng Qingxi, they sent Chen Yi to investigate. At first, Chen Yi was hesitant, but as soon as she realized she was curious too, she felt no guilt at all.
Chen Yi returned to her seat, picked up her math homework, and cleared her throat.
After a bit of mental preparation, she discreetly scooted closer to Sheng Qingxi.
Noticing her approach, Sheng Qingxi turned to look at her.
Chen Yi felt her throat tighten but somehow mustered the courage to blurt out, “Sheng Qingxi, today’s Qixi! How are you and Lin Ran going to spend it? Did he buy you a gift?”
Sheng Qingxi knew it was Qixi today.
But she had never experienced this holiday before. She had no idea how it was supposed to be celebrated.
Besides, were she and Lin Ran even at the point where they could celebrate Qixi together?
In Sheng Qingxi’s mind, Qixi was a holiday for deeply intimate lovers. But as for her relationship with Lin Ran… she couldn’t quite put a label on it.
They had never openly discussed their feelings.
Even though they both knew they liked each other, the shadow of that great fire still lingered between them.
Sheng Qingxi hesitated for a moment before replying, “He’s going to buy me flowers.”
That was what Lin Ran had promised her yesterday.
Flowers?
Chen Yi thought to herself, ‘How unoriginal Lin Ran is’. After a moment, she asked again, “Sheng Qingxi, what are you giving Lin Ran? Many of the girls are getting shoes or gaming consoles.”
Sheng Qingxi was momentarily stunned and instinctively shook her head. “I haven’t prepared anything.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi immediately thought Sheng Qingxi was a master at relationships. By the evening, when Lin Ran found out she hadn’t gotten him anything, he would definitely pester her about it. It seemed like Lin Ran was completely at her mercy.
After all, Lin Ran surely wouldn’t be able to stay mad at Sheng Qingxi for long.
But after afternoon classes started, Sheng Qingxi became a little distracted. She felt a vague sense of guilt, thinking she might have done something wrong. Because of her past life, she had forgotten that Lin Ran, too, might have hopes and expectations. After all, he was still just a boy, not even eighteen yet.
During the last class of the day, Sheng Qingxi asked Jiang Mingyuan for permission to leave early.
A few days ago, she had received a large sum of money from Lin Youcheng’s side, as they had offered a high price.
Sheng Qingxi wasn’t leaving early for any other reason but to buy a gift for Lin Ran. In her previous life, she had given Lin Ran gifts before, but only for his birthday.
Lin Ran’s birthday was still five months away.
The gift she had given him in her previous life had never been returned, so he must have liked it, right?
…
Just before the bell rang in the afternoon, Lin Ran left ten minutes early to pick up the flowers. When he finally held all 999 roses in his arms, he couldn’t help but regret it a little.
They were heavy.
He didn’t want to make her carry them.
Originally, Lin Ran had intended to show off by delivering them right to the door of Sheng Qingxi’s classroom in Class Six. But on second thought, he decided to place the flowers in front of her dormitory instead. Since she lived alone, there was no risk of misunderstanding.
By the time Lin Ran returned to the school building, the bell had already rung. He headed straight for Class Six to look for Sheng Qingxi.
But she wasn’t there. Instead, her deskmate glanced at him several times before nervously running up to him and stuffing a piece of paper into his hand. Without saying a word, the girl quickly ran off.
Lin Ran unfolded the note and glanced at it. There were only two sentences—