Would Lin Ran be the kind of person to feel restrained just because he’s in a classroom?
Of course not.
Just as Sheng Qingxi finished speaking, Lin Ran turned to He Mo and said, “Mozi, the camera.”
He Mo: “…”
They had done this many times before. He Mo grabbed a school uniform, walked to the back door, circled around to the front, and then walked along the blackboard to the spot under the camera. He casually threw the uniform up, covering the camera.
Seeing the camera blocked, Lin Ran reached out and pulled Sheng Qingxi onto his lap.
Sheng Qingxi leaned against Lin Ran’s broad, firm chest, instinctively nuzzling closer. Being in Lin Ran’s arms was the place where she felt the safest, both in her previous life and this one.
Lin Ran raised his hand to shield her face and whispered, “Yuan Yuan, what do you want?”
Sheng Qingxi didn’t respond. She simply tugged at his sleeve and closed her eyes.
Lin Ran pulled the oversized school uniform up to cover her more. She was already quite slim, and now sitting in his lap, almost completely hidden by the uniform, it looked like Lin Ran was just holding a piece of clothing.
…
When Sheng Qingxi woke up, she was still a little dazed.
She wasn’t in the classroom, nor in Lin Ran’s arms, but lying on a single bed.
Sitting up, she quickly scanned her surroundings. She was in a teacher’s apartment at No.1 High School. It was clear that the room belonged to a woman, but the occupant didn’t seem to stay here often, as there were few signs of regular life.
The soundproofing in the teacher’s apartment wasn’t great, and she could vaguely hear voices coming from the door.
Sheng Qingxi heard Lin Ran’s voice. She quietly lay back down, intending to wait until their conversation was over before going out.
In the not-too-big, not-too-small living room.
Lin Ran was lounging lazily on the sofa, chatting with He Yiling. “Auntie, have you ever seen my Xiao Xi? You have no idea how pretty she is.”
He Yiling looked at Lin Ran with an expression that was hard to describe. “…I used to teach the computer class for your sixth class.”
That girl was so striking, she would have to be blind not to notice her.
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t she the most beautiful?”
He Yiling: “…Yes, yes, she is. By the way, let me ask you, was it you who told Xu Yirong to come see me the other day? I figured no one else would dare send her my way.”
He Yiling’s question wasn’t without reason.
She and her sister, He Wanqiu, had vastly different personalities. If He Wanqiu was a quietly blossoming orchid, then He Yiling was a thorny rose. She had mellowed a bit since becoming a teacher in recent years.
He Yiling hadn’t become a teacher for any noble reason. It was mainly because she couldn’t stop worrying about Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan. However, she didn’t want to stay too close to them to avoid putting too much pressure on the two, so she became the computer science teacher.
Lin Ran lazily replied, “Yeah, I asked her to talk to you. Did she mention Cheng Jiayue?”
Hearing this, He Yiling got annoyed. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen through Lin Youcheng’s disgusting behavior before. Normally, he seemed like a well-mannered person, but in reality, he was both blind and foolish.
He Yiling couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Does he only dare to act tough in front of Xu Yirong? The other day, I gave him a call, and he didn’t even dare raise his voice. Cheng Jiayue was sent back to her hometown just a few days ago.”
Lin Ran couldn’t help but snicker when he heard that. “That’s all the courage he’s got?”
If He Yiling really caused a stir, it would probably reach Lin Ran’s grandparents abroad. Lin Youcheng feared no one except his mother-in-law. At his age, reputation still mattered.
What happened in the shadows could stay there, but bringing it to light would be too ugly.
He Yiling sighed. “He thinks no one knows about it. If you confront him, he’ll act faster, especially with Yanyan involved. That old man is banking on you not telling Yanyan.”
Lin Ran smirked but didn’t reply.
Lin Youcheng was terrified of them finding out, yet couldn’t control himself. If that wasn’t a problem, what was?
After another comment, He Yiling picked up the keys on the table, getting ready to leave. She waved at Lin Ran, “Xiao Huo, remember to lock the door when you go. I’ve got a class.”
Lin Ran acknowledged her with a nod.
Once He Yiling left, Lin Ran glanced at the time—it was 3 p.m. He figured Sheng Qingxi should be awake by now. Just as he was about to open the door and check on her, it swung open from the inside.
The little girl cautiously peeked out, her fluffy head appearing first. Her cheeks were rosy from sleep, and upon closer inspection, a faint red mark was visible on the side of her face. She looked adorably disheveled.
Lin Ran reached out and pinched her cheek, leaning down slightly so their eyes met. “Does it still hurt?”
Sheng Qingxi shook her head, instinctively grabbing the hem of Lin Ran’s shirt. “Lin Ran, let’s go back to class.”
With midterms approaching, Lin Ran felt that Sheng Qingxi was more anxious about them than he was. Amused, he had the urge to tease her. “Sheng Qingxi, you’re tutoring all three of us. If I don’t score better than them, I’ll have to run laps on the field and shout ‘Dad,’ what do you say?”
Sheng Qingxi tried to picture that scene but found she couldn’t imagine it.
Without thinking, she took Lin Ran’s hand and whispered, “I’ll stay with you.”
Lin Ran froze.
He realized Sheng Qingxi always had a way of lowering his defenses, over and over again.
Even if she didn’t say a word, he wanted to give her the world.
…
A week later, the intense atmosphere of midterms had finally arrived.
When Lin Ran saw the seating arrangements, he felt like he was already winning against He Mo and Xie Zhen. He was placed in the fourth exam room, while they were still stuck in the tenth.
Lin Ran escorted Sheng Qingxi to the first exam room, watching as she obediently took her seat at the very first desk in the first row. He tapped her on the forehead before leaving. “After the exam, don’t run off. I’ll come to find you.”
Sheng Qingxi nodded.
Lin Ran didn’t linger. The first exam room was filled with top students and bookworms, who didn’t even dare breathe too loudly in his presence. He had every reason to believe that if he stayed any longer, they might suffocate.
The midterms overall weren’t too difficult, except for the last exam—math—which stayed true to No.1 High School’s tradition of driving everyone crazy.
After the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, Sheng Qingxi sat at her desk waiting for Lin Ran to come and get her. But instead of Lin Ran, a group of students eager to compare answers came her way.
Sheng Qingxi was used to this by now. She silently handed over her exam paper.
In the past, she hadn’t had the habit of writing down the problem-solving process or answers on her test papers. But the students at No.1 High were different from those at No.2 High—they were enthusiastic and outgoing, always eager to ask her about her answers.
Over time, Sheng Qingxi developed the habit of writing out her answers on the test sheet.
She also knew she wouldn’t see her exam paper again until the following week.
As Lin Ran approached the doorway, he saw a crowd of students gathered around his Xiao Xi. They didn’t dare get too close, as if they were afraid of scaring her. After Sheng Qingxi handed over her exam paper, the crowd moved elsewhere to discuss answers. She discreetly sighed in relief and even patted her small chest.
Lin Ran stood by the window watching for a while before he finally stepped in.
Deep down, she was still just a little girl. In her previous life, who knew what had forced her to grow up so quickly.
When Sheng Qingxi saw Lin Ran come in, she immediately picked up her backpack and walked over to him. She instinctively handed it to him. Lin Ran took her bag and led her out, asking as they walked, “Do you want to go out for dinner with me tonight, or would you prefer to stay in the classroom?”
Sheng Qingxi blinked and asked, “Who’s going to dinner?”
Lin Ran guided her to the side closer to the railing before replying, “Song Xingyu, Yanyan, and Ah Zhen are all going. But if you’d rather stay in the classroom, I’ll take you to the cafeteria first.”
Sheng Qingxi thought about Song Xingyu and Lin Yanyan’s relationship in their previous life and hesitated for a moment before responding, “I’ll go with you.”
Lin Ran gave her a half-smiling glance. “Do you remember what happened the last time you tried sneaking a look at someone? If I catch you doing it again, I’m shaving all of 2018’s hair off.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
2018 was totally innocent.
A student passing by Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi: “…”
What did he just hear? The new transfer student and Brother Ran go through this every day? That’s rough.
She’s not even allowed to glance at anyone else? Is Brother Ran a T-Rex?
Dinner was scheduled at a Japanese restaurant.
Since it was cold out, none of them rode their bikes. They weren’t afraid of the cold themselves, but they didn’t want the two girls to suffer. By the time Lin Ran and the others arrived by taxi, Song Xingyu was already there, waving to them from the door of a private room.
Sheng Qingxi instinctively hid behind Lin Ran, avoiding any eye contact with him.
To 2018, this was a completely undeserved disaster.
Song Xingyu noticed her small movement and raised an eyebrow at Lin Ran, exchanging a glance with him before shaking his head with a wry smile. He had figured it out—when Lin Ran was upset with Sheng Qingxi, he seemed lifeless and depressed. But now, seeing him like this, he finally looked like a real, living person again, full of vitality.
Song Xingyu chuckled and led the group into the private room.
He had intentionally picked this time, knowing they had just finished their exams, so they could relax a little.
Once seated, Xie Zhen quickly grabbed the menu. The chubby kid wasn’t good at much, but when it came to food, he was an expert. Usually, when they went out, Xie Zhen would be the one to order for the group, and he was more than experienced at it.
Lin Ran usually didn’t interfere with Xie Zhen’s choices, but this time, he tapped on the table in front of Xie Zhen and said in a low voice, “Ah Zhen, don’t order any alcohol.”
Xie Zhen was taken aback. “But the alcohol content is so low, it should be fine, right?”
Lin Ran glanced over at Sheng Qingxi, who was completely unaware and quietly chatting with Lin Yanyan. If she had a drink, who knows what kind of clingy behavior she’d display afterward. The thought of her hugging and cuddling him again made him cringe.
Lin Ran let out a small laugh. “There’s a drunken kitten here.”
Xie Zhen scratched his head and thought for a moment. That made sense—Lin Yanyan was still quite young, and it wouldn’t look good if she drank.
The six of them sat on opposite sides of the table. Lin Ran and Xie Zhen were seated on the outermost edges, Sheng Qingxi and He Mo in the middle, with Lin Yanyan and Song Xingyu sitting at the far end.
Every time Song Xingyu looked up, he could see the little girl sitting across from him.
This time, the little girl greeted him sweetly, calling him “Brother Song,” and she didn’t seem as scared of him as before.
The two girls barely joined in the boys’ conversation. As soon as they entered the private room, they huddled together, whispering to each other, and even after the food was served, they were still chatting away. Lin Ran, unable to take it anymore, ordered them to focus on eating.
Even as Sheng Qingxi picked up her chopsticks, she was still thinking about what Lin Yanyan had just told her.
Not only did Sheng Qingxi hear it, but Song Xingyu did as well. Of course, he didn’t intentionally eavesdrop—he was sitting close to Lin Yanyan, and she hadn’t thought about the fact that someone was sitting across from her while she was speaking.
He glanced at the troubled little girl.
What Lin Yanyan had said wasn’t much; she had simply mentioned that someone at school had been pursuing her, and after rejecting him a few times, she still didn’t know what to do.
Lin Yanyan didn’t dare tell Lin Ran about it. With Lin Ran’s temper, she was afraid it would cause a scene. Although Lin Ran had mellowed out considerably over the past six months, mostly because Sheng Qingxi kept him in check, his inherent nature hadn’t changed.
After dinner, Song Xingyu went to pay the bill while Lin Ran and the others leisurely made their way toward the entrance.
Sheng Qingxi and Lin Yanyan trailed behind, still quietly discussing the boy who had been bothering her.
Song Xingyu silently followed behind them, listening for a while before speaking softly, “If you don’t want to tell Lin Ran, I can help you handle this.”
After a brief pause, he added, “No fighting, no causing trouble, no threats or intimidation.”
Lin Yanyan hadn’t expected Song Xingyu to overhear their conversation. Embarrassed, her face turned red as she hid behind Sheng Qingxi.
Song Xingyu shouldn’t have gotten involved—it wasn’t his place. But he also didn’t think it was right to leave the matter entirely to the two young girls. If something happened, it would be bad.
He knew that the siblings didn’t get along well with their family, and Lin Yanyan clearly had no intention of telling their father about the issue.
Sheng Qingxi, however, gave the matter some serious thought.