Lin Ran leaned lazily against the railing, long fingers wrapped around a beer bottle, listening absentmindedly to Xie Zhen and He Mo’s casual banter.
However, his gaze was fixed on the two girls sitting inside the greenhouse. The brightly lit room revealed them sitting close together, engrossed in a movie. As he went upstairs earlier, he overheard a bit—it was one of those New Year’s concerts featuring their favorite idol.
Lin Ran didn’t join them, avoiding the risk of getting jealous and possibly making someone upset.
But tonight, Lin Ran wasn’t planning to let Sheng Qingxi off so easily.
There was still something between them that needed to be resolved.
Patient as ever, Lin Ran waited until the two girls finished watching their movie. By then, only Lin Ran, Lin Yanyan, and Sheng Qingxi remained on the balcony. He Mo and Xie Zhen had long since gone downstairs to dive into their favorite online game.
As soon as the movie ended, Lin Yanyan glanced at her brother. They exchanged a look, and she immediately scooped up her laptop and hurried downstairs.
In the blink of an eye, only Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi were left on the balcony.
Sheng Qingxi had no idea what was going through Lin Ran’s mind at that moment.
She dashed over to the doorway and waved him over. “Lin Ran, come here! I need to talk to you!”
Hearing this, Lin Ran raised an eyebrow.
This little thing was being so proactive today?
With high hopes, Lin Ran walked over, already imagining how Sheng Qingxi might give him a hug or even a kiss. The more he thought about it, the more excited he got, and in just a few steps, he was inside the greenhouse.
But all of his anticipation and the smile on his face froze the moment he saw Sheng Qingxi pull out a stack of test papers.
To make matters worse, the little rascal looked up at him with those innocent, wide eyes, blinking as she said something that made his blood boil. “Lin Ran, come on! I’ve already written out the answers for the English exam. We can finish the rest tomorrow—it’s too late tonight.”
Lin Ran: “…”
He wanted to curse but held back, reminding himself that this was, after all, the girl he liked.
With a look of exaggerated defeat, Lin Ran raised both hands in mock surrender. “Alright, whatever you say, ma’am.”
Sheng Qingxi shifted over to make room for him, signaling for him to sit down next to her.
Since both Sheng Qingxi and Lin Yanyan enjoyed sitting on the soft rug to work, Lin Ran had laid out a plush carpet here with a low table so they could sit comfortably and play or study. Nearby, there was even a cat tree.
Before the fire at Chengnan Garden, Lin Ran had brought 2018, their pet cat, to the auto shop to live. Apparently, the cat had become quite the celebrity. Many people who visited the club ended up coming by to take pictures with it. Not only did the little thing rule the shop during the day, but it also wandered over to the neighboring club at night, jingling its little bell like it was patrolling its territory.
It had practically become the mascot of Guangnian Auto.
Tonight, though, 2018 was behaving well, curled up in Sheng Qingxi’s lap, occasionally glancing at Lin Ran before flicking its tail dismissively, as if to say, ‘You’re not worth looking at.’
Lin Ran was about to tap the cat on the head with his pen when Sheng Qingxi stopped him, protecting 2018 like a mother guarding her cub. She even glared at him, scolding, “Can you focus on writing the answers for once?”
Lin Ran stared at her for a long moment, then let out a light huff without saying anything, and went back to working on the test.
He couldn’t remember all the answers from the exam, so he decided to just redo the whole paper. Meanwhile, Sheng Qingxi wasn’t idle either, working through math problems and the comprehensive science test.
Lin Ran finished the test papers and realized that the handwritten answers Sheng Qingxi had prepared for him matched exactly with what he had written in the exam—even the punctuation marks were perfectly aligned.
He couldn’t help but glance at Sheng Qingxi, who was still absorbed in her writing. How does her brain work?
Only the listening section was left incomplete. He filled in as much as he could remember and then pushed the papers in front of Sheng Qingxi. “Happy now?”
Sheng Qingxi glanced at the papers and, seeing they were fully completed, gave him a silent, satisfied smile.
Lin Ran patted her head. “Alright, you look over it. I’ll go make you some late-night snacks.”
Just as he stood up to leave, Sheng Qingxi tugged at his sleeve. “Lin Ran, you haven’t finished the listening section.”
Lin Ran paused. “I can’t remember it.”
Sheng Qingxi’s eyes curved into a smile as she said, “I remember the listening section. I’ll read it, and you can write it down.”
Lin Ran: Huh?
Alright then.
So, Lin Ran obediently sat back down and listened to Sheng Qingxi read out the English listening questions in her soft, sweet voice. For a moment, he felt like he could tackle a hundred more exam papers.
It’s just a test, right? he thought. I can do it.
After he finished writing the listening section, Sheng Qingxi waved her small hand at him. “Lin Ran, you can go now.”
Without waiting for his response, she buried herself in reviewing the paper. Her usually calm face was slightly tense, and Lin Ran could sense her nervousness and unease.
He sighed.
This silly girl.
Without another word, Lin Ran went downstairs to make her some late-night snacks.
—
On the second floor, Lin Ran hadn’t even made it halfway down the stairs when he heard Xie Zhen and He Mo bickering—
“I’m a god descending from the heavens to save you!”
“Ahhhh, heal me! Just one heal!”
“Get closer! Get closer to me!”
“Ah, I’m dead.”
“Idiot.”
With a blank expression, Lin Ran passed the two immature kids and entered the kitchen. Casually, he remarked, “I’m making late-night snacks for Sheng Qingxi, you two…”
Before he could finish, the two kids immediately called a truce.
“Brother Ran, I want spaghetti!”
“Brother Ran! Ah Zhen wants hot pot!!”
“It’s the middle of the night, who eats hot pot?”
“I’m eating it!”
“Fine, then I’ll have hot pot too—makes it easier for Brother Ran.”
“What? I don’t want to share hot pot with you!”
In the end, the scene evolved into all of them sitting in the living room, eating hot pot together. The table was filled with ice-cold beer, watermelon, and other snacks. The once quiet night gradually became lively again.
Lin Yanyan nibbled on a piece of watermelon, peeking over at Sheng Qingxi, who was still bent over, writing at the table. After swallowing, she whispered to Lin Ran, “Brother, isn’t Sister Sheng going to eat?”
Lin Ran glanced at Sheng Qingxi. “That stubborn girl won’t listen to me. You eat your food, and I’ll put some meatballs and beef aside for her.”
Over the past several months, Sheng Qingxi had lost her habit of avoiding meat.
At first, Lin Ran thought it was due to psychological reasons, but when he learned about her past profession, he understood what she meant by “habitually not eating.” Fortunately, in this life, she no longer had to live like that.
This thought made Lin Ran’s hand pause.
What did Sheng Qingxi want to do in this life?
He had asked her about it on Qixi Festival, and back then, she had said she didn’t know.
Lin Ran lowered his eyes and prepared a bowl of noodles for her in the clear broth, fishing out the meatballs and beef he had set aside earlier. He also mixed up a dipping sauce before bringing it to her and placing it on the table next to her.
Even with all the noise, Sheng Qingxi didn’t lift her head to glance at him.
Lin Ran tapped the table helplessly. “Sheng Qingxi, no need to rush with the test papers.”
Without looking up, Sheng Qingxi responded, “I’m almost done. I’m just worried I’ll remember the numbers wrong.”
For Sheng Qingxi, this college entrance exam was also a new challenge. It had been so long that she had forgotten the contents of her own exam. She felt just as nervous as the rest of them.
After the exam, she had silently estimated her score—it should be about the same as in her previous life.
In her last life, she had been the top scorer in Chucheng’s college entrance exam. Her choice of college had caused quite a stir, and almost all the teachers had tried to persuade her to change her mind. But Sheng Qingxi didn’t listen to anyone and had resolutely pursued what she wanted.
Hearing her words, Lin Ran didn’t reply, but he didn’t leave either. He patiently waited until Sheng Qingxi finished the last question.
As soon as she put down her pen, Lin Ran swiftly snatched the test paper from her hands and placed the bowl of noodles in front of her. “Eat first. I’ll work on the paper tomorrow. Are you staying here tonight or heading back?”
Sheng Qingxi stabbed a homemade beef ball with her fork and popped it into her mouth. Tilting her head, she thought for a moment and replied, “I’ll go back tomorrow.”
This time, Lin Ran didn’t fool himself into thinking she wanted to stay longer to spend time with him. He knew her well enough now—she just wanted to wait for him to finish the test paper before heading home.
Hmph, little rascal.
By the time they finished the hot pot, it was already past midnight.
It wasn’t just the end of the college entrance exams; it was the end of their high school lives.
Xie Zhen and He Mo, tipsy from the beer, were overwhelmed with sudden emotion. They had lost interest in gaming and instead began pressing the voice buttons in the class chat, howling mournfully.
Sheng Qingxi and Lin Yanyan had already been sent off by Lin Ran to wash up and sleep.
Before heading upstairs, Lin Ran cast a glance at the two drunken fools, his lips twitching as he turned to climb the stairs.
…
Knock, knock—
A light tapping sounded at the door.
Lin Ran had just finished his shower and was stepping out of the bathroom when he heard the soft knock at the door. A knowing smile flickered across his lips.
He glanced at himself in the mirror, his T-shirt clinging to his damp skin. Without a second thought, he pulled it off and tossed it along with his towel into the laundry basket, then shut the bathroom door behind him.
Sheng Qingxi stood at the door, feeling a bit uneasy as she waited for Lin Ran to open it.
With a soft click, the door swung open.
She looked up. “Lin…”
Ran.
Standing before her was the boy, shirtless. His toned, muscular physique was fully on display—defined chest and sculpted abs, still glistening with water droplets. His damp black hair clung to his forehead as he leaned casually against the doorframe, watching her with a teasing smirk.
Sheng Qingxi froze, forgetting why she had come to find him in the first place.
Her hand clenched nervously at her side, and she lowered her gaze, unable to look directly at him. In a small voice, she said, “Lin Ran, don’t move.”
Don’t move?
Lin Ran chuckled softly. “Alright, I won’t move.”
But the next second, his expression froze.
The girl in front of him carefully reached up and placed her hand on his arm. The warmth of his skin made her hesitate for just a moment, but she quickly gathered her courage. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the corner of his lips.
Her gentle, trembling voice whispered in his ear, “Lin Ran, would you like to date me?”
It was the same question he had asked her that day on the Ferris wheel.
Lin Ran’s eyes darkened, his voice hoarse as he asked, “Can I move now?”
Sheng Qingxi’s eyelashes fluttered, and she softly answered, “Mm.”
Without another moment’s hesitation, Lin Ran wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against his chest. With a swift movement of his foot and a firm grip on her waist, he effortlessly lifted her into his arms and carried her into the room.
The door closed with a heavy thud behind them.