Sheng Qingxi swung their linked hands slightly and replied, “Anywhere is fine, as long as I’m with you.”
Lin Ran tightened his grip on her hand. “Once Yanyan finishes her exams and is on break, we’ll go. Otherwise, that little brat will definitely hold a grudge against me. Ah Zhen and the others will come too.”
After a brief pause, Lin Ran lowered his voice and said, word by word, “Together, always.”
Sheng Qingxi smiled softly and echoed his words, “Mm, together, always.”
September. The season was clinging to the last bit of summer.
The weather in Ningcheng was different from that in the city they’d left. The intense summer heat was gradually fading, giving way to early autumn. But in the university town, the heat that lingered from summer hadn’t disappeared—after all, it was the start of the new school year.
A black Hummer drove straight into Ningcheng University, boldly bypassing the seniors who had come to welcome the new students, showing no interest in them as it headed directly toward the parking lot. The flashy vehicle drew the attention of nearly everyone.
Many speculated about who the cocky new student might be, and some felt the next few years at university were going to be anything but peaceful.
Sitting in the back seat, Xie Zhen mumbled softly, “Isn’t this just registration day? Did Brother Ran really have to make such a scene?”
He Mo rolled his eyes. “Think about what kind of vehicle he used to ride before—this is already him being ‘low-key.'”
The boy in the driver’s seat wore a simple black T-shirt and sunglasses, his lower face gifted by the heavens with lines and curves so sharp and flawless they seemed untouchable. His strong forearm loosely gripped the steering wheel.
Unfortunately, the person who could best appreciate this sight was currently fast asleep, her head tilted to one side against the seat. Even when the Hummer gently came to a stop in the parking lot, she didn’t stir.
Xie Zhen and He Mo had already registered at the nearby university.
A few days earlier, they’d helped set up the house where they’d be living in Ningcheng for the next four years. Not wanting to head back just yet, they decided to tag along with Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi for a visit to Ningcheng University.
After the break, Xie Zhen and He Mo, well-adjusted to Lin Ran’s ways, instinctively opened the car doors and got out first. They’d had enough of watching Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi’s lovey-dovey antics—especially since Lin Ran was shamelessly affectionate, never once considering how uncomfortable it made the two of them. Their graduation trip had been more than enough to test their patience.
Lin Ran casually took off his sunglasses and tossed them aside, glancing over at Sheng Qingxi.
She was fast asleep, wearing a cute little straw hat. Her skin was fair, and the slight dark circles under her eyes stood out. Below them were her lips, adorned with a soft peach-colored lipstick.
Lin Ran knew just how soft those lips were.
Last night, he had kept her pinned on the couch for half the night before finally letting her go. He’d barely managed to hold back. This was not at all how he had imagined living together would be. Thinking back, he blamed that mischievous little thing for always knowing just how to tease him, like she was constantly poking at him when he was least prepared.
His resistance to Sheng Qingxi was practically nonexistent, unable to handle any of her playful provocations.
Lin Ran glanced at the time—there were still thirty minutes left.
Xie Zhen and He Mo, who were standing by the parking lot watching the girls passing by, suddenly heard footsteps behind them. They turned around, thinking it was time to go, only to find Lin Ran approaching alone.
Xie Zhen’s eyes immediately darted behind him. “Brother Ran, where’s the fairy?”
He Mo, noticing Xie Zhen’s eager look, teased, “Every time it’s about the fairy, you get all worked up. I’m starting to think you have a crush on her.”
At this, Lin Ran shot Xie Zhen a cool glance.
Even though there was no discernible emotion in his dark eyes, it somehow sent a chill down Xie Zhen’s spine.
Damn it, that traitor He Mo had set him up!
Clearing his throat, Xie Zhen replied, in an exaggeratedly righteous tone, “The fairy worked so hard helping us study during senior year! It’s only right for us to care about her. Besides, we’re not familiar with this place—what’s wrong with asking a little more?”
He Mo immediately guessed that Sheng Qingxi was still asleep and tugged at the chubby boy. “Come on, I’ll treat you to some popsicles. By the time we’re back, the fairy will probably be awake. Let’s go check out the campus and clear the way for Brother Ran.”
With that, the two of them walked off, arms around each other’s shoulders.
Lin Ran didn’t care about his image as he casually sat down on a small roadside step, his gaze fixed on the car. From this spot, he could easily keep an eye on the vehicle and any movement around it.
It wasn’t that Lin Ran didn’t want to sit in the car with Sheng Qingxi—it was that being in such a confined space, he was afraid he might lose control again.
He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the photos he’d taken of Sheng Qingxi over the summer.
His Xiao Xi, no matter how many times he looked at her, he never got tired.
The start of the school year was bustling with people coming and going.
As Lin Ran sat there, he began to feel something was off. The people passing by him were slowing down, and the number of people around him was growing. Eyes lingered on him, as if unable to look away.
Even among a crowd of handsome faces, Lin Ran’s appearance was striking. If someone had dumped him in front of a talent agency, they could’ve instantly turned him into a star. And here, at Ningcheng University, he was even more of a standout.
Unbeknownst to him, his photo had already made its way into nearly every class group chat.
Some students had even gone into the freshman chat to ask for his contact information, causing communication across Ningcheng University to surge.
With an expressionless face, Lin Ran put his sunglasses back on, slipped his phone into his pocket, and stood up, striding purposefully toward the parking lot. These people had just reminded him of one important thing.
He needed to be on guard.
Five minutes later…
Sheng Qingxi, still half-asleep, was gently pulled out of the car by Lin Ran.
She was a little dazed from just waking up, so she let Lin Ran guide her forward, her hand obediently tugging at his sleeve as she leaned against his arm.
With a playful smirk, Lin Ran mischievously tilted her little straw hat back a bit, exposing her entire beautiful face.
In the past, Lin Ran would have wanted nothing more than to keep Sheng Qingxi hidden from the world.
But now, he didn’t just avoid hiding her—he wanted everyone to know that Sheng Qingxi was his girlfriend.
Her fairy-like face next to Lin Ran’s had an even more stunning effect, drawing attention wherever they went. The students at Ningcheng University were, in the span of just five minutes, thrown into a whirlwind of emotions, from love to heartbreak and back again, as they realized that these two gorgeous people were already taken—by each other, no less.
Of course, Sheng Qingxi was completely oblivious to all this.
She rubbed her eyes and asked softly, “Lin Ran, are we at the school yet?”
Lin Ran, in a seemingly casual motion, adjusted the little straw hat back on her head and replied in a low voice, “Yeah, we’re here. After registration, I’ll take you to lunch. Where do you want to eat?”
Sheng Qingxi yawned softly and tilted her head in thought. “Let’s go to the cafeteria. I want to see what’s good there.”
Lin Ran gave a quiet “mm” in response.
Just as Sheng Qingxi was waking up more fully, she realized that Xie Zhen and He Mo were nowhere to be seen. She was about to ask Lin Ran when she saw the two of them walking over, carrying small bags, which seemed to be filled with popsicles.
Sheng Qingxi’s grip on Lin Ran’s hand suddenly tightened—she wanted one.
Seeing her cautiously glance up at him, Lin Ran couldn’t help but laugh. He flicked her forehead lightly and teased, “Are you that scared? Go ahead and eat. Your period’s over, so it’s fine.”
Sheng Qingxi scrunched up her face in frustration—Lin Ran was so annoying.
While Lin Ran was having fun flicking her forehead, the onlookers erupted in disbelief.
“Oh my god, did he really just flick a fairy’s forehead? Doesn’t he know how hard it is for fairies to descend to earth? That dog of a man!”
“How can he do that to her?”
“Ugh, I hope it didn’t hurt the fairy.”
“Come on, you guys are exaggerating. He didn’t even flick her that hard.”
“Shut up, men! Just shut up!”
“……”
Xie Zhen and He Mo, now close enough to the parking lot, saw Sheng Qingxi was finally out of the car. Xie Zhen quickly shoved the bag into Lin Ran’s hands. “Brother Ran, pick whatever you two want. There’s plenty. Whatever you don’t eat, I’ll happily take care of.”
Originally, Xie Zhen had planned to hand the bag directly to Sheng Qingxi, but after what just happened, he decided it was best to play it safe and keep his distance.
Lin Ran held the bag up, watching as Sheng Qingxi rummaged through it. After a long search, she finally pulled out a strawberry-flavored popsicle. But that wasn’t enough—she also grabbed a lemon-flavored ice pop.
Lin Ran resisted the urge to say anything.
Next to him, Sheng Qingxi, satisfied with her finds, started happily unwrapping her ice cream. Seeing her squint her eyes in delight as she enjoyed it, Lin Ran gave up on his initial plan to take the second ice pop away from her.
Before, Lin Ran thought his little sister Lin Yanyan was hard to handle. But after living with Sheng Qingxi for nearly a week, he realized that this stubborn girl was even harder to deal with.
The biggest problem with Sheng Qingxi was that she had a habit of running off without saying a word.
No matter how late she stayed up the night before, she would wake up early in the morning, and to avoid disturbing him, she wouldn’t use the treadmill at home. Instead, she’d change into her running clothes and head out for a jog—without a fixed route, either.
Wherever there was trouble, Sheng Qingxi seemed to gravitate toward it.
There were several mornings when Lin Ran woke up to find her gone without a trace. She never left him a single message. One time, he spent the entire morning looking for her, nearly losing his mind with worry, only to get a call from the police. It turned out that she had chased a thief for several streets, all the way to the next district’s police station.
When he finally picked her up, he couldn’t bring himself to scold her. Instead, he started waking up early every day to run with her.
Lin Ran knew that this stemmed from Sheng Qingxi’s previous life, where she had learned to live independently. He didn’t want to change her—those habits were part of her story, the marks of her life. He just wanted her to know that, from now on, he would always be by her side.
Because Lin Ran was with her when she registered for school, everything went smoothly. No one dared to ask for Sheng Qingxi’s WeChat, and both boys and girls stayed far away. Lin Ran’s cold, intimidating presence was enough to scare anyone off—he looked every bit the part of someone who had been in his fair share of brawls.
Originally, Sheng Qingxi had planned to eat at the cafeteria, but with so many parents around today, the road to the cafeteria was packed. She thought about it for a moment, then tugged at Lin Ran’s sleeve, her voice soft as she pleaded, “Lin Ran, I want to go home for lunch.”
Lin Ran didn’t question it. He just held her hand and started heading back.
“What do you want to eat?”
“I want cold noodles.”
“Summer is almost over, and you still want something cold.”
“I want it.”
“Fine, we’ll make it when we get home.”
Xie Zhen and He Mo quietly followed behind them, resigned to their fate. They were starting to think that it was better for them to spend less time around Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi. After all, this kind of situation happened nearly every day.
Wasn’t gaming more fun? Wasn’t scrolling through Weibo more satisfying?
Why were they putting themselves through this?
—
Autumn passed, and winter arrived. Days turned to nights, and months to years.
Time slipped by slowly, and soon enough, it was winter again.
Two years had passed just like that.
Ningcheng was different from their hometown. In winter, it snowed seven days out of ten. Now, with the winter break approaching, He Mo and Xie Zhen finished their last class and rushed home through the snow.
From a distance, they could see the light on in Lin Ran’s apartment. He Mo and Xie Zhen had been neighbors with Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi for nearly two years, and they had one guiding principle: don’t knock on their door unless absolutely necessary.
They had learned their lesson many times over.
As they chatted, the two of them stepped into the elevator.
“Mozi, can you believe how fast time flies? We’re almost in our third year of college.”
“I don’t know about that—you’ve certainly stayed the same weight.”