“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. I’m going to see my sweetheart.”
Yes, after two long years, Xie Zhen had finally met his true love.
Lin Ran and the others had all met the girl—a tiny thing, barely reaching Xie Zhen’s shoulder. But her temper was anything but small. She was especially fierce when it came to anyone calling Xie Zhen fat—she could take down three people at once with her words.
She didn’t get along with He Mo, though, since He Mo loved teasing Xie Zhen at every opportunity.
He Mo, not wanting to argue with the girl, could only seek his revenge during their gaming sessions by targeting Xie Zhen. Every time they played, the two would argue to no end, but the next day, it would be as if nothing had happened, and they’d go right back to their usual banter. Despite this, their friendship remained solid.
Meanwhile, in Lin Ran’s apartment.
Sheng Qingxi lay blankly on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Her breath was still uneven, and her heart pounded from the intensity of the moment just before. As Lin Ran got up and left, her heartbeat gradually steadied. Her sweater was now bunched up in a mess.
Moments ago, the person who had been on top of her had been breathing heavily, but in an instant, he released her and walked away.
Soon, the sound of water running in the bathroom filled the apartment.
This wasn’t the first time this had happened.
Sheng Qingxi felt like Lin Ran was just torturing himself at this point. She had been sitting comfortably on the rug, eating strawberries, when he suddenly pinned her down and kissed her, with absolutely no warning.
She had discreetly asked Song Shiman about things like this before, and Shiman had told her not to worry about Lin Ran. But Sheng Qingxi wasn’t sure if this was good or bad for him.
It seemed like Lin Ran had been taking cold showers more and more frequently lately.
Once her breathing returned to normal, Sheng Qingxi sat up and slowly adjusted her clothes. The warmth from earlier had faded, especially since her personal “heater” was no longer next to her.
“Meow, meow, meow!”
The sound of a small cat scratching at the door rang out from the other room, its cries filled with distress.
Sheng Qingxi suddenly remembered that 2018 had been locked in the other room with 2009, thanks to Lin Ran. 2009 was the golden retriever Lin Ran had brought home during his first year of college. It was sweet and obedient, and after two years, it had grown into a full-sized dog.
Sheng Qingxi had never quite understood why the two pets were named 2018 and 2009. Who gave their pets such strange names? She had asked Lin Ran about it, but he only told her to figure it out herself.
Two years had passed, and she still hadn’t figured it out.
Since Lin Ran didn’t want to explain, Sheng Qingxi stopped asking.
When she opened the door, 2009 was the first to jump at her, the golden furball wagging its long tail and grinning at her. The first thing 2018 did was dart toward the bathroom, looking for the one responsible for locking it up.
Sheng Qingxi crouched down to pet 2009’s soft, fluffy head.
Unlike 2018, 2009 had always been a quiet dog, ever since Lin Ran brought it home. It was still the same today. The little golden retriever was gentle and ate well, always joining them on their morning runs.
The only problem was that 2018 constantly bullied it.
Luckily, 2009 wasn’t 2018’s only victim. 2018’s biggest enemy was Lin Ran. From the moment the two first laid eyes on each other, it seemed they were destined to be rivals.
Sheng Qingxi watched as the little black cat, now baring its teeth and claws, scratched at the bathroom door.
It was hard to believe that this feisty little creature was the same shivering, pitiful kitten she had once held in her arms.
“Click.”
The bathroom door opened.
Lin Ran, in a foul mood for reasons that were clear to both of them, looked down at the fierce little cat and clicked his tongue. He bent down and scooped it up, letting it kick its legs and meow frantically in the air.
He gave the feisty cat a lazy glance before slowly walking toward Sheng Qingxi. “Sheng Qingxi, did the fish snacks and canned food we ordered last time arrive?”
Sheng Qingxi blinked and nodded, playing along. “Mm, they’ve arrived, but I haven’t opened them yet.”
Lin Ran held 2018 by the scruff of its neck, his tone indifferent as he made a decision. “I think we should return the snacks. This brand might not suit you. What do you think, little thing? Should we send them back?”
“Meow, meow, meow~”
The once fierce little cat immediately softened, purring and meowing sweetly at Lin Ran, completely losing its earlier bravado. It had no shame, bowing its head and pleading—all for the sake of some fish treats.
Lin Ran snorted softly. “Will you still scratch the door next time?”
2018 blinked its big, shiny eyes at him. “Meow~”
As soon as Lin Ran put 2018 down, the little creature bolted to Sheng Qingxi’s side, hiding under 2009’s body like a bullied child seeking refuge from an oppressive tyrant.
Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but laugh as she stroked 2018’s soft chin, soothing the little one before turning her attention to the bigger one. “Lin Ran, we’re going home tomorrow. Have you packed everything?”
Lin Ran, sitting on the sofa, stared at her for a moment before answering, “As long as I have you with me, everything else is already at home.”
Ever since the fire at the South Garden villa, Grandpa Lin had bought Lin Ran a new house. Whether it was intentional or not, the new house was in the West City. Grandpa Lin had also made sure to replace every one of Lin Ran’s prized cars.
Sheng Qingxi nodded. “Then, shall we go have dinner? Are Ah Zhen and the others back yet?”
Lin Ran glanced at the time. “I’ll go check.”
They had planned a group dinner that night. In addition to the four of them, several of their classmates were joining, making the total count nearly a dozen people.
Over the past two years, time had passed, and they had all changed.
The one thing that hadn’t changed was their ability to still gather together each year.
Sheng Qingxi hoped that, year after year, they could continue like this, remaining close and connected.
—
New Year’s Eve.
Every year, Shengkai Welfare Home was at its liveliest on this day. Lin Ran had somehow managed to send over a truckload of new toys, and the children were completely absorbed in their play, running around with joy.
Meanwhile, Sheng Lan and the other caretakers were busy welcoming visitors who came bearing gifts and greetings.
As for Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran, they had been banished to the kitchen to make dumplings. Over the past two years, Lin Ran had cooked countless meals for the three of them, his cooking skills skyrocketing to the point where making dumplings was second nature. Xie Zhen alone had eaten hundreds, if not thousands, of dumplings, all made by Lin Ran.
Compared to Lin Ran’s effortless skill, Sheng Qingxi’s attempts were clumsy.
Each of her dumplings came out uneven, and when lined up in a row, they looked like they had been made by eleven different people. While making the dumplings, she kept glancing over at Lin Ran’s hands, trying to learn from his technique, but he was so fast—he could finish one dumpling in just a few seconds.
Before she could fully catch on, Lin Ran had already finished another dumpling.
She stared in confusion for a while, then waited for him to make the next one.
In truth, she had watched Lin Ran cook for the past two years, but every time, his movements seemed slightly different. Otherwise, why would she still be unable to master it after all this time?
Lin Ran watched her gaze fixed on him, but he didn’t teach her.
It puzzled him a bit—normally, there was nothing this girl couldn’t handle. But when it came to the kitchen, she seemed like a completely different person. Over the past two years, the only thing she’d managed to learn was how to boil noodles.
Her slender fingers were dusted with white flour.
Seeing that Lin Ran wasn’t paying attention to her, Sheng Qingxi mischievously reached over and swiped her flour-covered hand across his cheek, leaving a long, white streak on the side of his face. Lin Ran didn’t dodge or flinch, just letting her have her fun.
He glanced at her, half-amused and half-resigned.
Every year, during the Lunar New Year, Sheng Qingxi wore the clothes that Sheng Lan bought for her. Lin Ran had noticed this pattern for years—each year, it was always something red. Red down jackets, red coats, red sweaters, and red dresses.
This year, Sheng Lan had bought her a red, British-style wool coat, with a fluffy ring of fox fur around the collar that made her pale face appear even more delicate. From a distance, she looked like a beautiful porcelain doll.
Now, this porcelain doll was staring at Lin Ran with wide, bright eyes, filled with a mixture of joy and anticipation.
Just as Lin Ran was about to say something, Sheng Lan entered the room.
She had come to check on the dumplings, only to find Sheng Qingxi tracing imaginary lines on Lin Ran’s face as if she were drawing, while Lin Ran stayed still, indulging her.
Sheng Lan shook her head, exasperated, before putting on a stern expression. “Yuan Yuan! You’re bullying Xiao Huo again. It’s one thing to tease him on regular days, but today’s a holiday! Stop bothering him and put your hands away.”
Reluctantly, Sheng Qingxi withdrew her hand, muttering softly, “I wasn’t bullying him.”
In fact, it was Lin Ran who had been teasing her all along—refusing to teach her how to make dumplings and laughing at her attempts.
Lin Ran chuckled. “Mom Sheng, she wasn’t bullying me. We were just playing around. The dumplings are all done—half steamed, half boiled. I’ll take them out soon so the little ones can eat first.”
Sheng Lan, knowing that nothing would go wrong with Lin Ran in the kitchen, took a quick look and left, but not before reminding Sheng Qingxi again not to mess with Lin Ran. Sheng Qingxi sighed and reluctantly agreed.
As soon as Sheng Lan was gone, Lin Ran leaned closer to Sheng Qingxi, offering his cheek. “Want to keep drawing? Go ahead.”
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together, holding back a smile, and traced a small heart on his face.
Only after seeing her smile did Lin Ran stand up and carry the dumplings to the stove. “Sheng Qingxi, go wash your hands. Use warm water. After that, go to your room—I left your New Year’s gift on your desk.”
“A gift? What gift?”
Sheng Qingxi thought for a moment but couldn’t recall when Lin Ran had gone out to buy her a gift.
Without stopping his work, Lin Ran replied, “You’ll have to see for yourself.”
Eagerly, Sheng Qingxi washed her hands, barely taking the time to dry them before rushing out of the kitchen. Lin Ran could hear the little bells on her shoes jingling as she ran, the sound growing faster and faster as she dashed away.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Silly girl.
…
Sheng Qingxi hurried to her room and immediately spotted a small, neatly wrapped box on her desk. The gift box was red and white, tied with a large, delicate bow.
It was only the size of her palm.
Over the years, Lin Ran had given her countless gifts, each one special and dearly cherished.
With care, Sheng Qingxi untied the intricate bow. When she finally opened the box, she was surprised to find two coins inside—nothing else.
She placed the two coins in her palm, staring at them for a long while, until she realized that the answer she had been searching for all this time was right here.
The two coins were 2009 and 2018.
“It was raining that day. I came to Shengkai to pick you up, and you gave me two coins. We took the bus to school together. Sheng Qingxi, these two coins were given to me by your own hands back then, and I’ve kept them ever since.”
“Now, I’m giving them back to you.”
The deep voice came from the doorway.
Two years had passed, and Lin Ran’s voice had lost a bit of its youthful sharpness, replaced by a deeper, more magnetic tone.
Sheng Qingxi lifted her gaze and looked at Lin Ran, her eyes filled with realization and warmth.
He was leaning against the doorframe, his gaze soft as he looked at her. When he saw her glance his way, he lowered his voice and said, “Yuan Yuan, happy New Year.”
Sheng Qingxi lowered her gaze, her eyelashes trembling gently.
She slowly closed her hand, tightly gripping the two coins in her palm, then ran toward him and threw herself into Lin Ran’s arms. In the next moment, he lifted her up, enveloping her in his familiar scent.
The boyishness that once lingered around him had mostly faded now—he had become a mature man.
With her arms wrapped around Lin Ran’s neck, Sheng Qingxi held him for a long time before softly whispering, “Lin Ran, after we graduate, let’s get married, okay?”
Her Lin Ran responded in a hoarse voice, “Okay.”
—
Lin Ran, I once crossed the desolate wilderness of time alone.
I left everything behind, walking through the thorns with no one by my side.
All was empty, except for the flickering firelight on the horizon—
My Lin Ran.