But then he remembered that even Song Shiman had shared a bed with Sheng Qingxi, and he felt more at ease.
Without any change in expression, Lin Ran took off his shoes. As for his shirt, he didn’t dare take that off.
His self-control wasn’t strong enough to lie next to Sheng Qingxi on the same bed.
Sheng Qingxi watched as Lin Ran walked over to the narrow space between the two beds. The shifting light accentuated the cold sharpness of his features, the slight movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.
In the small room, the intensity of his presence filled the air.
Sheng Qingxi knew very well that just beneath the thin fabric of his shirt were Lin Ran’s firm chest muscles.
After all, she had hugged him countless times before.
She hadn’t thought much about anything when they first entered the room, but now, she suddenly felt a little parched. The temperature around her seemed to be rising slowly. Sheng Qingxi edged closer to the wall, realizing that the feeling was entirely her own.
With Lin Ran standing there in the small space, Sheng Qingxi couldn’t tell which bed he planned to lie on. Her eyes were wide, watching him intently without blinking.
Lin Ran glanced at her sideways, his lips curving slightly. She had been so confident when she invited him to bed, but now, those beautiful eyes of hers were filled with nervousness, her dark lashes trembling uncontrollably.
Lin Ran scoffed lightly. “What, scared now?”
Too late.
Sheng Qingxi blinked and thought to herself, You can’t even beat me.
However, she wisely chose not to say that out loud. Lin Ran clearly couldn’t handle being provoked. After spending a year together, Sheng Qingxi had learned a thing or two about his hidden thoughts.
Lin Ran casually flicked the strands of hair hanging over his forehead, his chin lifted slightly as he lazily smirked, “Sheng Qingxi, scoot over a bit. Lift the blanket for me.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
She was already pressed up against the wall.
Meeting Lin Ran’s dark eyes for two seconds, Sheng Qingxi reluctantly shifted further into the bed, stretching out a pale arm to lift a corner of the blanket.
Lin Ran’s gaze darkened instantly.
He knew Sheng Qingxi didn’t mean anything by it, but it still felt like an invitation.
Lin Ran didn’t climb into bed right away. He took a moment to remind himself that Sheng Qingxi had turned eighteen back in April, which allowed him to lie down beside her without showing much emotion.
There was only one pillow on the bed.
So when Lin Ran lay down, the pillow sank under their combined weight. The sound of their bodies rustling against the blanket was louder than usual, and Sheng Qingxi quietly took a deep breath.
They had shared this level of intimacy many times before.
But this time, an inexplicable tension hung in the air.
Sheng Qingxi could sense that it was because their relationship had changed. In her previous life, she had never been in a romantic relationship. The only experience she had that was even remotely related to romance was her ten-year-long crush.
Lin Ran wasn’t feeling at ease either.
The train continued to move steadily, but he couldn’t hear it. The only sound in his ears was Sheng Qingxi’s faint breathing.
Her breathing was soft and light, her scent sweet and subtle.
These little sensations seemed to amplify a thousandfold, making his heart race restlessly.
Although they were crammed together on the small bed, a tiny gap remained between them. It was as if neither wanted to be the first to touch the other.
Sheng Qingxi closed her eyes, trying hard not to think about the fact that Lin Ran was lying next to her. After all, Lin Ran had only invited her for a nap, so she couldn’t let her mind wander.
Just as she was about to break the silence with some small talk, she suddenly felt a hand cover the back of hers.
Warmth spread through her, causing her to flinch slightly.
“Lin Ran…” Her soft voice quivered with uncertainty.
Lin Ran immediately tightened his grip on her hand, his long fingers forcefully interlocking with hers, completely enveloping her hand in his.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his voice hoarse as he asked, “Sheng Qingxi, can I kiss you? Like last time.”
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together, not knowing how to answer.
She still remembered the heat of Lin Ran’s breath and the overwhelming sense of shame from their last kiss.
She exhaled softly and whispered, “Lin Ran, next time, you don’t have to ask. If you want to… kiss me, just kiss me. You can do whatever you want.”
Damn.
The string that had been tightly wound in Lin Ran’s mind suddenly snapped.
Lin Ran swiftly rolled over and pressed Sheng Qingxi beneath him, the blanket slipping off with his movement. His forearm propped against the side of the pillow, muscles taut, veins faintly visible. He was holding back, but just barely.
His smoldering dark eyes were locked onto the person beneath him.
Her beautiful, familiar face was only inches away, her wide, watery eyes reflecting his image. Perhaps due to nerves, her other hand was gripping the bedsheet tightly.
Lin Ran chuckled hoarsely, “Are you scared?”
Sheng Qingxi blinked slowly and shook her head slightly. She wasn’t scared, but the waiting was unbearable. Impatient, she urged him, “Lin Ran, can you hurry up?”
Lin Ran: What?
Who could possibly hold back after that?
His hand slid behind her neck, holding her firmly in place, his gaze lingering possessively on her lips. Without further hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her hard.
There was no time for Sheng Qingxi to adjust.
Lin Ran had always been domineering, in everything he did—and kissing was no exception.
He had managed to hold back before, but not this time.
Sheng Qingxi felt like a fish out of water, struggling to breathe. She pushed against him weakly, but Lin Ran immediately seized her hands, pressing them down as the oxygen between them grew thin. Her body instinctively arched towards him.
Her soft chest pressed against his, and Lin Ran froze for a brief moment.
But then he lost control completely, his heated kisses slowly trailing toward the back of her ear.
…
The train’s rhythmic clattering drowned out the muffled sounds from their small room. It was unclear how much time had passed before silence finally returned. Outside, the landscape continued to change, light and shadows flickering through the window.
Sheng Qingxi clung to Lin Ran, gasping for breath, her dress now completely disheveled.
The clothing she wore underneath had shifted out of place as well.
Lin Ran’s thumb lingered at the corner of her mouth, gently wiping away the evidence of their heated exchange.
Sheng Qingxi, her face flushed, leaned against his neck without saying a word. She could hear both her own heartbeat and his. She quietly reached down to adjust her dress, but her next action wasn’t exactly graceful.
Biting her lip, she mumbled, “Lin Ran, turn around.”
Lin Ran looked down at her, his gaze lingering for a long moment before he pulled the blanket over her, covering her entirely. His voice was raspy as he said, “I’ll go take a shower. Stay here and be good. I’ll be quick.”
With that, Lin Ran got up and headed towards the bathroom.
Sheng Qingxi watched him walk away and only then let out a long breath. She silently adjusted her top, which had ridden up earlier. Lin Ran’s hand had already slid to her waist, but he hadn’t gone further.
They had been so close that it had messed up her clothes.
Now Sheng Qingxi felt weak and drained, her body soft as she waited for Lin Ran to return. But Lin Ran’s “quick” shower wasn’t as fast as she had hoped. As she waited, her eyelids grew heavier, and she eventually drifted off.
Half an hour later.
Lin Ran opened the bathroom door and stepped out, his unreadable gaze falling on the figure sleeping soundly on the bed.
It had been a long time since he had felt such a strong urge to smoke.
The desire in his chest hadn’t lessened after what had just happened; if anything, it had grown more intense. One sentence from her, and his defenses crumbled.
It seemed as though everything he wanted was right in front of him, just waiting for him to take.
But Lin Ran couldn’t bring himself to rush things—not with her.
Lin Ran had no way of dealing with himself when he was like this.
He let out a helpless chuckle and lay down on the other bed, which was perfectly neat and without a single crease. Compared to it, the bed Sheng Qingxi had slept in looked like it had been through quite the ordeal.
He turned on his side and quietly watched the sleeping Sheng Qingxi.
Her sleeping posture was still the same as when she had been waiting for him, curled up in a small ball, with only half of her face peeking out from the blanket. A slight blush dusted her pale cheeks, and her long eyelashes rested gently against her skin.
An incredibly childish thought popped into Lin Ran’s mind: My girlfriend is the cutest in the world.
No, the cutest in the entire universe.
…
When Sheng Qingxi woke up, the first thing she saw was Lin Ran’s dark eyes. It seemed he hadn’t slept.
He was lying on the bed across from her, separated by the narrow aisle, and it was impossible to tell how long he had been watching her.
Sheng Qingxi blinked in confusion, still groggy, before asking, “Lin Ran, why are you sleeping over there?”
Her voice, still thick with sleep, was sweet and soft, and the way she called his name was so tender it felt like she was being coquettish. Just two words, and Lin Ran’s heart was already itching.
Lin Ran suppressed the urge to get up and join her, his voice husky as he replied, “I just felt like sleeping here.”
Sheng Qingxi glanced at him, a bit more awake now, and responded, “…Okay.”
After Sheng Qingxi got up and went to the bathroom, Lin Ran called for someone to tidy up the bed. Meanwhile, Sheng Qingxi stood frozen in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror.
She was wearing a strappy sundress today, and the skin around her neck was clearly visible. Unfortunately, that visibility also made the marks on her skin impossible to miss. A large patch of reddish marks stretched from the back of her neck down to her chest.
Her mind went blank, and her face flushed instantly. She had been walking around in front of Lin Ran like this, and he hadn’t said a single word. He didn’t even bother to give her a heads-up.
Sheng Qingxi bit her lip.
She didn’t want to talk to him anymore.
Lin Ran lazily leaned back on the sofa, chewing on some gum as he gazed outside at the sprawling green hills, dotted here and there with bright colors.
When the bathroom door opened, he immediately looked over, ready to speak, but before he could say anything, Sheng Qingxi glared at him, covering her chest with her hands. She didn’t say a word, just puffed her cheeks in annoyance and stormed out of the room.
Lin Ran: “…”
What just happened? Why did she go into the bathroom and come out mad?
Stunned for a brief moment, Lin Ran quickly caught up with her. The train’s corridor wasn’t very long, so in just a few steps, he reached Sheng Qingxi, who was walking briskly ahead. He pulled her into his arms.
Since the train was still moving, Sheng Qingxi didn’t put up much of a struggle.
She just squirmed her wrist lightly and whispered, “Let go of me.”
Lin Ran looked down at her flushed face, his voice low as he asked, “Did I do something to upset you? And where do you think you’re going if I let go?”
Even while being held by Lin Ran, Sheng Qingxi kept her chest covered, unwilling to reveal the embarrassing marks.
She didn’t want to admit the shameful reason for her anger, and the way they were entangled in the corridor wasn’t exactly graceful. Reluctantly, she muttered, “I got a little sweaty while I was sleeping. I just want to go back and take a shower and change.”
Hearing this, Lin Ran raised an eyebrow. “If you want to shower, go ahead. Why are you mad at me?”
Sheng Qingxi was anxious to get changed, but she knew that Lin Ran could be incredibly annoying when he wanted to be, just like 2018—unrelenting. After a moment of thought, she decided to stand on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on the corner of Lin Ran’s lips.
Taking advantage of Lin Ran’s moment of surprise, Sheng Qingxi quickly slipped out of his arms and bolted.
Lin Ran hadn’t expected Sheng Qingxi to suddenly pull such a move. By the time he came to his senses, she was already long gone. Standing there, staring at the now-empty hallway, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
—
The first car of the Seven Stars train was named Blue Moon, a social and leisure car. At the far end of the carriage, there was a floor-to-ceiling glass window offering a panoramic view of the tracks and the passing scenery.
Eight small lamps illuminated the ceiling, with floor lamps standing in the corners, casting a soft glow.
The atmosphere was tranquil and cozy.