His head spinning, he stumbled out of the bathroom, not even daring to say a word to Sheng Qingxi. Leaning against the wall, he let out a shaky breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he rasped, “Don’t come out until you’re fully dressed—pants and shirt, everything.”
“Got it!” she called back, her voice filled with joy.
Lin Ran sighed, unsure if she was torturing him or if he was torturing himself.
–
When Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi arrived at Carriage No. 2 for breakfast, they found He Mo and Xie Zhen already there, chatting about the drinks they’d had the night before.
Seeing them approach, Xie Zhen waved them over. “Brother Ran, Fairy! Come on over!”
As they got closer, Xie Zhen noticed Sheng Qingxi’s outfit and couldn’t help but ask, “Fairy, why are you wearing so much in this heat? And why is your t-shirt so big?”
He Mo rolled his eyes. “Just shut up already!”
Xie Zhen, feeling wronged, pouted, “What did I do now?”
Sheng Qingxi wasn’t embarrassed at all by Xie Zhen’s question and answered honestly, “Lin Ran picked these clothes for me. It’s not hot right now, but if I get too warm, I’ll go change.”
Lin Ran huffed quietly to himself.
Xie Zhen: Damn this man!
Once they sat down, Xie Zhen launched into an enthusiastic description of the drinks from the night before. “Fairy, you have no idea! The names of the drinks here are so beautiful—‘Harvest Season of the Stars,’ ‘Venus,’ ‘Blue Moon,’ ‘Wishing on the Stars,’ and they all tasted great too.”
Sheng Qingxi blinked, curious. “What did they taste like?”
Every time they went out to eat, Lin Ran would never let her drink, always playing the role of a strict monitor, watching her like a hawk.
Xie Zhen thought for a moment and said, “There was one with fresh apple and strawberry jam flavor, then there was pear wine, and sparkling tea wine.”
Hearing that, Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but want to try them.
Lin Ran lazily glanced at He Mo, who immediately took the cue and skillfully diverted the conversation, knowing well enough that Lin Ran might bully Xie Zhen later if he kept tempting Sheng Qingxi.
Today they were getting off the train for lunch and staying overnight at a hot spring inn along the way. Xie Zhen couldn’t help but feel it was a bit of a shame—it would’ve been even better if it were winter. Eating hotpot and soaking in the hot springs would be pure bliss.
After breakfast, Lin Ran led his “little princess” to the first carriage to enjoy the view. Meanwhile, Xie Zhen and He Mo snuck back to their rooms for a nap. A relaxing morning passed by like that.
—
By the time they arrived at the hot spring inn in the evening, Xie Zhen’s excitement had waned. The chubby boy was wilting from the heat, and the thought of sleeping on a tatami mat only made things worse. His body was clearly protesting the idea.
It wasn’t until after dinner that the group’s spirits picked up a little as they sat around chatting.
Lin Ran, leaning to the side, played with Sheng Qingxi’s black hair. Once she was done eating, he leaned in and whispered, “Do you want to soak in the hot spring? If you don’t want to go to the public area, we can use a private pool.”
Sheng Qingxi shook her head and softly replied, “I don’t want to.”
“Then we won’t go,” Lin Ran agreed easily. “I’ll take you to look at the stars later.”
Sheng Qingxi smiled at him, her clear, beautiful eyes reflecting the soft lights, and within that bright gaze, her love for him was evident. Lin Ran couldn’t handle that look.
He reached up and gently covered her eyes with his hand, his voice low and rough, “Don’t look at me like that.”
Her long lashes fluttered against his palm, and she reached up to push his hand away, but he wouldn’t budge. She muttered, “Fine, I won’t look, just let go. People are staring.”
At her words, Lin Ran slowly lowered his hand.
As expected, she didn’t look at him anymore and instead focused on chatting with Lin Yanyan. Lin Ran, feeling the heat rising in him, decided to distract himself by talking with He Mo and Xie Zhen. Ever since they had gotten together, Sheng Qingxi had dropped all her defenses around him, making it impossible for him to resist her charms.
After a short rest, He Mo and the others went to soak in the hot springs, while Lin Ran took Sheng Qingxi to the observation deck.
Since most of the guests were soaking in the pools, the observation deck was nearly empty, leaving just the two of them.
Sheng Qingxi lay on a lounge chair, gazing up at the starry sky. The stars scattered freely across the deep blue canvas of the night, while the heat of the summer day gradually dissipated with the breeze and clouds.
Lin Ran didn’t lie down. Instead, he sat nearby, watching as Sheng Qingxi kicked her small, bare feet in the air.
Earlier, at noon, she had felt hot and changed into a cute, light dress. The fabric was thin and barely reached her knees. Now, as she lay down, the dress had ridden up a little higher, but she, carefree as ever, seemed completely unbothered as she relaxed comfortably.
Lin Ran, however, was far from relaxed.
Lin Ran stared at Sheng Qingxi’s slender, fair legs for a while before deciding to look away.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, letting the quiet evening pass by in peaceful silence. After some time, Sheng Qingxi finally turned her head to look at him. “Lin Ran, when was the last time we looked at the stars together?”
Lin Ran: ?
Where did this girl learn to ask questions like that?
Without thinking much, he answered, “On Qixi Festival.”
That Qixi was special. It was the first time Lin Ran began to seriously think about their future, and it was also the first time he promised her something for the future. He said, “I hope we can spend every Qixi together.”
Sheng Qingxi reached out her hand, her soft fingertips stretching towards him.
Lin Ran immediately took her hand, holding it firmly.
She was smiling at him, her voice gentle. “Lin Ran, at the beginning, did you think I was a little annoying? Back then, you didn’t know me, but I hugged you twice in secret and kept chasing after you.”
Lin Ran looked down at her, his voice low as he replied, “Not at all.”
Sometimes when he thought back, he was surprised at his own patience during that time. He had warned her many times, trying to scare her away, but she was never afraid.
Just like in 2018, when she appeared so obedient at first, but in truth, she was like a little rabbit with claws, ready to bite if cornered.
Sheng Qingxi smiled, her lips curving gently, as she said seriously, “Lin Ran, I’m really glad I met you.”
It was Lin Ran who introduced her to a whole new world. Whether it was in their previous life when he pulled her out of the darkness or in this life when he taught her how to love, their relationship was never one-sided. Lin Ran had been running toward her just as much as she had toward him.
This time, Lin Ran didn’t respond.
Instead, he stood up and walked over to her lounge chair, motioning with his chin for her to scoot over.
Sheng Qingxi didn’t move right away, but instead looked at him quietly and asked, “Do you want to hold me?”
Lin Ran: “…”
He clicked his tongue lightly and raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Is it a problem if your boyfriend wants to hold you?”
Sheng Qingxi silently shifted over a bit.
The lounge chair wasn’t big to begin with, and with Lin Ran squeezing onto it, the two of them ended up pressed tightly against each other.
Sheng Qingxi instinctively nestled into the crook of his neck, looking up at his jawline. She couldn’t resist reaching up to poke it and asked, “Lin Ran, are we going to sleep together again tonight?”
Lin Ran let her hand roam freely across him.
“If you want to, we can. I’m fine with whatever.”
He replied calmly, though in truth, he was secretly hoping she’d come over with her little blanket and curl up beside him. Just holding her would be enough for him.
Sheng Qingxi let out a soft “oh” in response, signaling that she understood, but she didn’t say whether or not she’d join him.
Lin Ran stared at her for a long time. By then, she had fully focused on watching the stars again. He had a feeling she was doing it on purpose—his Xiao Xi wasn’t usually like this.
At 9 p.m., Sheng Qingxi announced that she wanted to go back and take a bath.
The moment Lin Ran heard “bath,” he knew she wasn’t coming back. Though a bit disappointed, he didn’t show it. Just like always, he walked her back to her room, waited for her to close the door, and only then left.
When Lin Yanyan returned from the hot spring, Sheng Qingxi had just finished her shower. As soon as she saw Lin Yanyan, Sheng Qingxi softly reminded her, “Yanyan, remember to lock the door before going to bed.”
Lin Yanyan: “…”
Lin Ran is such a dog.
Five minutes later, there was a knock on Lin Ran’s door.
Lin Ran had just stepped out of the bathroom and hadn’t had time to fully dress. He answered the door wearing only a bath towel around his waist.
When he opened the door, both of them froze for a moment.
Sheng Qingxi’s gaze lingered on Lin Ran’s bare waist and abdomen for a few seconds before she looked up, meeting his dark eyes. “Lin Ran, I came to sleep with you. Are you… not in a good situation right now?”
The girl standing in front of him was dressed in a simple white nightgown, hugging a pillow to her chest, her beautiful eyes looking at him expectantly.
Lin Ran’s mind blanked. Of course, there was no such thing as “inconvenient.” Without a word, he pulled her inside.
He didn’t want to say a single word. The pillow she was holding was tossed aside, and he pinned her against the wall, kissing her fiercely while his hands wandered up her dress.
Sheng Qingxi, eyes closed, wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to make it easier for him to lower his head.
The air grew hotter, and when Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but whimper, Lin Ran slowly released her. His thumb brushed over her swollen lips, and in a hoarse voice, he said, “I’m going to take a shower.”
Even though Sheng Qingxi was a little dazed from all the kissing, she still remembered him just getting out of the bathroom. “Didn’t you already shower?”
Lin Ran, without missing a beat, replied, “No, you’re mistaken.”
Resigned, Sheng Qingxi obediently picked up her pillow and crawled into the bed, waiting for Lin Ran to return. After scrolling through her social media for half an hour, Lin Ran still hadn’t come out.
She set down her phone, yawned, and snuggled into the soft pillow, closing her eyes.
When Lin Ran finally emerged from his cold shower, Sheng Qingxi had already fallen asleep. He looked at the small, bundled-up figure on the tatami mat and let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she was already asleep—otherwise, he might have needed another cold shower.
Once he had cooled down, Lin Ran turned off the lights and slid into bed, wrapping his arms around his Xiao Xi.
Sheng Qingxi was a light sleeper, and the moment he touched her shoulder, she instinctively curled into his arms. Her warm little face pressed against his shoulder, her soft hair scattering around her.
Lin Ran’s lips curved slightly as he bent down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Goodnight, my Xiao Xi.”