“Sheng Qingxi.”
His voice was cold.
Huh?
Sheng Qingxi froze. Did she just hear Lin Ran’s voice?
She slowly turned around, and sure enough, there he was, his face tense and his eyes locked onto her with a stormy expression. He was clearly angry.
But for Sheng Qingxi, that wasn’t the most important thing.
The real issue was… what she was holding.
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she resisted the urge to hide the bag in her hand. In a small voice, she called out, “Lin Ran.”
Lin Ran stared at her for a long moment, then abruptly took off his coat and wrapped it around her. His voice was low and heavy. “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? Do you even know what time it is?”
Sheng Qingxi clutched the bag tightly, explaining, “Mom cut her hand, and we ran out of band-aids, so I came out to buy some.”
Lin Ran glanced at the bag in her hand, noticing it indeed contained some items, though he didn’t bother to check what else might be inside. Instead, he pulled her into his arms. “I’ll take you home.”
The driver, ever considerate, had already parked the car nearby.
Sheng Qingxi kept silent, feeling nervous, because there was more than just band-aids in the bag.
It was all Song Shiman’s fault. She had urged Sheng Qingxi to buy some supplies, just in case things between her and Lin Ran escalated one day. At first, Sheng Qingxi had hesitated, but after thinking it over, she realized Song Shiman had a point.
After all, they were about to graduate, and there was nothing shameful about it.
She hadn’t originally planned to buy anything extra, but while out purchasing the band-aids, she’d impulsively picked up a few other things. She hadn’t expected Lin Ran to show up and catch her.
They hadn’t seen each other for a week, only chatting before bed each night, so she hadn’t expected him to come by tonight.
Lin Ran gently placed her in the back seat, and the driver lowered the partition for privacy.
“Lin Ran.”
Sheng Qingxi reached out and tugged on his sleeve.
With his coat draped over her, Lin Ran sat in his black suit, his expression colder than usual. Sheng Qingxi hadn’t seen him this angry in a long time, but she knew his temper wouldn’t last long.
Lin Ran fought the urge to hold her, frowning. “Sheng Qingxi.”
She blinked up at him. “Yes?”
“You don’t even know—” Lin Ran stopped himself, not wanting to bring up the incident again or make her feel guilty. “Never mind, come here and let me hold you.”
Abandoning his scolding, Lin Ran opened his arms, inviting her into his wide embrace.
Sheng Qingxi quickly tossed the bag to the side and threw herself into his arms, nestling her cheek against his neck, rubbing gently. The scent of cedarwood and alcohol mingled together, a change from how he used to smell.
“Lin Ran, you’ve been drinking again?”
Sheng Qingxi tilted her head up to look at him.
His eyes, darker than usual, held a deeper intensity. He lowered his head, his cool lips brushing the corner of her eye, answering softly, “Not much.”
It was a lie. Lin Ran’s tolerance for alcohol was strong, and he rarely drank enough to feel its effects.
Tonight, though, he hadn’t been able to avoid it.
Sheng Qingxi watched him for a moment without saying anything, tightening her arms around him.
They were close to Shengkai, and soon, the driver stopped the car.
Lin Ran held her for a while, sobering up a bit before taking her hand and preparing to walk her inside. His other hand habitually reached to take her bag, but this time, his hand came up empty.
Sheng Qingxi was quick to tuck the bag into her arms, saying nothing as she kept it close.
Lin Ran paused, his gaze lingering for a moment, but then he led her out of the car.
The snow was falling harder now, and Lin Ran planned to walk her to the door and leave afterward.
He raised his hand, gently brushing her cheek, his voice husky. “I won’t be busy tomorrow. Let’s go out. Didn’t you say you wanted to see that new movie? I’ll take you.”
“Go to bed early,” he added, leaning down to kiss her hair. “I’m leaving now.”
“Lin Ran.”
Sheng Qingxi’s head was lowered, her slender fingers tightly gripping the hem of his coat.
She seemed nervous, and it took her a long moment before she finally continued, “Don’t go.”
Lin Ran stopped in his tracks, his gaze dropping to where her delicate, pale fingers clutched at his black coat. Under the snowy sky, the contrast between her fair fingertips and the dark fabric was strikingly beautiful. Her fingers trembled slightly.
She was nervous.
Lin Ran was an adult—he understood the meaning behind Sheng Qingxi’s words.
His dark eyes took on a hint of intensity, and his gaze swept over her, inch by inch, as though enveloping her completely. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse her, but what she was suggesting… it wasn’t the right time tonight.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice, rough and low, said, “I’ll stay until you fall asleep, then I’ll go. Let’s go inside.”
Sheng Qingxi’s cheeks flushed red. As long as Lin Ran stayed, she was certain things would fall into place.
Once inside, Lin Ran went to Sheng Qingxi’s room to take a shower, while Sheng Qingxi took the bag and went to find Sheng Lan. Despite the years that had passed, Sheng Qingxi still lived in her small dorm room, and Lin Ran had plenty of clothes here, given how often he visited.
In the bathroom, Lin Ran casually pulled off his tie. The small space was filled with traces of Sheng Qingxi, even her scent lingering in the air. He hadn’t realized that even something as mundane as taking a shower could feel so excruciating, especially with the alcohol still coursing through him.
Eventually, Lin Ran switched to cold water, realizing that the longer he stayed in there, the more heated things would become.
He couldn’t linger in this space for too long. Before long, he stepped out of the bathroom, grabbing one of Sheng Qingxi’s towels to dry his hair. She hadn’t returned yet, and the dim, warm light of the bedside lamp bathed the room in a soft glow.
Gradually, Lin Ran’s tension began to ease.
He rubbed his temples and sat on the edge of Sheng Qingxi’s bed, quietly observing the stuffed animals at the foot of the bed. Even after all these years, this silly girl still treated these toys like treasures, taking them out to sun whenever she could.
The room was small, and the furniture was old.
Yet Lin Ran always felt at peace here, like he could let go of all his burdens.
“Lin Ran?”
A soft voice called out, and a small head peeked around the door.
Lin Ran looked up, and Sheng Qingxi had returned.
There was something different about her tonight, something he could sense with absolute clarity. A subtle tension ran through the air, and Lin Ran felt it in his bones. He straightened, lifting his hand and motioning to her. “Come here.”
Sheng Qingxi hesitated at the door for a moment before stepping inside and, without a word, locked the door behind her.
The click of the lock echoed in the already quiet room, sharp and clear.
Lin Ran’s brow twitched slightly, and the feeling in his chest intensified. He watched her as she slowly approached him, as she reached up and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness.
His night vision was exceptional.
He could see her silhouette in the dark, could see as she removed her coat, the soft rustling of fabric filling the silence. When she was down to only her undergarments, Lin Ran couldn’t take it anymore. His hand shot out, stopping her.
The cool pad of his fingers made contact with her warm skin.
Both of them shuddered.
Sheng Qingxi was indeed nervous, especially when the person in front of her was Lin Ran. She hadn’t even been this tense when holding a gun. She exhaled softly, her voice low. “Lin Ran, it’s just one week until your birthday.”
Lin Ran froze.
She knew everything.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as the heat between their touching skin intensified. He tried to restrain himself, forcing back the urge to pull her completely into his arms. “Qingqing, not tonight, we don’t have…”
“We do.”
Sheng Qingxi cut him off.
Lin Ran’s pupils constricted slightly, and almost immediately, he remembered the bag she had kept hidden from him earlier. She didn’t just buy band-aids at the convenience store.
From that moment, Lin Ran couldn’t find the words to respond.
Because Sheng Qingxi suddenly moved forward, nestling herself into his arms. In the small space between the bed and the wall, even the slightest movement caused them to brush against each other.
It was as if Lin Ran’s nerves were set on fire, and that fire spread uncontrollably, igniting everything around it. And the person in his arms was only adding fuel to the flames.
Her body was soft and pliant, and her lips, like a kitten’s paw, brushed teasingly against his ear.
In the darkness, her voice was soft, almost pleading as she called his name.
“Lin Ran.”
And just like that, Lin Ran snapped.
His hand gripped her waist tightly, pulling her slender form against his. In one swift motion, he flipped her over, reversing their positions, pinning her beneath him on the bed. The room was pitch-black, and all she could do was blindly reach for his lips.
She was in a hurry, and in her eagerness, her head bumped against his chin, nearly causing her to bite her own lip.
Lin Ran hissed softly.
He grabbed her hand, holding her still to stop her from trying to kiss him again.
“Qingqing, unbutton my shirt,” Lin Ran ordered, his voice raspy with desire. In the dark, his lips found hers, not at all gentle as he bit down on the corner of her mouth.
The room, already warmed by the heater, became even more stifling as their bodies pressed together, the heat between them building. Sweat began to form on Sheng Qingxi’s forehead as Lin Ran roughly kissed her, demanding she fumble with his buttons.
Her hand slid down from his neck, trembling slightly as her fingers grazed the already half-undone buttons of his shirt. The fabric hung loosely around his collar, exposing his heated skin. Her fingertips brushed over the pulsing vein at his neck, and she couldn’t resist running her hand over the rise of his Adam’s apple.
Lin Ran let out a low groan, extending his long leg to kick the pile of stuffed animals off the bed. He could always put them back before Sheng Qingxi woke up the next morning.
With the stuffed animals gone, the already cramped bed didn’t feel any more spacious.
It just made it easier for Lin Ran to move. His strong leg was now between hers, and his hand slipped beneath her clothes with practiced ease. He had done this many times before, but this time felt different.
The air between them grew thinner with every kiss.
Sheng Qingxi’s fingers trembled as she fumbled with his buttons, one after another…
Sweat-dampened fingers clasped around her wrist, and Lin Ran loosened his grip slightly before quickly yanking off his shirt and tossing it to the floor. He moved again, as if reaching over the bed for something.
“Lin Ran?”
“Don’t be scared.”
Though he told her not to be afraid, his hands didn’t hesitate for a second. In a few swift movements, he bound Sheng Qingxi’s wrists with a tie and secured them above her head, pressing her fully against him.
Sheng Qingxi’s mind buzzed.
This was more intense than she had imagined. Why had he tied her up?
Lin Ran leaned down, peppering her forehead with light, lingering kisses. His lips traveled down, brushing over her brows, trailing along the curve of her cheekbones. When he reached her lips, he stopped, his voice rough as he called out to her, “Qingqing.”
“Mm?”
Her voice trembled.
With both the alcohol and desire clouding his mind, Lin Ran could barely restrain himself. The little bit of control he had left was hanging by a thread, but he tried his best to make sure she understood. “One more week. The ring is in my coat pocket. Once my birthday passes, I’ll be old enough.”
“Marry me.”
“You don’t have the option to refuse. The only answer I want from you is ‘yes.’”
He held her wrists firmly, his lips barely brushing hers.
Each word was spoken like a threat—
“Will you marry me?”
His breath, laced with alcohol, fanned across her skin, and Sheng Qingxi felt as if she were the one who had been drinking. It was as if she couldn’t bear it any longer, turning her face away as if she could somehow escape the intensity of his question.
But where could she go?
Biting her lip, Sheng Qingxi finally whispered, “I’ll marry you.”
As soon as the words left her lips, the room fell into silence, as if all that remained was the sound of their heartbeats.
For a long time, Lin Ran didn’t move, his gaze fixed on her face, unwavering.
Then, after what felt like an eternity of quiet, Sheng Qingxi suddenly heard a sharp sound.
She froze.
It was the sound of a belt buckle being undone.