On Saturday evening, after finishing her test papers, Song Shiman threw down her pen and rushed out to play with the chattering group of kids. Since she always brought gifts whenever she came, the children called her “sister” sweetly, one after another.
Last night, Sheng Qingxi had promised Song Shiman in the study room that after finishing her test today, she wouldn’t have to review any study points. This was why Song Shiman was so enthusiastic tonight, finishing twenty minutes earlier than usual.
Once Sheng Qingxi finished changing clothes, they could head out to play.
Song Shiman was sitting in the indoor play area, holding two dolls and playing house with a few kids. The children here were much more obedient and sensible than any others she had met.
One of the little girls was named Dudu, with a chubby face and big, grape-like eyes that were especially beautiful.
She blinked her eyes and asked in a soft, babyish voice, “Sister, will you come again tomorrow?”
Dudu loved playing with Song Shiman. Song Shiman was more lively compared to Sheng Qingxi, and even though she hadn’t been there many times, she had already bonded with the children.
Song Shiman tilted her head and thought for a moment. Locking eyes with Dudu, she answered seriously, “Sister isn’t sure if I can come tomorrow. If there’s nothing going on at home, I’ll come see you, okay?”
Dudu smiled sweetly and nodded her head vigorously. “Okay!”
Looking at Dudu’s innocent smile, Song Shiman couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. These children didn’t deserve to be abandoned.
They were all little angels.
When Sheng Qingxi and Song Shiman were about to leave, the children obediently said their goodbyes. Dudu even hugged Song Shiman’s leg, looking up at her with her small face, loudly reminding her, “Sister, don’t come home too late!”
Like a little grown-up, she was unbelievably adorable.
Song Shiman almost wanted to bring the whole toy store and give it to Dudu. She squatted down and kissed Dudu’s chubby cheek, and Dudu thoughtfully returned the favor with a sweet-smelling kiss.
Reluctantly, Song Shiman let go of Dudu, feeling an urge to stay there instead of going out.
Once they were in the car, Song Shiman finally mustered the courage to ask Sheng Qingxi, “Qingxi, why is Dudu at the orphanage?”
Sheng Qingxi thought for a moment. “Dudu was sent here two years ago. Her father committed a crime and was sent to prison. After giving birth to her, her mother left home and disappeared. None of her relatives wanted to take care of her, so she ended up at the orphanage.”
Song Shiman remained silent for a while, her lips pouting, as if she were on the verge of tears.
Sheng Qingxi patted her head gently, comforting her in a soft voice: “Dudu is very sweet and well-behaved. Two couples are interested in adopting her, and if everything goes well, Dudu will have a home by summer vacation.”
Song Shiman felt even more heartbroken, unwillingly asking, “Will they take good care of her?”
This was a question Sheng Qingxi couldn’t answer. She could only hope that all the children would have a good life in the future.
The car fell silent for a moment. Song Shiman, holding onto Sheng Qingxi’s arm, leaned her head on her shoulder. After a long while, she asked cautiously, “Qingxi, why did you come to the orphanage?”
All this time, Song Shiman had never dared to ask, afraid it might make Sheng Qingxi sad.
Sheng Qingxi, however, didn’t mind people asking this. She answered honestly, “Mom Sheng said that the year she found me, a flood had swept through a village near Chucheng. She found me by the river.”
Sheng Qingxi wasn’t abandoned by her parents. On the contrary, she carried with her all the love her parents had for her.
Song Shiman tightened her hold on Sheng Qingxi’s arm and whispered, “Qingxi, the way you are now is just perfect.”
And it would only get better in the future.
Sheng Qingxi smiled softly.
—
At Xingguang Tower, BBQ Restaurant.
Lin Ran, He Mo, and Xie Zhen sat by the window with Lin Yanyan, having dinner. Xie Zhen had been whining about coming here for BBQ for a week, annoying the other two to no end.
The grill at the car shop had broken down, and they hadn’t bought a new one yet, so they came out for barbecue, planning to catch a movie afterward.
The three of them decided to feed Lin Yanyan first before eating themselves, to avoid the embarrassing sight of them fighting over the meat in front of the little girl. They had to save face, after all.
Lin Yanyan had a small appetite, and from the moment the food arrived, her bowl had never been empty. She tried her best to eat, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t finish.
Looking at the mountain of food in her bowl, Lin Yanyan furrowed her brow, afraid she might burst from overeating. She tugged on Lin Ran’s sleeve anxiously, “Brother, that’s enough. I can’t finish it.”
Seeing her serious little face, Lin Ran finally let her off the hook.
Sheng Qingxi was just like this little girl, only eating a tiny bit at each meal, like a little kitten.
Lin Ran’s hand paused mid-air as he thought of Sheng Qingxi again.
Recently, it seemed he had been thinking about Sheng Qingxi a lot. Frowning, Lin Ran pondered it for a moment. The girl had gotten hurt saving him, and now he was responsible for picking her up and dropping her off, and she even tutored him at night.
They were seeing each other almost every day.
Under such circumstances, it was only normal to think about her.
The more Lin Ran thought about it, the more irritated he became, so he decided to stop thinking altogether and focused on eating.
Normally, Xie Zhen and the others liked to drink a little beer with their barbecue—it was the perfect combination. But since Lin Yanyan was with them today, they stuck to regular fruit juices and soft drinks.
Xie Zhen took a big gulp of cola and let out a satisfied sigh. Just as he picked up his chopsticks to grab some meat from his bowl, he accidentally caught sight of three people walking by outside the window.
The piece of meat slipped from his chopsticks and fell back into his bowl.
Xie Zhen kicked He Mo under the table, but He Mo didn’t react.
Frustrated, Xie Zhen kicked harder.
Lin Ran, confused as to why he was being kicked, put down his chopsticks with a stern face and looked at Xie Zhen with a cold expression. “What’s your problem?” he asked, his voice icy.
Xie Zhen: “…”
For a moment, Xie Zhen looked terrified. The last person who dared to kick Lin Ran was still lying in the hospital. Rumor had it that the gang from “Poison” had been beaten so badly that they were now completely subdued.
Swallowing nervously, Xie Zhen pointed outside, trying to divert Lin Ran’s attention. “Ran… Brother Ran, look outside. Isn’t that the goddess, Song Shiman, and the top student of our year?”
Sure enough, Lin Ran immediately glanced out the window.
Song Shiman and Sheng Qingxi were walking side by side, with Guo Mingji walking next to Sheng Qingxi. The three of them were chatting and laughing as they walked.
Lin Ran let out an indistinct scoff. “Top student of the year?”
He withdrew his gaze and said coolly, “He won’t be for long.”
He Mo and Xie Zhen exchanged glances, and in silent agreement, they quietly focused on their meat.
Lin Ran acted like he hadn’t seen them, his face expressionless as he ate his barbecue. Yet, the meat in his mouth tasted like nothing at all. His mind kept replaying the image of Sheng Qingxi smiling at Guo Mingji just moments ago.
Smiling—she was smiling at him again.
It was the second time.
Lin Ran stabbed his chopsticks into the cooked meat, pausing for a moment before putting them down and pulling out his phone.
[Firegun: Sheng Qingxi.]
[Firegun: Reply when you see this.]
After sending the message, Lin Ran placed his phone aside. The screen was still lit, and his gaze kept drifting back to it as if beyond his control. Thirty seconds later, the screen dimmed.
Irritated, Lin Ran turned his eyes away.
One minute passed.
Three minutes.
Five minutes.
Sheng Qingxi still hadn’t responded.
Just as Lin Ran was about to call her, his phone finally chimed.
“Ding—”
He Mo and Xie Zhen both glanced over at Lin Ran.
Lin Ran: “…”
He struggled to resist the urge to check his phone, suppressing his restless hands. His eyes darkened as he met their stares, his lips tightening slightly in annoyance.
He Mo and Xie Zhen quickly lowered their heads again, silently agreeing that eating was more important.
Lin Ran unlocked his phone, immediately greeted by the WeChat interface. A red dot next to the chat with Sheng Qingxi caught his attention. The notification showed that “Xiao Xi” had messaged him.
“Xiao Xi” was Lin Ran’s personal nickname for Sheng Qingxi.
[Xiao Xi: Lin Ran.]
[Firegun: Where are you?]
[Xiao Xi: At Xingguang Tower, out with Shiman.]
[Firegun: Just the two of you?]
[Xiao Xi: And our class monitor. We bumped into him while buying study guides for Shiman at the bookstore.]
[Firegun: What are you planning to do next?]
[Xiao Xi: Going to watch a movie.]
[Firegun: Wait.]
[Xiao Xi: Hm?]
Lin Ran didn’t reply further.
He put his phone down and looked at the three people who were still enjoying their meal. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Want to catch a movie after we finish eating? Let’s go right after.”
None of them objected.
However, the next second, Lin Ran stood up and went to pay the bill. When he returned and saw them still eating, he frowned, “Didn’t we agree to watch a movie? Why are you still eating?”
Xie Zhen was puzzled. “Didn’t you say we’d go after eating?”
Lin Ran: “You’re not done yet?”
Xie Zhen: “…”
In reality, they’d been eating for over an hour, and most of them were already full. But Xie Zhen, being the happy little chubby kid he had been since childhood, wasn’t satisfied just yet.
He was a bit sulky when He Mo pulled him up from his seat.
Lin Ran handed the packed beef stone pot rice to Xie Zhen. “Eat in the lobby.”
Xie Zhen’s eyes lit up as he gratefully accepted the extra food. “Brother Ran, you’re the real deal!”
Lin Yanyan, who had been quiet this whole time, blinked as she looked at Lin Ran. Her brother wasn’t usually in such a rush to do anything, and today he seemed a bit off.
Ten minutes later.
The three of them walked into the movie theater lobby, and it became clear why Lin Ran had been in such a hurry. Sheng Qingxi and Song Shiman were sitting not far away, with Guo Mingji seated across from them, the three chatting happily.
The scent of popcorn and the fresh aroma of snacks filled the entire lobby.
Lin Ran glanced over at them without much expression, then lowered his head and asked Lin Yanyan, “Yanyan, do you want to watch the movie with Sister Sheng?”
Lin Yanyan: “…”
Clearly, it’s you who wants to.
Lin Yanyan quietly looked over at Guo Mingji and whispered, “Brother, it seems like Sister Sheng is out with her friends. Wouldn’t it be a bit rude for us to join them?”
Lin Ran let out a soft scoff. “I know them all. It’s no big deal.”
He patted Lin Yanyan’s head. “Yanyan, go ask Sister Sheng if she’s willing to let you join them for the movie.”
With a resigned expression, Lin Yanyan sighed, “Alright…”
Lin Yanyan felt exhausted from dealing with Lin Ran’s situation. It wasn’t easy for him to finally show interest in a girl, and as his sister, she felt it was her duty to help him out.
Even though her brother hadn’t realized anything yet.
As Lin Yanyan walked toward Sheng Qingxi, Lin Ran and the others sat down at a nearby spot. Xie Zhen gleefully unwrapped his extra meal and began eating again.
Though Lin Ran’s face remained indifferent, his peripheral vision kept drifting toward the group.
He Mo sighed quietly to himself. Lin Ran was beyond saving at this point.