The school’s spring outing was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. After the outing, the students would go home directly, so the teachers assigned homework on Friday.
During dinner, Song Shiman was even more excited than Sheng Qingxi, chattering away about the fun they had hiking last year. After a while, she sighed, “It’s a shame we don’t have a spring outing in senior year. Xiao Xi, where are you guys going this time?”
Sheng Qingxi blinked, “We’re going camping in the mountains for a barbecue.”
Song Shiman puffed her cheeks in discontent. “We’ve hiked two years in a row, and I want to camp out in the mountains with you. Why is the school being so generous this year?”
She muttered softly, “The principal hasn’t even changed.”
Sheng Qingxi recalled what Jiang Mingyuan had said during the class meeting. “Our homeroom teacher mentioned that the school is partnering with a newly opened agritourism spot, and a lot of art students will be going there for sketching.”
Song Shiman vaguely remembered hearing about this project from the art students in her class.
Song Shiman cautioned, “Since you’re staying overnight, make sure to bring insect repellent and spray. It gets cold in the mountains at night, so pack an extra layer. If you get bored, call me.”
Song Shiman knew Sheng Qingxi was quiet by nature and didn’t often interact with others. She frequently worried that Sheng Qingxi didn’t have many friends in Class 6.
Luckily, Gu Mingji was there, so at least she wouldn’t be bullied.
The spring outing had Song Shiman so energized that she even considered sneaking out with Sheng Qingxi during evening study session to buy her some things.
But the thought only lasted a minute before Sheng Qingxi handed her the homework she needed to finish over the weekend.
Song Shiman instantly deflated.
When the evening self-study bell rang, everyone in the classroom was a bit eager. After all, their spring outing as first-year students had been hiking, and they thought this year would be the same. They didn’t expect to go camping and have a barbecue together.
Even Chen Yi was looking forward to it, and that anticipation made the idea of the outdoors bearable. But for her, there was one more crucial thing to resolve.
After the bell rang, Chen Yi glanced at Sheng Qingxi cautiously before asking tentatively, “Sheng Qingxi, can I share a tent with you tomorrow? I’m not comfortable sharing with others.”
Sheng Qingxi nodded, “Sure, just remember to bring your own bedding.”
Hearing this, Chen Yi smiled. “I’ve already packed everything yesterday.”
After chatting for a while, Sheng Qingxi left first. Chen Yi quietly thought about bringing an extra set for Sheng Qingxi, appreciating how she remembered her small habit. It was a rare kindness.
As Sheng Qingxi headed downstairs with her backpack, she deliberately avoided Lin Ran by not using the stairway that passed by Class 1’s entrance for the entire week. After descending the stairs, she habitually walked along the small path.
On the third floor of Minxue Building, Lin Ran gazed down at Sheng Qingxi. Most people passing by her were walking in groups, but she was all alone, her head lowered, slowly walking into the dark.
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t seen Lin Ran all week, but he had seen her.
Every night, he stood by the third-floor railing, watching her leave by herself. Since that day when the little tiger was left on his bike, she hadn’t appeared in front of him again.
They were both avoiding each other.
He Mo and Xie Zhen, who were standing nearby, sighed as they watched Lin Ran.
…
When Sheng Qingxi returned to Shengkai Welfare Home, Sheng Lan was packing the items she would need for the spring outing. In addition to the necessities, Sheng Lan packed a lot of snacks.
Sheng Qingxi glanced at the snacks and saw they were the same ones Lin Ran had bought for her last time.
Sheng Lan didn’t ask why Lin Ran had suddenly stopped picking up and dropping off Sheng Qingxi. Since Sheng Qingxi seemed the same as usual, without any changes in mood, Sheng Lan simply assumed Lin Ran was busy and couldn’t come.
Sheng Lan finished packing and only reminded Sheng Qingxi to go to bed early before closing the door and leaving.
Sheng Qingxi put down her backpack and started taking out the snacks Sheng Lan had packed, replacing them with the water and chocolate she and Song Shiman had bought that evening.
In the dim light, Sheng Qingxi carefully put the snacks back into their original box.
Sheng Lan had set a limit on how many snacks the kids could eat, so when Sheng Qingxi brought them home, Sheng Lan took only half, leaving the other half for Sheng Qingxi.
Sheng Qingxi rarely ate them, as she came home late every day.
Ever since Lin Ran said that to her, she stopped eating the snacks he left. The things Lin Ran had given her were slowly dwindling. She wanted to keep whatever she could.
That night, neither Lin Ran nor Sheng Qingxi slept well.
—
On Saturday morning at 8:00, the first- and second-year students gathered in the open space at the base of Minxue Building.
Most faces wore relaxed smiles as they quietly chatted with those beside them. The homeroom teachers were still taking attendance.
Sheng Qingxi was nibbling on a rice ball. Normally, Sheng Lan wouldn’t let her eat breakfast from outside, but today she made an exception.
From Lin Ran’s perspective, all he could see was Sheng Qingxi’s fair profile, her cheeks slightly puffed as she chewed. Given her height, she should have been standing in the middle or back of the group, but instead, she stood at the very end of the line.
Gu Mingji stood right next to Sheng Qingxi, saying something to her. She tilted her head up to look at him.
The two of them appeared very close.
Lin Ran’s gaze darkened slightly, and he forced himself to look away.
By this time, all the classes had finished taking attendance. Zhao Shuyue, holding a microphone, was emphasizing safety rules, but Lin Ran wasn’t paying attention to a single word.
Next to him, Xie Zhen was already munching on a bag of chips. Through a mouthful, he asked He Mo, “Are we staying in the mountains tonight or coming back? If we all stay, then Yanyan will be left alone.”
He Mo glanced at Lin Ran, who was staring at the ground, lost in thought, and whispered, “We’re staying in the mountains. I brought clothes for everyone. Lin Ran’s dad picked Yanyan up, so she’ll probably stay there over the weekend.”
Xie Zhen grinned. “Should we play Werewolf tonight?”
He Mo agreed, “Sounds good.”
Twelve buses were parked along the side road of Minxue Building. After Zhao Shuyue finished speaking, the class monitors led their students to line up and board the buses, turning the previously orderly scene into a bit of chaos.
Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji were at the back of the line.
When it was their turn to board, an issue arose: Zhao Shuyue and a few logistics teachers were already sitting on Class 6’s bus, leaving no seats for Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji.
Jiang Mingyuan ran ahead to check, and when he reached Class 1’s bus, Old Qu said there were exactly two seats left.
So Jiang Mingyuan led the two students over to Old Qu. Old Qu, seeing Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji, joked, “Oh, you’re sending your class’s top students over to my bus? Better watch out, I might just steal them.”
Jiang Mingyuan chuckled, “Letting you bask in their brilliance. Maybe in the future, our class can take up two of the top three spots in the grade.”
Old Qu snorted and waved him off. “Go, go. I’ll keep an eye on these two for you.”
Inside the bus.
He Mo was sitting by the window, watching as Sheng Qingxi and Gu Mingji approached the bus door one after the other. He instinctively swallowed and then quickly turned to glance at Lin Ran.
The aloof boy sat alone by the window on the other side, wearing headphones and seemingly oblivious to Sheng Qingxi boarding the bus.
He Mo glanced around and saw that only two seats remained. One was in the very back by the window—right behind him. The other was the seat next to Lin Ran.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
As Sheng Qingxi boarded the bus, the boys in Class 1 stirred, their eyes irresistibly drawn to her. One boy even had the nerve to call out, “Brother Ran! Look ahead!”
Lin Ran lazily lifted his eyes and glanced forward. That glance made his gaze freeze abruptly.
The slender, beautiful girl walked calmly down the aisle, not sparing him a single glance. Gu Mingji followed behind her, maintaining a respectful distance.
He Mo leaned over past Xie Zhen and whispered, “Brother Ran, there are no more seats in Class 6’s bus.”
Lin Ran glanced slightly behind him. Two empty seats remained—one beside him and one behind He Mo. The last row was occupied by four boys.
Lin Ran lowered his eyes and slowly removed his earphones.
Footsteps approached, and out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed her slender legs. Her spotless white sneakers didn’t stop next to him. She walked straight to the last row.
Gu Mingji paused for a moment, surprised when Sheng Qingxi chose the last row. Left with no other choice, he awkwardly sat down next to Lin Ran.
Across the aisle, He Mo and Xie Zhen quietly shrank into their seats, holding their breath. Once Gu Mingji sat down, both turned their heads simultaneously to check Lin Ran’s expression.
Lin Ran’s hand, resting on his lap, slowly clenched into a fist. The veins in his neck pulsed faintly, and his already sharp jawline tightened even further. Everything about him screamed that his emotions were on the verge of boiling over.
They feared he might explode any second.
But Lin Ran didn’t. He just sat there in silence.
In the back row, after sitting down, Sheng Qingxi dared to sneak a quick glance at Lin Ran. From her angle, all she could see was the back of his head and part of his profile. One glance was all she dared.
The boy sitting beside Sheng Qingxi kindly scooted to the left, leaving a safe distance between them.
The window in the back row was cracked open, letting in a cool morning breeze. The class monitor was doing roll call, while others chatted, played on their phones, or ate snacks.
The bus was lively.
Five minutes later, the bus slowly pulled away.
As the bus began to move, Sheng Qingxi exhaled softly and turned her head to look out the window.
The front of the bus remained lively and carefree, but the atmosphere in the last two rows dropped to freezing. The four boys in the back had been playing a mobile game together, but now no one dared to speak.
Xie Zhen quietly retracted his hand from the bag of chips.
And the person who had caused this tension, Sheng Qingxi, seemed completely oblivious.
Just when they thought this icy atmosphere would last until they arrived at Sishi Mountain, Lin Ran’s cold voice suddenly broke the silence. “Yang Zhiheng, switch seats with me.”
Lin Ran stood up as soon as he finished speaking.
Yang Zhiheng, the boy sitting next to Sheng Qingxi, looked immensely relieved as he got up. “Sure, Brother Ran, I’ll sit up front.”
Lin Ran’s gaze fixed directly on Sheng Qingxi’s face. She was still staring out the window, never once looking in his direction.
There was a hint of irony in his dark eyes.
Lin Ran, what are you doing?
You had already decided not to get close to her again.
As Lin Ran sat down, the seat beside Sheng Qingxi sank slightly, and her body stiffened.
The back row remained silent, no one daring to speak first.
—
The bus moved steadily forward, the scenery outside changing constantly, as if spring had been stretched into a long ribbon of picturesque views, each frame more beautiful than the last.
But Sheng Qingxi had no time to enjoy the scenery outside.
She clenched her fingers, reminding herself not to focus too much on Lin Ran. Yet, his scent, faint but persistent, wafted around her, enveloping her senses.
The aggressive scent made her instinctively shrink further into the corner, nearly pressing herself against the window.
Lin Ran almost laughed in disbelief. He took a step closer, and this little girl retreated metaphorically by a mile, as if determined to recreate the distance between them from when they were strangers.
Worse than strangers, even—strangers wouldn’t avoid him like this.