Frowning, Lin Ran walked over and picked her up. He gave her a curious look and asked, “What are you doing squatting here? Why is your face so red?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yanyan belatedly touched her face with her hand, realizing how flushed she was. Panicking, she shoved the phone into Lin Ran’s hand and said quickly, “I’m going back to do my homework. Your phone’s been ringing for a long time, brother.”
With that, Lin Yanyan ran off like a startled rabbit.
It wasn’t until she disappeared that Lin Ran glanced at his phone. The missed call was from his cousin, Lin Huang. When Lin Ran called back, no one answered.
“Brother Ran! Are you ready?”
Xie Zhen’s shout cut through the noise from the stands and reached Lin Ran’s ears. Holding his helmet, Lin Ran started walking toward the track.
Seeing Lin Ran heading out, Xie Zhen jogged over to catch up. Without turning his head, Lin Ran casually tossed his phone into Xie Zhen’s hands, saying indifferently, “If my Xiao Xi calls, stop the race immediately.”
Xie Zhen was momentarily confused, scratching his head in puzzlement. “Your Xiao Xi? Brother Ran, who’s your Xiao Xi? What about the goddess? This morning you were still…”
Before Xie Zhen could finish, He Mo, who had caught up from behind, flicked Xie Zhen on the forehead, his lips twitching in exasperation. “Zhen, could you use your brain before you speak? Think about what the goddess’s name is.”
“What’s the goddess’s name? The goddess is called… called…”
Xie Zhen suddenly realized.
He glanced at Lin Ran walking ahead and muttered, “Mo, what’s going on with Brother Ran and the goddess now?”
He Mo shook his head mysteriously. “Don’t know, no clue, best not to ask.”
Recently, Lin Ran’s temper had been worse than before, and anything could set him off. As for his relationship with Sheng Qingxi, it was better for them not to get involved.
After all, just this morning, the goddess smiled at them, and Lin Ran looked like he was ready to kill someone.
He Mo huffed silently to himself. What could be the situation? Lin Ran was clearly falling hard.
—
This wasn’t Song Xingyu’s first time meeting Lin Ran. Earlier in the year, he had come to the Guangnian Club to watch one of Lin Ran’s races. Lin Ran raced with a wild, reckless energy, and Song Xingyu could instantly tell that this boy was different from the other racers.
He had a unique kind of drive.
But today, Lin Ran was clearly not the same. His pace was so slow it looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll in the park.
Song Xingyu suspected that Lin Ran might still be upset about what had happened with Lin Yanyan.
Leaning against his car, Song Xingyu glanced at the time on the screen, feeling as though he had been waiting for an eternity before Lin Ran finally crossed the finish line, riding at a snail’s pace.
With a soft “clink,” a small flame flickered in the dark, and the sharp smell of smoke quickly filled the air.
Song Xingyu’s refined face now held a slight hint of wickedness. He glanced at Lin Ran, who had just taken off his helmet, and mumbled through the cigarette in his mouth, “Have you turned over a new leaf these days, riding that little lamb?”
Lin Ran’s roaring beast of a motorcycle beneath him, all teeth and claws, was anything but a lamb. But to Song Xingyu, it was just that.
Yet, that one casual remark brought a sense of familiarity to Lin Ran, reminding him of his past life. Song Xingyu was still the same—looking like a patient and gentle neighbor, but secretly a polished rogue.
Lin Ran didn’t respond to Song Xingyu’s straightforward and blunt remark. Instead, he lifted his chin and shifted the conversation to the club. “We can talk about joining the club after June next year. But if you’re ever short on people, feel free to call me.”
Song Xingyu was smart enough to catch the underlying meaning—Lin Ran had essentially agreed to join “Addiction.”
As for why it had to be after June next year, that was Lin Ran’s private business.
Hearing this, Song Xingyu chuckled softly, his gentle features flickering faintly through the haze of smoke. His clear voice cut through the cool spring evening, “There’s a race next month in Yangshan. If you’re free, come by.”
Lin Ran: “…”
This guy really wasn’t one to hold back.
Song Xingyu tapped a cigarette out of the pack, a smile tugging at his lips. “Want one?”
Lin Ran, holding his helmet, walked past Song Xingyu, waving his hand casually behind him. His voice was cool. “No, I’ve got something to do today. I’ll catch you later for a drive. Have fun.”
Song Xingyu raised an eyebrow. Lin Ran had agreed without hesitation this morning, yet now, even though he showed up, he suddenly claimed to have something to do. It must be something urgent.
Up in the stands, Xie Zhen and He Mo were just as confused.
He Mo nudged Xie Zhen with his elbow. “What’s up with Brother Ran? The goddess isn’t even here. What’s he pretending for?”
Xie Zhen, despite his small eyes, was sharp. His peripheral vision quickly caught sight of Lin Ran walking towards them, so he coughed lightly and shifted the conversation. “Hey, Mo, up for a sweet duo tonight?”
He Mo was equally quick on the uptake, smoothly changing his words as Lin Ran approached. “Duo? Currently Master rank, aiming for Diamond One.”
Xie Zhen: ?
Xie Zhen frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He Mo mumbled, “What do you think it means?”
As Lin Ran got closer, he overheard the two bickering like children and had no interest in joining their little spat. He lifted his eyelids and gave a brief glance at Xie Zhen, who was arguing heatedly with He Mo. “Zhen, give me my phone. I need to return a call.”
Xie Zhen quickly pulled the phone from his pocket and slapped it into Lin Ran’s hands, nearly spitting in his face in his eagerness. “Here, take it!”
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow but didn’t bother arguing with him.
Ten minutes later.
Lin Ran emerged from the changing room, helmet in one hand, phone in the other. Lin Huang’s voice came from the other end of the line. “Xiao Huo, do you have time to talk?”
There was something off about Lin Huang’s tone.
Lin Ran glanced at the time on the screen—it was 8:30 p.m.
He responded, “Go ahead.”
Lin Huang hesitated for a moment, perhaps because he was in an inconvenient place to speak. He lowered his voice and said, “Xiao Huo, your dad’s wife came to the old house this afternoon. Grandpa’s really angry right now.”
Lin Ran frowned. “What happened?”
Xu Yirong rarely visited the old house unless it was for the holidays or special occasions. The Lin family didn’t treat her well, and she wasn’t one to ingratiate herself with people who didn’t like her.
Lin Huang sighed. “Your dad… Recently, he’s been sponsoring a female college student from Chucheng University.”
Hearing this, Lin Ran remained silent. Lin Huang waited anxiously for a while before finally speaking the sentence that weighed heavily on his heart: “From the photos… that female college student looks a lot like Auntie.”
The hand gripping Lin Ran’s phone tightened suddenly, his pupils constricting as he spoke in a tense, almost brittle voice, “What did you say?”
Lin Huang quickly explained, “Grandpa had someone investigate. It’s purely a sponsorship. The girl doesn’t know who your father is, and your father only occasionally goes to Chucheng University, but just to see her from a distance.”
In response, Lin Ran abruptly ended the call.
—
Sheng Qingxi stood off to the side, watching Sheng Lan usher the little ones to take a bath. The children, chattering and full of energy, huddled together like a flock of ducklings, noisily heading toward the large bathhouse.
Finally, Sheng Qingxi had a moment to check her phone.
The conversation between her and Lin Ran was still stuck on that last message: Be good.
She lowered her eyes, staring at those words for a while. After some thought, she decided she should go see that “good” little boy. After all, though Lin Ran could be obedient, he wasn’t easy to comfort.
The night breeze tugged at the oversized school uniform she was wearing, carrying with it the faint scent of Lin Ran. Tucking her hands into the sleeves, Sheng Qingxi jogged off, heading toward the club.
The bustling streets were ablaze with lights as she walked into the club. However, after searching the stands and the racetrack, she couldn’t find Lin Ran, nor could she spot Xie Zhen or He Mo.
After hesitating for a moment, Sheng Qingxi turned and headed toward the garage next door.
From the second floor came the rowdy voices of boys, unmistakably Xie Zhen and He Mo playing games.
“Mozi, save me, save me, save me! Ahhh, I think I can be saved again!”
“Go to the jungle! Do you even know how to dodge?”
“Can’t you see I’m trying my best?”
Quietly, Sheng Qingxi crept up to the second floor, leaning against the black railing as she peered into the living room. Lin Ran wasn’t there.
Blinking, she was about to head back downstairs when she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of beautiful eyes.
Lin Yanyan peeked down from the third floor, and to avoid disturbing Xie Zhen and He Mo, she whispered, “Sis, my brother’s on the balcony. You should go up.”
Lin Yanyan had caught a glimpse of Lin Ran when he went upstairs earlier. She had rarely seen his face look so dark—except for the last time, when he had been holding the injured Sheng Qingxi.
Without hesitation, Sheng Qingxi made her way to the third floor.
Relieved that Sheng Qingxi hadn’t left, Lin Yanyan tugged at her sleeve and glanced toward the fourth-floor balcony. Then, lowering her voice, she said, “Sis, my brother doesn’t seem right.”
Sheng Qingxi paused, “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know. He was fine just a while ago.” Lin Yanyan shook her head earnestly. “Sis, can you go check on him? I’m worried he’s overthinking things again.”
Lin Yanyan had noticed her brother’s odd behavior for a while now, but she couldn’t figure out why.
Sheng Qingxi smiled and gently patted Lin Yanyan’s hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll go check on him.”
The soft warmth of Sheng Qingxi’s hand lingered on Lin Yanyan’s head, leaving her in a daze. A strange feeling washed over her, as though Sheng Qingxi had tenderly patted her head like this before.
But she knew that wasn’t possible—why did it feel so familiar?
It wasn’t until Sheng Qingxi made her way up to the fourth floor that Lin Yanyan snapped out of it and touched her hair.
—
The fourth-floor balcony of the Guangnian Club was beautifully designed, with a transparent greenhouse, bright lights, delicate furniture, and a small swing. Yet, Lin Ran sat alone in the darkness.
The boy sat fearlessly astride the railing, head tilted back as he gazed into the deep night sky.
Bathed in moonlight, his silhouette seemed to waver, as though it might be swept away by the wind at any moment.
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together. Several cans of beer rested on the railing, and empty bottles lay scattered on the floor. Even before she got close to Lin Ran, she could already smell the strong, pungent scent of tobacco wafting from his side.
Strong and biting.
Sheng Qingxi walked closer to Lin Ran. He seemed unaware that someone had come upstairs, his posture unchanged.
“Lin Ran.”
She stopped just two meters away, her voice soft as she called his name, just like she always did.
At first, Lin Ran thought he was hallucinating from the alcohol, until she called his name a second time. That’s when he snapped out of his daze and turned to see Sheng Qingxi standing behind him.
The quiet, beautiful girl looked at him, her gaze soft and filled with obvious concern.
Lin Ran immediately stubbed out his cigarette.
But after that, he didn’t move. He simply shifted his gaze to Sheng Qingxi, still sitting on the railing, with the dark night behind him, ready to swallow anyone at any moment.
No matter how Sheng Qingxi looked at him, she could tell something was off.
His eyes were slightly red, and his gaze was fragile yet stubborn. But when he looked at her, there was a hint of softness in them.
Though there wasn’t much expression on his face, Sheng Qingxi felt as if he was on the verge of crying.
Lin Ran thought she would walk towards him, that she would come closer.
But she didn’t.
She just stood there, looking at him for a long time, then slowly opened her arms. Her eyes curved gently, a soft smile on her lips, and her voice was tender and soothing, like a warm embrace. “Lin Ran, come here. Let me hold you.”
Lin Ran’s breath caught in his throat.