The sudden impact of the boy rushing toward her was too much for Sheng Qingxi to bear. To avoid falling, she had no choice but to follow Lin Ran’s momentum and kneel on the cold ground.
Lin Ran held her tightly around the shoulders, his broad chest enveloping her entire body.
The lingering smell of tobacco clung to his T-shirt, and Sheng Qingxi was pressed against his left chest. Even though the balcony was silent, it didn’t stop her from feeling Lin Ran’s turbulent emotions.
His heartbeat was racing.
Her slender, pale fingers gripped the fabric on Lin Ran’s back, and Sheng Qingxi reached out to embrace his waist.
They were intimately pressed together.
Lin Ran held onto her like a drowning man clutching a lifeline, his eyes closed as he absorbed the warmth of the person in his arms. She obediently let him hold her, her soft breaths brushing against his ear.
Sheng Qingxi’s calm response pulled Lin Ran back from the brink of his anger and uncontrollable thoughts.
After a long while, Lin Ran hoarsely asked, “Why did you come here?”
Sheng Qingxi wanted to look up and see his face, but instead of loosening his hold, Lin Ran hugged her even tighter. She could only nudge her chin lightly against him. “I came to check on the little one.”
Even though Lin Ran was in an extremely bad mood at that moment, he couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle at her words. “But I’m not well-behaved.”
After a brief silence, he spoke again, his voice raspy. “Sheng Qingxi, I’m not in the right mind right now.”
Sheng Qingxi tightened her grip around his waist and asked softly, “Lin Ran, what’s wrong?”
The wind on the balcony was growing stronger, but Lin Ran didn’t immediately answer her. Instead, he stood up and carried her into the warmth of the greenhouse. The light inside was suddenly much brighter.
There was a single armchair in the greenhouse. Lin Ran walked straight to it and sat down, not caring that Sheng Qingxi was still in his arms.
As a result, their position shifted, with Lin Ran sitting on the chair and Sheng Qingxi perched sideways on his lap.
This position was far too intimate for Sheng Qingxi, and she shifted uncomfortably. But as soon as she moved, Lin Ran grabbed her wrist, his hoarse voice sounding above her head. “Don’t move.”
Sheng Qingxi had no choice but to relax her upper body and lean obediently against his chest.
They stayed like that for a long time, until Sheng Qingxi’s body finally began to warm up. Lin Ran then spoke quietly, “Sheng Qingxi, my mother passed away from illness when I was seven. Less than a year later, my father remarried.”
“As a child, I couldn’t accept my father’s remarriage. Even when I grew up and understood his reasons, I still couldn’t come to terms with it. Two years ago, something happened, and Yanyan and I moved out of that house.”
Lin Ran was still bitter when he spoke about the event from two years ago.
Over the years, although Lin Ran couldn’t accept Xu Yirong as a motherly figure in his life, she had a gentle nature and didn’t cause much conflict between them. Moreover, since Lin Yanyan was a girl, there were some matters that weren’t convenient for her to discuss with the two men in the household.
Two years ago, Lin Yanyan fell ill. At that time, Lin Youcheng was away on a business trip, leaving only Xu Yirong and the two siblings at home. Xu Yirong, worried that the servants wouldn’t be attentive enough, personally made medicinal food to care for Lin Yanyan.
Lin Yanyan was uncomfortable from her illness, her fever making her dazed. When she smelled the medicinal soup, she instinctively raised her hand to push Xu Yirong away, causing the scalding soup to spill toward her.
Lin Ran reacted quickly, reaching out to pull Xu Yirong away. Even so, she was still splashed by the hot liquid, and the freshly brewed soup shattered on the floor.
As fate would have it, Lin Youcheng returned home at that exact moment.
The first thing he saw upon entering was Lin Yanyan pushing Xu Yirong and Xu Yirong being burned.
Lin Youcheng lost his temper at the still-ill Lin Yanyan, thinking that while he was away, Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan treated the woman who had lived with them for eight years like this.
That night, Lin Ran took Lin Yanyan and left the home they had lived in for so many years.
After two years, Lin Ran still found it hard to let go of what happened. He restrained his emotions and said, “Yanyan and I were raised by him. We are his children.”
Lin Ran’s eyes were slightly red, his chin resting on Sheng Qingxi’s forehead, filled with sadness and confusion. “How could he think that about Yanyan?”
At that time, Lin Youcheng’s words had deeply hurt him, and the wound in his heart had never healed.
No one taught Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan how to integrate into a new family after losing their mother, nor how to reconcile with their father after a conflict.
During this, Sheng Qingxi quietly listened as Lin Ran spoke. She had heard about this from Lin Yanyan before, but she knew that this wasn’t the only reason Lin Ran had lost control tonight—there was something more.
For Lin Ran, this was a painful family matter that he found difficult to talk about, especially in front of the girl he cared for deeply.
After he finished speaking, Lin Ran reached out and gently ruffled Sheng Qingxi’s hair. In a low voice, he asked, “Did I scare you?”
Sheng Qingxi hesitated for a moment and softly replied, “Lin Ran, can you… can you put me down first?”
Lin Ran paused. He glanced down at the little girl sitting on his lap. She was nervously tugging at the hem of her school uniform, and the way she rested her head against his chest showed she was only taking up a small, careful space.
Normally, Lin Ran would have let her go by now, but today, he wanted to tease her.
He grabbed Sheng Qingxi’s sharp chin, forcing her to look at him. His smile was casual, and his tone playful. “You’re wearing my clothes, sitting on my lap, and you think I’ll just let you go because you say so?”
The girl’s bright eyes stared straight at him, and the smile on Lin Ran’s lips slowly faded.
The way she looked at him with such clear, innocent eyes made him feel like a brute.
Lin Ran coughed lightly, just about to release her when she suddenly moved.
Her delicate fingers gently touched the corner of his eyes, then softly brushed his lips.
With a sigh, she whispered, “Lin Ran, don’t cry.”
Lin Ran froze.
Sheng Qingxi wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing closer to him, shortening the distance between them. She spoke each word softly in his ear, “I’m here with you. I’ll let you hold me. Don’t be sad.”
I will protect you.
Lin Ran suddenly tightened his arms around Sheng Qingxi, breathing heavily as if he couldn’t control it. Ever since receiving Lin Huang’s call, he had been suppressing his emotions.
This incident had not happened in his previous life, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t occurred. In his past life, Lin Yanyan’s accident had taken precedence, and his grandfather had likely hidden this matter from him. So, he had gone to his grave not knowing about it. Lin Youcheng made him feel disgusted.
This man was his father.
Lin Ran felt cold all over, with only Sheng Qingxi’s constant presence reminding him that he was still alive. And because he was alive, he had to face everything. No matter how much it hurt, he had no way to escape.
Pressing close to her neck, his voice was hoarse as he responded, “I’m not crying.”
In return, Sheng Qingxi hugged him even tighter.
…
It was unclear how much time had passed, but eventually, Lin Ran slowly let go of Sheng Qingxi.
By then, the smell of tobacco on Lin Ran had faded, leaving only traces of alcohol.
Sheng Qingxi looked up at him. He seemed a bit better than before, and since he didn’t want to talk, she didn’t ask further.
Lin Ran had been drinking, so he couldn’t drive her home. He grabbed her wrist and led her downstairs. “Next time, call me when you go out. I’ll pick you up.”
The western part of the city was quite remote, and apart from the bustling food street, the other roads were practically deserted after nightfall. It wasn’t safe for her to be out alone.
As soon as Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi made it downstairs, they noticed a little head trying to sneak back into hiding. But clearly, Lin Yanyan wasn’t quick enough. Lin Ran walked over to the window and firmly held her little head in place.
Lin Yanyan was caught in the middle, stuck and unsure of what to do.
The room where Lin Yanyan was doing her homework had floor-to-ceiling glass walls on three sides, so when she heard footsteps on the stairs, she had hurried over to the window to peek. Unfortunately for her, she locked eyes with Lin Ran at that exact moment.
Lin Yanyan struggled a little, ignoring Lin Ran and instead looking pitifully at Sheng Qingxi. “Sister, I feel so uncomfortable like this.”
Hearing this, Sheng Qingxi reached out and tugged lightly at Lin Ran’s sleeve.
Even though she didn’t say a word, Lin Ran cooperated immediately, letting go of Lin Yanyan. He glanced at the little girl, who was now rubbing her neck, and scoffed, “You sure know how to play it smart.”
Lin Yanyan blinked her eyes innocently, closed the window, and quickly retreated back into the room.
It was obvious that she had figured out her brother’s weak spot.
While Lin Ran was talking to Lin Yanyan, Sheng Qingxi took off her school uniform jacket. The temperature had dropped, and Lin Ran was still in the short-sleeve shirt he’d worn earlier in the day. When he hugged her just now, his fingertips had been cold.
Lin Ran, seeing that Lin Yanyan had obediently returned to her desk to do her homework, reached for Sheng Qingxi’s hand, ready to keep walking. But when he turned his head, he saw the girl staring at him with wide eyes.
In her hand, she held his school uniform jacket.
When she noticed Lin Ran looking at her, Sheng Qingxi held out the jacket. “Lin Ran, it’s cold outside.”
Without the jacket, she was left wearing just a shirt and a thin cardigan.
Lin Ran took the jacket and promptly draped it over her shoulders before pulling her close as they continued downstairs. “You wear it. I’m not cold. I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow morning.”
As they passed the second floor, Xie Zhen and He Mo were still arguing loudly, completely oblivious to the fact that Lin Ran was leading Sheng Qingxi downstairs.
A car was already waiting for them by the roadside. Lin Ran opened the door and helped Sheng Qingxi into the car. Just as he was about to get in himself, his phone rang again.
He paused, took a quick glance at the screen, and then put the phone away.
In that brief moment, Lin Ran looked up only to be both amused and exasperated.
The car door that had been open was now closed, and through the window, Sheng Qingxi was waving at him. Her dark eyes sparkled, and her sweet voice rang out, “Lin Ran, I’m heading home now.”
Lin Ran: “……”
He clicked his tongue and motioned with his chin. “Get back inside.”
Sheng Qingxi hesitated for a moment before scooting to the other side of the car. In a small voice, she said, “Lin Ran, if you’re busy, you can go ahead. I can make it home on my own. I’ll send you a message when I get there.”
Lin Ran opened the door and got into the car, raising an eyebrow at her. “Do you remember what you asked me early this morning? And now you’re going back on it?”
Earlier this morning, Sheng Qingxi had asked if he could stay by her side for the next year.
Lin Ran had every intention of making sure Sheng Qingxi understood that his promise was not just a casual one.
Sheng Qingxi looked at Lin Ran helplessly. He clearly knew that wasn’t what she meant. It was just that the west side of the city was far, and it would take a lot of time to go back and forth. It was already quite late.
Once the car started moving, Lin Ran didn’t say much. He lowered his head and began responding to messages.
Sheng Qingxi sat quietly beside him. She understood that the lighthearted attitude Lin Ran showed in front of her was mostly a facade—he had a lot on his mind.
The rest of the ride was silent.
Lin Ran only realized they had arrived at Shengkai when the car came to a stop. He pocketed his phone and helped the young girl out of the car. Her hands were tucked into her sleeves, and when he reached in to feel them, they were warm.
He escorted Sheng Qingxi to the entrance of her dormitory building and stopped there. Casually, he patted her head, “Get some sleep early. I’ll be here at six-thirty tomorrow morning. I’ll text you when I arrive, and you can come out then.”