Lin Ran repeatedly confirmed it several times, but Sheng Qingxi’s gaze did not show any sadness or jealousy. She looked at them as if it were the most ordinary scene she could witness.
Whether it was Song Shiman or Tang Ketian, Sheng Qingxi had never been jealous.
Lin Ran recalled the moment on Sishi Mountain when he saw Gu Mingji touch Sheng Qingxi. At that time, he had wanted nothing more than to tie Sheng Qingxi to his side so Gu Mingji would never touch her again.
But why didn’t Sheng Qingxi think the same way?
Lin Ran didn’t understand. Love should be possessive.
Just like how he felt about Sheng Qingxi.
Tang Ketian noticed Lin Ran staring blankly at the door, so she followed his gaze outside.
With just one glance, she froze for a moment and instinctively let go of Lin Ran, exclaiming in surprise, “Sheng Qingxi, why are you here?”
Lin Ran slightly furrowed his brows—Tang Ketian knew Sheng Qingxi?
It was clear that Sheng Qingxi also knew Tang Ketian. Earlier this year, when she returned to her old high school to handle some paperwork, she had bumped into Tang Ketian on the road.
Tang Ketian and Sheng Qingxi were former classmates, but their relationship was limited to mere acquaintanceship. In Tang Ketian’s eyes, Sheng Qingxi was a boring and dull person, always burying her head in her studies.
But despite that, there were still many people who liked her.
Back then, Tang Ketian thought men were shallow creatures, easily deceived by appearance.
She firmly believed Lin Ran wasn’t one of those men.
Yet, in the next second, Lin Ran, who she had considered far from shallow, walked directly toward Sheng Qingxi, his steps seemingly hurried.
Tang Ketian: “…”
Sheng Qingxi smiled faintly at Tang Ketian but didn’t answer her question.
She stood still, watching as Lin Ran strode toward her.
Lin Ran had just stepped down from the boxing ring and hadn’t changed his clothes. He was shirtless.
From Sheng Qingxi’s point of view earlier, Tang Ketian and Lin Ran’s posture appeared very intimate. The tall and handsome young man and the petite and cute girl were closely conversing, if not for Lin Ran’s indifferent expression.
Sweat dripped down his neck, and his well-defined chest and smooth abs highlighted that Lin Ran’s body was nearing maturity.
Because of her past profession in her previous life, Sheng Qingxi wasn’t surprised by such sights.
But standing in front of Lin Ran, she somehow felt a little uneasy.
Sheng Qingxi moved her gaze to Lin Ran’s face. He was slightly out of breath, staring at her, with a small bruise forming on his chin.
His dark pupils held an emotion she couldn’t decipher.
Sheng Qingxi raised her hand and lightly touched his chin, asking softly, “Does it hurt?”
Lin Ran grabbed her hand in his large, warm palm, enveloping it completely. He looked down at her, his voice low and hoarse as he spoke, “It doesn’t hurt. Are you mad?”
Sheng Qingxi shook her head.
Not far away, Tang Ketian stood dumbfounded.
How did Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran, two people who seemingly had nothing to do with each other, get involved?
Tang Ketian was only stunned for a moment before she snapped back to her senses. She quickly ran over to the two of them, demanding aggressively, “When did you two meet?”
She glanced at the school uniform Sheng Qingxi was wearing. “Sheng Qingxi, did you transfer to No. 1 High School?”
Without waiting for Sheng Qingxi or Lin Ran to respond, she seemed to come to a realization and muttered to herself, “So the one who’s been getting close to Lin Ran is Sheng Qingxi…”
Lin Ran ignored Tang Ketian, taking Sheng Qingxi by the hand and leading her toward the changing room.
He tilted his head and asked softly, “Did you come by bus?”
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together and asked in a low voice, “Lin Ran, did you skip dinner?”
Lin Ran led her into the public lounge next to the changing room, ruffled her hair, and instructed, “Don’t wander around. Sit here and wait for me. After I shower, let’s go grab some dinner, okay?”
Sheng Qingxi nodded.
Lin Ran turned around, grabbed his phone from the locker, and tossed it in front of her. “The password is 0601. Play around with it for a bit. I’ll be out in ten minutes. If you need anything, just shout.”
With that, Lin Ran headed into the boys’ shower room.
For a moment, Sheng Qingxi was left in a rare daze.
She stared blankly at Lin Ran’s phone in her hand. He had just said the phone password was 0601.
To most people, June 1st is Children’s Day, or just an ordinary day.
But to Sheng Qingxi, it was the day Lin Ran died.
It was the date of his death.
Why would Lin Ran set these four digits as his password?
Sheng Qingxi began to feel that some things in this life weren’t unfolding the way she had expected.
Lin Ran, he…
Just as Sheng Qingxi was lost in her thoughts, the door to the lounge suddenly opened.
She looked up at the sound.
It was Tang Ketian.
Before entering, Tang Ketian had scoped out the room to make sure Lin Ran wasn’t around, then confidently walked in.
She looked Sheng Qingxi up and down. Sheng Qingxi hadn’t changed much compared to four months ago.
Tang Ketian raised her chin and bluntly asked, “Sheng Qingxi, what’s your relationship with Lin Ran? I like Lin Ran. He’s going to be mine sooner or later. I suggest you stay away from him.”
Sheng Qingxi’s mind was in chaos, as she still knew too little about Lin Ran’s past. The fragmented memories from Lin Yanyan weren’t enough to form a complete picture of him.
Hearing Tang Ketian’s words, Sheng Qingxi looked up at her and calmly replied, “I can’t do that.”
Tang Ketian: “…”
That direct?
She had no idea how to respond.
Seeing Tang Ketian frozen in place, Sheng Qingxi asked, “Tang Ketian, how long have you known Lin Ran?”
Seeing Sheng Qingxi take the initiative to ask about her and Lin Ran, Tang Ketian couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. She crossed her arms and sat down on the sofa chair. “I’ve known Lin Ran for two years. He started boxing with my brother back in middle school.”
Sheng Qingxi pinched her fingertips, feigning a slightly surprised look. “You’ve known Lin Ran for that long? I’ve known him for less than six months. What was he like before?”
She then lowered her voice, as if speaking to herself, but making sure Tang Ketian could hear, “I feel like he’s been a little different lately, but I can’t quite figure out why.”
Tang Ketian wasn’t particularly interested in sharing what Lin Ran used to be like. After all, he hadn’t changed much—still cold and with a bad temper. However, the latter part of Sheng Qingxi’s words reminded her of the gossip she had heard at the boxing gym.
They said Lin Ran’s boxing style had changed drastically in a short amount of time. Previously, Lin Ran practiced traditional European techniques—formal and steady-paced. But now, his style leaned more towards the American way, with powerful explosiveness and remarkable agility that allowed him to adapt quickly and effectively.
Though Tang Ketian only knew a little about boxing, even she felt that Lin Ran’s sudden change was unusual.
She scratched her head in frustration and muttered, “Maybe he is a bit different, but I still think he’s mostly the same as before.”
In fact, Sheng Qingxi had heard similar comments from He Mo and Xie Zhen about Lin Ran acting strange lately. Initially, she thought it was because of Lin Yanyan, but now it seemed that might not be the reason after all.
Sheng Qingxi didn’t dare to dwell on it further.
Tang Ketian, realizing she had been sidetracked by Sheng Qingxi, remembered that she came here to question her about her relationship with Lin Ran. She widened her eyes and was about to ask more when a sound came from the shower.
Tang Ketian looked around, bewildered. There didn’t seem to be anywhere for her to hide.
If Lin Ran came out and saw her, he’d definitely scold her again.
Without hesitation, Tang Ketian quickly fled.
…
Lin Ran walked out, one hand casually toweling his damp black hair, the other pushing open the door.
The moist steam escaped through the door crack, evaporating into the air in an instant.
When Lin Ran entered the lounge, Sheng Qingxi was sitting with her head lowered, deep in thought.
His phone was still in the exact same spot where he had left it, untouched. Clearly, she hadn’t bothered with it. Sheng Qingxi hadn’t noticed he had come out and was still sitting on the sofa, lost in thought.
Lin Ran tossed the towel into the nearby laundry basket and walked over to the sofa, gently lifting her up.
He asked casually, “What were you thinking about so intently?”
Sheng Qingxi, half-pushed by Lin Ran, obediently answered, “I was thinking about you.”
Lin Ran let out a sudden laugh. She was always so straightforward and honest.
But then he thought of something. Sheng Qingxi’s earlier expression had been genuine. She truly hadn’t reacted to his seemingly intimate interaction with Tang Ketian.
Lin Ran had never been in a relationship, but he knew that if you liked someone, it shouldn’t be like this.
He understood her, yet at the same time, he didn’t.
After leading Sheng Qingxi downstairs, Lin Ran took her to a nearby Japanese restaurant. Without asking if she had eaten dinner, he casually ordered a meal for the two of them.
The restaurant was dimly lit, with only the occasional murmur of voices breaking the silence.
Outside the window, neon lights flickered, and people bustled along the streets.
Sheng Qingxi, preoccupied with her thoughts, rested her chin in her hand, staring blankly at Lin Ran.
After placing the order, Lin Ran finally noticed that Sheng Qingxi had been distracted the entire evening. He extended his long arm, his fingers tapping lightly on her forehead, as if knocking on a door.
Seeing her eyes finally refocus, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’ve been out of it all night. Did you come to find me just to daydream?”
Sheng Qingxi lowered her gaze. She didn’t want Lin Ran to pick up on her suspicions just yet.
If it were true…
She couldn’t accept it for the time being.
It would be too cruel—both for her and for Lin Ran.
Sheng Qingxi shifted the conversation to something else. “Lin Ran, I might be away from school for a week next month.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Ran immediately furrowed his brows and withdrew his hand. “Away from school? What for?”
This matter had only come to Sheng Qingxi’s attention recently, after receiving a phone call. Before she had been reborn earlier this year, she had signed up for several competitions. Next month’s competition dates had just been finalized, and when the staff called her, she vaguely recalled it.
She sighed softly, “I have to go compete.”
Right now, participating in the competition made her feel like she was bullying others.
Lin Ran, however, wasn’t interested in what kind of competition it was. For top students like her, there were only a few types of competitions they would participate in. He only asked, “Where is the competition? How long will you be gone?”
Sheng Qingxi had mentioned she would be gone for a week, so it was obvious the competition wouldn’t be held in Chucheng.
Sheng Qingxi recalled the details from her conversation with the organizers. “It’s in Ningcheng. The competition lasts two days, but I’ll be away for about four days. The organizers will cover the round-trip flights and accommodation.”
Ningcheng was far from Chucheng—one city was in the north, the other in the south.
Because of this news, Lin Ran spent the entire meal worrying about her going alone for the competition. He wasn’t even paying attention to what he was eating, mechanically shoving food into his mouth as if he were completing a task.
Sheng Qingxi, already full, didn’t touch any of the food on the table. She simply sipped on her juice while watching Lin Ran eat.
Lin Ran finished his meal quickly, taking no more than half an hour.
It was already late by then, and after dinner, Lin Ran took Sheng Qingxi back to Shengkai.
The welfare institute where Shengkai was located didn’t have many streetlights. Lin Ran walked in front, and the two of them remained silent the whole way.
Sheng Qingxi lowered her head, stepping carefully in Lin Ran’s shadow as they walked towards the dormitory building.
Amidst the long yet fleeting silence, Lin Ran suddenly called out her name softly, “Sheng Qingxi.”
She responded, “Hmm?”
Lin Ran paused for a couple of seconds before continuing, “If… I mean, hypothetically. If I were with someone else, how would you feel?”