Because of a few messages from Song Shiman, Lin Ran didn’t sleep well all night.
By the time he came out of his room with a cold expression, Xie Zhen and He Mo were already awake, and little Lin Yanyan was by their side, helping them move things downstairs with her tiny arms and legs.
Lin Ran walked downstairs and approached Lin Yanyan. With a swift motion, he took the things she was holding in her arms.
He lifted his chin and said, “Go wait in the car downstairs.”
Lin Yanyan hesitated for a moment, looking reluctant to go downstairs.
Because Song Xingyu was downstairs, she felt a little embarrassed to be alone with him. She wasn’t even sure if he remembered her.
Shaking her head, Lin Yanyan said, “Brother, I’ll go with you.”
Lin Ran knew his sister’s personality well—shy and introverted.
He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “Go sit on the couch for a while. Play with your phone or do your homework, whatever you like.”
Lin Yanyan pursed her lips and quietly said, “Brother, how about I make breakfast for you?”
There was a lot of hesitation in her voice. Since a few months ago, Lin Ran hadn’t allowed her to step into the kitchen, no matter where or when.
Her brother had become incredibly sensitive during that time.
Lin Ran glanced at his little sister and simply said, “Sit down.”
Lin Yanyan blinked and obediently sat on the couch without bringing up the matter again.
Downstairs, Song Xingyu was busy loading their luggage into the car. Fortunately, he had driven an SUV today, otherwise, there wouldn’t have been enough space for all their bags.
He observed the group and noted that, despite their young age, these kids certainly knew how to enjoy themselves.
Once the luggage was packed, Lin Ran and the others made their way downstairs, ready to leave.
Lin Yanyan followed closely behind her brother, carefully peeking at the man waiting by the car.
Today, Song Xingyu was dressed casually, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and pants. Likely because they were headed to an island, he had chosen a shirt with a tropical design—bright and colorful, standing out quite a bit.
It didn’t quite suit him.
Lin Ran was already used to it.
He reached behind him and gently pulled the little girl hiding there, placing a large hand on her head as he introduced her to Song Xingyu. “This is my sister, Lin Yanyan.”
Song Xingyu had already noticed the small figure hiding behind Lin Ran, with just a bit of her fluffy head showing.
He had guessed it was Lin Ran’s sister, but he didn’t expect that he had met this little girl before.
Hiding his surprise, Song Xingyu nodded at Lin Yanyan and said warmly, “Hello, Yanyan, I’m Song Xingyu, a friend of your brother’s.”
Lin Yanyan glanced at him quickly, then lowered her head, softly muttering, “Hello, Brother Song.”
Song Xingyu was a little taken aback by her timid personality; she seemed to be the complete opposite of her brother.
But then, he remembered—if what happened with “Poison” back then had truly affected Lin Yanyan, the consequences were likely more serious than he had originally thought.
Without revealing his thoughts, he cast a discreet glance at Lin Ran.
No wonder Lin Ran’s attitude was ambiguous at that time; it must have been because of Lin Yanyan.
Song Xingyu frowned slightly, realizing that he hadn’t fully considered this situation before. Fortunately, nothing had happened to Lin Yanyan back then.
Once all the kids were in the car, Song Xingyu took out the breakfast he had bought along the way and handed it to them. “Eat it while it’s hot. I already ate on the way here. It’s about an hour to the port, so you can rest a bit more.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Xie Zhen eagerly reached for the soup dumplings in Song Xingyu’s hand, grinning as he complimented, “Brother Song, you’re so thoughtful.”
Lin Ran took a few of the bags and let Lin Yanyan choose first.
She picked a sandwich and a bottle of milk, then shook her head, signaling that she didn’t need anything else.
Lin Ran stared at the sandwich in her hand for a while. Sheng Qingxi also liked eating these.
—
At 9 a.m., the group arrived at the port.
As soon as they got out of the car, Xie Zhen froze. Only one luxurious cruise ship was docked at the port.
With its modern design and bright colors, the ship was incredibly beautiful.
The blue-and-white luxury cruise ship looked like it could fit ten thousand Xie Zhens inside.
In a daze, Xie Zhen turned to He Mo and asked, “Mozi, is this the boat your friend found? Does your friend have the surname Song by any chance?”
He Mo had only asked a friend to arrange a yacht for them, but he didn’t expect it to be something this extravagant. In the soft golden sunlight, the logo of the Song family’s shipyard gleamed on the side of the boat.
He Mo instinctively glanced at Lin Ran, gulping as he explained, “Brother Ran, I’m innocent in this.”
Lin Ran gave the cruise ship docked by the shore a casual glance but said nothing.
Lin Yanyan also cautiously looked at her brother.
Seeing their reactions, Song Xingyu raised an eyebrow. Did these kids have so many entanglements?
He Mo felt his friend wouldn’t have made such a major mistake. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Why don’t you all sit in the car for a bit? I’ll call and check. The yacht might not have arrived yet.”
He Mo quickly made the call, and it was picked up almost immediately.
He lowered his voice and asked, “Bro, what kind of boat did you arrange?”
The voice on the other end chuckled. “Mozi, did you see it? This time I’ve really got your back. Last night when I reached out, I happened to see on my feed that the Song family’s ship was heading out today—to the same island you’re going to. How’s that for perfect timing?”
He Mo was momentarily at a loss for words, almost wanting to curse. Just as he was about to say something, a bus pulled into the parking lot.
His gaze automatically shifted to the bus.
The next second, He Mo perked up.
Talk about timing!
He immediately changed his tone, responding, “Bro, you did good this time. I’ll treat you to a meal when we get back!”
Sheng Qingxi was the first to get off the bus, followed by a group of young children, which she counted one by one like they were radishes.
Sheng Lan and two other women mingled among the group, while Song Shiman walked at the back.
Their luggage had already been sent to the ship in advance, so the only task left was to get the kids on board smoothly.
But clearly, the children were overly excited, and as soon as they got off the bus, chaos erupted.
Sheng Qingxi intercepted a little boy who was about to run toward the edge of the dock and steadied a little girl who had nearly tripped over her own feet. She patiently said, “Let’s line up and follow Aunt Sheng. You can play once we’re on the ship, okay?”
The children responded with a chorus of chattering voices.
“Big sister, what a huge monster!”
“Big sister, look, it’s the ocean!”
“Big sister, this is my first time on a ship!”
Hearing their excited exclamations made Sheng Qingxi smile warmly.
In contrast, Song Shiman felt a pang of sorrow. Even compared to ordinary people, the lives of these children were separated by a cruel and harsh reality.
She couldn’t help but glance at Dudu. Perhaps knowing that someone was coming to take her away during the summer vacation, Dudu had been much quieter lately.
Dudu clung to Song Shiman’s leg, quietly glancing toward the ship with curiosity and anticipation in her eyes, but the child said nothing and asked no questions.
Song Shiman reached down and gently patted Dudu’s head.
No matter where they were, children always had a strong presence.
When the noise from the kids reached their ears, Xie Zhen and the others turned toward that direction almost simultaneously.
At first, Lin Ran didn’t look over, but Lin Yanyan tugged on his sleeve from the side.
He turned his head slightly and casually glanced out the window.
Suddenly, his usually cold gaze froze.
Under the sunlight, Sheng Qingxi was standing with her head slightly tilted upward, seemingly looking at the ship docked by the shore.
The bright, clear sunlight bathed her delicate and beautiful face, and she was smiling. The gentle curve of her lips, combined with her raised features, brought her to life in a way that made her seem radiant.
Lin Ran stared at Sheng Qingxi in a daze.
His heart started beating uncontrollably in his chest.
In that moment, Lin Ran wished he could become the sunlight.
Without a second thought, Lin Ran opened the car door and strode toward Sheng Qingxi. Lin Yanyan, curious, leaned out of the window to watch.
This was Song Xingyu’s first time seeing Sheng Qingxi, and he hadn’t expected Lin Ran to have someone he liked.
Adjusting his glasses, an amused glint flashed in Song Xingyu’s eyes. The usually cold and aloof guy seemed eager now, almost as if he couldn’t wait to reach the girl.
“Big sister, big sister, pick me up so I can see the big monster!”
“Big sister, hug, hug, hug!”
As Lin Ran approached, a little boy was pestering Sheng Qingxi for a hug. Quickening his pace, Lin Ran reached them just as she was bending down to pick up the boy. Before she could, he lifted the child up in one swift motion.
The sudden sensation of being lifted made the little boy freeze for a moment.
His lips quivered, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears.
But before the little boy could start crying, he heard a lazy male voice say, “Kid, look up at the ship.”
The boy’s attention was instantly captured by the imposing “monster” of a ship, and he temporarily forgot about crying.
Sheng Qingxi froze for a moment when she saw Lin Ran. Instinctively, she called out, “Lin Ran.”
Lin Ran lowered his gaze to her and asked, “Where are you going?”
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t expected to run into Lin Ran here. In a soft voice, she explained, “Shiman said she was taking the kids to a nearby island for fun, and Aunt Sheng is with us too.”
When Lin Ran heard Song Shiman’s name, his brow twitched slightly. He had a bad feeling about this.
Sure enough, in the next second, Song Shiman’s indignant voice rang out.
“Lin Ran, what are you doing here?”
She shot Lin Ran a glare, clearly displeased. But soon she noticed not only Lin Ran, but also He Mo, Xie Zhen, and even Lin Ran’s sister, Lin Yanyan, who was staring directly at them.
Song Shiman: “…”
She suddenly felt like her vacation was officially over.
A large group of people boarded the ship.
Inside the luxurious dining hall, a variety of snacks had already been prepared, and a special area had been set up for the kids.
However, the children showed little interest in food at the moment, clamoring instead to go out on the deck to see the ocean.
With twenty children in total, it was clear that Sheng Qingxi and the others wouldn’t be able to manage them all on their own. Song Shiman called the steward, who arranged for a few more people to help out.
Lin Yanyan was also staring longingly at the children, clearly wanting to join them.
Lin Ran glanced at his sister’s eager expression and said, “Go ask Sister Sheng. If she says you can go, then you can.”
Lin Yanyan, already close to Sheng Qingxi, immediately ran over without hesitation, all traces of her usual shyness gone.
Watching quietly from the side, Song Xingyu strolled over to Lin Ran and, with a soft chuckle, said, “Lin Ran, your taste in girls is certainly better than your taste in cars.”
Lin Ran didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on Sheng Qingxi.
This carefree girl had only exchanged a few words with him earlier, and now, since boarding the ship, she hadn’t paid him any attention, busying herself with the kids and even dealing with someone who acted like an oversized child.
Lin Ran let out a soft snort. He didn’t believe he wouldn’t get a chance to catch her alone for the rest of the day.