“Plop.”
A soft sound echoed.
Sheng Qingxi put down her chopsticks and looked up at Lin Ran.
At this moment, his face was expressionless, but his dark eyes were fixed on her with an intense gaze. The bulging veins on his neck were a clear sign of the violent, chaotic emotions surging within him—he was determined to get an answer.
Sheng Qingxi lowered her eyes. “I…”
But she stopped just as she began to speak.
The server brought the hot pot they’d ordered, interrupting her words.
The bowls placed on the table seemed to draw a clear line between them, cutting them off from one another. The swirling steam between them felt like a deep chasm they couldn’t cross.
It was clear that this wasn’t the right place to talk, nor was it the right time.
Without saying a word, Lin Ran stood up and walked out of the restaurant.
So, now he understood why Sheng Qingxi had suddenly transferred schools. The absurdity of it all seemed more ridiculous to him than the fact that she had been reborn. Was it really all just to get close to him for this reason?
Lin Ran didn’t look back. It was as if he didn’t see the crowd around him. He just kept walking forward, not turning his head.
Sheng Qingxi silently paid the bill and followed him out.
The server was left staring blankly at their retreating figures. Their chopsticks were still clean, untouched, and the dishes on the table had not been eaten at all.
…
Ningcheng Park was just across the street from the commercial district where Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi had been.
The park wasn’t crowded. Lin Ran stopped at a secluded pavilion.
As soon as he stopped, the hurried footsteps that had been following him also came to a halt.
The tender green willow branches drooped gently over the clear pond water. The grass by the edge stretched all the way to the corner of the wall. Up the wall, damp mold and patches of green moss clung to the surface.
A lazy orange tabby cat lounged on the wall, belly up, basking lazily in the sunlight.
The summer scene in this corner of the park was beautiful, but no one was there to appreciate it.
Lin Ran stood with his back to Sheng Qingxi. He couldn’t bear to look at her.
He couldn’t bear to look into her clear, soft eyes or at her face.
The wounded boy clenched his fists and asked in a cold, harsh tone, “When did you first meet me, and where?”
His voice sounded indifferent and unyielding.
Sheng Qingxi’s answer was the same as before. She softly said, “That Christmas Eve, it snowed. I met you in a small alley in the west part of the city. That day… you were wearing a black trench coat.”
Lin Ran frowned. After a long pause, he finally recalled the Christmas Eve Sheng Qingxi was referring to from his disjointed memories.
He had felt a sense of familiarity earlier when he saw the mural at the entrance of the alley in the west part of the city. Now, hearing Sheng Qingxi mention it, Lin Ran slowly pieced together the fragments of that blurry memory.
But this memory only fueled his anger further.
He remembered now—he remembered that, in his previous life, on that Christmas Eve, he had picked up a dirty little stray cat from the west side of the city.
That night, Lin Ran had left Sheng Qingxi in Lin Yanyan’s care and hadn’t gotten a clear look at her face. Looking back now, he realized the one he had picked up that night was indeed a pretty little girl. The dirt on her face hadn’t masked her delicate features.
But back then, she was different from how she was now.
At that time, Sheng Qingxi had been fragile and easily broken.
And those thugs…
Lin Ran gritted his teeth and forced himself to steer his mind away from that memory.
He asked again, “Did we only meet that one time?”
Was it really only once?
For Lin Ran, it certainly seemed that way. But for Sheng Qingxi, she had seen Lin Ran many times. The cold Lin Ran, the ruthless Lin Ran, the smiling Lin Ran, and even the dead Lin Ran.
But those were things she couldn’t tell him.
So, she nodded. “Yes… just that one time.”
Lin Ran felt as if someone had gripped his heart so tightly that he could hardly breathe.
In a hoarse voice, he asked, “Is it just because I saved you?”
Sheng Qingxi’s eyes stung with unshed tears.
Yes, it was just because he had saved her. That’s why she liked him, why she secretly went to see him, why she mustered up the courage to confess to him, only to watch him die with her own eyes. And after that, it had been an even longer decade.
If Lin Ran hadn’t died back then, but had instead rejected her…
Would he still have become her obsession?
Sheng Qingxi didn’t know.
She responded softly, “Mm.”
Lin Ran pushed back the tears that threatened to well up in his eyes. The way they met, the way she indulged him without question, everything between them up to this point—what had it all been for?
Gratitude? Pity? Affection?
Lin Ran thought himself a fool. A future like his was not something Sheng Qingxi should have to carry with him.
Clenching his fists tightly, he fought the urge to look at her. With a bitter tone, he mocked, “Sheng Qingxi, can you even tell the difference between your feelings for me—whether it’s love or pity? Or do you think you’re some savior sent to rescue me?”
His words were cruel.
The moment they left his mouth, Lin Ran regretted them.
But the damage was done.
Lin Ran didn’t turn around, so he couldn’t see Sheng Qingxi’s pale, tear-streaked face behind him.
Sheng Qingxi suppressed the sobs rising in her throat and softly apologized, “I’m sorry.”
From Lin Ran’s perspective, this was a cruel situation.
Someone who knew his future had been by his side all this time, fully aware of the day of his death. She, like time itself, was an unfeeling observer, constantly reminding him of the inevitable fire that would one day consume him.
There were so many things Lin Ran wanted to ask Sheng Qingxi.
But every word felt like a sharp stab.
After a long, dead silence, Sheng Qingxi walked away.
Lin Ran stood there, listening to the sound of her footsteps gradually fade into the distance.
His eyes were red as he struggled to resist the urge to pull her back.
This was the end between them.
—
Throughout the entire month of May, the atmosphere in Class 2-1 was like a dark cloud, heavy and oppressive.
And it was clear.
Lin Ran was that dark cloud.
He Mo had been worried and frustrated over Lin Ran for days. He had even gone to talk to Sheng Qingxi about it. Ever since Sheng Qingxi returned from the competition, the two of them had become like strangers.
No meeting, no speaking, no mention of each other.
Sheng Qingxi didn’t say much to him either. She just told He Mo that she wouldn’t bother Lin Ran anymore.
He Mo was utterly confused. What on earth was going on?
It wasn’t a secret—almost the entire school knew that Lin Ran and the transfer student had suddenly stopped interacting.
Lin Ran had reverted to how he was before, coming to school alone, attending class when he felt like it, skipping when he didn’t. He hadn’t shown up to a single PE class that month.
Neither Song Shiman nor Gu Mingji dared to ask Sheng Qingxi about it.
It was obvious that Sheng Qingxi was deeply affected by the situation.
In the study room, she often drifted off into thought, sometimes for more than half an hour at a time. Even when she snapped back to attention, she wouldn’t say a word, simply continuing to quietly write down solutions to problems for Song Shiman.
In the blink of an eye, the end of the month arrived.
On Saturday evening, Lin Ran had a race at Yangshan, a commitment he had made to Song Xingyu some time ago. By the time afternoon classes were almost over, He Mo and Xie Zhen were already calling people in the group chat to head to Yangshan that night.
Lin Ran hadn’t raced in a long time, so their message immediately stirred up excitement in the chat.
He Mo sneaked a glance at Lin Ran, who was lying on his desk with his eyes closed, still looking like a heartbroken mess. The two precious coins that always sat on his desk had been hidden away somewhere.
Sigh.
Both He Mo and Xie Zhen let out a sigh.
…
At 3 p.m., the bell signaling the end of school rang.
He Mo and Xie Zhen walked in front, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, while Lin Ran followed leisurely behind them.
As they reached the school gate, He Mo and Xie Zhen both noticed Sheng Qingxi just stepping out. Song Shiman wasn’t with her, and she was walking slowly, carrying her backpack alone.
The two of them turned in unison to look at Lin Ran.
Lin Ran’s expression was indifferent, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if he hadn’t even noticed Sheng Qingxi.
The two exchanged glances again and huddled together, whispering among themselves for a while.
When the familiar roar of the engine sounded, the students at the gate of No. 1 High School instinctively moved aside without even turning to look. Who else but Lin Ran, the school’s infamous “demon,” could cause such a commotion?
Sheng Qingxi stood by the bus stop sign, her eyes downcast.
It wasn’t until the sound of the engine faded into the distance that she loosened her grip on the straps of her backpack.
As Lin Ran passed Sheng Qingxi, expressionless, one thought crossed his mind: She’s gotten thinner.
—
Shengkai Welfare Orphanage.
By the time Song Shiman came to find Sheng Qingxi, it was already 7 p.m. She wandered into the game room, where Dudu sat in the corner, clutching the stuffed toy that Song had given her.
But this time, there was a couple sitting in front of Dudu.
Song Shiman had heard from Sheng Lan that this couple were both teachers. They had lost a child due to an accident, and the woman’s health had been poor ever since. Now, they were looking to adopt.
Dudu kept her head down while the couple spoke to her patiently.
Song Shiman didn’t linger at the door.
Sheng Qingxi’s study plan for her was already completed for the week, and there was only one week left until the college entrance exams.
Today, however, Song Shiman wasn’t here because of the exams; she was here because of what had happened between Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran.
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t been herself all month, and Song Shiman was worried that once the exams were over and she was no longer at school, Sheng Qingxi’s condition would only worsen.
Song Shiman found Sheng Qingxi in the backyard of the dormitory. She was crouched by the fence, using a small shovel to loosen the soil around some newly planted flowers. Her petite figure looked even smaller as she curled up, resembling a helpless little kitten.
Her back was lonely, her shadow even lonelier.
Song Shiman walked straight over to a stone bench by the small garden and sat down. Once seated, she began counting how long it would take for Sheng Qingxi to notice her. When Song had counted to 108, Sheng Qingxi finally became aware that someone was sitting next to her.
Sheng Qingxi blinked in surprise. “Shiman, what are you doing here?”
Song Shiman extended her hand and muttered, “I need to talk to you.”
Sheng Qingxi wasn’t wearing gloves, and her hands were dirty with soil, so she instinctively avoided Song Shiman’s outstretched hand.
But Song Shiman didn’t withdraw her hand, still holding it out insistently. She stared stubbornly at Sheng Qingxi, as if this was something incredibly important.
They couldn’t remain in this awkward standstill forever.
Reluctantly, Sheng Qingxi took Song Shiman’s hand and used her help to stand up.
Song Shiman didn’t beat around the bush. Once Sheng Qingxi sat down across from her, she got straight to the point: “Xiao Xi, I came tonight because I want to talk about what’s going on between you and Lin Ran.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Sheng Qingxi turned her head away, speaking softly, “Lin Ran and I are fine the way we are now.”
Song Shiman was almost furious with Sheng Qingxi. How could this girl be so stubborn?
She furrowed her brows and launched into a scolding: “You’re always like this, always thinking of others, letting them treat you however they want.”
“Can’t you think about yourself for once? Is someone like Lin Ran even worth it?”
“Has he ever appreciated you, even for a second?”
“Does he really think you have no temper at all, huh?”
Sheng Qingxi shook her head slightly. “Shiman, it’s not like that between Lin Ran and me. I was the one who did something wrong. I didn’t consider his feelings.”
It was only after Lin Ran said those words that Sheng Qingxi finally confirmed her suspicion—Lin Ran had been reborn too.
Her previous doubts were now validated.