Sheng Qingxi had said “I like you” to Lin Ran many times, but Lin Ran had never once uttered those words back to her, even though they had already shared much more intimate moments.
Was it because Lin Ran didn’t want to say it?
No, it was because he didn’t dare to.
Lin Ran had always believed that feelings like “love” or “affection” were too heavy for him. These words were linked to “responsibility,” and he wasn’t sure if he could shoulder that responsibility just yet.
But tonight, Lin Ran finally understood why he had never been able to say it.
It was because he was a coward, plain and simple. Everything else was just an excuse.
After hearing Sheng Qingxi’s words, Lin Yanyan smiled slightly, biting her lip. She whispered, “Brother, I’m going back to the classroom now. I’ll text you when I get there.”
Lin Ran lifted his hand and gently patted her head. In a low voice, he said, “I’ll walk you there.”
“Huh?”
Lin Yanyan was stunned.
Even after they had walked quite a distance, Lin Yanyan still couldn’t understand why Lin Ran had decided to walk her back. What about Sister Sheng? Even though she didn’t fully grasp matters of the heart, she couldn’t understand why Lin Ran would choose to leave.
…
By the time Lin Ran returned to the classroom, Sheng Qingxi was already sitting at her desk. She was resting her chin on her hand, intently watching the movie. Her long hair draped obediently over her shoulders, and her delicate face shifted between light and shadow as the images on the screen changed.
He stood at the window, gazing at her for a long while before opening the door and stepping inside.
As usual, Lin Ran brought back cake and milk tea.
When Sheng Qingxi reached out to take them, her hand was unexpectedly enveloped by Lin Ran’s warm grasp.
She looked up at him, but he wasn’t looking at her. His voice, slightly hoarse, broke the silence, “Why are your hands so cold?”
Lin Ran’s palm was warm, like a cozy little heater. Sheng Qingxi leaned in closer and softly said, “Lin Ran, I just went to the field. Ding Minghui won’t bother me again. Don’t be mad.”
Lin Ran let go of her hand, poked the straw into the milk tea, and handed it back to her. “Hold onto this.”
Sheng Qingxi carefully held the cup and glanced at Lin Ran. His expression didn’t reveal whether he was angry or not, leaving her unsure of what he was thinking.
Lin Ran, of course, noticed her hesitant gaze. He raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead, his voice low, “I’m not mad. Be good and drink it. It’ll warm you up. Stop running around so late.”
The girl beside him smiled slightly at his words.
Lin Ran’s heart felt as if it was being gently scratched by the soft tail of a kitten, leaving him tickled and restless.
He had once wondered if Sheng Qingxi had loved anyone in the ten years before. Tonight, her words to Ding Minghui had answered his question. Since his death, she had never loved anyone else.
The circumstances of their past life were different from this one.
In their past life, Lin Ran didn’t even remember her—her appearance, her name. They had been two parallel lines that never intersected. That night had never been their meeting point.
Lin Ran’s feelings were indescribable.
He had always known that Sheng Qingxi was stubborn, but he hadn’t expected her to be so unwavering.
He sighed softly.
Silly girl.
…
Perhaps it was because he had gone to Qingshui Town, but that night, Lin Ran didn’t dream of the town’s bizarre and surreal scenes again. This time, his dream was like a kaleidoscope.
Several images shifted and flashed, all featuring the same woman.
In one scene, she was running through a stormy night. In another, she was moving swiftly through a dark, steep forest. There was also an image of her in a brightly lit yet oppressive hospital, stained with blood. The final scene showed her curled up in bed.
In the haze of the dream, Lin Ran noticed that she seemed to be holding something in her arms, but before he could see it clearly, the dream vanished.
The sky was beginning to lighten.
Faint rays of light squeezed through the closed curtains, creating a crack in the darkness on the floor.
Lin Ran frowned as he got out of bed and yanked the curtains open. 2018, his cat, lay sprawled on its back at the foot of his bed, sleeping soundly, unaffected by the annoying sunlight.
Lin Ran silently stared up at the slowly moving clouds in the sky.
His dreams were becoming more and more strange.
Ever since Qingshui Town, Lin Ran had realized that what happened in his dreams might be real.
But it was clearly not from this life, so he had been dreaming about events from after his death in his previous life. What puzzled Lin Ran was what connection the woman in the dreams had to him.
He didn’t know her.
Lin Ran had considered the possibility that the person in his dreams might be Sheng Qingxi. After spending the last six months with her, he had come to know her fairly well. Sheng Qingxi was a girl who loved cleanliness and beauty, and she cherished her long hair.
The hair clips Song Shiman gifted her numbered in the dozens, at least from what Lin Ran had seen.
But the woman in his dream had short hair, and from the chaotic and complex images, it was clear her profession was something quite unique.
Lin Ran closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
He had a feeling he would continue dreaming about this woman, learning more and more about her.
—
In the villa on the hillside.
Xu Yirong sat in the spacious, luxurious room, clutching her phone powerlessly.
Lin Youcheng hadn’t come home again last night. In this vast villa, only she and the housekeeper were present. She wasn’t sure whether to call this place a home or simply a place to stay. It seemed she didn’t have a home at all.
Her title as “Mrs. Lin” was nothing more than a hollow facade, and her relationship with her husband’s two children was lukewarm at best.
Xu Yirong’s parents had passed away many years ago, and she suddenly realized that there was no one left in this world who shared her blood.
Lowering her eyes, Xu Yirong stared at her phone screen. The contact displayed was He Yiling. She hesitated for a moment but eventually dialed the number. She couldn’t just sit back and watch her family fall apart.
—
After the sports day ended, the midterm exams were right around the corner. This exam was especially important for Lin Ran and his two friends because it would determine who would call the other “dad” and run laps on the track as a penalty.
Lin Ran had originally thought he was bound to win, but He Mo and Xie Zhen had been studying non-stop, skipping even their basketball games during gym class. A rare sense of urgency began to creep up on Lin Ran.
In their final year, the two weekly gym classes had, with an unspoken agreement between the teachers, been reduced to just one. That made their single gym period each week all the more precious.
The first class after lunch was gym. Lin Ran glanced over at Sheng Qingxi, who was lying on her desk with his school jacket draped over her, still fast asleep.
Lin Ran reached out and touched her forehead.
Her temperature was normal.
Sheng Qingxi usually didn’t take naps, only occasionally sleeping a few times a month.
Lin Ran belatedly realized that those few times seemed to coincide with a specific time frame each month. He glanced at his phone, checking the date—November 4th, the start of the month.
A few minutes later, Sheng Qingxi woke up on her own. She slowly sat up, pulling Lin Ran’s jacket tighter around her.
Lin Ran gently cupped her chin, turning her face toward him for a closer look. Her complexion was paler than usual, but she didn’t seem ill.
He leaned closer, checking her forehead again. “Cold?”
Sheng Qingxi nodded, then shook her head.
Lin Ran held her hand for a moment, feeling its warmth. Not cold.
He pinched her fingers lightly. “Do you want to go to gym class? Running or watching me play basketball?”
Sheng Qingxi didn’t respond, simply curling her fingers slightly in Lin Ran’s palm, signaling that she wanted to watch him play basketball.
In her previous life, Sheng Qingxi hadn’t experienced menstrual pain until she started working. But this year, ever since she had fallen into the water, her health hadn’t been as good. On top of that, there was a period when she hadn’t been eating or sleeping well, and now each cycle brought with it a dull ache in her abdomen.
The medicine in her bag had just run out, and she hadn’t had time to buy more.
Feeling sluggish, Sheng Qingxi tugged on Lin Ran’s clothes and followed him down the stairs, her head drooping, looking drained of energy.
Lin Ran rarely saw her like this. He stopped, rubbed her head, and bent down to ask softly, “Where do you feel uncomfortable? It’s cold outside. Let’s go back.”
Sheng Qingxi was afraid of pain, but she was good at enduring it.
During her period, Sheng Qingxi’s emotions were beyond her control. She frowned slightly and shook her head, whispering, “Lin Ran, you go to the field first. I’ll come find you later.”
At this point, there was no way Lin Ran was going to leave her alone. Without caring that they were at school, he reached out and scooped Sheng Qingxi up into his arms. Narrowing his eyes slightly, his voice carried a hint of threat: “If you don’t tell me, I’ll carry you back to the classroom.”
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
It was still break time, and the hallway was crowded with people coming and going.
Reluctantly, Sheng Qingxi wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered a few words in his ear.
At first, Lin Ran didn’t fully grasp what she was saying, but when the meaning became clear, he froze for a moment.
Lin Yanyan had never mentioned anything like this to him, and he had absolutely no knowledge about girls’ periods. A wave of panic washed over him, but he didn’t set Sheng Qingxi down. Instead, he turned and carried her up the stairs without hesitation.
He carried her straight back to the classroom.
He Mo and Xie Zhen, seeing Lin Ran carrying Sheng Qingxi, initially thought something serious had happened. But when they realized Sheng Qingxi was fine, they silently mocked Lin Ran for causing a scene again.
Lin Ran placed Sheng Qingxi in her seat and whispered a few words to her before dashing out of the classroom like the wind.
Sheng Qingxi didn’t even have time to say a word before he disappeared.
About twenty minutes later, Lin Ran came rushing back into the classroom, carrying a plastic bag.
By this time, most of the students had gone to gym class, leaving only those who had taken leave to self-study in the classroom. Hearing the commotion, they all turned to look.
When they saw that it was Lin Ran, they quickly averted their gazes.
Lin Ran hurried over to Sheng Qingxi’s desk, where she was resting her head, looking pale and sleepy. She barely opened her eyes at the sound of the noise.
Lin Ran pulled out Sheng Qingxi’s water bottle and made her drink the medicine he had brought. Then, without a second thought, he took out a heat patch from the bag and stuck it onto her stomach, completely oblivious to the concept of boundaries between genders.
He Mo was left dumbfounded, staring at Lin Ran’s hands and wondering just where exactly he was placing them.
Xie Zhen had been sent by Lin Ran to fill up a hot water bottle and had just returned with it. Curious, he leaned over and asked, “Brother Ran, what happened to the fairy?”
Lin Ran replied mercilessly, “Go finish your homework.”
Xie Zhen: “…”
Jerk! You’re just using me and then casting me aside!
Sheng Qingxi, now warm and cozy, started to feel a little better.
She lay on the desk, gazing at Lin Ran, who was watching her with worry in his eyes. In a soft voice, she reassured him, “Lin Ran, the pain will go away soon.”
Lin Ran, still frowning, stroked her hair gently. He hadn’t realized before that she went through this kind of discomfort, and it felt like he had failed her.
Remembering what the doctor had told him, Lin Ran asked, “Has it always been this painful?”
Perhaps it was the emotional turbulence brought on by her period, or maybe it was the comforting warmth of his touch, but Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but whisper, “Lin Ran, I want a hug.”
Lin Ran: “…”
Damn, why does it have to be in the classroom?!