To Lin Ran, it seemed like she was pouting at him, but he couldn’t help feeling like she was being playful instead.
He reached out to gently scratch her chin, coaxing her like one would a child, “It’s cold outside. You can’t play in the snow these few days. I’ll take you out after your period is over. Be good for now.”
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t expected Lin Ran to remember that detail, and she silently withdrew her “angry” gaze.
They both knew the snow in Chucheng had been falling for days.
At 3 PM, Old Qu came to the classroom to announce a new notice from the school. Due to the heavy snow, the school had decided to dismiss day students early. Those who needed their parents to pick them up could go to the office to make a phone call.
With the snow, Lin Ran didn’t dare ride his motorcycle with Sheng Qingxi, so for the past couple of days, he had been accompanying her on the bus.
Of course, He Mo and Xie Zhen wouldn’t miss this perfect opportunity. They quickly discussed and decided to go out for hotpot or barbecue. What could be better than sitting in a warm house with the heater on, eating hotpot during a cold winter?
Since Song Xingyu had treated them to a meal last time, Xie Zhen invited him again. Song Xingyu immediately suggested having hotpot at his car shop, where they could have the place to themselves and relax.
By now, Song Xingyu was probably already preparing the ingredients.
Xie Zhen happily put away his phone and invited Sheng Qingxi, “Fairy, want to join us for hotpot tonight? The car shop is decorated with a Christmas tree, and it’s beautiful. Afterward, Brother Ran can take you home.”
Lin Ran also looked at Sheng Qingxi.
She shook her head and quietly declined, “Shengkai has an event tonight. I need to go back and help.”
In the previous life, it was on this day that something happened to Sheng Qingxi. There was no way Lin Ran was going to let her be alone. At least until she went to bed, she had to stay within his line of sight.
Before Lin Ran could speak, Xie Zhen said, “No problem. We’ll just stop by Shengkai to grab the tools and take some gifts and candy for the kids.”
He Mo scratched his head, wondering how Xie Zhen had become so thoughtful lately.
Lin Ran curved his lips into a smile and added, “Let’s bring along Lin Yanyan. That little girl loves those kids, right? We can eat somewhere else so we don’t disturb them, and afterward, we can help out too.”
Seeing that they all agreed, Sheng Qingxi had no choice but to nod and agree.
As soon as the school bell rang for dismissal, the group set off in grand fashion. Song Xingyu, having heard they were heading to Shengkai, bought plenty of gifts, nearly stuffing the car full of presents and ingredients.
Xie Zhen and He Mo needed to stop by the garage first, so Song Xingyu drove Lin Ran and the others to Shengkai first.
Lin Ran sat in the passenger seat while the two girls, Sheng Qingxi and Lin Yanyan, were in the back.
Lin Ran glanced sideways. As soon as the two girls got in the car, they huddled together, whispering just like they had the last time they all ate together. They spoke so quietly that he couldn’t hear a word.
After a while, Lin Ran stopped paying attention and started chatting with Song Xingyu.
In the back seat, Sheng Qingxi whispered to Lin Yanyan, “Has that boy been bothering you lately?”
Lin Yanyan quickly shook her head and replied softly, “Ever since Brother Song went to talk to him, he hasn’t come to find me again. But it’s a bit strange. Whenever he sees me on the road, he runs away.”
Sheng Qingxi cleared her throat, “If he bothers you again, just tell me.”
Sheng Qingxi could almost imagine how Song Xingyu had “scared off” the boy. Given his age, Song Xingyu probably wouldn’t have used force; he would have smiled and invited the boy for a ride on his bike.
By “bike,” of course, Song Xingyu meant his motorcycle.
Song Xingyu on a motorcycle was a sight to behold, not unlike Lin Ran on a racetrack—both were complete daredevils.
In their past life, Song Xingyu only began to tone down his wild habits after he and Lin Yanyan got married.
Sheng Qingxi wondered if they would still have that fate in this lifetime.
Lin Yanyan smiled shyly and whispered, “Sister, Brother Song is really amazing, just like my brother.”
Sheng Qingxi patted Lin Yanyan’s head affectionately.
—
By 6 PM, they arrived at Shengkai.
A colorful Christmas tree stood in the courtyard of the dormitory building, wrapped in vibrant lights. Shiny golden balls hung from the branches, and a bright star sparkled at the top.
Many children, bundled up in thick clothes, played in the courtyard. He Mo and the others were busy handing out candy and gifts, receiving dozens of sweet “thank yous” from the kids.
The chubby Xie Zhen felt completely healed by the experience. Now he understood why Song Shiman used to visit Shengkai so often.
With the pressures of their senior year weighing on them, these adorable children were like little angels of healing.
Xie Zhen, with his big, lovable figure, quickly became a favorite among the children. He even opened up his round belly for the kids to poke, filling the courtyard with laughter.
Shengkai was rarely this lively.
Meanwhile, Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran had set up a low table in the living room, and by the time they were ready to start the hotpot, it was half an hour later. During that time, Sheng Lan had brought over snacks and drinks.
As Lin Ran prepared to add ingredients to the hotpot, he urged Sheng Qingxi to go call the others back. He fussed over her like a mother hen, “Put on your coat and wear the scarf, too.”
Sheng Qingxi nodded, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and ran outside to gather everyone.
—
The warm, cozy living room was filled with the aroma of hotpot, and the glass windows fogged up from the steam. Inside, they had all taken off their coats and were sitting around the bubbling hotpot, chatting and sipping drinks. Xie Zhen and the others had brought some fruit wine, and everyone except Lin Yanyan had a bit poured into their cups.
Sheng Qingxi’s cup had noticeably less wine than the others, a result of Lin Ran’s strict supervision.
Throughout the meal, Sheng Qingxi didn’t even have a chance to reach into the pot for food. Every time she was about to pick something, Lin Ran would already have placed it into her bowl, which slowly piled up like a small mountain.
Sheng Qingxi had no choice but to bury her head and focus on eating, not even managing to sip the little bit of fruit wine she had.
After serving Sheng Qingxi, Lin Ran turned his attention to the other girl, Lin Yanyan. Meanwhile, Song Xingyu and Xie Zhen were enthusiastically chatting about cars and racing teams, leaving Lin Ran to take care of these two “little ancestors.”
It wasn’t until around 9 PM that Lin Ran finally got a moment to eat. By this time, only Sheng Qingxi was still with him in the living room—the others had gone off to play games with the kids.
Sheng Qingxi, holding her small belly, half-lay on the soft sofa. While Lin Ran wasn’t paying attention, she had secretly downed the rest of her small glass of fruit wine.
Perhaps it was the thrill of sneaking a drink, but she felt quite happy.
Just as Lin Ran was about to feed her a beef ball, he noticed her sitting there with a flushed face, leaning against the sofa.
He paused, swallowing the words he was about to say, and instead walked over to the sofa, leaning down to look at her. The little “drunk kitten” had already gotten tipsy, her cheeks completely red, yet her eyes were still bright and clear.
Seeing him approach, she lifted her face, blinking as she tried to keep her eyes open and meet his gaze.
Lin Ran sighed, tapping her forehead lightly with his fingertip. In a low voice, he said, “I really don’t know what to do with you.”
After saying that, Lin Ran turned around and squatted in front of her. “Sheng Qingxi, climb onto my back. I’ll carry you to your room. I’m right in front of you, just get on.”
Sheng Qingxi sat on the sofa, thinking for a moment about what Lin Ran had just said. After taking a while to process, she slowly got up and, in a rather clumsy manner, climbed onto his back. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, and her face nestled against his shoulder, where she remained still.
Lin Ran carried her steadily down the stairs.
The corridor’s lights weren’t very bright, and the handrails and stairs had an old-fashioned look.
Her breath was warm against his neck, and like a little kitten, she nuzzled his shoulder.
She was quiet the whole way, and just as Lin Ran thought she had fallen asleep, the little “drunk kitten” on his back suddenly spoke, her voice a bit nasally, as if muffled by cotton candy: “Lin Ran, I met you today.”
Lin Ran responded softly, “I know.”
She tightened her grip around him, her head inching forward until her cheek brushed against his. She mumbled something incoherent, then, after rubbing against his face, whispered again, “I met you.”
Lin Ran’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he murmured, “Mm.”
The little drunk kitten giggled softly, then fell silent, completely quiet now.
Lin Ran carried her into her room, her arms still clinging to him, though he had no idea what was going through her mind.
Once inside, Lin Ran didn’t bother turning on the lights. He headed straight to her bed, familiar with the room after many visits.
The dim light from the hallway slanted into the room, casting a soft glow on the corner of the bed.
Lin Ran carefully lowered Sheng Qingxi onto the bed. As he glanced up, he found the little drunk kitten staring at him with wide, bright eyes, as if afraid he might disappear.
Half of her face was hidden in the shadows, and in the still room, the only sound was her steady, soft breathing.
After watching her for a moment, Lin Ran averted his gaze and continued his task, bending down to take off her shoes and tucking her into the blanket. He then turned on the air conditioner before sitting down beside her bed.
Sheng Qingxi’s gaze never left his face.
Lin Ran chuckled quietly. “Staring at me? Do you think I look good?”
There was a soft rustling sound as a small hand emerged from under the blanket and found its way to his, gripping it tightly. She didn’t say anything—just held his hand and continued to gaze at him.
Lin Ran met her eyes for a while before gently squeezing her hand in return, sighing, “Yuan Yuan, do you want to sleep?”
The little drunk kitten, wrapped up in her blanket, nodded and then shook her head.
Lin Ran had no choice but to lean in closer. The light, like a transparent brush, gently highlighted her long eyelashes, each one distinctly visible. His breath, barely there, brushed softly against her forehead.
In a low voice, he asked, “Yuan Yuan, what do you want to say?”
The little drunk kitten was silent for a moment before she softly replied, “Lin Ran, kiss me.”
Lin Ran instinctively clenched his jaw, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was rougher, with a hint of restraint. “That’s not a good idea, not right now.”
He had kissed her on this bed before.
But at that time, she wasn’t awake, and the circumstances had been entirely different.
The little drunk kitten murmured again, “I know what you’re thinking.”
Lin Ran: “…”
Damn it.
He resisted the urge to kiss her, instead tapping her forehead like he was scolding a mischievous cat. Frowning, he scolded, “Sheng Qingxi, what kind of thoughts are you having this late at night?”
She simply pursed her lips and smiled at him.
Soft and sweet, to the point of driving him mad.
Lin Ran held back so hard that the veins on his neck began to bulge. Just as he was about to lose control, her cotton-candy-like voice floated up again, “Lin Ran, Merry Christmas Eve.”
Not long after those words, she drifted off to sleep, entirely unaware of the storm she had stirred in his heart.
It was quiet for a long, long time before his husky voice broke the silence. “Merry Christmas Eve.”
Merry Christmas Eve, my Xiao Xi.
I hope we have this moment every year, and many more to come.