As March arrived, the weather started to warm up.
Lin Ran and the others were caught in an endless cycle of exams. The classroom was mostly silent. Each day, the countdown number on the blackboard grew smaller, and the atmosphere became increasingly stifling.
Sometimes, even Teacher Qu couldn’t bear to see how stressed the students were, but he also knew this was a path they had to take.
After another evening exam ended, everyone looked utterly drained.
Sheng Qingxi turned her head and sneaked a glance at Lin Ran, who was frowning. He stared unhappily at his scratch paper, looking like he was in a foul mood. His whole demeanor screamed, “Don’t talk to me.”
Sheng Qingxi withdrew her gaze and grabbed a sticky note. She doodled a bit and wrote a line of words on it.
The calculations on Lin Ran’s scratch paper clearly didn’t match what he had written on the test just now, which made him agitated. Sheng Qingxi had already explained this type of problem to him at least three times.
Just as he was about to throw his pen down in frustration, a small note appeared next to his desk.
Lin Ran paused. Sheng Qingxi, sitting beside him, was busy drawing, pretending as though the note had nothing to do with her. But from the corner of his eye, he noticed her glancing nervously in his direction, her eyelashes fluttering.
The anger in his heart immediately subsided by more than half.
The note was deftly snatched up between his long fingers.
Sheng Qingxi let out a small sigh of relief. Lin Ran hadn’t been in the best of moods recently. At the end of the month, he had found out about Xu Yirong’s pregnancy, but Xu Yirong hadn’t yet told Lin Youcheng.
The conditions that would have forced Xu Yirong to reveal everything no longer existed—the documents were in Lin Ran’s hands now.
Neither Lin Ran nor Sheng Qingxi could predict what Xu Yirong would do next.
Lin Ran unfolded the note.
A pitiful little white rabbit with drooping ears stared at a giant matchstick in its arms, tears welling up in its eyes. Above its head, a small speech bubble read: “Brother Huo, want some candy?”
Lin Ran: “…”
Damn, she’s flirting with him again.
Lin Ran turned his head and glared fiercely at Sheng Qingxi, who wore an innocent expression.
Sheng Qingxi blinked her eyes and stretched her hand toward Lin Ran, palm open. In her pale hand lay a strawberry candy wrapped in red paper.
His heart began to race uncontrollably again.
Lin Ran stared blankly at Sheng Qingxi. If they weren’t in the classroom right now, she would be in serious trouble. He reached out, took the candy without letting his hand touch hers, quickly unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
Watching Lin Ran eat the candy with such a fierce expression made Sheng Qingxi shrink back a little. He looked like he wasn’t eating candy, but something that was driving him crazy.
Lin Ran snorted lightly and turned away, avoiding looking at her again.
Better not to, or it would only make him more frustrated.
While Lin Ran was troubled by both the upcoming exams and Xu Yirong’s situation, Xu Yirong herself wasn’t doing much better. These past few days, she had subtly tested Lin Youcheng’s feelings about having another child, but the results were disappointing.
Lin Youcheng had no intention of having another child.
Xu Yirong sat at her vanity. She had been so stressed and anxious lately that she hadn’t been taking her medication on time.
While Lin Youcheng was in the shower, Xu Yirong retrieved the medicine the doctor had prescribed from the back of the drawer. Just as she opened the bottle, the bathroom door creaked open, and the sound of footsteps grew closer.
With a loud crash, the bottle slipped from her hands.
Xu Yirong’s heart raced, and her hand shook. The pill bottle slipped and hit the floor, scattering pills everywhere.
Lin Youcheng, who had just walked to the bed, was drawn by the noise. His eyes briefly glanced at the bottle labeled “Vitamin C” before he casually asked, “Why are you taking medicine?”
Xu Yirong forced a smile at him while picking up the pills, explaining, “I’ve caught a bit of a cold. The doctor told me to take some vitamin C.”
Lin Youcheng didn’t think much of it and simply nodded, then got into bed and put on his glasses to start reviewing a report.
Seeing that he hadn’t suspected anything, Xu Yirong finally let out a sigh of relief. Luckily, she had switched the bottle in advance; otherwise, she wasn’t sure if she could have kept this a secret for another month. By next month, she’d be three months pregnant. Given her age, it wasn’t easy to conceive, so she hoped Lin Youcheng would soften and let her keep the child.
…
Beside her, Lin Youcheng had already fallen asleep, but Xu Yirong lay wide awake, tossing and turning.
She stared blankly into the darkness, her hand slowly moving to her soft abdomen. This was her first child. She had prepared herself mentally to go through life without children, but now that this child had come, she realized just how much she truly wanted it.
“Ding.”
A message notification suddenly rang, the screen casting a faint glow in the dark.
It was Lin Youcheng’s phone.
Who could be messaging him so late?
Normally, Xu Yirong would never consider checking Lin Youcheng’s phone, but the pregnancy had made her more sensitive and suspicious. She didn’t know his phone’s passcode, but it could be unlocked with a fingerprint.
After lying in bed, anxious and conflicted, Xu Yirong finally gave in to her curiosity and quietly got out of bed.
By the time she reached the other side of the bed, she was sweating. Her trembling fingers touched the cold phone resting on the nightstand, and she unconsciously held her breath.
Sitting on the floor by the side of the bed, she pressed her back against it, trying to calm herself down.
She sat there for a long moment, steadying her nerves. This time, she didn’t hesitate. Quickly, she placed the phone in Lin Youcheng’s hand, using his thumb to unlock it with a gentle touch.
The screen lit up, and the phone unlocked. Lin Youcheng remained fast asleep, unaware.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Xu Yirong took the phone and slipped into the bathroom.
Her initial thought was that perhaps Cheng Jiayue, unwilling to let go, had reached out to Lin Youcheng again. However, when she opened the messages, she froze. It wasn’t Cheng Jiayue, nor was it anyone else she suspected. It was from Xu Sheng, Lin Youcheng’s lawyer.
This lawyer was different from the others who worked for Lin’s company.
Lin’s corporate legal team and Lin Youcheng’s personal legal team were separate. Xu Sheng, however, handled both Lin Youcheng’s personal matters and had access to Lin’s business affairs.
He wasn’t just Lin Youcheng’s lawyer; he was also a long-time friend.
Xu Yirong stared at the screen, puzzled.
[23:21 Xu Sheng: Youcheng, Xiao Huo hasn’t signed yet, nor has he come to see me.]
The previous message was from Lin Youcheng, sent an hour earlier.
[22:02 Lin Youcheng: Ah Sheng, has the document taken effect yet?]
What kind of document required Lin Ran’s signature?
With that thought in mind, Xu Yirong continued scrolling through their chat history. The more she read, the paler her face became. Each message unraveled the fate of her and her unborn child.
All of Lin Youcheng’s assets were for Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan.
She had nothing.
If Lin Ran signed that document, her child would be left with nothing.
Crystal-clear tears suddenly splashed onto the phone screen, and the fingers gripping the phone tightened. Her knuckles turned white, trembling slightly.
In the softly lit bathroom, the sound of a woman’s suppressed sobbing could be heard. But before long, the sobs stopped. A faint trickle of water ran, then ceased, and the bathroom door opened.
Xu Yirong emerged from the bathroom, her expression calm. She quietly returned Lin Youcheng’s phone to its place, then silently lay back down in bed.
There would be a way.
She would find a way.
—
After the Qingming Festival, most students at school had switched to lighter spring clothing.
Many fashion-conscious girls were already wearing pleated skirts for summer.
Every time Sheng Qingxi saw those pretty girls, she thought of Song Shiman. Song Shiman hadn’t stayed in Chucheng for college; instead, she had gone to a distant city. She was busy every day with various school activities, her schedule packed.
Lin Ran noticed Sheng Qingxi staring eagerly at other girls’ legs and felt a bit jealous.
What’s so special about those short legs?
Sheng Qingxi tugged at Lin Ran’s sleeve. “Lin Ran, I want to wear a skirt tomorrow.”
Lin Ran: ?
Lin Ran immediately turned her head away from looking at others and, in a domineering tone, said, “It’s only March! If you want to wear a skirt, wait until summer. I’ll buy you one then, but right now, don’t even think about it. We’ve got the third mock exam coming up—focus on something serious.”
Sheng Qingxi pouted, struggling out of his grip as she muttered, “What’s wrong with wearing a skirt? I’m not even cold.”
Lin Ran snorted. “Weren’t you the one bundled up like a little bear in the winter?”
Sheng Qingxi glared at him. “It’s spring already!”
The two bickered all the way back to the classroom.
He Mo and Xie Zhen exchanged amused looks as they watched the scene unfold, chiming in with a few comments.
Xie Zhen, chewing on a chicken claw, mumbled, “How many times has this happened this semester?”
He Mo, handing Xie Zhen a napkin in disgust, glanced at Lin Ran. “Who knows? They have a spat like this every month.”
Xie Zhen wiped his mouth. “So, is Brother Ran going to have to coax her again?”
He Mo snorted. “What else?”
It wasn’t long before Lin Ran’s face darkened.
The reason? The girl beside him had stopped talking to him again mid-conversation. After trying to coax her for a while without success, Lin Ran finally gave in and admitted defeat.
Helplessly, he said, “Fine, you can wear a skirt if you really want to. Just wait until this rainy spell passes.”
Sheng Qingxi tilted her head to look at him, blinking her big, innocent eyes. “I don’t want to wear one anymore.”
Lin Ran: ?
Was she deliberately teasing him?
Lin Ran stared at Sheng Qingxi for a long moment, grinding his back teeth. Just as he was about to reach out and pinch her cheek, his phone started buzzing frantically in his pocket—it was clearly a call.
Would Ran answer the call?
Of course not. Without hesitation, he pinched Sheng Qingxi’s cheeks and grumbled, “Getting bold now, huh?”
Sheng Qingxi slapped his hand, signaling him to answer the phone.
Lin Ran didn’t let go of her, though. He casually pulled out his phone with his other hand, glanced at the screen, and only then slowly released her.
Sheng Qingxi noticed the change in his expression and knew the call must be important. Recently, there was only one thing that could be so important to Lin Ran: the family business.
“Brother.”
Lin Ran had already answered the call.
The call lasted a few minutes.
During that time, Lin Ran barely spoke, keeping his eyes down, his expression calm, occasionally replying in a low voice. After hanging up, he turned to rub Sheng Qingxi’s head. Her eyes were full of worry.
He smiled lightly and reassured her, “It’s nothing serious. My brother just needed to discuss some personal matters.”
Lin Ran paused, his dark eyes locked onto hers. “Sheng Qingxi, I’m going to take a leave and step out for a bit. If I’m back late, you have dinner with Ah Zhen and the others. If anything happens, call me. Got it?”
Sheng Qingxi nodded, looking at him as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Lin Ran thought she was about to speak, but instead, she simply took his hand and placed a soft strawberry candy in his palm.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Lin Ran slowly closed his hand around the candy. He said softly, “Wait for me to come back.”
Without waiting for her response, he turned and left.
…
At a private club.
Lin Huang had already been waiting for a while.
A while back, Lin Ran had asked him for a favor, and as soon as he got the news today, Lin Huang came over with the documents. He hadn’t looked closely at what was inside, but from what his people told him, Lin Ran was investigating two women.
Curiosity piqued, Lin Huang eyed the documents on the table. He thought to himself that Lin Ran was taking forever to show up. As he pondered this, he couldn’t help but wonder: wasn’t Lin Ran already committed to his “Xiao Xi”?
Not that Lin Huang could be blamed for thinking this way.
Over the past year, Lin Ran had been posting pictures of his Xiao Xi on social media—pictures of her eating breakfast, drawing, running, even stepping in the snow. That would’ve been fine on its own, but the most outrageous post had been Lin Ran announcing that Xiao Xi was about to turn eighteen, along with a picture of a key.
A key?!?
When Lin Huang saw that, he immediately called Lin Ran and yelled at him, calling him a beast. In response, Lin Ran coldly hung up on him.
Just as Lin Huang was lost in these thoughts, he heard movement at the door.
That brat had zero manners—he didn’t even knock. He just strolled in with his long legs, chewing something as he entered.
Lin Ran glanced at Lin Huang with a faint look of disdain and raised an eyebrow. “What are you staring at?”
Lin Huang snorted and tossed the documents on the table at him, turning his head away to avoid looking at the brat any longer.
But Lin Huang couldn’t hold back for long. He leaned closer to Lin Ran with a mischievous grin and said, “Xiao Huo, I’ve heard some things. Looking for a woman, huh? Aren’t you afraid your little fairy will find out?”
Lin Ran, who had been engrossed in the documents, looked up and shot a cold glare at Lin Huang.
Lin Huang pouted and immediately shut up. He knew his brother wasn’t easy to deal with when he got angry.
Lin Ran hadn’t intended to hide the matter regarding Xu Yirong from Lin Huang. After finishing the documents, he handed them directly to him, nodding slightly. “Take a look, brother.”
Lin Huang had been waiting for this.
As the minutes ticked by, Lin Huang’s face darkened more and more.
Ten minutes later.
Lin Huang slammed the documents onto the table, nearly choking with anger. His hands trembled as he raged, “What’s that woman, Xu, thinking? Hasn’t she gotten enough after all these years?”