Besides the information about Xu Yirong’s pregnancy, the documents also contained evidence of her hiring a private investigator to investigate Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan. There were even secretly taken photos attached.
The photos not only included Lin Ran but also Sheng Qingxi.
Since Lin Ran had been constantly by Sheng Qingxi’s side, there were fewer photos of Lin Yanyan. After the incident last year, Lin Yanyan had been picked up and dropped off by Lin Youcheng’s driver, so opportunities for the private investigator to approach her were limited.
The documents didn’t stop there.
Recently, Xu Yirong had been reaching out to people—without exception, all of them had either worked for the Lin family or at the villa in Nancheng Garden. The latest intel showed that she had been in contact with Aunt Chen in recent days.
Xu Yirong’s intentions were obvious.
Lin Huang knew about the documents Lin Youcheng had prepared. What Lin Ran would receive on his eighteenth birthday was more than just a small inheritance.
After all, Lin Ran was Grandpa Lin’s favorite.
But to Xu Yirong, that amount was astronomical.
Clearly, the child in her womb was the driving force behind her actions.
Lin Huang was baffled. “How did she even get pregnant? Does your dad know?”
Lin Ran shot him a sidelong glance, his tone flat. “I have zero interest in Lin Youcheng’s bedroom activities.”
Lin Huang: “…”
Is this about bedroom activities?!
Lin Huang sighed inwardly. Xiao Huo had been like this since childhood—unyielding, intolerant of even the slightest speck of sand in his eye. That’s why, three years ago, he had resolutely left with Lin Yanyan.
Who knew if his relationship with Lin Youcheng would ever mend?
Lin Huang stared at the documents for a while before suddenly saying, “Xiao Huo, leave this matter to me. You don’t need to worry about anything else. Just focus on your studies—college entrance exams are around the corner.”
He smiled, shifting the topic away from the heavy subject. “Didn’t you say you wanted to go to the same university as your little fairy? So, where’s she planning to go?”
At the mention of this, Lin Ran felt a headache coming on.
He rubbed his temples and said helplessly, “She said she’ll go wherever I go.”
Lin Ran once thought that no one in this world would wait for him; everyone kept moving forward. But from the moment Sheng Qingxi transferred to his class, he knew that wasn’t true.
She was even willing to step back and come find him.
That was true now, and even more so in the ten years of their past life.
But Lin Ran couldn’t let things continue to develop this way. She said she hoped he would get into Ningcheng University, so he would make sure to get into Ningcheng University. She deserved nothing less than the best in life and the future.
Lin Huang winced, clutching his cheek in mock pain. “Ugh, too sweet! So, what are *you* thinking?”
Lin Ran was silent for a moment before answering, “I want to go to Ningcheng with her.”
Hearing this, Lin Huang raised an eyebrow. “If you really get into Ningcheng University, Grandpa will be over the moon.”
Since Lin Ran had lost his mother at a young age, Grandpa Lin had doted on him from childhood. Whatever Lin Ran wanted, he got. So when Lin Ran said he wanted to move out with Lin Yanyan, Grandpa Lin let him. But deep down, the old man still had hopes and expectations for his grandson.
Lin Ran didn’t say much more and instead flashed Lin Huang a smile. “Brother, I’m heading back.”
With that, Lin Ran left, but Lin Huang stood there in a daze.
For some reason, when Lin Ran called him “Brother” just now, it gave him a strange, distant feeling, like a lifetime had passed.
—
The third floor of the cafeteria.
The third-floor window was specially opened by the school to reduce the wait times for the senior students. Compared to downstairs, it was much quieter and the people were more spread out.
Sheng Qingxi had just finished paying when Xie Zhen swooped in and grabbed her tray. “I got it! Let me carry it!”
He Mo, who was following behind, silently placed a carton of milk on the tray before heading off to order food for the two of them.
Sheng Qingxi was used to this by now. She suspected these two were under Lin Ran’s influence. Every time Lin Ran wasn’t around, these two were even more attentive than he was.
In reality, this had nothing to do with Lin Ran.
Sheng Qingxi had been tutoring He Mo and Xie Zhen for over half a year. While their grades hadn’t skyrocketed like Lin Ran’s, they had both made it into the top twenty of the class. The two boys weren’t sure how to repay Sheng Qingxi, so they tried to help her with little things wherever they could.
The cafeteria was quiet.
He Mo and Xie Zhen’s playful bickering stood out.
Sheng Qingxi cradled her milk, silently watching the two of them argue at the window.
The He Mo and Xie Zhen she knew this year were quite different from the ones in her memories. In her past life, they had always carried heavy burdens, far less open with their emotions.
Lin Ran’s death had been a devastating blow to them.
It had taken them a long time to emerge from that shadow.
“What are you looking at?”
A lazy voice came from behind her.
Footsteps approached, and the person behind her leaned down slightly, his warm breath brushing against her ear.
Sheng Qingxi knew that if she turned her head, she would see Lin Ran. But this kind of proximity… didn’t seem appropriate in the cafeteria. She discreetly shifted to the side a bit before softly whispering, “Lin Ran.”
As soon as Lin Ran bent down, he saw her long eyelashes trembling. He didn’t move, just quietly watched her as she tried to stealthily inch away, thinking no one would notice.
“Hmph.”
Naughty girl.
Lin Ran responded with a soft grunt, then straightened up and assertively squeezed himself next to her.
He glanced at her plate—no meat again.
With a quiet click of his tongue, he didn’t even bother to scold her this time, instead getting up and heading toward the food counter.
They usually ate together as a group of four, but last year, Lin Ran had been more concerned about Lin Yanyan. Now, he didn’t worry much about the little girl; she had her own social circle.
After dinner, Xie Zhen and He Mo took the lead, walking ahead, while Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi followed at a leisurely pace behind them.
The sky had already darkened.
Streetlights lit up along the school paths, casting a faint glow and stretching their shadows long across the ground.
Sheng Qingxi glanced at Lin Ran out of the corner of her eye. Just as she was about to look away, Lin Ran’s piercing gaze caught her. His dark eyes shone brightly even in the dim light.
Lin Ran reached out and gently tapped her on the forehead. “Peeking at me again?”
Sheng Qingxi instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Lin Ran had already casually taken her hand, tucking it securely into his palm. Their large school uniforms easily concealed the fact that their hands were clasped together.
“Lin Ran, how are things going with that matter?” Sheng Qingxi hesitated before asking.
Because Lin Ran had taken the document on his birthday, Sheng Qingxi wasn’t sure when Xu Yirong would find out about it. The timeline of events had been disrupted, and she could no longer predict what Xu Yirong’s next move would be.
Moreover, Lin Ran didn’t often talk to her about such things.
After a brief pause, Lin Ran replied in a low voice, “She knows about the document and has had people keeping tabs on me and Yanyan. The latest news is that she’s found out about Aunt Chen’s son being seriously ill. It won’t be long before there’s a result.”
A result.
He didn’t elaborate on what that result would be.
Sheng Qingxi understood that there were only two possible outcomes.
The first was that after Xu Yirong made a deal with Aunt Chen, she would take action, but neither of them would face significant punishment. After all, not even Aunt Chen knew that Lin Ran would eventually die in that fire.
The second outcome was to wait.
Wait for Xu Yirong to step deeper into the abyss, wait for the fire to happen.
Lin Ran, seeing Sheng Qingxi’s silence, knew what she was thinking.
He ruffled her hair gently. “Sheng Qingxi, we’ve done everything we could. From now on, neither you nor I will be involved. My brother will handle it.”
In the end, their lives were still their own to choose.
Sheng Qingxi lowered her head, avoiding Lin Ran’s gaze.
In a small voice, she said, “Lin Ran, on that day… can you take me back?”
Both Lin Ran and Sheng Qingxi knew what day she was referring to.
Lin Ran’s grip on her hand tightened abruptly.
The boy’s voice, cool and distant, rang out: “Sheng Qingxi, don’t even think about it.”
—
Evening self-study session.
He Mo and Xie Zhen were sneaking glances toward the left side of the classroom.
Xie Zhen whispered, “Hey, Mo, what’s going on this time? They were fine just a few minutes ago, and now they’re at it again?”
He Mo nudged Xie Zhen. “Keep your voice down. I think this time it’s Brother Ran who’s upset.”
Xie Zhen looked puzzled. “Really?”
Though Lin Ran being angry was nothing unusual, it was rare for him to be mad at Sheng Qingxi. The last time He Mo and Xie Zhen had seen him like this was back in May of last year.
On the other side of the classroom.
Sheng Qingxi sat there holding her pen, staring blankly at the paper in front of her. She hadn’t moved for quite some time.
Beside her, Lin Ran had been quiet all evening, the only sound being the scratching of his pen against his scratch paper. When the bell rang for a break, he had left the classroom, only to return just as the bell rang again, resuming his silent demeanor from the previous class.
All night, Lin Ran hadn’t said a single word to Sheng Qingxi.
—
The bell marking the end of the day for the senior class rang out.
The once silent classroom was now filled with the rustle of students packing up, preparing to go home. Many parents had rented apartments nearby to give their children a more comfortable living situation during their final year, resulting in a growing number of day students.
Within minutes, most of the class had cleared out.
Sheng Qingxi lowered her head, packed her bag, and just as she zipped it up, a hand suddenly reached over and grabbed her backpack.
She bit her lip and turned her head slightly.
The bright classroom lights cast a glow across the room.
Lin Ran stood there, his tall figure blocking much of the light from falling on her. He didn’t look at her, his expression indifferent as he seemed to be listening to He Mo and Xie Zhen talk, showing no interest in speaking to her.
Sheng Qingxi quietly stood up and walked toward the door.
At that moment, Lin Ran moved too, casually saying, “Let’s go.”
He Mo and Xie Zhen exchanged confused glances. Neither of them dared to respond, unsure who Lin Ran was speaking to. They watched as Sheng Qingxi silently followed behind him out of the classroom.
After the two had left, He Mo and Xie Zhen began whispering again.
He Mo sighed, “Not a single word all night.”
Xie Zhen scratched his head. “You think things will be better tomorrow?”
He Mo, just as worried, replied, “No idea.”
—
The hallway lights were dim.
Sheng Qingxi quietly followed behind Lin Ran. He wasn’t walking quickly, but unlike usual, he didn’t reach for her hand.
Her emotions were a tangled mess—heavy and bitter. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come, and even calling his name felt difficult.
Step by step.
They turned corner after corner, walking in silence.
After descending the stairs, Lin Ran didn’t take the usual shortcut. Instead, he walked down the brightly lit main road.
He kept his eyes lowered, listening to the light footsteps behind him.
As they neared the garage, Sheng Qingxi couldn’t help but let her mind wander. Should she get into the bike on her own or wait for Lin Ran to lift her? What if he didn’t lift her? Before she could come to a conclusion, they arrived at the garage.
Sheng Qingxi froze in place.
The boy in front of her had slowed his steps, standing with his back to her.
“Come here.”
Lin Ran’s voice was low, with a faint rasp if one listened closely.
Sheng Qingxi let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As soon as she reached the bike, Lin Ran gently helped her into the back seat, then carefully placed a helmet on her head. Throughout the process, he didn’t raise his eyes to meet hers, and there was no exchange of glances between them.
Suddenly, Sheng Qingxi felt a little wronged.
Lin Ran got on the bike, waiting for her to wrap her arms around him. He never started the bike until she held him tight and sat securely. But now, feeling a bit of that sadness, Sheng Qingxi only reached out and grabbed the hem of his jacket, not fully hugging him.
For a brief moment, the air was thick with silence.
Suffocating silence.
One minute passed.
Lin Ran started the bike.
Sheng Qingxi could immediately feel that the bike was moving slower than usual. She clung to the edge of his jacket, but it didn’t give her the comfort of feeling Lin Ran’s warmth. She lowered her head, forcing back the sourness welling up in her eyes.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of Sheng Residence.
Sheng Qingxi removed her helmet herself, then got off the bike and walked to the front to retrieve her backpack. During the entire time, Lin Ran remained motionless on the bike, as if he hadn’t noticed what she was doing.
“Goodnight,” Sheng Qingxi said softly.
After speaking, she slowly walked toward the house.
The road in front of her was one she walked every day, but tonight, it felt unusually dark. Warm tears slid down her chin and slowly seeped into her collar. She quickened her pace, heading toward the dormitory entrance.
But someone was faster than her.
Just as Sheng Qingxi reached for the door handle, a force, overpowering and unyielding, pulled her back. Her body was suddenly restrained, and she was turned around by the strength behind it.
Her back hit the cold door.
The air between them was warm and oppressive.
Instinctively, Sheng Qingxi looked up, meeting the dark, intense gaze of the boy standing before her.