By the time the two security guards from No. 1 High School arrived at the alley entrance, a group of people was already sprawled on the ground. Inside the alley stood two students in school uniforms, and the boy’s uniform had bloodstains on it.
The security guards immediately dialed 120 for emergency services.
Inside the alley.
The bald man had already been knocked unconscious by Lin Ran.
At this moment, Lin Ran was gripping Sheng Qingxi’s hand tightly. The young girl before him frowned slightly but didn’t even make a sound despite the pain.
Lin Ran’s eyes darkened. He couldn’t help but pull her closer, staring into her slightly trembling eyes as he harshly demanded, “Do you even realize you’re a girl? Why would you rush over to get involved in this mess?”
Sheng Qingxi’s entire right hand was numb from the pain.
It was as if she hadn’t heard Lin Ran’s question. Instead, she said something that made him even more agitated: “Lin Ran, you have blood on you. Are you hurt?”
Even though her voice was so soft it was barely audible from the pain, she still looked at him with concern.
In her black eyes, there was only him. No thought for herself.
“Damn it.”
Lin Ran bent down and picked Sheng Qingxi up in his arms. Ignoring the chaotic scene, he strode past the two security guards at the alley entrance and walked out. The security guards knew who Lin Ran was, so they didn’t stop him.
Lin Yanyan, who wasn’t as fast as the security guards, was nearly in tears when she arrived.
When she saw the bloodstains on Lin Ran, her tears couldn’t be held back any longer. She sobbed and asked, “Brother, are you okay? What happened to this sister?”
Lin Ran wanted to reach out and wipe away Lin Yanyan’s tears, but he was still holding Sheng Qingxi.
He glanced at Sheng Qingxi, whose face had gone pale in his arms, and softened his tone. “Yanyan, go pick up your backpack. Call the auto shop and have them send a car over. We need to go to the hospital.”
Lin Yanyan quickly pulled out her phone to make the call. After the call, she went to retrieve her small backpack.
Sheng Qingxi tugged at Lin Ran’s sleeve with her uninjured hand and whispered, “Lin Ran, put me down. We’re still in front of the school gates. I can walk on my own.”
She had experience and knew she hadn’t broken any bones.
Lin Ran lowered his gaze and met her eyes, but he ignored her.
Sheng Qingxi: “…”
She wasn’t used to being so physically close to others, even though Lin Ran had also carried her like this in her previous life when he saved her. But her feelings back then were completely different from now.
Lin Ran’s warm chest was right next to her face, and she started to feel nervous again.
The car from the auto shop arrived quickly, and five minutes later, Lin Ran carried Sheng Qingxi into the car, with Lin Yanyan climbing in after them.
By this time, Lin Yanyan had calmed down and realized that the blood on Lin Ran wasn’t his own; the injured person was the one in his arms. Only now did she recognize that this sister was the girl Lin Ran had been watching at the school gate that day.
With her eyes red like a little rabbit, Lin Yanyan asked in a small voice, “Sister, does it hurt?”
Only now did Lin Ran have a moment to look at the little girl.
Tears streamed down Lin Yanyan’s face, falling from her chin as though they were free. But his hands were covered in dirt and blood.
Sheng Qingxi looked at the crying Lin Yanyan and felt somewhat dazed.
At this moment, Lin Yanyan was completely different from the weak and pale girl she had once been.
It seemed as if she had returned to the day after Lin Ran’s death.
That day, she had taken the little bear with the burnt ear to visit Lin Yanyan at the hospital. Lin Ran’s father, Lin Youcheng, was also there.
The middle-aged man looked haggard, silently sitting by the bed, watching his quiet daughter.
He had already lost his son and could not afford to lose his daughter too.
When Sheng Qingxi arrived, Lin Yanyan showed no reaction. Lin Youcheng stepped outside to ask her a few questions. She simply said she was Lin Ran’s friend and had come to check on Lin Yanyan.
At first, Lin Yanyan didn’t respond at all, but the moment she saw the little bear in Sheng Qingxi’s hand, her emotions finally broke down.
Yesterday had been Children’s Day, and Lin Yanyan had pestered Lin Ran for a gift. That’s why Lin Ran went out that evening to buy her the bear. But when he returned, the villa was already on fire.
The fire was caused by an unattended gas stove that led to a gas leak, but Lin Yanyan insisted that neither she nor Lin Ran had used the kitchen that day.
Lin Youcheng thought she was simply unable to cope with Lin Ran’s death and didn’t give it much thought.
To everyone else, the fire seemed like a mere accident.
Some people didn’t care, but Sheng Qingxi did.
Because of what Lin Yanyan said, Sheng Qingxi worked tirelessly for ten years.
“Sister?”
Sheng Qingxi’s chaotic thoughts were pulled back by Lin Yanyan’s sobs. Like back then, she raised her hand and gently touched Lin Yanyan’s tear-streaked cheek, whispering, “Don’t cry.”
Lin Yanyan looked into Sheng Qingxi’s eyes.
Suddenly, Lin Yanyan froze, seeing something in Sheng Qingxi’s eyes that she couldn’t quite understand.
Strength. Firm and powerful.
Sheng Qingxi shifted her left hand slightly, but the moment she moved, Lin Ran’s hand gripped hers tightly. His large hand firmly clasped her slender, fragile wrist, preventing her from pulling away.
Sheng Qingxi looked up at Lin Ran and softly said, “Lin Ran, there’s a tissue in the pocket of my school uniform. Could you use it to wipe her tears?”
But Lin Ran didn’t take it. He was afraid of touching her hand.
His gaze went past Sheng Qingxi to the weeping Lin Yanyan. “Yanyan, wipe your own tears. Then wipe this sister’s face. Can you do that?”
Lin Yanyan nodded tearfully.
There was blood on Sheng Qingxi’s face too, transferred from when she leaned against Lin Ran’s chest.
By the time they had finished, the car had arrived at the hospital.
Lin Ran carried Sheng Qingxi into the emergency room. He had called ahead, so as soon as they entered, someone took Sheng Qingxi to be examined.
While Sheng Qingxi was undergoing her check-up, Lin Ran took the opportunity to quietly comfort Lin Yanyan. The little girl had been scared today; the last time she cried like this was when they were still living in the Lin family home.
The incident had drawn a lot of attention.
Less than half an hour later, Lin Youcheng arrived at the hospital.
When Lin Yanyan saw Lin Youcheng, she couldn’t help but rush into his arms, calling out, “Dad.”
Lin Youcheng seemed to have come straight from the office, still dressed in a suit, with two assistants trailing behind him. After hugging Lin Yanyan, he looked up at Lin Ran.
It had been two years, and the child had grown quite a bit taller.
Lin Youcheng was now nearing forty, but traces of the handsome features from his youth were still visible.
Lin Ran resembled Lin Youcheng a lot, while Lin Yanyan took after their mother.
There was a hint of concern in Lin Youcheng’s eyes as he looked at the boy standing across from him and called out, “Xiao Huo, come to your dad.”
Lin Ran didn’t move for a moment, his expression complicated as he watched Lin Yanyan clinging to Lin Youcheng. His emotions were mixed. He had taken Lin Yanyan away from the Lin family, but as a result, she had almost been hurt and had narrowly escaped the fire with her life.
It seemed like all of this was his fault. If Lin Yanyan had stayed safely at the Lin family home, would any of this have happened?
After a brief hesitation, Lin Ran suddenly turned and headed toward the doctor’s office. He couldn’t just leave Sheng Qingxi alone like that. By the time he arrived at the office, her test results were already out.
A nurse beside her was carefully disinfecting her hand and applying antibiotics.
Earlier, since she was wearing her school uniform, Lin Ran hadn’t known the extent of her injuries. Now, he could see her right arm was swollen, with a large, purplish-red bruise, and there were even traces of blood seeping through.
The nurse, who was still an intern, trembled slightly as she applied the medication. She frequently looked up and asked, “Am I pressing too hard?”
Sheng Qingxi, her face already pale, still managed to comfort the nervous nurse. She smiled faintly and whispered, “It’s not too heavy, and it doesn’t hurt.”
The doctor was discussing Sheng Qingxi’s condition with Lin Ran: “From the X-ray, there doesn’t seem to be any bone damage. It’s just some superficial injuries. It looks alarming, but the wounds aren’t deep, so no stitches are needed. Just make sure she doesn’t overuse her right hand for the next few days. If the swelling doesn’t subside or the pain persists, she’ll need a follow-up.”
Lin Ran acknowledged the doctor’s words and walked over to Sheng Qingxi’s bedside.
Sheng Qingxi was sitting on a small bed in the doctor’s office, receiving treatment. When she saw Lin Ran approach, she turned her head slightly to glance at him.
She softly said, “Lin Ran, I’m fine now. You should go and be with your sister.”
Lin Ran ignored her and said to the nurse, “Let me do it.”
The nurse looked at the doctor, and when the doctor didn’t object, she stepped aside.
Lin Ran took Sheng Qingxi’s hand from the nurse. Her hand was cold, and he carefully adjusted his grip. His movements were swift and skillful.
However, just before he touched her wound with the cotton swab, he hesitated for a brief moment. After that, he quickly and efficiently treated her wound.
The nurse then promptly bandaged Sheng Qingxi’s injury.
Sheng Qingxi let out a sigh of relief. The pain from the iron rod earlier had been sharp, but now that it had passed, she felt much better. In her previous life, she had suffered many injuries, and this was nothing more than a minor one.
She blinked and looked up. “Lin Ran, I’ll pay you back tomorrow, okay?”
For a moment, Lin Ran couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He almost laughed out of exasperation at this girl. With a cold glance around the office, he said, his voice chilly, “Come outside. I have something to say to you.”
The hospital bed was relatively high, and Sheng Qingxi’s feet dangled above the floor as she sat there. Hearing Lin Ran’s words, she grabbed her school jacket and prepared to hop down, but the moment she had the thought, Lin Ran noticed.
Frowning, Lin Ran scooped her up by the waist and lifted her off the bed.
Caught off guard, Sheng Qingxi bumped into Lin Ran’s chest, but in an instant, he had already let go of her.
He took her jacket from her hands, draped it over her shoulders, then grabbed her left wrist to keep her from running around recklessly.
The hospital corridor was brightly lit, the cold light spilling onto the metal chairs. The air smelled of disinfectant, and although people came and went, no one lingered, making the place feel cold and lonely.
This time, Lin Ran deliberately slowed his steps. When they reached the rest area outside, he finally let go of her hand. He pointed to the empty seat and said to Sheng Qingxi, “Sit down first.”
Sheng Qingxi felt a sense of déjà vu. That night, he had done the same thing—sat with her at the bus stop and told her to study hard and strive for progress every day.
So this time, Sheng Qingxi thought she was being clever. Before Lin Ran could say anything, she quickly said, “Lin Ran, I will study hard.”
Lin Ran: “…?”
He didn’t stand over her this time. Instead, he squatted down in front of her. Their line of sight instantly leveled, and she lowered her gaze to look at him, her eyes sparkling faintly.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, Lin Ran felt that Sheng Qingxi seemed to be in a good mood.
Lin Ran called her name, “Sheng Qingxi.”
She responded, “Mm?”
Lin Ran asked in a deep voice, “What are you so happy about?”
Sheng Qingxi was startled. She hadn’t expected Lin Ran to notice her mood. She pressed her lips together and softly said, “You and Yanyan are safe, so I’m happy.”
Lin Ran’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his dark eyes clouded. For the first time, he spoke to Sheng Qingxi in such a cold tone: “Sheng Qingxi, Yanyan and I have nothing to do with you. We’re strangers, do you understand?”
Strangers?
Sheng Qingxi clasped her cool fingertips, thinking to herself, yes, they were strangers.
It had always been her one-sided affection, her solitary persistence.