Guangnian Auto Shop, Second Floor.
Lin Ran used his unharmed right hand to ruffle Lin Yanyan’s hair. “Were you scared?”
Lin Yanyan, sitting on a chair, swung her little legs and looked up with her small face. She obediently replied, “The power came back on quickly. I also had my phone, and if I got scared, I would have called you.”
Lin Ran smiled faintly, “You’ve become a lot braver, little one.”
After comforting Lin Yanyan, Lin Ran turned and went downstairs.
He glanced down at his bloodstained hand, remembering the slender waist he had touched in the darkness. Her clothes seemed too big, as when he had picked her up, he had felt the empty fabric around her waist.
In the dark, her scent was particularly distinct, lingering in the air and seeping into his senses.
Lin Ran hadn’t expected his second encounter with her to happen so quickly, but this time, he wasn’t going to let her escape so easily.
The silhouette in front of him was slender, small in size.
Lin Ran’s voice was hoarse as he chuckled, “This is the second time.”
The small figure remained silent, only struggling slightly as if she wanted to seize the moment to embrace him again in the dark and then slip away unnoticed.
Lin Ran tightened his grip around her waist, then swiftly turned and pinned her between himself and the wall.
His smile faded, and he said calmly, “In thirty seconds, the power will be back on. Let’s see where you can run this time.”
In two lifetimes, Lin Ran had never met someone like her. She was like a cat, occasionally reaching out her claws to tease him before swaggering away, her tail flicking as she disappeared.
Her breathing was light, and Lin Ran keenly sensed that she seemed a bit nervous.
Just as he was about to say something else, the little figure suddenly bent her knee and lunged toward his waist. Lin Ran had no choice but to block her attack with one hand. In the next second, a sharp fist cut through the air, aimed at the side of his head.
Lin Ran let go of her and stepped back. Just when he thought she would continue attacking, she stopped and turned to dash away like the wind.
Lin Ran: “…”
What kind of tactic is this?
By the time the lights in the club came back on, she had already vanished, just like the day she had hugged him at the school gate and then run away.
When Xie Zhen and He Mo returned, Lin Ran was sitting on the couch, tending to his wounds. He was calmly pouring alcohol on his hand without even flinching.
Xie Zhen winced instinctively, glancing at his own hand. “Brother Ran, where did you go?”
He Mo mumbled, “The power was only out for two minutes, and in that short time, you got into a fight with someone? And you lost? That’s unbelievable.”
As they spoke, Xie Zhen’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and stepped outside to take the call.
He Mo didn’t need to think twice to know it was probably someone from the racing team calling to ask about Lin Ran. He walked over and sat beside Lin Ran, directly asking, “Brother Ran, are we still joining the team?”
Lin Ran didn’t stop what he was doing. “No.”
He Mo scratched his head. “Then what are we going to do this summer?”
Lin Ran’s tone was calm, his expression composed. “Study hard and make progress every day.”
He Mo: “?”
If anyone else had said that, fine, but this was Lin Ran. Lin Ran, the guy who struggled to even write his name on the monthly exams, let alone study.
Among their group, the best student was Lin Yanyan. The young girl consistently ranked in the top ten of her grade in every exam. The two siblings had vastly different temperaments; it was almost hard to believe they were born of the same mother.
—
Song Shiman was frustrated. The power outage had barely lasted a moment, and Lin Ran had already disappeared. She searched through several viewing platforms but couldn’t find him. Dejected, she returned to the first platform, just in time to bump into Sheng Qingxi, who had also just returned.
Suspiciously, Song Shiman gave Sheng Qingxi a once-over. She wasn’t sure where Qingxi had gone, but the back of her ears and neck had a faint blush, and her cheeks were tinged with red.
Before Song Shiman could ask, her sharp eyes noticed a bloodstain on the hem of Sheng Qingxi’s clothes.
Instantly, Song Shiman dropped the topic she had been about to ask and exclaimed in horror, “Qingxi, why is there blood on your clothes? Did someone bully you, or is it… that time of the month?”
Sheng Qingxi steadied her breathing and looked down at her hem. The blood wasn’t hers; it was Lin Ran’s.
She shook her head. “It’s nothing, it’s not my blood.”
Since Lin Ran was nowhere to be found, Song Shiman didn’t feel like staying either. The place reeked of smoke and alcohol, and she had already endured it long enough. After bidding her friends goodbye, she left with Sheng Qingxi.
Their car was still parked by the entrance.
Once they got in, Song Shiman gave the driver Shengkai’s address; she needed to drop Sheng Qingxi off first.
The car’s interior lights were off, and faint shadows flickered as they moved.
Song Shiman hesitated for a long while before bringing up the topic of Lin Ran again. She bit her lip and said, “Qingxi, the other day, I came to you because of the photos I saw on Weibo.”
“I’ve always liked Lin Ran, but he keeps rejecting me. We’re about to graduate, and I don’t want to give up before then. I’m sorry for getting close to you because of this.”
“I also know you like Lin Ran. Can I ask you, how long have you liked him?”
After Song Shiman finished speaking, the car fell silent. Just when she thought Sheng Qingxi wouldn’t answer, she heard her softly say, “Ten years.”
Song Shiman thought she misheard and instinctively asked, “What?”
But Sheng Qingxi didn’t repeat herself. She turned her head to look out at the dark night outside and quietly said, “Shiman, compared to liking Lin Ran, there are more important things I need to focus on. It doesn’t matter to me who he likes.”
Song Shiman was utterly confused. She spent the entire ride to Shengkai pondering Sheng Qingxi’s words.
Did Sheng Qingxi like Lin Ran or not?
Could someone who liked another person not care who they were interested in?
As for Song Shiman, there was no way she could watch Lin Ran be with someone else without going mad from jealousy.
After Sheng Qingxi got out of the car, Song Shiman leaned out of the window and carefully asked, “That day in the restroom, when I said I wanted to be your friend, I meant it. I… I enjoy hanging out with attractive people. Can I come find you again in the future?”
Sheng Qingxi smiled faintly. “Of course. Go home now, it’s late.”
Song Shiman waved at Sheng Qingxi and pulled her head back into the car, closing the window.
She sat there, sulking, absently picking at her nails. Sheng Qingxi was so sweet; not only did she not want to bully her, but she also wanted to buy her pretty dresses.
Song Shiman knocked herself on the head. “Song Shiman, you really are hopeless!”
After Song Shiman’s car disappeared down the street, Sheng Qingxi turned and slowly walked toward the orphanage. The courtyard was bright, and the lights in the nearby dormitory were on. Everything was quiet; the little ones had likely just finished their baths and were getting ready for bed.
The clouds were gently tinted by the soft moonlight, and the night was beautiful.
—
Monday.
When Song Shiman arrived at school that morning, she had a vague feeling she had forgotten something. It wasn’t until she returned to class and overheard some girls chatting brazenly that it finally came back to her.
“Have you guys heard? That new transfer student in the second year likes Lin Ran.”
“Apparently, she transferred here just for him.”
“Brother Ran is impressive, huh.”
“What’s the background of this transfer student anyway?”
Song Shiman: “…”
She had actually forgotten about this, and now it seemed like the entire school knew.
As she passed by the group of girls gossiping, she intentionally knocked over a chair. The loud crash of the chair hitting the floor interrupted their conversation. One of the girls’ expressions changed as she was about to speak, but upon seeing that it was Song Shiman, she quickly shut her mouth.
They couldn’t afford to mess with this young lady.
Downstairs, in Class 6 of the second year.
As Sheng Qingxi stepped into the classroom, she immediately noticed her classmates’ curious and suspicious glances. They looked at her differently than usual. However, she didn’t care and walked to her seat calmly.
Chen Yi looked at Sheng Qingxi, wanting to say something but hesitated.
She struggled for a long time, not knowing how to begin. But before she could dwell on it any longer, someone stepped in to resolve the issue for her.
Gu Mingji approached with a grim expression. It wasn’t clear who Sheng Qingxi had offended in just a few short days, but he couldn’t believe that she would like Lin Ran. She had only been at this school for a few days; how could she even know him?
The girl sat quietly by the window, making it hard to read her emotions. Gu Mingji called out softly, “Qingxi, come out for a moment. I need to talk to you.”
In the hallway.
There were a few people cleaning, and students were slowly making their way into classrooms. Standing by the railing, Gu Mingji and Sheng Qingxi didn’t stand out much.
Gu Mingji took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking, “Qingxi, there’s a rumor going around the school that you like Lin Ran. I can help you find out who’s spreading it, and if things get out of hand, we can ask Teacher Jiang for help.”
Sheng Qingxi hadn’t expected this to be the reason.
When she heard Gu Mingji’s offer, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. In her previous life, she had kept this secret for ten years, never daring to speak it out loud. But now, in this life, it seemed that so many people knew in such a short time.
It was only a matter of time before Lin Ran heard about it too.
She sighed inwardly, thinking that perhaps this was for the best.
Sheng Qingxi knew Gu Mingji was worried about her, so she shook her head and said, “It’s not a rumor. There’s no need to investigate, and we don’t need to involve Teacher Jiang. It’s true—I do like Lin Ran.”
Gu Mingji: “…”
Did he hear that right?
Gu Mingji’s expression became complicated as he watched Sheng Qingxi walk back into the classroom. So, the rumors might actually be true. Sheng Qingxi had really transferred to this school for Lin Ran.
—
That morning, Lin Ran was beyond annoyed.
It wasn’t just his own classmates; even the owner of the boxing gym he frequented had sent him a message, asking if a girl had transferred to his school for him.
He was at his wit’s end.
Even Song Shiman wouldn’t have done something like this, let alone a transfer student he hadn’t even met.
Lin Ran frowned, wondering, ‘what exactly had that little troublemaker come for?’
As soon as the morning reading session ended, Lin Ran stepped outside, seeking some peace and quiet.
He Mo and Xie Zhen, as usual, were bouncing a basketball beside him. Surprisingly, the two people who would normally pester him with endless chatter about this kind of thing hadn’t said a word.
It was as if they had never even heard the rumors.
Lin Ran knew a lot of people, so naturally, many were curious about the situation. But he didn’t get much time to enjoy the quiet before a freshman from the basketball team came running over to him.
This freshman had always been bold. Glancing around cautiously, as if oblivious to Lin Ran’s cold expression, he asked curiously, “Brother Ran, is it true that the new transfer student—who looks like an angel—transferred here because she likes you? Do you guys know each other?”
Lin Ran clicked his tongue impatiently.
Leaning lazily against the railing, his cold eyes swept over Sheng Qingxi, who happened to be walking by. He tilted his chin slightly and asked indifferently, “I don’t know her. Is she better-looking than that?”
Everyone followed the direction of his gaze.
After Sheng Qingxi’s figure disappeared around the corner, someone finally told Lin Ran—
“Brother Ran, that’s the transfer student.”