Chapter 140 - 128: A Boy Must Protect Himself

Chapter 140: Chapter 128: A Boy Must Protect Himself

He pushed his electric scooter over to Yan Xici. "I thought you’d be waiting for me at the academic building. You left pretty quickly."

Yan Xici nodded. "Oh, I came with Yingying."

Her voice sounded a little down.

Xiao Ran couldn’t help but ask with concern, "What’s wrong? Are you okay?"

They had agreed to go to Xu Cheng’s farmhouse restaurant today, and he’d already sent the address. If she wasn’t feeling well, he needed to let Xu Cheng know as soon as possible.

’It’s strange. Before I saw him, my mind was filled with wanting to ask who that person who tipped him was, to tell him he needed to be careful and protect himself.’

But now that they were face-to-face, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.

’Especially that story about the four rich women. Just thinking about it makes my heart pound erratically.’

’It’s just too scandalous!’

"N-Nothing’s wrong," Yan Xici said, pretending everything was fine.

Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow, a suspicious look on his face. "Really? Nothing?"

"I’m fine. What could possibly be wrong with me?"

"Alright then, let’s get going. Xu Cheng already sent the address, but we have to go home and drop off the scooter. It’s his grand opening, after all. We might have a few drinks tonight."

"Oh..."

The ride home took ten minutes. Yan Xici sat on the back of Xiao Ran’s scooter, and as long as he was quiet, she said nothing. When they got home and parked the scooter, Yan Xici sniffled. "Let’s go, then."

The whole way, Xiao Ran felt that something was off with Yan Xici. He asked instinctively, "Are you not feeling well?"

"I’m not." The girl pursed her lips, still too embarrassed to ask her question.

"Then what’s wrong with you?"

"I’m just a little dizzy. It might be the heat."

"Dizzy?" Xiao Ran was startled and immediately reached out to feel Yan Xici’s forehead. "You don’t feel hot. Could it be heatstroke?"

"I’m fine. I’ll be okay in a bit."

After saying that, Yan Xici walked out the door. Surprisingly, she didn’t link her arm with Xiao Ran’s or hold his hand today.

This made Xiao Ran feel a little unused to it. He locked the door, walked over to her, and took her small hand in his palm.

Palm against palm, that warm feeling in her heart reappeared unconsciously.

The girl cooperatively spread her fingers slightly, letting Xiao Ran’s slide in between.

’Interlocking their fingers is truly a blissful part of being in love. This is the eighth time they’ve held hands, and Yan Xici remembers every single time with perfect clarity!’

’Even clearer is the feeling of her heart racing and the romantic thrill, which makes her mind feel both relaxed and overjoyed.’

There were a few small convenience stores near the entrance of their residential complex. As they got close, Xiao Ran turned his head and looked at her with a grin. "I’ll go buy you some plum juice. Wait here for me."

With that, he walked into a nearby convenience store and came out less than three minutes later with a bottle of plum juice.

Summer evenings were still incredibly hot. He was covered in sweat after just a short run.

Xiao Ran casually wiped the sweat from his neck.

Then he looked at Yan Xici with a smile. "Here, drinking some of this should help."

His gaze was clean and bright, and when he looked at her, his eyes were full of concern.

Worried she wouldn’t be able to open it, he twisted the cap for her before handing it over.

"Here you go. You should feel better after drinking a little."

’That’s just how summer is. When you’re feeling sluggish, drinking or eating something sour can make you feel a lot better.’

Holding the plum juice Xiao Ran handed her and seeing the sweat he hadn’t wiped from his forehead, Yan Xici’s heart couldn’t help but soften.

’He’s so good to me. He’s always taken care of me like this for so many years.’

’If a guy like him were to be ruined by someone else, that would be truly...’

’Just thinking about it makes me feel possessive, like I’d have to fight to the death.’

Holding the plum juice, she couldn’t help but murmur, "Why isn’t it cold?"

’This stuff is only good when it’s ice-cold.’

’Plum and ice, double the happiness!’

"Why would you drink something cold? It’s not good for the baby for a girl to drink cold things."

?

Hearing this, Yan Xici’s eyelid twitched.

She subconsciously retorted, "I don’t have a baby!"

Her face turned visibly red, and a bashful look instantly filled her bright eyes.

’What kind of outrageous words are these? They’re in a pure and innocent relationship, is it really okay for him to say things like that?’

Seeing her flustered and nervous, Xiao Ran was exceptionally pleased.

’Shy?’

’She should be shy!’

’She always throws me off balance. Now it’s my turn to get some payback and even the score!’

"I’m not just making things up. Drinking cold things really isn’t good for the baby."

Seeing Xiao Ran’s mock-serious expression, Yan Xici grew anxious and hurriedly argued, "But—but I don’t have a baby!"

’They only ever napped together. How could there possibly be a baby?’

Xiao Ran tossed out a meaningful sentence: "I just said it’s not good for *the baby*. You’re overthinking it."

He walked ahead with a mischievous grin on his face.

Yan Xici, trailing behind, was a complete mess. The girl’s cheeks were puffed out in anger, and she couldn’t help but stomp her foot on the ground.

’My face is flushing so embarrassingly. The way he said it, it’s as if I’m the one who’s desperate to have his baby!’

’How... how did he figure it out?’

’No, I have to go up there and ask him properly!’

Because it was so hot, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but reach up and wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Yan Xici had been about to rush up and smack him, but seeing this, her heart couldn’t help but soften.

She pursed her small, pink lips, pulled open her crossbody bag, and took out a pack of tissues. Her small, fair hand skillfully pulled one out, and then she ran two steps to get in front of Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran froze, his steps halting.

’She’s not here to hit me, is she?’

While he was still stunned, he saw the girl stand on her tiptoes, stretching her arm up to help him wipe away his sweat. With the gentle movement of her arm, he could even smell the pleasant fragrance on her.

Her eyelashes were long, and the sunlight cast a faint shadow on her eyelids, making it look as if she were wearing eyeshadow. It was incredibly beautiful.

Seeing her serious expression, Xiao Ran’s heart couldn’t help but warm up as well.

He even had the illusion that he himself had become gentler.

The girl diligently wiped the sweat from his forehead, only then pulling her hand back in satisfaction. She didn’t say anything, just looked at him with a shy expression.

’Actually, if he wants a baby now, I’d be okay with that.’

’After all, Brother Xiao Ran is on his second marriage; his parents must be anxious!’

"Actually... if you want a baby, it’s not impossible."

Yan Xici suppressed her shyness. It was like they say, the first time is awkward, but it gets easier. Anyway, it wasn’t the first or second time she’d taken the initiative with him. If he really wanted a baby, she could just have one for him.

"Anyway, I don’t have a job to go to. If we have a baby this year, it should be born next year..."

In just a few moments, Yan Xici had already thought it all through.

She didn’t particularly want one herself—after all, she was only a junior in college—but if Brother Xiao Ran wanted one, then it wasn’t out of the question.

’But, he has to guarantee his own safety first. He absolutely cannot be tricked and stolen away by some rich woman. If that happens, he’ll be gone!’

Xiao Ran was taken aback by her bold declaration. Good lord, did this girl not realize he was joking?

She really wanted to have his baby?

"You’re only a junior this year. Aren’t you afraid your classmates will notice when your belly gets big?"

Hearing this, the girl looked at the road ahead, her pretty, almond-shaped eyes filled with bewilderment. "But... weren’t you the one who said you wanted a baby? Besides, you can get extra academic credit for getting married..."

Xiao Ran: "..."

’I never said I wanted a baby, she did!’

’So shameless!’

’A young lady like her, she’ll say anything.’

"By the way, Brother Ran, have you figured out who that ’little fox’ is yet?"

Spurred on by the talk of having a baby, she finally voiced the question she’d been wanting to ask all day.

Xiao Ran froze.

"What little fox?"

As soon as he said it, he instinctively realized that Yan Xici was most likely talking about the big shot who had tipped him tens of thousands.

"I—I just wanted to ask, that rich woman who tipped you fifty thousand yuan, who is she? Is she interested in you? Has she asked you out or anything?"

Whenever this topic came up, Yan Xici felt a strong sense of danger.

Looking at the nervous expression in the girl’s eyes, Xiao Ran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But speaking of the matter, he really didn’t know.

He pursed his lips. "I asked my editor, but they couldn’t get in touch with her either. Right now, I suspect it might be some kid who secretly used their parents’ phone to tip me!"