The remaining days of the first semester of senior year passed as swiftly as the wind. Winter deepened, and the biting cold wind blew. Once again, the crystal - clear snowflakes fell and melted. In the final exam, Lin Jinran remained in the same position, ranking third in the grade and third in the class.
Because of this, her friends would occasionally tease her as "Third Sister".
"This is your last winter vacation in high school. I hope you will maintain your current efforts and perseverance after you go back. The stars never question the travelers, and time never fails the dedicated. All your achievements and wishes are the results of your hard work. As the saying goes, nothing is set in stone yet, and we are all potential dark horses. School is over!"
As the sonorous voice faded, the classmates in the class cheered. They quickly packed up the homework they needed to take home and rushed out in a flash.
"Su Qinian, where do you usually spend the Spring Festival? In Wannan City?" Lin Jinran slowly packed her schoolbag. She glanced at the person beside her and casually asked.
The winter vacation for senior year students always started very late. It would be Chinese New Year's Eve in five days.
If Su Qinian wasn't in Wannan City on the second day of the first lunar month, things would be a bit tricky.
Lin Jinran stuffed another book into her bag and waited for his answer.
"Me? I'll be in Wannan City for Chinese New Year's Eve. I'll go to my grandparents' place in the neighboring city on the afternoon of the first day of the first lunar month and won't be back until the fifth day."
Su Qinian finished packing all his things. He turned to look at her, his bright and clear eyes smiling as he asked, "What's up? Are you spending the Spring Festival in Wannan City?"
"Me? I'm not staying in Wannan City. I'll be leaving in a few days and going back to the imperial capital." Lin Jinran lied without batting an eyelid, fearing that Su Qinian would see through her plan.
Aunt Ying had also invited her to spend the Spring Festival at their place, but she had declined.
She always felt like an outsider and didn't want to trouble Aunt Ying too much.
It was better to go back to the imperial capital during the Spring Festival...
Lin Jinran tentatively decided to go back on the fourth day of the first lunar month.
"I'm relieved that you're not alone in Wannan City. I was thinking that if you were alone here, I'd go there and come back quickly, then come to accompany you. Otherwise, you'd be so lonely."
Su Qinian said casually. The fine strands of hair on his forehead fell on his browbones. His extremely beautiful phoenix - eyes were slightly upturned, with a faint blush at the corners of his eyes.
He said it so casually, as if it was just a trivial matter.
Little did he know that these words had landed in Lin Jinran's heart, sweet as honey.
Lin Jinran pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes curving. She was so happy that she was also amazed at her own weight in his heart.
Gradually, she couldn't contain her smile anymore. It spread from the corner of her mouth to the tips of her eyebrows and overflowed.
Su Qinian quietly watched her little smiling movements. He hooked the corner of his lips and let out a soft laugh, his smile unfathomable.
After Lin Jinran packed up her things, most of the people in the classroom had left. She slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, picked up the books on the desk, and stood up. She walked out of the classroom with Su Qinian.
"My family is here to pick me up, so I won't be able to walk you home later." As they were approaching the school gate, Su Qinian explained.
Lin Jinran glanced at the five or six review materials for the first - round review in his hands and chuckled, "Why do you still want to walk me home? You'll have a hard time getting back yourself."
As she laughed, she looked towards the school gate and saw Su Qinian's mother waiting there. "Your mom is waiting for you at the gate. Hurry up."
Su Qinian followed her gaze. Sure enough, his mother, like many other parents, was standing at the gate waiting for her child.
"Then I'll go first. Bye, Lin Jinran."
Lin Jinran lazily said goodbye. She watched as he reunited with his mother. She saw his mother take the books from his hands and pat his head.
She didn't know what they were talking about. Both his mother and Su Qinian were smiling. They slowly walked towards the roadside and gradually disappeared from Lin Jinran's sight.
Lin Jinran first went back to the rental house to put away the books. A message popped up on her phone, saying that a courier had arrived and was already at the door.
She carefully checked the surveillance camera. After making sure that there was no one around and only a courier box, she opened the door and took the courier in.
She tore off all the outer packaging of the courier, revealing a basketball.
This was a gift she planned to give to Su Qinian.
Su Qinian liked playing basketball, and she had once heard him and Lu Youchuan talking about a basketball that he thought was good.
She had looked for several days and finally chose one within her financial means.
All her current money came from Lin Cheng, so she couldn't give Su Qinian the best one.
Maybe later, she would make it up to him.
Lin Jinran sighed and put the basketball away.
Suddenly, a phone call came in. She looked down and saw that it was from Lin Cheng.
She immediately frowned, her eyes cold, and clicked to answer.
A voice came from the other end.
"Lin Jinran, the Spring Festival is coming. When are you coming home for the holiday?" Lin Cheng asked in a deep voice.
"Probably on the fourth day of the first lunar month." Lin Jinran absent - mindedly traced circles on the sofa with her finger as she replied.
"Aren't you coming back for Chinese New Year's Eve?" Lin Cheng's tone suddenly turned cold, and he questioned her sharply.
Lin Jinran chuckled. She could imagine Lin Cheng on the other side of the phone screen, with a straight face and suppressing his anger as he questioned her.
"I'm not coming back. I still have a lot of homework to do. I'm going to take the college entrance examination next semester, so I should focus on my studies. I'll come back on the fourth day, go back to Wannan City on the sixth day, and need to go back to school for evening self - study on the evening of the seventh day."
"Have you grown bold after going to Wannan City, Lin Jinran? Do you want the whole family to reunite only on the fourth day? Do you still recognize me as your father!"
Lin Cheng, sitting in his study, was so angry that he slammed the table hard, making the pens on the bookshelf shake.
"Of course I recognize you. You're my biological father after all." Lin Jinran laughed uncontrollably, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. It was cold and devoid of any warmth.
"Dad, sister is busy with her studies and very tired. It's okay if she doesn't have time to come home. You still have me, don't you?" A clear voice came through. "Sister, you can focus on your studies with peace of mind. Our whole family is waiting for you to get the admission notice from Peking University or Tsinghua University."
Lin Jinran squinted her eyes, her gaze as sharp as a knife, wishing to pierce through the phone screen at that person.
It was Lin Tingnian, her half - sister.
Lin Tingnian was now only a sophomore in high school, one grade lower than her.
"Instead of worrying about whether I can get the admission notice from Peking University or Tsinghua University, you'd better think about your own grades and how you're going to get into a good university in the future." Lin Jinran pulled at the corners of her stiff mouth, looking extremely cold.
"Sister, how can you not believe in me? I'm definitely going to get into a good university. Dad has already found a connection for me, and I'll transfer to No. 1 Middle School in Wannan City next semester. Unlike you, sister, who got into No. 1 Middle School in Wannan City through your own hard work with such good grades."