Lin Jinran was stunned, then shocked,
And then she jumped up!
She leaped out of bed and quickly replied to Su Qinian, "Okay, I just woke up. Wait for me a moment. Bye!"
Lin Jinran hung up the phone directly and rushed to wash up and change her clothes.
On the other end of the phone, Su Qinian, who wanted to tell her not to be in a hurry, looked at the disconnected call and shook his head helplessly, a mixture of helplessness and amusement on his face.
It's not like he was going to run away. Why was she in such a rush?
What if she tripped and fell?
After thinking for a while, he sent her a voice message: [Ranran, take your time. I'm still on my way. It'll take me a while. I'll wait for you at the entrance of your community.]
Lin Jinran saw this voice message after she finished washing up. She clicked to play it, and the slightly hoarse voice of the boy with a hint of a smile came from the phone, as tender and lingering as if he were coaxing his girlfriend to sleep.
Lin Jinran's face flushed again embarrassedly.
Wasn't this just like a date?
It was!
Ten minutes had passed. Lin Jinran picked out a light down jacket. Just as she was ready to go out, Su Qinian arrived at the entrance of the community.
She trotted over to Su Qinian and poked his arm, accusing him, "Aren't you busy with something in Wannan City? How do you have time to come and see me?"
"I've finished my work, so I came to see you," Su Qinian replied with a soft smile. His pleasant laughter came from his slightly heaving chest and drifted into Lin Jinran's ears on the wind.
"I've got the whole afternoon to spend with you today," he added.
It sounded as if Su Qinian had come here specifically to accompany her.
Lin Jinran stared at Su Qinian suspiciously and asked, "Tell me the truth. Did you come here just for me? Your excuse is really lame. I've used it before."
He'd been found out.
Su Qinian hadn't intended to hide it from Lin Jinran anyway. He nodded, giving her an answer.
Lin Jinran's eyes widened again. Her glass-like eyes were as clear as the purest winter sky.
She wanted to say something, but Su Qinian didn't give her the chance. He simply pulled her into the car and headed for a restaurant.
Lin Jinran sat in the car and turned to look at Su Qinian. She pursed her lips and smiled, her happiness shining through.
They went to a restaurant and had a meal together.
After the meal, Su Qinian suggested they go play with fireworks, and Lin Jinran readily agreed.
But it was still early, and it would be hard to see much with the fireworks. So Su Qinian took her to an amusement park.
It was Chinese New Year, and the amusement park was crowded with people.
Su Qinian bought a fast pass, so they didn't have to wait in a long queue.
When they were playing a high-altitude ride, Su Qinian gently covered Lin Jinran's eyes and said softly, "You're scared of this, aren't you? This way you don't have to look. If you don't look, you won't think about it."
Lin Jinran was touched. She didn't expect Su Qinian to remember that she was scared of high-altitude rides.
Later, as the sky gradually darkened, they went to a square. There were many people selling fireworks there, and lots of kids were playing with them, having a great time.
The two of them played with fireworks for a long time, trying every type. They were very happy.
They laughed, cheered, and played around without a care in the gentle evening breeze.
In the dark night, a bright moon hung high in the sky, quietly watching over them.
When Lin Jinran woke up the next day, it was the fourth day of the lunar new year.
She knew it was time for her to return to the imperial capital.
She waved goodbye to Su Qinian at the train station and then set off on her journey back.
It took eight hours by high-speed train to get from the south to the north.
When Lin Jinran got off the train, it was evening.
The biting cold wind whipped her face painfully. It wasn't as gentle as the southern wind.
She lowered her head and sent a message to Lin Cheng: [I just got off the train. I'm going home now.]
Lin Cheng replied: [Okay. Uncle Xiao heard you were coming back early this morning and has been waiting for you near the train station. Aunt Yang has also prepared dinner and is waiting for you to come back.]
Lin Jinran put away her phone and called Uncle Xiao.
Once she left Wannan City, those happy and wonderful memories gradually faded away.
The imperial capital was a place that many people dreamed of, but for Lin Jinran, it was not only familiar but also full of pain.
Uncle Xiao picked her up and drove towards the Lin family's mansion.
In the car, she sent messages to Xu Jiaxin and Shen Tingsi, telling them she was back and they could hang out in the evening if they were free.
Uncle Xiao was driving in the front. He saw Lin Jinran through the rearview mirror and let out a soft sigh. "Jinran, I haven't seen you for half a year, and you seem to have lost a lot of weight. Is it because you're not used to the climate there?"
Lin Jinran put away her phone and gave a faint smile. "I'm quite used to it. Everything's fine."
Uncle Xiao had been working for the Lin family for a long time. He had been the Lin family's driver since she was a child. One could say that he had watched her grow up.
But he was just a driver with no say in the family. Usually, he could only take care of her secretly.
He had his own wife and children, so he didn't dare to offend her stepmother, Yang Jinzhi, and lose his well-paying job.
"Is my dad... okay?" Lin Jinran looked down at her hands. Her eyes flickered, and she asked softly.
"He's the same as before. He's always busy with the company's business and almost always grants the requests of his wife and the second daughter," Uncle Xiao said as gently as he could, not wanting to upset her.
He had witnessed that pool of blood all those years ago.
He felt especially sorry for Lin Jinran, who had to go through so much at such a young age.
It was so pitiful.
Half an hour later, Lin Jinran arrived at the Lin family's mansion. She opened the car door, took out her suitcase, and walked out slowly.
Standing on this familiar yet strange land, she had mixed feelings.
All the fear, panic, and horror rushed into her mind.
Lin Jinran turned her head slightly.
The ground that had been soaked in fresh blood had been taken care of by the new mistress. Rose bushes had taken root there, but it was winter now, and their stems and leaves were covered with a thin layer of ice.
She wondered if they would take root and bloom again next year.
Lin Jinran took a deep breath and walked to the door. She knocked on it, and Lin Tingnian opened the door.
She popped her head out and gave a charming smile. "Oh, it's big sister coming back. Big sister, come in quickly. It's cold outside."
Lin Jinran kept a cold face and walked in without saying a word.
The layout of the house was the same as when she left.
Yang Jinzhi also came over warmly. "Jinran's back. Your dad is upstairs. He'll come down for dinner later. Come, let's sit at the table and wait for him."
Lin Jinran lowered her eyes and forced a stiff smile. "I'll go to my room to put away my luggage first."
"Big sister, you must be tired after your long journey. Let me carry it up for you," Lin Tingnian said, her eyes twinkling. She smiled and walked up, reaching out for Lin Jinran's luggage.
Lin Jinran didn't want her to touch her luggage. She frowned. "No, I can do it myself."
"It's okay. It's just a suitcase. Let me help you. Big sister, don't be so polite," Lin Tingnian said as if she was determined to compete with Lin Jinran for the suitcase.
"Ah!"
With a scream, Lin Tingnian fell to the ground.