Chapter 35

In the evening, when Ji Ran took the bus home, she wasn’t the only student from No. 4 Middle School on the bus; there were two other girls beside her.

Shortly after she sat down, she heard one of the girls tap on the window in surprise, pointing outside, “Look, look, is that Shen Zhi’s motorcycle?”

Her short-haired friend turned to look and said, “It seems like it. Wow, his motorcycle is really cool. I heard from our classmates that it cost several hundred thousand.”

“His family is really wealthy to have bought him such an expensive motorcycle in high school.”

“Exactly. Do you even know his surname? Hengchi Group, you know.”

“I heard his dad is not the only heir to the Shen family; he has uncles and cousins, too.”

“Rich families may have many siblings, but they’re still rich.”

The girls chattered all the way until the next traffic light. Suddenly, the short-haired girl said, “Is Shen Zhi’s motorcycle following our bus?”

“No way, probably just heading in the same direction.”

“True, who would randomly follow a bus in the late evening? Not like they’re idiots.”

Ji Ran immediately put the hat on her head and sat quietly in her seat without saying a word.

Twenty minutes later, the bus arrived near Ji Ran’s home.

After getting off the bus, instead of heading straight to her residential area, Ji Ran turned and walked towards the Family Mart convenience store on the roadside. Inside the brightly lit store, a female clerk was helping the only customer choose Oden.

After entering, no one else came in behind Ji Ran.

So, standing in front of the bento refrigerator, Ji Ran took out her phone and made a call. Almost instantly, the call was answered on the other end, and she asked softly, “Are you hungry?”

At the street corner, Shen Zhi, who was parked on his motorcycle, felt the cold wind blowing on him. Although it wasn’t too cold in the early winter, riding a motorcycle was genuinely chilly.

His whole body was freezing.

But this call was as warm as hot coals in his hands, along with the soft voice of the girl in his ear.

Shen Zhi murmured, “Yeah, I’m hungry.”

Ji Ran still stood in front of the bento shelf, hesitating. In fact, she had noticed Shen Zhi riding his motorcycle home with her these past few days.

She pretended not to know, thinking that by pretending, she could completely ignore it.

But just now, when she got off the bus and saw his motorcycle parked in the distance, she felt a bit uncomfortable.

School was already late when she got home. Even though Ji Qingli wouldn’t inquire, the family’s maid, Aunt Zhao, would always ask an extra question.

What about him?

Following her home every day, wouldn’t his family ask?

In a short while, the glass door of the Family Mart opened again, and Shen Zhi slowly walked in, stopping next to Ji Ran.

He had never had this kind of bento in a convenience store before.

Ji Ran turned to look at him and asked, “Do you want to try?”

Shen Zhi was a bit stunned; he didn’t expect her to ask. After a while, he whispered, “Are you buying it for me?”

Ji Ran nodded.

Shen Zhi looked at her straight in the eyes, somewhat convinced, but a smile appeared in the depths of his eyes. Seeing his expression, Ji Ran also suddenly smiled.

Fool, it’s just a boxed meal. Why are you so happy?

Shen Zhi said, “Help me choose one.”

Hearing this, Ji Ran obediently picked one for him. Afterward, she also grabbed a bottle of peach yogurt. When they reached the cashier, she handed it to the cashier, while Shen Zhi had already taken out his wallet.

Ji Ran immediately took out her wallet from her backpack and whispered, “I’ll pay.”

Shen Zhi’s fingers holding the wallet paused for a moment, as if he had thought of something, then he let go.

After Ji Ran paid the bill, she turned to Shen Zhi and said, “I have to go home. Finish your meal and head home early too.”

Shen Zhi frowned, as if wanting to say something, but hesitated.

It wasn’t until he turned to look at the oden next to the cashier that he immediately pointed and said, “Please give me all of these.”

There was still a considerable amount of oden left in the pot. The cashier was surprised. “All of them?”

Shen Zhi nodded.

So, the cashier prepared the oden for him. When the cup was handed over, Shen Zhi immediately took it and handed it to Ji Ran, his voice low. “You treated me to a meal, and I’ll treat you to oden.”

Looking at the full cup of oden in front of her, apparently forcefully squeezed in by the clerk, Ji Ran opened her mouth, about to refuse.

Shen Zhi lowered his eyes, and in a calm and slow voice, he said, “Ji Ran, I don’t want to eat alone.”

With just this sentence, it struck a chord in Ji Ran’s heart.

Because of the way he looked, he resembled a homeless stray cat, appearing so pitiful.

Finally, Ji Ran took the cup of oden and obediently followed him to the convenience store’s chairs by the street. The narrow table along the glass was quite long, and the two of them sat down.

When Shen Zhi’s bento was opened, a burst of steam rose.

He chuckled. “You chose it for me; it must be delicious.”

Ji Ran had just taken a bite of a squid ball on a skewer when Shen Zhi looked at her and said, “The one I bought for you, is it delicious too?”

She blinked her big, dark eyes, and the bright pupils seemed to be filled with starlight. The starlight spread when she blinked, casting a gentle glow on his heart.

Suddenly, Shen Zhi felt envious of superpowers in movies.

If he had one, he would choose the ability to freeze time, to make this moment last forever.

Even if he sat here watching her for a lifetime, he wouldn’t get tired of it.

Unfortunately, time always passes so quickly. When Shen Zhi finished his meal, Ji Ran looked at the cup still filled with half of the oden and whispered, “Shen Zhi, I can’t finish this.”

“Give it to me.” Shen Zhi reached out.

Ji Ran, frightened, quickly said, “Or we can throw it away.”

Although the oden was served skewer by skewer, if he ate what she left, it would be too ambiguous. She would rather throw it away.

Unexpectedly, Shen Zhi didn’t mind. He directly took it from her hands and even admonished her, “Ji Ran, do you know how many children in the mountainous areas can’t afford a meal right now? You’re wasting too much.”

Ji Ran didn’t want to talk to him any longer. She quickly grabbed her backpack and threw out a sentence: “I’m going home first.”

When she walked out of the store and crossed the road, she couldn’t help but glance back.

Then she saw Shen Zhi standing at the store’s entrance, and in the instant she turned back, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

This was the first time she looked back at him.

When Ji Ran returned home, Aunt Zhao, who had been waiting anxiously, finally sighed in relief and whispered, “Miss, why are you so late today?”

“I went to the convenience store to buy something.” Ji Ran replied.

Aunt Zhao quickly said, “If you get hungry at night, come home. Aunt Zhao will cook for you. Eating outside is not hygienic.”

Ji Ran quickly nodded, said a few words, and went upstairs to her room.

In the middle of the night, she didn’t know when it started raining again. The sound of raindrops tapping on the windowsill echoed. Ji Ran was half asleep, and it seemed like it was gradually becoming dawn.

It wasn’t until her phone, placed on the desk, suddenly vibrated.

Was it the alarm clock?

Today is the day she participates in the Sudoku competition. She set the alarm for 7 AM because the competition starts at 9:30 AM in the city’s gymnasium. Due to the large number of participants, spectators are allowed.

When she reached for her phone, she discovered it was a call from Xia Jiangming.

At this moment, it was not even 6 AM.

She immediately answered the call, and Xia Jiangming sounded extremely anxious. “Ji Ran, it’s me, Xia Jiangming.”

“What’s wrong?” Ji Ran sensed something was amiss.

Xia Jiangming: “Last night around ten o’clock, were you with Zhi-Ge?”

Ji Ran thought for a moment: Around ten o’clock? Wasn’t that the time they were having a convenience store dinner together? Because school ended a little after nine, it took her about half an hour to get home.

She immediately said, “Yes, we were together. What happened?”

“Oh my god, that’s great. That’s great.” Xia Jiangming finally breathed a sigh of relief. He continued, “The police came to Zhi-Ge’s house just now and took him away. Tang Zhenpeng, that idiot, was attacked on his way home after the night of self-study. So, the police came to Zhi-Ge’s house to inquire about his whereabouts last night. Since he didn’t disclose who he was with, the police suspected him and took him to the police station.”

Ji Ran immediately sat up from her bed and said, “I’m coming right away.”

She quickly changed clothes and went downstairs.

Since it was still early, no one in Ji’s family had gotten up. So, Ji Ran sneaked out without anyone noticing.

Xia Jiangming told her which police station took Shen Zhi away, so she took a taxi directly there. When she arrived, Xia Jiangming hadn’t shown up yet.

So, Ji Ran went in directly and asked the on-duty policeman, “Uncle, can I ask if you brought back a student named Shen Zhi?”

“Who are you?” the policeman asked curiously.

Ji Ran immediately said, “I am his alibi witness. I can testify that he was with me last night around ten o’clock. He had neither the time nor the motive to harm anyone.”

Upon hearing this, the policeman stood up immediately. He said, “Please wait a moment.”

In a short while, two more policemen came out, and they brought Ji Ran in for a brief interrogation. They also confirmed the address of the convenience store and expressed their intention to retrieve the surveillance footage.

When she came out, Xia Jiangming arrived shortly after.

He quickly asked, “Ji Ran, is Zhi-Ge okay?”

“It’s okay. I’ve explained everything, and he should be fine.” Ji Ran nodded.

Soon, Shen Zhi walked out behind the police. The policeman helplessly said, “Since you have an alibi witness, why didn’t you explain it clearly earlier? Instead, you insisted on us bringing you to the police station. You kids, do you really think there’s enough manpower for you to waste?”

Shen Zhi pursed his lips, remaining silent.

However, the police did not let them leave immediately. They needed a guardian to take the person away. Hearing this, Shen Zhi, who had maintained an expressionless face, finally showed a ripple of emotion. He pursed his lips with a disgusted tone and said, “I don’t have a guardian.”

“Let me tell you, no matter how bad your relationship is with your parents, they are still your guardians. You are not yet of legal age.” The police were about to give a lecture, but a well-dressed man walked in from outside.

The man entered the room and, upon seeing Shen Zhi, nodded slightly. “Young Master, are you okay?”

The term “young master” made the atmosphere a bit awkward for those around.

Fortunately, the procedures were simple, and they quickly left. The lawyer from the Shen family walked behind them, with Shen Zhi leading the way and kicking Xia Jiangming in the butt as they exited.

He said, “Didn’t I tell you not to say anything to anyone? Are you about to tell the whole world now?”

“Zhi-Ge, I was just worried about you.” Xia Jiangming sobbed.

Ji Ran quickly stepped forward to intercept, and Xia Jiangming took advantage of the opportunity to run away. Shen Zhi watched his retreating figure, grinding his teeth slightly.

Ji Ran, standing on the side, was also a bit angry. She asked in a low voice, “Shen Zhi, you could have told the police that we were together last night. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m not worried about things I haven’t done.” Shen Zhi looked at her with a furrowed brow.

Looking at her, he suddenly sighed and asked, “Did you get enough sleep?”

Ji Ran was startled. Why would he care about whether she had enough sleep at this time?

“You have a competition today.” Shen Zhi sighed softly.

The reason he didn’t tell the police that he had an alibi witness was to avoid them calling Ji Ran early in the morning and disturbing her rest. After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong, and the police could easily verify his innocence by checking the convenience store’s surveillance footage. It just took a little effort.

So, he preferred to go to the police station with them rather than disturb Ji Ran with a phone call. He just wanted her to focus on the competition without any distractions.

And win.

His little girl was destined to shine.

Ji Ran was anxious, not expecting that he would prioritize her competition over his own situation. She angrily said, “Are you stupid? Do you know how worried everyone is?”

In the early morning, fine drizzles still hung in the air.

Shen Zhi quietly watched her from a close distance, his lips pursed lightly. After a while, he suddenly said, “Ji Ran.”

Ji Ran looked up, and the young man in front of her was now so close that his hands quickly grasped her shoulders. His fingers squeezed with force, and even through the thick clothes, she could still feel it.

Suddenly, he lowered his head and kissed her soft lips.

Ji Ran hadn’t reacted yet, only feeling the warm and soft touch on her lips. It was like an electric shock, gently flowing through her lips into her body.

In an instant, her cheeks blushed as if dyed red, all the way to the roots of her ears.

However, the young man in front of her didn’t intend to let her go. He pressed against her ear and said, “Ji Ran, do you like me now?”