Chapter 36-Part 1

The warm and moist sensation on the lips seemed to linger, yet the ears were filled with his voice, carrying warmth. The early morning streets were silent and deserted, with only the gentle cold wind of early winter brushing by, unable to extinguish the burning warmth on the face.

Ji Ran wanted to step back, but her shoulder was gently held by Shen Zhi.

So she stood still.

Shen Zhi lowered his eyes to look at her, as if wanting to know the answer. When she expressed her concern just now, it ignited an indescribable sweetness in the depths of his heart.

“Ranran.” He suddenly called her in a low voice, his voice a bit hoarse.

This was the first time he called her like this; previously, he had always heard Wen Qianxia call her that, which sounded pleasant.

Ji Ran, being called like this, seemed to wake up completely.

She finally pushed away the young man in front of her and said with a bit of urgency and anger, “What are you doing?”

Ji Ran angrily touched her lips. Yes, she was someone who had a second chance at life, but that didn’t mean this wasn’t her first kiss.

Even Ji Ran herself didn’t want to mention this, but in her previous life, not only did she not have a boyfriend, but she hadn’t even had her first kiss.

So, considering two lifetimes, Shen Zhi was the first boy to kiss her.

Therefore, her anger was particularly evident.

Shen Zhi remained silent, staring at her for a long time. Suddenly, he whispered, “So, this is your first kiss.”

Ji Ran was almost driven crazy by him; he actually dared to ask.

In her anger, she lifted her foot and kicked Shen Zhi’s shin. The Martin boots the girl was wearing had a hard texture and were quite powerful. With one kick, Shen Zhi’s leg bone throbbed in pain.

He couldn’t help but let out a curse, cursing himself.

Ji Ran turned around and walked away. She shouldn’t have worried, and she shouldn’t have been so kind. She should have let him stay in the police station for a few more hours. Anyway, once the police found the surveillance footage from the convenience store, he would come out.

What was she in such a hurry for?

The young girl was wearing a white down jacket with a fluffy ball attached to the back of the hat, looking especially cute. As she walked quickly, the little ball bounced in the air.

When Shen Zhi caught up, he reached out and grabbed the small furry ball on her hat.

Ji Ran, pulled by him, stopped with a slight backward tilt. As a result, her back bumped into the chest of the person behind her.

It wasn’t a particularly strong collision, just a muffled sound.

Shen Zhi whispered, “You hit someone; why are you running away?”

Ji Ran’s clear and transparent eyes were filled with intense anger. A bit annoyed, she said, “I’m not running; I just don’t want to deal with you.”

Shen Zhi was amused by her appearance.

It wasn’t until he hoarsely said, “It’s also my first time.”

Ji Ran was stunned.

When she realized what he meant by “first time,” the burning heat on her cheeks surged again, and the blush gradually extended to the roots of her ears.

His first kiss—what did it have to do with her?

Ji Ran was genuinely annoyed. She turned to leave, but Shen Zhi was already prepared. He softly said, “You probably won’t be able to sleep if you go back now. How about I take you for breakfast?”

Jiran ignored him.

So Shen Zhi grabbed her wrist and whispered, “Be good; listen to me.”

Ji Ran was thoroughly amused by his shameless behavior. However, coincidentally, a taxi displaying “available” happened to come by the roadside. He waved, and the taxi pulled over.

Shen Zhi directly pulled her into the car.

Helpless and not wanting to engage in a public struggle with him, Ji Ran could only obediently get into the car.

Shen Zhi provided an address, and the driver nodded, heading straight to their destination.

Throughout the journey, neither of them spoke.

Upon arrival, Ji Ran found it to be quite an ordinary street with various snack shops on both sides. The colorful storefront signs gave the street a lively atmosphere.

After getting off the car, Shen Zhi led Ji Ran to a small eatery called Chen Ji Snacks.

The entrance led directly to the kitchen of the small shop, a small space separated by glass. On the round, neatly arranged pot inside, there was a full pot of dumplings with a golden, crispy appearance.

The aroma from inside could be smelled through the glass enclosure.

Ji Ran, hungry for real, couldn’t deny it.

Early in the morning, she had gone to the police station, knowing there wasn’t a big deal but still feeling anxious. Now that she had relaxed a bit, she felt a bit hungry.

Unexpectedly, as she licked her lips, her stomach suddenly growled.

It was the kind of loud growl that Shen Zhi, who was standing next to her, could easily hear.

She immediately turned her head to look at Shen Zhi, who had an indifferent expression. Through gritted teeth, she said, “You’re not allowed to smirk.”

Originally, Shen Zhi hadn’t thought of laughing. After all, he still had to give some face to his little girl. But who knew that when she said that, Shen Zhi couldn’t hold back.

He suddenly couldn’t help but laugh and said to the owner, “Trouble you to give us five servings of potstickers and two servings of small wontons.”

The potstickers here were quite substantial. When the owner brought the ordered potstickers to the table, Ji Ran looked a bit stunned. It wasn’t until she softly said, “Is this too much?” that she snapped out of it.

“It’s okay; eat as much as you want. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Shen Zhi separated the disposable chopsticks in front of him and handed them to her.

Ji Ran hesitated for a few seconds. Every time, she felt that things were developing in an unusual way. Clearly, she had been angry with him for stealing a kiss before, but now she was sitting across from him, preparing to have breakfast.

Ji Ran looked up at him. Did she dislike it?

It seemed not so much.

Just as the owner brought two servings of small wontons, Shen Zhi placed the spoon in her bowl, looked up at her, and asked softly, “Try it.”

His deep and pleasant voice was like being enchanted. Ji Ran obediently picked up the spoon and scooped a spoonful of wontons into her mouth.

The taste was extremely delicious.

After taking another sip of soup, she said softly, “It’s very tasty.”

Shen Zhi smiled. He lowered his head to eat, but after a long while, he suddenly said, “This is the first time I’ve brought someone here.”

Ji Ran’s heart trembled slightly, and she couldn’t say anything.

After the two finished eating and were preparing to leave, Ji Ran suddenly remembered to ask, “What’s the matter with Tang Zhenpeng?”

Shen Zhi shook his head.

In fact, he didn’t know either. He only knew that the police came to his house early in the morning, asking him to cooperate with the investigation. Tang Zhenpeng was attacked when he returned home last night, and his injuries were reportedly quite serious. He was currently unconscious in the hospital.

Ji Ran asked in surprise, “Apart from you, does anyone else know about what he did?”

This Tang Zhenpeng was a student, and in the eyes of teachers and parents, he was a good student. Except for the things he did being discovered and seeking revenge, Ji Ran couldn’t think of any other reason for him to be attacked.

Shen Zhi’s voice was deep and slow as he said, “Those who often walk by the river are bound to run into trouble. Maybe, besides Xia Qing, he also targeted others.”

Ji Ran nodded. Yes, Tang Zhenpeng’s mentality was definitely not normal.

To be honest, with his looks and grades, it would have been possible to entice the younger girls who liked him to do something. However, he insisted on using force. Perhaps deep down, he liked the feeling of coercion.

But such actions were illegal.

Maybe he really targeted someone else, but the other person chose not to report to the police and instead sought direct retaliation.

Shen Zhi reached out and gently touched her head, whispering, “Stop thinking about it. The police will handle his case. Focus on today’s match.”

Speaking of the match, Ji Ran finally remembered.

It was now past 8 o’clock, with a little over an hour left before the competition. So, Shen Zhi hailed a cab again and took her to the competition venue, the sports stadium in the city center.

When they arrived, many parents were already accompanying their children at the entrance to the competition.

Today’s event was a high school-level competition, and some teams were directly led by teachers. For Ji Ran’s school, Teacher Xu was in charge, and when Ji Ran reached the gymnasium, she needed to find Teacher Xu and the team.

As she left, she glanced at Shen Zhi and softly said, “If you find the competition boring, you can leave first.”

“No, I’ll wait for you to win the championship.” Shen Zhi smiled lightly at her.

Ji Ran smiled back, her clear and attractive eyes exuding purity and charm. She waved goodbye to Shen Zhi and turned away.

By the time the competition started, the organizers had already informed the audience in advance that, due to the quiet competition environment required for the players, everyone in the stands must remain silent.

The competition took place on a badminton court, with rows of chairs neatly arranged in the middle.

The players were already seated, and the audience, including not only the students’ parents but also many Sudoku enthusiasts from the city, sat in the surrounding stands.

Once the competition began, the stands were very quiet.

Shen Zhi’s eyes remained focused on the girl in the field. She stood out among the competing players in her white down jacket. Today, because it wasn’t school hours, her long hair hung smoothly down her shoulders.

As she slightly lowered her head, her hair slid down her shoulder. Then she reached out and gently lifted the black hair, tucking it behind her ear.

The girl’s movements were natural and casual, but they appeared adorable in Shen Zhi’s heart.