After they got back to class, the class life committee rep came to find Lin Ran about the duty-group assignments for this semester. Last semester, Lin Ran had been in the same group as Su Shijie, but this time he really didn't want to be paired with him. Whenever they cleaned, Su Shijie just played around with the broom, and Lin Ran ended up doing all the work himself.

But if he didn't team up with Su Shijie, Lin Ran had no idea who else to pair up with. He'd just have to put up with it.

Each big group had four people, split into pairs. For each cleaning shift, one pair handled the classroom and the other took care of the school's assigned cleaning area. And somehow, the two girls in their big group this semester were the same ones as before...

So Lin Ran went straight to the class life committee rep and asked for the two girls to be assigned to another group. Either his group could just be him and Su Shijie, or they could send over two other boys instead.

The class life committee rep looked troubled. The groups had already been decided, and everyone had agreed to them. They couldn't change things now.

Lin Ran was so stubborn about it that even the class life committee rep was getting a little angry. In the end, Su Shijie had to pull Lin Ran back. Otherwise, they would've ended up in a full-blown argument.

“Are you trying to start something? We're in the same group. What do those girls have to do with us?” Su Shijie said helplessly.

“Just wait. You'll see, you pain in the ass,” Lin Ran said with a look of disdain.

The two girls in the same big group as Lin Ran and Su Shijie were pretty happy about it. First off, Su Shijie was Class B's resident heartthrob: handsome, loaded, and gentle. And now that Lin Ran had slimmed down, he was pretty handsome too. Of course they were happy to be grouped with two good-looking guys. What they didn't know was that Lin Ran was thoroughly annoyed and didn't want to be in a group with them at all.

There wasn't much Su Shijie could do about Lin Ran's stubborn temper.

After lunch break came afternoon classes. Once those were over, they had dinner, followed by evening self-study.

Naturally, Lin Ran had dinner with Lin Ruixue and Si Qing. But after they finished eating, Lin Ruixue seemed to want to say something to him. She hesitated for ages without getting a word out. Si Qing, sitting beside her, was completely exasperated and had no intention of helping her.

Lin Ran didn't ask either.

It wasn't until evening self-study was almost over that Lin Ran received a text from Lin Ruixue.

【Brother Lin Ran, could you wait for me after evening self-study? Si Qing had to take leave because something came up at home. I'm scared to go back by myself.】

Lin Ran glanced at it and frowned. What was there to be scared of when going home alone? So dramatic.

If some other guy had gotten that text from a cute younger girl, he probably would've been over the moon. But Lin Ruixue had ended up with Lin Ran for a big brother. Not only wasn't he happy, he even thought she was being dramatic.

As soon as evening self-study ended, Su Shijie took off, afraid he'd run into Bao Xinrou. Lin Ran packed up his things and headed to Teaching Building No. 3. He wasn't going to pick up Lin Ruixue. His somewhat twisted curiosity had kicked in, and he wanted to see what she was making such a fuss about.

After finishing her cleaning duty, Lin Ruixue immediately grabbed her schoolbag and left the classroom. Outside the teaching building, a boy named Zhao Xingwen tried to talk to her. But Lin Ruixue ran off before he could get a word in, leaving Zhao Xingwen scratching his head in frustration.

Lin Ruixue went to wait for Lin Ran in front of Teaching Building No. 2. But as time passed and he still didn't show up, she grew more and more flustered. She took out her phone and texted him.

【Brother Lin Ran, have you come out yet?】

Lin Ran took out his phone and replied: 【Something came up, so I left first. Hurry home.】

【Okay. Sorry to bother you.】

Lin Ruixue seemed a little down. After putting her phone away, she stood there for a while, then finally set off toward the school gate as if gathering up her courage.

Lin Ran still couldn't understand what Lin Ruixue was so afraid of. This was a school. There were no delinquents or bad people around. What was she scared of?

The short walk from the teaching building to the school gate was like heading into battle for Lin Ruixue. She kept glancing around and quickened her pace.

At last, she made it to the school gate. But now she had to face the walk home. Lin Ruixue hesitated there for ages, taking out her phone several times before putting it away again. Watching her hesitate made Lin Ran feel strange. For some reason, he was getting a little annoyed.

Then Zhao Xingwen showed up again. He spoke to Lin Ruixue in a friendly way, but she was clearly scared. She shook her head and waved him off, then hurried forward in a daze. Zhao Xingwen gave a wry smile, but still followed behind her.

On the way home, Lin Ruixue kept her head down and walked straight into a telephone pole twice. Zhao Xingwen rushed over to help her each time, but Lin Ruixue was so frightened that she slapped his hand away and ran off. Dazed and running blindly, she ended up going the wrong way.

In the end, Zhao Xingwen lost track of Lin Ruixue, and Lin Ran lost track of her too. A trace of panic stirred in Lin Ran, but even after searching all over, he still couldn't find her. Now he was getting worried. He shouldn't have been such an idiot in the first place. Why did he have to act like such a jerk?

Fortunately, Lin Ruixue soon appeared in Lin Ran's line of sight again. This time, another girl was with her. She had dyed and permed yellow hair tied up in a high ponytail, and a lollipop in her mouth. Hmm, wasn't that Bao Xinrou? So Lin Ruixue had run into Bao Xinrou.

Lin Ran wasn't far from them, but he was standing in the darkness of a side path, so the two girls didn't see him. He could still hear them talking, though.

“Are you sure you don't want to come to my place and get that bandaged? Look, your knee's bleeding. I'm really not a bad person,” Bao Xinrou said helplessly.

Lin Ruixue shook her head.

Lin Ran saw that Lin Ruixue's left knee was scraped up.

“Fine. You're so stubborn, I won't push it. I'll walk you home. Just remember to bandage it yourself. Your brother's way too carefree, leaving you to go home alone like that. If he were standing in front of me right now, I'd beat him up!” Bao Xinrou said, waving her fists around with the lollipop between her teeth.

Lin Ran pressed his lips together. Suddenly, he didn't dare step out.

“Thank you, Senior Bao!” Lin Ruixue bowed.

“No problem. It's only right. Oh, let's add each other on WeChat. If anything happens, contact me. If anyone bullies you, tell me right away. Your senior will beat them flat!” Bao Xinrou said with a grin.

“Mm!” Lin Ruixue nodded gratefully.

After that, Bao Xinrou walked Lin Ruixue home. With another girl beside her, Lin Ruixue didn't feel so weighed down. And since Bao Xinrou was pretty good at making people laugh, Lin Ruixue's mood improved quite a bit.

When Lin Ran got back to the residential compound, his dad called to check up on him. He asked how the first day of school had gone. Evening self-study should be over by now, and Lin Ran and Lin Ruixue should've made it home already, right?

Lin Ran didn't know what to say to his dad.

When Lin Ran fell silent, his dad guessed what had happened.

“Don't tell me you left Xiaoxue alone at school,” his dad said, his voice turning stern.

“I...” Lin Ran parted his lips.

“All right. I won't give you a hard time. Since you dislike Xiaoxue so much, when Wenjun and I come back in a couple of months, we'll take her with us. If you don't want to look after her, then her mom and I are willing to.” His dad didn't scold him or say anything harsh. He just said it calmly.

After hanging up, Lin Ran stood there stunned for a long time. He really was... a damnable person. He'd made up his mind twice already, so why was he still acting like such a jerk?

When Lin Ran got home, Lin Ruixue was in the bathroom cleaning the wound on her knee. He put his schoolbag back in his bedroom, then went straight to the bathroom door.

“You fell?” Lin Ran asked.

“...Mm.” Lin Ruixue answered softly, deliberately shielding her knee.

“From now on, if you get out of evening self-study before me, come straight to find me. If I get out first, I'll wait downstairs from your building. If nothing holds me up, wait in your classroom and I'll come get you,” Lin Ran said.

Lin Ruixue looked at Lin Ran in surprise, seemingly unable to understand why he'd suddenly say that.

Lin Ran rubbed his nose, looking a little awkward. “Ahem. Remember to put medicine on it later, and don't bump the wound again. Also, if you need anything for the new school year, tell me. I'll buy it for you and bring it over.”

This time, Lin Ran really did go back to his room.