Arriving at the semi-finals of the debate competition, originally there were three debate groups, but it turned into four groups, with the addition of the group that was eliminated yesterday, the Li Xueqing group.

Jing Li felt frustrated, why was Li Xueqing’s group allowed to participate in the semi-finals? Then, she vaguely overheard some conversations from nearby.

“It seems that the professors in our department held a revival match this afternoon to let Li Xueqing enter the semi-finals again.”

“She is good-looking and has excellent academic performance, she’s just different. Even the professors in our department are giving her special treatment.”

“At least she is from our foreign language department. If no one from our department wins the championship, the professors in our department will lose face.”

…

Hmph, she got in through special treatment.

Jing Li looked down even more on Li Xueqing.

Yesterday, Jing Ran had already defeated Li Xueqing once, and she believed that Jing Ran could win again.

In the end, as expected, the Molly Team won, and the Victory Team came in second. During the award ceremony, Li Xueqing had a gloomy expression, looking even worse than eating shit.

Jing Li secretly enjoyed the feeling of defeating Li Xueqing.

Jing Li and her roommates joined the Molly Team to go to the street food stalls from yesterday to celebrate with a late-night snack. After finishing supper, the girls returned to the dormitory one by one. Jing Ran had a full schedule today, with an evening debate competition, and they all had supper together. They hadn’t been alone together with Jing Li all day.

Jing Ran held Jing Li’s hand and walked in the playground. It was already late, and the students who were exercising or the couples who were talking about love were gradually leaving. Jing Ran didn’t plan to take a long walk because the curfew time for the dormitory was approaching. He wanted to spend a few minutes alone with Jing Li.

The summer in City G came early, starting in mid-April. The temperature was gradually rising. Jing Li’s clothes hadn’t transitioned to the new season yet, and she was still wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans. After walking for a few minutes, she felt a thin layer of sweat on her back and thought about finishing a lap around the playground quickly and going back to the dormitory to take a shower.

“Lili…”

Jing Ran stopped walking, took something out of his sweatpants pocket. The lights in the playground had already been turned off, but with the illumination from the streetlights outside the playground and the lights from the nearby dormitory buildings, Jing Li saw that he took out the small gold medal they had won in the debate competition.

Jing Li didn’t understand and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Jing Ran was a little shy and said, “I’m giving it to you.”

Jing Li asked, “Giving it to me? Why?”

Jing Ran’s TV dramas and Jing Li’s TV dramas have a generational gap. When Jing Ran was a child, he watched TV dramas from the 90s about passionate young boys winning a gold medal for their beloved girls. On the other hand, Jing Li watches various romantic Korean dramas, such as “The Heirs,” where the male lead shows off his wealth and charisma to pursue girls.

Jing Ran was stunned. Actually, he didn’t know why, but he remembered that the girls in the TV dramas would be very happy when they received a gold medal.

Lili seemed uninterested in the gold medal…

Originally, the gold medal was spread out in Jing Ran’s palm. He slowly closed his own hand, holding the gold medal, and said, “It’s nothing…”

Preparing to put it back in the pocket.

Jing Li suddenly grabbed Jing Ran’s hand holding the gold medal, smiling as she took his gold medal and said, “Thank you, Ranran.”

Jing Li knew that he was not good with words, so she guessed that Jing Ran wanted to share his glory with her.

Jing Ran looked at Jing Li and nodded.

In early summer, the insects started to become active. The two of them stood there, watching each other. There was no one else on the playground, only the insects chirping in the grass, creating a quiet atmosphere.

The evening breeze blew gently, bringing a slight coolness. The couple in love looked deeply into each other’s eyes.

There were no passersby around anymore, and Jing Li was getting anxious in her heart, wondering why he wasn’t taking the initiative.

As long as he slightly lowered his head, she would tiptoe to meet him and give him her first kiss.

By the way, he’s so clueless as a top student, he probably doesn’t know that it can be done earlier depending on the situation.

Perhaps she needs to give him some hints.

Jing Li reached out and tugged at the corner of Jing Ran’s clothes, and Jing Ran looked at her in confusion.

“Ki… kiss…” Jing Li was a bit shy, stuttering as she uttered a word.

Jing Ran seemed to understand, he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, pursing his lips. He slowly lowered his head, getting closer to Jing Li’s lips, and Jing Li closed her eyes, tiptoeing…

“Ring…”

Jing Li’s phone in her pocket rang, interrupting the atmosphere of their kiss.

Jing Ran looked at Jing Li with a mournful face as she took out her phone, almost getting to kiss Lili.

Jing Li took out her phone and checked. It was Jing Ran’s grandmother. She found it strange why Grandma didn’t call Jing Ran but called her instead?

“It’s Grandma,” Jing Li said to Jing Ran, answering the call, “Grandma…”

Grandma sounded worried, “Lili, do you know where Ranran is? I tried calling him, but his phone is off.”

“Grandma, don’t worry, Ranran just finished participating in a debate competition and his phone is still off. He’s with me right now, I’ll let him answer the call,” Jing Li handed the phone to Jing Ran and said, “Grandma is looking for you.”

Jing Ran felt it was sudden. During school, Grandma hardly ever contacted him.

Jing Ran picked up the phone, placed it next to his ear, and answered, “Grandma… Mmm, I understand… I’ll come over now.”

Jing Li heard that Jing Ran was going to leave the school and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Ran looked nervous and flustered as he said, “Lili, you should go back to the dormitory first. I need to go out.”

“Okay…,” Jing Li saw his anxious expression and didn’t continue to ask.

After Jing Li took a few steps, Jing Ran approached her, grabbing her arm, and asked with a hint of fear, “Lili, can you accompany me back?”

Jing Li had never seen him so nervous and scared. It was probably because something really happened in his family, and he was afraid to face it.

Jing Li decisively agreed, “Okay!”

The curfew was approaching, and there were no cars passing on the quiet road outside the campus. Jing Ran used a ride-hailing app to call a private car, and they arrived in about ten minutes. After Jing Ran and Jing Li got into the car, they urged the driver to quickly go to their destination.

Jing Ran tightly held Jing Li’s hand, and it hurt a little, but she didn’t say anything. She wanted to ask what had happened, but she was afraid that Jing Ran would lose control of his emotions.

During a lull, Jing Li sent a message in the roommate’s WeChat group, informing everyone that she wouldn’t be going back tonight and asking them to lock the door.

Some roommates started teasing Jing Li, asking if she was going to have some alone time with the university top student at a nearby hotel.

Jing Li wasn’t in the mood for jokes and said that there was something going on at Jing Ran’s house, and they had to go back to deal with it.

Everyone stopped making noise.

The private car stopped on a main road in the Li District, and after Jing Ran and Jing Li got off, they walked about ten meters and arrived at a pet hospital.

A pet hospital?

Jing Li found it very strange. How did they end up at a pet hospital?

Jing Li and Jing Ran entered the pet hospital, and Grandma was sitting at the reception desk. When she saw them, she stood up and said, “Ranran, you finally came. Go and see Xiao Xiaokang.”

Xiao Xiaokang is already 17 years old, which is considered old age for a cat. Previously, Jing Ran bought some imported cat food for Xiao Xiaokang, but he wouldn’t eat it and became very thin. Grandma thought that Xiao Xiaokang couldn’t adapt to the imported cat food, so she asked Jing Ran to buy the regular cat food that he used to eat. But the truth is, Xiao Xiaokang is nearing the end of his life, his appetite is not good, and he has been distant from his owner during this period, which is a sign of approaching death.

Tonight, Grandma fed Xiao Xiaokang some cat food, but he ate a little and then vomited it out. Grandma thought that Xiao Xiaokang was sick, so she took him to a nearby pet hospital for treatment. After the veterinarian examined him just now, they said that Xiao Xiaokang’s time is almost up and he might not make it through tonight.

Therefore, Grandma called Jing Ran to come and see Xiao Xiaokang one last time.

Jing Ran loved cats very much. It was probably because his grandfather had a cat named “Ben Xiaokang” that he kept. Ben Xiaokang passed away when Jing Ran was 3 years old. At that time, Ben Xiaokang was already 20 years old and died of old age. Grandfather was very sad when Ben Xiaokang died. After all, he had been raising him for 20 years, so there was some emotional attachment. Grandfather didn’t plan to adopt a new cat. However, Jing Ran was young at that time and didn’t understand. He kept asking his grandfather where Ben Xiaokang had gone. He cried and made a fuss every time he heard that Ben Xiaokang was gone and never came home. Eventually, Grandfather had to bring back a small kitten for Jing Ran. Jing Ran called the kitten Ben Xiaokang too. To differentiate between the two, Grandfather changed the name of the new cat to Xiao Xiaokang.

Jing Ran looked at the dying Xiao Xiaokang on the examination table in the veterinary clinic, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, unable to hide his sadness. So many years had passed since Ben Xiaokang left, and now Grandfather had also passed away. And now, Xiao Xiaokang was also about to leave. At the beginning of the year, the director of the nursing home told him that Grandpa Guo was old and in poor health and might not make it through the year.

Those people and animals who had once accompanied him were gradually leaving.

“Xiao Xiaokang…” Jing Ran’s voice choked in his throat, and he spoke with difficulty.

Jing Ran reached out and touched Xiao Xiaokang’s head, but Xiao Xiaokang could no longer make a sound, only faint breathing remained.

Jing Li didn’t know how to comfort Jing Ran, so she stood by his side, holding his other hand. Jing Ran’s big hands had always been warm, but now they were trembling and a bit cold…

Jing Li held his cold hands, hoping that he wouldn’t be too sad.

About an hour later, Xiao Xiaokang had already passed away. The pet hospital had a small animal morgue, and Xiao Xiaokang’s body was left there while the three of them, Grandma, Jing Ran, and Jing Li, walked back home.

After Jing Ran escorted his grandmother and Jing Li to the second floor of the bakery, he prepared to go back to his own home to rest. Jing Li heard that Jing Ran’s parents were often not at home, and with such a sad incident happening today, Little Prince would definitely be crying alone at home. She couldn’t bear to leave him alone, so she pulled Jing Ran and said, “Ranran, don’t go back home. Sleep in the same room with me tonight.”

Jing Ran was in a grieving state and didn’t have the mood to think about miscellaneous things. He nodded, indicating that he would stay overnight.

After everyone finished washing up, they went back to their rooms to rest. Just like last week, Jing Ran took out a mat, spread it on the floor, and took out spare pillows and blankets to sleep on the ground.

The lights had been turned off, and in the darkness, Jing Li’s voice rang out, “Ranran, why don’t you come up and sleep on the bed? The floor is so hard.”

“No need, Lili. You should go to sleep quickly. You have to get up early and go back to school tomorrow.”

“Ranran, I don’t want to go to school tomorrow. I want to accompany you to send Xiao Xiaokang off.”

Jing Ran had just contacted the animal cremation service center at the pet hospital. Tomorrow, he would take Xiao Xiaokang there to take care of his final arrangements.

“Okay.”

“Ranran, don’t be too sad. I will always be by your side.”