After returning to school, Jing Ran’s daily routine remained unchanged. In the mornings, he would go for a run and have breakfast with Jing Li, then they would go back to their respective classrooms. As the weather got warmer, they would have a light meal together in the school cafeteria in the evenings, and after eating, he would occupy a table to study.

Despite Jing Ran’s usual appearance, Jing Li still felt that he was carrying some sadness in his heart. Many times, when Jing Li tried to chat with him, he couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm.

When Jing Ran was engrossed in his studies, Jing Li took his hand and slipped a strawberry candy into it. Jing Ran turned to look at Jing Li, who had a bright and warm smile on her face. He wanted to return her smile, but couldn’t manage to.

Jing Li raised her hand and gently rubbed his stiff expression, smiling softly without saying a word.

Finally, Jing Li rested her head on Jing Ran’s shoulder, took out her tablet, and watched a Korean drama while Jing Ran continued to study.

Suddenly, Jing Ran blurted out, “Lili, thank you.”

Jing Li still leaned on his shoulder, pursed her lips, and smiled slightly, saying, “Silly.”

Jing Li is 15 days younger than Jing Ran, and her birthday falls on the coming weekend. Jing Ran had been eager to buy her a gift or plan some activities, but due to Grandpa Guo’s affairs, he hadn’t been in the mood for such things in the past few days.

It wasn’t until Friday that he remembered this, and while having lunch in the cafeteria, Jing Ran asked Jing Li, “Lili, what birthday gift would you like?”

Jing Li was lost in thought. Her parents had always been very busy and hardly ever spent her birthday with her. Before she turned ten, in the United States, there were four elderly relatives at home who would organize a small birthday party for her. They would cook a good meal, buy a not-too-big cake, and everyone would share it. After she turned ten, due to her parents’ work, she returned to her ancestral country with them, while the elderly relatives stayed in the United States to retire. Jing Li started attending a boarding school at the age of ten. Because her birthday fell during the school term, she couldn’t go home to celebrate with her parents, nor could she go out with classmates to celebrate her birthday. She no longer had time to celebrate her own birthday. Apart from registering her personal information, she wouldn’t actively tell anyone her birthday.

Previously, Jing Ran inadvertently saw the information on her student ID and found out that their birthdays were so close.

Jing Li organized a birthday party for Jing Ran, so naturally, he should organize one for her too. “Is it my turn to organize a birthday party for you?”

Jing Li shook her head. It was okay to organize a birthday party for others, but she felt a little awkward when she was the one in the spotlight, probably because she hadn’t celebrated her birthday with others for a long time.

Jing Ran picked the fish bones and placed the white fish meat on Jing Li’s rice. “Thank you!” Jing Li thanked him and started eating with her chopsticks.

Jing Ran also started eating with his chopsticks.

After a while of silence, Jing Li looked up at Jing Ran and said, “Let’s go for an outing tomorrow.”

Jing Ran asked, “Where do you want to go?”

“You’re a local, you’re more familiar than I am, so you decide.”

Jing Ran thought for a moment and said, “Sure.”

*
On Saturday morning, Jing Ran went home to pick up the car and then returned to school to pick up Jing Li to go to a resort in the suburbs of city G to soak in a hot spring. Initially, Jing Li felt that it would be heatstroke to soak in a hot spring on a hot day. Jing Ran explained to her that soaking in a hot spring in the summer is a way to relieve heat, as when people soak in the hot spring, their pores open up, allowing the body’s heat to be released, which can eliminate the body’s stuffiness.

Although Jing Ran usually appeared taciturn, he knew a lot of things. Jing Li trusted him, packed her luggage, and got into his car to go to the resort in the suburbs.

After arriving at the resort, it was still relatively early, and the two of them had lunch at the resort’s hotel, planning to visit the nearby scenic area and then soak in the hot spring in the evening.

There was a temple nearby, rumored to be very efficacious for making wishes, but it was on a high mountain. Jing Li wanted to go to the temple to make a wish for the well-being of her family, and the two of them arrived at the foot of the mountain, paid the entrance fee, and began to ascend the mountain. The mountain path was rugged, and a series of stone steps led to the mountaintop. Because the temple was reputed to be efficacious, there were many people coming and going, so their progress up the mountain was slow.

At first, the two of them elegantly walked hand in hand. When they were halfway up the mountain, Jing Li couldn’t support herself and shouted, “Ranran, I can’t go on, I need to rest for a while.”

The weather was quite hot, and Jing Li’s sweat had soaked through her black T-shirt, making her look extremely exaggerated, as if she had been fished out of water. She kept wiping the sweat from her face with a wet tissue, breathing lightly. Her originally fair face had turned bright red due to the intense physical activity. Apart from sweating a little, Jing Ran wasn’t even panting.

They exercised together every morning and ate the same amount of food, so why was his stamina so good? It was so unfair.

Jing Ran took a bottle of water from his backpack, unscrewed it, and handed it to Jing Li, saying, “Have some water.”

Jing Li took a few sips and then handed it to Jing Ran, asking, “How much longer?”

Jing Ran took a sip from the water bottle, picked up his phone to check the time. When they were climbing the mountain earlier, some tourists were coming down, and they asked them how long it would take to reach the temple. The tourists told them it would take about two hours. However, they had only reached halfway up the mountain, and about an hour had passed, so he replied, “About another hour or so.”

“Ah? Is it still a long way?” Jing Li overestimated her own strength, and now she feels like she’s walking to the mountaintop.

“How about I carry you?” Jing Ran puts the backpack in front of his chest, controls his back, and prepares to carry Jing Li up the mountain.

Jing Li is not heavy, about 40 kilograms or so. She feels sorry for Jing Ran and doesn’t want to increase his burden, so she says, “I think I can still continue to go up, no need to carry me.”

“Come on, I can carry you,” Jing Ran can see that she doesn’t have the strength to continue, and he’s also afraid that he won’t have the strength to carry her up the mountain.

“Then… carry me for a short distance, and then you can put me down later,” Jing Li said, and Jing Ran squatted down, making it easy for Jing Li to climb onto his back.

Jing Li lies on Jing Ran’s body, with her hands on his shoulders: “Okay.”

Jing Ran holds Jing Li’s legs with both hands, stands up, and walks forward carrying her. Every time Jing Ran carries Jing Li, he feels like her weight is negligible, and no matter how much he feeds her, she doesn’t seem to gain any weight: “Lili, you’ve lost weight again.”

Recently, Jing Li’s weight increased a little. Last week, Jing Ran was not at school, and she missed him, so naturally she didn’t have much appetite.

“You have to eat with me. If you don’t accompany me, I can’t eat.” Jing Li wraps her hands around his neck, and her face is against his, acting spoiled.

“Well, I’ll eat with you from now on,” Jing Ran promised her.

Jing Li didn’t give him face, saying, “Don’t promise so easily. This is a difficult thing!”

Jing Ran thought for a moment, “Yes, it’s really difficult. Just forget what I said.”

Jing Li pretended to be angry and patted his shoulder, saying, “Bad guy.”

Jing Ran suddenly spoke seriously, “Lili, even in the future when I’m not by your side, you have to take good care of yourself. Otherwise, I will worry that you won’t be able to work properly.”

Jing Ran is the heir of a large hotel group, so he will definitely be very busy with work in the future and won’t be able to accompany Jing Li often. Thinking of this, Jing Li couldn’t help but feel a little lost. After this semester ends, they will go out for internships, and it won’t be as relaxed as it is in school. Although both of them will be interning at the same hotel, they will have to take their work seriously.

Jing Li rested her head on Jing Ran’s back, counting the days they have been together – just over three months. In a month, they will start their careers, and it won’t be as carefree as it is now. She even thought that if she hadn’t been so dismissive when she was a freshman, she would have been with her “little prince” for three years by now.

Jing Li touched his short hair and said with some regret, “Ranran, I think we should have been together earlier. Look, we’ve only been dating for a short time, and we’re about to enter the workplace. We will definitely be very busy in the future and won’t have time for romance.”

“It’s okay. As long as we have each other in our hearts, no matter how busy and difficult work gets in the future, it’s a happy thing to think that we can see the person we like after work,” Jing Ran paused and said, “Lili, after this semester ends, can we live together? Instead of going to my grandparents’ or my parents’ house, we can live at Yujing’s place, go to work and eat and sleep together. How about it?”

Living together?

Although she and Jing Ran often went outside the school on weekends, sometimes to Grandma’s house, sometimes just the two of them alone. She hadn’t really thought about living together in the future.

It feels like living together will lead to an unembarrassed life, but she is quite conservative in her heart and feels that a few months of being together is very short, and she hasn’t opened up yet.

Seeing that she hadn’t responded, Jing Ran asked, “Lili, do you not like the idea of living together?”

Being with the little prince every day, how could she not like it?

It’s just…

The problem lies with her.

Jing Ran probably guessed Jing Li’s concerns and said, “Lili, our agreement still stands. If you don’t want to, I won’t do that kind of thing to you.”

Many people were coming and going on the stairs. Jing Ran said these words in a crowded place, which made Jing Li lose her temper and shyly say, “Stop talking. Oh my, are you not embarrassed? Don’t say these things in public. I will agree just for you.”

Upon hearing Jing Li agree to live with him, Jing Ran couldn’t contain his excitement and said, “Lili, after work, I will cook for you, make the dishes you like. How does that sound?”