It’s about a ten-minute bike ride from school to home.

Lin Ran’s family lives on the thirteenth floor.

As he stood in the elevator, he felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness.

When the elevator doors opened, and he walked through the hallway towards his front door, he felt a comforting familiarity from the items placed along the hallway—the shoe rack, the miscellaneous objects, the homely arrangements—and even the faint, familiar aroma of food wafting in the air.

Lin Ran’s mood instantly relaxed.

He reached his front door.

Pulling out his key, he inserted it into the lock and turned it. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The first thing he saw was the warmly familiar sight of the living room he had known so well. Bathed in soft, dim lighting, the room’s simple decor and layout were on full display. In the middle of the room, a middle-aged woman was bent over with a broom, sweeping.

Lin Ran called out, “Mom.”

Hearing his voice, his mother, Zhao Shuqin, looked up. Upon seeing him standing at the doorway, she beamed with surprise and joy.

“Xiao Ran, you’re home?”

She immediately turned her head and called toward the kitchen, “Lao Lin, our son is home!”

Moments later, there was the sound of hurried footsteps from the kitchen.

Lin Guozheng, his father, came out briskly with an apron tied around his waist, still holding a spatula. When he saw Lin Ran, he grinned warmly and greeted him with enthusiasm, “You’re back? Come on in and change your shoes; your dad’s made a late-night snack for you!”

Then he looked at his wife with a slight reproach, “Why ‘your son’? Isn’t he my son too?”

Lin’s mother responded with mock indignation, “Xiao Ran’s handsome looks are all thanks to me, so of course he’s my son! What, Lin Guozheng, do you have a problem with that?”

At that, she shot her husband a sidelong glance.

Lin Guozheng, well accustomed to following his wife’s lead, immediately surrendered, holding his hands up in a truce.

“No problem, no problem—your son, your son…”

Watching this familiar scene of his parents’ playful banter, Lin Ran couldn’t help but smile. It was a scene he hadn’t seen in years, yet it stirred a hint of sadness, a subtle pang in his heart, as a rush of memories resurfaced.

...

In his previous life, when he had barely passed the college entrance exam with a low score, his parents had not shown any disappointment. Instead, they set aside their pride, reaching out to people they knew for favors and scraping together what little savings they had to get him into the best university they could afford.

He still remembered that late night, when his parents returned from seeing their connections, visibly tired but cheerfully optimistic as they assured him, “It’s done! With this score, at least you can go to East Sea Tech. This is as much as we can do for you. From here on out, you’ll have to rely on yourself!”

That night, however, he had overheard his parents talking quietly in their bedroom:

“I heard that Old Zhou’s son next door got into East Sea University with a score even lower than Xiao Ran’s. But they had connections with the vice dean there and managed to get him in.”

“Our Xiao Ran is so smart; he just had a bad day on the exam. He could’ve gone to a better school…”

After a brief silence, he heard his father, Lin Guozheng, sigh softly.

“It’s because we, as parents, aren’t capable enough…”

...

That night lit a spark in him, motivating him to work hard throughout college. His grades were among the top, and he earned scholarships consistently. He worked part-time jobs to support himself, and after graduation, he buried himself in work, striving tirelessly to advance his career. As he became more successful, however, he grew busier, and he seldom returned home over the years.

One time, he finally returned home after many years. His parents, now nearing sixty, were thrilled. Though their hair had started graying, his father eagerly rolled up his sleeves and rushed to the kitchen to make him a feast.

He sat on the couch with his mother, who excitedly took out her phone and asked him to show her how to use some new apps.

“Mrs. Sun next door taught her mom how to use TikTok. Can you teach me too?”

As he demonstrated, they used a “make-you-look-old” filter. His own face on the screen turned into an elderly version of himself, looking a little funny. But his mother watched happily and asked him to take more pictures to save.

Then, she casually remarked, “Otherwise, your dad and I may never see you grow old.”

...

That one sentence had stayed with him, and thinking of it now, Lin Ran felt his eyes sting.

In his previous life, he hadn’t had the chance to care for his parents in their old age, and they had even had to mourn him.

He had not been a good son.

Looking at his still relatively young and healthy parents in front of him, Lin Ran suddenly stepped forward and hugged them tightly.

Both of them were taken aback, fumbling in surprise.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen at school?” his mom asked with concern.

Lin Ran lifted his head, struggling to keep his emotions in check as he smiled.

“Nothing. I just missed you both.”

A little while later, the three of them sat down together to enjoy the late-night snack. It wasn’t anything fancy, but the taste was as familiar as ever. Lin Ran ate heartily, savoring every bite, while his parents smiled from across the table.

“Eat slower! No one’s going to take it from you,” his mother chuckled.

As they chatted casually over the meal, Lin Ran overheard a conversation that caught his attention:

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“Lao Lin, how’s your factory doing lately?” his mom asked.

“Not well. We’re barely getting by. How about you?”

“Our factory’s not doing well either. Rumor has it that there might be layoffs soon,” she replied with a troubled frown.

In his previous life, his mother’s factory had indeed started laying off employees around this time when he was in his second year of high school. His mother had chosen to stay on despite a pay cut, but the factory eventually shut down, leaving her unemployed.

Back then, she had hesitated, debating whether to stay or to leave and pursue her dream of opening her own business. Lin Ran recalled that his mother had always harbored entrepreneurial ambitions. However, because of the traditional mindset favoring stability and, more importantly, concerns about him, she had sacrificed her dreams.

“If you leave now, you could still receive some severance pay,” his father noted, though he sounded doubtful. “And Xiao Ran is at a critical stage with his studies. It’s better to have you at the factory for the stability.”

His mother reluctantly agreed, but it was clear she still felt conflicted.

Listening to his parents, Lin Ran felt both warmth and guilt. Had it not been for him, his mother might have pursued her dreams more freely.

But this time, things could change. This time, he wouldn’t leave his parents with regrets.

Lin Ran looked at them and said, “Mom, I think you should leave the factory. Why not start your own business?”

His mom looked at him, surprised.

Lin Ran continued, “Even if you stay and take a pay cut, there’s no guarantee the factory will last. If it goes under, you’ll still end up without a job. You might as well take the severance pay and give it a shot!”

His father still seemed hesitant. “But who will keep an eye on you and your studies?”

Lin Ran smiled. “Dad, I’m not a little kid anymore. I can handle my own studies.”

His mother shook her head skeptically. “Don’t act so big—last mock exam, you ranked around fortieth in class! How could we not worry?”

With a determined glint in his eyes, Lin Ran assured, “That was before. This time is different. Next week, I’ll rank in the top ten of my grade. Just wait and see!”

Zhao Shuqin laughed. “I’ll tell you what: if you make it to the top ten, I’ll quit my job and give business a try. Deal?”

Lin Ran extended his hand. “Deal?”

She grinned and shook his hand firmly. “Deal!”

...

After finishing his meal and washing up, Lin Ran returned to his room and closed the door. He could still faintly hear his parents chatting in the living room.

“Lao Lin, don’t you feel Xiao Ran is a little different today?”

“Yes, he even gave us a hug! And the way he talked just now...he seems serious this time about studying.”

“Do you think he’ll actually make it to the top ten?”

“Who knows, but...since when did he become ‘your son’ again?”

Their laughter filled the room, warm and familiar.

Smiling, Lin Ran took a seat at his desk, pulled out his books, and got to work.

...

In the morning, sunlight poured through his window, waking him up. He yawned, stretching, feeling the effects of staying up until two-thirty to study. But as his eyes shot open, a sense of panic took over.

What time was it?!

He scrambled to get dressed, grabbed his bag, and darted out of the room. After a hasty goodbye to his parents, he rushed out, jumped on his bike, and sped toward school.

The ten-minute ride became a seven-minute sprint. As he reached the school gates, he hopped off and dashed toward his classroom, his heart racing.

He was determined to achieve his promise, and nothing could stop him now.

Lin Ran hopped off his bike in a suave move, ready to wheel it toward the school gate. Just then, a loud voice called out from behind him:

“Lin Ran, stop right there!”

Lin came to a halt, instinctively turning toward the voice. It was Shen Lingshan, along with her friend Cui Qianqian and two other girls, all heading his way. The one who had called out was Cui Qianqian.

Seeing who it was, Lin Ran immediately prepared to turn and leave.

He had no time to waste chatting; he was already late for his morning class.

But the girls quickly closed the distance. When Cui Qianqian saw Lin Ran about to leave, she called out again, even louder this time.

“Stop! Don’t walk away!”

Her raised voice attracted the attention of other students near the gate. Lin Ran, a bit exasperated, looked back at her.

“What do you want?”

Seeing Lin Ran’s slightly impatient expression, Cui Qianqian’s anger grew.

“How can you even ask? Own up! How could you treat our Lingshan like that yesterday?”

“You owe her an apology!”

The other two girls from Class 7, presumably also close friends of Shen Lingshan and Cui Qianqian, chimed in supportively:

“Yeah, apologize!”

“It’s shameful for a guy to pick on a girl!”

As her friends rallied around her, Shen Lingshan remained silent, standing there looking pitiful with red-rimmed eyes, as though she had suffered some terrible grievance. Her demeanor naturally evoked sympathy.

Gradually, more students from other classes started to look at Lin Ran with disdain.

So, this guy bullied a pretty girl? Not cool at all.

Hearing the murmurs around them, Shen Lingshan looked at Lin Ran, feigning hurt and secretly glancing his way with satisfaction. This whole thing had been planned with Cui Qianqian in advance.

After yesterday’s humiliation, Shen Lingshan was determined to make him pay for it here and now, in front of the school gate.

She was sure she had Lin Ran right where she wanted him.

In her mind, she thought that Lin Ran’s behavior yesterday was just some ploy to gain her attention by acting aloof. She couldn’t be more wrong.

Smiling coldly to herself, she resolved to make him pay for his sudden disregard and offensive words. She had chosen this time and place carefully, bringing Cui Qianqian and two other friends along to confront him. Knowing Lin Ran’s shy nature and sensitivity to public opinion, she planned to use the crowd and her friends to pressure him into apologizing.

As long as she could crush this newfound pride he’d been showing, he’d be right back to following her around obediently.

…

“Apologize!”

“Apologize now!”

Cui Qianqian and the other two girls from Class 7 kept up the pressure, their tone growing harsher as they surrounded him, berating him from all sides. The combined intensity of their scolding would’ve shaken any other eighteen-year-old guy.

But not Lin Ran.

Without showing a hint of emotion, he glanced at the three girls angrily chattering around him.

“Oh.”

Without another word, he turned back to his bike and began to push it forward, completely ignoring them as if they didn’t exist.

This nonchalant attitude nearly made Cui Qianqian and her friends choke in fury.

Infuriated, Cui Qianqian quickly stepped forward, grabbed the handlebars of his bike, and shouted:

“You’re not going anywhere!”

The two other girls quickly flanked her, blocking Lin Ran’s way:

“Right! No apology, no leaving!”

“Apologize!”

Shen Lingshan maintained her hurt expression on the side, but inwardly, she felt triumphant. Bringing her friends along was clearly the right choice—she didn’t need to say a word, only play the victim. Cui Qianqian and the others were known for being outspoken and sharp-tongued, so with them blocking Lin Ran’s path, he’d have no choice but to apologize.

Shen Lingshan kept up her teary-eyed, pitiful look, but she couldn’t hide the smirk in her eyes as she looked at Lin Ran.

Now, what can you do?

…

The situation appeared to be at an impasse.

Cui Qianqian held tightly to Lin Ran’s bike handlebars while the other two girls stood firmly in his way. It was clear they wouldn’t let him pass until he apologized.

Anyone else in Lin Ran’s position would probably have given in by now. Cui Qianqian’s eyes sparkled with confidence, and Shen Lingshan straightened slightly, ready to accept his apology.

But the next moment, Lin Ran surprised them all.

He turned his head toward the right side of the school gate and shouted in a clear voice:

“Teacher! They won’t let me go to class!”

In an instant, Cui Qianqian and the two girls were stunned.

Shen Lingshan’s head snapped up as she looked at Lin Ran in disbelief.

They had anticipated countless possible reactions from him—but never this.

Lin Ran, a guy, confronted by a few girls… was calling a teacher for help?

And right at that moment, the teacher, who was supervising the entrance alongside the student guards, frowned and looked over at them.

Cui Qianqian quickly let go of his bike, and the other two girls also hurriedly stepped aside, afraid that the teacher might come over and question them.

Just like that, the seemingly impossible situation was resolved in the simplest, most direct way.

Lin Ran calmly pushed his bike, walking right past Shen Lingshan, Cui Qianqian, and the others toward the school entrance.

As they watched Lin Ran leave so easily, Cui Qianqian, now fuming, couldn’t help but yell after him:

“Lin Ran, what kind of man are you?! You can’t even apologize! With that attitude, no girl will ever want you!”

Her outburst was more of a frustrated rant than anything.

Just then, a cold, clear voice rang out:

“I would.”

The sudden, deep engine sound was unmistakable. A sleek, jet-black Maybach 6.0T drove up and stopped right at the school gate.

The car door opened, and a tall, striking figure stepped out, instantly drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

Su Qingyan strode toward Lin Ran, each step light yet firm, as though walking straight into everyone’s hearts.

Cool and elegant as always, she radiated an aura of authority.

When she reached him, the school’s goddess nodded slightly and spoke in her clear, even tone:

“We’re almost late. Let’s go.”

Then, to everyone’s stunned disbelief, Su Qingyan reached out and took Lin Ran’s left hand.

Together, they walked past Shen Lingshan and her friends, completely unbothered by their shocked and angry faces, heading into the campus side by side.

They looked like a heavenly couple, walking confidently toward the future.