Сhаpter 6: Shеng Shurаn, Yоu Swеаr
Chi Hen’s асtion had sоmewhat аnnоуеd Shеng Shurаn. On thе wау homе, she wаs fuming and barеlу spоke tо him.
Whеn thеy аrrivеd at thе араrtmеnt building, Shеng Shurаn refusеd to gо uрstairs.
“It looks like уour injurу is heаling quitе quiсklу. Go to thе hospitаl tоmоrrоw to gеt the stitсhes remоvеd. Расk yоur things over the nехt соuрle of daуs аnd mоve bаck tо the dorm.”
“Yоu’rе nоt gоing to takе сare оf me anуmоrе?”
Сhi Hеn’s сold, fierce gaze fell оn Sheng Shurаn’s mаkеuр-frеe fаce.
“You sаid yоu’ve grоwn up, sо you can handle your own affairs now. You don’t need your older sister anymore.”
Sheng Shuran couldn’t help but sound a bit sarcastic. Without waiting for Chi Hen to respond, she stepped on the gas and drove away.
Chi Hen stood in the night, the streetlights failing to illuminate him.
He dialed a number and said coldly, “Manager Wei, I need you to arrange something for me…”
After a few days of rest, Sheng Shuran returned to the orchestra for training.
The SR Orchestra was one of the top-ranked orchestras in the country.
Sheng Shuran was a cellist.
That day, the orchestra’s manager, Wei Shaoming, assembled a temporary team to perform a roadshow at C University alongside the school’s symphony orchestra.
C University was Chi Hen’s school.
After their unpleasant parting that day, the two hadn’t been in touch for two weeks.
Sheng Shuran was selected to go to C University, and she wondered whether she should tell Chi Hen about it.
After much thought, she decided against it.
This kid! She had raised him all these years! Now that his wings were growing stronger, he wanted to turn his back on her, his sister!
Just thinking about it made her heart ache!
Looking at Chi Hen’s WeChat profile picture, Sheng Shuran couldn’t resist tapping her finger on it repeatedly!
Then, a message popped up in the chat window:
【I patted the little brat】
Sheng Shuran was startled. Before she could retract the message, Chi Hen instantly replied with a question mark.
His typing speed was impressive!
But Sheng Shuran didn’t want to engage with him and tossed her phone aside.
The day of the roadshow at C University arrived.
Like the others, Sheng Shuran put on a white evening gown, applied makeup, and styled her hair.
She usually went bare-faced, relying solely on her natural beauty to carry her through.
With makeup on, Sheng Shuran looked more charming and lively than usual.
The high-profile and well-known SR Orchestra performing a roadshow on campus attracted a large crowd of onlookers along the school pathways.
The performance went smoothly at first, until a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. The rain grew heavier, but Wei Shaoming showed no intention of calling it off.
Sheng Shuran’s hair at her temples was completely soaked, and droplets of water trembled on her long eyelashes. The rain had drenched her clothes, gradually bringing a chill, and her face began to turn pale.
As one piece ended and during the brief pause to change the sheet music, a shadow fell over her head.
Surprised to no longer feel the raindrops, Sheng Shuran looked up and saw a black umbrella held over her, along with Chi Hen’s handsome face, which looked as if it had been lifted straight out of a comic.
He was looking down, his eyelids lowered, quietly watching Sheng Shuran.
Realizing she had become the center of attention, Sheng Shuran quickly urged Chi Hen in a low voice:
“Xiao Hen, go back first. This doesn’t look good.”
“You’ll get sick.” Chi Hen stood like a statue, unmovable, his tone stiff.
“Everyone else is the same. I don’t want to be treated differently.”
“They’re not the same. They don’t have… a younger brother.”
Sheng Shuran froze for a few seconds.
Chi Hen had acknowledged himself as her younger brother. Was this his way of… backing down?
While Sheng Shuran was still stunned, Chi Hen took a moment to glance at Wei Shaoming, his eyes cold and fierce.
Wei Shaoming shivered but immediately understood.Soon, a group of men in black arrived, standing beside each musician and uniformly holding up large black umbrellas for them.
Chi Hen turned his gaze back to Sheng Shuran’s face. Her dampened hair clung to her delicate cheeks, and her almond-shaped eyes glistened slightly, making her appear fragile and pitiful.
He couldn’t help but reach out, tracing her cheek with his cool fingers as he brushed the stray hair aside, whispering softly:
“See, everyone’s the same now.”
Before Sheng Shuran could respond, the conductor raised his baton. She refocused and immersed herself back into the performance.
Chi Hen stood beside her, holding the umbrella over her. Among the group of men in black, his tall, slender figure stood upright, his white shirt strikingly bright.
The boy’s pure white attire complemented her gentle white dress perfectly.
Amidst the solemn and sacred movements of the music, they resembled a pair of pristine, flawless lovers.
The performance concluded successfully, and the audience gradually dispersed. As soon as Sheng Shuran set her violin down, Chi Hen took it and slung it over his own shoulder.
He then clasped her wrist and began walking away.
“Huh? What’s going on? Our orchestra members are still—”
Before she could finish, Wei Shaoming’s voice rang out: “Since we’re here at the university, everyone is free to explore on their own. Just make sure to leave on time.”
The other members exchanged glances: What’s there to explore at a university…
“Now, we can go.” Chi Hen’s voice was devoid of warmth, and his palm felt just as cold.
He continued forward, his grip firm on Sheng Shuran’s slender, fair wrist.
“But where are you taking me?”
“My dorm.”
“Why?”
“To change your clothes.”
This was Sheng Shuran’s first time visiting Chi Hen’s dorm, but she could immediately tell which area was his.
He had an obsessive personality with a hint of cleanliness. While the rest of the dorm carried the casual messiness typical of college boys, one corner stood out—neat to the point of stubbornness.
“Put this on.” Once again, Chi Hen handed her only a shirt.
No one else was in the dorm, but wearing something like this in a boys’ dorm still felt inappropriate. Sheng Shuran hesitated.
“Put it on!” Chi Hen urged again. “Do you want to get sick?”
Sheng Shuran had always been frail since childhood, especially when caught in the rain.
Once, during a torrential downpour when they were young, Chi Hen had been punished by Fu Zhenchuan to kneel in the garden. Worried about him, Sheng Shuran stayed by his side, holding an umbrella over him.
Unexpectedly, before Chi Hen collapsed, Sheng Shuran fainted first, running a high fever for three days and nights.
Sheng Shuran felt as though she had been shaken awake by Chi Hen, as the pain in her palm roused her before her mind fully regained consciousness.
When she woke, she found Chi Hen still wearing the same soaked clothes from that day, sitting on the floor beside her bed, clutching her hand tightly. His peach-blossom eyes were red, tears veiling his exhaustion.
“Sheng Shuran!” Chi Hen’s icy voice pulled her thoughts back to the present.
His tone was harsh, and his expression was dark.
“Do you want me to help you?” He took a few steps forward, as if ready to do it himself.
Startled, Sheng Shuran quickly snatched the clothes and retreated into the bathroom.
She changed out of her damp dress, washed her face, and removed her makeup.
When she emerged from the bathroom, droplets of water still clung to her face, like a lotus flower rising from the water.
Chi Hen glanced at her.
Sheng Shuran actually had striking features that stood out with makeup—elegant, radiant, and captivating.
But he preferred her without makeup, looking exactly as she had when he watched her grow up.Sheng Shuran wiped her face with a tissue and walked to the balcony to throw it away. Noticing that Chi Heng’s dormitory faced the sports field with a good view, she took a few more glances.
“Sheng Shuran.”
Chi Heng called her from behind, and she turned around.
Then, he lifted her into the air and placed her on the balcony railing.
Caught off guard, Sheng Shuran lost her balance and nearly fell backward. Fortunately, Chi Heng held her waist firmly.
It was slender, too slender—as if a little more force could break it.
“Chi Heng, what are you doing?!” Sheng Shuran looked back and instantly felt her legs go weak. There was nothing behind her to rely on. If Chi Heng let go, she would fall from the fourth floor.
“Time to settle the score.” A fanatical, sinister glint reignited in Chi Heng’s dark eyes.
Sheng Shuran was terrified, her face pale as she tightly clutched the collar of Chi Heng’s shirt.
“Settle… settle what score?”
“Sheng Shuran, swear to me…”
Chi Heng tilted his head slightly. Sheng Shuran’s disheveled hair tangled with his, brushing against his cold, pale face and lips, teasing his flushed skin as he spoke:
“…Swear you won’t abandon me again.”