Chapter 96: How is it that he always encounters such abnormal things around him?

“Is this true?” Xiao Ran asked in a hoarse voice, her eyes brimming with a longing for praise.

Watching her swim gracefully through the water, Lin Feng nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he continued to shower her with compliments without pause. “Yes, I only said it once and you remembered. Miss Xiao, you’re truly amazing.”

The moment the words reached her ears, Xiao Ran’s every pore seemed to leap with joy. This was an unprecedented, exquisite feeling! She had experienced being recognized before, but having someone more capable than herself praise her—especially a cold, distant man—created a contrast so shocking it left her body completely relaxed. She could feel her breathing grow heavier, not from the exertion of swimming but from the thrilling stimulation. She couldn’t name the emotion, yet she adored it and wished, desperately, to experience it again.

As Xiao Ran floated motionless on the surface, Lin Feng, a bit hungry, couldn’t help but speak. “Miss Xiao……”

He had been about to suggest they had played enough and should go eat, but before the sentence left his mouth, Xiao Ran interrupted him.

“Brother, could you please stop calling me Miss Xiao?”

She blinked, her hands stroking the water in front and behind as she swam straight toward him. Her large eyes dominated his vision, yet seeing the pitiful look in them, Lin Feng sighed and, without thinking, adjusted his swimsuit underwater before asking, “Then what should I call you?”

“Call me Ran Ran!”

Xiao Ran answered at once, her eyes sparkling with eager hope.

Lin Feng swallowed. He truly had no desire to refuse such a charming girl, and there was nothing wrong with the idea of earning some money. He nodded naturally. “Very well, Miss Ran Ran, you……”

Before he could finish, Xiao Ran surged forward and pressed one finger against his lips. Her red lips parted, eyes trembling faintly. “Brother may call me Ran Ran, may he?”

The plea in her voice was soft, beseeching.

Lin Feng’s body stiffened. He swallowed hard and nodded. “All right.”

“Then, Brother……” She gazed up at him with wide, pitiful eyes, both small hands clasped tightly before her face, fingers locked together in a gesture heavy with longing. Was it simply to be called by name once?

Lin Feng snapped back to himself, suddenly realizing this girl might be more than a bit unwell. He pressed his lips together, frowning as he hesitated. “Ran…… Ran……?”

“Wow!”

A startled sound escaped the girl before him, and her entire body seemed to melt with pleasure, a blissful smile blooming across her face.

Lin Feng’s mouth twitched. No, he had only said her name once—where had this dramatic reaction come from? Since meeting Chu Ling Shuang, he had always seemed surrounded by the strange.

He shivered, still gripping the pool edge, and climbed out. “I’m going to eat something. I’m rather hungry.” He tossed the remark toward Xiao Ran and walked toward the restaurant without looking back.

Watching him leave the water and send droplets splashing against her face, Xiao Ran suddenly came to her senses. She quickly grasped the ladder at the pool’s edge and followed at once. Together they entered the restaurant, where staff promptly set out the prepared meal.

Lin Feng said nothing more and began eating with his chopsticks.

For a moment it felt much the same as before—Xiao Ran still watched him intently—but Lin Feng sensed her gaze had changed. There was now an extra layer of unspoken admiration. He set the thought aside. First, eat.

Lin Feng finished two bowls of rice in record time and cleared every dish on the table, then patted his full belly with a satisfied smile.

During the meal there was little conversation. Lin Feng, absorbed in his food, was dubbed a “dry-rice madman” by netizens, while Xiao Ran’s elegant, noble movements drew admiring comments from all sides.

After the meal they continued playing in the pool for a while. Before long the sun dipped low, and evening approached. Lin Feng, already famous as the “Factory Guy,” had become a trending topic across the internet in a single day. Clips of his “intimate” moments with Xiao Ran were even turned into emoji packs and shared everywhere. Everyone was already eager for the next day.

That night, after a day of filming, Lin Feng entered the room prepared for him and prepared to rest.

Xiao Ran, however, clutched a large teddy bear and trailed right behind him.

“Miss Xiao, today’s filming is over. I need to rest.”

Lin Feng held the door, looking at her with helpless exasperation. “Brother, didn’t you promise to call me Ran Ran?”

Hearing his words, Xiao Ran’s eyes suddenly grew misty.

Lin Feng felt a chill on his scalp. During filming they had never been apart; he understood that. Yet now, even when he needed to use the restroom, she waited outside the door. And now she had followed him here, like an insistent shadow. Didn’t she understand he needed privacy even during rest?

Still, facing her soft, adorable face, Lin Feng sighed. “Fine, Ran Ran, I’m going to bed. You should rest soon too. Tomorrow……”

“Mm!”

Before he could finish, Xiao Ran answered and with one stride bounded into his room. She dropped onto his big bed right in front of him, the mattress bouncing softly as she patted the sheet beside her with glee. “Brother, come quickly—we’ll rest together!”

Lin Feng stared blankly.

Did she truly believe he would do nothing to her?

He drew a deep breath, his steps carrying a trace of irritation as he approached. Just as he was about to begin a lecture, an ear-splitting whistle pierced the air from downstairs. Why did the sound feel so familiar?

Lin Feng paused, then, in the spirit of a gossip watcher, walked to the window. The next instant, the sight of the people stepping out of the car froze him in place.

Surrounded by more than a dozen bodyguards, that slender figure was one he knew far too well.

“Chu Ling Shuang?!”

He blurted out in shock.

Before he could process anything further, Xiao Ran darted behind him, pressing her anxious face against the full-length mirror. Downstairs, the woman in sunglasses lifted her chin slightly, and the black umbrella above her head drifted upward. One glance and her eyes locked onto the windows of their floor.

Lin Feng felt his entire body tremble. Could she be looking for me?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He and Chu Ling Shuang had already spoken plainly. His emotions steadied as he turned to tell Xiao Ran to leave. Yet the moment he spun around, he saw her face pale with terror. She scanned the room frantically, her gaze snapping to the closet. More panicked than him, she rushed over, yanked open the door, and her voice shook with fear.

“Brother, please—don’t tell her I’m here. Please, please……”