Chapter 277: Whispers in the Night

Lin Zheng Ran pulled back the covers, and Heqing and Lily slipped in on either side, settling in naturally.

Each one gently hooked an arm through his.

Han Wenwen nestled against his chest, leaning back comfortably.

Lin Zheng Ran met their eyes and asked curiously, “Are you three tired yet?”

The three women shook their heads silently.

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. “Yeah, it’s still early. I’ll keep reading then. If you get sleepy, just say so and we’ll hit the hay. Otherwise, feel free to lean on me and relax.”

They nodded eagerly, like little birds pecking at grain.

So there on the double bed in the bedroom, Lin Zheng Ran sat in the middle, holding Little Fox in his arms while flipping through a book.

Heqing and Lily leaned on his shoulders, peering at the book too.

Eight eyes stared at a book only one person could understand, making for an amusing scene.

Han Wenwen said, “What’s this book even about? I’ve been staring at it forever and I don’t get it.”

Heqing, resting her head on Lin Zheng Ran’s shoulder, swayed slightly. “It seems like it’s about natural disasters? But it’s so hard to follow.”

Lily blinked a few times, as if it were nothing new:

“I guess only Zheng Ran can make sense of this. It’s full of obscure words and packed so tightly. I remember seeing books like this in the bookstore and wondering what kind of person would buy them. Now I know.”

She paused. “Zheng Ran’s the one buying them all.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled to himself, thinking back to when the System mentioned he’d gain powers over wind and rain later on.

Ever since, he’d been eager to learn about the potential scale of control and its impacts on the world, which is why he bought the book.

“If you can’t follow it, don’t force yourselves. But you three smell so fresh after your baths. Maybe I should ditch the book and just hold you all while we sleep.”

The three women blushed and stayed quiet, each showing their own shy reactions.

Lin Zheng Ran set the book down. “Alright, that’s settled. Let’s just sleep. Oh, and do you really need to wear pajamas? Sleeping in clothes isn’t great for you.”

This time, the three girls spoke up together: “Of course we do!”

Lin Zheng Ran looked at their shy faces, just teasing them a bit.

The next morning, the three women worked together to load all sorts of things into the car.

Heqing sat in the passenger seat and buckled up, while Lily and Han Wenwen took the back seats.

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “Got everything?”

“All set!” they replied in unison.

“Homeward bound!” The car sped from the parking area toward Ziteng City.

At that very moment, in an unnamed hair salon in Ziteng City, a pretty girl with long hair sat in the styling chair.

The hairdresser eagerly brought over a dye chart. “Miss, you look like you’re starting university this year. What color are you thinking?”

The girl took the chart.

She wondered, what color would he like?

Seeing her hesitate, the hairdresser recommended a few options:

“I’d suggest these. Especially this yellow—it’s super popular right now. Young women look stunning in it, and with your great face shape, it could work wonders.”

The girl thought it over; yellow didn’t suit her—he already had someone who fit that better.

After considering, she surprisingly pointed to a white one. “This one, silver-white.”

The stylist blinked a few times, sizing up the girl’s features and face, then smiled:

“That could work. Silver-white hair is tough on most people—I wouldn’t recommend it generally—but you’re beautiful enough to pull it off. If you don’t like it, we can always change it back.”

The girl showed no real expression. “Let’s go with that.”

After a few hours of dyeing and styling, the girl sat back in front of the mirror.

Gazing at her transformed self, she felt a bit surprised.

The hairdresser and other customers in the shop all turned to look, drawn by the silver-white hair.

Not everyone can handle that color, so curiosity spread about how it turned out.

But on this young woman, it looked perfect—her beauty even seemed to shine brighter!

Surrounding people gasped in awe.

“What a stunning girl! I’ve seen silver-white hair before, but no one wears it like this. It’s all about the face, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely gorgeous, almost like she has mixed heritage.”

“She’s really something.”

The hairdresser added, surprised, “Miss, this color suits you better than I expected. It’s like you’re a whole new person—what do you think?”

The girl rarely smiled, but now she did. “It’s good. I’m satisfied.”

After paying, she left the salon under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Standing on the street, she took a deep breath.

A gentle breeze made her silver-white hair sway lightly.

She pulled a photo of a boy from her pocket.

A faint, almost obsessive flush colored her cheeks as she smiled.

“We’ll be seeing each other soon, Lin Zheng Ran. Just thinking about being at university and talking to you every day makes me so happy. I can’t wait for classes to start.”

Amid stares from countless passersby on the street, she walked away slowly.

Right after she left, Lin Zheng Ran’s SUV pulled up from the distance.

In the car, Han Wenwen asked Heqing, “Xiao Qingqing, will you catch a ride home at this time?”

Heqing answered, “Yeah, it’s still early, so there are buses.”

“That’s good.”

After driving a bit more, they finally reached the entrance of Han Wenwen’s residential area.

Lin Zheng Ran helped her unload the luggage, and Little Fox pulled her suitcase while gazing at him.

“Brother Zheng Ran, I’m heading up now?”

“Yeah, get some rest at home. Call me if anything comes up.”

Han Wenwen nodded. “The college entrance exam results should be out in a couple of days. I’ll let you know right away, Brother Zheng Ran.”

“Sounds good.”

Before leaving, with Lily and Heqing watching, Han Wenwen stood on her toes and kissed Lin Zheng Ran on the cheek.

This surprised the other two, wondering why Han Wenwen was so affectionate, even with goodbye kisses.

Little Fox said sweetly, “Alright, Brother Zheng Ran, I’m off. See you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow won’t work—I’ve got company stuff to handle once we’re back.”

Little Fox pouted, suspecting ‘company’ meant seeing Jiang Jingshi.

“Fine, see you another time then. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Calls are fine.”

“Xiao Qingqing, Lily, I’m heading home!”

After dropping off Han Wenwen, they said goodbye to Lily.

Lily had planned a simple farewell, but seeing Han Wenwen kiss him, she couldn’t resist doing the same before heading home happily.

Dragging her suitcase, she waved. “Zheng Ran, Xiao Qingqing, see you in a few days!”

Finally, it was Heqing’s turn.

Lin Zheng Ran got back in the car, with the well-behaved Heqing still in the passenger seat.

Lin Zheng Ran looked at Heqing.

Heqing knew she could make it home by bus, but

Lin Zheng Ran stroked her head and smiled. “Heading home by bus today?”

Heqing bit her lip, her face turning red as she shook her head, realizing he was teasing her.

“Not going back.”

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “Not saying goodbye to them?”

Heqing whispered, “You’re with me, that’s all that matters.”

Lin Zheng Ran remembered it was her birthday tomorrow. “Then I’ll take you to get a cake. We’ll celebrate at midnight.”

“Okay.”

They drove toward the city district.

Back home, Han Wenwen and Lily both felt a twinge of envy.

As close friends, they knew tomorrow was Heqing’s birthday—her eighteenth—and though unspoken, they all agreed each would have their special time with Lin Zheng Ran, so they wouldn’t intrude tonight.