At the end of August, the sun hung overhead and a heatwave boiled on the little town.

On the second floor of the town center’s health institute, a girl leaned against a slightly shabby door lazily. She wore a simple black-and-white shirt and her collar crooked when she lowered her head.

Her two sleeves were folded up in an unruly manner.

She wore a pair of low-rise jeans below. It was a little old and exposed her thin and delicate waist due to her movements.

Her appearance was simply eye-catching.

When the nurse saw a man pass by the girl for the third time, she handed the girl a lollipop and snorted towards the ward. “Ran Ran, are your parents here?”

Qin Ran lowered her head to tear into the sugar coating. Her long eyelashes drooped slightly and she only squinted her eyes in reply when it was in her mouth. “Probably.”

The nurse snorted. “I couldn’t tell.”

She then hurried away with the medical record.

Inside the ward were Qin Ran’s biological parents, Ning Qing and Qin Hanqiu.

The two had already divorced more than a decade ago. Qin Ran had always followed her grandmother, who had fallen ill and had to transfer hospitals. Thus, Ning Qing and Qin Hanqiu had returned.

Qin Ran leaned against the wall, one leg curled slightly as she listened expressionlessly.

Through the door, Ning Qing’s indifferent voice could be heard. “Qin Hanqiu, my mother is in serious condition. I will take her to Yun Cheng for treatment.”

Qin Hanqiu looked at her with a complicated expression, seemingly mocking her. “Ran Ran dropped out of school and no school in Ninghai Town has accepted her. You can take her to the Lin family. They have connections and will definitely find a good school for her.”

I’ve already brought Yu’er into the Lin family, yet you want me to bring another child in? What will the Lin family think of me?” Ning Qing was a little annoyed with his endless pestering. Which school would easily accept a student like Qin Ran?

Speaking of this, Qin Hanqiu was clearly resentful. “I wanted to take Yu’er with me back then. You’re pushing Ran Ran to me just because you don’t want her?”

They had two daughters. Qin Ran and Qin Yu were only one year apart, but they were worlds apart in other areas.

They had fought relentlessly for Qin Yu’s custody when they filed for divorce. In the end, Qin Yu wanted to follow her mother and the case was finally closed.

At that time, no one wanted Qin Ran. The two evaded her custody and didn’t care about her in the end.

Grandmother Chen Shulan had taken pity on Qin Ran. Thus, she raised her alone for twelve years.

In the ward, Ning Qing looked at the mocking face of Qin Hanqiu and suppressed her anger. Compared to Qin Yu, who wanted to take in a daughter who only fought? Furthermore, she would have to take her into a prestigious family, and Ning Qing was reluctant at having to be mocked at.

Qin Hanqiu had been abducted into their town when he was a kid. Chen Shulan fancied Qin Hanqiu as a poor boy. But after being married for a few years, Ning Qing couldn’t stand Qin Hanqiu’s lack of ambitions. Besides hard labor, he could only work on construction sites. Ning Qing might as well divorce him.

After their divorce, Ning Qing brought Qin Yu along in her marriage to a rich man in Yun Cheng.

The man was wearing a black silk shirt and was nestled on the sofa. He leaned into the sofa and smiled. “Quite a thin waist.”

He turned his head to the side. His nose was very high and his skin extremely white. His eyes were half squinted, and his very long eyelashes covered the bottom of his eyes.

As if he had just woken, his voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of inadvertent clarity.

His voice was clear.

“Huh?” Jiang Dongye flipped through the pages of his medical record and didn’t understand him.

He looked up at his outstandingly charming appearance and thought it wasn’t difficult to understand why all the men and women in this city were crazy for this Third Master.

“None of your business.” Cheng Juan straightened his long legs, leaned on the sofa and chuckled. Then, he said, “Return to Beijing once you have finished your mission in two days.”

Cheng, no school would be willing to accept her.

She had depended on her good looks to marry Lin Qi, a real estate businessman who lost his wife.

Qin Yu had been extremely clever since young and even looked pleasantly good.

She had excellent grades and outstanding talents. She never let the Lin family worry about her studies.

No matter where she was, she was used as a role model.

The Lin family were extremely satisfied with Qin Yu.

Ning Qing was naturally happy to bring Qin Yu into the Lin family.

But at the thought of bringing Qin Ran to the Lin family next.

Ning Qing didn’t even have an appetite for lunch.

**

At 4 PM, the black BMW stopped in front of the Lin family’s villa in Yun Cheng.

“Madam.” A middle-aged woman in a blue shirt opened the door. She was surprised when she saw Chen Shulan and Qin Ran behind Ning Qing.

Ning Qing felt a little stuffy and was visibly upset. “Aunt Zhang, bring my mother and Ran Ran in first. Yu’er will end her class soon, I’ll pick her up.”

Qin Yu had always been picked up by the Lin family’s driver.

Today Ning Qing went personally to pick her up because she was frustrated and didn’t want to face Qin Ran at home. Thus, she went out to take a breath.

two were cavemen.

Qin Ran sat on the low table with one leg slightly bent. She fiddled with the flowers placed on the table with one hand, her sleeves rolled up.

Revealing her bare white wrists.

“Rest first. If you need anything, just call me. I’ll head downstairs first.” Aunt Zhang said a few more notes before heading down to the kitchen to help.

After she left, Qin Ran locked the door.

Chen Shulan looked at the beautiful spotless room and thought for a long time before smiling. “This Aunt Zhang looks pretty… easy to get along with. Next time… you and your mother, sigh.”

Qin Ran dumped the contents of her backpack on the table.

She raised her eyebrows but did not speak.

Chen Shulan watched as Qin Ran played with her stuff and didn’t disturb her. This granddaughter really had a lot of weird things.

Last time, she had seen a chilling gun on the table and Chen Shulan had been really scared, but Qin Ran later told her that it was just a toy gun.

Qin Ran sat on the table with her legs bent and fiddled with the contents of her backpack. She placed a laptop without a logo which looked quite new and didn’t have a brand on the table carelessly.

Then, she took out a very heavy mobile phone.

She continued to throw it onto the table.

She had always been messy and had to pick out a white plastic bottle from the pile of items.

When it was picked up, it also made a shaking sound from the water inside.

A messy Q was drawn with a black pen outside and a note was attached.

Qin Ran tore off the sticky note and wrote a string of characters on it. She looked at it for a while and then tossed it aside.

She only held the white plastic bottle in her hand. She tilted her head and looked at Chen Shulan, then tossed the bottle into the pile.

After a while, Aunt Zhang came up and knocked on the door—

“Sir is back with Young Master. They’re both downstairs and want to see you both.”

Downstairs, Lin Qi was whispering to Lin Jinxuan.

After all, she had to bring a daughter back again and Ning Qing didn’t have the guts to make the decision. Thus, she had called Lin Qi when she was in the hospital.

“I heard that she left school for a year after making a serious mistake and is a big troublemaker. It’s a bit unbearable for her to be brought in.” Lin Qi thought about Ning Qing’s request and frowned in worry.

She had thought that since Qin Yu was so obedient, her sister couldn’t be any worse, so he hadn’t asked much.

But trouble was under his nose. The Lin family never had such a troublemaker before.

Lin Jinxuan frowned, put one hand on the sofa, tilted his head and pressed his phone as if he was talking to someone.

He didn’t even lift his head when Lin Qi was talking and was evidently very uninterested.

But when he heard movement on the stairs, he raised his eyes inadvertently and glanced there.

He was stunned.

The Lin family was a noble family and had been known for three generations in Yun Cheng.

Lin Qi was less than fifty this year and did not have the stoutness that people his age usually had. His youthful style, gentleness, and elegance could still be vaguely seen. His eyes under the gold-rimmed glasses always inadvertently showed the sharpness that had been honed from his years of business experience.

Even Qin Ran thought that Ning Qing was lucky to have married Lin Qi.

Lin Qi squeezed a cigarette in his hand, thought for a while, and then put it down. “Xiao Qing has already told me about Ran Ran. Don’t worry, I have already sent someone to arrange it.”

Chen Shulan was from the countryside and was not much cultured. She felt helpless and panicky at being in such a noble family for the first time.

Even if Lin Qi’s attitude towards her was good, she still felt slightly uncomfortable.

Lin Qi could feel it, so he smiled and accompanied Chen Shulan to drink tea. He occasionally made conversation to ease Chen Shulan’s awkwardness and waited for Ning Qing to come back.

Qin Ran leaned on the sofa and lazily pressed on her mobile phone while playing a game.

Her fingers were slender and beautiful and appeared extremely white under the light from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Her eyebrows were low, and from the angle of Lin Jinxuan, he could see her long eyelashes fluttering slightly.

She seemed to feel him peeping at her and slowly raised her head.

She had clean and clear eyes, and there was no panic like Chen Shulan’s in them.

It was as peaceful as a cold lake, dark and deep.

90% cold.

The remaining 10% was her stubbornness and banditry in her bones that couldn’t be covered up.

Lin Jinxuan’s hand that held the teacup paused for a moment. He didn’t have the embarrassment of being caught in the act and just smiled distantly.

Qin Ran looked away casually and changed her posture calmly. She continued to press on her phone.

Lin Jinxuan, who had never been given the cold shoulder, was stunned once again.

After a short while, he reacted and turned his brightly-lit screen off. Then, he leaned back and sneered.

He had a frivolous expression on his cultured and refined face.

Sure enough, as per Lin Qi’s description, she was a troublemaker.

She was incredibly arrogant.

Chen Shulan knew that Qin Ran loved to play and liked playing games when she was bored. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to control Qin Ran, but every time she looked at her with her pair of beautiful apricot eyes, the bottom of her eyes would turn misty.

Who could stand it?

Chen Shulan would then forget about her anger.

What else could she do?

She could just get used to it.

Not to mention playing games, even if she played truancy, Chen Shulan would still turn a blind eye to it.

It was the first time she doted so much on a granddaughter at her age.

But now, Qin Ran had already been expelled for a year, and Chen Shulan had also found out about her illness, so this time, she ruthlessly ignored Qin Ran and her coquetry. No matter what method she used, Chen Shulan made up her mind to send her to a school in Yun Cheng.

Lin Qi, the patriarch of the Lin family, was right in front of her. Chen Shulan wanted Qin Ran to make a good impression on Lin Qi. She had reminded Qin Ran more than once to stop playing her games and to perform well in front of Lin Qi.

She just… couldn’t be fierce with her.

Chen Shulan was worried. This was the Lord, who could cure her after she was gone?

Everyone in the room had their own thoughts and didn’t talk much until Ning Qing returned with Qin Yu. The atmosphere suddenly eased.

Lin Qi looked at Qin Yu, who was following behind Ning Qing obediently, and smiled warmly.

Aunt Zhang, who had always been cold to Qin Ran and Chen Shulan, greeted them immediately and took Qin Yu’s school bag from her hands. She said respectfully, “Madam. Miss.”

Everyone on the sofa, including Lin Qi, all stood up.

Under Chen Shulan’s stare, Qin Ran stood up lazily. She leaned against the sofa and stared coldly at Qin Yu and Ning Qing.

She was cold and proud.

Tilted her head subconsciously.

On the way back, Ning Qing had already informed her beforehand, so Qin Yu naturally knew that Qin Ran was here.

She stared at Qin Ran for a moment, then glanced back very lightly.

The Nanny set the dinner quickly.

While eating, Lin Qi glanced at Qin Ran. After thinking for a while, he said, “Let her go to First Middle School. She and Yu’er can take care of each other.”

His tone was calm.

After Lin Qi said this, the atmosphere at the dinner table changed.

Qin Yu paused when she heard Lin Qi’s words.

She glanced at Qin Ran and looked indifferent. “First Middle School? Same level as me?”

Qin Ran was one year older than Qin Yu.

Even Aunt Zhang, who stood at the side, also glanced mockingly at Qin Ran.

Then, she quickly lowered her head.

Tsk, she had thought Qin Ran was here to attend college.

Ning Qing’s face was a bit stiff. She had never felt so shameful after coming to the Lin family for so many years.

Beside her, Lin Qi’s expression was the same. He said in a mild tone, “Your sister has to repeat her third year due to some matters.”

Her results couldn’t possibly be good if she had to repeat her third year.

“I see.”

Qin Yu smiled and said, “Oh.”

Then, she nodded and stayed silent.

All of the Lin family knew that Qin Yu had long occupied one of the top five positions in her grade.

Ning Qing finally reacted. She had intended for Qin Ran to be put into a private school and hadn’t expected Lin Qi to let Qin Ran go to First Middle School.

Everyone knew that First Middle School was the best school in Yun Cheng.

To put a person like Qin Ran with such a dark history and bad results into First Middle School, Lin Qi had to spend a lot of time and even had to owe the principal a favor.

First Middle School only had top students. A student like Qin Ran would be unusual.

“But it isn’t easy to get into First Middle School.” Ning Qing knew this. She felt depressed and immediately lost her appetite.

She paused and thought of something. “Ran Ran, I remember you were enrolled in a violin class when you were young? What level are you in now?”

First Middle School had art classes.

Qin Ran lowered her head and gnawed on a piece of rib seriously. She was absent-minded and didn’t even look up.

Ning Qing was about to flare up when Lin Qi glanced over.

She suppressed her anger and repeated her words with a cold face.

Qin Ran’s sitting posture was really unruly. She raised her legs, held her chopsticks in one hand, and propped her arm on the table.

She looked like a gangster, proud and mad.

As if she only heard the voice now, Qin Ran looked up.

At the mention of Qin Ran having learned violin before, Lin Jinxuan also looked up at her.

He heard Qin Ran say, “Violin?”

She held her chin in her hands and suddenly smiled. Her voice was dull and cold. “Oh, I don’t know how to play.”

“You don’t? How could it be? You started learning it when you were young.” Ning Qing pinched the chopsticks in her hands and gritted her teeth. “I give you a sum of money to learn the violin every year. Teacher Xu even said you had good talent…”

“Oh.” Qin Ran fiddled with the rib slowly. “Ever since I hit Teacher Xu’s son’s head, we’ve never met.”

There was a strange silence on the dining table.

Qin Ran laughed a cold, bad laugh.

Her slightly raised delicate eyebrows had the arrogance of youths. On closer inspection, there seemed to be a bit of ruthlessness.

In Ning Qing’s words, she was a “bandit”. Both a bandit and wild, seemingly gorgeous and alluring, but untouchable.

What immortal and triggering expression was this?

And her tone as well?

Ning Qing glanced at her, her eyes flushed slightly. “Qin Ran?!”

Yi Zhong had art classes. Ning Qing remembered that Qin Ran had learned the violin when she was young. Since her studies were bad, she could just change her path and walk on the path of the arts.

She didn’t expect Qin Ran to take the initiative to give her such a big “surprise”.

Lin Qi had seen Qin Ran’s information in the afternoon. He knew she was a troublemaker, but didn’t expect her to be so full of thorns.

Aunt Zhang brought a cup of tea for Ning Qing. Ning Qing sighed, drank it, and stopped mentioning the matter, but her tight back showed that she wasn’t in a good mood.

Lin Qi was busy with his business and naturally didn’t have the spare time to spend around Chen Shulan and Qin Ran.

Or maybe he thought it wasn’t necessary.

After dinner, they all dispersed.

When Qin Yu saw Lin Jinxuan go out to pick up a phone call, she obediently told Ning Qing she was going upstairs to play the violin.

Ning Qing looked at her younger daughter and her older daughter. Both of them were obviously her children, but how could the difference between them be so big?

“Go stay with your grandmother temporarily on the third floor. I’ll let Aunt Zhang clean up another room for you later.” Ning Qing frowned and tilted her head slightly. She suppressed the anger in her heart and lowered her voice. “Other than the bathroom, the second floor has your sister’s piano room. Don’t bother her over nothing.”

As soon as Qin Yu left, the tenderness on her face faded.

Qin Ran leaned on the staircase and nodded, her expression indifferent.

Since Qin Ran’s attitude was fairly obedient, Ning Qing’s sullen expression finally eased. After all, she was her own daughter and she still had feelings for her.

Ning Qing said a few things to Chen Shulan before turning around to see that Qin Ran had her mobile phone out again. She frowned and was about to nag at her.

But it just so happened that the piano room on the second floor wasn’t closed fully, and the melodious and gentle violin sound floated out.

Ning Qing was relieved and said to Aunt Zhang, “It seems that Yu’er will enter tenth grade soon. Ran Ran! Learn from your sister more, there should be a beginning and an end to everything.”

Her words turned towards Qin Ran again.

Qin Ran glanced at the second floor with raised eyelids. Her pair of apricot eyes were a little bad, but they were extremely beautiful and still resembled a bandit.

She turned and went upstairs, her legs long and straight.

She ignored Ning Qing.

Yes, she was very impressive.

Ning Qing pointed at her back with a flushed face. She thought about just how Qin Ran had slammed a brick again and again on her head…

Chen Shulan frowned, but was reluctant to fault Qin Ran, so she could only calm Ning Qing down.

**

Upstairs, the nanny had already taken Chen Shulan’s things to the next room.

Qin Ran took a bath and, before her hair was completely dry, she tied the straps of her bathrobe while reaching out for the new-looking computer from her backpack.

Next to the computer was a heavy mobile phone which looked different from the mobile phone she usually played games with.

She didn’t look at the phone, just pressed her towel on her head and placed the computer on the table. As soon as she opened the computer, the desktop screen appeared in seconds.

The computer desktop was very clean. Except for the desert background, there was only a white mouse arrow and no other icon could be seen.

It was a very warm yet oppressive desert color.

Qin Ran reached out and pressed a few keys, then got up and poured a glass of water. She sat on the chair with the glass of water and a face appeared on the computer screen.

The other party was wearing a white shirt, holding a cell phone in one hand and a medicine box in the other.

With a white shirt on, long eyelashes and fair skin, his face could be described as beautiful.

“Someone is investigating you.” Qin Ran leaned on the back of the chair and took a sip of water. “Someone from Beijing. I’ve sent you the information about the other party.”

At the age of six, Qin Ran already knew that she was different from the others after finishing her elementary school course.

She couldn’t play with her peers and would even occasionally go crazy.

Her neighbors all thought she was crazy and avoided her.

Ning Qing and Qin Hanqiu only focused on quarreling every day and didn’t pay much attention to her situation. They only knew that she loved to fight, had a mental problem, and didn’t want to go to school.

When they divorced, they were both unwilling to take her along.

Qin Ran taught herself high school content at the age of eight.

At the age of nine, she assembled the first computer in her life and used her own code to conquer a hacker website.

In the video, the man squinted his pair of demon eyes. His nose was very high and he looked extremely handsome. Even in a foreign country, people wouldn’t be able to resist turning back to look at him again.

Gu Xichi, a doctor who traveled all over the country, had excellent medical skills and a strange temper. He traveled around the world to treat the poor.

This time, there was a terrorist attack in the Middle East, so he immediately carried his medical kit there to save the world.

Qin Ran only knew that he was a doctor, Gu Xichi.

Gu Xichi also only knew that she was a hacker, Qin Ran.

The two had a fatal relationship but never asked about each other.

“I’m okay.” Gu Xichi bit the cigarette in his mouth, took out another phone and checked the e-mail Qin Ran had sent him. He said vaguely, “Little friend, don’t care about this matter. I’ll find someone to solve it.”

Gu Xichi finished reading the information and calmly put his phone back in his pocket.

“The other party has a reason?” Qin Ran put her cup on the table.

Gu Xichi nodded casually.

Qin Ran grabbed the towel she had thrown to one side and laid her legs on the table on the other side. Her movements were light and yet slow, and extremely wild.

She continued brushing her hair and said in a slow voice, “Whatever.”

“Don’t be disappointed. When you’re all grown up and as good as the hacker Q who has been circulating on the Internet recently, I will show you the outside world.” Gu Xichi casually reassured her.