When Lin Yiran embraced him, Qiu Xing initially thought she was frightened and seeking comfort. He instinctively raised his hand and placed it on her waist—a gesture meant to console her.

But then Lin Yiran’s lips pressed against his, and Qiu Xing stared at her in astonishment.

Lin Yiran’s lips were warm and soft, her breathing trembling. Her eyes, which had been sparkling with tiny lights moments ago, were now tightly closed, her arms gently encircling Qiu Xing’s neck.

Qiu Xing leaned back slightly, lifting his head to create some distance. His breathing was still uneven from their intense run, his arms loosely draped around Lin Yiran’s sides. He looked down at her and asked between breaths, “What are you doing?”

Lin Yiran’s eardrums were still throbbing, and the arms she had used to swing the chair were still faintly numb. She didn’t answer, just looked intently at Qiu Xing.

Qiu Xing asked, “Are you scared?”

He patted her back and then raised his hand to pull her arms down.

However, the moment his fingers touched Lin Yiran’s arm, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him again.

This time, Lin Yiran used all her strength, kissing Qiu Xing with the determination of someone burning their bridges behind them.

A well-behaved, good student who had seen few romantic movies, she kissed without technique. This was the most outrageous thing this rule-abiding girl had ever done in her life—initiating a kiss with a man in a dark alley. Her breathing stuttered, and she was on the verge of tears.

Qiu Xing’s eyes were dark and deep, scanning Lin Yiran’s face with scrutiny.

During the time Qiu Xing didn’t respond, Lin Yiran could do nothing else but hold onto him helplessly yet persistently.

She had no idea of the many thoughts racing through Qiu Xing’s mind in those few seconds. The current circumstances he could only endure by numbing himself, the past he had given up on, and the future he temporarily had no hope for. They exploded in Qiu Xing’s brain, spreading along his nerves in those few seconds.

Lin Yiran’s lips pressed softly against his, outwardly bold but inwardly timid. Beneath her exhausted strength was her cautious touch and unspoken plea.

Her tears fell when Qiu Xing suddenly gripped her neck and bit her lip.

Qiu Xing’s hands were strong, and when he turned fierce, there was no gentleness in him.

His kiss was dominant and fierce, conquering and claiming territory. Lin Yiran was held in his arms, enveloped in Qiu Xing’s unique scent.

Compared to Lin Yiran merely pressing her lips against Qiu Xing’s earlier, this was a real kiss.

It was full of aggression, irresistible.

Before Lin Yiran ran out of breath, Qiu Xing released her.

Lin Yiran leaned against the wall, breathing hard.

“Is this what you wanted?” Qiu Xing’s voice had become deep and hoarse as he looked at her.

Lin Yiran couldn’t speak, her eyes glistening with moisture.

Qiu Xing gazed at her deeply for a while, then finally stepped back, giving her space. At the same time, he raised his hand and roughly ruffled her hair, then moved down to firmly cup her cheek, making Lin Yiran’s head sway.

*

The night before their separation was destined not to pass in ordinary calmness.

It was the finale of this summer, meant to draw a bold stroke to conclude this turbulent and unrestrained season.

That night, there was too much derailment and stimulation between them.

Alcohol, fighting, running, kissing.

They made nerves agitated and excited, turned restraint into abandon, and made the disciplined desire wildness. Made them want to cast aside all distractions, discard their miserable, makeshift lives, sweat into the air, hold tight to the only thing they possessed, and dive into the sea.

Behind the hotel door, in the unlit room enveloped in darkness, Lin Yiran could only see the indistinct figure of Qiu Xing.

Since that kiss, Lin Yiran hadn’t spoken again. She had simply held Qiu Xing’s hand in silence, walking with large strides along the road until they reached here.

Qiu Xing didn’t touch her, only asking in a deep voice in the darkness, “What do you want?”

Lin Yiran knew she was trembling, her breathing so chaotic she could barely speak clearly. She knew Qiu Xing was staring at her. Lin Yiran took a deep breath, bit her lip hard, and in that moment, closed her eyes and discarded her former self of nineteen years.

“You,” she opened her eyes and said to Qiu Xing.

They dove into the sea.

Moonlight flooded the water’s surface, shorelines faced each other from a distance, and the waves surged violently, swallowing them into the ocean depths.

*

Qiu Xing was not a gentle person. He wouldn’t speak softly and tenderly, nor would he say sweet nothings. Lin Yiran’s face turned pale with pain, but throughout, she didn’t shed a tear, just kept holding onto Qiu Xing.

Qiu Xing often kissed her fiercely, but would also softly kiss her eyes.

Lin Yiran remained in his arms the entire time, bidding farewell to her former self, beginning a new And Another Three – Chapter of her life from this night forward.

Her tears fell after the storm had calmed.

Qiu Xing still held her locked in his embrace, brushing away a few strands of sweat-dampened hair that clung to her face, revealing her fair complexion.

Qiu Xing leaned down and silently kissed her forehead, then touched her nose bridge, then her lips.

Lin Yiran’s tears fell at this moment, sliding down from the corners of her eyes.

Qiu Xing cupped her face in his palm, his thumb touching the corner of her eye, asking in a low voice, “Why are you crying?”

Lin Yiran’s moisture-filled eyes looked intently at Qiu Xing. Though red and tear-filled, they remained very beautiful.

“Qiu Xing,” Lin Yiran’s voice carried a slight hoarseness as she softly called his name.

Qiu Xing lowered his head to kiss her again. “Hmm?”

Lin Yiran raised her arms and embraced Qiu Xing once more.

“Don’t let me go, will you?”

Qiu Xing didn’t promise, only saying, “You have to go to school.”

Lin Yiran shed another tear and asked, “Then can you come see me? When you’re nearby… we can continue like this.”

Qiu Xing paused and asked her, “Like what?”

“…Like we are now.” Lin Yiran pressed her pale lips together, eyes closed as she spoke.

Qiu Xing raised his head to look at her, and after a few seconds asked, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to be alone,” Lin Yiran answered hoarsely.

Qiu Xing remained silent, not speaking, only staring at her. His eyes were so dark and deep that they frightened Lin Yiran a little.

“Can you stay with me for a while, until… until I’m close to graduation, is that possible?”

Qiu Xing continued to look at her.

The room fell into a suffocating silence, with only the sound of their breathing remaining.

Later, Qiu Xing calmly asked her, “I keep you company at school, you keep me company in bed. Is that what you mean?”

A certain word made Lin Yiran’s eyelashes tremble. It took her a long time before she nodded.

“How long? Four years? Three years?” Qiu Xing asked.

Lin Yiran, red-eyed, answered, “Three years.”

“And after that?”

Lin Yiran, tears flowing, said, “…After that, it ends.”

Qiu Xing’s face returned to its expressionless state as he nodded and said, “Alright.”

Qiu Xing got up and left. On the bed that had just been filled with passion and heat, only Lin Yiran remained.

The slightly cool air crept in, taking away everything that had seemed romantic and loving.

The moon hung high and pure in the sky, coolly observing the human world.

On this ordinary yet extraordinary summer night, Lin Yiran traded her innocence for the next three years.