Lemon Soda Candy - 101

Zhou Anran had plans with Zhang Shuxian today.

Her experiment ended early in the afternoon, so she went home first. After washing her hair, Zhou Anran sat at the dressing table to do her makeup. The ring on her left ring finger glinted in the mirror.

This was her wedding ring, from Chen Luobai.

They each had one. Starting from the day they received their marriage certificate, unless she was conducting experiments or in other situations where wearing jewelry was inconvenient, she had basically kept it on her finger. Chen Luobai didn't need to do experiments or appear in court, so he wore his far more often than she did.

They had registered their marriage after graduating with their master's degrees. Chen Luobai joined the Supreme People's Procuratorate, while she stayed on at the university after completing her doctorate.

Quite a few of their friends had also stayed in Beicheng: Yu Bingqin also remained at the university, and Zhu Ran, who came to pick her up constantly, was the couple they saw most frequently; Sheng Xiaowen fulfilled her wish and joined the Foreign Ministry; Zhou Qingsui entered a top-tier law firm in Beicheng; Yan Xingxi started a self-media account, enjoying flexible work, and occasionally flew around with Dong Chen, but her base was ultimately still in Beicheng.

Only Zhang Shuxian was different. She did her undergraduate studies in Nancheng, her master's there too, and now directly joined a local hospital in Nancheng, swamped with work. From starting her doctorate to graduating and staying on at the university, Zhou Anran had only met her three times in four years, and those were all during the New Year holidays.

This time, Zhang Shuxian came to Beicheng on a business trip with senior doctors from her hospital and only had this one free evening. The two had arranged to meet for a meal. It was just a pity Sheng Xiaowen was tied up with work and couldn't get away, and Yan Xingxi happened to be abroad with Dong Chen.

After finishing her makeup, Zhou Anran opened the drawer and took a necklace from the storage box. This was a birthday gift Zhang Shuxian had sent her last year. She'd wear it to see her.

As luck would have it, the moment she put the necklace on, Zhang Shuxian called.

A smile touched Zhou Anran's lips as she answered. She was just about to ask if she had set off when Zhang Shuxian's hurried voice came through: "Sorry, Ranran! A patient with a special condition just came into the ER here. Teacher Lu is taking us all to observe, so I can't have dinner with you tonight."

---

Zhang Shuxian had an early flight tomorrow morning. If they couldn't meet tonight, they'd miss their chance this time. The next meeting would probably have to wait until the New Year.

Zhou Anran swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and comforted her instead: "It's fine, it's fine, you go ahead with your work. We'll make plans next time you're free."

"Wah, next time, dinner's on me," Zhang Shuxian said hastily before hanging up.

Zhou Anran put her phone down, leaned forward onto the desk, and let out a soft sigh. After looking forward to it for days, not being able to meet was undoubtedly a bit disappointing. The joy and anticipation that had been tucked in her heart felt like a loosely tied balloon, slowly deflating.

Footsteps sounded nearby. Zhou Anran looked up and saw Chen Luobai walking in from outside, still wearing the procurator uniform he hadn't had time to change out of. His broad shoulders and narrow waist, paired with the solemn, dignified uniform, held a certain allure.

But the moment he caught her eye, Chen Luobai raised an eyebrow with a smile, walked over, and stopped beside her. "Didn't you have plans with Zhang Shuxian? Why haven't you left yet?"

A faint shadow of the boyishness from years past still lingered between his brows. How was it that this person seemed almost unchanged?

The slowly deflating balloon in her heart completely sank the moment she saw him. Zhou Anran reached out and hugged him, resting her head against his chest. The uniform buttons, cooled by the air conditioning, pressed lightly and coolly against her cheek.

Sensing her low spirits, Chen Luobai raised a hand to stroke her head, his voice softening. "What's wrong?"

"Shuxian had a last-minute work thing," Zhou Anran mumbled into his chest. "We can't meet this time after all."

"I see." Chen Luobai pulled back slightly, his hand slowly moving down from her temple to her chin. "Since you're already done doll up, no point wasting it. How about we go on a date?"

"Huh?"

Zhou Anran blinked. "It's not a holiday or anything, what are we going on a date for?"

Chen Luobai: "Since when do we need a holiday to go on a date?"

It wasn't that they couldn't go on a date. It was just that after marriage, living together, doing things together was a given. Eating meals together, grocery shopping together, watching movies together, traveling together… "Together" was their daily life. Unless it was a holiday or a special anniversary, the word "date" was rarely mentioned in earnest.

"We're an old married couple now."

"What old married couple?" Chen Luobai sounded almost offended, pinching her cheek. "Zhou Anran, we've only been married for four years, are you already disliking me?"

It had been four years since they registered their marriage, but they had been together for ten years already. A whole decade. Friends couldn't always meet often, but he was still right here by her side.

The little dark cloud over her head dispersed. Zhou Anran's face brightened. "You and your word choice."

As if she would ever dislike him. Their high school teachers would probably be so mad they'd throw chalk at him if they heard.

"Where did I misuse it? You'd never treat me like this before." Chen Luobai continued pinching her cheek, putting on an act of intense interrogation. "Are we going or not? Going or not?"

Zhou Anran hugged him, laughing. "Yes, yes, we're going."

Somewhat satisfied, the man finally released her cheek with a smile. "Wait for me to change."

Beicheng in July wasn't much cooler than Nancheng.

A spur-of-the-moment date, hampered by both the sweltering heat and congested traffic, didn't leave many options. Add to that the fact that neither had eaten dinner, they ultimately settled on the most conventional plan: dinner and a movie.

They chose a commercial film that was nearing the end of its run. Chen Luobai had been busy with work recently, so they hadn't found time to see it yet, but most people already had. Besides the two of them, the theater only held two young girls on their Nth viewing to support their idol.

Zhou Anran wasn't fond of popcorn. Having dinner right before the movie, her stomach was still full, so she didn't buy a drink either. But the dinner dishes had been slightly salty, and halfway through the film, a dry thirst began to creep up in her mouth. It was still tolerable, so Zhou Anran didn't get up to buy water.

As her mind wandered, something touched her lips. A familiar, clean scent enveloped her as Chen Luobai's low voice sounded near her ear: "Open up."

Zhou Anran obediently opened her mouth. What was placed inside seemed to be a dark plum; her tongue instantly tasted its sour-sweet flavor, and she seemed to also brush against his fingertip, a very familiar sensation. When they were out, this person always knew his boundaries. That bit of warm contact was fleeting.

Zhou Anran slowly chewed the plum in her mouth, the thirst dissipating.

The two fan girls sat in the very back row. Before the movie started, they had been excitedly chattering nonstop, but now, probably mindful of the two strangers present, only the occasional, barely suppressed excited comment drifted over in low tones.

Zhou Anran and Chen Luobai sat in the middle, somewhat distanced from the two girls, so they weren't worried about disturbing them. She leaned slightly toward the person beside her and asked softly, "Where did you get the plum?"

They hadn't been apart for a second since leaving home. Where had he produced a snack from?

Chen Luobai: "A colleague bought them. I thought you'd like them." He'd asked for a pack before getting off work.

Zhou Anran smiled in the dim theater. "Are there more? Are you thirsty? Do you want one too?"

"Not thirsty." Chen Luobai said quietly, "Give me your hand."

Thinking he was going to give her the rest of the plums, Zhou Anran obediently raised her hand and reached over.

The theater was half-lit, half-dark. Her outstretched hand was grasped by his, their fingers interlacing.

Zhou Anran couldn't help smiling again. She let him hold it for a while before reminding him, "The two behind us seem to be high school students."

"Oh?" The man's tone was unhurried. "But we're legally married."

Zhou Anran: "…"

"And didn't we also meet in high school?" Chen Luobai added leisurely. "A date should feel like a date, Zhou Anran."

"Alright then." Convinced, Zhou Anran quietly gripped his hand back in the darkness. They held hands from then on and didn't let go until the movie ended.

Coming out of the theater, Chen Luobai, still holding her hand, asked, "Still thirsty?"

The movie had started at 8:30 PM, and it was now almost 10:30 PM.

Zhou Anran looked around. "Seems like most places are closing."

Chen Luobai tipped his chin toward a certain spot. "That place is still open."

Zhou Anran followed his gaze. It was a row of claw machines. Coincidentally, the first one was filled with fluffy rabbits. It was like hearing a familiar song; distant memories came flooding back.

But these days, aside from accompanying her, his mind was wholly on cases. He even played basketball less often. Was his claw machine skill still up to par? Zhou Anran looked at him, half expectant, half skeptical. "Shall we try?"

Chen Luobai saw right through her thoughts and pinched her cheek in displeasure. "What's with that look?"

As it turned out, some people were forever favored by heaven. Even if he seemed a bit rusty at first, he quickly regained his touch after a few tries. Soon, Zhou Anran's arms were filled with three rabbits.

"That's enough, right?" Seeing he was about to buy more tokens, Zhou Anran hurriedly stopped him. "We don't have any kids at home, what do we need so many plushies for?"

So many years had passed; even Tuantuan, the one who had discovered that brand of lemon soda candy back then, was now a young woman.

Chen Luobai paused, glanced at her with a hint of a teasing smile, his tone laced with suggestion. "If you want one, I'm willing to cooperate."

What! Was! He! Thinking!?! And he actually had the nerve to say it in a tone like he was the one being taken advantage of!

Zhou Anran shoved the three plushies in her arms back into his. "I can't be bothered with you. I want to go back."

Chen Luobai let out a slow "Oh," raising an eyebrow. "In such a hurry?"

Her reserved nature hadn't changed much over the years, and she really wasn't comfortable discussing this topic with him in public. The tips of her ears instantly turned red, and she shot him a look that was half-annoyed, half-exasperated.

Chen Luobai knew when to stop. He stopped teasing her, holding the little rabbits in one hand and pulling her back to his side with the other. "Alright, let's go back."

Shops were closing one after another. Passing by a cake shop, Chen Luobai seemed reminded of something and suddenly asked, "Your birthday is coming up soon, right?"

Zhou Anran had been busy lately too; if he hadn't mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten. "Yeah, I guess so."

"It's not that far off." Chen Luobai gently swung their joined hands. "I'll give you a chance to make a wish in advance. I'll make it come true."

Zhou Anran: "I don't really have any wishes to make."

Aside from friends having their own lives and not being able to meet as often, she really couldn't find much to be dissatisfied with in her current situation.

Family was healthy. Work was relatively smooth. The person spending his life with her was still the one she had fallen for all the way back in her youth. One shouldn't be too greedy.

The man adopted a promotional tone. "Think about it again, this is a limited-time opportunity, Baby."

So Zhou Anran thought about it carefully, just to humor him. Finally, she tilted her head to look at him. "Well, there does seem to be one, but this is probably one you can't help me with."

Chen Luobai raised an eyebrow. "How do you know I can't if you don't say it?"

Zhou Anran: "It's that I hope you have fewer cases in the second half of your life."

The cases that reached them were all major, important cases or those with guiding significance. From any perspective, she genuinely hoped their caseload would decrease.

Chen Luobai nodded, looking understanding, his tone meaningful. "So you actually want me to have more time for you?"

This scroundel! Twisting her words again!

"Chen Luobai." Zhou Anran didn't know whether to be angry or laugh, and couldn't help glaring at him. "Your Chinese language skills have deteriorated."

"Have they?" Chen Luobai laughed. "Seems like they've evolved, since I can understand my wife's subtext now."

Zhou Anran: "I didn't know I had any subtext."

"That's why it's called subtext." Chen Luobai said leisurely. "And what you don't know, I naturally don't know either."

"I can't win against you in an argument."

Zhou Anran's birthday fell on a weekend, but they both had to work overtime that day, so they didn't bother organizing any party or date, simply agreeing to have dinner together at home that evening.

That afternoon, she was busy in the lab until five o'clock when Yu Bingqin, working beside her, unusually took the initiative to speak: "Isn't it your birthday? Head back early."

The work that needed to be done was mostly finished; the rest could wait until Monday.

Zhou Anran nodded, then asked her, "Qin-jie, do you want to come over and have dinner with us? We can invite Zhu Ran too."

Perhaps because there was a chatterbox at home now, Yu Bingqin spoke even less than in previous years. She succinctly tossed out six words: "I won't be a third wheel."

Having been the subject of everyone's teasing from university until now, Zhou Anran had developed some immunity. Pretending not to hear, she waved goodbye.

It wasn't even 5:30 PM when she reached her doorstep. Zhou Anran guessed Chen Luobai wasn't back yet and planned to check the kitchen first to see if there was anything she could help with.

They had a regular auntie who helped with cooking. When not too busy, Chen Luobai occasionally cooked too. Zhou Anran still hadn't learned how to cook, but she could help with washing vegetables. Mentally running through what was in the fridge, Zhou Anran used facial recognition to unlock the door. The moment she pushed it open—a "BANG!" exploded by her ear.

Colorful confetti instantly filled her vision.

Zhou Anran heard a chorus of voices: "Happy Birthday!"

Before she could clearly see what was happening, someone stepped in front of her, cursing, "Damn it! Zhu Ran, when did you hide that confetti cannon? You could have scared her."

Zhu Ran laughed cheekily. "Your wife isn't that easily scared."

"Piss off." Chen Luobai said with a laugh. "Try that again next time and don't expect to come freeload meals at my place."

Zhou Anran's head was covered in multicolored confetti strands. Chen Luobai stood half-shielding her. She shifted her gaze and finally saw the situation inside the room.

The living room, which usually felt a bit too spacious, was now packed with people.

Zhu Ran, Sheng Xiaowen, Zhou Qingsui, Yan Xingxi, Dong Chen, Yu Bingqin—who had just told her in the lab she wouldn't be a third wheel—Zhang Shuxian, whom she hadn't managed to meet recently… and also Tang Jianrui, Bao Kun, Huang Shujie, Shao Zilin, whom she hadn't seen in ages. The last time they had all gathered like this was the day Chen Luobai proposed to her.

Zhou Anran's nose inexplicably tingled. She asked a silly question: "How is everyone here?"

Zhang Shuxian: "I was supposed to be on shift, but your husband pulled some strings to get someone to cover for me, plus he reimbursed the round-trip flight. Of course I had to come celebrate your birthday."

Zhu Ran: "It's rare for someone to practically beg me, so I thought I'd give him face."

"We had our flights reimbursed, accommodation and food covered, no reason not to come!" Tang Jianrui chimed in.

Amid the noisy commotion, the mastermind behind it all looked perfectly calm, intently and carefully picking the confetti strands from her hair. A moment later, once the confetti blocking her view was all in his hand, she finally heard him speak softly: "Didn't I say? Whatever wish you have, I'll make it come true."

Inside the room, the laughter and chatter of good friends continued.

Outside, dusk was approaching, the cicadas' song faint.

It was summer once again.

---

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