Lemon Soda Candy - 18

After the college entrance examination ended, the school lost one-third of its students and became noticeably much more empty. The school cafeteria and nearby restaurants were no longer as crowded as before.

By mid-June, Nancheng city was experiencing unusually hot weather, the cicadas started to chirp and the street was scorching with high temperature.

Sleeping comfortably without air conditioner running all night had become impossible.

Zhou Anran accidentally kicked off her blanket while sleeping with the air conditioner on and caught a cold. Her symptoms persisted on and off until the end of June.

In hot weather, even appetite was affected. 

After recovering from her cold, Zhou Anran no longer needed to force herself to eat light meals. That afternoon, she went to eat noodles with Yan Xingxi and the others at a small restaurant outside the school.

Once the noodles were served, Zhou Anran mixed the seasonings and first took a piece of bean curd that she specially requested the boss to add. As she took a bite, she heard Zhang Shuxian whisper quietly, "By the way, this afternoon I heard that Yin Yizhen openly said in their classroom that she and Zongkai were like siblings and asked everyone to stop teasing them in the future. What does she mean by this, is she really going to start pursuing Chen Luobai? I've never seen her refute rumors in such a serious manner before.''

Zhou Anran's heart tightened, forgetting that the bean curd had been soaking in the stewed soup and had absorbed the soup, she choked.

She quickly grabbed some tissues to cover her mouth and coughed until tears welled up in her eyes.

Yan Xingxi hurriedly helped her pick up the iced lemon tea and passed it to her, "Why are you so careless?" 

Zhou Anran put the straw in her mouth and took a large gulp of the tea, barely suppressing the choking spiciness in her throat. 

"What a sight, Ranran actually listens to the gossip so seriously that she ends up choking." Seeing that her cough had subsided, Zhang Shuxian joked smilingly.

Zhou Anran didn't know how to respond, she could only smile at her while holding the cup, taking a couple more sips of the iced lemon tea.

Sheng Xiaowen asked curiously, "You were with us during lunch today and basically stayed in the classroom for most of the day. How did you find out about this?”

Zhang Shuxian blinked, "I heard it when I went to the washroom. Someone in class 3 was my classmate in middle school.”

Yan Xingxi took a bite of the noodles and suddenly recalled something, "Speaking of which, did you guys notice that Zong Kai seems to have come to our class a lot less often recently?”

Zhang Shuxian nodded enthusiastically, "Oh yes yes, he visited often last semester. He also still brought Yin Yizhen along at the start of this semester. But lately Yin Yizhen has been coming over by herself a lot, while Zong Kai hasn't been coming over much.” 

Sheng Xiaowen laughed, "Why are you making it sound like it's some kind of bloody love triangle.”

"Hahaha, it's the classic plot of a childhood sweetheart competing with a new love interest." Zhang Shuxian pondered, "Well, all three of them are attractive, so I don't mind either way.”

Zhou Anran ate the bean curd silently, not joining the conversation. However, not sure if the bean curd had been soaked in the stew for too long, it tasted astringent in her mouth.

After eating the noodles, the four of them walked back to school with their unfinished drinks, chatting along the way.

Shortly after entering the school gate, Sheng Xiaowen suddenly sighed, "Ah, I can't believe that our first year of high school is almost over. I wonder if I'll be able to have dinner like this with you guys again next semester. We're going to split class, only Ranran and Shuxian will stay together. Xixi and I are transferring to liberal arts. God knows which class we'll be assigned to next semester.”

Yan Xingxi said sadly, "Let's not talk about this. Even the thought of it annoys me. If only I scored better at science, I wouldn't have to switch to liberal arts.” 

Zhou Anran comforted her, "Don't worry, we'll still be going to school together.” 

"That's right, you and Ranran are practically inseparable. Besides, we can still have dinner together.” Zhang Shuxian also comforted her, "Just come visit us after class. We're still in the same school anyway, just a few more steps away.”

The noodle restaurant was located outside the east gate, and as Zhou Anran listened, her eyes wandered over to the basketball court out of habit.

From a distance, she easily spotted a familiar figure on the third court in the first row.

The boy appeared to have taken someone's ball.

It looked somewhat like Zhu Ran, but Zhou Anran wasn't entirely sure. 

Afraid of being noticed by her friends, she glanced at him secretly before quietly looking away.

As the distance got closer, Zhang Shuxian finally noticed the people on the court, "Hey, guys look. That's Chen Luobai and the others playing basketball, right? Zong Kai is there too, and Yin Yizhen is watching from the side. How exciting!”

Only then did Zhou Anran look over openly.

 

Just in time to see him jump to make a three-point shot.

The basketball hoop was facing away from them, she couldn't see if the ball went in, but the next moment, she saw the boy outside the three-point line suddenly raised his lips and smiled.

The teenager's smile was brimming with unconcealed exuberance.

It must've went in.

Zhang Shuxian lamented, "Our school grass sure is handsome when he plays ball. Looks like the new love interest is going to win over the childhood sweetheart after all. Now that Yin Yizhen has made her relationship with Zong Kai clear, I guess our school will soon hear a relationship rumor between her and Chen Luobai.”

Biting the straw, Zhou Anran felt that this cup of iced lemon tea was especially sour today.

And just as Zhang Shuxian expected, within a few days, some people at school were speculating about the relationship between Yin Yizhen and Chen Luobai.

However, perhaps because of the upcoming final exams. In the following time, Yin Yizhen didn't come to their class much. Even Zhang Shuxian was focused on her studies and lost interest in gossip. Zhou Anran only occasionally overheard people whispering about it when she went to crowded places. 

One of the reasons why the ‘gossip’ has not spread widely was probably because so far, Chen Luobai has never personally went to Class 3 to find Yin Yizhen, nor had he spent any time alone with her at school.

Holding on to this comfort, Zhou Anran also buried her head into study.

The day before the final exam, she started her period. 

The first day was always particularly uncomfortable, but she usually didn't experience much pain on the second day, so it shouldn't impact the final exam too much.

It's just that for some reason, the pain was so bad this time. She felt really unwell for the whole day. 

After the afternoon class, Yan Xingxi offered to bring her food and told her to stay in the classroom and rest.

Zhou Anran lay on her desk, forcing herself to study for the history exam.

When it was time to change the sanitary napkin, she endured the pain and got up from the chair.

During lunch time, the teaching building is always especially quiet. Zhou Anran covered her stomach and slowly made her way to the washroom. Once she finished and stood up, she suddenly heard a voice.

 

"The washroom in the teaching building is always awfully quiet at this time of the day. Luckily, I have you here with me, or else I wouldn't dare to come in.”

The voice sounded very sweet, it was Yin Yizhen.

The one who answered was Lou Yiqi, she laughed and said, "There are still people in some of the classrooms, and you only came in to wash your hands, what is there to be scared of?”

"Even so, I'm still scared." Yin Yizhen replied with a pout.

Zhou Anran was about to open the door, but when she heard what she said, afraid that she would frighten her if she suddenly opened the door, she paused. During her hesitation, the voices continued to come from outside, mixed with the sound of water running.

"Oh, right." Yin Yizhen said, "Last night, I asked Chen Luobai to go out alone after the final exam.”

Zhou Anran's hand, which was already holding the door handle, suddenly froze.

Lou Yiqi said disapprovingly, "Why did you still ask him out? Didn't I tell you not to let him know that you like him? All the girls who liked him before were—” 

The sound of water stopped, Yin Yizhen interrupted her.

“All rejected by him, and he would keep his distance from them, I know. But I can't help it, I don't want to keep acting like I don't like him in front of him, and—" The girl paused, her voice filled with joy and excitement that she couldn't conceal,”he agreed.” 

Lou Yiqi sounded extremely surprised, her voice was several times louder than before, "He agreed?”

"Yeah, he agreed." Yin Yizhen was brimming with smiles, “Can you believe it? Someone who usually wouldn't even cross the street next to a girl actually agreed to go out alone with me. That must mean he likes me, right?”

The washroom was quiet for a few seconds before Lou Yiqi's voice rang out, "Right...”

"I think so too." Yin Yizhen grinned and said,”Tell me, should I take the initiative and confess first that day? Or should I wait for him to confess to me? I—”

Then, along the sound of footsteps, the voice faded away into the distance.

The washroom returned to silence. 

It was so quiet that it seemed like the air had come to a standstill.

After a few moments, Zhou Anran slowly opened the door.

The person who would always keep a distance from girls, suddenly stopped keeping his distance from someone. Apart from liking her, she couldn't think of any other reason.

Maybe her stomach hurt too much and she was in too much pain. As soon as she left the washroom, her nose suddenly felt sore.

As she neared the classroom, the soreness only intensified, and she found herself unable to control her emotions.

But when she came out of the classroom just now, He Mingyu was still inside along with two other students who also stayed to study quietly.

Zhou Anran didn't want others to see her in this state.

She turned around and went to the stairs next to the classroom, making her way upstairs. With each step, she felt a pull in her abdomen, intensifying the pain.

When she reached the empty rooftop, Zhou Anran couldn't tell if it was because she was too tired or the increasing pain, she could barely stand on her feet and ended up half-crouched near the doorway. 

As she blinked her eyes, tears fell to the ground. 

The rooftop of the teaching building was even quieter than the restroom she had just left, and this silence gave Zhou Anran the courage to momentarily surrender to her emotions.

She buried her head on her knees, crying silently, unable to hold back her small sobs.

Overwhelmed by her emotions and the pain in her stomach, Zhou Anran was completely oblivious to the sound of approaching footsteps until she heard a voice ringing above her head.

"Classmate, are you okay?"

It was an all too familiar voice.

A voice that she could instantly recognize without even raising her head.

A voice that had echoed in the center of her mind countless times even though she had not spoken a word to its owner.

——Chen Luobai’s voice.

Zhou Anran felt like luck was really against her.

Of all days, she happened to have her period the day before the exam.

Of all days, she found herself alone with him in her most embarrassing state when she least wanted to be seen by him. 

Zhou Anran's tears stopped, her shoulders stiffened.

Her surroundings suddenly became clear again, she could hear the sound of the wind from the rooftop, carrying the dry scent of summer's heat.

Perhaps because she wasn't responding, she heard his footsteps walking away, starting off light and then growing heavier; probably because he rushed down the stairs, before gradually disappearing again. 

The rooftop fell back into silence.

She obviously didn't want him to see her in her current embarrassing state, but when she confirmed that he had really left, Zhou Anran felt an indescribable sense of loss.

Fearing that there would be other people coming up, Zhou Anran stopped indulging in her emotions. She took a moment to force herself to gather her emotions. When she finally stood up, the pain in her stomach suddenly struck again and her feet were numb. 

Just as Zhou Anran barely managed to stand up, she heard another sound of hurried footsteps. 

Her heart pounded, she subconsciously looked up towards the door—

A tall young man came running in from the rooftop door, his school uniform billowing in the wind, just like the day she first met him.

He stopped in front of her, perhaps because he saw her face this time, his tone was noticeably different from earlier.

"It's you.”

It was no longer the polite ‘Classmate, are you okay?’. 

‘It's you.’ These two words held a sense of familiarity, a special treatment that she got as his classmate.

But that's as far as it goes.

Zhou Anran's vision became blurry again.

She really didn't want to cry in front of him, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Why are you crying again?" The boy's voice was a little at a loss as he reached out his hand towards her.

Even with her teary eyes, Zhou Anran could vaguely see that he was holding a pack of tissues.

This must be why he left just now.

She should've guessed it.

After all, she had been helped by him since the first time they met.

He has always been a very well-mannered person. He would politely keep his distance from all girls, yet he also didn't hesitate to lend a hand when needed.

She probably would never encounter another man as great as him in her lifetime.

Unfortunately, it can only end here.

Now, there was a girl who made him not want to keep his distance anymore.

He has someone he likes.

To be honest, Chen Luobai had almost no impression of the girl in front of him.

On one hand, he was influenced by Fang Jin and had clear goals since he was young; he knew what he wanted and what he should do in high school. On the other hand, it might be a bit narcissistic to think this way, but the truth was that if he really paid more attention to any girl in school, he would probably be booed on the spot, and messy rumors would spread within two days.

This was the first time he'd really looked at her face.

She was actually quite pretty.

She has fair skin, a small face, and particularly beautiful eyes. She didn't look embarrassed even when she was flushed red from crying; instead, she looked incredibly pitiful. 

Chen Luobai had never encountered a situation like this before.

But regardless, they were classmates. She was crying so sadly, he couldn't just turn around and leave.

"Did something happen at home?"

Zhou Anran looked at him with blurred eyes.

Perhaps because he was afraid of stimulating her emotions, the boy kept his voice low when he spoke, sounding somewhat gentle. 

She had wished for such opportunities before, like finding his student card, or moving to the seat in front of him, or even becoming his desk mate, so she could have a chance to talk to him openly.

She never imagined the opportunity would present itself like this in the end. 

She didn’t know if God liked to play tricks on people, or if God was punishing her for not being brave enough. 

Zhou Anran knew that he was not really asking if something happened at her home, but rather the reason why she was crying. However, this was a question she could never answer. 

He already has someone he likes.

That girl also likes him.

Maybe they will be together soon.

Even for the sake of all the times he had helped her, she shouldn't cause him any more trouble. 

Still, her mind was in a mess, she couldn't think of any suitable reason, and could only absent-mindedly shake her head.

Chen Luobai felt a headache.

He didn't know anything about the girl in front of him and had no way to guess why she was crying. 

It couldn't be because of falling out of love, right?

If that were the case, it would be best not to inquire further.

"Then—" Chen Luobai paused, "is it because the final exams are too stressful?"

Zhou Anran bit her lip, hesitated, and finally nodded.

Let him think so.

Let Zhou Anran's feelings for Chen Luobai remain a secret, just like those two lemon soda candies, hidden forever without anyone knowing.

Chen Luobai breathed a sigh of relief.

If it was because of study, things would be much easier. 

"We're not even in our second year of high school yet, there's no need to be so anxious. If it's really too stressful for you, how about skipping evening self-study—”

Not sure if it was just his illusion, but Chen Luobai felt that with every word he said, the more tears fell from the girl in front of him. 

He tried to think back.

But he could only remember her as being quiet in class. She doesn't talk much and has a very low sense of presence.

He had a vague impression that she was quite a well-behaved girl. 

Maybe she was too well-behaved and was frightened by his suggestion to skip class?

Chen Luobai cleared his throat, "I mean you can ask for a leave from the evening self-study. If Lao Gao comes to explain topics tonight, I can lend you my notes?”

For a moment, Zhou Anran almost nodded her head. 

But she couldn't do that.

She couldn't despicably take advantage of his kindness, especially knowing that he already had feelings for someone else and was unaware of her thoughts. 

Zhou Anran's fingers hanging at her side slowly tightened, causing her fingertips to dig into her palm. The sharp pain allowed her to maintain some semblance of controlling her emotions.

"No need." She shook her head, choking back a sob, "I'll be fine after I cry and vent for a while.”

Chen Luobai: "Are you sure?”

"Yeah." Zhou Anran nodded again, clenching her fingertips tighter before adding, "You can head down first."

"Alright." Chen Luobai also felt a little awkward. He handed the tissue to her again, "Here, take this.”

Zhou Anran didn't refuse this time.

She came out of the classroom not expecting to hear those words in the restroom, and didn't bring any extra tissues with her.

As she took the tissue, she carefully avoided touching his hand.

Chen Luobai took another careful look at her, seeing that she had indeed stopped crying, he gestured his chin towards the door, "I'll head down first.”

Zhou Anran squeezed the tissue in her hand.

After he goes down, they probably won't have any more interactions in the future.

Now that he has someone he likes, he will probably be more cautious about maintaining a distance from other girls in the future.

The sore feeling in her nose came up again. Zhou Anran was afraid that her voice would be filled with tears, so she remained silent and just nodded.

The boy didn't say anything more, turned around and strode towards the stairs.

The moment she saw him stepping through the door, not sure where she got the courage from, Zhou Anran suddenly called out to him.

"Chen Luobai.”

Chen Luobai turned around.

The girl stood not far away were looking at him, she was not too tall, her slender figure that stood out against her loose school uniform. Her eyes were still red, as if in the next second she could start crying at any moment.

But she did not cry.

Chen Luobai saw her squeeze out a somewhat awkward smile at him.

Zhou Anran stared at him, as if she was trying to imprint the boy's figure in her mind forever.

She missed it the first two times, but she still owed him a thank you.

Zhou Anran tried to suppress the sob in her voice, "Thank you."

Chen Luobai was only concerned about her crying a moment ago and only now noticed the girl's voice. Light and soft, with a slight hint of faint raspiness, it was unique and pleasant to ears. 

He felt like he had heard a similar voice at some point in his memory.

But Chen Luobai really couldn't recall any other interactions he had with her besides today.

It seemed that he helped English teacher to call her once, but she didn't say any word to him then.

Maybe he remembered it wrong.

"It's nothing. I'm leaving." Chen Luobai waved his hand at her and turned to go downstairs.

The boy's tall figure soon disappeared from sight.

Clutching the tissue he gave her, Zhou Anran slowly knelt down and buried her face in her arm again.

If she had been a little braver back then, if in the past two times she had thanked him boldly like she did today, would the ending be different today?

This question will forever remain unanswered.

---

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