Lemon Soda Candy - 23

When Zhou Anran returned from getting water, the boy was sleeping on his desk, his school bag hanging casually on one side of the chair.

Did he not sleep well again? 

Zhou Anran pondered in her heart as she quietly walked towards her seat.

But after observing him secretly, she noticed that even after getting some sleep, his mood hadn't improved. His mood was so bad that Tang Jianrui and others went to check on him. 

However, they were all blocked by Zhu Ran.

It seemed that something had really happened.

While Zhou Anran was a little worried, there was nothing she could do.

If even his close friends couldn't do anything, let alone her, an ordinary classmate who wasn't familiar with him whatsoever. 

And it's not like she can secretly put candies on his desk like last time.

That has been proven to be a terrible idea.

Chen Luobai did not attend the evening self-study that day. After the last class in the afternoon, he left the classroom with his schoolbag.

Zhu Ran also followed out, but returned to the classroom alone shortly after.

Zhou Anran was worried about him skipping class. Fortunately, when Gao Guohua came by in the evening, he didn't show any surprise at his absence.

Zhou Anran spent the first day of her second year of high school in worries. 

She remembered that whenever he was in a bad mood last semester, it didn't seem to last long. So Zhou Anran thought that when she saw him again tomorrow, his mood would improve.

To her surprise, he was in an even fouler mood the following day. Even Zhu Ran, who had always been noisy, remained quiet all day, seemingly afraid to disturb him. 

There are only two days of school in the first week of the new semester.

Zhou Anran could only hope that he would encounter some joy over the weekend. Yet, she also worried that his mood might worsen without his friends around.

Lost in her emotions, she was a little distracted as she packed up her things after the last class meeting in the afternoon.

Later at home, after eating and taking a shower in the evening, when she went back to her room to do her homework, Zhou Anran discovered that she had left her maths homework behind and didn't bring it home. 

Zhou Anran puffed up her face in annoyance, she changed out of her pyjamas into a white shirt and black skirt, grabbed her school badge and empty school bag, then left the room, saying to He Jiayi who was in the living room, "Mom, I forgot my maths homework in the classroom, I have to go and get it.”

"How can you be so forgetful?" He Jiayi watched her daughter's hasty walk, couldn't help but add, "Take Xixi to go with you.”

"Did you forget that Xixi is going back to the countryside to visit her grandmother with her parents this week?" With no pockets in her shirt and skirt, she stashed her school badge into her bag while walking. Her voice was still a little hoarse, "I'll be fine. It's still light out, the school is bustling with people.”

At school, Zhou Anran first went to the girls' dormitory to borrow the classroom key from the deputy monitor.

By the time she's done getting her maths homework from the classroom, it was already pretty dark outside.

Zhou Anran didn't lie to He Jiayi.

On Friday night, the school is still bustling with activity. Third year students are staying for evening self-study, students in the competition class are staying for extra lessons, some sports students are staying for extra training, and boarding students who didn't go home are strolling on the school playground.

However, all the students in the first and second grades of high school were already on vacation. The whole second teaching building was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. The playground outside the teaching building today was empty. Now that it was getting dark, Zhou Anran felt a little scared.

She quickly locked the door and ran out of the teaching building.

The moment she stepped outside, Zhou Anran spotted a tall, slender figure standing nearby. 

She stopped abruptly, and her heartbeat that was racing from running started to beat even faster.

Why did he go back to school?

The boy not far away was dressed in a simple white tee and black athletic shorts, exuding a sense of freshness. He had a basketball tucked under his left arm and a phone in his right hand, tapping away on his phone, his gaze fixed on the screen.

The light was not too dim, Zhou Anran noticed a glaring red spot on his raised right elbow, it looked like it had been scratched.

She felt her heart tightened.

How did he get hurt?

Did he accidentally fall while playing ball?

Zhou Anran reached into the side pocket of her schoolbag.

Ms. He had prepared a bunch of iodine cotton swabs and Band-Aids in it for her.

Zhou Anran took out two iodine cotton swabs and two band-aids and was thinking of giving them to him.

Yet, as soon as this thought popped up in her mind, her feet seemed rooted to the ground, as if burdened by invisible weights. Her heart, which had momentarily calmed, now raced in her chest, threatening to break free, and her palms holding the cotton swab began to sweat.

Zhou Anran took a deep breath and quietly encouraged herself in her heart.

Didn’t you promise yourself you'd try to be braver this semester?

He's helped you so many times, it's only fair to help him now.

Moreover, if it were any other boy from class standing there and not him, you wouldn't hesitate. Why are you so timid when it comes to him?

Chen Luobai was replying to Zhu Ran's text, as he looked down to put his phone back into his pocket, he noticed that the laces on his left shoe were loose. 

He bent down and set the basketball aside.

After securing his shoelaces, Chen Luobai was about to get up when he saw a slender and beautiful hand reaching out in front of him. The nails were neatly trimmed, holding two cotton swabs.

At that moment, a voice came from above him. The person who spoke seemed to have a cold. Her voice was a little hoarse and had a distinct nasal sound. She sounded warm and timid, "This cotton swab has iodine for disinfection. Just fold it to use it.”

Chen Luobai didn't react right away. He glanced up, wanting to take a look at who the other person was, but his gaze first fell upon a pair of straight and slender legs. Her porcelain-white skin was almost blinding against the black skirt, there was a small black mole on the inner thigh standing out prominently.

This scene caught him off guard.

Chen Luobai quickly averted his gaze.

Just then, another voice came from behind.

"AhLuo." It was Zong Kai.

Chen Luobai turned around, and almost immediately, he felt a soft and warm touch on his hand, something was stuffed into his hand.

When he turned back again, the slender figure had dashed into the teaching building, her black skirt swaying gently. 

The object nestled in his hand still retained a warmth unfamiliar to him. Chen Luobai looked down and found two cotton swabs and two small band-aids.

"AhLuo." Zong Kai had already reached behind him.

Chen Luobai rose to his feet, pivoted, and noticed Yin Yizhen trailing behind Zong Kai, his brows frowned slightly.

He ignored Yin Yizhen, turned to face the entrance of the teaching building, and quietly asked Zong Kai, "Did you see the girl who just handed me these things?”

Zong Kai opened his mouth and was about to speak when he sensed a tug on his T-shirt from behind. He paused for a second, "I didn't see clearly."

***

Zhou Anran leaned against the wall, her heart beating faster and faster. She bit her lip in frustration. 

What was she even hiding from just now?

She clearly knew there was nothing remotely ambiguous between him and Yin Yizhen. 

She and him are classmates. It was normal for her to give him cotton swabs when she saw him with an injured hand. Running away would only make her seem like a guilty thief.

Yet, she still ran away.

Zhou Anran moved to a more secluded spot, so they wouldn't be able to see her in case they decided to return to the classroom. 

He probably didn't see her clearly just now, right?

Regret washed over Zhou Anran, she lightly knocked her head against the wall.

Had she known that she would run into him at school today, she would have worn a prettier dress.

After waiting for a while and not hearing any footsteps approaching, Zhou Anran's curiosity was piqued once more.

Why exactly did he go back to school again?

He had a basketball in hand just now. Did he make an appointment with Zong Kai and the others for a game?

Why is Yin Yizhen also here? 

Instinctively, Zhou Anran took a few more steps towards the corridor outside Class 5, and quietly peeked from the wall to take a look outside.

Zong Kai and Yin Yizhen have left.

The boy was now standing at the edge of the playground with a basketball under his arm and his back to the teaching building. Perhaps it was the darkened sky, or maybe it was because he was always surrounded by friends. Zhou Anran felt that his back looked tall and lonely at this moment.

Why didn't he ask his friends to accompany him?

Is he still feeling down?

Zhou Anran pursed her lips, retrieved her phone from her school bag, switched it to silent mode, then sent a message to He Jiayi: [Mom, I ran into a classmate at school. I might return home a little later.]

He Jiayi soon answered: [Just don't stay out too long.]

Zhou Anran replied with an ‘OK’ emoji.

She couldn't do anything to help him, she just stayed with him quietly for a while.

Even if he couldn't see her.

The night had already enveloped them, and the boy's figure was blurred by the darkness. Only a faint outline of his tall, slender frame was seen.

But since she could see him not far away, Zhou Anran no longer felt scared of the eerie quietness at the teaching building where she stayed. 

She only thought that the wind that night was especially gentle.

After an unknown amount of time, the phone screen suddenly lit up again.

It was He Jiayi who sent a message to urge her to go back: [It’s already 8 o’clock, have you finished chatting with your classmates yet? It’s not safe to go home so late.]

Zhou Anran bit her lip, trying to think of excuses to stay a little longer.

But probably because it took her so long to reply, He Jiayi grew concerned and soon gave her a call. 

Zhou Anran's hand slipped and she accidentally hung up the call.

She also knew it wasn't wise to accompany him any longer.

She lowered her head and texted back: [I accidentally hung up just now. We're done chatting, I'll return shortly.]

Zhou Anran quietly made her way out of the door. Chen Luobai didn't look back, and naturally he didn't see her. She should have felt relieved, yet, a hint of worry lingered. 

Would he be okay on his own?

Why is he in such a bad mood?

It wasn't until she saw Zhu Ran walking towards him that Zhou Anran finally put her mind at rest. 

There were not many people around, as Zhu Ran was about to walk past her, he suddenly looked in her direction out of curiosity.

She didn't know if stuffing cotton swabs into Chen Luobai's hand tonight had used up all her courage, or if secretly staying in the teaching building to accompany him made her feel guilty when she met his friends. Zhu Ran actually was still some distance away from her, but the moment he looked over, Zhou Anran quickly took a large step to the side.

Then she ran away hurriedly.

Zhu Ran looked back in confusion but didn't dwell on it. Seeing Chen Luobai standing alone near the playground, he was puzzled, "Why are you by yourself? Didn't Zong Kai say he would be here?”

Chen Luobai gazed at the dimly lit playground and replied, "He brought Yin Yizhen with him, I asked him to go back."

"What's his deal really?” Zhu Ran frowned, "He always brings Yin Yizhen to you when he likes her himself."

Chen Luobai didn't respond.

Zhu Ran observed him and saw that his lips were pulled straight and his face was tense. After hesitating for a moment, he asked,”Are auntie and uncle really considering a divorce?”

Chen Luobai said, "Em, my mother is going to draft a divorce agreement."

Zhu Ran scratched his head and sighed in his heart.

Faced with such a delicate situation, he felt at a loss for words. He felt that no matter how he comforted him, it would be useless. After some contemplation, he could only shift the conversation to a lighter subject to distract him.

"By the way, I met a strange girl on my way here. She ran away as soon as she saw me. Do I look scary? She was wearing a white shirt and had pale skin. Honestly, I find her scarier. If her hair was longer, she could easily pass as a female ghost.”

Chen Luobai suddenly thought of the girl who ran into the teaching building earlier, "Was she wearing a black skirt?"

"Yeah, thank goodness it's black, if even her skirt were white—" Zhu Ran suddenly paused mid-sentence, "Hold on, how did you know she wore a black skirt? You also run into her?"

Chen Luobai didn't answer his question, only asked, "Did you see what she looks like?"

---

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