Lemon Soda Candy - 24

"No, I told you, as soon as she saw me——"

Zhu Ran's sentence was abruptly cut off by the ringing of Chen Luobai's phone. 

He stopped talking.

Chen Luobai glanced at the incoming call, pursed his lips tighter, and picked up the call.

"Luobai." The man known for his unshakable composure in the cutthroat business world sounded unusually panicked over the phone, "Your mom's law firm caught fire. Come over quickly."

Zhu Ran was waiting for Chen Luobai to end the call so they could resume their conversation, but he noticed a sudden change in Chen Luobai's expression. Unable to even grip firmly the basketball he was holding, Chen Luobai rushed out of the school as soon as he hung up.

The basketball bounced a few times on the ground. Zhu Ran swiftly picked it up and chased after him.

It was only after they got into a taxi that Zhu Ran learned about the fire at the law firm.

He tried to reassure him, "Don't worry, there's a fire station near your mom's law firm, she'll be okay."

Chen Luobai clenched his phone and said nothing.

Fortunately, No. 2 High School was located near the law firm. As they neared their destination, Zhu Ran paid the taxi fare in advance, and as soon as the taxi stopped, he got out of the car with him.

A conspicuous fire truck was parked in front of Building A at Shengyuan Center. There was a crowd of people standing outside. Many of them were dressed in professional attire, likely white-collar workers who were working overtime in the building. Because of the fire, they were forced to stop working and were stranded downstairs.

Chen Luobai spotted some familiar faces from the law firm.

He hurried over and called to one of the middle-aged women, "Aunt Zhang, what's the situation at the law firm? Is the fire serious? Where's my mom?"

The woman called ‘Aunt Zhang’ turned around, "Luobai? What are you talking about? The law firm is fine. It was the floor below us that caught fire. The fire truck arrived in time, so nothing serious happened."

She paused, as if remembering something,"Was it your dad who told you to come here? He called the law firm looking for your mom, and I answered the call. I told him that there was a fire downstairs at the law firm, but he misunderstood and thought the entire place was on fire. So he rushed over in a hurry just like you. He's now with your mom, there."

Aunt Zhang raised her hand and pointed. 

Zhu Ran and Chen Luobai turned their heads in the direction she pointed. 

It was quite the conspicuous sight. Everyone downstairs was standing alone, except for the two figures embracing each other. They were just too anxious before to notice them. 

"AhLuo." Zhu Ran silently retracted his gaze, "Why do I feel like your parents won't get a divorce after all?”

Chen Luobai stared at the two people who were still hugging each other not far away, then he tilted his head and laughed, "Let's go."

"Where?" Zhu Ran asked.

Chen Luobai gestured across the street, "There's a good restaurant up ahead, let's have midnight snack, my treat."

Because he was in a bad mood, Zhu Ran had been keeping his words to a minimum for the past two days. Now that the storm had passed, he quickly put his arm around Chen Luobai's shoulder and said happily, "Let's go, let's go."

Chen Luobai said goodbye to Aunt Zhang and headed off with Zhu Ran.

After ordering the dishes, Zhu Ran noticed the injury on his elbow, "What happened to your hand?"

Chen Luobai glanced at it, "It's nothing, I fell while playing basketball this afternoon.”

"Isn't there a pharmacy nearby?" Zhu Ran asked.

As Chen Luobai was about to nod, a memory suddenly flashed through his mind. He paused, rummaged through his sweatpants pocket then took out the contents.

Looking at the cotton swab and band-aid in his hand, Zhu Ran said, "You've already bought the medicine?"

"No." Chen Luobai replied, gazing at the items, "A girl gave these to me.”

Intrigued, Zhu Ran probed, "A girl? Another admirer?”

Chen Luobai recalled the slim silhouette that dashed into the teaching building, "If she likes me, why would she hide from me?"

"Hide?" Zhu Ran was puzzled.

Chen Luobai hummed, "She stuffed the thing into my hand then ran away. She's probably the same girl you bumped into later.”

Zhu Ran blurted out, "She must be shy."

As the words left his mouth, Zhu Ran sensed something off, "Are you saying that the ghost sister I met was the same one who gave you these things? That can't be right. Let's say she was shy and hid after giving the stuff to you, but why hide from me, unless—"

Chen Luobai finished his sentence, "Unless you know her too."

Zhu Ran pondered, "I barely know any girls at school, I can't even recognize a handful from other classes. Could she be from our class? She hands you things without saying a word? Does her voice sound familiar to you?"

"She did, but her voice is hoarse, I think she caught a cold." Chen Luobai shoved the items in his hand back into his pocket,"Forget it.”

Zhu Ran teased, "Why, people give it to you with love, and you don't even use it?"

"I don't even know who she is, how can I use this?" Chen Luobai gestured his chin towards the door, "I'm going to the pharmacy."

Zhu Ran waved him off, "Go, go, go. Just make sure to come back and pay the bill."

"Get lost." Chen Luobai scolded with a smile.

***

Zhou Anran and her parents went to her cousin's house again this Saturday.

This time it wasn’t for anyone's birthday. Her cousin had returned from a business trip and brought back a bunch of local specialties. They invited them to come over for a meal.

Following lunch, Zhou Anran, He Jiayi, and her cousin took Tuantuan to the supermarket.

Upon entering the supermarket, the little girl immediately led her to the candy station.

Zhou Anran caught sight of the lemonsoda candy from before.

Yan Xingxi was unaccustomed to the liberal arts class and had been looking a little down this past week.

Hesitantly, Zhou Anran reached out her hand.

Back then, when she secretly stuffed candy in his desk, no one took it seriously because they assumed it was mistakenly left by someone else. Such a trivial matter, without any ambiguity, was not even qualified to be an after dinner conversation and has long been forgotten by everyone.

She was probably the only one who still remembered it now.

Even if Chen Luobai and Zhu Ran had seen this candy at that time, their impression of it would have faded by now.

Moreover, Yan Xingxi's liberal arts classroom was on the sixth floor, four floors above their current classroom.

While he wasn't the most obedient student who followed the rules, he was diligent in his studies and all his free time was spent on playing ball with Zhu Ran and the others. He typically wouldn't go to classes he wasn't familiar with.

It should be safe to buy this candy for Yan Xingxi now.

Zhou Anran extended her hand, grabbing several packs.

Seeing this, He Jiayi asked curiously, "Why did you take so much candy?"

"Xixi likes to eat it." Zhou Anran replied.

She also wanted to eat some.

When she returned in the afternoon, Zhou Anran went to Yan Xingxi's house first to deliver the candy. Song Qiu invited her to stay for dinner.

After dinner, Yan Xingxi followed her back home with her homework and stayed the night. 

The rest of the vacation day went by swiftly.

They returned to school on Monday, Zhou Anran was still worried about him when she thought of him standing alone in the wind on the playground last Friday night. 

While memorizing English words, she also paid some attention to the back row.

Before long, she heard him and Zhu Ran entering from outside, talking and laughing.

Her current seat was much closer to theirs. As long as they didn't lower their voices, she could easily hear them.

Zhu Ran suddenly remembered something, "By the way, how is your hand?"

"No big deal." The boy said nonchalantly, "Just a minor scratch."

Zhu Ran let out a sigh, "What a pity for ghost sister's cotton swabs and band-aids. Her kindness all gone to waste."

Cotton swabs and band-aids? It coincides with what she had given him last Friday night, but what does he mean by ghost sister?

Zhu Ran said that her kindness has all gone to waste. Does that mean he didn't use those things?

Zhou Anran tightened her grip on the pen.

A little sad, though not overly so.

Actually, she had already guessed as much.

Had she stayed without any hesitation that day, just like a regular classmate who happened to pass by and help him, he might have used it.

Yet, she ran away like a guilty thief. He probably didn't even see her face clearly. It was right not to use items of uncertain origin. 

"What ghost sister? What kindness?" Tang Jianrui's voice suddenly sounded, filled with a gossipy tone. 

“It's—” Zhu Ran replied.

Just then, someone behind her was passing forward homework. Zhou Anran took the opportunity to look back and happened to see the boy nudging Zhu Ran with his elbow, a subtle warning in his eyes.

Zhu Ran changed his words, "Nothing."

Tang Jianrui was now seated in the third row. He didn't seem to notice this exchange, and obviously wasn't buying Zhu Ran's explanation, "Nothing?"

Zhou Anran couldn't look any further and turned around.

Tang Jianrui has a loud voice, it echoed through the air with clarity, "Lao Zhu, you have a secret with me? Has our father-son relationship deteriorated?"

"Our father-son relationship will never change." Zhu Ran said, "Dad will always love you, it's your Luo Ge who's keeping secrets from you."

Tang Jianrui tattled, "Luo ge, he took advantage of you."

Zhou Anran didn't hear his reply.

But the next second, Zhu Ran's wailing cry sounded, "Chen Luobai, are you trying to strangle me to death?"

"Who's whose father?" The boy's voice carried an obvious smile.

Zhu Ran: "You are my father, alright?"

He seemed to be in a brighter mood.

Zhou Anran let out a sigh of relief, finally letting go of her anxious heart. 

Just as she managed to push one worry to the side, another suppressed worry crept up.

Was what he said after the final exam last semester just a passing remark and held no weight? 

It's been three days since the start of school, there hasn't been any change between her and him, they have not had a single interaction. 

Or was he just preoccupied with his problem? 

Zhou Anran softly exhaled, trying to suppress her wandering thoughts, and continued to memorize words.

***

The second class in the afternoon was physical education.

Zhang Shuxian happened to be on her period, so the teacher let her rest early. She looked listless, sitting under a tree for some shade.

 

Zhou Anran approached her and sat down beside her, looking at her worriedly, "Are you okay? Why didn't you ask the teacher for leave if you weren't feeling well?"

Zhang Shuxian shook her head, "I'm fine. Just feeling hot and thirsty and craving a drink.” 

"What do you want to drink?" Zhou Anran asked her.

Zhang Shuxian said sadly, "But I don't want to move."

"I'll get it for you."

Zhang Shuxian instantly hugged her arms, "Wow, Ranran, you're so kind. If I were a man, I'd marry you. You are so beautiful and gentle."

She paused, her eyes dropping slightly, "And, you have breasts."

Zhou Anran: “……?”

Her face suddenly felt hot.

"Forget it if you don't want to drink.”

"Drink, drink, drink. Don't be angry." Zhang Shuxian shook her arm. "I want to drink ice soda."

Zhou Anran wasn't really angry with her, "Is it okay for you to drink something cold?"

"Yeah." Zhang Shuxian nodded her head, "I often drink iced drinks at this time, it doesn't have any effect on me."

Zhou Anran nodded, "Then wait for me here."

Arriving at the mini-mart, Zhou Anran walked straight to the refrigerator. However, before she could open it, a large group of boys suddenly swarmed over. Leading them,Tang Jianrui opened the refrigerator doors, then seven or eight hands reached in at once.

Zhou Anran was squeezed by them and stepped aside.

In the end, she simply gave in and decided to wait for them to finish before getting hers. 

At this moment, a very familiar voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"What drink?"

Zhou Anran's heart skipped a beat.

In fact, when she saw Zhu Ran and Tang Jianrui coming in, she had expected him to be here too.

What surprised her was that his voice sounded close.

So close that...

It felt like it was ringing right next to her ears. 

As if he was talking to her.

Zhou Anran instinctively turned her head to look toward the voice, and just like the afternoon of the final exam, she immediately met a pair of smiling black eyes.

The boy was standing next to her, leaning against the refrigerator like her. He had just finished exercising, tiny droplets of sweat glistening on his fair neck, contrasting to his blue-white school uniform and smile that looked fresh and clean.

The combination of youthful exuberance and raging hormones clashed in a way that was both intriguing and perplexing, which, coupled with his already superior appearance, makes people unable to take their eyes off him.

Zhou Anran froze on the spot.

The bustling noise in the supermarket suddenly faded away, and she seemed to hear the cicadas chirping again that afternoon.

The moment Chen Luobai arrived at the door, he immediately spotted her standing in front of the refrigerator. She appeared to want to reach out to open the door to get something, but was pushed back and forth by the group of boys from their class who suddenly rushed in, and eventually retreated to the space between the freezer and the wall.

She didn't say anything, just standing there quietly. Her figure looked even more slender against the loose school uniform, a stark contrast to the boys surrounding her. She looked so well-behaved that it made people want to bully her.

When Chen Luobai came over, he himself didn't know why he asked that question, but he didn't expect her to be so frightened and stunned.

It seemed that they were not close enough to treat each other for a drink.

However, the words had already been spoken, and Chen Luobai couldn't take them back.

"They asked me to treat them." Chen Luobai pointed at the group of boys who had finished picking their drinks and were starting to grab snacks, "One more person won't make a difference. Grab your drinks. I'll pay for you."

This morning, Zhou Anran was still worried that he had forgotten what he said last semester.

Yet, in the afternoon, this sudden and huge surprise hit her. Her mind went blank and her heartbeat raced. She answered almost unconsciously, "No, no need."

As she said that, Zhou Anran came to her senses and quickly lowered her head again.

First, she was annoyed at herself.

Second, she was afraid that her eyes might give something away.

Luckily, her face was already red from Zhang Shuxian's teasing earlier, so at least it won't be too obvious.

Chen Luobai couldn't help but find it a little funny when he saw her lowering her head.

Is he really that scary? She doesn't even dare to look at him?

Chen Luobai straightened himself up and took a few steps forward.

The warm breath beside her vanished abruptly, Zhou Anran bit her lip in frustration.

What is she thinking! How could she refuse! !

Zhou Anran quietly raised her head and saw the boy stop in front of the refrigerator, opening the door and taking out a bottle of Coke.

Seeing that he was about to turn around, she quickly lowered her head again.

Regrets washed over her layer after layer.

Suddenly, the can of Coke held by the slender fingers was handed to her. The small mole on the boy's wrist was right before her eyes. His voice sounded again, very low and close just above her head.

"Can you drink this?"

He... gave it to her?

Zhou Anran no longer cared if it would reveal something, she raised her head again.

Chen Luobai looked at her extremely surprised expression, and couldn't resist chuckling. 

Why is she so timid? She reminded him of a small animal that reacts strongly when poked and is easily startled.

How interesting.

For some reason, he wanted to test this theory further, Chen Luobai slowly added, "Just think of it as a bribe.”

As the initial shock wore off, Zhou Anran's heart still raced, but she finally regained some control over her emotions, and her mind began to slowly work. She managed to compose herself, "What bribe?"

Her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

Chen Luobai stuffed the Coke into her hand.

Zhou Anran hurriedly took it, but he didn't release his grip right away. Instead, he inched a bit closer. Actually, he still kept a safe distance and only lowered his head slightly.

But it was still too close.

Never been so close.

Not only were they never been this close.

Before, she could only steal glances at him from afar.

But now, he was standing right in front of her.

It was his gaze meeting hers.

Zhou Anran could almost clearly see her own reflection in the boy's black eyes.

Amidst her chaotic heartbeat, she saw Chen Luobai flashed a smile at her, the boy's clear voice was slightly lowered to a whisper.

"Don't tell the teacher I told you to skip class."

---

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