Lemon Soda Candy - 26

Chen Luobai had already played basketball with Zhu Ran and others in the afternoon P.E class, and didn't go to the court during the break before evening self-study. After having dinner outside, he returned to the classroom early with Zhu Ran.

However, Zhu Ran ate something that made him sick. He barely sat down in his seat and immediately ran to the bathroom.

Tang Jianrui and the others went back to the court, and the students sitting in front of him had not yet returned to the classroom. Chen Luobai took out his homework and planned to work on it while the classroom was still quiet.

Shortly after, the chair beside him was pulled out, and someone sat on it.

It definitely wasn't Zhu Ran.

There was no way Zhu Ran would be so quiet when he came back. He'd be chattering before even taking a seat.

Chen Luobai turned his head to find Zong Kai sitting in Zhu Ran's seat. It was rare that Yin Yizhen wasn't following beside him. He relaxed his brows and asked with a smile, "What brings you here out of the blue?”

Zong Kai placed a can of Coke on the desk, "I'm here to gossip."

"Gossip?" Chen Luobai arched an eyebrow. 

"I also saw what happened in the mini-mart after P.E class this afternoon. What's going on?" Zong Kai opened another can of soda in his hand and nudged it at him,"This is the first time I've seen you proactively give a drink to a girl. In the past, you'd just invite them for a drink at most."

Here comes another one.

Chen Luobai smiled, tossing his pen aside. He knew he couldn't continue with this homework, "It's just a coincidence today."

"Oh, come on now." Zong Kai teased, looking at him, "Coincidence? You personally took the drink and handed it to her. I never knew you were so considerate before. You even took the initiative to lean closer and talk to her. Are you interested in that girl?"

The seats in front of them were empty, and Zong Kai's voice was not loud, no one could hear him.

Chen Luobai opened his mouth to reply.

But Zong Kai interrupted him,”Don't even try with that bribing stuff. I'm not buying it."

"It really is a bribe." Chen Luobai opened the drink placed on the desk with one hand. With a slight push of his slender fingers, tiny bubbles came out of the opening and exploded. Then added casually, "Believe it or not."

Just as Zong Kai was about to respond, his attention was caught by a figure entering through the classroom’s front door. He quickly shifted the conversation, "It's her."

Chen Luobai was drinking Coke with his head tilted back. Hearing this, he looked at the door still with the can in his hand.

The girl entered the door arm in arm with her friend. She seemed to glance in his direction, but before she could meet his gaze, she immediately lowered her head as if a little frightened. Her shoulder-length hair swaying gently against her snow-white cheeks.

He didn't know what her friend said to her, she suddenly smiled, the dimple he saw last time looming faintly on her cheek.

As she walked to her seat, a boy from the third row called her.

The boy wore glasses, his name seemed to be He Mingyu, telling her he wanted to ask an English question.

The girl finally looked up, let go of her friend's hand, walked around the podium to the third row, and sat down in front of He Mingyu.

While her dimples were no longer visible, she appeared less nervous than when she talked to him. She looked quite calm.

The bubbles from the Coke exploded in his mouth. Chen Luobai squinted his eyes and put down the can.

It wasn't until he felt a gentle nudge on his elbow that Chen Luobai finally averted his eyes and saw Zong Kai's teasing gaze. 

"You've been staring at her for a solid minute, and you expect me to believe it's just a coincidence?"

Had he been staring at her for a minute?

Nah, not that long.

Chen Luobai tapped the can's ring with his finger, "I'm just a little curious.”

"I'm quite curious too." Zong Kai continued.

Chen Luobai turned to look at him again, "Of what?”

"On the registration day of our first year, I thought you had fallen in love with this girl, but I never saw you have any interaction with her afterward. You couldn't even recall her name after a whole year of being classmates."Zong Kai asked with a grin, "Why are you suddenly curious about her now?"

Chen Luobai caught on an unexpected revelation from his words, "Registration day of our first year?"

"You don't remember?" Zong Kai was surprised, "That day, Teacher Zhang asked us to help organize some stuff. I waited for you upstairs for quite a while, but you didn't show up. When I went to the stairwell, I saw you hugging a girl. You said she almost fell and you were just helping her out.”

Chen Luobai was suddenly transported back to that wet rainy day in his memory.

Teacher Zhang was the partner of their middle school teacher. She asked for their help when she ran into them that day.

Chen Luobai met another teacher on the way and was delayed for a moment. Worried about keeping Zong Kai waiting, he hurried upstairs. On the second floor, he happened to see a girl almost falling down.

The situation was urgent, he reached out to help without a second thought. In that brief moment, he couldn't pay much attention to avoid a somewhat intimate position—

His arms instinctively wrapped around the delicate waist. 

The light fragrance of the girl filled his arms.

Chen Luobai felt a little uncomfortable and quickly let go of his hand. He thought it'd be inappropriate to deliberately look at the other person. Just then, Zong Kai looked down from upstairs.

The awkward atmosphere, that no one but him noticed, was instantly broken.

It was just a simple favor, Chen Luobai didn't dwell on it nor did he give the other person another glance. He responded to Zong Kai's teasing, turned around and ran up to the third floor.

So, the person that day——

"It's her?" Chen Luobai was a little surprised, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the front row.

The girl had already returned to her seat, her back facing him. Her shoulder-length hair completely covered her face and neck. She wore a loose school uniform, leaving only a part of her slender white arm exposed.

"You really don't remember." Zong Kai paused, recalling something, "Not even that time on the court?"

Chen Luobai slowly retracted his gaze, "What court?"

Zong Kai: "It was not long after the first year started. One Friday, you asked us to play basketball, but you were called away by your headteacher after class. Tang Jianrui made a poor pass, the ball flew out of the court and almost hit a girl. You happened to come over at that time and reached out to shield her from the ball.”

Chen Luobai had a vague recollection of this incident. 

He remembered Tang Jianrui and his friends asked him to treat them to dinner that day. But all he did was block the ball. Tang Jianrui was his friend, doing it was only a matter of course, it wasn't even considered helping. He didn't take it seriously nor did he pay attention to the girl next to him, he couldn't even tell if she was tall or short.

Chen Luobai was slightly taken aback, "That's also her?"

He initially thought that before he ran into her crying on the rooftop, his only interaction with her was the time he helped the English teacher call her to the office.

"That girl once surpassed you in English in the first semester of high school. I mentioned it to you, but you didn't even know her full name back then." Zong Kai squeezed the can, paused, and shot him a smile, "So, for you to suddenly take an interest in her, how can I not be curious?” 

Chen Luobai hadn't really paid attention to the girls in the class before.

First, he was really not interested, and second, if he paid attention, it would surely lead to trouble.

Yet, when this 'trouble' presented itself today, he didn't seem to be as troubled as he had expected.

"What's going on?" Zong Kai asked again.

What's going on? 

Chen Luobai thought about it.

When he went to talk to her this afternoon, he really didn't think much about it, just—

"We ran into each other before, and I found her reaction funny, so I teased her a bit today. It's really nothing."

"If it's really nothing, why tease her at all? What's up with that?" Zong Kai nudged him, "Need help?”

"Help with what?" Chen Luobai grabbed the Coke, smiling helplessly, "You guys are reading too much into it."

Zong Kai stared at his smile for a few seconds, "Well, then, help me."

Chen Luobai: "What is it?"

Zong Kai was silent for a moment, absentmindedly crushing the can in his hand, "Help me write a love letter. You know my handwriting is atrocious.”

"Love letter?" Chen Luobai looked at him in surprise, "Who is it for?"

Surely, he wouldn't ask him to help write a love letter to Yin Yizhen, right?

There was a small sharp bump on the crumpled can. When he touched it with his finger, a faint prickling sensation tingled. Zong Kai lowered his eyes and said, "A girl from another class."

Chen Luobai hesitated for a moment, but still reminded him, "If you still haven't figured things out with Yin Yizhen, don't mess with other girls."

Zong Kai traced the small sharp bump, "I've made up my mind. Can you help me?"

Chen Luobai didn't refuse, "Okay, bring me the paper for the letter.”

Zong Kai took out a loose-leaf notebook from the desk, tore out a sheet, and placed it in front of him, "Just use this."

Chen Luobai couldn't help but laugh, "It's a love letter for a girl, and you just use a piece of paper from my notebook?"

"I'm afraid I'll back down once this impulse fades." said Zong Kai.

"Alright." Chen Luobai grabbed a pen and twirled it in his hand,"What's her name?"

Zong Kai: “I don’t know.”

"You're writing a love letter to someone whose name you don't even know?”Chen Luobai looked at him speechlessly.

Zong Kai: "You bought a drink for a girl whose name you just barely remember, did you not?"

"Why are you dragging me into this?" Chen Luobai stopped spinning his pen, "What should I write?”

"Just write..." Zong Kai touched the bump on the can again, "Thank you for the medicine that day. I really appreciate it. I like you very much."

Chen Luobai lowered his head to write on the paper. He waited for a moment, but Zong Kai didn't continue speaking, "And then?"

"That's all."

Chen Luobai: "..."

He raised his head, "That's all? You have the nerve to call this a love letter?"

Zong Kai accidentally put too much force on his fingers, the stinging sensation became stronger. He moved his hand away, "My Chinese grades are not great, you know that."

"If you can get her with this, then that girl must truly love you." Chen Luobai laughed, "Should I sign your name too? To avoid any confusion."

Zong Kai glanced at the paper, "Sure."

Chen Luobai left a few spaces blank, then wrote the words ‘Zong Kai’ at the right corner, picked up the paper with his fingertips, then passed it next to him.

The paper shook slightly, but no one took it.

Chen Luobai turned to look at the person beside him, "Why are you spacing out? You don't want it anymore?”

"No." Zong Kai took the paper.

Zhou Anran couldn't bear to drink the Coke from the afternoon.

After the evening self-study, she leaned sideways to block her desk from view, quietly took the Coke out, and tucked it into her school bag.

However, her deskmate noticed this small action.

"You're taking it home?" Zhang Shuxian suddenly asked her.

Zhou Anran felt her heart do a little flip.

Zhang Shuxian's voice was not loud, he probably wouldn't be able to hear it.

Earlier that afternoon, when he and Zong Kai were chatting in the back, she couldn't hear any of their conversation. 

Plus, Zhang Shuxian didn’t specify what she was taking home, so even if he did hear it, it shouldn't be a big deal?

Zhou Anran's heartbeat gradually calmed down, she quickly shoved the Coke deeper into her bag, "It's not cold anymore. I'm taking it home to chill it.”

"Exactly. Coke isn't the same if it's not cold," Zhang Shuxian replied as she put on her school bag, "I'll head out first to wait for Xiaowen. Don't forget to tell Xixi we're having hotpot for lunch tomorrow."

Tomorrow is Zhang Shuxian's birthday. A few days ago, she promised to treat them to a meal, but she hasn't decided between hotpot or dry-pot bullfrog.

It wasn't until the end of the evening study session that she finally made up her mind.

Zhou Anran nodded and made way for her.

As she turned sideways, she noticed Lou Yiqi, who was sitting in the second seat of the third row, briefly glanced in their direction before quickly looking away.

Zhou Anran thought she might be overthinking, and chose not to say anything. She zipped up her school bag and stood up, not daring to look back.

When she and Zhang Shuxian walked in through the front door this afternoon, her gaze instinctively darted toward his seat as usual and almost got caught by him.

Thinking of the way the boy looked at her while holding a Coke earlier, Zhou Anran's heartbeat quietly increased a few beats faster.

Unfortunately, the front door of their current classroom is closer to the exit of the teaching building. She no longer has a legitimate excuse to enter and exit through the back door like she did in her first year of high school. 

She didn't know whether he had left or not.

Zhou Anran walked to the stairs with her schoolbag.

Not long after, Yan Xingxi hurried down from upstairs and took her arm, "Let's go."

Zhou Anran told her that Zhang Shuxian decided on a hotpot.

"That's great!" Yan Xingxi said excitedly.

Zhou Anran was affected by her excitement, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, "I knew you’d be excited about hotpot.”

Yan Xingxi giggled, "Actually, I also want to eat bullfrog. How about the three of us treat Shuxian to some tomorrow?” 

"Sounds good to me," Zhou Anran agreed, "Ask Xiaowen about it tomorrow."

Yan Xingxi nodded, "I'll ask her as soon as we arrive at school tomorrow. Don't tell Shuxian yet. Let's give her a little surprise."

Outside the teaching building, Zhou Anran unexpectedly saw Chen Luobai walking not far ahead of them.

He was still surrounded by Zhu Ran, Tang Jianrui, and a large group of people. Zhu Ran, who was walking beside him, said something to him, the boy tilted his head and smiled.

Zhou Anran trailed behind him with her school bag slung over her shoulder, her heart trembling like the bottle of Coke in her bag.

Tiny bubbles exploding constantly, it was impossible to calm down. 

From the afternoon until now, she felt like she was in a dream.

***

At home, Zhou Anran took the Coke out of her school bag and placed it on the desk.

The bag of snacks he gave to Yan Xingxi last year had a limited shelf life. Even though she wasn't sure if he had picked them himself, she still ate everything, regardless whether she liked them or not.

However, she couldn't keep the packaging.

Mrs. He is great in many ways, but like many parents, she didn't believe in the concept of personal space at home, especially when it comes to her own children.

She often comes in and out of her room, not so much to pry on her privacy, but mainly to help clean up the room.

If she had kept those packaging, He Jiayi would've thrown them away.

She only kept some of the candy wrapper, folded it into flowers and put it in the jar.

But today, he personally handed this can of Coke to her.

Zhou Anran was reluctant to drink it.

Yet, she also couldn't bear not to drink it.

Since the afternoon, she had been torn between the two choices, completely unable to make a decision.

With a soft sigh, she tucked the Coke away in the drawer. 

Anyway, there’s no rush, she can take her time to think about it slowly.

***

The next day, Zhou Anran arrived at the classroom early.

As she walked in through the front door, she still secretly glanced to the back of the room.

He hasn't come yet.

Neither has Zhang Shuxian. 

Zhou Anran took her seat and was about to start reading her Chinese composition when a small gift box appeared on her desk.

Looking up, she saw Lou Yiqi standing beside her. 

"Help me give this to her." Lou Yiqi's tone was a little stiff, "We agreed last year that I would give her a gift this year." 

Zhou Anran asked her, "Why don't you give it to her yourself?"

Lou Yiqi's expression darkened, she took the gift box back, "Never mind." 

Zhou Anran felt that it would be better to hand the gift in person, but she wasn't that familiar with Lou Yiqi, and decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

When Zhang Shuxian arrived, she shared what happened to her.

Zhang Shuxian put her schoolbag aside, and glanced at Lou Yiqi's back, "Forget it, just leave her alone. She can be quite awkward sometimes. If she gives me the gift, I’ll return the favor next time. If not, I’ll just pretend like it never happened."

Zhou Anran recalled Lou Yiqi's glance from the previous night, asked softly, "Then do you want to invite her for lunch?”

Zhang Shuxian was silent for a moment,"Let's not call her. In friendship, nobody wants to be the one who’s only sought out when there’s a need. You and Xixi have been friends since childhood, whenever you couldn't have dinner with Xiaowen and me, you always let us know. Besides, she's not familiar with you guys. If she goes, it'll only be awkward for everyone."

Zhou Anran didn’t press further. She took out the gift she had prepared from the school bag and handed it to her, "Happy birthday."

Zhang Shuxian accepted it happily, "Can I open it now?"

Zhou Anran nodded, "Of course."

She chose a bracelet.

Zhang Shuxian seemed to really love it. She immediately put it on her wrist and hugged Zhou Anran's arm, "Wow, it's so pretty. Ranran, you’re the sweetest! I wish we could sit together forever. If I ask my mom to talk to Lao Gao like Xixi's mom did, saying I want to learn English from you, do you think he’ll let us keep our seats?”

"Maybe." Zhou Anran was not sure either.

Zhang Shuxian suddenly glanced back, "It should probably work. Chen Luobai and Zhu Ran haven't changed seats in three semesters. They must have asked Lao Gao for it. Then again, no one wants to fight him for that last row seat."

Just the mere mention of his name Zhou Anran's heart raced for some reason.

A night has passed, but the sensation of lightness as if she were floating on the ground yesterday afternoon has not faded at all.

It still feels like she was in a beautiful dream.

After all, she had only thought that their relationship would be a little bit better than that of ordinary strangers this semester, never did she expect that he would suddenly buy her a drink.

However, beautiful dreams are often fragile.

Later, when Zhou Anran thought about this day again, she only remembered that the weather was extremely hot and humid, heavy clouds blocking the sunlight. The sky was overcast, it looked like it was going to rain, yet it never fell. It was so suffocating that she could hardly breathe.

It seemed as if the teachers of several subjects had conspired to stretch their lessons today, the already limited break time was repeatedly cut short. 

She didn't even get a chance to take a glance at him.

---

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