Lemon Soda Candy - 31

"Chen Luobai, I like you."

Another confession was heard, it was impossible for Yuan Song to focus on his game any longer. Once the game ended, he tossed his phone onto the table, pushed his chair back, and tilted his head to look over.

He was irritated by the noise, but the object of the confession remained completely unfazed, holding a copy of ‘Criminal Law’ by Zhang Mingkai in his hand and reading it with complete concentration amidst everything. 

Yuan Song simply stood up, approached him from behind, kicked the leg of the chair, and asked, "Are you really not going down?"

Without even glancing back, Chen Luobai replied, "Why should I?”

"The girl is confessing to you, and you still ask why?" Yuan Song observed his expression and saw no reaction. "You're really not interested?”

Chen Luobai answered nonchalantly, "No. If you're so interested, you can go down yourself."

Yuan Song laughed angrily, "I'm not the one she confessed to, why would I be interested?"

After saying this, he noticed his roommate ignoring him, flipping another page of ‘Criminal Law’ and continuing to read intently.

Yuan Song suddenly remembered the first day he met this roommate.

It was the day before class officially started. After having dinner at the cafeteria, he and his roommate came back and saw the usually vacant bed had been neatly covered with bedding. A tall boy was sitting at the desk beneath the bed, his long legs casually bent, holding a ‘Legal Methodology’ book in his hand.

Hearing the sound of them entering the door, the boy just glanced over with an air of nonchalance, "You're back.”

Then he ignored them and continued to read with his head down.

Yuan Song was aware that the absent roommate was the top scorer in science from Southern Province, and had heard that the person was very handsome. However, when he saw this scene, he found the boy to be somewhat pretentious.

The following day, he learned from a boy next door that the watch his new roommate wore at the time was worth nearly three hundred thousand yuan*.

(*300.000 yuan: 42.065 usd) 

Another dorm mate, Zhou Qingsui, came from a less fortunate background. 

Yuan Song noticed another boy in the dorm wearing a watch that cost around twenty to thirty thousand yuan*, who seemed to secretly treat Zhou Qingsui as a thief. Yet, on the first night this new roommate arrived at the dorm, he casually placed his three hundred thousand yuan watch on the table while he went to wash up. 

(*20.000 yuan: 2804 usd; 30.000 yuan: 4206 usd) 

In that moment, Yuan Song realized he may have misjudged the new roommate. 

Perhaps this new roommate's family was indeed wealthy, and a watch worth three hundred thousand yuan might be a mere trinket to him. 

Nonetheless, it was still a significant amount, far different than thirty thousand yuan. The fact that he left it casually on the table at least showed that he was open-minded, unlike some people who talk warmly on the surface but look down on you behind your back.

Later, after getting along for a few days, Yuan Song discovered that this new roommate was really rich and he never put on any airs. The reason he ignored them that day was simply because he was busy reading a book.

University A didn't lack top students.

If he truly wanted to show off, flaunting his outrageously expensive wardrobe would be more effective than to show off with his studies.

Moreover, since the start of the school year, every girl who was bold enough to confess to him was a well-known figure on campus, going out with any of them would bring a significant prestige to him. Yuan Song had never seen him show any special treatment to them.

Forget special treatment, Yuan Song even felt that he hardly paid attention to girls at all.

It wasn't that he looked down on them or dismissed them.

Occasionally, if he saw a girl in class needed help, he would lend a hand.

But just like when you give up your seat to an elderly lady on the bus; he doesn't care if she is tall or short, what her name is, or how old she is.

He barely even remember the names of the girls in the class.

There are not many stupid people who can get admitted to University A. Most girls eventually gave up after testing his attitude. However, this particular sophomore girl was especially persistent.

After trying various tactics like pestering him and bringing him food without success, she finally came up with a bold new plan today.

"Are you really not going down?" Yuan Song asked again, "When I went out earlier, there were a lot of people watching. I bet the whole campus will know about it soon. Maybe someone—"

This time, before he could finish his words, the man who had been engrossed in his book finally reacted. He tossed the ‘Criminal Law’ book in his hand onto the table with an irritated expression and got up from his chair.

Seeing that he was about to head downstairs, Yuan Song asked, "Is your foot alright?”

Chen Luobai turned his ankle, and for some reason, suddenly smiled, "It's fine."

***

“Damn, damn, damn!” Xie Jingyi looked at her phone excitedly, “Chen Luobai is coming down!”

Bai Lingyun leaned over and asked, "What’s happening? Did he agree?”

"I don't know." Xie Jingyi said, "My friend is downstairs. He said he would listen and let me know later."

Zhou Anran stared at the tablet screen.

The movie they were watching tonight was the 1974 version of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, and it was now nearing the scene where the final secrets are revealed.

Though she could hear Poirot’s lines echoing in her ears, they just couldn’t register in her mind.

Her heart was hanging up high, there was only one person occupying her mind. 

Time felt elongated, and her heartbeats quickened.

After what felt like an eternity, Xie Jingyi spoke again, "My friend just messaged me, he said Chen Luobai—”

Wanting to keep the suspense, she dragged out her words.

Bai Lingyun, growing impatient, simply pretended to reach for the phone.

Xie Jingyi then continued, "Chen Luobai said he believes love should be about respect and wishing the best for the other person, rather than pestering and disturbing them, disregarding their wishes.”

"Does this count as a rejection?" Bai Lingyun asked.

Xie Jingyi nodded, "He seemed to say something more, but my friend didn't catch it. He only saw that senior walk away with red eyes. Tsk tsk tsk, that senior was crowned campus beauty, yet Chen Luobai didn’t even spare a glance at her."

Zhou Anran felt her heart drop heavily, as if a sharp arrow had struck her in the knee. 

But……

Be it back then or now, she was a coward who never dared to make a move.

Aside from the two candies she secretly gave him, the only instance that could be considered as ‘disregarding’ his wishes should be the time when she stuffed the medicine into his hand?

Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem too bad.

Bai Lingyun spoke calmly, “I think he has a point. This kind of persistent pursuit only works if you know the other person has at least some feelings for you. It's fortunate that Chen Luobai is a boy. If the roles were reversed and a girl was pursued by a boy she wasn't interested in every day, she would feel annoyed and frightened, even losing sleep at night."

"Now that you say it like that, you're right. A friend of mine went through something similar in high school. The guy would follow her around whenever she went out to eat or to school. She was annoyed to death. But the guy thought, ‘I've put in all this effort, why aren't you moved?’. She didn't dare to go anywhere and eventually had to ask her brother to pick her up from school, otherwise she was scared of going home alone." Xie Jingyi wanted to say something more, but her gaze unintentionally fell on Zhou Anran who was sitting next to them.  

The girl has shoulder-length hair with slight curly ends swaying gently beside her snow-white cheeks. Her profile looks cute and innocent.

Xie Jingyi forgot what she was going to say, and instead stumbled upon another gossip. She couldn't resist asking, "Ranran, you're so pretty; you must have had a lot of pursuers in high school, right?”

Zhou Anran came back to her senses and shook her head, "No."

"No way." Xie Jingyi didn't believe it, "Are the boys at your high school blind?"

Yu Xinyue, who had been focused on the movie, finally joined the conversation, "You should have seen her hairstyle back in high school. Honestly, it was no better than a bowl cut.”

Bai Lingyun and Xie Jingyi both looked at Zhou Anran in disbelief.

Zhou Anran thought for a moment. 

Yu Xinyue was probably referring to her hairstyle in her senior year of high school. She had switched to another salon outside her neighborhood, but it turned out to be a disaster compared to the one she randomly found in her second year of high school.

Zhou Anran weakly retorted, "You can't call that a bowl cut, it wasn't that short. It's just that Tony, the stylist, cut my bangs a bit too short and too even."

"Then why didn't you go to another salon to fix it?" Xie Jingyi said.

Zhou Anran: "...I was already in my third year at that time."

She simply didn't have the time or energy to find another salon to have it fixed. 

Bai Lingyun lamented, "What a waste of natural resources."

Xie Jingyi echoed, "What a waste of beauty."

Zhou Anran: “…”

"Our dean is like a ghost, patrolling back and forth between grades every day. Even if someone wanted to pursue her, they wouldn't have the guts." Yu Xinyue added.

Bai Lingyun: "Deans are the same everywhere, aren't they?” 

"She's also very low-key. I only got to know her because we were placed in the same exam room during our senior year." Yu Xinyue stood up and stretched. "The movie is over. I'm going to wash up and head to bed."

"What?" Xie Jingyi turned around, "It's over already? Who's the killer?"

Yu Xinyue: "I thought you weren't interested in who the killer was. Just rewind and find out for yourself. Spoiling it would ruin the thrill!”

Xie Jingyi rewound the movie.

Zhou Anran and her two roommates rewatch the last half of the movie.

Monday was packed with classes, so they didn’t stay up too late. Once the movie ended, they all washed up and went to bed early.

Zhou Anran took a few days of rest during the National Day holiday, and didn't dare to relax after returning to campus. On Monday night, she had dinner and went to the library with Yu Xinyue.

While studying, she turned her phone to silent mode. When she returned to the dorm, Zhou Anran noticed a new message on her phone.

Yu Bingqin: [Club gathering next Saturday.]

Sent at 21:05.

The message was sent an hour ago.

Zhou Anran quickly set her book aside, not even taking a moment to sit down, and replied to the message: [Sorry, senior. I only see it now. I was in the library and had my phone on silent.]

Zhou Anran actually didn’t quite understand what she meant. 

Was she inviting her to the gathering? But it doesn't seem right to ask directly. 

Zhou Anran thought for a while and added a question: [What kind of gathering is it?]

After sending her reply, she figured so much time had passed, Yu Bingqin might not see the message right away. Just as she was about to put her phone down and go to the bathroom to wash up, she saw Yu Bingqin calling her.

Zhou Anran picked up the call, "Senior Yu."

Yu Bingqin responded, her words still brief, "Eating and singing. I'll send you the location later."

This should mean she was asking her to go.

Zhou Anran thought of the information Xie Jingyi heard that day, she hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, "Um...Senior Yu, I don't know how to play the guitar at all."

"The other new member doesn't know how to play either." Yu Bingqin said, "I'll teach you both when I have time. Something’s come up here, I'm hanging up."

Xie Jingyi's bed was next to hers, she had returned to the dormitory before her. When she saw her end the call, she asked curiously, "Were you talking to Senior Yu Bingqin?"

Zhou Anran nodded.

Xie Jingyi later asked the person who gave the information, the other person said that Senior Yu’s club only recruits people who are skilled at playing the guitar. If someone doesn’t play the guitar, they must excel in other instruments. It was unclear why they made an exception this year.

"You told her you can't play the guitar. What did the senior say?"

Zhou Anran: "She mentioned the other new member doesn't know how to play either.”

"So they recruited two people who can't play the guitar this year?" Xie Jingyi touched her chin in confusion. She stared at Zhou Anran for a few seconds, "Maybe it's because you're good-looking, and she just wanted you for your appearances?”

Zhou Anran blushed.

"Senior Yu is very pretty herself."

Xie Jingyi, still intrigued, said, "Then can you find out if the other new member plays any other instruments."

Zhou Anran nodded in agreement.

Luckily, there was another new member; otherwise, it would have been very awkward for her to attend a gathering full of acquaintances on Saturday by herself.

Still, she doesn't know whether the other new member is a man or a woman, and whether they can get along well.

She took a shower and laid on the bed, Zhou Anran received two locations shared by Yu Bingqin, one was a restaurant and the other was a KTV, both not far from the campus.

In the next few days, Zhou Anran went to the library with Yu Xinyue after classes.

By Saturday afternoon, she felt a slight ache on her shoulders. Since the restaurant was nearby, she decided to walk there instead of calling for a ride.

Zhou Anran deliberately set out a little early, and as the waiter escorted her into the private room, she discovered it was already packed with people. 

A boy seated directly across from the entrance whistled upon seeing her, "Hey, is this our new member? Welcome."

He then initiated a round of applause.

Zhou Anran stood frozen at the entrance.

Yu Bingqin, who had her back to her, turned around. Maybe because she was surrounded by her friends, she had a faint smile on her face, "Don't scare her."

Everyone in here seemed to listen to her, the noise quieted down instantly.

Yu Bingqin patted the empty seat beside her, "Come on in."

Zhou Anran made her way over and took a seat next to her.

Yu Bingqin was too lazy to talk, gestured towards someone in the room, "You handle the introductions.”

It was then that Zhou Anran noticed Xu Hongliang was also present.

There were around fifteen or sixteen people in the room. Xu Hongliang briefly introduced everyone to her. They were all seniors in their third and fourth years. It appeared the other new member had not arrived.

When Zhou Anran came, she was worried about having to introduce herself in front of a group of people, but after Xu Hongliang introduced the others, he briefly introduced her, and just like that, the problem solved. 

Yu Bingqin slid a menu to her, "See if there's anything you want to eat. The ones with marks are already chosen."

Zhou Anran glanced at the menu.

Several dishes were already marked, there was nothing in particular that she wanted to eat, and she was also too embarrassed to order more. She pushed the menu back.

"These are fine. I'm not picky about food."

The smile on Yu Bingqin's lips seemed to deepen, "Not picky is good, the other one is very picky."

Zhou Anran blinked.

The other?

Was she talking about the other new member?

"Senior Yu." Zhou Anran called her softly, "Is the other new member not here yet?”

Yu Bingqin set the menu aside, "They got held up by something. They'll join us when we're singing.”

Zhou Anran was an introverted person who took time to warm up to others and was not very good at socializing. She would be a little reserved at first when meeting new people in an unfamiliar environment, but it was not yet to the point of social anxiety. As she realized that these seniors were all friendly and tried to take good care of her, she gradually felt more at ease.

The dinner turned out to be more enjoyable than she had anticipated.

After dinner, the group of people went to KTV.

Zhou Anran wasn't confident in her singing and was new to the group, she chose to sit at the farthest end of the room. 

Yu Bingqin initially sat next to her, but soon a senior had something to ask her and she moved to the middle. The seat next to Zhou Anran was taken by someone who had just returned from buying snacks.

Seeing her sitting alone, looking well behaved and quiet, the senior asked softly, "What song do you want to sing? I'll help you choose it."

Zhou Anran smiled and shook her head, "Thank you, senior, but I'm not very good at singing."

The senior was charmed by the dimples that appeared on her cheeks. She rummaged through the snack bag and handed her a can of black plums, "Here, have this. These plums are delicious. Sister Qin might sing later, so you can just listen.”

Zhou Anran accepted it and thanked her again.

She heard from Xie Jingyi that Yu Bingqin was the guitarist and lead vocalist of the band. Xie Jingyi even showed her a video of Yu Bingqin performing in the past. In the video, the girl stood on stage in a black outfit, looking cool and sassy, her singing was even more captivating than her speaking voice. 

The black plums had moderate sourness and tasted pretty good. Zhou Anran ate them while listening to everyone sing. At one point, Yu Bingqin seemed to receive a call, she stood up and stepped outside with her phone.

Zhou Anran's own phone also rang.

Xie Jingyi had probably finished studying and sent her a message for some gossip. 

Xie Jingyi: [Does the other new member play other instruments?]

Zhou Anran took a bite of the plum: [Not here yet.]

Zhou Anran: [I don't even know if it’s a boy or a girl.]

Just then, the door suddenly swung open. Zhou Anran thought it was Yu Bingqin coming back and instinctively looked up.

A soft, slow melody filled the room. After the gentle prelude, a deep male voice sounded, she didn't know who was singing: "How can one own a rainbow? How can one embrace the summer breeze..."

It was the same song she heard when Yan Xingxi put earphones in her ears back in her first year of high school.

Zhou Anran stared dazedly at the tall boy who entered through the door. For a moment, she felt as if she were in a dream.

In the dream, she returned to her first year of high school, watching him walk in through the front door with an orange basketball in his hand, chatting and laughing with his friends.

She secretly looked at him from her seat, listening to the song in the earphone and the sound of her own accelerating heartbeat.

---

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