Lemon Soda Candy - 32

The boy in front of her was not wearing the blue and white school uniform of No. 2 High School.

He was dressed in a grey hoodie and black sweatpants. He appeared to be a few centimetres taller than she remembered, and there was a new maturity in his eyes. His facial features were more defined and sharper, making his face all the more striking.

She didn't know if it was due to the dim lighting, his temperament seemed to have become calmer.

As his pale slender hand gripped the doorknob, the small mole on his wrist was blurred by the distance and the light.

Zhou Anran’s mind was also in a blur.

What was Chen Luobai doing here?

Zhou Anran had imagined many scenarios of meeting him again.

Perhaps, running into him by chance at the library, cafeteria, gym, on her usual route, or even in an elective class.

But she never thought it would happen today.

It was a completely unexpected situation.

Still holding the can of black plums that a senior had stuffed into her hands, she couldn't seem to grasp a trace of reality.

Then, a voice from one of the senior girls called out, "Our school hunk is finally here! Come on in and take a seat, your sister just left.”

The boy at the entrance let go of the doorknob, and just like countless times before at No. 2 High School, he didn't notice her presence in the corner as he walked inside.

The door slowly swung shut behind him. Zhou Anran looked down and noticed him sitting not far from her.

There was a young couple and other seniors between them.

The singing abruptly stopped, and another senior's voice rang out loudly, "Why didn't anyone tell me our new member was him?”

"Well, you know now, don’t you?" The previous senior replied.

"I've been hearing a lot about you these days. Everyone says it's very difficult to add you on WeChat." The senior turned to talk to him, her voice laced with a smile, "I wonder if I can have the honour.”

Zhou Anran felt that the black plum she had just put into her mouth was particularly sour.

After a brief pause, the voice she hadn't heard in a long time finally spoke, also with a smile. It had been two years since she last heard it, but it felt just as familiar.

"Is adding me on WeChat considered an honour?"

"What else would it be then?”The senior answered his question.

His voice carried a familiar, relaxed tone, "Contribute to the country?"

The senior, who just sang, seemed to find his response amusing, she let out a loud 'pufft' that echoed through the microphone. 

“This conversation has suddenly taken a grand turn.”

Not sure if the senior was just joking or genuinely wanted to add him on WeChat, she didn't insist and gracefully went down the platform, "Well then, this senior will give you best wishes. I hope you can have the honour to contribute to the country in the future.”

Zhou Anran slowly chewed the black plum in her mouth, swallowing it as its sourness gradually spread from her mouth to her heart.

She thought that after two years, when she saw him again, she would be more calm than before, but it turned out that the long transparent threads wrapped around her heart had never disappeared, and the control of those threads was always in his hands.

Once this conversation was over, the room regained its previous liveliness, filled with laughter and singing, and that voice was never heard again.

Just like before he came.

However, Zhou Anran felt the air around her thinning, it was difficult to breathe.

The room was actually quite spacious, but no matter how spacious it was, its space was still limited.

Zhou Anran was a little afraid of being discovered by him, afraid of seeing his reaction upon discovering her, afraid of knowing that he might not want to see her, and even more afraid that he had completely forgotten her.

She found it hard to sit still.

Zhou Anran took out her phone, bowed her head and sent a message to Yu Bingqin: [Senior, I suddenly have something urgent to attend to. Is it okay if I leave first?]

Yu Bingqin didn't reply immediately.

Zhou Anran bit her lip and gently nudged the senior sister beside her.

The senior turned to look at her.

Zhou Anran moved closer, handed the black plum back to her, and whispered, "Senior, I need to leave early. Please let Senior Yu know for me.”

The senior nodded, "Take care on your way.”

As Zhou Anran grabbed her bag and stood up, she seemed to feel some eyes watching her from behind and wondered if any of them belonged to him.

She didn't dare to look back.

Since the moment he walked in, she never dared to look at him again.

Zhou Anran kept her head down and hurried out of the room.

As Zhou Anran stepped outside and was greeted by the cold wind, she instantly regretted not secretly staying for a few more minutes.

She didn't know when she would see him again next time.

The cold wind blew again.

Zhou Anran has only been here for over a month and has not yet acclimated to the weather here. Most people in Nancheng were likely still in short sleeves at this time of year.

She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, lowered her gaze, and made her way toward the campus.

Her mind was still occupied with the scene in the room just now.

Now that she was no longer in the same room with him, Zhou Anran's thoughts began to work normally, it only dawned on her that he must be the new member Yu Bingqin had mentioned. 

The one who doesn't know how to play guitar and is very picky— was it all him?

And what did that senior say when he came in?

Something about ‘Your sister just left’. 

The only person who had left was Senior Yu Bingqin. Did ‘your sister’ refer to her? Was he Senior Yu's younger brother?

Their last names are different, could he be a cousin?

Or did she hear it wrong?

Lost in these thoughts, Zhou Anran didn't notice a small electric bike emerging from the alley behind her.

The rider was gripping the handlebars with one hand while looking at his phone in the other, completely unaware there was someone in front of him.

When Zhou Anran heard the noise and turned around, the electric bike almost hit her.

In a split second, a warm hand grasped her wrist.

The next moment, Zhou Anran found herself in a embrace, the air around her filled with a refreshing scent, narrowly avoiding the electric bike.

She instinctively looked up and wanted to say thank you, but before she could speak, she was met with the face she had replayed in her mind countless times.

Zhou Anran froze.

Chen Luobai was the first to speak.

The boy still held her wrist with one hand and supported her lower back with the other, asking softly, "Did it scare you?”

Zhou Anran regained her senses, though it felt like she was still partially lost in thought. Many questions swirled in her mind, but only one managed to escape. It wasn't until she heard her own voice that she realised she had asked without thinking, "Why did you come out too?"

"It's boring." Chen Luobai replied casually. After saying this, he let go of his hand and took a step back.

The warmth on her wrist and the refreshing scent in her nose disappeared in an instant, yet something seemed to linger, leaving her wrist and nose feeling slightly tingly.

Zhou Anran wanted to reach out and touch the place he had touched, but she restrained herself. She lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze again. Her mind was in complete confusion.

The electric bike had already disappeared into the distance.

She didn't even notice whether the rider had apologised or not.

This narrow path was already quiet, and for a moment, it seemed the only sound left was the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind.

After about a second or two, Zhou Anran heard the familiar voice again. His tone was somewhat calm, resembling a casual question, devoid of any special emotion.

"Back to school?"

Zhou Anran's mind buzzed, she became even more confused.

He thought the party was boring and left early, she could understand that. He passed by and saw that she was in danger and helped her, she could also understand that; he had always been a well-mannered person.

But after helping her, why would he take the initiative to talk to her again?

Her feelings had been laid bare to him the day she was called to the dean's office.

Based on his previous habits, if he knew that a girl had feelings for him, he would typically keep his distance to avoid leading them on. 

Or...

Maybe he didn’t recognize her at all; he probably caught a glimpse of her in the room and noticed that she was also a member of the club, that's why he asked casually like this?

This seemed plausible.

After all, her appearance has changed slightly compared to high school. She was taller and her hair has grown a lot. Cen Yu taught her how to apply makeup over the summer vacation. She wanted to leave a good impression on everyone today and took some time to put on some light makeup before heading out.

Plus, they had hardly spoken before and were just ordinary classmates who were no closer than strangers.

So, it was perfectly understandable for him not to recognize her.

With this realisation, Zhou Anran felt as if her heart had been plunged into a pool of sour water.

Yet, at the same time, it seemed to help her feel more composed around him, perhaps because this was the worst-case scenario she could imagine— there was nothing left to fear.

Zhou Anran nodded, "Yeah, go back to school."

"I'm going back to school too, together?" His tone remained casual.

Zhou Anran was taken aback again and couldn't help but look up at him.

The boy stood in the shadows, most of his face obscured by the darkness. He appeared to be gazing down at her, his expression unclear.

Zhou Anran could clearly see the path ahead. The streetlights were dim and flickering, there were no other pedestrians except them.

When she came earlier in the afternoon, it was still light out, but looking at it now, it does look quite remote.

If her mind hadn't been distracted earlier and hadn't come here without much thought, Zhou Anran probably wouldn't dare to walk this road alone, and might have opted for a busier route or called for a ride.

Is this why he suggested this?

Before she looked away, Zhou Anran took one more glance at the boy with a lingering yet restrained expression.

The boy had one hand in his pocket, his sharp features softened by the night, yet his look was still captivating enough to make one's heart race at first sight.

Two years have gone by, and while he appeared to have changed slightly, he also seemed to haven't changed. He was still the same boy who rushed upstairs to help her when she nearly fell.

He was still a really, really good person who is worth liking.

Even if he didn't like her.

Even if she had retreated from being ordinary classmates whose name he couldn't remember to strangers whom he couldn't recognize when they met.

She never regretted falling in love with him.

Not even once. 

Zhou Anran was reluctant to refuse his offer and nodded at him.

She decided to selfishly take advantage of his kindness one last time. After walking the rest of this road with him, she would go to Senior Yu to withdraw from the club and not bother him again.

As if to confirm her thoughts, Chen Luobai was silent for the rest of the journey.

Zhou Anran's mind was still in chaos. As they walked, she recalled that he had hurt his leg a while back and wondered if it had completely healed.

She wanted to ask him, but in the end she didn't say anything.

Given her current status as a ‘stranger’, it felt inappropriate to ask him such a question.

This was Zhou Anran's first time walking alongside him.

It should also be the last.

The boy was tall and had long legs, he must be over 185 cm now. Even though he tried to take care of her as a ‘stranger’ by slightly slowing his pace, his strides were still much longer than hers. Zhou Anran often found herself trailing behind him from time to time.

It seems that his leg injury has indeed healed?

Zhou Anran followed behind him, observing him carefully for a while, before finally putting down her worries.

Actually, she was quite content to walk behind him like this.

Back in high school, although she knew it was almost impossible given their heights, she would occasionally hope the homeroom teacher would arrange for her to sit behind him one day. This way, she wouldn't have to secretly look back at him every day and could look at him openly.

Today she finally has the opportunity.

It was a pity that this journey was so short.

It soon came to an end.

When the school gate came into view, Zhou Anran paused and noticed their shadows overlap for a fleeting moment.

So close, as if they were hugging.

Let’s stop here.

Outside of this narrow path, the street was bustling with people, and inside the school gate, the possibility of him being recognized increased.

Even for the sake of him helping her again today, she shouldn't cause him any more trouble.

Perhaps noticing that the person behind him didn't follow, the boy in front also paused and looked back, most of his face still hidden by the night.

"Is something wrong?”

Zhou Anran pointed randomly toward the other side of the school gate and said, "I need to buy something for my friend, so I won’t be going in with you. Thank you for your help earlier."

As the words left her lips, she felt a little sad for some reason.

Zhou Anran struggled to suppress the bitterness, not daring to look at him again, or waiting for his response. She turned and walked in the direction she just pointed.

After a few hurried steps, she realised she had forgotten to say goodbye* to him.

(*再见 could also be translated to see you again.)

But there would be no chance of seeing him again.

She promised not to bother him anymore.

Zhou Anran lowered her head and took another step forward, suddenly, she heard Chen Luobai's voice behind her.

"Zhou Anran."

His voice hasn't changed much, it was still the same familiar voice she had secretly listened to countless times during high school.

Yet, when these two words came out of his mouth, it sounded extremely unfamiliar.

From the time she met him on the registration day to now, this was the first time in thousands of days that Zhou Anran heard her name come from his lips.

So much so that for a moment, she even thought she might be imagining it.

Zhou Anran turned her head in confusion and saw Chen Luobai still standing at the same place.

He had one hand in his pocket, seeing her turn around, he suddenly walked towards her and stopped right in front of her.

"Zhou Anran." He called out again.

Under the dim street lights, Chen Luobai's face, which had been hidden in the darkness all night, finally appeared clearly before her eyes.

Just like in the mini-mart in September that year, he stood before her, looking fixedly at her with his eyes lowered. However, unlike before, his face didn't have that casual yet inexplicably charming smile.

His jawline was slightly tense, which somehow gave him a look of concentration. His eyes seemed to hold a depth that could pull anyone in. 

Zhou Anran heard him speak again amidst her racing heartbeats.

Chen Luobai pulled his hand from his pocket and casually turned the black phone he held. As he raised it slightly, the small mole on his wrist became visible, his voice was deep and clear.

"It's rare to meet again in university, add me on WeChat?”

---

← Previous | Table of Contents | Next →

0