Lemon Soda Candy - 36
Zhou Anran's racing heartbeat calmed down after reading He Mingyu's message.
If even He Mingyu, someone she rarely contacted, invited her to go together that day, this should be a perfectly ordinary invitation.
In the group chat, Dong Chen’s message appeared right after He Mingyu's.
Dong Chen: [Did you not see the previous messages? We have additional people in the group. Chen Luobai will also go to the gathering next Saturday.]
He Mingyu: [Really?]
Zhou Anran pursed her lips.
She exited the group chat and re-entered his chat box.
Selfishly speaking, she definitely preferred to have another chance to be alone with him.
However, He Mingyu asked her in the group chat. If she turned down He Mingyu in the group and then agreed to his invitation, her little thoughts would be exposed to him again, just like what happened in the dean's office that day.
Zhou Anran didn't know if he had moved past what happened in high school and was open to being friends with her now.
But she was given a rare chance to be friends with him now, she couldn't bear to lose it away and revert to being strangers.
Zhou Anran clicked on the keyboard, hesitated for a moment, and finally typed: [Did you see the group chat?]
Send.
A few seconds later.
C: [Hm.]
Zhou Anran bit her lips: [Then the three of us will go together?]
This time, it took almost half a minute for Chen Luobai to respond.
C: [OK]
Zhou Anran exhaled.
She couldn't tell if she felt disappointed or not.
Zhou Anran stared at the brief exchange in the chat box for a moment, and didn't try to initiate more conversation to disturb him.
She clicked exit and reopened the group chat. Just as she was contemplating about how to tell He Mingyu, she saw Dong Chen had just @ Chen Luobai in the group.
Dong Chen: [Are you also leaving from University A on Saturday? @C]
C: [Yes.]
Dong Chen: [Then the three of you can go together.]
Zhang Shuxian: [Yes, if you three take a taxi together, you can save some money.]
Zhou Anran couldn't help but chuckle, at the same time her heart swelled with warmth.
How could he possibly need to save this little fare money?
There was no way Zhang Shuxian wasn't aware of this. The reason she said this was simply because she didn't know that Chen Luobai just privately asked her if she wanted to go with him, and she was trying to create more chances for her to spend time with him.
It wasn't necessary, but her mind was a mess right now, she decided to wait until they met on the weekend to explain to them in detail.
While she was lost in thought, Chen Luobai had already replied to Dong Chen.
It was still as brief as the reply he gave her just now.
C: [OK.]
Dong Chen: [Oh, by the way.]
Dong Chen: [Didn’t you say Zhu Ran is coming too? Why didn’t you invite him to the group chat?]
C: [He's too noisy.]
C: [I thought I’d spare you all a little peace and quiet.]
C: [I'll invite him now.]
When they met again this time, Zhou Anran vaguely felt that his personality had mellowed a bit since their high school days. Yet, when she saw him teasing Zhu Ran in the group chat, it felt like he hadn’t changed at all.
Perhaps it was just the unfamiliarity playing part.
The system soon prompted: Zhu Ran has joined the group chat.
Zhu Ran appeared to be the same as before.
Zhu Ran: [Hello! Everyone!]
Zhu Ran: [Long time no see!!]
Zhu Ran: [What are we planning for the gathering this weekend? Are we just going to have a meal together? ]
Dong Chen: [You just reminded me—I almost forgot to ask!]
Dong Chen: [After lunch, we have two options: KTV or escape room. Which one do you prefer?]
Zhu Ran: [Escape Room.]
Zhu Ran: [If we go to KTV, some people won't sing, as if they're afraid if we hear him singing once, he will lose millions. Boring!]
Dong Chen: [What about you @C]
C: [What are the others choosing?]
Dong Chen: [He Mingyu said he's okay with anything, the girls want to go to KTV.]
Zhang Shuxian: [Actually, escape room sounds pretty good too.]
Sheng Xiaowen: [Escape Room +1]
Yan Xingxi: [I'm also OK with escape room.]
Dong Chen: [Who said escape room are boring @YanXingxi]
Yan Xingxi: [I thought it was boring at first, but now I find them interesting. What’s it to you?]
Zhou Anran could roughly guess why they changed their minds and couldn't help but laugh a little.
Just then, her phone buzzed again
C: [What about you @ZhouAnran]
Even though she figured it was probably because everyone had made their choice and she was the only one who hadn't replied, when she saw him taking the initiative to @ her, it felt as if several small bubbles popped up in her heart and burst gently.
Zhu Ran was also not that familiar with them.
His comment ‘If we go to KTV, some people won't sing’ should be referring to him.
Zhou Anran: [Then let’s go with escape room.]
C: [Okay, let’s go with escape room.]
***
Zhou Anran was aware that Chen Luobai's visit to her dorm would draw attention, but she never anticipated that the very next morning, someone would question her about it in class.
Although their major is in sciences, the male-to-female ratio is nearly equal this year, close to 1:1.
The person who inquired was a girl named Nie Zizhen from the class next door. She had long, curly hair and was quite good looking. She put on delicate and beautiful makeup for the 8 AM class, and was sitting in front of her at the moment.
Nie Zizhen turned to look at her, "Zhou Anran, I heard that Chen Luobai came to your dorm last night and even went to the cafeteria with you for supper. What's your relationship with him?"
The moment this question was asked, several people nearby, both boys and girls, turned their heads to her, clearly intrigued.
Zhou Anran knew that he didn't like to be involved in these messy rumors, and she didn't want to drag him into any unnecessary trouble. After some thought, she chose to take this opportunity to explain briefly, "Nothing. We were classmates in high school. I just helped him out with something yesterday, and he treated me to supper."
"You're actually his high school classmate!" Nie Zizhen's eyes lit up. "Then you must have his WeChat, right? If there's really nothing between you, can you give me his WeChat?”
Zhou Anran was taken aback.
She couldn't quite grasp why Nie Zizhen would follow up her sentences by directly asking for his WeChat.
The two of them didn't even have each other's WeChat.
But, whether it was out of respect for him or her own selfishness, she didn't want to agree to this request.
Even though she knew there was no possibility for anything to happen between them, she didn’t want to give someone else the chance to pursue him.
Xie Jingyi and Nie Zizhen were both part of the Student Union. Having crossed paths with her a few times, she recognized her as someone who was straightforward and would try to seize any opportunity, no matter how small. While she could come off as utilitarian at times, she wasn’t a bad person.
This time was no exception. She probably made such a request because she thought that Zhou Anran was thin-skinned and easy to talk to.
Just as Xie Jingyi was about to remind Zhou Anran, she saw her shaking her head.
"Sorry, I can't share his WeChat without his permission.”
Nie Zizhen didn't seem to want to give up yet,"Just give it to me secretly; he doesn’t need to know. Or you could ask him for me. Just say your friend wants to add him. He’ll definitely agree for your sake.”
Zhou Anran: “……?”
When did she become friends with her?
Besides, how could she have such a pull in front of Chen Luobai?
She shook her head again, resolutely declining, "I’m not close to him, I don’t have that kind of pull."
Nie Zizhen stared at her for a few seconds, as if trying to determine if she was lying, "If you don't want to help, just say it outright.”
Xie Jingyi chimed in, "But Chen Luobai really doesn't like it when people share his WeChat to others without his consent. A few days ago, I heard that a boy in his class gave his WeChat to a girl without asking first. He didn’t hesitate to delete the boy’s WeChat right in front of him.”
Nie Zizhen paused for a moment, and didn't argue further, "Really? Never mind then."
With that, she turned around.
Zhou Anran was a little surprised when she heard what Xie Jingyi said. She leaned in and quietly asked, "Did that really happen?”
"Yeah," Xie Jingyi confirmed with a nod. "You didn't know?”
Zhou Anran pursed her lips and replied softly, "I really only got in touch with him the day before yesterday. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have had a clue.”
"Maybe I forgot to share this gossip with you guys." Xie Jingyi said.
Since class was about to start, Zhou Anran stopped bothering her.
She stared at the textbook in front of her, her mind wandering.
In her impression, he always seemed to be easy to get along with, had a wide circle of friends, and could easily joke around with any guy.
But he was definitely not completely without a temper.
During that basketball game, he didn't give any face to that player from Class 10.
And it seemed like the boys in class were wary of disturbing him while he was sleeping.
When the bell rang, Zhou Anran snapped back to reality and gathered her thoughts.
***
After a week of classes, Zhou Anran didn't stay in the library for too long on Friday night and returned to the dorm at nine o'clock.
Once she washed up and settled on the bed, Zhou Anran checked the group chat and noticed it was buzzing with conversation.
Zhu Ran: [Is this your first gathering since graduation? Or have you had others before?]
Dong Chen: [We had one during the summer break.]
Zhu Ran: [All of you?]
Zhu Ran: [Didn’t Zhou Anran move to Wucheng?]
Dong Chen: [She happened to be back in Nancheng at that time and was staying at Yan Xingxi's place, so we all met up.]
Zhu Ran: [If I’d known, I would’ve asked you to invite us as well.]
Zhu Ran: [I was bored to death at home during the summer break.]
Dong Chen: [I thought you were going on a trip.]
Zhu Ran: [Nope, the people surnamed Chen refused to go anywhere this year.]
Zhu Ran: [By the way, what time are you leaving tomorrow?]
Dong Chen: [Around 11 AM. The hotel we booked is a bit far, and I'm worried that if we leave too late, we might miss the escape room in the afternoon.]
Yan Xingxi: [You still have the nerve to say that! Who told you to choose a restaurant that's so far away?]
Dong Chen: [Didn’t you mention the food in this restaurant is delicious?]
Yan Xingxi: [When did I say this restaurant is delicious?]
Dong Chen: [My mistake, I typed that wrong.]
Dong Chen: [Didn’t you say that the food in this restaurant is not delicious? That’s why I specially booked this one.]
Yan Xingxi: [Get lost.]
Yan Xingxi: [I can’t be bothered to deal with you.]
Yan Xingxi: [Xiaowen and I have to go to the airport from our school to pick up Shuxian first. We’ll drop our bags at the hotel and then head to the restaurant. We should get there pretty early.]
Dong Chen: [What about you @HeMingyu]
Yan Xingxi: [What about you @ZhouAnran]
Zhu Ran: [You two are pretty in sync.]
Yan Xingxi: [Who’s in sync with him? He’s just copying me.]
Dong Chen: [Look carefully, my message was sent before yours.]
Yan Xingxi: [Who knows if that's just network delay?]
As Zhou Anran finished reading this small row of messages, He Mingyu’s message appeared.
He Mingyu: [Shall we meet outside the north gate at 11 AM tomorrow? @ZhouAnran]
Zhou Anran: [En.]
Zhou Anran noticed that Chen Luobai hadn’t joined the conversation, after replying, she was considering whether to take the opportunity to @ him, but she saw Zhu Ran beat her to it.
Zhu Ran: [Where's this person? Where did he vanish? @C]
C: [Meet at 11 AM, right?]
C: [OK.]
***
Zhou Anran didn't like to make others wait, she made a point to leave early the next day. As she exited through the north gate, she noticed someone had arrived before her.
The boy was dressed in a green and white baseball jacket over a simple white T-shirt and gray sweatpants, giving him a particularly fresh appearance.
He stood by a tree, looking down at his phone in one hand, obviously waiting for someone. Several girls around him kept stealing glances, but perhaps because his expression was a little cold, no one dared to approach.
Zhou Anran slowly walked towards him.
As she drew closer, Chen Luobai seemed to sense her. He raised his head, slid his phone into his pants, and kept one hand in his pocket. A slight smile appeared on his face, and the coldness disappeared in an instant.
"Why are you here so early?"
Zhou Anran stopped two steps away from him, trying to suppress her nervousness and speak naturally, "You arrived before me.”
Chen Luobai lowered his gaze to her, his voice softening, "I can't let you wait for me.”
He has fan-shaped double eyelids and long, narrow eyes. When he lowered his head to look at people, he looked somewhat focused. Zhou Anran understood that his well-mannered nature was the reason he didn’t want her, a girl, to wait. Yet, her heartbeat still continued to race uncontrollably.
No, he probably didn't need to say or do anything at all; just his presence in front of her was enough to keep her heart racing.
Zhou Anran looked down slightly, not knowing what to say to him.
She wanted to talk to him about everything, yet hesitated, afraid she would say something wrong.
With one hand in his pocket, Chen Luobai stared at her.
Today was cloudy, the weather was neither too warm nor too cold. The girl wore a light green knitted cardigan paired with a long skirt. Her hair was styled in a braid, revealing one of her fair ears, which made her face appear even smaller, her skin so pale it looked almost translucent. The light during the day was better than their two previous meetings where they met at night, he could even see the fine hairs on her face.
"Zhou Anran."
Zhou Anran lifted her head.
Chen Luobai gazed into her round, beautiful and innocent almond eyes.
"Zhou Anran." Another voice called from not far away.
Zhou Anran turned around and saw He Mingyu approaching them.
This was the first time she saw He Mingyu since school started, she almost didn't recognize him at first. His glasses had changed from the black frames he wore in high school to gold ones. Dressed in a gray sweater, he looked tall and slender, with a very gentle appearance.
He Mingyu walked over and nodded at Chen Luobai.
Chen Luobai returned the nod indifferently.
He Mingyu then stopped next to Zhou Anran,"Sorry, I didn't expect you to be out so early. Did you wait long?”
Zhou Anran shook her head, "Not at all."
"The car is here." Chen Luobai suddenly interjected.
Zhou Anran turned to see that there was indeed a taxi pulling up nearby, dropping off passengers.
Chen Luobai raised his hand to signal the driver, who drove over to them.
Zhou Anran leaned closer to the boy beside her and quietly asked, "What did you want to tell me just now?"
"It's nothing." The taxi stopped in front of them. Chen Luobai opened the back door, looking at her as he gestured towards the car, "Get in."
Zhou Anran didn't expect him to open the door for her, she curved the corners of her lips, “Thank you."
Chen Luobai's gaze lingered on the dimple on her cheek, "No need."
Zhou Anran bent down and entered the car.
Chen Luobai glanced at He Mingyu, who was standing calmly on the other side, he placed his hand on the half-open back door, saying, "You don't need me to open the passenger door for you, do you?”
He Mingyu: “…”
"No."
He Mingyu opened the passenger door.
Zhou Anran also heard this brief conversation from the car, but when the boy sat down next to her and the refreshing scent of a laundry detergent invaded her nose, her back still tensed up slightly.
She had never sat so close to him before.
He Mingyu, seated in the front passenger seat, gave the driver the address.
Since they weren't very familiar with each other, a quiet awkwardness enveloped the small car once it started moving.
She doesn't know if the driver sensed it as well, but he didn’t try to talk to them.
After a while, He Mingyu broke the silence, "Zhou Anran, can you send me a copy of your class schedule? I want to attend a few classes in your faculty."
Zhou Anran: "Sure."
She unlocked her phone to search for her class schedule.
At this moment, Chen Luobai's very familiar voice sounded very close to her ear,"Send me a copy as well.”
Surprised, Zhou Anran turned to him.
"I accidentally deleted the one you sent last time." Chen Luobai explained.
Zhou Anran was about to nod.
"It should still be in the chat history then." He Mingyu suddenly said, "Unless you deleted that too."
"Good point." Chen Luobai said, glancing over at the passenger seat with a raised eyebrow. "If you hadn't reminded me, I would’ve completely forgotten. Let me check.”
Zhou Anran didn't rush to look through her photo album.
The boy next to her pulled out his phone from his sweatpants pocket, he was holding it upside down, the black phone then spun in his well-defined hand.
Zhou Anran really likes these little gestures of his. It was clear they weren't done intentionally to be cool; the more casual they are, the more youthful they appear.
For a moment, she forgot to look away, and he didn't seem to mind her gaze, the screen of his phone inadvertently angled towards her.
Zhou Anran could clearly see the note he gave her.
It was her name.
She pursed her lips.
But honestly, it wasn’t all that surprising.
There weren't many messages exchanged between them, Zhou Anran saw him casually scrolling through them until he found the class schedule she sent.
"It's really still there." The boy said relaxedly, "That's perfect, she doesn't need to send it to you, I'll share it in the group chat for you."
He Mingyu: “…”
One second later.
Zhou Anran watched as he shared her class schedule to the group, his tone still relaxed.
"You're welcome."
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