Lemon Soda Candy - 56

Chen Luobai stepped back, his right hand still casually tucked in his pocket, watching the girl in front of him. At first, she looked utterly confused, then, as if finally realizing something, her face and ears flushed a vivid red, her shyness glaringly obvious even in the dim light.

The corner of his lips quirked up. “Call me again?”

Zhou Anran was still a bit dazed. Her fingertips twitched, itching to touch her lips but too shy to do so. Hearing his words, her reaction was half a beat slow.

Why was he asking her to call him again?

Just moments ago, when she’d followed his request and called his name, he’d kissed her.

Now…

Before she could finish the thought, the boy in front of her chuckled and said, “Don't worry, I won’t kiss you this time.”

Zhou Anran: “…?”

“Not gonna call me?” Chen Luobai paused, then leaned in closer, his left hand lightly brushing her cheek.

Her heart trembled softly. She felt the pad of his thumb brush lightly against the corner of her lips, his voice low, almost teasing, carrying a hint of a smile. “Or do you want me to keep kissing you?”

Zhou Anran: “…”

Most of her attention was on his hand, still gently stroking her cheek. She couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed, annoyed, or wanted to argue back. Without thinking, she blurted out his name again: “Chen Luobai!”

The moment her voice fell, he leaned down and kissed her again, his left hand sliding slightly to cup her chin with a gentle but firm grip.

Unlike before, this time he didn’t pull back immediately after the kiss.

His lips landed softly on hers, lingering for a moment, as if restraining himself to give her time to react, or perhaps unable to hold back his own impulse and desire. The next second, he gently sucked on her lips, kissing her clumsily a few times.

From the moment he kissed her again, Zhou Anran felt like something exploded in her mind. Her reactions slowed, yet her senses were crystal clear.

She could vividly feel his kiss.

Her heartbeat thundered like it might burst, her fingers curling at her side, clenching, then loosening, before finally gripping the zipper of his jacket tightly.

Chen Luobai kissed her lips a few more times, pulling back slightly but not entirely, his nose brushing against hers, his ears tinged red. “Is there something you want to ask me?”

Zhou Anran’s reactions were still slow, her fingers clutching the edge of his jacket. It took her two seconds to respond, “How did you know?”

Chen Luobai’s thumb grazed the corner of her lips lightly. “Don’t you know how many times you've been stealing glances at me tonight, hesitating like you wanted to say something? Otherwise, I could’ve held back a few more days.”

Zhou Anran didn’t quite follow. “Hold back what?”

Chen Luobai’s gaze dropped back to her lips, now glistening from their earlier kiss. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he leaned down to kiss her again.

After kissing her lips a few times, his tongue brushed the seam of her lips before pausing, as if afraid to scare her, and didn’t push further before pulling back again.

“What do you think?”

Zhou Anran: “…”

Was he holding back from kissing her?

She tightened her grip on his jacket, too shy to voice the answer.

Seeing her lashes tremble, Chen Luobai didn’t push her further and returned to the earlier topic. “So, what did you want to ask?”

Zhou Anran hesitated, curiosity winning out. “Why do you always call me by my full name?”

Chen Luobai hadn’t expected that question.

He lowered his gaze to her for a moment, then suddenly leaned down to kiss the corner of her eye. Back then, he didn’t know how many times he’d unknowingly made her cry in secret.

“Didn’t you say I couldn’t remember your name? So I’m punishing myself by saying it thousands, tens of thousands of times, so I’ll never forget it.”

Zhou Anran’s heart felt like it had been gently pinched.

So it wasn’t just Chen Luobai’s name that became Zhou Anran’s secret.

Her name, it seemed, had quietly become his too.

Her fingers loosened from his jacket, for the first time, she took the initiative and slowly wrapped her arms around his lean waist.

“Just remember it. You don’t have to say it that many times.”

Chen Luobai hadn’t even dared to hug her earlier.

Now, with her soft frame pressed against his chest, he stiffened slightly.

“I like saying it.” His throat tightened, and as if to distract himself, he casually asked, “Why’d you suddenly ask that? Don’t you like me calling you that, or do you want me to call you something else?”

For some reason, Zhou Anran’s mind flashed back to Bai Lingyun’s teasing in the dorm about calling her “darling” or “sweetie.” She quickly shook her head.

Seeing her strong reaction, Chen Luobai raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you want me to call you something else?”

Zhou Anran: “No.”

Chen Luobai: “What do you want to hear?”

Zhou Anran was a bit flustered: “Really, no.”

The shyer she got, the more Chen Luobai couldn’t resist teasing her. His thumb brushed her lip corner again, his voice low with a suppressed laugh. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll kiss you again.”

Zhou Anran: “…?”

How had she ever thought he was perfect in every way? This guy was clearly really bad. 

“Looks like you want me to keep kissing you.”

“Chen Luobai!”

Chen Luobai let out a soft “mm,” wrapped his arm around her waist, pressed her against the door behind them, and leaned down to kiss her again.

As his lips claimed hers once more, Zhou Anran instinctively clutched the fabric at the back of his jacket, tilting her head back to passively receive his still-clumsy kiss.

Her heartbeat raced wildly again.

Her legs felt weak.

Yu Bingqin’s singing faintly drifted from inside, muffled by the soundproof walls, barely audible.

A moment later, a clear cough sounded nearby.

Zhou Anran hadn’t fully processed it when Chen Luobai pulled back, swiftly tucking her head against his shoulder.

A familiar female voice spoke nearby, I seemed to be Senior He, the one who’d handed her a plum at the KTV during their first gathering.

“What’re you doing at the door? There are plenty of empty rooms inside. I guarantee no one will disturb you.”

Her tone was teasing and playful.

Zhou Anran’s face felt like it was burning, and she buried it deeper into his shoulder.

Chen Luobai felt her movement and shielded her face with his hand, turning with a grin. “Senior He, don’t tease her, or she’ll get shy and ignore me, and I’ll have to coax her.”

“Alright,” Senior He replied, as kind as she’d been at their first meeting. “For Ranran’s sake, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything today.”

The sound of a door opening followed.

Yu Bingqin’s singing grew clear for a moment before fading back into a muffled hum.

A few seconds later, the hand on Zhou Anran’s neck loosened, Senior He must’ve gone inside.

Zhou Anran still couldn’t bring herself to look up.

Seeing her like a little ostrich, Chen Luobai couldn’t help but chuckle, his fingers pinching her ear, now red as if it might bleed. “Still going in?”

Zhou Anran stayed buried for a few more seconds. “…Let’s go in. We’re already here.”

Holding his hand, she followed him inside and saw Senior He sitting at a booth with Senior Wu.

At the sound of their entrance, both turned their heads.

Senior Wu’s gaze lingered on their clasped hands before she teased with a smile, “You’ve stolen our little group flower, Chen Luobai. Don’t you owe us a treat for that?”

Zhou Anran looked up to see Senior He quietly mouthing to her, “Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything.”

Her face heated up again, and she whispered back, “Thank you.”

“What didn’t you say?” Senior Wu asked curiously.

Senior He: “That’s a little secret between me and Ranran.”

Senior Wu seemed about to press further.

Chen Luobai cut in, “A treat? Sure, once I’m done with this basketball tournament, name whatever you want to eat.”

Senior Wu’s attention shifted back. “You said it! We’re holding you to that.”

The stage was still in rehearsal.

Having secured a free meal, Senior Wu dropped her gossiping with a satisfied grin.

Zhou Anran was led by Chen Luobai to sit at a nearby table. Even after sitting, his hand never leaves hers. 

His fingertips played with hers casually, just like in the library.

She barely registered what was being sung on stage.

Until Yu Bingqin and her group of five came down.

Yu Bingqin stopped in front of them, pulling a small box from her pocket and tossing it into Zhou Anran’s lap. “A welcome gift.”

Zhou Anran caught it in a fluster, startled. “Welcome gift?”

Senior Zhong Wei, the keyboardist, chimed in with a grin, “Of course, it’s a gift from the cousin to her future cousin-in-law.”

The box suddenly felt scalding in Zhou Anran’s hands, her face burning.

Yu Bingqin clarified, “It’s a welcome gift for a new club member. I kept forgetting to give it to you.”

Zhou Anran’s flushed face eased slightly. “Thank you, Senior Yu.”

Yu Bingqin, rare with her teasing, added, “Still calling me Senior Yu?”

And of course, a certain someone beside her didn’t help but added fuel to the fire, lazily chiming in, “Yeah, still calling her Senior Yu?”

Zhou Anran: “…?”

Her face heated up again. Calling her “cousin” was definitely out of the question, it didn’t feel quite right yet. She compromised, “Thank you, Sister Qin.”

Chen Luobai seemed still unsatisfied, watching her with a leisurely smile. “Just Sister Qin?”

Yu Bingqin couldn’t stand it. “Stop bullying her.”

“Alright,” Chen Luobai said lazily, turning his head. “Then lend me your key.”

Zhou Anran: “?”

One of the band’s guitarists immediately joined in, “Let’s clear out, old folks, and leave the stage for the young couple.”

Zhong Wei protested, “Don’t lump me in with you old things. This lady’s forever eighteen.”

“Real eighteen-year-olds call themselves little fairies. Who calls themselves ‘old lady’?”

“You looking for a fight?”

The group bickered and laughed as they left the Live House, their voices fading completely behind the door.

The large space fell quiet again.

Zhou Anran sat with her head lowered, when the boy beside her suddenly spoke.

“Come here.”

She turned her head and saw him open his arms toward her.

Zhou Anran bit her lip, stood, and walked over. The moment she reached him, he pulled her to sit on his lap.

Chen Luobai’s hand slid to the back of her neck, gently pulling her down, his other arm loosely circling her waist, and kissed her without another word.

Zhou Anran’s hands, initially at her sides, somehow ended up slowly rising, almost involuntarily, to wrap around his neck.

In the utterly quiet space, only the soft sounds of their kisses filled the air.

After kissing her for a long while, Chen Luobai tilted his head, his breathing a bit ragged, as if suppressing other thoughts. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “Wanna study somewhere else tomorrow?”

The girl in his arms was breathing heavily too, unsure if she’d even registered his question or where he meant to take her. She just nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Chen Luobai’s newly steadied breathing hitched again.

His hand pressed her neck down, lips meeting hers again, lightly nibbling her lip before kissing her for a moment longer. Hearing her soft voice, he pulled back, as if unable to hold back any longer, his voice low as he coaxed her.

“Baby, open your mouth.”

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