Lemon Soda Candy - 58

Chen Luobai was a man of his word.

He said he promised not to touch her beyond kissing, and true to that, he didn’t do anything else. Like the night before, he kissed her lightly, then pulled her into the study to read.

At noon, Zhou Anran ate takeout with him at his apartment.

In the afternoon, Chen Luobai had basketball practice, so Zhou Anran went back to school with him. She watched him practice for a while at the court before heading to the library.

For quite a while after that, this was their routine.

The basketball tournament schedule was tight. Chen Luobai juggled academics and games with barely any free time. From Monday to Friday, they met either at the cafeteria or the library. On weekends, they just shifted their study spot from the library to his apartment.

But Zhou Anran never stayed overnight at his place.

After that day, Chen Luobai never said anything “out of line” again. On weekends, they’d spend the morning at his practice and study at his apartment in the afternoon. He always made sure to send her back to her dorm before curfew.

The tournament reached its peak by mid-December, finally nearing its end.

The law school team, usually a mid-to-lower-tier contender, had made it to the finals under Chen Luobai’s leadership this year.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. As a freshman, Chen Luobai was still finding his rhythm with the team. Several matches were hard-fought, with stumbles along the way. In the quarterfinals, they trailed until the last ten seconds, when Chen Luobai nailed a game-winning three-pointer, narrowly defeating the business school team, which included Du Yizhou.

After that game, Zhou Anran noticed Chen Luobai’s popularity spiking across nearby universities. The most obvious change was the growing crowd at the field watching his games. When he held her hand on campus or walked her back to her dorm, the gazes landing on him—and by extension, on her—multiplied.

At first, Zhou Anran felt uneasy about the attention, but now she was starting to get used to it.

The final was set for 3:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of December.

Zhu Ran came to watch the game that day. Since Chen Luobai was busy practicing, Zhou Anran went to pick him up.

That Saturday afternoon, before heading out, Zhou Anran put on some makeup in her dorm.

She usually went bare-faced to see him, but today was his final, after all.

Her makeup skills were average, so Bai Lingyun helped her apply it.

When they were done, Bai Lingyun asked if she had any accessories, suggesting she add something to complete the look.

With plenty of time before her meetup with Zhu Ran, Zhou Anran pulled out her rarely used accessory box. Together with Bai Lingyun, she picked out the rose gold bracelet Cen Yu had given her for her eighteenth birthday and put it on.

The game was held at the court near the school’s entrance.

Zhou Anran met Zhu Ran, and they entered the court together, heading straight to the front row.

Their seats today, like the first game, were right behind the law school team’s bench.

At 3:05 p.m., the court was already more than half full.

Both teams’ players had already taken the court, starting their final warm-ups before the game.

Once seated, Zhou Anran’s gaze naturally drifted to the law school’s half of the court, instantly spotting Chen Luobai in the crowd.

He was wearing a white jersey today, with the bold number 26 on the back.

Zhou Anran remembered that in high school, his jersey number matched the one used by the basketball star in his WeChat profile picture. Now, for some reason, he’d switched to 26. It wasn’t his birthday or hers. Maybe it was another favorite player’s number.

Chen Luobai was practicing three-pointers.

His tall, lean frame moves fluidly, each shot smooth and precise. Every time he sank a basket, Zhou Anran could hear cheers erupt behind her.

The excitement was far livelier than at the first game.

Zhu Ran fiddled with his phone, then glanced over, noticing her hand resting casually at her side. Her coat sleeve had ridden up, revealing a slender, pale wrist adorned with the rose gold bracelet.

“That bracelet—” Zhu Ran paused.

Zhou Anran turned her head. “What’s wrong?”

Zhu Ran shook his head. “Nothing. A friend of mine bought one like it as a gift.”

Zhou Anran glanced at the bracelet. “This one was a gift too.”

Zhu Ran fell silent for a moment, then seemed to recall something. “Oh, right, Zhou Anran, is your family staying in Wucheng for good now?”

Zhou Anran shook her head. “We might move back next year.”

“That’s good,” Zhu Ran said with a smile. “Otherwise, you and A-Luo would have to do long-distance during winter and summer breaks. It’s much easier if you’re both in Nancheng.”

Zhou Anran nodded. “Yeah.”

Zhu Ran continued, “But his uncle’s family—Sister Qin’s family—is in Wucheng. It’s practically his second home. He almost went to school there.”

Zhou Anran was surprised. “Really? When?”

Zhu Ran opened his mouth to answer, but his peripheral vision caught a tall figure approaching from the court. He turned his gaze. “A-Luo’s coming.”

Zhou Anran followed his line of sight and saw Chen Luobai walk to the sidelines, bend down, and grab a water bottle from the cooler.

He twisted off the cap, took a couple of swigs, then strode over to her, casually handing the half-finished bottle to her. Tilting his head, he asked, “What’re you guys talking about?”

Zhu Ran grinned. “Obviously, I’m taking the chance to badmouth you to Zhou Anran.”

Chen Luobai reached out, half-locking Zhu Ran’s neck in a swift, rough motion, though his tone carried a playful lilt. “Looking for a beating, huh?”

Zhu Ran struggled, turning his head with difficulty. “Zhou Anran, rein in your boyfriend.”

Zhou Anran’s ears warmed. She tugged at Chen Luobai’s jersey. “He didn’t badmouth you. We were just chatting casually.”

“Zhou Anran,” Chen Luobai said, glancing at her, “whose side are you on?”

Zhou Anran blinked. “…Huh?”

“I’m saying, he really didn’t say anything bad.”

Chen Luobai let go of Zhu Ran. His hand moved as if to pinch her cheek, but, realizing his hands were sweaty from practice, he stopped. Instead, he flicked her forehead lightly, a lazy smile spreading across his face. “Don’t you know to back your own guy instead of being all fair?”

Zhou Anran was speechless. “?”

Zhu Ran rubbed his neck. “Keep your twisted logic to yourself. Zhou Anran’s sensible and smart, don’t corrupt her.”

Chen Luobai raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mock arrogance. “How I handle my girlfriend is none of your business.”

Zhu Ran was about to retort when his phone rang with a voice or video call notification. Without checking, he answered.

A loud, boisterous voice blared through the speaker.

Zhou Anran thought it sounded a bit like Tang Jianrui.

“Zhu Ran, you at A University’s court yet? Quick, show us what our sister-in-law looks like now!”

Zhou Anran froze. “…?”

Zhu Ran didn’t have time to stop him before Chen Luobai snatched the phone.

Chen Luobai flipped it around, adjusted the angle, and shot a cool glance through the camera. “Why should my girlfriend be shown to you guys?”

Tang Jianrui’s voice weakened. “Brother Luo, what a coincidence. You’re standing with Old Zhu?”

“Quite the coincidence,” Chen Luobai said flatly. “Otherwise, how would I know about your little plan?”

Another voice cut in, sounding like Huang Shujie.

Zhou Anran occasionally saw their group chats and knew Tang Jianrui and Huang Shujie had stayed in Nancheng for college.

They were probably together right now.

Huang Shujie said, “Brother Luo, don’t be so stingy. We’re just curious about what our sister-in-law looks like now, if she’s changed since high school.”

“Whether my girlfriend’s changed since high school—” Chen Luobai’s tone was lazy, “—has nothing to do with you two.”

Tang Jianrui chimed in, “Brother Luo, you can’t hide her like some treasure forever. We’ll see her at the winter break gathering anyway.”

“Then we’ll talk during winter break,” Chen Luobai said, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. “Hanging up.”

“Don’t—”

The call cut off abruptly.

Chen Luobai tossed the phone back to Zhu Ran.

Zhu Ran scrambled to catch it. “Damn it, Chen Luobai, I just got this phone. If I hadn’t caught it, would you pay for it?”

“Pay for what?” Chen Luobai shot him a cool glance. “You’re scheming with them behind my back, and I haven’t even settled that score. Be grateful.”

With that, he ignored Zhu Ran, turning to the girl beside him. He noticed the faint dimples at the corners of her lips.

She was smiling, sweet and obedient.

Chen Luobai’s hand itched again, but he didn’t want to smudge her face with his sweaty hands. Instead, he flicked her forehead lightly once more.

“Heading to practice.”

Zhou Anran let out a soft “oh”, touching her forehead.

As Chen Luobai turned to leave, he noticed the rose gold bracelet on her wrist.

He grabbed her wrist.

Zhou Anran blinked. “Aren’t you going to practice?”

Why was he holding her hand again?

“Yeah, I’m going. Why’d you wear—” Chen Luobai paused, “—the bracelet today?”

Zhou Anran glanced at the bracelet on her wrist. “My roommate said to add some accessories, so I picked this one.”

Chen Luobai’s thumb brushed lightly over the bracelet, his voice soft. “It looks nice.”

Zhou Anran’s lips curved. “Go practice.”

After practice, the game officially began.

The law school’s opponent was the computer science department.

If the law school’s run to the finals was an unexpected dark-horse story, the computer science team’s presence was entirely expected.

Oddly enough, A University’s computer science department had recruited several basketball talents in recent years. Their team included three players from the school’s basketball team, including the captain, Wang Junzhuo. Though one was a freshman, making the school team was proof of skill.

They were the defending champions from last year.

The game started with the law school immediately on the back foot.

The law school had faced rough patches in earlier games, but this was the first time they were so thoroughly suppressed. A couple of players seemed tense, struggling to keep up with Chen Luobai’s pace.

Zhou Anran’s grip on his water bottle tightened.

Zhu Ran suddenly spoke up. “Is their number 10 on the school team?”

Zhou Anran looked closely. Number 10 was indeed Wang Junzhuo, the school team captain.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Numbers 4 and 7 too?” Zhu Ran asked.

Zhou Anran kept her eyes on the court and nodded again.

Zhu Ran sighed. “This is gonna be a tough game for A-Luo.”

Though Zhou Anran had watched plenty of games with Zhou Xianhong, she was only a casual fan compared to Zhu Ran, a die-hard basketball enthusiast. Hearing him say the game would be tough made her heart leap into her throat.

Zhu Ran added, “Zhou Anran, you remember what you said that day, right?”

Zhou Anran blinked, confused. “What?”

“That day Chen Luobai treated you to dinner, I said if he lost, he’d be embarrassed in front of more than just me, and you said something to him.”

Zhou Anran blinked again. “That as long as he tried his best, I wouldn’t think he’s embarrassing?”

Zhu Ran nodded. “Yeah, good you remember.”

Zhou Anran knew Zhu Ran was looking out for him, and maybe giving her a heads-up too.

But she felt a tiny spark of defiance.

“He won’t necessarily lose.”

She’d watched all his games when she didn’t have class and knew exactly why the law school made it to the finals.

No matter how tough the game, he never gave up.

Whether in high school or now, he’d always been both talented and hardworking.

Zhou Anran’s gaze drifted back to the boy on the court. “No matter how strong the opponent is, he won’t give up easily.”

Zhu Ran chuckled. “Alright, looks like I was worried for nothing.”

Zhou Anran, focused on the game, didn’t respond and kept watching intently.

Zhu Ran looked down, opening his WeChat group chat.

Tang Jianrui and the others were still spamming the group, pinging Zhu Ran relentlessly.

This was their original group chat, where the guys sometimes talked freely, no filter. Unlike the new one they’d made that day to add Zhou Anran.

Tang Jianrui: [Old Zhu, Brother Luo’s game has started, right? Sneak a pic of Zhou Anran for us.]

Tang Jianrui: [@Zhu Ran]

Huang Shujie: [Yeah, forget the video.]

Huang Shujie: [A photo’s fine.]

Huang Shujie: [@Zhu Ran]

Zhu Ran typed back: [Whose fault is it for yelling the second you got on the call?]

Zhu Ran: [I couldn’t even stop you.]

Tang Jianrui: [How was I supposed to know Brother Luo was right there?]

Tang Jianrui: [Just snap a pic now. He’s playing, he won’t notice.]

Zhu Ran: [You guys are asking for trouble, don’t drag me into it.]

Zhu Ran: [I’m not taking it.]

Huang Shujie: [What trouble? Brother Luo’s not that stingy.]

Zhu Ran: [When it comes to Zhou Anran, he is that stingy.]

Zhu Ran: [In high school, did he ever show you guys even one photo of her from his phone?]

Zhu Ran: [He’s a dog who picks his girl over his friends.]

Tang Jianrui: [I’m dying to know what Brother Luo’s like when he’s in love.]

Zhu Ran: [What’s it like? Disgustingly sappy.]

Huang Shujie: [How sappy?]

Zhu Ran: [One second he’s roasting me, the next he’s talking to Zhou Anran in a voice so soft it’s like a 180-degree turn.]

Zhu Ran: [But your sister-in-law is genuinely great.]

Huang Shujie: [Obviously.]

Huang Shujie: [Brother Luo’s got high standards. How could his pick be anything less?]

Huang Shujie: [Now I’m even more curious.]

Huang Shujie: [Screw it, I’m not saving for that summer trip anymore. I’m going to Beicheng next week. I’ve never been to A University anyway.]

Huang Shujie: [Ruirui, you coming?]

Tang Jianrui: [Hell yeah!!]

Zhu Ran: [Come on then.]

Zhu Ran: [His game’s done this week, so he should be free to treat us next week.]

Tang Jianrui: [But I’m almost out of cash this month. Anyone wanna spot me some plane ticket money?]

Zhu Ran: [Ask your Brother Luo.]

Zhu Ran: [As long as it’s not about his wife, he’s pretty generous.]

Zhu Ran locked his phone screen. Noticing a timeout on the court, he tilted his head. “Zhou Anran, check with Yan Xingxi and the others if they’re free. Tang Jianrui and Huang Shujie might come next week. If they’re free, we could all hang out.”

Zhou Anran nodded. “Sure, I’ll ask them tonight.”

After the timeout, the law school subbed in two players.

The replacements weren’t tense, but as bench players, their skills were a notch below the starters.

Once they were on, the law school stayed behind, the score gap still widening.

By the end of the first quarter, the score was 12–20, with the computer science team leading by eight.

During the break, Chen Luobai walked straight to the stands, grabbed the water bottle from Zhou Anran’s arms, and took a couple of swigs. Then he felt a soft, slender hand grip his free one.

He looked down, surprised, his lips curving unconsciously. “What’s this about?”

It was Zhou Anran’s first time initiating something this intimate with others around—especially in front of thousands of spectators.

The embarrassment was overwhelming, but her fingers didn’t hesitate, slipping between his and interlocking tightly. Her voice was soft. “Charging you up. Good luck next quarter.”

Chen Luobai’s grip on the bottle tightened, his heart swelling like something had filled it, or tickled it lightly.

He glanced at her flushed ears. “Holding hands might not be enough to charge me anymore.”

Zhou Anran froze, staring at him blankly.

Chen Luobai leaned closer, his breath warm against her burning ear, “Come out at halftime and let me kiss you?”

Zhou Anran: “…?”

Even as the second quarter began, Zhou Anran’s face was still burning.

This guy was getting more shameless by the day.

Saying something like that in public.

Good thing he kept his voice low.

Zhou Anran glanced over. Zhu Ran was buried in his phone, not looking her way.

He probably didn’t hear, right?

No one else heard… right?

A sharp whistle snapped her attention back to the court, where the referee called a blocking foul on a computer science player.

She shoved down the flustered thoughts he’d stirred and focused on the game.

The two law school players who’d been tense earlier were back on the court.

Maybe Chen Luobai had said something to them during the break, because they seemed to find their groove again, no longer struggling to match his pace.

With Chen Luobai making smart passes, shooting when he could, passing when he couldn't, the team’s offense and defense started flowing again.

But the computer science team had several strong players with decent teamwork.

The second quarter turned into a stalemate. The computer science team didn’t let the law school gain much ground, but the law school kept them from widening the gap further.

By the end of the second quarter, the teams were even for that period, the score difference still at eight points.

As halftime began and players headed to the locker rooms, Zhou Anran bit her lip. Her fingers gripped her bag strap, released, gripped again, then let go. Finally, she turned to Zhu Ran. “I’m going to say something to him.”

Zhu Ran, seemingly unbothered, nodded casually. “Cool.”

Zhou Anran stood, ignoring the many eyes on her, and steeled herself to head into the nearby hallway.

Chen Luobai was already at the locker room door. Most of his teammates had gone inside, and the corridor echoed with chaotic footsteps. He hadn’t heard anything specific, but some instinct made him pause.

Right before entering, he glanced back, and his gaze froze.

Not far away, the girl had stopped, probably noticing his turn. She must have hurried after him—her chest was rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths.

The hallway was dim, but Chen Luobai could still see the flush on her face

In that moment, something in his chest collapsed, replaced by a soft warmth flooding in.

He knew how shy she was, so his halftime comment had been mostly teasing. He hadn’t expected her to actually follow him.

Just like he hadn’t expected her to grab his hand in front of all those people and say she was charging him up.

Chen Luobai turned to his teammates, his tone calm, though his hand at his side had clenched the moment he saw her. “Go on in. I’ll be there soon.”

The two teammates still outside glanced back, spotted Zhou Anran nearby, and grinned knowingly, teasing, “Go, go! Just don’t take too long—we’re waiting for you to go over the game plan.”

Chen Luobai laughed, shoving them inside and closing the door to block their view. Then he walked over, stopping in front of her.

Zhou Anran wasn’t sure what possessed her to follow him. Now, facing him, she felt a sudden urge to back out.

Especially because the way he looked at her was different from usual—his eyes sparked with something intense.

He’d played the entire first half, his jersey collar damp, sweat beading on his forehead, neck, collarbone, and arms. Normally, he’d exude a mix of boyish charm and unbridled energy, a compelling contradiction. But today, something in his gaze tipped the scale heavily, making him seem almost dangerously alluring.

Zhou Anran’s heart trembled under his stare, an instinct to flee kicking in. She started to turn. “Um… good luck in the second half. I’m going back.”

She barely turned before he grabbed her wrist.

“Running away?”

Chen Luobai’s palm was scorching, and Zhou Anran felt her wrist burn under his touch. Before she could answer, he pulled her into the nearby fire escape.

His face was expressionless. He pushed the door shut and pressed her against it with the other hand. Without a word, he leaned down and kissed her.

Zhou Anran had never seen him so assertive with her before.

In the past month, he’d kissed her plenty, no longer needing to coax her to open her mouth like the first time. One hand braced on the door, the other pinched her chin, his tongue slipping past her lips with practiced ease.

His breath flooded her, stealing hers entirely. Her teeth and palate were grazed, her tongue sucked hard to numb.

Then he pulled back quickly.

It was brief but intense.

He pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes still flickering with unspent sparks, voice low as he said her name, like he was holding something back. He nipped her lip before continuing.

“Zhou Anran.”

“Why are you so good?”

It was their first kiss on campus.

In the court no less, with thousands waiting to watch his game.

She couldn’t tell if her heart was pounding from the risk of being caught or because he was so different today, so heart-stoppingly captivating. Even after the kiss ended, her heart felt like it might burst.

She didn’t quite understand why he’d said that, nor did she have time to dwell on it. She couldn’t hold him up too long. Her fingers clutched his jersey, urging softly, 

“Charged up enough now? Hurry back to the locker room.”

Chen Luobai looked down at her.

She’d done her makeup today, a different kind of beautiful.

“Not quite enough.”

Zhou Anran: “…?”

What more did he want?

They were in public, and her embarrassment threshold had already been pushed to its limit. She pushed at the warm, half-leaning boy. “That’s all you get. I’m going back.”

Chen Luobai pressed her back. “Wait.”

Her face burned. “Halftime’s only ten minutes. Save the rest for after the game, okay? Or you’ll be late.”

Chen Luobai had planned to head back early, he wouldn’t have let her off so easily otherwise, but he’d stopped her for another reason. Her words caught him off guard, and he couldn’t help but laugh, leaning into her shoulder. “Alright, after the game then.”

Zhou Anran: “…?”

“But, Ranran—” Chen Luobai paused, his gaze lingering on her lips for a second before leaning close to her ear, voice low. “Your lipstick’s smudged.”

---

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