Lemon Soda Candy - 61
The gathering was set for Saturday.
That evening, Zhou Anran and Chen Luobai asked around, and everyone was fine with a big group get-together. Perhaps it was because whether it was Zhou Anran’s roommates, Chen Luobai’s roommates, or the seniors from the club, they all got along well enough. It wasn’t exactly a room full of complete strangers, more like meeting friends of friends.
The last time Yan Xingxi and the others visited, they’d stopped by Zhou Anran’s dorm and already met Xie Jingyi and the girls. Bringing Chen Luobai’s roommates was something Sheng Xiaowen had actively suggested, and the girls in Zhou Anran’s dorm had long been curious about Yu Bingqin’s band. Hearing that the club seniors were coming too, even Yu Xinyue planned to clear her entire afternoon for the gathering.
Zhang Shuxian and Tang Jianrui’s group weren’t heading back on Saturday, so on Sunday, their group of high school friends could have a smaller get-together.
Since the Saturday gathering would have a big crowd and not everyone knew each other well, sitting around a table for a formal meal might feel awkward. Instead of booking a restaurant, Chen Luobai reserved a large private room at his dad's friend's club.
The room came fully equipped with KTV and board games, with food and drinks provided all day, so they could stay from afternoon to night.
On the day of the gathering, Zhou Anran and Chen Luobai arrived early to set up the private room.
Once the staff delivered the food and left, the spacious room was left to just the two of them.
Chen Luobai reached into his pocket, found a piece of candy, unwrapped it, and casually fed it into her mouth.
The room’s lighting was dim, and Zhou Anran didn’t see the wrapper. Only after tasting it did her eyes light up slightly. “It’s lemon-flavored.”
The candy was from a mixed-fruit pack, where lemon-flavored ones were rare.
“Is it?” Chen Luobai lowered his gaze, watching her cheek puff out slightly as she looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes—obedient and pretty. “Then let me have a taste.”
Zhou Anran assumed he had more candies.
But the next second, Chen Luobai leaned down and kissed her.
Zhou Anran hurriedly pushed at him, tilting her head slightly. “They’ll be here soon.”
Chen Luobai’s fingers gently pinched her chin, his brow quirking as if teasing. “Doesn’t that make it more thrilling?”
Zhou Anran: “…?”
Seeing her eyes widen in disbelief, Chen Luobai chuckled, resting his head on her shoulder. “Just kidding. I haven’t sent them the room number yet. No one’s coming.” He lifted his head, pinching her chin again, his voice softening. “I don’t think I’ve ever kissed you like this before.”
Zhou Anran’s grip on his shoulder loosened.
Chen Luobai leaned in again.
The soda candy truly lived up to its name.
As their lips and tongues intertwined, it was like tiny bubbles bursting in whosever’s mouth—hard to tell whose. By the time the kiss ended, both their mouths were filled with the same sweet lemon flavor.
The first to arrive were Chen Luobai’s two roommates.
Their dorm was meant for four, but one guy, a week into the semester, decided law wasn’t for him, fell for a top program at the neighboring school, and boldly dropped out to retake the college entrance exam. No new roommate was assigned, so the dorm stayed just the three of them.
Zhou Qingsui, as usual, was a man of few words. He gave a brief nod in greeting, then found a corner seat, pulled out his phone, and started reviewing.
Yuan Song, on the other hand, was his polar opposite.
He plopped down next to Chen Luobai, grabbed a fork, ate a piece of watermelon, and grinned at Zhou Anran. “Little Sister Zhou.”
Chen Luobai kicked him lightly. “Who’re you calling little sister?”
“Alright, alright, not little sister, got it.” Chen Luobai’s kick was clearly playful, but Yuan Song clutched his leg dramatically, turning to Zhou Anran to tattle. “Classmate Zhou, see that? Your boyfriend acts all generous and cool on the surface, but deep down, he’s petty and picks on people. After he treated me like this, it’s not too much if I spill some dirt on him, right?”
Zhou Anran knew they were close and didn’t take it seriously. She smiled. “What dirt?”
Yuan Song: “Not long after the semester started, when his leg still wasn’t fully healed, one day—”
Chen Luobai shot him a glance.
Yuan Song paused briefly.
Zhou Anran blinked. “One day, what?”
Yuan Song glanced at her.
One day, he’d gone to eat with a friend from the biology department and heard about a freshman girl there—pure and pretty, already considered the department’s unofficial “flower.”
After the meal, he and his friend happened to run into this “department flower.”
Yuan Song secretly snapped a photo.
Back at the dorm, Zhou Qingsui was still out working his part-time job, leaving only Chen Luobai, who was reading at his desk.
Yuan Song sidled up to Chen Luobai, eager to show off. “I just ran into that department flower from the biology department. Gotta say, she’s pretty stunning. I’m half-tempted to make a move myself. Oh, and I snapped a photo, wanna see?”
The last part was just a casual remark.
Everyone knew their newly crowned “campus heartthrob” had no interest in girls. No matter who tried to flirt with him, they’d hit a brick wall. The guy was practically a monk, reborn, all aloof and abstinent.
But that day, their supposedly monk heartthrob turned around, gave Yuan Song a faint glance, carrying the same warning edge as the look he’d just shot him, and said, “Don’t mess with her.”
Yuan Song didn’t catch on right away.
Chen Luobai reached out. “Where’s the photo?”
Yuan Song started to sense something, grinning as he played dumb. “What photo?”
Chen Luobai, sharp as ever, didn’t fall for it. He extended his hand further. “Send me the photo and delete it from your phone.”
Yuan Song finally put two and two together.
This guy wasn’t some abstinent monk, he already had someone in his heart.
“Why should I?” Yuan Song teased.
Chen Luobai nodded toward the shoe cabinet. “How about that pair of shoes?”
Yuan Song followed his gaze, and his eyes lit up.
His roommate was generous but a bit of a neat freak. Those sneakers, no matter how pricey, were fine to touch or look at, but nobody was allowed to wear them.
“You’re letting me wear them?”
“Dream on.” Chen Luobai glanced at him. “I’ll buy you a new pair.”
Yuan Song immediately caved. “The photo, right? I’ll send it now and delete it in front of you. If you want, I can even go take a few more for you.”
Chen Luobai: “No need. You get the sneaker, just stay away from her.”
Yuan Song, having scored a pair of sneakers for one photo, happily went back to his seat to brag to friends.
After the bragging, though, he started to feel uneasy.
The sneakers Chen Luobai offered weren’t limited-edition, those were long sold out, but even the standard ones were hard to come by, with prices jacked up to over ten thousand Yuan* a pair.
(*Ten thousand yuan is roughly equivalent to $1,400 USD.)
A single photo for a pair of sneakers worth over ten grand? Yuan Song felt a twinge of guilt.
He stood up and walked back to Chen Luobai’s desk. “Chen Luobai, about those sneakers—”
He stopped mid-sentence. The guy who was usually buried in books was now quietly staring at the slightly blurry photo Yuan Song had sent him.
Hearing Yuan Song, Chen Luobai looked up. “What about the sneakers? Want a different style? That’s fine too.”
“No.” Yuan Song gritted his teeth, steeling himself. “That blurry photo for a pair of sneakers feels like you’re getting a bad deal. Keep the photo, I’ll pass on the sneakers.”
Chen Luobai’s gaze returned to his phone. “Not a bad deal. It’s worth it. If you’re feeling guilty, just think of it as your birthday gift from me this year.”
Yuan Song’s curiosity was fully piqued by his “not a bad deal, worth it.” He leaned in to gossip. “What’s the deal with you and this biology department flower? Ex-girlfriend?”
Chen Luobai was silent for a few seconds before answering, “No. High school classmate.”
Yuan Song snapped back to the present.
He glanced at Chen Luobai, who had turned to look at the girl from the photo, the biology department flower. His voice was noticeably softer than when he’d spoken to him earlier.
“Don’t mind him. He’s like Zhu Ran, always exaggerating things. If you want to know anything, just ask me tonight when we’re back.”
The girl didn’t even glance at Yuan Song, just nodded obediently at Chen Luobai. “Okay.”
Yuan Song suddenly understood why Chen Luobai had fallen for her.
Who could resist that?
Compared to this dose of PDA, the gossip he had didn’t even feel juicy anymore.
Yuan Song clapped his hands. “Alright, you two keep being all lovey-dovey. I’m gonna go pick a song to sing.”
The second group to arrive was Zhu Ran, Tang Jianrui, and Huang Shujie.
As soon as the door opened, Huang Shujie heard an off-key wail and covered his ears, grinning at Tang Jianrui. “Who’s this guy singing? His off-key skills could give you a run for your money, Rui. You should get to know him later.”
Tang Jianrui shoved him. “Stop dawdling. Let’s go see what our sister-in-law looks like now.”
Zhou Anran was nibbling on some grapes.
Seeing the three of them walk in, she set down her fork to say hi, but before she could, Tang Jianrui and Huang Shujie called out in unison—
“Hey, sister-in-law!”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Maybe she should skip the greeting.
Tang Jianrui eyed her curiously. “Zhou Anran, you’ve changed a bit since high school. If I saw you on the street, I might not even recognize you.”
Chen Luobai lazily tossed an orange at him. “What’s it to you if my girlfriend’s changed since high school or not?”
Tang Jianrui caught the orange, peeling it as he spoke. “Come on, Brother Luo, don’t be so stingy. We’re just getting a look.”
“Done looking?” Chen Luobai nodded toward some seats. “If you’re done, go sit. Weren’t you whining about being hungry? There’s a menu over there, call the staff to order whatever you want.”
Their flight had been delayed, and the airplane food at 11 a.m. was barely edible. Now, nearing 2 p.m., they were starving.
Tang Jianrui stuffed the orange in his mouth, mumbling, “Thanks, Brother Luo.”
“Seriously?” Huang Shujie kicked him from behind. “You’re not even gonna share?”
Tang Jianrui: “There’s a ton, go grab your own, damn it.”
Huang Shujie: “Too lazy to peel.”
“Then why aren’t you too lazy to eat?” Tang Jianrui kicked back.
Zhu Ran headed to the song selection station. “I’m gonna pick a song.”
He’d been to A University plenty of times and had already met Yuan Song several times, so he didn’t hold back. Sitting down at the KTV console, he glanced at Yuan Song beside him. “Hey, man, once you’re done with this song, mind if I cut in?”
Yuan Song overheard Tang Jianrui and the others ordering food and lost interest in singing. “Cut it now if you want, I’m gonna go order some food too.”
Zhu Ran quickly picked Imagine and switched the song.
To Zhou Anran’s surprise, he actually sang pretty well.
Zhang Shuxian had come on the same flight as Tang Jianrui, but Yan Xingxi and Sheng Xiaowen had gone to the airport to pick her up. The three girls hadn’t seen each other in a while and got caught up chatting on the subway, losing track of Tang Jianrui’s group and missing the same train.
That's why Tang Jianrui’s crew arrived first.
But as soon as Zhu Ran finished his song, Zhang Shuxian and the others showed up.
The moment the door opened, Zhang Shuxian, at the front of the group, waved excitedly at Zhou Anran. “Ranran!”
Zhou Anran hadn’t seen her in ages and immediately stood up from her seat.
Chen Luobai’s hand, which had been resting on her shoulder, slipped off. He watched his girlfriend rush to the door, hugging and giggling with the three girls there.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Zhu Ran, who’d finished singing and sat back next to him, smirked smugly. “Looks like your status doesn’t rank as high as your girlfriend's besties.”
Chen Luobai shot him a cool glance. “Still better than you, too scared to confess and still single.”
Zhu Ran: “…”
Huang Shujie burst out laughing. “You said yourself Brother Luo’s petty about sister-in-law. Why poke him with that? You’re just asking for it.”
Zhu Ran: “You’re single too, what’s so funny?”
“No offense,” Huang Shujie said, popping a piece of watermelon into his mouth, “but I won’t be one for long.”
Tang Jianrui, who was about to sing, froze, still holding the microphone. His voice boomed through the room. “Damn, when did you get a situation?”
Huang Shujie waved him down. “Chill, I’m chasing a senior at school, but it’s not a done deal yet. Don’t yell so loud.”
Zhou Anran was pulled to a couch on the other side by her friends.
She handed the menu to Zhang Shuxian. “You probably haven’t eaten much either, right? Want to order something?”
Zhang Shuxian took the menu and winked at her. “Ranran, you’re acting like the hostess here.”
“She is the hostess,” Yan Xingxi said, popping a strawberry in her mouth.
Zhou Anran’s face flushed. “…”
“It’s been over a month, you guys still aren’t done teasing me?”
Zhang Shuxian grinned. “Of course not. You blush every time, it’s too fun.”
Zhou Anran ignored them, turning to Sheng Xiaowen. “Zhou Qingsui has work this afternoon, so he’ll probably leave in less than two hours. If you’ve got something to say to him, better do it soon.”
Sheng Xiaowen nodded, opened a beer, took a couple of sips, and walked over to the quiet guy in the corner. “Zhou Qingsui, wanna add me on WeChat?”
Zhou Qingsui looked up, giving a helpless smile. “I’m really busy.”
Sheng Xiaowen: “Just add me as a friend to chat casually. I’m busy too, so I won’t bug you much. I’m aiming to get into the Foreign Ministry, you know.”
As she said that last part, her eyes seemed to sparkle with some kind of radiant determination. Zhou Qingsui’s fingers twitched slightly.
A few seconds later, he nodded. “Alright.”
Soon after, Dong Chen and He Mingyu arrived.
He Mingyu was still quiet, but Dong Chen, the moment he walked in, threw a jab at Yan Xingxi. “Haven’t seen you in a while, Yan Xingxi. How’d you get chubbier?”
Yan Xingxi exploded, grabbing a bag of chips and hurling it at him. “Dong Chen, you’re dead! You’re the chubby one, your whole family’s chubby!”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Dong Chen deserved that.
Realizing his mistake, Dong Chen dodged the chips and rubbed his nose. “No, I meant you got prettier.”
But Yan Xingxi wasn’t buying it. “You think I’m dumb?”
They started bickering.
Soon, Zhou Anran’s dormmates arrived, followed by Yu Bingqin with the club seniors.
Zhou Anran saw Xie Jingyi and the others go over to chat with Yu Bingqin and the seniors.
Once everyone was there, the room got lively—some singing, some chatting, some playing games.
Zhou Anran chatted with her friends for a bit longer.
Then Zhang Shuxian nudged her. “Ranran, go sit with Chen Luobai. He’s been glancing over here a bunch of times.”
Zhou Anran looked over. The guy was talking to Zhu Ran, lips curved in a lazy smile.
She turned back. “I’ll chat with you guys a bit more.”
Yan Xingxi: “It’s fine, you can chat with us tonight. We’re just worried he’ll get sulky and refuse to foot the bill later.”
Zhou Anran: “…?”
She’d been over here for nearly an hour, and though she knew they were teasing, she nodded. “Alright, I’ll come back again later.”
She walked back and sat next to Chen Luobai.
He turned his head, his gaze landing on her, still carrying that lazy smile but with a hint of coolness in his tone. “Finally remembered your boyfriend?”
Zhou Anran: “…”
With people nearby, she couldn’t sweet-talk him and wasn’t great at it anyway. Under the cover of the dim lighting, she gently hooked her fingertip around his index finger and gave it a little shake.
Chen Luobai gripped her hand back, squeezing lightly before loosening his grip to avoid hurting her. He leaned in close, his voice low, almost gritted. “Zhou Anran, don’t start acting cute now.”
Zhou Anran: “…?”
She looked at him innocently. “I wasn’t acting cute.”
She just wanted to cheer him up a bit.
Chen Luobai stayed close, his face near hers, his eyes glinting with a familiar spark, like he wanted to kiss her.
Zhou Anran held her breath, a little nervous.
Zhu Ran’s voice interrupted. “Hey, keep it PG in public, you two.”
Chen Luobai finally pulled back a bit, shooting Zhu Ran another cool glance.
“Watch yourself,” Zhu Ran continued, glancing at Zhou Anran. “You don’t care about your reputation, but Zhou Anran does. Zhou Anran, why don’t you sing something?”
Tang Jianrui jumped in. “Yeah, sister-in-law, sing something! I haven’t heard you sing.”
Chen Luobai glanced at the two of them. “What’s with the ruckus? Don’t you know she’s shy?”
Zhu Ran: “How would we know if she’s shy or not? If you don’t want her to sing, you do it.”
“Fine.” Chen Luobai was surprisingly agreeable. “I’ll sing.”
He turned to Zhou Anran, voice softening. “What do you want to hear?”
She’d only ever heard him sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
“Anything’s fine.”
Whatever he sang, she’d want to hear.
Chen Luobai lightly kicked Zhu Ran. “Go select Eason Chan’s Unconditional for me.”
Zhou Anran’s heart stirred softly.
Zhu Ran, too lazy to move, nudged Tang Jianrui. “You heard him, your Brother Luo wants Unconditional.”
Tang Jianrui pushed Huang Shujie, and in the end, Yuan Song, near the song selector, selected the song.
After the gentle intro, Chen Luobai’s voice came through.
The song wasn’t easy to sing. With minimal accompaniment, it was almost like singing a cappella. The opening lines had little vocal range, testing the singer’s tone and skill—mess it up, and it’d sound like talking.
But his voice was low and clear, emotions just right, not overly intense, like a story told beautifully.
Most people in the room had never heard him sing before. Drawn by his voice, the chatterers, snackers, and gamers all turned to look.
Zhou Anran kept her eyes on him too.
He stared at the KTV screen with a calm, almost expressionless face, not looking her way. But only she knew that his free hand, the one not holding the mic, was slowly parting her fingers, then tightly interlocking with them.
The screen’s light flickered across his face, making his features even more striking.
“Let me ask who gets to decide what’s truly perfect and good?”
Not until he sang that line did Chen Luobai tilt his head slightly.
Zhou Anran saw his lips curve into a slight smile, his gaze carrying a trace of affection as he looked at her.
Then she heard him sing the next line.
“All I know is I love you every day.”
The rest of the song, he sang line by line, looking at her, all the way to the lyric he’d once told her to listen for.
This time, she heard him sing it to her himself—
“I still say I’m lucky, you’ll always be better than other”
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