Lemon Soda Candy - 72

"Alright, comrades, I'm heading out first. See you next month!"  

"Li Yuan, wait for me!"  

"Shit, I almost forgot my math paper."  

As the final homeroom session ended and Gao Guohua left the classroom, the room erupted into chaos.  

Some students grabbed their backpacks and bolted out the door, while others lingered at their seats, laughing and saying goodbye to friends.  

Amid the clamor, Zhou Anran slowly packed her things into her bag. Then, a pale, slender hand appeared in her line of sight, fingers lightly tapping her desk. A familiar voice sounded above her.  

"I’ll head over first."  

Zhou Anran looked up, catching only the tall silhouette of the boy’s back.  

His backpack hung carelessly off one shoulder, and he didn’t glance back, just raised his right hand high and gave her a casual wave.

The corner of Zhou Anran’s lips curved slightly.  

Zhang Shuxian, sitting beside her, caught sight of the faint dimple that appeared on her cheek and leaned in with a whisper. "Ranran, maybe you should just go watch him play basketball by yourself."  

Zhou Anran turned her head. "Why? Didn’t we agree you guys would come with me?”

"It’s just—" Zhang Shuxian blinked teasingly, "we feel like we’d be third-wheeling."  

Zhou Anran: "..."  

Her face warmed.  

“What nonsense are you talking about? And anyway, you already promised. If you don’t come, I won’t buy you soda."  

"Fine." Zhang Shuxian smirked. "Guess we’ll go for the sake of soda then."  

Once they finished packing up, Zhou Anran and Zhang Shuxian walked out arm in arm, pausing briefly by the stairs to wait for Sheng Xiaowen and Yan Xingxi, who soon joined them, also arm in arm.  

The four girls headed to the school’s small convenience store.  

Inside, Yan Xingxi and the others each grabbed their preferred sodas. Zhou Anran reached for a bottle of orange-flavored soda, but just before closing the fridge door, she hesitated for two seconds, then grabbed a bottle of cola and a bottle of mineral water.

Zhang Shuxian let out a long, exaggerated "Ohhh~" beside her ear. "We’ve all got ours. Who are those cola and water for?”

Zhou Anran: "..."  

Yan Xingxi turned around, her tone playfully jealous. "Why does he get an extra bottle of water while we only get one soda each?"  

The fridge door was still wide open, cold air drifting out toward her, yet Zhou Anran could feel her face growing warmer by the second.  

"You can grab water too if you want."  

"Nah." Yan Xingxi relented. "Water tastes awful. I’ll pass."  

Zhou Anran: "Then help me grab a few more bottles."  

"Oh?" Sheng Xiaowen joined in the teasing. "One bottle of water isn’t enough for him?"  

Zhou Anran: "..."  

If she’d known they’d tease her like this, she never would’ve told them anything. 

She touched her warm cheek with the back of her hand. "No, it’s just…Zhu Ran and the others are there too. It’d be too obvious if I only got something for him."  

---  

At the basketball court, Chen Luobai, Huang Shujie, and Shao Zilin were playing a 3v3 against Zhu Ran, Tang Jianrui, and Bao Kun.  

With possession on their side, Chen Luobai dribbled the ball, preparing to drive toward the basket. Zhu Ran and Tang Jianrui closed in to defend.  

Just as he was about to break through, Zhu Ran glanced over his shoulder. “Zhou Anran’s here.”

Chen Luobai turned his head.  

The tree-lined path beside the court was crowded with students, but he could tell at a glance that she wasn’t among them. Meanwhile, the ball was suddenly snatched from his hands.  

When he turned back, Zhu Ran was already making a layup.  

Chen Luobai let out an amused scoff. "Zhu Ran, are you seriously this bored?"  

Zhu Ran high-fived Tang Jianrui after the shot, then grinned smugly at Chen Luobai, tilting his chin. “I’m not bored. But someone might be if they keep waiting.”  

Chen Luobai ignored him, signaling Huang Shujie to pass from the baseline.

Once it was back in his hands, Zhu Ran and Tang Jianrui closed in again, trapping him.

Chen Luobai lowered his shoulders, about to change direction, when Tang Jianrui suddenly also glanced behind him.

"Luo-ge, Zhou Anran’s here."  

Chen Luobai chuckled. "If you’re gonna pull the same trick, at least switch up the lines.”

"Luo-ge." Huang Shujie cut in. "Ruirui’s not lying this time. Zhou Anran’s really here, and she’s carrying something.”

Chen Luobai paused mid-dribble. Turning, he saw the girl walking toward the court with her friends, a shopping bag from the school store in her hand.

One of them must’ve said something funny, because Zhou Anran suddenly smiled, her dimple peeking out, sweet and obedient.  

Chen Luobai turned back to the game, casually bouncing the ball a couple of times.  

Zhu Ran caught the slight curve on Chen Luobai lips, that familiar mix of cocky, provocative grin, and a bad feeling crept up.

Before he could react, Chen Luobai stepped back sharply, raised his arm, and launched the orange basketball in a perfect arc, landing cleanly in the hoop.

Huang Shujie let out an excited yell. "That’s my Luo-ge’s step-back three for you!!!"  

"Step-back three, my ass." Zhu Ran rolled his eyes. "More like a peacock flaunting his feathers."  

The ball hit the ground, bounced, and rolled.

Chen Luobai scooped it up and tossed it to Zhu Ran. "Play without me for a bit."  

Zhou Anran had seen him sink that step-back three from a distance. Now, as she approached, she watched him pass the ball to Zhu Ran and stride toward the sidelines. Her heart, predictably, started racing.

Back when she’d sneak glances at him playing basketball, pretending to just be passing by, she’d never imagined that one day, she’d be openly invited to watch him play, as his guest.  

Ignoring the curious looks from others on and off the court, Zhou Anran carried the shopping bag to the sideline, stopping next to him.

The boy had a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, that unmistakable mix of youthful energy and raw magnetism making her pulse race even faster. His dark eyes lowered slightly to meet hers.  

“Why’d you take so long?”

"We stopped by the store." Zhou Anran glanced at her friends, who had deliberately stepped a bit away as soon as they reached the court. She tried to keep her tone casual. "They made me treat them to soda. I grabbed a few extra, mineral water and cola. Do you want any?"  

Chen Luobai’s brow lifted slightly. "You brought water for me?"  

Zhou Anran: "..."  

She’d said it was just an extra, but the way he phrased it made it sound like she’d bought it specifically for him.

…Which she had.  

Knowing how sharp he was, she pushed down the nervous flutter threatening to spill over and scrambled for a plausible excuse. "I just grabbed a few extra bottles. Besides, you’ve treated me to snacks plenty of times."  

A small smile tugged at Chen Luobai’s lips. "Then I’ll take the water."  

Zhou Anran let out a quiet sigh of relief, opening her bag to grab the bottle.

Chen Luobai, who had been watching her face until now, finally glanced at the shopping bag. "Why’d you buy so much?"  

Zhou Anran’s fingers stilled. For some reason, guilt prickled at her. "...I got some for Zhu Ran and the others too."  

The boy’s eyes narrowed, his expression shifting into the same unhappy look from earlier that afternoon. "They treated you to snacks too?"  

Zhou Anran’s guilt intensified.  

"No." She shook her head, voice softening. "But we’re all classmates, right?"  

Chen Luobai’s face went blank. He enunciated slowly, "All…classmates?"  

Zhou Anran blinked, steeling herself against the guilt. "Mhm."  

He stared at her for two full seconds.  

She blinked again, her slight baby fat making her look even more innocent and docile.

Chen Luobai’s fingers itched. This time, he didn’t hold back, he reached out and pinched her cheek.  

His move was so swift that Zhou Anran only registered it after the fact, the fleeting sensation of his fingertips lingering on her skin.  

Truthfully, she could tell he’d been raised with impeccable manners. Despite his liking for teasing, aside from two head-pats and that one accidental brush before, he’d never initiated physical contact. Even when leaning in to talk to her, he always kept a respectful distance.  

This was the first time their skin had touched so deliberately.  

Her face flushed instantly. “What was that for?”

He took the bag from her hands. Having teasing her, his mood seemed to have improved again, his lips tilting up. "Didn’t you say it yourself? ‘We’re all classmates.’ If Zhang Shuxian can pinch your cheeks, I can too, right?”

Zhou Anran: "..."  

What kind of twisted logic was that?  

But since he’d thrown her own words back at her, she had no retort.  

Chen Luobai’s gaze lingered on her flushed face for a second before he suddenly asked, "Do you have wet wipes?"  

Zhou Anran: "?"  

Why was he suddenly asking about wet wipes?  

"I do, why?"  

He held out a hand. "Give me one."  

Still puzzled, she obediently opened her backpack, pulled out a wet wipe, and handed it to him.

Chen Luobai took it.  

Then, in the next moment, he leaned down toward her.  

Zhou Anran’s breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly as she watched the wipe in his hand inch closer and closer to her face, until it finally, gently brushed against her cheek.  

His voice softened, almost a murmur near her ear, still carrying a hint of amusement. “Forgot I just played ball. My hands are a bit dirty.”

---  

During the National Day holiday, Nancheng remained as sweltering as midsummer.  

Yan Xingxi went to her grandparents’ place in the countryside with her parents. Zhou Anran’s father had to work overtime, so she stayed in the city. On the first day of the holiday, she holed up writing homework all day, chatted with her parents in the living room that evening, then returned to her room to keep working.

Sitting at her desk, Zhou Anran pulled out a physics test paper. She’d barely started when her phone pinged.  

Assuming it was Yan Xingxi, she absentmindedly tapped the screen, only to freeze when Chen Luobai’s name appeared in the notification bar.  

For a moment, it was like she was back on the court yesterday afternoon when he’d wiped her face. He’d been careful not to touch her again, but her heart had raced uncontrollably.

Hadn’t he mentioned going to his uncle’s place in Wucheng for the holiday? Why was he messaging her now?  

She opened the chat.  

C: [What’re you doing?]

Zhou Anran: [Working on a test paper.]

C: [Which one?]

She snapped a photo of the paper in front of her and sent it.  

C: [Which question are you on?]  

Zhou Anran: [Multiple-choice question 7.]  

Zhou Anran: [Why’re you asking?]

C: [Wanna make a bet?]

?  

She sent a confused bunny sticker.  

Zhou Anran: [What kind of bet?]

He sent a photo of the same test paper, completely blank.

C: [I’ll give you a seven-question head start. If I finish before you, promise me one condition.]

Zhou Anran: "..."  

He was notoriously fast at solving problems.  

Zhou Anran: [What kind of condition?]  

C: [Haven’t decided yet.]  

C: [If you lose, you’ll just owe me for now?]  

Zhou Anran: [And if you lose?]  

C: [Then I’ll owe you one.]  

Even though she knew she’d probably lose, she didn’t want to refuse.  

She wanted to know, what would he ask of her?  

Zhou Anran: [Okay.]

C: [Want me to give you a five-minute head start too?]

 

A small smile tugged at her lips.  

Chatting through the phone, she wasn’t as nervous as she’d be face-to-face.

Her fingers paused on the screen before typing: [Don’t underestimate me.]

C: [Alright.]

C: [Let’s start now.]

Knowing his speed, she didn’t reply again, focusing on the paper. He didn’t send any more messages either.

It wasn’t until she was about to start the second-to-last problem that her phone buzzed once more.  

She unlocked it to see a photo of his completed exam. No surprises there.  

C: [I win?]  

Zhou Anran wasn’t discouraged, she knew the gap between their abilities. Propping her chin on her hand, she replied: [Yeah.]

Zhou Anran: [Have you thought of what condition you want yet?]  

C: [Don’t worry.]  

C: [I won’t sell you off.]  

She caught herself smiling at the screen.  

Then another message popped up.  

C: [Same time tomorrow?]  

Zhou Anran: [Same time for what?]  

C: [Another bet like this.]  

Keep doing test papers together remotely?

Her heart skipped a beat. [Sure.]

No. 2 High School’s National Day holiday lasted eight days. For the next few evenings, Zhou Anran and Chen Luobai started the same test paper at the same time, sometimes racing for speed, sometimes for accuracy. She never beat him once.  

The eight-day holiday flew by. On the last evening, back in her room, she got another message from him.

C: [Again?]  

Zhou Anran: [No.]  

C: [Why not?]  

She puffed out her cheeks.  

Even though she knew she wasn’t at his level, losing every day was starting to feel deflating.

 

And—

Zhou Anran: [I already owe you seven conditions.]

Zhou Anran: [If I lose again, I might never be able to pay them all back.]  

C: [I’ll go easy on you tonight.]

Zhou Anran: [I don’t need you to go easy.]

She wanted to work harder, improve, and catch up to him.

C: [What I mean is…] 

What did he mean?

Why was he dragging it out?

C: [No matter who wins tonight, I’ll owe you a condition.]  

C: [You sure you don’t want to?]

Huh?  

He was just… giving her a free condition?  

Not that she had anything specific in mind to ask for. It wasn’t like she could demand him to like her back.  

Though lately, she no longer completely dismissed the possibility. In fact, she was starting to sense he might, just maybe, treat her a little differently from others.  

Still, the mere idea of "Chen Luobai owing her a condition" was tempting enough on its own.  

Zhou Anran: [Fine, let’s do it.]

C: [Thought of what you’ll ask me for?]

Zhou Anran: [Nope.]

Zhou Anran: [You can owe me for now too.]

C: [Deal.]

---  

The next day, back at school, the sky was heavy with clouds from early morning, looking like it'll rain at any moment.

 

Before heading downstairs, Zhou Anran stuffed an umbrella into her backpack. But by the time she and Yan Xingxi got off the bus and entered the school, it still hadn’t rained.

As they neared the teaching building, Zhou Anran felt a tug on her backpack.  

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.  

"What now?"  

The familiar voice, laced with amusement, came from behind her. "Still remember you owe me seven conditions?"  

Hm?  

Zhou Anran turned to look at him.  

The tall boy stood there in his summer uniform, hair freshly trimmed, one hand gripping her backpack strap while the other was tucked into his pocket, effortlessly handsome.  

"You’ve thought of one?"  

“Have you decided on one?” she asked.

Chen Luobai nodded. “I’ve got one.”

Her heart skipped again. “What is it?”

He gestured toward her backpack. “Can I open it?”

Zhou Anran: "…?"  

What kind of weird request was that?  

But her bag only had books, homework, and an umbrella today. It didn’t matter what he did with it.  

"Are you sure?"  

"Yes."  

"Then go ahead."  

She stopped walking.  

Chen Luobai stepped behind her. "Turn around. No looking."  

She glanced at him curiously. “You never said I couldn’t look.”

His lips curved. "All interpretation rights for the condition are mine, got it?”

Zhou Anran: "..."  

This guy and his nonsense logic.  

Fine, she wouldn’t look.

She faced forward.  

The sound of her zipper being pulled open reached her ears, followed by a slight shift in weight in her already-heavy bag, as if he’d placed something inside.  

"What did you put in there?"  

Before he could answer, someone called out from behind them.  

"Chen Luobai."  

It sounded like Gao Guohua.  

Zhou Anran’s heart tightened, and she spun around, seeing their homeroom teacher standing a short distance away.  

From a distance, she couldn’t read his expression, but she doubted he’d be thrilled to see the class’s top student fooling around with her first thing in the morning.  

Chen Luobai, however, showed no signs of concern, his lazy grin still in place.  

"Didn’t I say no looking? Why’re you sneaking looks?”

Zhou Anran pressed her lips together, no longer in the mood for jokes. "The teacher’s calling you."  

"Mm." He leisurely zipped her bag zipper shit. "Don’t worry. Probably good news. Go wait for me in the classroom."  

---

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