Lemon Soda Candy - 88

During the summer break of their sophomore year, neither Zhou Anran nor Chen Luobai went home.

Zhou Anran stayed to prepare for a small competition with her roommates and also wanted to spend more time in the lab and get a head start on her junior-year coursework. Since she wasn't leaving, Chen Luobai stayed too, finding an internship at the district procuratorate.

They continued living in their respective dorms, only occasionally spending a day or half a day at Chen Luobai's apartment on weekends when they had time.

Near the end of the summer break, Yu Bingqin treated everyone to a meal; she was going abroad for an exchange program next semester.

At University A, few undergraduates went directly into work after graduation; most stayed for graduate studies at their own university or went abroad for further education. The group invited to this meal was essentially the same one from that year Zhou Anran and Chen Luobai reunited at the ktv, with just the addition of Zhu Ran and a Senior Zhao who had been on an exchange abroad that year.

But back then, the ktv gathering was a casual get-together, while this time, it was for a farewell.

Alcohol was naturally indispensable at the dinner table.

Zhou Anran didn't much like the bitter taste of beer and only took a few sips when toasting with everyone. The remaining half-glass was finished off by Chen Luobai.

As the dishes on the table dwindled, the atmosphere grew increasingly subdued.

Xu Hongliang, Cen Yu's cousin, sighed. "Once Qin-jie leaves, who knows when we'll get to practice as a band again."

His words prompted even those still eating to put down their chopsticks with a sudden air of melancholy.

Senior Zhong Wei tried to lighten the mood. "It's not that dramatic. Our Qin-jie isn't short on plane fare. She can come back anytime, for holidays or whatever. Besides, even when Qin-jie was at school, we didn't have much time to practice. It was really only in the last year, the year Ranran and our big school heartthrob Chen started, that we practiced more often."

Perhaps aided by the alcohol, Yu Bingqin gave a rare smile. "We hadn't planned to practice that many times that year. Someone begged me for a favor."

Zhou Anran was taken aback for a moment, then immediately turned to look at the boy beside her.

Almost everyone at the table also turned understanding gazes toward him.

The boy at the center of attention wore an utterly composed and unruffled expression, unhurriedly placing a peeled shrimp into Zhou Anran's bowl. He even raised an eyebrow at her slightly. "Why are you looking at me?"

Only Senior Zhao, who had been abroad on exchange that year, seemed confused. "Who has that much influence to get Qin-jie to do them a favor?"

Zhu Ran, who had been particularly quiet all evening, finally spoke up. "Who else? Our scheming Big School Heartthrob Chen, here, all for the sake of chasing his wife."

Senior Zhao looked across the table at the well-known campus couple.

Even though she was abroad that year and wasn't one for gossip, she had heard about the school welcoming a heartthrob whose looks rivaled male celebrities, causing quite a stir on campus. It was just a pity he was taken early on, his girlfriend being the equally popular new "little department flower" from the School of Life Sciences.

There were still plenty of people on and off campus waiting to see when they would break up, hoping to seize an opportunity.

Unfortunately, the two had been as sweet as honey the whole time, not giving anyone else the slightest chance.

But Senior Zhao caught the underlying meaning. "Scheming? Did they know each other before?"

Zhu Ran nodded. "They were classmates in their first year of high school. Someone had his eye on her from high school all the way to university, with a bunch of Zhou Anran's photos on his phone. Hence, 'scheming.'"

Zhou Anran was stunned once more and turned to look at him again.

Chen Luobai remained completely unflustered, as if he hadn't exposed anything at all. When his eyes met hers, he even asked in a lowered voice, "Do you want more shrimp?"

Zhou Anran shook her head.

Since this was Yu Bingqin's farewell dinner, she had questions but felt it wasn't the right time to ask him. She decided to hold them back and inquire later when they returned.

Senior Zhao's curiosity about the gossip revived the lively atmosphere at the table.

Senior Zhong Wei even teased them a few times about Chen Luobai's very public and dramatic pursuit of her during the basketball game.

Zhou Anran had developed some immunity by now, only blushing slightly.

As the dinner drew to a close, Yu Bingqin, sitting next to Zhou Anran, turned to her. "Come keep me company while I settle the bill?"

Zhou Anran knew she wasn't the type to need company just to pay the bill; she probably had something she wanted to say. So she nodded and put down her chopsticks.

But Yu Bingqin didn't speak a word all the way to the cashier.

After scanning the code to pay, Yu Bingqin walked straight towards the entrance. Zhou Anran hurried to follow.

The wind outside carried the stifling heat of summer.

Yu Bingqin stopped at the doorway before finally speaking again.

"A-Luo fell in love with basketball at 4 and still loves it now. At 14, he said he wanted to study law in the future, and he's stuck with it until now." Yu Bingqin paused and turned to look at her. "Once he sets his mind on something, he generally doesn't change it."

Zhou Anran was slightly stunned again.

When they first got together, she often felt like she was dreaming, unable to believe that he liked her too, that she was the luckiest one among all the girls who liked him.

In the blink of an eye, they had been dating for almost two years.

Yu Bingqin reached out and pinched her cheek. "I'm off. Call me if you need anything. Say goodbye to everyone for me."

Before Zhou Anran could say anything, Yu Bingqin had already descended the steps outside the restaurant.

The tall, slender girl, dressed entirely in black, strode into the night, her black hair lifted by the wind, her back view exuding a cool, spirited air.

Zhou Anran returned to the private room alone.

Senior Zhong Wei glanced behind her. "Qin-jie didn't come back with you?"

Zhou Anran nodded. "She left first. Asked me to say goodbye to everyone for her."

"Knew she hates these sentimental farewell scenes the most." Zhong Wei wore an expression of no surprise at all as she stood up from her chair. "Then let's all head out too."

Zhu Ran abruptly stood up from his seat and walked straight over to Zhou Anran. "She really left?"

Zhou Anran nodded again.

Zhu Ran turned and headed for the door.

After two steps, he turned back to Zhou Anran. "Did she say where she was going?"

Zhou Anran shook her head. "No."

Zhu Ran took his phone from his pocket, looked down, and dialed a number, probably calling Yu Bingqin.

The other seniors gradually got up and left the private room.

Chen Luobai also stood up, placing a hand on Zhou Anran's shoulder.

Zhu Ran was still on the phone.

The two of them waited in the private room for him temporarily.

The call probably wasn't going through, or no one was answering. The expression on Zhu Ran's face shifted from initial impatience to eventual dejection. His hand holding the phone dropped, and his head hung low.

He looked like a big, abandoned puppy.

"Chen." After a couple of seconds, Zhu Ran spoke. "Will your sister find a boyfriend overseas?"

Chen Luobai's hand still rested on Zhou Anran's shoulder. He glanced at him. "How would I know?"

Zhu Ran, unusually, wore a glum face. "She hasn't been in a relationship all these years because she finds men less interesting than her guitar and her experiments. But once she's abroad, she might think those blond, blue-eyed handsome guys are quite interesting too and decide to give it a try."

Chen Luobai couldn't stand seeing him like this. "What's the use of putting on this heartbroken act in front of me? If you're not chicken, go ask her yourself. She's leaving tomorrow morning."

Zhu Ran: "Who the hell's chicken? Fine, I'll go."

With that, he strode out of the private room.

Chen Luobai's hand slid from Zhou Anran's shoulder to take her hand, and the two followed him out.

Outside the restaurant entrance, after saying goodbye to the other seniors, Zhou Anran turned to ask Zhu Ran, walking slightly ahead of them: "Where are you planning to look for Qin-jie?"

"I'll look around nearby first. If that doesn't work, I'll wait at the door of her apartment. She has to go back tonight." Zhu Ran irritably ran a hand through his hair, then waved at them. "I'm off. Wish me luck."

Chen Luobai's internship had already ended. Zhou Anran, having worked hard all summer, also planned to rest for a few days. The two hailed a taxi back to Chen Luobai's apartment.

On the way, a torrential downpour suddenly started.

Bean-sized raindrops pattered down noisily.

Zhou Anran glanced out the window. The rain blurred the taxi window, making everything outside hazy.

She turned back to look at Chen Luobai. "Zhu Ran won't get caught in the rain, will he?"

Chen Luobai reached out and pinched her cheek, his tone slightly cool. "Quite concerned about him, aren't you?"

Zhou Anran: "…"

How could he be jealous about this too.

Zhou Anran took his hand and gave it a gentle shake. "But he's your best friend, isn't he?"

"A little summer rain won't hurt." Chen Luobai paused. "Besides, my sister is someone who responds better to softness than hardness. Him looking a bit pitiful might work better."

Zhou Anran didn't say more.

When the taxi stopped at the entrance of the residential complex, the sudden heavy rain hadn't let up, though it had lightened slightly.

Chen Luobai said to the driver in the front, "Sir, could you please wait here at the entrance? I'll go buy an umbrella from the convenience store over there to pick her up. I'll pay extra for the delay."

Zhou Anran looked at the rain outside.

It wasn't really that heavy.

She didn't really want him to get wet just to buy an umbrella for her.

"I'll get off with you."

Chen Luobai pinched her cheek again. "It's still raining outside. What are you getting off for?"

Zhou Anran covered her cheek. "It's only a few steps. And didn't you say a little summer rain doesn't matter?"

"Zhu Ran can get wet. I can get wet. You can't." Chen Luobai gently ruffled her hair. "Be good. Wait for me in the car."

This was the first time Zhou Anran had heard him use that word with her outside of specific circumstances. The roots of her ears warmed slightly. The boy had already pulled the car door open and gotten out.

The driver in the front turned around with a smile. "Miss, your boyfriend treats you very well."

The corners of Zhou Anran's mouth curved up. "Yes, he really does treat me very well."

It was indeed a very short distance from where they parked to the convenience store outside the complex. Chen Luobai returned quickly with an umbrella.

The car door opened. Zhou Anran looked up and saw him standing outside holding a black umbrella. His hand gripping the umbrella looked even paler against the black handle. His black hair was dampened by the rain, falling slightly messily across his forehead, but it did nothing to diminish the handsomeness of his face.

Even after nearly two years of dating, looking at him like this still made Zhou Anran's heart beat faster.

Yu Bingqin had told her that once he sets his mind on something, he doesn't change.

She wouldn't either.

There was no one else who could make her feel so cherished all the time, and no one else who could make her heart flutter so constantly.

Once inside the apartment and after changing shoes, Zhou Anran pushed him towards the bathroom. "Go take a shower first, or you might catch a cold."

Chen Luobai let himself be pushed forward by her slight force, smiling back at her. "You have to let me get a change of clothes first. Otherwise, if I come out like this later, you'll just get shy again."

Zhou Anran's face warmed. She pushed him into the bathroom. "I'll get them for you. Just get in and shower."

Then she casually closed the door behind him.

A low, amused laugh came from inside.

Zhou Anran touched her ear and went to the walk-in closet to get his clothes.

Although he often seemed very easy-going, in private he could be quite picky about many things. For example, he found most commercially available pajamas ugly, so he usually used comfortable T-shirts and sweatpants as substitutes for sleepwear.

After getting the clothes, Zhou Anran walked back to the bathroom door and knocked.

Perhaps the sound of the water covered the knocking; she didn't hear him reply.

Zhou Anran knocked again.

Still no reply.

Zhou Anran had no choice but to turn the knob and open the door herself. The glass of the shower stall was fog-resistant, and the summer temperature was high. The moment she stepped in, she clearly saw the tall figure of the boy inside the glass enclosure. Her ears instantly became burning hot.

She immediately averted her gaze, raising her voice slightly. "I've put your clothes here on the rack. I'll go make you some ginger tea."

"Mhm." A lazy acknowledgment came through the sound of the shower spray.

Zhou Anran's face was still burning fiercely. Too embarrassed to stay any longer, she turned to leave.

But she had only taken one step forward when a wet, scalding hand suddenly grasped her wrist.

The next second, Zhou Anran was pulled into the shower stall.

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