Lemon Soda Candy - 94

After getting home that night, Zhou Anran finally understood that Chen Luobai's mother had sent them away to discuss their future plans with Zhou Xianhong and Ms. He.

Since both were continuing their postgraduate studies, his parents suggested that if they didn't plan to marry right after graduation, perhaps they could have an engagement ceremony first. Of course, everything would still be centered entirely on her wishes.

Zhou Anran remembered Chen Luobai's several hesitant, aborted glances at her that evening.

She remembered his sentence, half-drowned by the motorcycle's roar: "...should be more formal."

Her heart skipped a beat. After a couple of seconds, she sent him a sticker of a little bunny nodding.

It was quiet on the other end for a second or two too.

The text above the dialog box changed to "Typing..." then quickly disappeared.

Another two seconds passed.

He simply called her instead.

Zhou Anran answered. The familiar voice of the boy sounded close to her ear. "I've been hesitating between several plans."

It was an abrupt statement, but Zhou Anran instantly understood his meaning, making her heartbeat accelerate even more.

Chen Luobai seemed to chuckle very softly. "My mom told me that I should let you mentally prepare, so I don't startle you by springing it on you, and also to give them time to prepare in advance."

The line went quiet for a moment, then Zhou Anran heard him call her name softly.

"Ranran."

Zhou Anran also uttered a soft "Mhm." "I'm listening."

Chen Luobai paused again, then his voice dropped a little lower than before, sounding exceptionally gentle. "Wait for me a little longer?"

A corner of Zhou Anran's heart softened and melted.

Apart from the period when they first reunited in university and were tentatively confirming their feelings for each other, after they got together, he never again let her feel any sense of insecurity or uncertainty.

What he gave her was always blatant favoritism.

In these years together, he had consistently used his actions to prove the truth of the lyrics he once sang to her—

"You will always be better than anyone else."

The corners of Zhou Anran's mouth gradually curved upwards. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

After the start of the second semester of their senior year, before Zhou Anran received Chen Luobai's proposal, she first received the good news that Yan Xingxi and Dong Chen were finally together.

Because everyone was busy with their own matters as graduation approached, Dong Chen's celebration meal for officially becoming a couple wasn't held until early May.

May 1st happened to be a short holiday.

In recent years, livehouses had become popular. Yu Bingqin's friend had reopened that previously unused venue. Not lacking funds and doing things their own way, the venue often featured well-known musicians, making it a verifiable internet-famous check-in spot near their university. For this May Day holiday, they had reportedly invited a recently trending band. Yu Bingqin had saved some tickets for friends. Zhang Shuxian, Tang Jianrui, and the others all made time to fly to Beicheng from Nancheng and other cities.

On the night of May 1st, the group was rarely gathered completely. The dinner was exceptionally lively.

After Yan Xingxi and Dong Chen got together, they still couldn't go three sentences without arguing.

Tang Jianrui shook his head and said, "Dong Chen, isn't this a bit wrong? Yan Xingxi is your girlfriend now. Shouldn't you be gentler with her?"

Dong Chen nodded. "I'll show you gentle."

Having said that, he picked up a piece of spare rib and placed it in Yan Xingxi's bowl, saying in a warm voice, "Xixi, have some ribs."

Yan Xingxi immediately put her chopsticks down on the table and rubbed her arms. "Dong Chen, don't talk to me like that. It's disgusting."

Dong Chen smiled, his expression full of indulgence. "See?"

Tang Jianrui: "…"

Zhu Ran shot him a glance. "That's their special couple's dynamic. Why are you butting in?"

"Fine, fine, I said nothing." Tang Jianrui raised his hands in surrender.

"Ranran, I think I'm a bit dizzy," Sheng Xiaowen said, resting her head on Zhou Anran's shoulder.

Zhou Anran quickly steadied her back, gently patting it a couple of times. "I'll ask the server to bring you a cup of honey water. We'll go back to the hotel after you drink it, okay?"

Sheng Xiaowen uttered an "Mhm."

Chen Luobai, sitting on Zhou Anran's other side, glanced over. "I'll call Zhou Suiqing."

His voice wasn't particularly low. Zhou Anran felt Sheng Xiaowen should be able to hear him. Seeing Sheng Xiaowen didn't object, she didn't say anything either.

The place they ate wasn't far from University A. After Dong Chen paid the bill and the group walked out of the restaurant, Zhou Anran saw Zhou Suiqing rushing over.

Sheng Xiaowen was now completely intoxicated. The moment she saw him, she broke free from the support of Zhou Anran and Zhang Shuxian and stumbled towards Zhou Suiqing.

Zhou Suiqing quickly reached out to steady her. Perhaps inadvertently, his hand landed on the small of her back. He immediately moved it away, but seeing Sheng Xiaowen about to fall sideways, he hurriedly steadied her again.

Sheng Xiaowen looked up. "Why do I think I see Zhou Suiqing? Am I dreaming?"

As if to confirm whether it was a dream, she raised both hands and pinched Zhou Suiqing's cheeks, one on each side.

Outside the bustling restaurant, Zhou Suiqing patiently let her drunken antics play out.

Only after Sheng Xiaowen let go did he ask softly, "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Sheng Xiaowen shook her head. "It really is a dream. The real Zhou Suiqing wouldn't care about me."

Zhou Suiqing closed his eyes for a second, suppressing the emotion in them, then turned to Zhou Anran. "How much did she drink?"

It was the first time Zhou Anran had seen Sheng Xiaowen this drunk. Feeling somewhat displeased with him at the moment, her reply was uncharacteristically sharp. "Seven or eight glasses of beer and a large glass of baijiu. You tell me if she's feeling unwell."

Chen Luobai, also rarely seeing her confront someone like this, came over and took her hand, his fingers stroking her palm soothingly. "Let's not stand here discussing it. Let's get her back to the hotel first."

They had all booked their hotel rooms that afternoon.

Yan Xingxi and Dong Chen shared a room, Sheng Xiaowen and Zhang Shuxian shared another, and Zhu Ran and the other guys took two other rooms.

Arriving at the room door, Zhang Shuxian pulled Sheng Xiaowen back into her own arms. She gave Zhou Suiqing a cool glance, her tone even worse than Zhou Anran's. "Alright, she's delivered. You can go now."

Zhou Suiqing: "She—"

"Enough with the 'she'," Zhang Shuxian interrupted him. "If you like her, then be decisive about it. If you don't like her, please be equally decisive."

Sheng Xiaowen suddenly spoke up. "Shuxian, I think I'm going to be sick."

Zhang Shuxian stopped focusing on retorting and quickly opened the door, helping Sheng Xiaowen inside.

Zhou Anran glanced at Chen Luobai.

The boy gestured towards the room with his chin. "Go on in. I'll talk with him."

Zhou Anran nodded and followed them inside.

On the other side, Yan Xingxi withdrew her hand from Dong Chen's grasp. "Go find Zhu Ran and the others yourself. I'm going in to check on them too."

---

Zhou Suiqing watched the door close, his expression complex.

Chen Luobai patted his shoulder. "Let's talk here."

Zhou Suiqing followed him a short distance away, leaning against the wall. "Talk about what?"

Chen Luobai: "What are you actually thinking?”

---

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