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I discovered a secret.
He seems to touch his neck whenever he lies.
——From Su Zaizai’s Little Fairy Diary
Su Zaizai was utterly bewildered.
So… did he think that her bringing him water, taking photos, and recording videos were all just because she coveted the silver medal around his neck?
Handsome’s way of thinking really was one of a kind…
Su Zaizai licked her lips.
Staring at his retreating figure, she obediently didn’t follow him.
She stood in place for a moment before slowly turning toward the direction of her class’s tent.
As she walked, she replayed the earlier scene in her mind.
He had taken a step forward, his face devoid of any emotion.
The scent of sunlight clung to him, mingled with a faint trace of sweat.
It smelled so good.
When he slipped the medal over her head, his fingertips had unintentionally brushed against her hair.
As he spoke, his faint breath washed over her.
Su Zaizai gripped the silver medal, suddenly feeling a fiery heat rise to her cheeks.
Her heart began pounding faster, as if scorched by flames.
On the other side—
Ye Zhenxin’s expression darkened, and she asked jokingly: “Zhang Lurang, is that your friend?”
Zhang Lurang didn’t respond.
Another girl immediately followed up: “Why did you give her your silver medal?”
Zhang Lurang paused briefly before replying indifferently: “She wanted it.”
If he hadn’t given it to her, she would have kept pestering him.
…Consider it repayment for the bottle of water.
But the girls clearly misinterpreted his meaning.
Ye Zhenxin’s face turned ashen, and she abruptly turned to walk in another direction.
One of the girls followed her.
The remaining two awkwardly laughed and changed the topic to tonight’s Campus Night performance.
________________________________________
After the afternoon competitions ended, Su Zaizai went to the cafeteria with Jiang Jia to eat.
Since there was still an event that evening, she skipped showering to avoid sweating and returned directly to the classroom.
The program Su Zaizai was participating in wasn’t part of her class’s Campus Night performance but rather the Science Festival’s Eco-Fashion Show.
Each class designed two outfits and sent one male and one female model to walk the runway—it was the opening act of Campus Night.
Su Zaizai went to the restroom to change into the finished dress.
The dress reached mid-thigh, its overall color a soft beige. It was adorned with paper flowers folded into delicate patterns, creating a scattered floral design. A translucent white ribbon cinched the waist, and layers of mosquito netting were sewn onto the skirt, giving it a fluffy, playful look.
Before she could even take a proper look in the mirror, the arts committee member Huang Yuanjuan pulled her back to the classroom to do her makeup and style her hair.
While Huang Yuanjuan worked on Su Zaizai’s makeup, Jiang Jia gathered all her hair into a fishtail braid that hung down past her ear and chest.
Then she clipped over a dozen floral hairpins onto it.
Jiang Jia worked quickly, finishing in no time. She sat to the side and watched Huang Yuanjuan apply Su Zaizai’s makeup, casually asking: “By the way, Zaizai, did you bring heels?”
Su Zaizai nodded and, taking advantage of a brief pause when Huang Yuanjuan’s hand left her face, replied: “I brought a pair of black ones my mom bought me. I feel like I’ll be almost 180 cm tall wearing them.”
Jiang Jia sighed: “Being tall isn’t always a good thing—you’ll have trouble finding a boyfriend.”
Su Zaizai felt insulted.
She scoffed softly, defiantly responding: “Says the person who thinks being short makes it easier.”
“…”
And besides, Zhang Lurang was tall too—why should that make it hard for her to find someone?
________________________________________
Since it was the first performance, Su Zaizai headed straight to the backstage area once they arrived.
Her runway partner was Guan Han, whose outfit wasn’t nearly as elaborate as hers. As she had expected, it was a hastily made ensemble crafted from black plastic bags.
When Guan Han saw her, he was almost livid: “Damn it, this is such unfair treatment!”
Su Zaizai lied through her teeth to comfort him: “It’s fine—you look handsome either way.”
“Heh.”
“Suddenly, I feel like we’re performing a stage play together.”
“…What?”
“A fairy saving a beggar.”
“Shut up!”
There were still ten minutes until the show began.
Bored, Su Zaizai wandered over to the backstage staff and stared at the program order sheet in their hands.
1. Eco-Fashion Show
2. Solo Performance by Grade 12 Class 13: Ambiguity
3. Stage Play by Grade 11 Class 1: When You Get Robbed
Su Zaizai: “….”
So… what role was Zhang Lurang supposed to play…?
A person who gets robbed?
Su Zaizai imagined Zhang Lurang being “tormented” and immediately covered her nose.
She took a deep breath, trying to dispel the strange, suffocating feeling in her mind.
After the long-winded speeches ended, upbeat music began playing in the background.
The fashion show was organized by class order, starting from the lowest grade and progressing upward, with classes numbered sequentially from one onward.
Thus, the first to go on stage was Grade 11 Class 1.
A male and female model walked onto the stage from opposite sides, walking straight toward each other. When they were about a meter apart, they turned around and walked toward the audience before finally standing at their respective positions.
Each pair didn’t take long, so it wasn’t long before it was Su Zaizai’s turn.
Aside from her shoes, her entire outfit was in soft, light colors. Yet this elegant ensemble did nothing to tone down her bold and vibrant personality; instead, she appeared even more striking.
They had rehearsed beforehand.
When they reached the front of the stage, Su Zaizai was supposed to slightly turn her body, facing the audience fully.
Guan Han would kneel on one knee, grasp Su Zaizai’s hand, and pretend to kiss it.
Soon after, the two separated, striking poses at their designated spots.
Finally, when it was time to exit the stage, Su Zaizai let out a sigh of relief and followed the original route back.
As soon as she stepped backstage, she immediately spotted Zhang Lurang standing off to the side, preparing to go on stage.
Su Zaizai’s eyes lit up, and she called out: “Zhang Lurang.”
Zhang Lurang ignored her. He leaned against the wall, his expression somewhat lazy, lost in thought.
Su Zaizai approached him and seized the opportunity to explain: “The guy you raced against today—our class calls him ‘Nan Shen,’ as in ‘Nan’ from ‘pumpkin.’”
Zhang Lurang raised his eyes slightly.
After a moment’s thought, Su Zaizai added: “But I’ve never called him that.”
He didn’t seem particularly interested, casually asking: “Then who do you call?”
At these words, Su Zaizai’s heart began pounding wildly.
Had he heard her calling out “Male God” earlier?
Had he really heard it?
Swallowing nervously, Su Zaizai instinctively averted her gaze.
Whenever it came to a critical moment, she always chickened out.
She wanted to say it, but she didn’t dare.
…No, she couldn’t let herself falter like this.
You can’t be a coward when pursuing someone!
Su Zaizai gritted her teeth and forced the words out: “You.”
Zhang Lurang remained silent.
Once the words left her mouth, the tension instantly dissipated.
Su Zaizai’s courage surged to its peak. She lifted her head and earnestly repeated: “I was calling out to you.”
The scene fell silent.
In that moment, Su Zaizai seemed to hear nothing else, focusing entirely on waiting for his reaction.
But how agonizing the wait felt.
Her courage was like air pumped into a fragile balloon.
The thin plastic was easily pierced by a single glance from him.
“Pop—” it burst, vanishing into thin air.
Zhang Lurang’s lips parted, about to say something, but Su Zaizai interrupted him.
Anxiously pinching her fingertips, the words spilled out before she could think:
“But maybe you didn’t hear me clearly while running—I called you ‘male neurotic.’”
Zhang Lurang: “….”
She had chickened out again…
And only made things worse.
Su Zaizai lowered her head in frustration, utterly exasperated with herself.
Pretending nothing had happened, she pointed at herself and changed the subject: “Do I look good?”
“…” Zhang Lurang completely ignored her.
“Don’t I look amazing? The cheers were deafening when I walked out!”
Su Zaizai rambled nonsense, desperate to make him forget what she had just said. Her mind felt like it was filled with sludge, spewing random words without thinking.
Zhang Lurang: “….”
She cautiously raised her head to glance at his expression.
He didn’t seem angry anymore…
Su Zaizai let out a sigh of relief.
But at the same time, she noticed he still refused to look at her, leaving her feeling frustrated.
She muttered under her breath, dissatisfied: “It’s not like looking at me costs you anything.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lurang suddenly found it amusing.
Finally, he lowered his head and looked at her seriously.
His gaze swept over her rosy lips, delicate nose, and finally settled on her bright, clear eyes.
They were luminous and bold, like glass beads embedded in her face.
Moist and smiling, they seemed almost flirtatious.
His heart gave an unexpected jolt.
Caught off guard, he quickly averted his eyes.
Seeing that Zhang Lurang didn’t respond, Su Zaizai rephrased her question: “Do I not look good?”
A few seconds later—
“Mhm.” A low, muffled sound escaped from Zhang Lurang’s throat.
Su Zaizai didn’t mind. She tilted her head and grinned: “Your taste is terrible.”
Zhang Lurang ignored her.
He lowered his eyes, his thick lashes concealing his emotions.
The dim lighting obscured his expression, making it difficult to read.
His shadowy figure flickered indistinctly.
But his actions were unmistakably clear, impossible to overlook.
Su Zaizai watched as he slowly raised his hand.
The movement was unhurried, seemingly calm as he touched the back of his neck.
A fleeting touch—it was gone in an instant.
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