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Touching his hand.
It was a bit cold, but it felt warm.
All in all... it was very pleasant.
—From the Diary of Fairy Su Zaizai
Friday night.
After finishing her bath, Su Zaizai lay on her bed.
Holding her phone, she swung her feet back and forth.
Staring at “Zhang Rang Rang” on the screen, she couldn’t help but roll over, hugging her phone and grinning foolishly.
After a while, she happily typed: Rang Rang.
Su Zaizai: My foot is all better~
Zhang Lurang: Mm.
Su Zaizai: So let’s go ride bicycles.
He didn’t reply immediately.
Su Zaizai kept staring at the “The other party is typing…”
Half a minute later, Su Zaizai couldn’t hold back anymore.
Biting her lip, she unhappily asked: Are you backing out?
Su Zaizai: Then return me the jelly count from six rows plus one row minus one.
Su Zaizai: No, prices have gone up now; you need to compensate me a hundredfold.
Su Zaizai: I’ve suffered immense emotional trauma due to being stood up.
Su Zaizai: Altogether, you probably owe me about 100 million.
Zhang Lurang: “...”
He slowly deleted what he had just typed and replied: What time?
________________________________________
The next afternoon.
Su Zaizai came out holding a bag with a cycling helmet in her arms.
Zhang Lurang, standing downstairs at her house, saw the items in her hands: “...”
Su Zaizai cheerfully ran over and showed them to him.
“I bought this last week!” She proudly said.
“...”
Su Zaizai handed the bag to him and instructed: “Put these on first, knee pads and elbow pads; you can’t get hurt.”
Zhang Lurang pursed his lips and took them.
“Helmets can be put on later,” she muttered to herself.
Zhang Lurang didn’t say anything, but he clearly resisted the helmet.
Noticing his expression, Su Zaizai realized.
“Do you think this helmet is ugly?”
“...Mm.”
Su Zaizai was somewhat disheartened: “Is it? To avoid you thinking it’s too flashy, I specifically chose a solid black one.”
Seeing no emotion on his face, Su Zaizai didn’t insist.
“But it does seem unattractive... so let’s not wear it. Just wear the knee pads and elbow pads.”
Zhang Lurang nodded.
Su Zaizai walked under the bicycle shed and pushed out her bicycle.
The two walked side by side towards an open space in the neighborhood.
Su Zaizai suddenly spoke: “Rang Rang.”
“Mm.”
“Did the teacher call your parents?”
Zhang Lurang hesitated for a moment and said: “I don’t know.”
Su Zaizai made an “Oh” sound and changed the subject.
“Do you know how long it takes for normal people to learn how to ride a bike?”
Zhang Lurang thought seriously and was about to speak.
Su Zaizai shamelessly fabricated: “Talented people take at least half a year. With your average aptitude, it will take at least a year.”
Zhang Lurang: “...”
Noticing Zhang Lurang’s gaze, Su Zaizai innocently said: “You don’t believe me?”
“...”
“Why would I lie to you?”
He turned away and said in a low voice: “I don’t know.”
“How can you not believe me?”
“...”
“Rang Rang, you shouldn’t always be wary of me.”
“...”
“I am so good to you, how could I possibly lie to you?”
“...” How could he believe that learning to ride a bike would take a year.
Arriving at the open space.
As Zhang Lurang was about to grip the bike handle, Su Zaizai stopped him.
“No way! You can’t practice so soon!”
“...”
“We still have theoretical lessons!”
“...”
“I’ll explain to you.” Su Zaizai pointed to the bike, “This is called a bicycle; you can also call it a pedal bike or simply a bike...”
Zhang Lurang completely didn’t want to deal with her.
“Its English name is bicycle.”
“...Mm.”
Noticing his perfunctory look, Su Zaizai frowned and found something to nitpick about.
“You tell me, how do you spell bicycle?”
“...”
“Don’t know? Then I’ll teach you.”
“...Learning to ride a bike.”
“We are learning to ride a bike.”
“...”
After explaining the word to him,
Su Zaizai solemnly said: “Now we’re going to study the structure of the bike.”
“Su Zaizai.” Zhang Lurang couldn’t bear it anymore.
“Huh?”
“Are you trying to prevent me from learning?”
“Of course not.” She looked utterly innocent.
Zhang Lurang lowered his head, expressionlessly staring at her.
Su Zaizai couldn’t stand being stared at like that by him.
She quickly averted her gaze and adjusted the saddle height.
Then looking at him, she compromised: “Try if the height is okay.”
Zhang Lurang steadied himself with one foot on the ground, swung his long leg over, and stepped onto the pedal.
Su Zaizai hesitated for a moment but still asked: “Rang Rang, are you really not wearing a helmet?”
“Mm.”
“Then I’ll hold on, I definitely won’t let you fall. Don’t be afraid.”
“Okay.” A hint of a smile passed through his eyes.
Since Su Zaizai’s bicycle didn’t have a rear seat, she could only hold the support bar beneath the saddle.
Zhang Lurang pressed down with his right foot on the pedal.
Then he placed his left foot on it as well.
Su Zaizai supported him from behind and softly reminded: “I’m holding on, find your balance.”
Zhang Lurang gave a low response.
“Pedal confidently, I won’t let you fall,” she said solemnly.
Considering Su Zaizai supporting him from behind, Zhang Lurang rode very slowly.
Seeing that he was pedaling well, Su Zaizai carefully let go of her hands.
But her hands still hovered near the support bar, not daring to move too far away.
She suddenly became distracted.
Today, Zhang Lurang was wearing a black and white striped hoodie that was both form-fitting and casual.
It was hard to clearly see the outline of his muscles.
But because the saddle was about the same height as the handlebars,
When Zhang Lurang cycled, his body leaned slightly forward.
A slight misstep would reveal a bit of skin...
Su Zaizai swallowed.
One hand couldn’t help but touch it.
Zhang Lurang’s body stiffened suddenly, and his sense of balance disappeared instantly.
He quickly steadied himself with one foot on the ground.
Reacting quickly, he didn’t fall.
Su Zaizai was startled.
Seeing that he hadn’t fallen, she sighed in relief.
But she quickly realized and hurriedly said: “I didn’t touch you.”
Zhang Lurang: “...”
“I absolutely didn’t! I definitely didn’t touch you!”
“...”
Su Zaizai immediately shifted the blame: “You were the one who twisted your waist over. I swear.”
“...”
“My hand was just resting there...”
Zhang Lurang remained silent and turned to look at her.
Su Zaizai immediately shut up.
After a while, she weakly said: “Alright, it was me.”
Then she lied with a straight face: “There was a bug just now, I helped you swat it away.”
Zhang Lurang didn’t say anything more.
But Su Zaizai felt inexplicably frustrated: “What’s wrong with me touching you?”
“...”
“I don’t have any dirty thoughts.”
“Mm.” He responded quickly.
“So why do you always act like you’re resisting till death?”
“...I’m not.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Su Zaizai hung her head, feeling disheartened. “I shower too, what are you being picky about? All my showers are wasted.”
Zhang Lurang’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment: “Nonsense.”
“You aren’t being picky about me, right?”
“Mm.”
Su Zaizai pushed further: “Then you need to prove it to me.”
“...How to prove it?”
She extended her palm, grinning mischievously.
“Touch my hand, prove that you aren’t being picky about me.”
He immediately turned his face away, awkwardly saying: “Don’t fool around.”
Su Zaizai widened her eyes: “What’s wrong with just touching hands?”
“...”
She thought for a moment, deciding to reduce his psychological burden.
“Haven’t you ever high-fived a girl?”
Zhang Lurang nodded.
Su Zaizai grinned slyly, insinuating: “Then your first time is mine.”
“...”
“Your first high-five with a girl,” she explained.
Su Zaizai raised her hand and said: “Hurry up.”
Zhang Lurang steadied himself with one foot on the ground, the other foot on the pedal.
Both hands rested on the handlebars, eyes lowered.
After a while, he lifted his left hand.
His cheeks felt hot, and he quickly touched her palm.
They separated immediately.
Su Zaizai was so excited she wanted to jump up and lick her palm.
She forcibly suppressed her impulse and acted nonchalant.
“Let’s continue learning to ride,” she said.
Zhang Lurang hung his head, not responding.
Su Zaizai thought for a moment and said: “Rang Rang, you should still wear the helmet; you almost fell just now.”
“No.” He directly refused.
She felt somewhat frustrated: “But I might not be able to hold you steady.”
“...”
“Wear it, it’s safer.” Su Zaizai continued to persuade.
“...”
Su Zaizai moved closer to him: “Will you wear it?”
Her eyes sparkled as if they contained light, clear and bright.
When she smiled, her peach-shaped eyes curved into crescents, and a shallow dimple appeared at the corner of her lips.
She looked cute and bold.
Zhang Lurang averted his eyes: “...Mm.”
Su Zaizai quickly picked up the cycling helmet placed nearby and handed it to him.
He took it and put it on directly.
Su Zaizai watched him adjust the straps beside him.
Half a minute later, she suddenly called out: “Rang Rang.”
Zhang Lurang responded absentmindedly.
Su Zaizai praised: “You’ve raised the value of this helmet.”
“...”
“Rang Rang, you’re really amazing.”
Although Zhang Lurang could guess that what she would say next probably wasn’t anything normal, he hesitated for a moment and still couldn’t help but ask: “What?”
“I originally also thought this helmet was ugly, but after you wore it...”
“...”
“I wanted to say, this is a beautiful helmet.”
“...Be normal.”
After putting it on, Zhang Lurang started riding again.
Su Zaizai supported him from behind; this time, she didn’t dare to let go at all.
Ten minutes later.
Zhang Lurang, who had long since found his balance, couldn’t help but say: “Su Zaizai, you can let go now.”
“No.” Su Zaizai immediately objected. “What if you fall?”
“...”
Fifteen minutes later.
“Su Zaizai, let go.”
“I don’t dare... I don’t dare to let go,” she said with a distressed face.
“...”
Twenty minutes later.
Zhang Lurang squeezed the brake and softly said: “It’s late; let’s learn another day.”
“Is it that hard?” Su Zaizai let go of her hands, acting like an expert.
He was silent for a while: “...Mm.”
________________________________________
The week before final exams.
The homeroom teacher handed out the arts and sciences preference forms.
As soon as it was distributed, Su Zaizai immediately filled in “Liberal Arts.”
Jiang Jia beside her curiously asked: “Hey, didn’t you say Zhang Lurang chose Science? Aren’t you following him anymore?”
“Jia Jia.” Su Zaizai earnestly educated her, “Chasing after a man also requires some rationality.”
“...”
“After choosing Liberal Arts, I can become a top student.”
“...”
“The current me is flawless, perfect to the point of being invincible.”
“...Shut up.”
________________________________________
After the end-of-term ceremony.
Su Zaizai sent a WeChat message to Zhang Lurang.
Su Zaizai: Rang Rang, let’s ride bikes tomorrow.
This time, he replied much slower than usual.
Su Zaizai waited for a while, just as she was about to take a bath,
Her phone beeped twice.
She lit up her phone and looked at it.
—I’m going back to B City tomorrow.
—My home is there; I’ll be back when school starts.
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