Psst! We're moving!
Actually, it’s probably fine.
After all, we will always be together.
...You can’t think like that.
— Zhang Lurang
At night, the moonlight poured through the gaps in the clouds, silver streams spilling onto the ground.
Ambiguity lingered in the air like a breath, weaving a soft net around them.
Bit by bit, it enveloped the two of them.
Zhang Lurang’s mood suddenly became stifled and restless, a feeling rising from his heart.
It was tingling and numbing, making him feel itchy inside.
Even almost consuming his rationality entirely.
Su Zaizai was still savoring her earlier actions.
Soon, she snapped out of it and playfully patted his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility for you.”
Zhang Lurang turned his head, quietly watching her.
The contours of his profile were sharp and distinct, stiff and rigid.
His lips pressed into a thin line, his expression appearing somewhat cold.
His eyes were deep, darker than the night, mesmerizing.
This expression of his made Su Zaizai instantly tense up.
The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees, making one involuntarily shiver.
Her palms started to sweat slightly.
Her earlier confidence vanished without a trace.
Quickly, Su Zaizai pretended to remain calm and stood up.
“What are you doing... Anyway, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.”
Seeing he still didn’t speak, Su Zaizai didn’t want to comfort him anymore.
She decided to let Zhang Lurang cool down; tomorrow he probably wouldn’t be angry anymore.
After all, if he remained so rigid, she would feel quite stifled too.
Su Zaizai took two steps back and suggested: “It’s late, let’s go home.”
Zhang Lurang silently stood up.
Seeing this, Su Zaizai’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled.
Just as she wanted to reach out and hold his hand,
Zhang Lurang suddenly grabbed her wrist and pushed her back.
In an instant, Su Zaizai’s back pressed against the pillar of the pavilion.
She was a bit stunned, puzzled, and opened her mouth.
“You...” What?
Before she finished speaking,
The warmth of Zhang Lurang’s lips pressed against hers, urgent and with some force, swallowing her words completely.
Su Zaizai seemed to hear the sound of their teeth clashing.
His movements were like they carried a temper, rough and fierce, biting her lips.
His tongue probed into her mouth, invading every corner of hers.
Su Zaizai hadn’t reacted yet, her eyes wide open, enduring his kiss.
After a while, Zhang Lurang licked her lower lip.
Their lips parted.
Su Zaizai’s eyes were watery, misty, looking somewhat dumbfounded.
She came to her senses, instinctively pushing him away, lowering her head awkwardly.
All traces of arrogance from her earlier forced kiss were gone.
Zhang Lurang suddenly chuckled, his deep eyes twinkling faintly.
He lowered his gaze at her, unable to resist reaching out to touch her face.
The corners of his lips curved with a shallow smile.
Soon, Zhang Lurang spoke.
His voice was low and hoarse, filled with restraint.
“Didn’t I tell you not to provoke me?”
Su Zaizai guiltily lowered her head, not daring to look into his eyes.
The next second, Zhang Lurang pinched her chin and lifted it up.
He leaned down, gently kissing her forehead.
Su Zaizai heard him chuckle softly.
Before she could respond to his laughter, she heard Zhang Lurang continue:
“This time, close your eyes.”
________________________________________
On the way back, Su Zaizai remained silent the entire time.
Zhang Lurang standing beside her seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.
Without even looking at him, Su Zaizai could feel the joy radiating from him.
Arriving at the building, Su Zaizai quickly said goodbye and went upstairs.
Noticing her parents watching TV in the living room, she timidly greeted them and went into her room.
Su Zaizai directly sat on the carpet beside the bed, hugging a doll placed next to the bedside table.
She spaced out for a while, then suddenly touched her lips and smiled foolishly.
But Su Zaizai couldn’t figure out why he suddenly became—
Reckless.
She hesitated for a moment but decided to talk to Jiang Jia about it.
Su Zaizai: Zhang Lurang kissed me today.
Su Zaizai: And he wasn’t shy at all...
Su Zaizai: Do you think that’s normal?
Jiang Jia: Ah, it’s normal...
Su Zaizai: No, that’s Zhang Lurang!
Su Zaizai: I suspect he was possessed by something...
Jiang Jia: ...
Jiang Jia: When did he kiss you?
Su Zaizai: Just now.
Jiang Jia: Then it’s really normal.
Jiang Jia: Dark night, disoriented feelings.
Jiang Jia: Zhang Lurang couldn’t help but expose his true nature.
Su Zaizai: ...And tomorrow he’ll return to normal. :)
Thinking about this, Su Zaizai suddenly felt a bit panicked.
She immediately exited the chat window with Jiang Jia and sent a message to Zhang Lurang.
— Rang Rang, will you kiss me again tomorrow?
Zhang Lurang: “...”
________________________________________
During the time waiting for the college entrance exam results.
Zhang Lurang enrolled in a driving school to learn how to drive and also tutored a middle school student in math.
Su Zaizai originally wanted to learn how to drive too but suddenly realized she would only be eighteen at the end of the year.
She gave up on the idea.
Through her cram school teacher’s recommendation, Su Zaizai started tutoring a first-year high school girl who lived nearby in geography.
During a break,
She rested her cheek on her hand, watching the young girl blushingly chat with someone on the phone.
Su Zaizai suddenly got interested, took out her phone from her pocket.
When no one nearby was paying attention, she quickly took a selfie.
In the photo, she had a coy expression on her face.
Su Zaizai sent it to Zhang Lurang along with a typed message.
— Rang Rang, I’m so shy, chatting with you~
Zhang Lurang replied quickly.
— Act normal.
“…” Alright.
________________________________________
The day after Zhang Lurang passed the first part of his driving test, his college entrance exam results came out.
The results in Province B were released faster than those in Province I.
He wasn’t particularly nervous, but Su Zaizai kept urging him to check his scores.
His mother also kept calling him.
Seeing that Zhang Lurang hadn’t made a move, Su Zaizai decided to leave her house and head to his.
It was a weekday, so Lin Mao wasn’t home.
As a result, Su Zaizai pressed the doorbell at Zhang Lurang’s house without restraint.
She hadn’t informed Zhang Lurang beforehand, so he didn’t know it was her.
Soon, his low voice came through the intercom: “Who is it?”
Su Zaizai didn’t speak and pressed the doorbell again.
This time, the person inside seemed to guess.
Zhang Lurang opened the door, only halfway, seemingly not intending to let her in.
Seeing this, Su Zaizai widened her eyes: “You’re not going to let me in, are you?”
Zhang Lurang nodded and said: “I’ll take you back.”
Su Zaizai was a bit dumbfounded.
But thinking about it, it was true—they had been together for two years.
She had never stepped into Zhang Lurang’s home.
Similarly, he had never entered hers either.
“Isn’t my uncle not home? What’s wrong with me coming in for a moment…” Su Zaizai complained, confused. “Stop fooling around; I want to be with you when you check your scores.”
Zhang Lurang didn’t say anything and walked over to the shoe cabinet by the entrance.
He picked up the keys, changed into outdoor slippers, and went out.
After waiting outside for half a minute, Su Zaizai was genuinely getting a little angry.
She forced herself to calm down and, upon seeing him come out, indifferently said: “Fine, you go back inside, and I’ll return on my own.”
Sensing her emotions, Zhang Lurang still didn’t give in.
He softened his tone and lectured: “Su Zaizai, don’t enter a boy’s house alone.”
Su Zaizai couldn’t understand his reasoning and angrily retorted: “How can you be the same?!”
“I am the same,” Zhang Lurang earnestly replied.
Looking at his expression, Su Zaizai’s anger instantly dissipated.
Zhang Lurang came over and held her hand, and she didn’t pull away.
The two stood in front of the door.
Su Zaizai compromised and said: “Then you go back and check; I’ll wait here.”
Zhang Lurang curved his lips slightly and tucked the hair near her cheek behind her ear.
“I’ve already checked.”
“…When?”
“Five minutes ago, I sent it to you on WeChat.”
Su Zaizai paused for a moment and quickly took out her phone from her pocket.
She pulled up the message he had just sent.
— 694
She hadn’t fully processed it yet and hesitantly asked: “So, is it good or bad?”
Zhang Lurang reassuringly patted her head.
“It’s pretty good.”
Su Zaizai sighed in relief, suddenly chuckled, and looked up to kiss his chin.
“Look, who would believe it.”
“You used to be someone who could only score 30 points in English.”
Zhang Lurang didn’t say anything, his eyes soft as he gazed at her.
“Ah, I have such good taste,” she proudly declared.
________________________________________
Two days later, Su Zaizai’s college entrance exam results also came out.
Su Zaizai didn’t dare to look and sent her admission ticket number and password to Zhang Lurang, asking him to check for her.
She waited for a while.
Then Su Zaizai started to regret it.
After all, if she didn’t do well, Zhang Lurang probably wouldn’t know how to tell her.
Su Zaizai climbed off the bed, walked to the study, and turned on the computer.
Better check it herself…
She hadn’t even entered the website yet.
Her phone beside the computer vibrated.
Su Zaizai’s breath caught, and she gritted her teeth before opening it and taking a look.
Zhang Lurang: [/image]
It showed her scores for each subject and her total score.
Su Zaizai glanced at the total: 645
Then she looked up and saw her math score.
— 121.
Suddenly, her eyes welled up.
She thought, without Zhang Lurang,
She probably would have only gotten into an ordinary key university.
Without Zhang Lurang,
Su Zaizai would never have worked so hard, so desperately, like she did back then.
Because of grades, she pushed herself like that.
Even when her emotions were hard to control, and it was difficult to keep going, she persevered.
At this moment, Su Zaizai could proudly say to herself—
Her youth was never wasted.