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When she’s not here, no one makes me happy.
— Zhang Lurang
The sky was as if it had been smeared with thick ink, resembling an endless black sea.
The leaves outside were rustling in the cold wind, and the dry leaves on the ground were swept into clusters by the wind.
Occasionally, a few fireworks would explode in the sky, celebrating the upcoming New Year’s Eve.
After finishing washing up, Su Zaizai returned to her room.
She quickly crawled onto the bed, burying herself completely under the covers, and called Zhang Lurang.
Zhang Lurang picked up quickly.
Because the blanket made it hard for sound to pass through, Su Zaizai’s voice came out muffled: “Rang Rang.”
His voice, hoarse from coughing, carried a hint of nasal tone, much softer than usual.
“What’s wrong?”
“What will you do tomorrow for New Year’s Eve?”
There was a pause on Zhang Lurang’s end, as if he was thinking, then he quickly replied: “I’ll spend it with my uncle; he isn’t going back to City B this year.”
“Oh.” Su Zaizai pulled the blanket off, her expression somewhat hesitant. “Tomorrow I have to go to my grandparents’ house. It’s like that every year…”
“Mm.”
“But after having the New Year’s Eve dinner, I’ll come back, although it might be a bit late.”
It was then that Zhang Lurang caught the underlying meaning in her words. He lowered his eyes and silently smiled: “Zaizai.”
The sound transmitted through the phone line carried a touch of lingering affection unexpectedly.
Rarely hearing him call her like this, Su Zaizai felt quite flattered.
Unable to resist, she rolled around on the bed, wrapping herself in the blanket.
The commotion was loud enough for the person on the other end to hear the rustling sounds continuously.
Zhang Lurang couldn’t help but feel a bit warm. He licked his lips and softly said: “Wait for you to come back and I’ll give you your New Year’s gift.”
“What gift?” Su Zaizai asked excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lurang hesitated for a moment and asked: “What do you want?”
Su Zaizai didn’t hesitate: “Your body.”
“…”
“To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it since my first year of high school.”
“…”
“You’ve kept me abstinent for three years.”
Zhang Lurang remained silent.
The next second, Su Zaizai suddenly changed her tune: “Actually, it should be ten years, right?”
“…”
“Is ten years still underestimating you?” She said frustratingly.
Zhang Lurang opened his mouth, wanting to retort something, but ultimately said nothing.
His fingertips tapped the soft, limp quilt, feeling somewhat restless.
After a long while, Su Zaizai suddenly shamelessly blurted out: “Have you ever dreamed about it?”
This question came so suddenly that Zhang Lurang didn’t react immediately.
Soon he figured it out, his breath instantly catching.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he stuttered nervously: “I’m going to sleep.”
Su Zaizai took the phone away from her ear and checked the time.
It was already half past ten.
Zhang Lurang’s routine was always punctual, so Su Zaizai didn’t bother him further.
She reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, grinning: “Alright, you sleep, good night!”
Hearing her words, Zhang Lurang suppressed the fluttering in his heart and lectured: “You hurry up and sleep too, don’t keep scrolling through Weibo so late.”
“I know.”
After hanging up, Su Zaizai dismissed the idea of browsing Weibo, obediently placed her phone on the bedside table, closed the curtains, covered herself with the blanket, and fell asleep.
On the other side.
Zhang Lurang, who usually went to bed early at this time, unusually tossed and turned on the bed.
Lost in thought, he looked inexplicably anxious.
Ten minutes later, he sat up.
He touched his slightly sweaty forehead, got up, and walked into the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of running water could be heard.
The sound was especially clear in the quiet night.
________________________________________
New Year’s Eve night.
The table with only two people was quiet, occasionally interrupted by the clinking of utensils.
Lin Mao swallowed the food in his mouth and said: “Go turn on the TV.”
Zhang Lurang instinctively put down his chopsticks, about to follow the instruction, when Lin Mao continued: “Isn’t it better to have some noise so it doesn’t feel so bleak?”
“…”
“Sigh, young kids these days, can’t even talk more.”
Zhang Lurang thought for a moment and earnestly said: “I don’t know what to say to you.”
Lin Mao was taken aback by this comment: “Are you saying there’s a generation gap between us?”
Zhang Lurang didn’t speak, lowering his head to continue eating, seemingly agreeing by default.
His icy face softened slightly, and the tense corners of his mouth secretly curved upwards.
Lin Mao raised an eyebrow but didn’t mind much.
After a while.
Lin Mao suddenly remembered something: “You haven’t contacted your parents all semester?”
At the mention of this, Zhang Lurang’s good mood instantly collapsed: “Mm.”
“You’re not answering their calls?”
“…”
“You’re not going home for the New Year; your mother called me many times to scold me.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lurang couldn’t help but ask: “Why is she scolding you?”
“Ah, I didn’t listen carefully.”
“…”
“Generally, she said I spoil you too much, or maybe that I interfere too much?”
After saying this, Lin Mao suddenly understood something: “No wonder you’re not answering her calls.”
Zhang Lurang quietly ate his meal without speaking.
Lin Mao suddenly sighed, no longer joking.
“Call them later.”
Zhang Lurang paused with his chopsticks, his expression somewhat reluctant.
He looked at Lin Mao’s expression and finally relented, nodding: “I understand.”
After finishing the meal, Zhang Lurang returned to his room.
The phone rang just then—it was Ali calling.
Zhang Lurang swiped the screen and answered, placing the phone to his ear.
Ali’s bright voice came through: “Brother! Happy New Year!”
Influenced by his tone, Zhang Lurang curved his lips slightly: “Happy New Year.”
After saying this, both sides fell into silence simultaneously.
Soon, Ali timidly spoke: “You’re really not coming back for the New Year?”
“Mm.”
“Lately, Mom and Dad have been arguing a lot...”
“I think, after the New Year, Mom might come to City Z to find you.”
“Why don’t you give her a call? I saw that she didn’t eat much during tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner…”
“Brother, don’t be too…” Ali seemed unable to continue; his voice suddenly became muffled. “You can’t just say you won’t come back and not come back…”
Zhang Lurang stared at the lines on his palm, lost in thought: “I understand.”
Before hanging up, he heard Ali speak again, his voice tinged with caution.
“Brother, I want to apply for graduate school at University Z…”
Zhang Lurang didn’t pay much attention, indifferently replying: “It’s your decision.”
________________________________________
Zhang Lurang hesitated for a moment and quickly dialed his mother’s number.
It rang only once before she picked up but didn’t immediately speak.
Both sides seemed to be in a stalemate, an unspoken tug-of-war.
Finally, Zhang Mu couldn’t hold back any longer; her voice sharp with anger: “Zhang Lurang, do you still consider me your mother? You don’t answer calls regularly, and now you won’t even come home for the New Year?”
Zhang Lurang didn’t speak.
Soon, her voice softened, as if trying to control her anger.
“It was wrong of your father and me to change your college application. If you want to study computer science, study it well. During your university years, I won’t interfere with you so much anymore.”
Zhang Lurang’s brow slightly relaxed, but the relief in his heart didn’t last long.
The next moment, he heard Zhang Mu continue: “You must come home during holidays! Have you stayed with your uncle for too long? Do you completely disregard your father and me?”
Zhang Lurang pursed his lips and softly said: “I...”
Zhang Mu grew angrier, cutting off his words directly: “I’m your mother! How could I harm you? Isn’t the finance department at University B good? After graduation, you can directly work at our family company, without having to endure others’ grievances!”
“...”
“How many issues did your younger brother have? When he wanted to transfer schools in junior high, even though the exam questions were different, he insisted on attending high school in City Z for a year. He didn’t consult us at all when filling out his college applications—he just filled them out himself. Do you think you’re right?”
Zhang Lurang rarely saw Zhang Mu so angry.
Suddenly, he lost the urge to argue he had felt earlier; his eyes felt sore and heavy.
A deep sense of helplessness overwhelmed him, pulling him in, making it impossible to escape.
After a long while, Zhang Lurang inexplicably brought up Su Zaizai.
“I have a girl I really like.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mu paused, her voice sinking again: “You...”
Zhang Lurang suddenly got upset, like a child, raising his voice to interrupt her.
“Whenever she mentions her parents, there’s pride in her eyes. No matter what she does, she is fearless because she has wonderful parents who love her dearly.”
Zhang Lurang’s voice dropped, murmuring softly.
His words seemed to carry tears.
“...I envy her so much.”
________________________________________
Zhang Mu on the other end of the line seemed choked by his words, unable to utter a single word.
Zhang Lurang spaced out for a while, quickly snapped back to reality, and hung up the call.
He lowered his eyes, scrolled through his phone, and saw a WeChat message Su Zaizai had sent a few minutes ago.
— Hahaha, I told my mom today!
— I mentioned you to her!!
— She said since I like you so much, she’ll definitely be very satisfied with you, hehehe.
Zhang Lurang tugged at the corners of his mouth, slowly replying.
— That’s good.
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