“Are you sure?” Lou Yiqi asked.
Yin Yizhen softly replied, “Mm-hmm.”
“What about Zong Kai?” Lou Yiqi inquired further.
Yin Yizhen paused before answering, “He grew up with me, just like my own brother.”
“But I always felt he might see you as more than a sister,” Lou Yiqi commented.
“He does just see me as a sister,” Yin Yizhen insisted. “Don’t overthink it, and let’s not talk about him. Should I ask Chen Luobai out this week?”
Lou Yiqi hesitated before responding, “I think it’s better if you don’t ask him out for now.”
“Why not?” Yin Yizhen asked.
“Let’s talk outside,” Lou Yiqi suggested.
The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed as they left. Once their footsteps faded away, the classroom fell silent again.
Zhou Anran, however, couldn’t fall back asleep.
Yan Xingqian hadn’t taken the bag of snacks, so Zhou Anran brought them home after evening self-study that day.
She cleared out a drawer and carefully placed all the items inside. It wasn’t clear if he had specifically chosen them, or if he had simply grabbed whatever he saw on the supermarket shelves. The bag contained a variety of snacks: soft candies, hard candies, cookies, chocolate, spicy strips, soda, and milk. It was enough to fill an entire drawer.
Unfortunately, none of the items were suitable for long-term storage.
Zhou Anran stared at the full drawer for a moment before slowly closing it, as if she were also locking away her jumbled emotions.
She then took out the physics test paper from her schoolbag and spread it on her desk.
The first monthly exam of the semester was approaching.
She couldn’t be as brave and straightforward as other girls in approaching him, but she could at least fulfill her duties as a student.
Although experience had proven that trying to catch his attention by excelling in a single subject was a terrible idea, her efforts in studying weren’t solely for him.
She had her university aspirations.
After the monthly exams on Thursday and Friday, the pressure eased slightly, but the emotions she had been suppressing for days suddenly sprang back like a compressed spring.
Throughout the entire weekend, Zhou Anran kept wondering if Yin Yizhen had asked him out and if she had, whether he had agreed, and where they might have gone.
But no matter how many times she guessed, she couldn’t find an answer.
She had no way to inquire.
And she didn’t dare to ask.
Her heart felt tightly wound, as if bound by thin threads, making it difficult to breathe. Zhou Anran eventually decided to distract herself with a task.
She ate some of the candies from the drawer, carefully unwrapped them, washed the wrappers, and folded them into candy wrapper flowers, attempting to preserve these items that were her only connection to him.
But she couldn’t eat sweets.
This mindless craft activity failed to prevent her mind from wandering.
As the overly sweet candy melted in her mouth, somehow, a hint of bitterness seemed to linger.
On Monday morning, even Yan Xingqian noticed something was off when they went to school.
“Anran, what’s wrong?” Yan Xingqian tilted her head, examining her friend. “You stayed cooped up at home all weekend, and now you look so listless this early in the morning.”
Zhou Anran pressed her lips together before replying, “It’s nothing, just a bit worried about my grades.”
Yan Xingqian looked puzzled. “Didn’t you say last Friday that you did okay? If anyone should be worried, it’s me.”
Zhou Anran felt guilty for keeping secrets from her friend and didn’t want to cause her any more concern. She forced a smile, trying to make it sound like a joke, “I’m just worried about your grades.”
“Oh, you’re making fun of me now?” Yan Xingqian reached out to tickle her.
The two playfully bickered until they reached the bus stop.
At school, just as Zhou Anran had finished wiping her desk and chair and sat down, Zhang Shuxian burst into the classroom. She carelessly tossed her backpack onto her chair and leaned over Yan Xingqian’s desk.
“I have some news to share with you guys.”
Zhou Anran’s heart skipped a beat.
News about Chen Luobai always spread the fastest in school.
Yan Xingqian looked very interested, also leaning on her desk with sparkling eyes. “Quick, tell us! What news?”
Zhang Shuxian teased, “Why don’t you guess first?”
“How could we possibly guess?” Yan Xingqian said. “Stop keeping us in suspense.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you~” Zhang Shuxian deliberately dragged out her words.
Zhou Anran’s fingers tightened at her side, afraid she might hear the name she usually longed to hear.
After building up enough suspense, Zhang Shuxian continued, “I heard that last Friday, after school, some senior students were caught doing that on campus.”
Zhou Anran quietly sighed in relief.
“Doing what?” Yan Xingqian asked curiously.
Zhang Shuxian glanced around to make sure the boys weren’t paying attention, then lowered her voice, “Kissing, you know.”
Yan Xingqian looked disappointed. “What’s the big deal about kissing? I thought it was something more serious.”
Zhang Shuxian said, “Wait, I’m not finished. Kissing itself isn’t a big deal, but apparently, they were caught red-handed by some students and the disciplinary teacher. I heard their parents were called in, and both students got demerits. They might even face public criticism today.”
“That’s so severe!” Yan Xingqian exclaimed in surprise.
Zhang Shuxian sighed, “They were probably made an example of. Otherwise, people might start copying them. You know how strict our school is about these things.”
Zhou Anran, still preoccupied with another matter, bit her lip and asked softly, “Is there anything else?”
“Anything else?” Zhang Shuxian was momentarily confused before realizing, “Oh, you mean other news? Anran, since when did you start being interested in gossip?”
She looked surprised and even reached out to pinch Zhou Anran’s cheek.
“Anran, your face is so soft!”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Zhang Shuxian leaned on Yan Xingqian’s desk, staring at Zhou Anran. “Wow, Anran, I just realized you’re quite pretty.”
Zhou Anran covered her pinched cheek, feeling her face inexplicably heat up.
Lou Yiqi, who had been sitting in front of her without participating in the conversation, turned to look at her for a moment before facing forward again.
Yan Xingqian rolled her eyes slightly. “You’re only noticing now?”
“Well, I usually look at handsome guys. Why would I stare at my female classmates?” Zhang Shuxian defended herself. “Besides, Anran is usually so low-key. Before you guys sat together, I hardly noticed her.”
What Zhang Shuxian didn’t say was that their class happened to have Lou Yiqi, who was quite attractive and knew how to subtly enhance her appearance, as well as a super-popular school heartthrob who overshadowed everyone else. It was easy to overlook someone as quiet as Zhou Anran.
Zhang Shuxian continued to stare at Zhou Anran from Yan Xingqian’s desk, finding her increasingly attractive.
It was a pure, enduring kind of beauty.
Fair skin, big eyes, and two small dimples when she smiled, though her face still had a bit of baby fat.
“Anran, I’m eating lunch with you guys today, okay?”
Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the front, as if Lou Yiqi had thrown her book heavily on her desk.
Yan Xingqian blinked.
Zhang Shuxian, however, remained nonchalant. “Is that alright?”
Zhou Anran nodded. “Sure, but please stop staring at me.”
“I won’t,” Zhang Shuxian said with a grin. “Looking at beautiful girls is good for one’s health.”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Chen Luobai entered the classroom just before self-study began.
Zhou Anran noticed that only Zhu Ran followed him as usual, and she quietly sighed in relief. Throughout the morning, she remained on edge.
She feared seeing Yin Yizhen come to find him alone or hearing any rumors.
Occasionally, she thought that if he did have feelings for Yin Yizhen, it might be better for her to know sooner so she could move on.
But these thoughts were fleeting.
The feeling of “fear” clearly dominated.
It wasn’t until lunchtime that she unexpectedly encountered him in the cafeteria.
His group had arrived earlier than them. Zhang Shuxian had secured a table right behind theirs. He and Zhu Ran had their backs to them, while Yin Yizhen and Zong Kai sat across from them.
None of the girls, including Sheng Xiaowen who had joined them, were familiar with his group, so no one went over to greet them. They all lowered their heads and ate.
Midway through the meal, Zong Kai’s voice carried over.
“Why did you two suddenly go to D City this weekend?”
Zhou Anran paused as she was about to pick up a piece of pork rib.
Zhu Ran answered, “Luo’s relative gave him a few CBA tickets. We were going to invite you, but before we could ask, you said you had to accompany Yin Yizhen shopping this weekend, so we didn’t bother.”
“Why didn’t you invite us?” Yin Yizhen complained.
Zhu Ran replied, “There were only three tickets, and it’s troublesome to bring a girl when we guys go out together.”
“I didn’t ask you to bring me,” Yin Yizhen retorted.
“The tickets were Luo’s, and he also thinks it’s troublesome to bring girls,” Zhu Ran nudged Chen Luobai with his elbow. “Right, Luo?”
The boy seemed to chuckle softly, “It is quite troublesome.”
Yin Yizhen tugged on Zong Kai’s hand, “Zong Kai, they’re bullying me.”
Zong Kai patted her head, “Zhu Ran is telling the truth this time. If Luo didn’t find girls troublesome, he wouldn’t still be single now.”
Zhang Shuxian tossed away the duck bone she was holding and wiped her hands with a napkin. Lowering her voice conspiratorially, she said, “I don’t think our school heartthrob finds girls troublesome. He probably just hasn’t met someone he likes yet.”
Yan Xingqian nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”
“Hey—” Zhang Shuxian continued gossiping, “What kind of girl do you think Chen Luobai would like? He wasn’t interested in those pretty girls who confessed to him before, and he doesn’t seem to care much for sweet and coquettish girls like Yin Yizhen either.”
Sheng Xiaowen replied, “Who knows? I feel like he’s more interested in basketball and studying than in girls.”
“If I were him—” Zhang Shuxian pondered, resting her chin on her hand. Her gaze turned to Zhou Anran. “I’d probably like a girl like Anran, who looks pure and has a gentle personality.”
Even though Zhou Anran knew Zhang Shuxian was just speculating, her heart still skipped a beat.
Yan Xingqian glanced across the cafeteria and suddenly changed the subject, “Oh, Lou Yiqi isn’t with them.”
Zhang Shuxian’s smile faded slightly. “Yin Yizhen doesn’t always invite her.”
Sheng Xiaowen asked, “You two still haven’t made up?”
“Makeup about what?” Zhang Shuxian scoffed. “Whenever Yin Yizhen calls her, I get pushed to the back of the line.”
The next day, the monthly exam results and rankings were released.
Zhou Anran’s overall grade ranking in the year remained unchanged from the previous semester’s final exam.
She wasn’t too disappointed that her rank hadn’t improved further. After all, Erzhong was one of the best high schools in the province. The top-ranked students were already the cream of the crop, and the higher one’s rank, the harder it became to advance.
However, Yan Xingqian’s math scores had dropped again, causing her to fall a few more places in the class ranking.
Fortunately, she was always optimistic and easygoing, so she didn’t take it too hard.
That evening, not long after Zhou Anran returned home, there was a knock at the door. Mrs. He went to open it, and it turned out to be Yan Xingqian and her mother, Song Qiu.
Before Zhou Anran could retreat to her room, she heard Song Qiu say that a friend had given them some cherries, and they had brought a box to share.
Mrs. He, being decades-long friends with Song Qiu, accepted the gift without hesitation and said, “You didn’t have to come all this way. Anran could have brought it over earlier. Would you like to come in and sit for a while?”
Zhou Anran came out from the living room to greet Song Qiu: “Auntie Song.”
Song Qiu entered, changed into slippers, and smiled at her with a nod. “I came to get something from Anran.”
He Jiaying asked curiously, “What do you need from Anran?”
Yan Xingqian also looked confused. “Mom, why do you need to get something from Anran?”
Song Qiu glanced at her daughter. “You hid a bunch of CDs and merchandise at Anran’s place. Did you think I wouldn’t find out? This time, hand everything over honestly, and I won’t scold you.”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Yan Xingqian: “…”
“Mom—” Yan Xingqian was about to plead, but Song Qiu cut her off.
“No bargaining. I let you keep some before, and look at how much your grades have dropped. If you try to negotiate, I’ll take away your phone too.”
Yan Xingqian shut her mouth, not daring to speak.
“Auntie Song,” Zhou Anran, seeing Yan Xingqian’s unhappy face, tried to intercede. “I—”
Song Qiu interrupted her as well. “Anran, your plea won’t work this time. If you want to help, when you have time, help Auntie tutor her in math. If her grades improve compared to before her ranking dropped, I’ll naturally return her things.”
Zhou Anran nodded.
Yan Xingqian quickly added, “You promise?”
Song Qiu replied irritably, “First, get your ranking back to where it was before it dropped. The parent-teacher conference is after the midterm exams. At least give me something to save face with.”
This time, Song Qiu didn’t leave any room for Yan Xingqian to maneuver. She collected all the items from the drawer Zhou Anran had cleared out for her friend, not leaving even a single small sticker behind.
Seeing Yan Xingqian’s despondent expression, Zhou Anran asked her quietly, “Do you want to stay over at my place tonight?”
Yan Xingqian, with a stomach full of complaints to vent, nodded vigorously.
Zhou Xianghong was still working overtime at the company and hadn’t returned. After collecting the items, Song Qiu didn’t leave immediately but stayed in the living room to chat with He Jiaying.
Zhou Anran accompanied Yan Xingqian back to her apartment across the street to get her schoolbag and a change of clothes.
As they were changing shoes at the door, she overheard Mrs. He comforting Song Qiu, “The kids are still young. It’s only the first year of high school. Don’t push her too hard.”
“The first year is almost over, and the remaining two years will pass quickly,” Song Qiu sighed. “Your Anran is so much easier to handle.”
Mrs. He replied, “Anran is still a bit too introverted. It would be nice if she were as lively as your Xianxian.”
Yan Xingqian opened the door.
Once outside, she rolled her eyes slightly. “Every time they talk about us, it’s the same old story. They never get tired of it, but I’m sick of hearing it. Adults can be so hypocritical.”
Zhou Anran closed the door behind them and linked arms with her friend, her mind wandering.
Is being introverted a flaw?
But it’s so hard to change.
Much, much harder than studying.
As she pondered, her thoughts somehow circled back to the question Zhang Shuxian had asked earlier that day, a question she had asked herself countless times in her heart.
What about him?
What kind of girl would he like?
That night, Yan Xingqian vented her frustrations to Zhou Anran for most of the evening, but by the next morning, she had quickly regained her spirits.
As soon as they arrived at school, Yan Xingqian buried her head on her desk and started writing a plan. She eventually titled it “Operation Save the Idol,” and even made a copy for Zhou Anran, asking her to help supervise.
The classroom was always a bit noisy before the morning self-study session.
Some were reading, some walking around, some were chatting—all kinds of sounds filled the air.
As homework was being passed forward from the back, Zhou Anran took the opportunity to glance behind her again. She happened to see Chen Luobai walking in from the back.
After the cold snap last week, the weather in Nancheng had warmed up again.
The boy was wearing a loose summer school uniform, his bag held in his hand. However, his face lacked its usual carefree smile. His smooth jawline was tightly set, making him look quite unhappy.
Suddenly, a male voice from the back row called out, “Zhou Anran, is there something wrong with my test paper?”
Zhou Anran snapped back to attention, not daring to look any longer. “No, I thought one of the answers was different from yours, but I was mistaken.”
She turned back and took out her test paper, passing it forward to Lou Yiqi along with the others. Her mind was occupied by a single question—
What’s wrong with him?