No Longer Fond
Zhou Xianhong had always been a man of action.
On Tuesday, he decided to move and transfer schools. By Thursday, he had already relocated the entire family to Wucheng. The house was provided by Chairman Jiang from Mingsheng.
Later, Zhou Anran learned that Chairman Jiang had offered Zhou Xianhong two houses to choose from: one near Mingsheng’s new branch office in Wucheng, and another near Wucheng No. 1 High School. Zhou Xianhong chose the latter.
Due to the hasty departure, Yan Xingqian helped retrieve Zhou Anran’s belongings from No. 2 High School.
He Jiayi was reluctant to let her return to school, and Zhou Anran herself didn’t want to go back either.
The awkwardness of that afternoon was still fresh in her mind, although Yan Xingqian had cleared things up when she came to deliver her belongings.
The love letter was written by Yan Xingqian on behalf of Zong Kai. The next day, Zong Kai took the torn-off portion to explain to Director Zhao and asked Yan Xingqian to convey his apologies to Zhou Anran.
The reason for slipping the letter into her book was that Zong Kai wanted Yin Yizhen to give up on Chen Luobai sooner. As for why he chose her book, Zong Kai said it was because Yin Yizhen had seen Chen Luobai buying her a drink that day.
Although the situation was now clear, Zhou Anran still didn’t want to go back and face the scrutinizing gazes of her classmates.
She was even more afraid to face Chen Luobai.
That day in the Dean of Students’ office, not knowing the truth, she had only wanted to exonerate him.
After all, compared to writing a love letter to confess to a female classmate, secretly imitating a classmate’s handwriting seemed a “lesser crime,” as it only affected her and would at most result in private criticism.
But she had never done such a thing before. She didn’t even know where she found the courage at that moment. She only remembered her palms were sweaty, her mind was blank, and she blurted out everything, whether she should have said it or not.
She only realized it afterward.
She also hadn’t expected to lose control of her emotions, causing Zhao Qiming to decide to call He Jiayi on the spot.
He was so intelligent; her little secret must have been completely exposed before him.
She even remembered clearly how many times he had spoken to her. He probably thought she was quite abnormal.
Because the decision was made suddenly, Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi couldn’t hand over their original work so quickly. The next few days were chaotic.
However, Zhou Anran’s school transfer went smoothly.
Chairman Jiang from Mingsheng was a native of Wucheng. He had been contributing to the city’s municipal construction for years, including donating funds to build the new library at Wucheng No. 1 High School.
Moreover, although Zhou Anran’s grades weren’t top-tier, they were among the best.
The following Monday, Zhou Anran officially entered the science experimental class at Wucheng No. 1 High School. Coincidentally, her new class was also Class 2.
But this Class 2 no longer had any familiar faces.
And he wasn’t there anymore.
Zhou Xianhong was thoughtful and asked Chairman Jiang to speak with the principal of No. 1 High School.
As a result, the homeroom teacher and subject teachers in the new class were particularly attentive to Zhou Anran.
The classmates were also quite friendly.
However, this Class 2 hadn’t been reshuffled. Most of the students had already been together for a year, and the newly added students had already had a week to get acquainted. As a new transfer student, and not being an outgoing personality, Zhou Anran found it difficult to fit in.
At lunch and dinner, there was no longer anyone rushing down from the sixth floor to drag her out to eat.
A tall, unfamiliar girl now sat in the second row, the sixth seat of the classroom, but Zhou Anran still couldn’t break the habit of unconsciously glancing at that spot.
After the first evening self-study session at the new school ended, Zhou Anran walked out of the school gate alone to find He Jiayi already waiting for her.
The journey home was short. He Jiayi only briefly asked if she was adapting to the new school and if she was being bullied in class before they arrived home.
But even home felt unfamiliar.
After returning home and showering, Zhou Anran sat at her new, unfamiliar desk and took out her newly issued math textbook.
The teaching progress here was roughly the same as at No. 2 High School, but it couldn’t be the same. Math was being taught slightly faster than at No. 2 High School.
Zhou Anran wanted to use the evening to catch up on the progress she had missed.
Halfway through, He Jiayi pushed open the door from outside and placed a glass of milk on her desk.
Zhou Anran raised her head slightly: “Thank you, Mom.”
But He Jiayi didn’t leave immediately, standing beside her and looking down at her.
It had only been less than a week, but whether it was an illusion or not, the girl’s face seemed to have become smaller again.
“Do you want to chat with Xianxian? I can lend you my phone for a while.”
No. 1 High School was stricter about phones than No. 2 High School, not allowing them at all. He Jiayi seemed afraid that she would try to secretly contact Chen Luobai if she had her phone, so she had temporarily taken it away. Even the video of him playing in a match that she had taken on her phone had been deleted. He Jiayi either remembered him from the parent-teacher meeting in the first semester of high school, or the video footage focusing on him had been too obvious, making He Jiayi guess something.
Zhou Anran thought Mrs. He was overthinking it.
She didn’t have Chen Luobai’s contact information at all, so there was no way she could contact him. Even if she did, she wouldn’t disturb him now.
However, she didn’t object. She rarely brought her phone to school at No. 2 High School anyway.
Hearing He Jiayi’s words, Zhou Anran pursed her lips, hesitating for two seconds.
Her moving and transferring schools had been too sudden. Yan Xingqian still couldn’t quite accept it and would cry whenever they chatted.
When she heard her cry, she couldn’t help but cry too.
“It’s okay, it’s too late. Xianxian is probably asleep.”
He Jiayi sighed and raised her hand to stroke her head: “Anran, don’t blame your dad and mom. At your age, studying is still the most important thing. Mom has been through this too, I understand, but for you right now, nothing is more important than getting into a good university.”
Zhou Anran shook her head: “I don’t blame you.”
He Jiayi had only recently learned about the girlish feelings she had been secretly harboring. She wanted to talk more with her, but remembering how hard she had cried that day, she ultimately didn’t say much more. It was indeed getting late: “That’s good. Finish your milk and go to bed early. Your health is important too, don’t stay up too late.”
Zhou Anran nodded: “I’ll go to sleep after I finish this bit. You and Dad should go to bed early too. You have to rush back tomorrow morning.”
He Jiayi stroked her hair again, but in the end, didn’t say anything more. She turned and left the room.
The door was gently closed.
Zhou Anran lowered her head again.
But she couldn’t focus on the content of the book anymore.
She hadn’t lied to He Jiayi. She didn’t blame them.
Her parents had already given up this opportunity for her once before.
Zhou Anran buried her head on the desk, her nose tingling.
She just…
She just missed home so much, missed her friends so much.
And missed him so much.
Zhou Anran raised her head again, reached out to open the drawer, and took out an unopened can of cola, placing it next to the candy wrapper drawing on the desk.
He Jiayi didn’t know these two items were related to him, otherwise, she might not have let her keep them.
These were also the only two things left around her that had any connection to him.
Zhou Anran stared at the can of cola for a long time, until her vision gradually blurred.
She just hadn’t expected that she wouldn’t even have the chance to continue being his classmate.
*
The next morning, as soon as Zhou Anran woke up, she felt her eyes were uncomfortable.
She sat up in bed, intending to go to the bathroom to take a look. After getting out of bed, she instinctively walked to the left, almost bumping into the wall, before remembering that they had moved to a new home and the bathroom was now on the right side of the bed.
Zhou Anran paused for a moment.
The new home had the same three-bedroom layout as their house in Nancheng. Just like at home in Nancheng, Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi refused to take the master bedroom, giving it to her, saying it would be more convenient if her friends came to visit.
Zhou Anran entered the master bathroom and looked in the mirror.
She had cried for quite a while last night, and her eyes were indeed slightly swollen.
Zhou Anran splashed some cold water on her face, shaking off the last bit of drowsiness, and walked out of the master bathroom, opening the bedroom door.
Outside was quiet, with a note stuck to the door.
Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi hadn’t finished handing over their work yet, and they weren’t comfortable leaving her alone here, so they were temporarily commuting between the two cities every day.
They were getting up earlier than a high school student and going to bed later than her.
Zhou Anran felt a bit sorry for them, but also slightly relieved.
If her parents saw her eyes like this, they might feel even more guilty.
Zhou Anran reached out and peeled off the note.
It was in He Jiayi’s handwriting.
“Dad and Mom have gone back to work. There’s corn and eggs in the steamer in the kitchen. Remember to unplug it after eating. If you don’t want to eat at home, you can go eat noodles near the school.”
After finishing breakfast at home, Zhou Anran initially wanted to find something to put on her eyes but then remembered she didn’t know anyone at school and gave up on the idea.
No one would probably notice her.
The person she most wanted to notice her was no longer her classmate.
It only took five or six minutes to walk from home to school.
When she entered the school, it was still early, with only a thin layer of sunlight.
Zhou Anran had planned to go straight to the classroom, but when passing the bulletin board, her attention was unexpectedly drawn to a photo on it.
She paused her steps.
The girl in the photo had a neat ponytail, with cool eyes and brows. Her features weren’t particularly outstanding, but when combined, they had a strange attractiveness.
Upon closer inspection, Zhou Anran realized this was the science valedictorian from two years ago, named Yu Bingqin.
“Are you looking at Senior Yu? She’s the goddess of many people in our school, including me, of course.” A female voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Zhou Anran turned around to see a girl with a ponytail standing behind her. She had a round face that was quite cute, with a likable appearance.
After making eye contact, the girl tilted her head and smiled at her: “Do I look familiar? I’m also in Class 2 Science. We met yesterday. Hello, new classmate, I’m Cen Yu.”
Zhou Anran had been in a daze yesterday and hadn’t paid attention to her classmates, so she didn’t have much of an impression. But she couldn’t say that outright. She pursed her lips, feeling a bit awkward: “Hello.”
Cen Yu smiled and asked her: “Are you going straight to the classroom now?”
Zhou Anran nodded.
” I thought you were quite pretty yesterday. I secretly glanced at you several times and wanted to talk to you, but you were so focused on the lesson that I didn’t dare disturb you.” Cen Yu continued, inviting her, “I didn’t expect to run into you early this morning. Shall we go to the classroom together?”
Zhou Anran was slow to warm up to people and didn’t know how to respond, so she just nodded again.
As they walked towards the classroom together, Cen Yu enthusiastically introduced her to some general information about the school and the class.
Zhou Anran learned from her that the seating arrangements here changed every month.
Cen Yu said she was currently in the fourth large group, but in October, she would move to the first group, and then she would only be separated from Zhou Anran by a small aisle.
At lunch and dinner that day, Cen Yu again actively invited her to eat together.
After one day, to Zhou Anran’s complete surprise, on her second day at the new school, she quickly made a new friend.
Zhou Anran had thought that with her personality, it would take a very long time to integrate into this new group.
But because of Cen Yu’s initiative to befriend her, this long period was shortened to just a few days.
Cen Yu had an outgoing and generous personality, the type Zhou Anran envied the most.
Led by her, Zhou Anran quickly became familiar with most of the people in the class, and even the small shops around the school soon became familiar to her.
Some Cen Yu had introduced to her, others she had taken her to eat at or browse.
The entire month of September slowly passed in the process of familiarizing herself with the new home, new school, new friends, and new city.
During the National Day holiday, Cen Yu went out of town with her parents.
Zhou Anran didn’t go anywhere.
Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi had long since handed over their work in Nancheng, and with Mingsheng’s new company just established here, both of them were too busy during the holiday to plan on returning to Nancheng.
On the first day of the National Day holiday, Yan Xingqian came to Wucheng to see her and also brought gifts on behalf of Sheng Xiaowen and Zhang Shuxian, who couldn’t come.
Yan Xingqian’s parents also came to visit, and Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi returned from the company in the afternoon to entertain the guests.
Zhou Anran and Yan Xingqian stayed in the room and talked for the entire afternoon.
When they came out for dinner in the evening, both girls’ eyes were red.
He Jiayi looked at them and sighed softly in her heart, beginning to doubt whether their decision had been wrong.
But whether it was right or wrong, there was no turning back now.
No. 2 High School had one more day off than No. 1 High School this time, but Yan Xingqian couldn’t stay in Wucheng for long. Her family had relatives getting married during the holiday, so after staying in Wucheng with her for two days, she was taken back by her parents.
For the remaining days, Zhou Anran stayed at home doing homework.
On the first day after the holiday, Zhou Anran returned to school early as usual, only to find the desks and chairs in the classroom in disarray when she entered.
She stood at the door, stunned for a moment, before remembering that they changed seats every month here.
“Anran.”
Lost in thought, Zhou Anran heard someone calling her.
She looked up to see Cen Yu waving at her from the first group, then pointing to a spot in the second group: “Come quick, we’ve moved your seat for you. We’ve even wiped down your desk.”
Zhou Anran walked over, putting down her bag while thanking her: “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?” Cen Yu waved her hand, then pointed at her desk, “I brought you a gift.”
Zhou Anran looked down at the desk drawer, somewhat surprised: “Why are there two?”
Cen Yu rubbed her nose: “I like to give people two gifts.”
This was the first time Zhou Anran had heard of someone liking to give two gifts.
But later, whether it was holidays or her birthday, she would indeed always receive two gifts from Cen Yu.
“We have two as well,” said the girl sitting in front of Zhou Anran, who was Cen Yu’s good friend named Chu Hui. Because of Cen Yu, she had also become familiar with Zhou Anran early on. “Anran, hurry and open them.”
Zhou Anran took out the gift boxes and opened them.
The first gift box contained a small box of chocolates.
The second gift box contained… a rabbit plush keychain.
“Hey, why did we get pearl bracelets, but Anran got a rabbit? It’s so cute.” Chu Hui reached out to touch it, her bracelet jingling lightly.
Cen Yu snorted: “If you don’t like the bracelet, give it back to me.”
“Who said I don’t like it?” Chu Hui pulled her hand back. “I was just asking.”
Cen Yu glanced at the rabbit in Zhou Anran’s hand: “Don’t you think this rabbit looks a lot like Anran? White and soft.”
“It does look alike, haha.” Chu Hui was inexplicably tickled. “They’re both so cute, haha.”
Zhou Anran: “…?”
But the little rabbit plush in her hand was indeed quite cute. She casually hung it on her schoolbag and thanked Cen Yu again: “Thank you. I didn’t prepare any gifts for you guys.”
Mainly because she hadn’t expected Cen Yu to bring her a gift.
Cen Yu waved her hand again: “I just happened to go on a trip, so I brought it back. You didn’t go anywhere, so it’s fine.”
“Yeah, we didn’t bring anything either,” Chu Hui said.
Zhou Anran thought for a moment and still said: “Let me treat you to lunch then.”
It was also to thank them for taking care of her during this time.
If it weren’t for Cen Yu taking the initiative to befriend her that morning and including her in everything they did afterward, she couldn’t imagine how difficult the past month would have been.
“That sounds good,” Cen Yu readily agreed. “Then let’s go to Chen’s Braised Foods for cold noodles at lunch.”
Chu Hui’s eyes lit up: “Is Chen’s finally reopening?”
Cen Yu nodded: “Yes, I ran into the owner this morning. Thank heavens, they’re finally opening again.”
Zhou Anran had heard Cen Yu mention this shop before.
It was said to be famous far and wide, partly because of its good taste, but also because the owner was too casual. They wouldn’t open if the weather was bad if they weren’t in the mood, and they would often go on trips.
This time they had been away traveling for nearly a month.
After finishing the morning classes, Zhou Anran went with Cen Yu and the others to Chen’s.
Chen’s was a short distance from No. 1 High School, with an intersection in between.
When they reached the intersection, they hit a red light and stopped to wait.
Zhou Anran was walking in front, arm in arm with Cen Yu, when she heard Chu Hui, who was arm in arm with another girl behind them, suddenly say: “Oh right, I saw a lame joke online yesterday.”
“What lame joke?” Cen Yu turned her head.
Zhou Anran also turned around.
Chu Hui: “Guess why Doraemon’s world is black?”
Zhou Anran suddenly froze.
The last time she had told this joke to someone was on the last day of the previous semester because he had been standing by the window smiling and saying “See you next semester” to her, which had brightened up most of her summer vacation.
It had only been a few months ago, but thinking about it now, it strangely felt like a lifetime ago.
“What the heck?” Cen Yu didn’t get it. “How could Doraemon’s world be black?”
Chu Hui: “Come on, I said it was a lame joke. Think of it like a brain teaser.”
Cen Yu thought for a moment, then shook her head: “I can’t figure it out.”
“Because—” Chu Hui stretched out her hand, “Doraemon can’t see his fingers in front of his face.”
Cen Yu: “…”
“That’s so lame,” she patted her arm. “It’s already getting cooler, we don’t need this kind of cold joke, okay?”
Chu Hui was very hurt: “Isn’t it funny? I thought it was hilarious.”
Cen Yu turned her head, seeing Zhou Anran looking down with her lips pressed into a straight line: “See, Anran doesn’t think it’s funny either.”
“Fine,” Chu Hui said dejectedly. “The light’s green, let’s go.”
Zhou Anran was about to turn her head back when her gaze inadvertently caught a tall figure in the crowd.
Black T-shirt, black pants, and a black baseball cap pulled low, completely hiding the face.
But the figure was as familiar as if she had drawn it in her heart and dreams countless times, a familiarity that could pick him out from a crowd on a basketball court even from a great distance.
At that moment, Chu Hui and the other girl took a step forward, blocking Zhou Anran’s view.
Cen Yu, still arm-in-arm with her, took a step and found she wasn’t moving, so she stopped too: “Anran, why aren’t you walking?”
Zhou Anran hurriedly stepped aside.
No. 1 High School was in the bustling area of Wucheng. At noon, the intersection was crowded with people coming and going. The black figure from earlier had long since been swallowed up in the crowd, and all she could see were unfamiliar faces.
Cen Yu saw her expression was off: “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Zhou Anran withdrew her gaze. “I thought I saw someone I knew.”
Cen Yu was a bit surprised: “Didn’t you say you’d never been to Wucheng before? How could you know someone here?”
Zhou Anran looked down.
That’s right.
She must be going crazy missing him.
This was Wucheng.
How could Chen Luobai be here?
It must have been a boy with a similar build to him.
“No,” Zhou Anran shook her head. “I was mistaken. Let’s go.”
After that, the days seemed to suddenly pass more quickly.
Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi became busier and busier with work. That year, their family didn’t even return to Nancheng for the New Year.
But busy as they were, Zhou Anran could feel that Zhou Xianhong was much happier at the new company than he had been at her uncle’s place. He Jiayi had already been doing well in her previous job, so there wasn’t much difference, but no longer having to listen to her aunt’s barbed comments, she was happier too.
This was good.
After all, there had never been any other possibility between her and Chen Luobai.
No. 1 High School didn’t have requirements for hair length. Over the winter, Zhou Anran’s hair had grown to reach her back, but as soon as the weather started to warm up a bit, she cut it short again.
That day when she arrived at the classroom, Cen Yu sat down next to her and asked in surprise: “Anran, why did you cut your hair short again? Your long hair was so pretty.”
“It’s easier,” Zhou Anran replied softly.
Long hair was too hard to manage.
Cen Yu looked regretful: “You should have at least found a better salon. Don’t tell me you just went to some random shop in your neighborhood?”
Zhou Anran: “…”
“You did?” Cen Yu reached out and pinched her cheek. “You got such a silly haircut. What if you run into a handsome guy?”
Zhou Anran was silent for a long time.
“That won’t happen.”
She would never meet anyone better than him again.
No. 1 High School wasn’t lacking in gossip. They were all at the most youthful and unrestrained age, and the school where they interacted daily was the best breeding ground for budding romances.
But because he wasn’t here, Zhou Anran never again experienced the feeling of being on tenterhooks, unable to eat or sleep over a little rumor caught in the wind.
Perhaps it was because of this that her grades at No. 1 High School improved even faster than at No. 2 High School. When she entered the school in the first semester of her second year, she had been hovering around 40th or 50th in the grade. By the second semester of her third year, she could steadily maintain a position in the top ten of the grade.
However, the first exam room here no longer had the person she wanted to see.
The person who consistently held the top spot at the No. 1 High School was a petite girl whose grades were terrifyingly stable and impressive.
Zhou Anran wasn’t in the same class as her, but after being in the same exam room several times, they became nodding acquaintances. Unexpectedly, they later had the chance to go to the same university.
On the two days of the college entrance exam, Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi both took time off work to accompany her.
Zhou Anran was fortunate; her exam site was assigned to First High School, so she didn’t need to wake up early or worry about traffic congestion.
That morning, He Jiayi was extremely nervous, repeatedly checking if Anran had all the necessary documents and stationery.
Before leaving, He Jiayi, still uneasy, wanted to check everything once more.
Zhou Anran couldn’t help but laugh, “Mom, you’ve already checked five times. I have everything. Even if I forgot something, our house is just minutes away from school. We could easily come back to get it.”
“That’s right,” Zhou Xianhong reminded his wife, “Don’t affect the child’s mood.”
Only then did He Jiayi relent.
Surprisingly, Zhou Anran herself was remarkably calm.
The two days of exams went smoothly. She felt she had done well, and when the results came out later, her score was indeed impressive.
695 points.
It was higher than any of her previous practice tests.
She exceeded the first-tier university admission line by over a hundred points. Based on the admission scores of major universities in Nancheng in recent years, she should have no problem getting into either University A or B.
Zhou Xianhong and He Jiayi were at home with her that day to check the results.
Zhou Anran saw her mother’s eyes instantly turn red, while her father’s face showed a relieved smile.
She knew they had felt somewhat guilty towards her over the past two years.
Seeing this, Zhou Anran felt a weight lift from her heart.
It should have been a moment of joy, but perhaps because the mountain of pressure called the college entrance exam had suddenly been removed, or maybe because she wasn’t used to it, she felt a strange emptiness somewhere inside.
The following days were busy again.
Relatives and friends called to inquire and congratulate me. Cen Yu and her other friends invited her out for a trip, talking about nothing but scores, college applications, and the impending separation. Finally, there was the return to school to fill out college preference forms and the teacher appreciation dinner.
After everything had settled, Yan Xingqian came from Nancheng to see her again, this time with Zhang Shuxian and Sheng Xiaowen.
Both parents had to work that day. Zhou Anran, having lived in Wucheng for two years, was no longer unfamiliar with the city and went to the nearby light rail station to pick them up herself.
After bringing them home and hastily dropping off their luggage, Zhang Shuxian eagerly pulled her towards the door, “I’m starving. Let’s go eat quickly. I’ve been looking forward to that restaurant you mentioned for a long time.”
“You just arrived by train. Don’t you want to rest first?” Zhou Anran asked. “Do you want to have some water or watermelon before we go?”
Sheng Xiaowen waved her hand, “We can eat watermelon anywhere. Do you think we came to see you? We’re just here to mooch off your food.”
Their tone was so familiar as if they had never been apart.
Zhou Anran laughed, letting them pull her along, “Alright, let’s go then.”
The group took a taxi to the city center.
Zhou Anran took them to a restaurant serving local cuisine. Cen Yu had originally introduced her to this place. It used to be a small, hole-in-the-wall eatery, but business boomed so much that the owner rented a large space in the city center.
They arrived relatively early and managed to get the last available table without having to wait.
After ordering, Zhang Shuxian looked at Zhou Anran with a frown, “Anran, you’re so heartless. You barely contacted us these past two years.”
The waiter had just brought their drinks.
This time, they ordered plum juice again, which all four of them loved.
Zhou Anran poured a glass for Zhang Shuxian first and handed it to her, “I contacted you on weekends.”
“On weekends, you’d chat with us for five or six minutes at most,” Sheng Xiaowen exposed her. “And why did you pour for Shuxian first, not me?”
Zhou Anran laughed, “I’ll pour for you now. Mainly, the school doesn’t allow phones, and my mom doesn’t like me playing with it much.”
“What about me? I’m last, aren’t I?” Yan Xingqian pretended to be upset.
“Why are you making a fuss too?” Zhou Anran glanced at her amusedly, then continued on the previous topic, “It won’t be like that anymore. Now that the results are out, my mom won’t control my phone use. We can make plans to hang out together from now on.”
Zhang Shuxian snorted, “I guess it’ll just be you guys hanging out together. You’re all going to Beicheng, while I’m the only one left in Nancheng.”
That summer, they all had pretty good luck.
Yan Xingqian and Sheng Xiaowen got into their desired Communication University and Foreign Language University respectively. Zhang Shuxian’s score wasn’t low either, but she couldn’t quite make it into University A’s Medical School, so she ended up applying to Nancheng University.
“We’ll all be back in Nancheng for winter and summer breaks,” Zhou Anran comforted her.
Zhang Shuxian brightened up, “Are you moving back?”
Zhou Anran nodded, “But not this year. Probably next year. My dad will likely be transferred back to headquarters then.”
“That’s great,” Sheng Xiaowen chimed in. “But looking at Xingqian’s calm face, she probably knew already.”
Yan Xingqian grinned, “Well, what can I say? My dad and Anran’s dad are good friends. Anran even told me first.”
Zhou Anran nodded again.
The matter wasn’t settled yet, and Zhou Xianhong, fearing disappointment if things fell through, hadn’t told her immediately.
Zhang Shuxian casually mentioned, “Our class did pretty well this time. Dong Chen got into the Aeronautics University. Xingqian, do you remember your bet with him?”
Yan Xingqian irritably ran her fingers through her hair, “Don’t remind me. I’m already annoyed about it. That Dong guy made it.”
Zhou Anran laughed, “That’s what you get for agreeing without thinking.”
Yan Xingqian: “…”
“The others did well too. He Mingyu also got into University A,” Zhang Shuxian continued, eating the free sunflower seeds provided by the restaurant and casually updating her on their classmates’ situations. “And then there’s Chen Luo—”
Her voice suddenly stopped.
The table fell silent for a moment.
Zhang Shuxian shrank her neck, “I’m sorry, Anran. I wasn’t thinking.”
Zhou Anran’s eyelashes lowered, and she shook her head, “It’s okay.”
She knew.
He was this year’s top science student in their province, with a raw score of 712. Even First High School was buzzing with discussions about him. It was hard not to know.
But the once carefree boy was exceptionally low-key this time, not accepting any media interviews.
Zhou Anran only knew that he had ultimately chosen the Law School at University A.
Zhang Shuxian watched her sitting quietly to the side, held back, but still couldn’t resist asking, “Anran, do you still like Chen Luobai now? I mean, he’s been focused solely on studying these two years and hasn’t gotten close to any girls. Back then… never mind, forget I asked.”
Zhou Anran took a sip of plum juice.
Somehow, just like when they had hotpot two years ago, she inexplicably tasted a hint of bitterness.
Seeing the concerned look on her good friends’ faces, she gently shook her head again, “I don’t like him anymore.”
Sheng Xiaowen secretly pinched Zhang Shuxian, “It’s better not to like him. Our Anran is so beautiful, she’ll have plenty of pursuers in university. It’s better to focus on academics. Everyone loves a beautiful academic star.”
Zhou Anran smiled at her words.
Just then, a female voice called out from somewhere behind them.
“Aluo.”
Zhou Anran’s smile froze on her lips for a second.
After reacting, she found herself amusing.
Even though they were still in Wucheng, even though almost two years had passed, hearing a name that might just sound similar, she still had some kind of conditioned response.
Yan Xingqian and the others must have heard it too, but they didn’t think anything of it.
Zhou Anran knew this, but she still couldn’t help turning to look.
All she saw were unfamiliar faces.
Yan Xingqian and the other two stayed in Wucheng for three days before returning.
On the day they left, after seeing them off at the light rail station, Zhou Anran returned home alone. For some reason, she suddenly walked to her desk, sat down, pulled open the drawer, and took out that can of cola from the depths, placing it on the table. Her fingertips lightly touched the pull tab.
How could she not like him?
She just didn’t want Yan Xingqian and the others to worry about her anymore.
If that day, when she was under suspicion, he had stood by and done nothing, perhaps with time, she could have truly let him go.
But he didn’t.
Although he was also partly a victim, being used by his friend, just like the previous times he had helped her, that day he once again reached out his hand to her, pulling her out of that mire.
Even though she knew full well that a love letter couldn’t possibly have been written by him for her.
But when she raised her head that afternoon, her gaze collided with his in mid-air.
At that moment, Zhou Anran knew that she would probably never be able to forget him for the rest of her life.