See you tomorrow night
After escaping from the escape room, they went to another place for dinner together.
After that, the gathering came to an end.
Although Zhou Anran, Yan Xingqian, and Sheng Xiaowen were in the same city, their busy schedules made it difficult to meet up easily. So they had planned in advance to stay at a hotel together for one night after the gathering, instead of returning to their respective schools. The next day, the girls would have a small get-together.
With Zhang Shuxian flying in from far away, there was no way they would return to school tonight.
When Zhou Anran left in the morning, she had packed a change of clothes in her bag. Yan Xingqian had helped bring her other things to the hotel.
After finishing dinner at the restaurant, Zhou Anran walked in front with Zhang Shuxian arm in arm.
Zhang Shuxian leaned close to her ear and whispered: “Why don’t you go back to school tonight and come join us tomorrow?”
“Why would I go back to school?” Zhou Anran asked, confused.
Zhang Shuxian winked at her: “To give you more time alone with him.”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Her face heated up as she secretly pinched Zhang Shuxian’s waist: “Will you ever stop? Besides, if we go back to school, there’d be three of us. How is that being alone?”
“That’s true,” Zhang Shuxian laughed, dodging her attack. “Then I guess you’ll have to settle for keeping us company tonight.”
As they talked, they exited the restaurant.
The temperature had dropped considerably at night, and a cold wind blew in their faces. Zhou Anran instinctively pulled her cardigan tighter. Then, as if remembering something, she pulled Zhang Shuxian back: “Wait.”
She turned to look at Yan Xingqian walking behind them: “Qianqian, it’s gotten colder. Why don’t you go to the restroom and change into the long skirt in my bag?”
“It’s fine, no need to change,” Yan Xingqian walked past her and out the door.
Two seconds later, she ducked back in with her neck scrunched up: “Ahh, how did the temperature drop so much? Anran, let me borrow that skirt after all.”
Zhou Anran handed her the bag: “I’ll go with you.”
Yan Xingqian was about to nod in agreement but then quickly shook her head: “No need. Xiaowen just said she wanted to go to the bathroom. I’ll go with her.”
Zhou Anran: “…”
From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed that familiar tall figure striding closer.
Zhou Anran was still waiting for Yan Xingqian, so she moved to the side to make room for him to pass.
But Chen Luobai stopped beside her.
“You’re not going back to school?” he asked in a low voice.
Zhou Anran felt her forehead and nose, which he had accidentally touched earlier, grow hot again. She didn’t dare look up at him and just nodded: “No, I’m staying at a hotel with them tonight.”
After saying this, Zhou Anran thought the conversation would end there.
But she heard him slowly ask another question: “Where’s the hotel?”
Zhou Anran couldn’t help but look up, her gaze instantly meeting the boy’s smiling eyes. It wasn’t as dazzling as in the afternoon, but he did seem to be smiling.
She pressed her lips together: “It’s not far ahead. We’re planning to walk there.”
“Mm,” Chen Luobai responded, his tone sounding somewhat casual, as if just making conversation. “Let me know when you get there.”
*
After playing for most of the day, Yan Xingqian, Sheng Xiaowen, and Zhang Shuxian flopped onto the bed as soon as they reached the hotel room. Zhou Anran hadn’t showered yet and didn’t want to lie down, but the three of them pulled her onto the bed.
She couldn’t even hold her phone steady, and it fell to the edge of the bed.
“Come on, spill it.”
Zhou Anran was pulled to lie between them: “Spill what?”
“What else could it be?” Zhang Shuxian turned to lie on her stomach, staring intently at her. “Of course, it’s about Chen Luobai.”
Zhou Anran grabbed a pillow and blinked, feeling a bit embarrassed: “There’s nothing to tell. Didn’t I say I don’t like him anymore?”
“Oh, come on,” Yan Xingqian rolled her eyes slightly. “We just didn’t want to call you out that day.”
Sheng Xiaowen: “After your performance today, you still have the nerve to tell us you don’t like him?”
Zhou Anran was slightly startled: “Was it that obvious?”
“Not really. You barely dared to look at him,” Zhang Shuxian said. “Others might not notice, but we can tell something’s up right away.”
Zhou Anran: “…”
“Tell us,” Yan Xingqian sat up on the bed, looking ready to interrogate her. “What’s going on between you and him now? And don’t you dare hide anything from us again.”
Zhou Anran hugged the pillow: “It’s just what you saw.”
Zhang Shuxian stroked her chin: “From what I saw, it seems Chen Luobai treats you a bit specially too. We’re all his high school classmates, but he didn’t ask for our WeChat. Plus, he only talked to you alone among the girls today, and he stayed with you the whole time during the escape room in the afternoon.”
“He stayed with me in the escape room because of you guys, right?” Zhou Anran protested softly.
Yan Xingqian: “He could have refused, couldn’t he? If he were that easy to persuade, why couldn’t any of the girls who chased him in school get close to him before?”
“Exactly,” Zhang Shuxian agreed. “During lunch, I saw him whispering with you. That certainly wasn’t our doing, was it?”
Zhou Anran: “We weren’t whispering. He just asked if Qianqian and Dong Chen always argue like that when they meet.”
Yan Xingqian: “…?”
“What about the afternoon then? You were alone with him for so long. Nothing happened?”
Zhou Anran’s face heated up again. She used the pillow to cover half her face, leaving only her eyes visible: “Nothing happened.”
“If nothing happened, why are you blushing?” Zhang Shuxian made a motion to tickle her. “If you don’t tell us, I’ll tickle you.”
Zhou Anran dodged towards Sheng Xiaowen.
Sheng Xiaowen promptly grabbed both her wrists.
“Alright, alright,” Zhou Anran surrendered. “I’ll tell you, okay?”
Blushing, she briefly told them about how he had covered her eyes in the afternoon.
“Wow, he covered your eyes for you?!” Zhang Shuxian also grabbed a pillow. “Why do I feel like this is even more romantic than hugging?”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Sheng Xiaowen pondered for a moment: “I actually think his choice of words was quite ambiguous.”
“…?” Zhou Anran didn’t understand. She thought back again, “How was it ambiguous?”
“When Chen Luobai described you to the NPC, he only used the word ‘she’. He’s so experienced in rejecting girls, if he really wanted to keep his distance from you, he definitely wouldn’t talk like that,” Sheng Xiaowen said. “If it were me, I’d definitely say ‘my classmate is afraid’. That way, I’d maintain a gentlemanly attitude without giving people the wrong idea.”
Zhou Anran’s heart skipped a beat: “You’re overthinking it.”
“Then just consider it my overthinking,” Sheng Xiaowen pinched her cheek.
Yan Xingqian interjected: “So the key point now is, what do you think yourself?”
“Yeah,” Zhang Shuxian also asked, “What do you think his feelings towards you are?”
Zhou Anran fidgeted with the pillow, and after a few seconds, she said softly: “…I don’t know. I don’t dare to think too much.”
Ever since he added her on WeChat, she felt like she was in a colorful bubble.
It was incredibly dreamy, but without any sense of reality, as if it could burst at any moment.
Sheng Xiaowen saw the blush fade from her face, her eyelashes trembling lightly: “Then don’t overthink it for now. Just consider everything we said as nonsense. With Chen Luobai’s personality, if he really likes someone, he’ll actively pursue them. For now, just follow your heart and continue interacting with him like this, and see how it goes.”
Zhou Anran gave a soft “Mm” in response.
Just then, her phone, which had fallen to the edge of the bed, buzzed.
Zhang Shuxian, who was lying nearby, heard the sound and glanced over.
“Looks like Chen Luobai sent you a message.”
Zhou Anran froze for a moment, suddenly remembering that she had promised to tell him when she reached the hotel. With all the commotion from the girls, she had completely forgotten. She quickly grabbed her phone.
“You’re in such a hurry,” Sheng Xiaowen teased.
Yan Xingqian’s tone was a bit sour: “You don’t even check my messages this eagerly. Do you want us to give you some privacy?”
“What privacy?” Zhou Anran laughed.
After unlocking the screen, she saw that he was indeed asking about her arrival at the hotel.
C: [Not there yet?]
Zhou Anran: [We arrived a while ago]
Zhou Anran: [Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier]
C: [Good that you’ve arrived]
Zhou Anran had just said there was no need for privacy, but these three didn’t hold back at all and crowded around to watch her text him.
Zhou Anran felt a bit embarrassed but couldn’t help asking one more question: [Have you reached school?]
C: [Almost there]
Zhou Anran pressed her lips together: [Then get some rest early]
C: [Okay, you too]
Zhang Shuxian had a look of exasperation on her face: “Is this how you let the conversation die so dryly?”
“Then what should I do?” Zhou Anran turned to look at her.
Zhang Shuxian poked her screen with her finger: “Even though I’ve never been in a relationship, when he said he’s almost there, you could have casually asked if he’s going straight back to his dorm or something. Wouldn’t that have opened up a new topic?”
Zhou Anran: “But I didn’t want to bother him.”
“But I think Chen Luobai’s tone is a bit strange too,” Sheng Xiaowen interjected.
Zhou Anran turned to her: “What’s strange about it?”
“He doesn’t usually talk to people like this, right? I feel like he usually likes to tease people. Zhu Ran used to get so annoyed by him. But when he talks to you, it feels like he’s trying to act serious—” Sheng Xiaowen paused, “Never mind, I shouldn’t analyze it for you anymore.”
The phone didn’t buzz again.
Zhou Anran tossed it to the headboard.
The four girls squeezed onto one bed.
Yan Xingqian let out a long sigh: “Who said college would be easy? It’s actually so tiring. I can barely find time to see you guys.”
Zhang Shuxian: “At least you’re all in the same city.”
Sheng Xiaowen: “But it’s really tiring +1”
Zhou Anran: “+2”
“Let’s watch a variety show together,” Yan Xingqian suggested. “Who’s going to turn on the TV?”
Zhang Shuxian lay flat: “Don’t want to move.”
Sheng Xiaowen: “+1”
“Alright,” Zhou Anran got up. “I’ll go turn it on.”
*
After spending the weekend with her high school friends, when Zhou Anran was woken up by her alarm on Monday morning, she was momentarily confused and thought she was at home in Nancheng. She imagined that after eating the breakfast made by He Jiayi, she would be heading to No. 2 High School with Yan Xingqian, both carrying their schoolbags.
It wasn’t until she heard Xie Jingyi’s wail that she fully woke up from her half-asleep state.
“I hate 8 AM classes!” Xie Jingyi sat up straight in bed with messy hair.
Zhou Anran rubbed her sleepy eyes, turned off the alarm, and slowly crawled out of bed.
Having spent most of Sunday with Yan Xingqian and the others, she had set her alarm later than usual today. Even Yu Xinyue, who was usually an early riser, had somehow woken up late today. By the time the whole dorm arrived at the classroom, all the front row seats were already taken.
Zhou Anran sat with her roommates in the back row.
Just as she was about to open her book, someone sat down in the last empty seat next to her by the aisle.
Zhou Anran didn’t pay much attention, but the person beside her called out to her.
“Zhou Anran.”
Zhou Anran turned her head and first saw a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
“He Mingyu,” she was surprised for a moment, then smiled and greeted him. “You really came to attend the class?”
He Mingyu gave an “Mm” in response: “Why else would I have asked you for the class schedule? I also have an English question I wanted to ask you.”
“What question?” Zhou Anran asked.
He Mingyu took out his phone and placed it in front of her.
Since entering university, Zhou Anran hadn’t neglected her English studies. She glanced at the screen, which displayed a CET-4 reading comprehension question. After explaining the question to He Mingyu, she noticed another question marked with “IELTS” in parentheses. She casually asked, “Are you preparing for IELTS so early? Are you planning to apply for an exchange program?”
He Mingyu nodded, “Yes, you know my English level is average, so I need to start preparing early.”
“Well, good luck then,” Zhou Anran replied.
“What about you?” He Mingyu turned to look at her porcelain-white profile, then averted his gaze. “Do you have any plans? If we happen to apply to the same school, we could look out for each other in the future.”
Zhou Anran shook her head, “Not at the moment. I want to solidify my theoretical foundation first, and you know my personality—”
“What about your personality?” A familiar, deep voice came from behind, entering their ears.
At the same time, many students in the front rows turned to look in their direction, causing a slight commotion in the classroom.
Zhou Anran’s words halted abruptly as she quickly turned to look behind her.
Chen Luobai had somehow taken a seat behind her.
The young man was wearing a gray hoodie today, with messy bangs falling over his forehead. He looked as if he hadn’t slept well, appearing drowsy and slouching lazily in his seat.
His appearance was still strikingly eye-catching, which explained the earlier commotion when he entered.
Zhou Anran was stunned for a moment.
He Mingyu also turned around, “You’re here for the lecture too?”
“Mm,” Chen Luobai nodded towards the male student beside him, “Accompanying him.”
Zhou Anran noticed that although he was responding to He Mingyu, his gaze remained fixed on her, as if waiting for her answer.
Her fingertips curled slightly.
She had been about to say that her personality was naturally introverted and that she wasn’t very good at socializing. Even changing environments within China would make her uncomfortable, let alone going abroad where the language environment would be different. She would definitely need more time to adapt, but exchange programs were usually short-term, so it might not be suitable for her.
However, this kind of self-deprecating comment was something she could say candidly to He Mingyu, but not to him.
Zhou Anran pursed her lips, “It’s nothing, just casual chat.”
Whether it was her imagination or not, as soon as she said this, Chen Luobai’s expression seemed to fade. His slightly raised eyebrows and eyes, which had been looking at her, lowered, hiding those pitch-black eyes. Even the drowsiness on his face seemed to be suppressed.
Zhou Anran felt a tightness in her chest and wanted to say something more, but the class bell suddenly rang.
She didn’t know what to say anyway, so she could only turn back to face the front.
The teacher for this class loved to call on students to answer questions. Zhou Anran didn’t dare not pay attention, forcing herself to suppress her jumbled thoughts and listen carefully to the lecture.
But unexpectedly, the teacher didn’t call on her, instead asking He Mingyu beside her to stand up and answer.
Perhaps it was because he seemed to be listening so attentively.
But no matter how attentively He Mingyu was listening, this was his first time attending this class. Zhou Anran, worried he might not be able to answer and feel embarrassed, wrote down an answer on her book and passed it to him.
After He Mingyu sat down, Zhou Anran was about to continue focusing on the lecture when she heard a slightly muffled voice from behind. It was unfamiliar; she hadn’t heard it before.
But because it included a very familiar name, like some kind of spell, her ears easily caught it.
“Chen Luobai, your female classmate is quite helpful, isn’t she?”
Zhou Anran waited for a moment but didn’t hear his reply.
Her thoughts began to wander again.
So, is that how he introduced her to his friend? As a “female classmate”?
After enduring a short section of the class, Zhou Anran wanted to turn her head and take a look, but as soon as the bell rang, He Mingyu started asking her about a concept from the lecture.
Zhou Anran calmed herself and began explaining to him.
Halfway through her explanation, another voice came from behind, this time a female voice that sounded like Nie Zichen.
“Chen Luobai,” she had somehow made her way from the front to the back, still with that ability to be familiar with anyone, “I didn’t know you were interested in our class.”
The classroom was noisy.
But the back row fell silent for a second.
Then, Zhou Anran heard Chen Luobai’s voice, unusually flat, unlike his usual lazy drawl, as if he was indeed in a bad mood.
“Not interested, just accompanying someone to class.”
Nie Zichen: “Then are you interested in—”
Before she could finish, he interrupted her: “Excuse me, please move aside.”
The latter half seemed to be directed at the male student who came with him: “I’m going back to the dorm to catch up on sleep. You can continue listening.”
“Alright,” the unfamiliar male voice answered him with a laugh, “But remember to set your own alarm. We don’t dare to call and wake you up.”
Footsteps gradually faded away behind them.
“Zhou Anran,” He Mingyu called her name.
Zhou Anran snapped back to reality: “Sorry.”
He Mingyu had another class after this, and Chen Luobai’s friend seemed to have one as well. After this large lecture ended, both of them left on their own.
Zhou Anran followed her roommates to another classroom for the next class.
This time they moved a bit faster and secured seats in the front row.
After sitting down, Zhou Anran lowered her head and took out her phone, opened WeChat, and clicked on Chen Luobai’s chat window.
[I just]
She typed three characters and then backspaced to delete them.
Nie Zichen’s voice came from behind again. This time she had sat down behind her: “Zhou Anran, what’s your relationship with that handsome guy from the Physics Department?”
Zhou Anran was stunned for a moment, then realized she was talking about He Mingyu.
She locked her phone screen and turned back to answer: “No particular relationship. He’s also my high school classmate, just came to audit the class out of personal interest.”
“Also your high school classmate?” Nie Zichen asked, “So he was in the same class as Chen Luobai?”
Zhou Anran nodded.
The girl next to Nie Zichen let out a small “Wow”: “Then the looks in your high school class must have been off the charts. Chen Luobai is our unanimously recognized campus heartthrob, you’re the new beauty queen acknowledged by all the guys in our department, and this Physics Department guy looks quite handsome and refined too. What kind of divine class did you have in high school?”
Zhou Anran gripped her phone: “Not at all, I wasn’t very noticeable in high school.”
There was only ever one person who truly shone.
The teacher for this class arrived early, so the girl didn’t continue talking to her.
Zhou Anran turned back and unlocked her screen again, her gaze lingering on his profile picture for a moment. Finally, she let out a small sigh in her heart and exited the chat.
She had said she wouldn’t think too much about it.
But it seemed she still couldn’t help it.
After all, it was Chen Luobai.
How could he possibly be upset because of something a “ordinary female classmate” like her said in casual conversation?
Over the next few days, there were quite a few classes and a lot of homework. Zhou Anran and Yu Xinyue spent several days in the library, finally finishing their assignments ahead of schedule on Thursday.
That night, she returned to the dormitory a bit earlier than usual.
Although it was earlier, it was already past 9:30 PM when she arrived at the dorm.
Bai Lingyun was still out busy with student union affairs, while Xie Jingyi was alone in the room doing homework.
Zhou Anran didn’t disturb her, sitting down at her own desk, resting her arms on the table, and aimlessly opening WeChat.
Her finger seemed to scroll down unconsciously, finally stopping on Chen Luobai’s chat window as if with a mind of its own.
Their conversation was still frozen at last Saturday night, with his last message “Okay, you too,” and no messages since then.
Zhou Anran stared at the chat window, lost in thought.
It wasn’t until her phone suddenly rang that she snapped back to reality.
The call was from Yu Bingqin.
Afraid of disturbing Xie Jingyi’s studying, Zhou Anran went to the dorm balcony to answer.
Yu Bingqin’s voice was still very pleasant: “We’re going out for rehearsal tomorrow night, want to come listen?”
Zhou Anran had been disappointed about not hearing her sing at the KTV last time, so she quickly agreed: “Sure.”
“Alright,” Yu Bingqin said, “If there’s time after the rehearsal, I’ll teach you how to play the guitar.”
Zhou Anran remembered she had said something similar before.
At that time, she had said, “The other newcomer doesn’t know how to play either, I’ll teach you both when I have time.”
“If you don’t have any questions,” Yu Bingqin’s voice sounded again, “I’ll hang up now.”
Zhou Anran, not thinking too much, called out to stop her: “Senior.”
Yu Bingqin: “Mm?”
“Just—” Zhou Anran steadied her breath, trying to make her tone as natural as possible, “Tomorrow, will you be teaching only me? Won’t that be too much trouble for you?”
Yu Bingqin rarely spoke at length: “It’s not trouble. I mentioned it to Chen Luobai yesterday, but he seemed to say he wasn’t coming. I didn’t hear clearly. Can you help me ask him? If he’s coming, I can teach you both together.”
After Yu Bingqin hung up, the phone screen jumped back to his WeChat conversation.
Zhou Anran leaned against the balcony railing, staring at the screen. This time, with a legitimate reason, her fingers finally touched the keys: [Senior Yu said they’re going out for rehearsal tomorrow night]
As she was carefully considering how to phrase the question about whether he was going, someone on the other side let out a random shout, startling Zhou Anran. Her hand slipped, and she accidentally hit send.
A second later.
The phone vibrated.
C: [I know, she told me]
C: [Are you going?]
Zhou Anran: [I probably will]
Zhou Anran: [Senior said you’re not going, right?]
C: [I told her yesterday I wasn’t sure]
Zhou Anran: [Are you sure now?]
C: [I’m sure now]
Zhou Anran: “…”
Why doesn’t he say what he’s sure about?
Zhou Anran bit her lip, but still couldn’t help asking him: [Sure you’re going, or sure you’re not going?]
The phone vibrated again.
He sent a voice message.
A very short one.
It looked like it should just be a curt “Going” or “Not going.”
Zhou Anran put the phone to her ear, her finger tapping the message, and heard his low voice sounding right next to her ear—
“Zhou Anran.”
It wasn’t “Going,” nor was it “Not going.”
It was him calling her name.
Because she was listening with the phone pressed to her ear, it created the illusion that he was right next to her, calling her name. Zhou Anran felt a tingling sensation from her ear to her heart.
His next message came through slowly.
It was another very short voice message.
Zhou Anran raised her hand to cover her ear, but couldn’t bear to move the phone away from her ear, so his second sentence also sounded right next to her ear, with an obvious hint of amusement.
“See you tomorrow night,” he said.