Chen Luobai from Class 2, Grade 2 likes you
Zhou Anran’s eyes were still red, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
“Finally, a smile,” Chen Luobai said, gently pinching her cheek again. “If you kept crying, your neighbors would have come to watch.”
Zhou Anran: “!”
Still wrapped in his down jacket, she poked her head out to take a look.
Winter days were short, and it was already dark, but the street lamps outside the residential area provided ample light. Indeed, quite a few people were curiously glancing in their direction.
Zhou Anran quickly tucked her head back in: “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Chen Luobai couldn’t help but laugh: “Now you’re feeling shy? When you were crying so hard earlier, I didn’t have the heart to care about others.”
Zhou Anran buried her face in his chest and said nothing.
“It’s okay,” Chen Luobai comforted her in a low voice. “You’ve been wrapped in my jacket the whole time. Unless someone comes close to looking, no one can see your face.”
Zhou Anran said softly: “But I have to go back later.”
Chen Luobai continued to comfort her: “I’ll give you my coat to wear. Put the hood up and keep your head down. It’s so dark, no one will be able to see.”
“If you give me your coat, won’t you be cold?” Zhou Anran looked up at him again.
Chen Luobai gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips: “Don’t you know whether I get cold or not? Who was it that used to snuggle into my arms every day at school when it got cold?”
Zhou Anran: “…”
It wasn’t every day, maybe once or twice at most.
At that time, she still occasionally felt like she was dreaming and didn’t dare to be too bold in cuddling with him.
Moreover, if they were outside, she was too shy to be affectionate with him.
Zhou Anran didn’t want to admit it: “I didn’t.”
The girl tilted her head up slightly, her eyes a bit swollen from crying, but her gaze at him was full of clear, washed love.
Chen Luobai felt a slight stirring in his heart and suddenly wanted to lean down and kiss her.
But she was already embarrassed about crying in his arms. If he kissed her here, she probably wouldn’t dare to leave the house for a week out of shyness.
Chen Luobai suppressed this urge and called her in a low voice: “Ran Ran.”
Zhou Anran: “What is it?”
“Want to go back to Nan City tomorrow?” Chen Luobai asked her.
Zhou Anran blinked: “Why suddenly ask me to go back to Nan City?”
“Didn’t Tang Jianrui and the others invite you to a gathering before? You, as their—” Chen Luobai paused, looking at her with a half-smile, “sister-in-law, can’t go back on your word, right?”
It was the first time Zhou Anran had heard the term “sister-in-law” from his mouth, and her ears grew hot: “I said that time that I’d go if I had time.”
Chen Luobai’s voice softened again: “So, do you have time tomorrow?”
Zhou Anran hugged his waist and nodded lightly: “I do.”
*
When Zhou Anran returned home and changed her shoes in the entryway, she saw He Jiayi sitting quietly on the sofa.
Seemingly hearing movement, He Jia turned her head towards her, her face expressionless, making it impossible to discern her mood. Her tone was also flat: “You finished talking to him so quickly?”
Zhou Anran gave an “Mm” and walked over to sit next to her.
“Didn’t you have something to tell me?” He Jiayi asked.
Zhou Anran felt a bit nervous, mainly worried that she might object, though she was certain she wouldn’t break up with him: “I wanted to tell you that we’re together now.”
Seeing no reaction from He Jiayi after saying this, Zhou Anran felt even more anxious.
“Mom, you won’t object, will you?”
He Jiayi glanced at her: “What if I do object?”
Zhou Anran held onto her arm, gently shaking it: “Mom, he’s very good to me.”
“You’re so young, how do you know what’s truly good?” He Jiayi seemed unconvinced.
Zhou Anran thought for a moment: “Do you know why I cried today?”
He Jiayi said flatly: “Isn’t it because of him again?”
“It is because of him,” Zhou Anran hugged her arm. “But not because he made me sad. It’s because Cen Yu told me today that when she first approached me, it was because someone had asked her to help take care of me and help me fit into the new class. And half of the gifts she’s given me over these years were actually from someone else.”
He Jiayi finally showed some surprise: “It was all him? How does he know Cen Yu?”
Zhou Anran shook her head: “He doesn’t know Cen Yu. It was his cousin and Cen Yu’s cousin who were in the same band. His cousin asked Cen Yu’s cousin to help. You’ve met his cousin before, it’s that Yu senior who came to pick me up and help me with the paperwork on my first day of school. You said she seemed cold on the outside but warm-hearted.”
“So that Yu senior picking you up that day was also at his request?” He Jiayi asked.
“I haven’t asked him, but it probably was,” Zhou Anran shook her arm again. “Isn’t he very good to me?”
He Jiayi lowered her eyes.
Earlier, when she discovered Zhou Anran had run out without a coat, she had grabbed a coat and chased after her.
When she reached the entrance of the residential area, she saw that tall boy immediately open his down jacket and pull her usually careful, rarely impulsive daughter into his arms, wrapping her up.
Later, after she returned, she stood by the window watching outside and saw Zhou Anran wearing his coat, being led back by his hand in hand from afar.
It was a bit dark, but there was no way she could mistake her daughter.
He Jiayi brushed the hair near her ear: “Your taste isn’t bad.”
Zhou Anran felt relieved, and the small dimple on her cheek appeared faintly: “So you don’t object, right?”
Seeing her happy expression, He Jiayi also smiled: “When did I say I was going to object?”
Zhou Anran: “…But you looked so serious just now.”
He Jiayi laughed: “Actually, your father and I have always regretted not asking for your opinion carefully before hurriedly deciding to transfer you.”
Zhou Anran shook her head: “I don’t blame you. You’re much happier here than when Dad was working for Uncle. Besides, I ended up with him anyway, right?”
“It’s good that you’re together now,” He Jiayi paused as if remembering something. “By the way, that video you took of him playing basketball, Mom didn’t delete it. It’s saved on your dad’s computer.”
Zhou Anran’s eyes lit up: “Really?”
He Jiayi: “You’re that happy about it?”
Zhou Anran nodded, feeling a bit shy: “That video is very meaningful.”
“Alright, I’ll have your dad send it to you later,” He Jiayi said.
Zhou Anran also remembered something: “Mom, I’m going back to Nan City tomorrow.”
He Jia: “To see him?”
Zhou Anran: “…”
Of course, seeing him was one of the main reasons, but she was too embarrassed to say so.
“There’s a classmate gathering.”
“Okay,” He Jiayi nodded.
Zhou Anran breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly heard her speak again slowly.
“But you need to be careful yourself. You study biology, so Mom doesn’t need to teach you much. Anyway, Mom doesn’t want to be a grandmother so soon right now.”
“…?”
Zhou Anran’s face suddenly flushed, and she quickly changed the subject.
“Haven’t you eaten yet? I’ll go make you some noodles.”
He Jiayi held her back: “I’ll go myself. You’d better not mess up my kitchen.”
After standing up, He Jiayi turned back: “By the way, he didn’t see me today. Next time, when you have a chance, bring him up to sit for a while.”
Zhou Anran nodded: “Okay.”
After accompanying He Jiayi for dinner in the dining room, Zhou Anran returned to her bedroom. She turned on the electric heater, sat down at her desk, stared at the pile of gifts on the table for a few seconds, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up again. She picked up her phone and lowered her head to send him a message.
Zhou Anran: [Are you home?]
A second later.
He immediately initiated a video call.
Zhou Anran answered, and the boy’s distinct features and the layout of the room behind him appeared on her screen.
He must have returned to his room. After video calling with him during this period, Zhou Anran had become somewhat familiar with his room.
Like the apartment in Bei City, it was mainly in dark gray tones, with a few posters of basketball stars on the wall. It was very boyish, but much cleaner than most boys’ rooms.
“I’m home,” Chen Luobai said.
Zhou Anran leaned on the table: “I have something to tell you.”
Chen Luobai: “What is it?”
Zhou Anran played with the little rabbit charm he had given her: “My mom saw you this afternoon.”
Chen Luobai seemed to be stunned for a moment: “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I forgot,” Zhou Anran said. At that time, her mind was full of thoughts about how he had secretly arranged for someone to take care of her and had been sending her gifts for two years. How could she remember anything else?
The usually confident person seemed to be a bit nervous for once: “If I had known, I would have gone up with you to greet her. But that wouldn’t have worked either, I didn’t bring anything today.”
Zhou Anran’s mouth curved up again: “It’s okay. She knows you didn’t see her. She just said to bring you up to sit sometime when there’s a chance.”
Chen Luobai’s earlier nervousness seemed like an illusion. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone becoming particularly suggestive: “Planning to introduce me to your parents so soon?”
“Who’s introducing you to my parents?” Zhou Anran’s ears grew hot. “What time does the gathering start tomorrow?”
“Baby,” Chen Luobai laughed. “Isn’t your topic change a bit too obvious?”
Zhou Anran: “…”
He knew she was changing the subject but still deliberately pointed it out.
His self-awareness about loving to tease her was quite accurate.
Zhou Anran pinched the little rabbit charm: “Is it not okay if I want to talk about this topic now?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Chen Luobai was still smiling. “Whatever my girlfriend says goes.”
Zhou Anran was amused by him again: “So when does the gathering start?”
“Shall I pick you up at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon?” Chen Luobai asked.
Hearing that he wanted to pick her up, Zhou Anran was a bit happy, but she didn’t agree right away: “I can just take the metro there myself. It’s too much trouble for you to come back and forth.”
“It’s not trouble,” Chen Luobai said. “I’ll drive over to pick you up.”
Zhou Anran exclaimed in surprise: “You can drive?”
She had never heard him mention it before.
The boy on the screen raised his eyebrow again, full of youthful spirit: “What’s so special about driving?”
Zhou Anran: “Well, I can’t drive yet.”
“I’ll teach you in the future,” Chen Luobai brought the topic back. “Is one o’clock in the afternoon okay?”
Zhou Anran nodded: “That’s fine, but what are we doing at this gathering? Does it start at two or three in the afternoon?”
It only took about an hour to drive from here to Nan City.
Chen Luobai gave an “Mm”: “They said they want to go back to school together, play a game of basketball on the court first, then go see Old Gao, and then have a meal together nearby.”
Zhou Anran hadn’t expected this arrangement.
Chen Luobai suddenly called her name again at this moment.
“Ran Ran,” he looked at her steadily through the screen. “Do you want to watch me play basketball at No. 2 High School again?”
At No. 2 High School.
On that first row, third basketball court, as his girlfriend, to watch him play basketball again?
Zhou Anran’s mood suddenly seemed to become elated. The corners of her mouth turned up again, and she nodded heavily at him: “I want to see it.”
Zhou Anran descended the stairs at 12:50 PM the next day. As she walked to the entrance of the residential area, she saw Chen Luobai already waiting for her. Today, he was dressed in black again, leaning lazily against a black G-Class, his head down, absorbed in his phone. Passersby seemed invisible to him, giving off an air of aloof coolness.
As she approached, he seemed to sense her presence. He looked up, and a boyish grin appeared on his lips. Zhou Anran walked to the car, and Chen Luobai opened the passenger door for her. She stepped in, and he went around to the driver’s side, glancing at her, “Seatbelt.”
Zhou Anran nodded and was about to fasten it when he said, “Let me.” She smiled and released the seatbelt. Chen Luobai leaned over to help her, his dark eyes lingering on her face as he spoke softly, “The windows are tinted.”
Zhou Anran was momentarily confused, but the next second, Chen Luobai leaned in and kissed her gently. It was a tender kiss, his lips brushing against hers before he gently nibbled and sucked on her lips, then lightly pinched her chin. Having been together for almost three months, Zhou Anran understood the meaning behind his actions and obediently opened her mouth. His tongue slipped in, exploring her palate and entwining with her tongue, kissing her slowly and deeply. It wasn’t the kind of kiss that left her breathless, but it made her heart melt.
After a long while, Chen Luobai pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers, his voice still low, “I wanted to kiss you last night.”
Zhou Anran was puzzled, “…?”
They had been at the bustling entrance of the residential area last night.
“Did you miss me?” Chen Luobai asked softly.
Zhou Anran bit her lip, feeling a bit shy to answer.
Chen Luobai’s breath brushed against her lips, “Didn’t miss me?”
Zhou Anran shook her head.
“What does shaking your head mean, that you didn’t miss me?”
Seeing his eyes narrow in displeasure, Zhou Anran gathered her courage and pecked his lips, whispering, “I did.”
Chen Luobai’s gaze darkened for a moment before he leaned in to kiss her again, this time more passionately.
By the time they were ready to leave, it was already past 1:10 PM. Zhou Anran’s face was still flushed, and her tongue felt a bit numb. She caught her breath and asked, “Won’t we be late?”
“No,” Chen Luobai replied, his hand on the steering wheel, his fingers looking even paler against the black leather, “I accounted for the time.”
Zhou Anran was puzzled, “Accounted for what time?”
The time to kiss her?
She decided not to ask further. “Let’s go then.”
The distance between Wucheng and Nancheng wasn’t far, just over an hour’s drive. Zhou Anran chatted with Yan Xingxi and the others, who were also attending the gathering, and soon the G-Class stopped at the entrance of their old high school.
To her surprise, Yan Xingxi and the other two were waiting at the gate. Chen Luobai stopped the car and turned to her, “Do you want to go in with them first? I’ll go pick up Zhu Ran; he lives nearby.”
Having not seen her friends for a few days, Zhou Anran nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt. As she was about to open the door, she suddenly reached out and held his hand. Chen Luobai was momentarily taken aback. Zhou Anran’s face heated up, and she quickly got out of the car before he could react.
Zhang Shuxian immediately came over to hug her. Zhou Anran asked curiously, “How did you three meet up? Why didn’t you go in?”
They hadn’t mentioned it in the group chat.
Sheng Xiaowen gestured towards the departing G-Class, “Someone told us to wait for you at the gate.”
Zhou Anran glanced back at the car, feeling a bit regretful for only holding his hand earlier.
“Shall we go in now?” she asked. “But we’re graduates; can we still enter?”
Yan Xingxi took her hand, “Don’t worry, your boyfriend arranged it with the school. We just need to register at the gate. Tang Jianrui and the others are already inside.”
“Then let’s go in.”
Since the car was parked near the east gate, they entered and soon reached the basketball court where she used to secretly watch him play. The school hadn’t changed much in over two years. Everything was still familiar, though the absence of students in their blue and white uniforms made the place feel empty.
“Where’s Tang Jianrui?” she asked, expecting them to be at the court since he mentioned playing a game first.
“They’re in the classroom,” Zhang Shuxian replied. “Let’s go check it out.”
Zhou Anran nodded. The four girls walked hand in hand along the familiar path to the classroom as if time hadn’t passed, and they were still attending school together.
In the second building, they headed to their old classroom on the first floor. Tang Jianrui and the others were indeed there. Besides Tang Jianrui and Huang Shujie, Bao Kun and Shao Zilin, who studied out of town, were also present.
“Hey, our sister-in-law is here,” Bao Kun teased.
Zhou Anran still wasn’t used to the nickname, her ears turning red as she smiled and nodded at them. “Why are you all sitting so far apart?”
Tang Jianrui replied, “We’re sitting in our old seats, reminiscing about our youth.”
“How cheesy,” Huang Shujie rolled his eyes.
Zhou Anran vaguely remembered their seating arrangement. Now she realized they were indeed sitting in their old spots.
Tang Jianrui rolled his eyes back, “Then don’t sit.”
He turned to Zhou Anran, “Do you want to sit in your old seat too?”
Zhang Shuxian eagerly nodded, “Sure, I was just thinking about it.”
Sheng Xiaowen added, “Xingxi and I transferred classes in our second year.”
Huang Shujie said, “No worries, once a Class Two member, always a Class Two member. You can sit in front of her; those seats are empty today.”
“Alright,” Yan Xingxi agreed.
Zhang Shuxian led Zhou Anran to their seats, pulling out some wet wipes. “I thought we might come to the classroom, so I brought these.”
She handed wipes to Yan Xingxi and Sheng Xiaowen, then wiped Zhou Anran’s seat before cleaning her own.
“Do we need to wipe the seats?” Bao Kun asked from behind.
“Of course,” Zhang Shuxian replied without turning, “The classroom is empty during breaks, and dust accumulates quickly.”
“Oh no,” Bao Kun lamented, “It’s all over my pants.”
Huang Shujie laughed, “Girls are particular because they like cleanliness. Your pants are probably dirtier than the chair.”
“Hey, slander is illegal, Huang Shujie,” Bao Kun retorted.
Tang Jianrui laughed, “Just think of it as helping the juniors clean up.”
Bao Kun glanced at Huang Shujie, “See how considerate he is.”
The boys continued to banter. Amidst their laughter, Zhou Anran sat in her familiar seat. Some habits were ingrained; she instinctively wanted to glance at the sixth seat in the second row.
Before she could turn, Yan Xingxi handed her a book, “Your English book. I accidentally left it at my place when packing your things.”
Zhou Anran looked at the pristine English book, momentarily stunned. She guessed Yan Xingxi had intentionally kept it from her, fearing it might evoke memories. At the time, she had been too afraid of nostalgia to notice the missing book.
But why hadn’t Yan Xingxi given it to her when she visited a few days ago?
Remembering Yan Xingxi’s carefree nature, Zhou Anran figured she only remembered because of today’s reunion.
The boys’ laughter continued. Zhou Anran was about to open the book when a large hand with a small brown mole on the wrist rested on it.
When did he arrive?
Her eyes lit up as she looked up at him. Chen Luobai, still as captivating as ever, was no longer in his black outfit. He had changed into their high school’s autumn uniform.
Seeing her gaze, he raised an eyebrow, exuding youthful energy. “Zhou Anran of Class Two, Year Two.”
Chen Luobai opened the English book and placed an envelope inside. Zhou Anran looked up, her heart racing as she saw the familiar handwriting on the envelope.
His handwriting.
It read, “To Zhou Anran of Class Two, Year Two.”
Time seemed to rewind to that early autumn day, still hot like summer. The sun hid behind clouds, the air was stifling, and the school’s camphor trees remained green, cicadas chirping incessantly.
That day, after lunch with friends, Yan Xingxi and Sheng Xiaowen went to their classroom, and Zhang Shuxian was stopped outside. Alone, Zhou Anran entered the classroom, finding her English book out of place.
Inside, she found a note with familiar handwriting: “Thank you for the medicine. I like it, and I like you.”
She had been incredulous, unable to believe the love letter was from him.
But today, Chen Luobai had indeed written her a love letter.
Her vision blurred as she heard him call her name again.
“Zhou Anran.”
She looked up, tears in her eyes, seeing Chen Luobai leaning against her desk, gazing at her with a tenderness never seen in this classroom before.
Then she heard him softly say—
“Chen Luobai of Class Two, Year Two likes you.”
Author’s Note:
The main story ends here! Thank you for reading. I hope all the introverted girls find peace with themselves and meet someone worth liking. May all secret crushes have a happy ending, but above all, love yourself more~ Extras will be updated after a short break. I might start with the high school alternate timeline. Comments will receive red envelopes, and please consider following the author~