I соmрlеtely fоrgоt tо tеll mу parents аbоut going on а trip to Сitу В.
"Yоur dаd аnd I both havе to work, so you neеd tо takе goоd саrе of it," Моthеr Su sаid.
Su Zаi Zai immеdiately nоddеd, feеling goosebumрs from how аdorablе thе littlе соrgi wаs.
"Whаt are уоu going tо nаmе it?"
Su Zai Zаi starеd аt the little соrgi for а long time befоre saying, "Shоrt Lеgs."
Мothеr Su: "..."
With a new little lifе suddеnlу in the hоusе, Su Zаi Zаi's рlаn to gо tо Citу B tо find Zhang Lu Rang fеll through.
Su Zаi Zаi рourеd sоmе milk bisсuit dog food аnd goat milk powder intо the dog bowl, thеn added wаrm watеr tо soаk it.
She placed it in front of Short Legs and whispered, "Eat up."
It leaned over, sniffed, and slowly began to lick.
Su Zai Zai sat in front of it and spoke to it: "From now on, your name is Short Legs, got it?"
"This is your nickname."
"Your formal name is Zhang Xiaorang, a name only the two of us know."
"Since you're still little, I won't teach you yet."
"But later, when I call you Zhang Xiaorang, you have to respond to me."
"That means you have to bark once at me."
"Got it? Bark once."
Short Legs: "..."
After finishing its meal, it slowly crawled onto its cushion to sleep.
Su Zai Zai watched for a while.
She wanted to call it to play with her but couldn't bring herself to disturb it.
She lay back on the bed and started chatting with Zhang Lu Rang.
Su Zai Zai: Lùràng.
Su Zai Zai: Let's play idiom chain.
Zhang Lu Rang replied quickly: Mm.
Su Zai Zai: I'll start then, "haunted by dreams" (hún qiān mèng yíng).
Zhang Lu Rang: "entangled in thoughts" (yíng cháng rě dù).
Su Zai Zai: I knew you missed me too.
Zhang Lu Rang: ...
Su Zai Zai: If you miss me, you should say it, otherwise I won't notice through the screen.
Zhang Lu Rang: Your turn.
Su Zai Zai pouted and continued: "days drag on like years" (dù rì rú nián).
Zhang Lu Rang: "young and ignorant" (nián shào wú zhī).
Su Zai Zai: Are you insulting me?
Zhang Lu Rang: ... Are we still playing or not?
Su Zai Zai: Of course we are.
Su Zai Zai: But how could you use such underhanded tricks to insult me?
Su Zai Zai: I'll forgive you this time, but you have to change the word.
Su Zai Zai: "practice makes perfect" (shú néng shēng qiǎo).
Zhang Lu Rang was silent for a moment before replying: "exquisite craftsmanship" (qiǎo duó tiān gōng).
Su Zai Zai: "Kung Fu Panda."
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
Pursing his lips, he decided to mess around too: "Tom and Jerry."
Su Zai Zai: That's not an idiom, don't talk nonsense!
Zhang Lu Rang: ...
Zhang Lu Rang: I'm not playing anymore.
Su Zai Zai: Sigh, Lùràng, you really have a bad temper.
Zhang Lu Rang: ...
Su Zai Zai: Only I would indulge you like this.
Zhang Lu Rang really didn't want to deal with her anymore.
He turned off his phone and worked on his homework for a while.
In the end, feeling restless, he opened his phone again and typed: I'm going to do my homework.
On the night of New Year's Eve.
Su Zai Zai went with her parents to her grandparents' house for the reunion dinner.
After the meal, the elders sat on the sofa chatting.
Her cousins went straight back to their rooms to play on the computer.
The slightly older ones also found a quiet spot to sit and play on their phones.
Su Zai Zai wandered into the courtyard.
A cold wind blew, making her shrink her neck.
Su Zai Zai sat down on the swing chair, curling her legs and swaying gently.
She took her phone out of her coat pocket, her hands stiff from the cold.
Her typing speed was slower than usual.
She blew a warm breath on her hands.
Slowly, she typed: Lùràng.
Su Zai Zai: It's New Year's Eve today, aren't you going to send me a red envelope?
She thought he might be having the reunion dinner and would take a long time to reply.Su Zai Zai exited the chat window and was about to message Jiang Jia.
Her phone vibrated twice.
Su Zai Zai saw a red circle with the number one appear next to Zhang Lu Rang’s profile picture.
—[WeChat Red Packet] Go buy some jelly.
Su Zai Zai blinked and tapped to open it.
The large number “200.00” came into view.
Her fingers paused, and she said uncertainly: I was just joking with you.
Su Zai Zai decided to send a voice message: “Lùràng, consider these two hundred yuan as borrowed from you.”
“School starts on February 18th. If you come back one day earlier, I’ll add ten yuan; if you come back two days earlier, I’ll add twenty yuan, and so on.”
After a while.
He also sent a voice message.
His voice carried a hint of laughter as he said, “No need, keep it for yourself.”
“Do you think it’s too little?” she said gloomily.
Before he could reply, Su Zai Zai continued, “Then I’ll change it to one hundred.”
Su Zai Zai kept talking, and he kept listening.
There was no time to reply to her.
“I’ll tell you, one of Short Legs’ ears finally stood up, one drooping and one upright, it looks so silly.”
“It keeps pooping everywhere, sigh, so exhausting.”
“There’s so much physics homework, I don’t want to do it.”
“Have you finished your English homework? Do you want me to teach you?”
Voice messages kept being sent one after another.
Zhang Lu Rang wore earphones, listening as one message ended and the next automatically played.
He listened attentively, wondering how she could have so much to say.
Finally, the last message played.
“Lùràng, if you’re going back to City B, should I aim for University B?”
He was about to reply.
Three knocks sounded on the door.
A boy about his age turned the doorknob and poked his head in.
He looked at Zhang Lu Rang and said softly, “Brother, Dad wants you to come out.”
Zhang Lu Rang lowered his head and pressed the power button.
The series of voice messages immediately disappeared from view.
Everything turned dark.
Soon, he looked up and said to the boy, “Mm, I’ll be out soon.”
The boy nodded, stepped back out of the room, and closed the door.
Zhang Lu Rang turned the screen back on and quickly typed a message.
—Don’t aim for University B, aim for University Z.
Su Zai Zai sent another voice message.
It was very short, only one second long.
Zhang Lu Rang didn’t listen to it.
He pressed his tongue against his cheek.
Carefully yet full of anticipation, he sent a voice message back.
“Let’s aim for University Z together.”
Chapter 29
When he’s not in front of me, I’m afraid.
Afraid that there might be another girl around him now.
Just like me, shamelessly clinging to him.
What if he gets attached to her?
Worried and uneasy to the point of anxiety.
—From “Su Zai Zai’s Little Fairy Diary”
Looking at the words on the screen, Su Zai Zai said without hesitation, “Okay.”
The air outside was damp and cold, the chill seeming to pierce into her bones.
The swing chair swayed, as if summoning the wind.
Her exhaled breath turned into white mist, spreading before her eyes.
Almost at the same time, Zhang Lu Rang sent a voice message.
Su Zai Zai shivered and tapped the voice message.
She felt very cold and only wanted to listen to it before going back inside.
Su Zai Zai brought the phone’s receiver close to her ear.
The boy’s voice was warm and mellow, like a murmuring stream.
Word by word, it clearly reached her ears.
—“Let’s aim for University Z together.”
But Su Zai Zai didn’t react.She sniffled, her expression somewhat dazed, and played it again.
This time, she reacted.
Zhang Lu Rang said, together.
Suddenly, she felt that this year would probably be a wonderful one.
There probably wouldn’t be a happier moment than this one.
Then I won’t make a wish this year.
Because everything I wanted has already come true.
Can’t be too greedy anymore.
Zhang Lu Rang returned to his room.
He walked over to the desk, picked up his phone, and unplugged the earphones.
Su Zai Zai had sent a few more voice messages.
Zhang Lu Rang tapped on the unplayed messages.
—"Okay."
Before he could react, the next message played automatically.
Amidst the sound of wind, the girl’s soft voice carried a faint nasal tone.
—"It’s settled then, we’ll take the exam together, no backing out."
—"I think this year is especially great, so I won’t make a wish."
—"Is there anything you want? You can tell Little Fairy Zai Zai, she’ll definitely help make your wish come true."
Zhang Lu Rang walked to the bed and lay down, holding his phone in his right hand, his arm covering his eyes, blocking the source of light.
He suddenly chuckled softly.
Then, he moved his hand away and sent two messages.
—No need.
—Don’t stay outside anymore, go home quickly.
It was unclear what Su Zai Zai was doing, as she didn’t reply immediately.
Zhang Lu Rang stood up, walked to the desk, and sat down.
He placed his phone in the most visible spot, making sure the other person hadn’t sent any more messages.
Only then did Zhang Lu Rang look away and reach for a pen.
Before he could start writing, the door opened again.
Zhang Lu Li walked in and sat directly on his bed.
The room remained as quiet as when Zhang Lu Rang was alone.
After a while, Zhang Lu Li seemed to hesitate for a long time before finally speaking up as if he had made up his mind.
"Brother, don’t pay attention to what Uncle and the others say."
"Mm," Zhang Lu Rang responded.
"I think they’re really annoying too, just ridiculous."
"..."
After a moment of silence.
Zhang Lu Li licked his lips and changed the topic. "Brother, is City Z fun?"
Zhang Lu Rang didn’t answer.
"Dad just said that starting next semester, you’ll have to come back here for high school. The college entrance exam papers in City Z and City B are different, and the question types aren’t the same either..."
Zhang Lu Rang paused his pen and said calmly, "I know."
"And local students have a lower cutoff score for B University. I feel like that would make things easier for you too."
"..."
"Brother, let me tell you, B University..."
Zhang Lu Rang interrupted him, "Don’t talk about these things."
"Oh... okay."
Seeing that he had stopped talking, Zhang Lu Rang sighed and spoke up on his own.
"City Z is nice."
Zhang Lu Rang’s initiative to speak to him rekindled Zhang Lu Li’s enthusiasm.
"One of my classmates lives there. Every time he describes it, I want to go and see it for myself."
"Mm."
"Brother, can I come to City Z to see you after the semester starts?"
"..."
"You’re probably boarding, right? I can come on weekends, and you can show me around."
Hearing this, Zhang Lu Rang’s mind wandered.
Su Zai Zai’s carefree smiling face appeared in his mind.—-
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