I'vе аlwауs wanted tо.
Zhаng Lu Li quiсklу аdjusted his emotiоns.
Нis voicе rose аgаin, bright аnd infесtiоus.
"Hahаha, bro, don't worry abоut Мom gоing to find уоu. Shе tоld me thаt еvеn if уоu don't сome baсk, dоn't eхpect hеr to go lоoking for уоu."
Zhаng Lu Rаng hаdn't fullу рrocеssеd his eаrliеr wоrds yеt and rеsрonded with а lоw hum.
"I don't knоw what they'rе thinking either, but I doubt thеу mеan аny harm. Thеу just hаve thе wrоng аррrоaсh," Zhаng Lu Li said vаguelу beforе quicklу сhаnging the subjесt. "I think оnсe I get the rеcommendation lеtter from my рrofessоr, I'll prерarе to study abroad."
"Got it."
Just those two words—it was unclear which part he was responding to.
After a brief silence.
Zhang Lu Li suddenly said, "I didn't mean to do that back then. I'm sorry."
An apology years later.
Hearing this, Zhang Lu Rang lowered his eyes, the corners of his mouth curving upward as he pretended not to understand.
"When?"
On the other end, Zhang Lu Li laughed with relief. "Never mind."
In those past years, neither of them had lived well.
So neither had the right to blame the other.
After hanging up, Zhang Lu Rang steadied his emotions, lifted his foot again, and walked toward Su Zai Zai's building.
From afar, he saw her running over, a bright smile on her face.
Su Zai Zai threw herself into his arms, her smile reaching the corners of her eyes.
She seemed to be in a particularly good mood, even reviving the old nickname she used to call him.
"Great beauty, let's go hold hands in a pitch-black movie theater!"
Zhang Lu Rang smiled and said, "Okay."
The boy from his memories.
The Zhang Lu Rang who would feel inferior upon hearing his parents' calls or the name A Li seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Somehow, fate always has its intentions.
All the hardships life dealt him were merely paving the way for the future.
So he could meet someone.
Because of this, Zhang Lu Rang began to believe.
Everyone's life must have something beautiful in it.
His was so simple—just three words.
Three words he could linger on for ages, reluctant to let go.
"Su Zai Zai."
Chapter 51
Actually, I feel unhappy whenever she talks to another guy.
But if I say it like that, she probably won't think I'm petty anymore.
—Zhang Lu Rang
At the end of February, Su Zai Zai welcomed her second semester of freshman year.
The day before classes started, Su Zai Zai took clothes out of her closet and changed. Glancing at her phone, she saw Zhang Lu Rang's message saying he was already downstairs.
She quickly put on the black scarf he had given her last time and dragged her heavy suitcase outside.
Winters in the south were damp and cold. No matter how many layers you wore, the chilly air seemed to seep into your pores from every corner, leaving no escape.
As soon as she stepped outside, a cold wind blew.
Su Zai Zai couldn't help but shrink her neck, burying half her face in the scarf.
Then, she walked over and took Zhang Lu Rang's hand.
Zhang Lu Rang only carried a backpack with his laptop inside, nothing else.
He clasped her hand in return, instinctively scanning her from head to toe.
Su Zai Zai was wearing a beige sweater dress today, paired with a brown cashmere coat and a scarf, and black fleece-lined leggings on the bottom.
Zhang Lu Rang's expression immediately darkened.Su Zai Zai had been scolded by him quite a few times, so upon noticing his expression, she immediately said, "You're not allowed to criticize me. I'm someone who can't handle criticism."
Hearing this, Zhang Lu Rang quietly looked at her.
He had seen this phrase in the stickers Su Zai Zai sent him before.
—"I'm someone who can't handle criticism. If you criticize me, I'll scold you."
He pursed his lips, thinking he would wait for her to finish before addressing both matters at once.
Zhang Lu Rang lowered his eyes, silently weighing his words in his mind.
Don't wear so little in winter; you'll catch a cold. Besides, he hadn't intended to criticize her anyway, it was just...
Before he could finish weighing his words,
Su Zai Zai suddenly stood on her tiptoes, leaned in close to him, and said with a playful grin, "If you criticize me—"
Zhang Lu Rang stopped his train of thought, lowered his head to look at her, waiting for her to finish.
"—I'll kiss you."
Hearing this unexpected answer, Zhang Lu Rang was momentarily stunned.
His gaze slowly drifted downward, settling on Su Zai Zai's lips.
They were coated with a thin layer of lip balm, looking pink, moist, and glossy.
Zhang Lu Rang's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he fell silent, lost in thought.
After a while, as expected, she didn't hear his slightly cold and stern voice.
Su Zai Zai, feeling quite satisfied, pulled him along toward the bus stop.
Halfway there,
Su Zai Zai suddenly heard Zhang Lu Rang speak from behind her, his voice somewhat muffled.
As if, after an internal struggle, he couldn't resist the temptation and finally spoke up.
"Su Zai Zai, it's not right to wear so little in winter."
Several minutes had already passed, and Su Zai Zai had completely forgotten about the teasing remark she had made to Zhang Lu Rang earlier.
Hearing this, she didn't think much of it and simply nodded obediently, "Got it."
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
After arriving at the school,
Zhang Lu Rang first helped Su Zai Zai carry her suitcase back to her dorm.
Two of her roommates had already returned. After greeting them, Su Zai Zai pushed her suitcase to her spot, planning to unpack later.
Before leaving the dorm, Su Zai Zai looked at the backpack Zhang Lu Rang was carrying and couldn't help but pull it off.
It contained a laptop, which was quite heavy. Carrying it for too long would surely be uncomfortable.
"Leave it here for now. We can come back to get it after dinner."
Zhang Lu Rang glanced down at the laptop she had placed on the chair and didn't object.
The sky was as if smeared with ink, pitch black, engulfing the scattered stars.
The surrounding leaves rustled in the wind, and the stone-paved path seemed to radiate a chill that made people shiver.
Students were gradually returning from home, and the once empty and quiet snack street near the school during the winter break was instantly filled, adding a bit of liveliness.
Because of the cold weather, Su Zai Zai dragged Zhang Lu Rang into a grilled fish restaurant.
There happened to be only one empty table left inside.
The two sat facing each other.
Su Zai Zai took her phone out of her pocket and quickly tapped on the screen.
Across from her, Zhang Lu Rang tore open the plastic wrap covering the bowls and chopsticks and rinsed them with hot water.
After finishing, he silently pushed the bowls and chopsticks in front of Su Zai Zai.
Catching his movement out of the corner of her eye, Su Zai Zai couldn't help but look up and say with a grin, "So domestic."
Zhang Lu Rang didn't say anything, lowering his eyes to repeat the process and wash his own bowls and chopsticks.
After the food arrived,
Su Zai Zai put her phone back in her pocket and focused on eating.Having once had a fishbone stuck in her throat, Su Zaizai was very careful when eating fish.
Her attention was entirely focused on picking out the bones, with no desire to speak at all.
After a while, she suddenly asked, "Lùràng, do you want me to help you pick out the fishbones?"
Zhang Lurang glanced up and shook his head. "No need."
"But there are so many bones..."
A moment of silence passed.
Zhang Lurang paused, a guess forming in his mind. "Do you want me to help you pick them out?"
Hearing this, Su Zaizai widened her eyes in grievance. "How could you think of me like that?"
"..."
"Is it because I made you carry the suitcase upstairs today?"
"...No."
Su Zaizai stared at his face seriously. "Next time, you don’t have to force yourself to carry it. I could lift a barrel of water back in elementary school—carrying a suitcase is a piece of cake."
Zhang Lurang didn’t respond further, eating his meal expressionlessly.
Su Zaizai felt a bit frustrated and asked quietly, "Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"Eating," he said.
"Oh." Su Zaizai continued picking out fishbones while talking. "I might have to go to Most Times later. Yesterday was the minister’s birthday, and they said they’d make it up to him with a birthday party today."
Zhang Lurang’s movements paused, and he looked up again, watching her quietly.
Su Zaizai didn’t notice. After thinking for a moment, she continued, "I’ll walk you back to the dorm first and bring you the computer along the way."
Because the grilled fish was a bit spicy, Zhang Lurang’s voice was slightly hoarse.
He licked his reddened lips, which felt fiery and slightly stinging.
"Is the minister Xie Linnan?"
Su Zaizai nodded and placed the fish meat she had picked out into a ceramic bowl in front of him.
Zhang Lurang looked at the ceramic bowl, her fair and clean hand still resting on its rim, not letting go immediately.
Her fingers were smooth, pale, straight, and slender, even the curve of her knuckles looked exceptionally beautiful.
It made him want to reach out and hold her hand.
His eyes lowered, his thick lashes concealing his emotions.
Zhang Lurang didn’t know what to say.
He pushed the bowl back and said seriously, "You can bring the computer tomorrow. I’ll walk you there later. Don’t walk alone at night—I’m not comfortable with it."
Su Zaizai blinked and pointed at the bowl. "Aren’t you going to eat it?"
"You eat it." After saying this, Zhang Lurang paused and added, "I’ll pick out the bones for you."
After escorting Su Zaizai to the entrance of Most Times KTV, Zhang Lurang gave her a few reminders before turning to walk back toward the school.
Su Zaizai stood in place for a while, watching his retreating figure.
Suddenly realizing something, she called out to Zhang Lurang, jogged over, and tugged at the hem of his hoodie.
Zhang Lurang turned around, his dark eyes deep and unreadable.
"If you don’t like it, I won’t go, okay?" she said.
Hearing her words, Zhang Lurang’s feigned indifference instantly crumbled.
Su Zaizai looked uneasy, tightening her grip slightly.
"Don’t be unhappy..."
Just as Zhang Lurang was about to say something, a girl’s voice suddenly came from not far away. "Hey! Zaizai! Why aren’t you coming in now that you’re here?"
Su Zaizai instinctively looked toward the source of the voice—it was the vice minister.
Seeing Zhang Lurang beside Su Zaizai, the vice minister immediately understood and smiled. "Is this your boyfriend? Why don’t you both come in? It’ll be livelier with more people."
Hearing this, Su Zaizai hesitated.
Zhang Lurang didn’t really like noisy environments like this...She turned her head to glance at him and asked softly, "Do you want to go? If not, we can head back."
Zhang Lu Rang tugged at the corner of his mouth, gently pulled her hand away from where it was tangled in his clothes, and held it.
Then he lifted his foot, his long legs striding toward the direction of "Most Timely," and said casually:
"I do."
The deputy minister walked ahead and pushed open the door to the KTV.
Xie Lin Nan happened to be standing by the entrance, pouring a drink.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the door opening and instinctively glanced up.
When he saw who had arrived, the smile on his lips stiffened abruptly, and he quickly averted his gaze.
A few of the department members made some teasing remarks but soon went back to their own activities.
The new media department, including the minister, had twelve people, so they had booked a large private room according to the headcount.
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