Неr ехpressiоn wаs tеnsе аnd excitеd аs she starеd at the рhоnе thrоwn in thе сorner оf the sofa, wanting to piсk it uр but not dаring to.
Su Zаi Zаi simрlу gavе uр аnd wаlkеd baсk to her roоm tо do hеr homework.
Аfter writing onlу a few wоrds, shе grеw rеstlеss. Su Zаi Zаi stood uр аnxiоuslу, rеturned tо the living rооm, and piсkеd up thе phone аs if she had nothing lеft tо lоse. Shе tappеd thе sсreеn tо сhесk—
Just аs eхрeсted.
Тhere wеre nо mеssаges.
Еvеn thоugh shе had anticiрated it, she still felt a littlе disappоinted.
But shе quicklу rеgainеd her composure.
If the great beauty so easily accepted someone’s friend request, he would probably have been snatched up long ago.
Su Zai Zai made a face at his profile picture and muttered, "One day, I’ll make you beg to add me."
Sunday afternoon.
Su Zai Zai packed her things and looked out the window at the blazing sun, feeling as if she were about to break out in a sweat all over. She grabbed a plain black hair tie and casually tied up her hair.
Then she slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out.
Mother Su was watching TV in the living room. Seeing her come out, she lazily glanced up and asked, "Have you packed everything? Did you get your allowance from your dad?"
Having just taken two hundred yuan from Father Su, Su Zai Zai replied decisively, "I’ve packed everything, but I didn’t take any allowance."
"I know you took it," Mother Su said, taking a sip of water.
"..."
"Tell your dad you agree to getting a dog, and I’ll give you two hundred."
Mentioning dogs suddenly reminded Su Zai Zai of Zhang Lu Rang’s profile picture. She snapped back to reality and immediately refused, "Forget it, it’s just two hundred yuan."
"Not bad, you’ve got principles."
Su Zai Zai walked to the entrance to put on her shoes. "This is a war between the two of you. Don’t drag me into it."
"What do you mean, a war between the two of us? Your dad said it’ll be decided by a vote, and there are only three people in this family!" Mother Su glared at her. "Do you want me to take you?"
"Take me where?" Su Zai Zai adjusted her hair in the mirror by the entrance and smiled. "You only get one day off a week. Just rest properly."
Mother Su didn’t insist. "Then be careful on the way. Call me when you get to school."
"Got it."
Even in late October, the sun was as fierce as in early summer. The asphalt road seemed almost scorching, and the grass along the roadside emitted a rich, earthy scent.
Su Zai Zai hated the heat the most. She hurried to a nearby convenience store to buy a bottle of chilled mineral water, pressing it against her face to cool down.
She walked to the bus stop, closed her umbrella, folded it neatly, and put it in her backpack. Then she sat on a bench, took out her phone, and opened a public account to check the real-time location of Bus No. 71.
It was still more than ten stops away...
Su Zai Zai immediately began to regret her decision. How could she be so foolish!
She should have come down when there were only five stops left. She was so annoyed!
After sitting for a while, Su Zai Zai suddenly stood up and walked toward the bus stop sign.
No, she really couldn’t wait any longer.
Maybe she could take another bus and transfer midway...
After taking two steps, she stopped, her expression frozen in surprise.
A young man was standing beside the bus stop sign.
He stood in the shade, wearing a pair of plain black headphones and carrying his backpack properly. His expression was calm as he stared intently at the passing traffic.
A few seconds later, as if feeling a little hot, he lifted the mineral water in his hand and took two sips, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.
Then he wiped his lips with the back of the hand holding the bottle cap.Su Zaizai's gaze followed his movements, finally settling on his lips.
She couldn't help but swallow.
A loud gulp echoed in the air.
Chapter 8
In front of him,
I am myself, yet no longer myself.
—From "Su Zaizai the Little Fairy's Diary"
Su Zaizai quickly took a few steps back, unscrewed the cap of her mineral water bottle, and took a few sips.
To quench her thirst first.
If she couldn’t control herself and swallowed saliva in front of the great beauty later…
That would be too embarrassing.
After screwing the cap back on, Su Zaizai checked her reflection on her phone’s black screen, then pulled a tissue from her bag to wipe the sweat from her forehead, curling the corners of her lips.
Hmm, good.
The smile looked natural and pretty.
Su Zaizai slipped her phone into her pants pocket, took a deep breath, and suppressed all traces of nervousness.
She walked over, tilting her head as she greeted him, “Hey, Zhang Lurang.”
Hearing her voice, Zhang Lurang looked over, his eyes showing no surprise, like the still surface of a lake at night, calm and undisturbed.
He gave a slight nod in response.
Su Zaizai subconsciously tightened her grip on the mineral water bottle in her hand, blinked, and asked curiously, “Do you live nearby? I’ve never seen you at this bus stop before.”
“Yes.”
“Which neighborhood do you live in?”
This was a residential area with many neighborhoods nearby, and Su Zaizai couldn’t guess which one he lived in.
Hearing this, Zhang Lurang glanced at her and replied vaguely, “Just around here.”
That look…
It was as if he were guarding against a flood or a wild beast.
Maybe she was overthinking it.
Su Zaizai decided not to dwell on it. Suddenly remembering yesterday’s WeChat incident, she carefully considered her words and thought of a tactful way to ask, “Do you have WeChat?”
“…” She saw Zhang Lurang hesitate for a moment, rub the back of his neck, and then answer, “No.”
He probably felt bad about lying, but compared to adding her on WeChat, Zhang Lurang preferred to lie.
Hmph.
She should have just asked him directly why he hadn’t accepted her friend request. Now what? Exposing his lie might make him feel awkward.
She never knew she was such a self-sacrificing person.
Su Zaizai forced a smile. “No plans to get one?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Awkward silence.
Su Zaizai thought randomly that someone like Zhang Lurang must be very slow to warm up. If she took a step forward, he’d probably take two steps back. Well… for the sake of her future, she’d take a step back first.
She cleared her throat and made something up on the spot, “You could get one. There’s a public account on WeChat that lets you check the real-time location of each bus route. Then you can time it right when leaving home and won’t have to wait outside for so long.”
Seemingly not expecting this reason, a flicker of embarrassment crossed Zhang Lurang’s eyes. He averted his gaze and said softly, “Okay, thank you.”
“No problem,” Su Zaizai waved her hand.
Both fell silent.
Su Zaizai swung her backpack to the front, took out her phone, and checked the real-time location of Bus 71 again. It was still about ten stops away.
Better if it comes later—best if the road is completely jammed, Su Zaizai thought gleefully to herself.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward. After some thought, she brought up another topic, “By the way, isn’t the school sports day next Thursday? Are you participating in any events?”
“Yes.”"What about the School Sports Night? Are you performing?"
"...Yeah."
This took Su Zai Zai by surprise. She was momentarily stunned, her tone tinged with disbelief. "Huh? You're performing? What are you performing?"
Zhang Lu Rang didn't answer this question.
Su Zai Zai glanced up at him and immediately felt a mix of amusement and irritation. "What's with that look? As if I'm trying to steal your class's creative ideas."
Zhang Lu Rang didn't look at her, nor did he offer an explanation.
"Hmph, don't expect me to tell you either. Our class's performance is amazing. The performer is both beautiful and has an awesome vibe—I'm practically mesmerized by her."
Seeing no reaction from him, Su Zai Zai continued, "I heard she's pretty, gets good grades, comes from a well-off family, has a cheerful personality, and is hailed as the number one goddess of Z High."
Zhang Lu Rang was at a loss for words. After a long pause, he finally said, "...You're not talking about yourself, are you?"
If that were really the case, then he truly had never met someone so shameless.
Su Zai Zai feigned surprise, her eyes widening slightly. "You guessed right, it's me."
"..."
"I didn't realize I had so many good qualities in your eyes."
"..."
"Actually, I'm not as great as you think."
"..."
A vein twitched at Zhang Lu Rang's temple. Unable to bear it any longer, he put on his other earbud.
Seeing him put on his earbuds, Su Zai Zai cautiously glanced at his expression—he didn't seem angry...
Relieved, she let out a sigh, her eyelids drooping as she hid her emotions behind them.
The two fell silent.
When Bus 71 arrived, they both headed toward it. Su Zai Zai lined up behind Zhang Lu Rang, her student bus card ready in hand.
As she tapped her card, she suddenly noticed he wasn't using a student card but instead dropped coins into the fare box.
Zhang Lu Rang removed one of his earbuds and stood near the rear door, gripping an overhead handrail with one hand. Su Zai Zai walked over and stood beside him, also reaching up to grab a handrail.
After a moment's thought, she asked him, "Have you had dinner yet?"
"No."
"Then let's go eat at Maoye Plaza!"
Maoye Plaza was the stop they were about to get off at. From there, it would take another half-hour walk to reach the school.
"No need, I'll eat at the school cafeteria."
"How did you know I actually prefer eating at the school cafeteria?" she raised an eyebrow, half-jokingly.
Zhang Lu Rang fell silent again, offering no reply.
Su Zai Zai's heart sank. Just as she was about to say something to salvage the situation, the bus suddenly braked sharply. Losing her balance, she instinctively grabbed onto something nearby.
And beside her was only Zhang Lu Rang...
Su Zai Zai's face instantly flushed bright red. She immediately let go, but the bus hadn't fully stopped yet. Staggering unsteadily, she nearly fell. Ignoring everything else, she blurted out anxiously, "Sorry, I didn't mean to... I couldn't keep my balance."
Zhang Lu Rang opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, she quickly added, "And I was just joking earlier—I wasn't planning to eat at the cafeteria."
The bus came to a stop, and a few people got off. Su Zai Zai hung her head and walked toward the back, finding a seat in the rear.
Zhang Lu Rang glanced in her direction.Today, she had tied up all the hair that usually hung loose behind her back, making her look much fresher than usual. Her palm-sized face appeared even smaller framed by her bangs, her eyes dull, and the corners of her mouth drooping.
The bus started moving again.
At the same time, Zhang Lu Rang withdrew his gaze.
Behind him, Su Zai Zai grew increasingly anxious and uneasy. She twisted her fingers together, turned to look out the window, and, for the first time ever, felt the urge to cry.
She held it back and didn’t let the tears fall.
Not daring to look at Zhang Lu Rang again, she pulled out her phone in frustration and started playing a game.
When she opened the game interface, her phone screen went black for a moment. In that instant, she caught a glimpse of her own lips reflected on the screen.
Her mood grew even gloomier.
She really wanted to slap her own mouth into a pulp.
After getting off the bus, Su Zai Zai immediately headed toward the snack street next to Maoye Plaza, randomly picked a restaurant for dinner, and then got up to return to school.
Truthfully, she didn’t want to eat out either, but if she walked together with Zhang Lu Rang and someone saw them, he’d probably be unhappy about it.
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