She’s Crazy C02

The bell signaling the end of class rang.

The teacher at the podium tossed the chalk into the chalk box and scanned the classroom. “Anyone who hasn’t turned in their homework, come to my office on your own. Class dismissed.”

The students immediately stood up, bowing lazily. “Thank you, teacher. Goodbye, teacher.”

Knowing that Zhang Lurang didn’t like being disturbed during class, Ye Zhenxin had held back until now before turning around to ask, “Zhang Lurang, where’s your deskmate?”

Leaning back slightly, Zhang Lurang still held a pen in his hand. His fingers were long and well-defined, the curve of his hand effortlessly elegant.

“She took a leave of absence.”

His voice was clear and low, carrying no emotion—like silent rain falling in the dead of night.

Ye Zhenxin’s eyes widened, mumbling enviously, “Huh? Taking a leave? National Day just passed, and she’s already taking time off? That’s way too nice.”

She waited for a response, but none came.

Zhang Lurang lifted his eyes slightly, picked up the English workbook on his desk, and flipped to the assigned page from last time.

Fifteen questions. Thirteen were wrong.

For the first time, a ripple of emotion flickered in his gaze.

The girl in front continued speaking. “Why did she suddenly take leave? She seemed fine in Chinese class.”

Absentmindedly, he tapped the edge of his desk with his pen. The slight downturn of his lips and the faint flicker of frustration in his eyes were subtle—almost imperceptible.

Realizing what he was doing, he looked toward Ye Zhenxin and said softly, “I don’t know.”

She was still talking, but the topic had already shifted.

Zhang Lurang stood up.

Ye Zhenxin was taken aback. “Where are you going?”

His expression remained indifferent. Without answering, he picked up the English workbook and walked out the door.

—

Meanwhile, Su Zai Zai was being dragged toward the restroom by Jiang Jia.

Halfway there, Jiang Jia suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right, Zai Zai.”

Su Zai Zai pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket, took the last one, and tossed the empty pack into the trash can beside the sink.

Wiping her hands, she responded, “Hmm?”

“The school sports meet is coming up. Do you want to sign up for anything?”

“What events are there?”

“There are a lot! High jump, long jump, one-minute jump rope, the ten-person eleven-legged race—”

Just as Su Zai Zai was about to respond, she caught sight of a boy coming up the stairs beside the office. He turned and headed in the direction of the office.

His figure was tall and lean, with water dripping from the tips of his hair.

Her pupils contracted slightly. A surge of uncertain excitement and nervousness welled up in her chest.

Before she could take a step toward him, she saw the boy drop his workbook.

He bent down, revealing his side profile.

…It wasn’t him.

Disappointment flashed across Su Zai Zai’s face, and she cursed silently in her heart.

To think that she, an unrivaled beauty, had been so distracted by the mere presence of a handsome guy.

Utter humiliation.

Seeing her lack of reaction, Jiang Jia assumed she wasn’t interested in any of the events and continued, “There’s also the 100 meters, 200 meters, 800 meters, and shot put.”

Su Zai Zai looked unenthusiastic and lazily asked, “Is 800 meters the longest?”

Hearing that, Jiang Jia was momentarily confused. “Huh? You want a longer one? I feel like 800 meters is already enough to kill me.”

Just before stepping into the classroom, Su Zai Zai turned her head once more, unwilling to give up.

The office door was wide open. Two girls sat by a table, one standing and one sitting, chatting and laughing with crescent-eyed smiles.

Rain pattered against the blue railings. A few boys were roughhousing nearby.

She withdrew her gaze.

Meanwhile

A young boy walked out from the stairwell, turned right, and entered the office.

Su Zai Zai sat down in her seat, resting her head on the desk with half of her face buried in the crook of her arm. Only her bright, clear eyes were visible. “I think 800 meters is seriously underestimating my athletic potential.”

Jiang Jia’s mouth twitched. “You clearly…”

“If it’s not at least 10,000 meters, don’t even ask me to join.”

“Bullshit!” Jiang Jia shouted.

Her voice was so loud that the once noisy classroom instantly fell silent.

A boy leaned over and teased, “Who farted?”

Jiang Jia’s expression turned serious. “Definitely not Su Zai Zai.”

Guan Han raised an eyebrow, his eyes carrying a hint of amusement. “Then it’s you?”

“It’s you,” Jiang Jia replied.

Su Zai Zai spread her hands. “It’s definitely you.”

Guan Han: “…Ha.”

He didn’t come over just to take the blame, okay?

Jiang Jia pinched her nose with one hand and covered half of Su Zai Zai’s face with the other, looking disgusted. “Guan Han, can you not fart in public?”

Guan Han patted her head, his eyebrows furrowing. “You looking for trouble?”

Jiang Jia refused to let go. “If I am, at least I won’t have to smell it!”

“…”

Soon, the bell rang, and the students who had been bunched together immediately scattered back to their seats.

After a brief silence, Jiang Jia picked up the conversation again. “I remember last time in PE class, you ran fifty meters and were panting like a dog. And now you’re talking about running 10,000 meters?”

Su Zai Zai blinked innocently. “Panting like a dog?”

“Don’t act like you don’t understand! What, you want me to demonstrate? Dream on!”

But Su Zai Zai never played by the rules…

She stuck out her tongue and panted a few times quickly, then looked at Jiang Jia expectantly. “Like this?”

Jiang Jia: “…Enough. Stop being weird.”

Before long, the Chinese teacher walked in.

Su Zai Zai set aside her playful attitude, opened her textbook, and listened to the lesson.

She turned to look out the window.

The branches were still being battered by the heavy rain, bending slightly under its force. Tiny droplets slid along the veins of the leaves, gathering, then falling to the ground.

It was still raining.

He didn’t bring an umbrella. Would he end up getting drenched again?

—

Class hadn’t even ended when Jiang Jia had already packed up her bag. She exchanged a glance with their two dormmates, Xiao Xiao and Xiao Yu, all three of them looking ready to charge.

But that wasn’t enough. Seeing that Su Zai Zai was still sitting there unmoved, Jiang Jia impatiently grabbed the bag hanging beside her desk and stuffed in a couple of random books.

As soon as the bell rang, the four of them bolted toward the cafeteria like starving wolves.

They quickly grabbed their food, found a table, and started chatting idly.

Suddenly, Xiao Yu remembered something and asked, “By the way, are you guys interested in performing in the Campus Night show? Our class hasn’t prepared anything yet, and there are only two weeks left.”

As the class’s arts committee member, she was in charge of organizing these things.

The school’s sports festival lasted two days and one night—sports competitions during the day, and Campus Night in the evening, where each class had to put on a performance for a grand showcase.

Xiao Xiao chimed in, “Oh? Do you have an idea?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I did.”

Suddenly, an idea popped into Su Zai Zai’s head.

Maybe she should perform… and use the ending as a chance to make a missing-person announcement?

But how would she phrase it?

Should she say, “A really, really handsome guy, late for the morning break, passed by the snack shop”?

Or maybe, “Looks particularly abstinent and enticing in the rain…”

Damn. Even she thought she sounded crazy.

After finishing their meal, Xiao Xiao and Xiao Yu headed back to the dorm, while Su Zai Zai accompanied Jiang Jia to the snack shop.

Standing outside, Su Zai Zai didn’t have anything she wanted to buy, so she waited outside while Jiang Jia went in.

There were a lot of people around. The three small tables outside the shop were packed with students chatting, holding hands, eating instant noodles.

People came and went, shoulders occasionally brushing against one another.

Su Zai Zai moved toward the corner to avoid the crowd.

In the distance, she overheard a conversation.

A boy’s voice, rough and loud, drew attention. “Zhang Lu Rang, did you walk here in the rain? Let’s head back together.”

Zhang Lu Rang…

Wasn’t he the top-class heartthrob?

Su Zai Zai followed the direction of the voice, but her view was blocked by the bustling crowd.

“—Mm.”

The voice was exceptionally crisp and cool, fresher than the post-rain air.

Her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly recalled the boy she saw that morning.

He had passed by her quietly, droplets still clinging to the tips of his hair. Strands near his temples stuck to his cheek, damp from the rain.

Water dripped from his dark locks, one drop after another, blending into the black strands, making Su Zai Zai feel as if even the water itself had turned black.

His pitch-black eyes contrasted sharply with his pale skin, making them especially striking.

Su Zai Zai lowered her gaze to the umbrella in her hands, momentarily dazed.

A wave of frustration surged up, along with a ridiculous thought.

He must be doing it on purpose. He must know just how attractive he looks.

That’s why he deliberately got caught in the rain, deliberately walked past her.

Deliberately… seduced her.

—