Chapter 60

She’s seriously ill, yet she likes me.

Then I’ll just assume she’s not ill at all.

—Zhang Lurang

—

Hearing this, Su Zai Zai was momentarily stunned.

She turned her gaze back to the car window, curling her lips into a smile, but still said seriously, “Then let’s split it fifty-fifty.”

Zhang Lurang didn’t object, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “Okay.”

Silence returned to the car.

A moment later, Su Zai Zai caught sight of a school flashing past outside the window.

In bold black calligraphy, the name read: B City High School.

Her attention was immediately drawn to it, and she couldn’t help but turn her head. “Can we go see your high school? You’ve been to mine, but I’ve never been to yours.”

Zhang Lurang turned the steering wheel, instinctively replying, “It’s too late, we won’t be able to get in.”

Su Zai Zai wasn’t too bothered. She thought for a moment and then said seriously, “The biggest regret of my life was caused by you.”

“……”

“It’s all your fault for going back to B City for school. We were in a long-distance relationship right in the middle of our honeymoon phase.”

Zhang Lurang opened his mouth, feeling slightly baffled. “But…”

“But you’re good-looking.” Su Zai Zai licked her lips, a little envious. “Good-looking people really do have it different. They don’t get ignored by their partners.”

At the same time, Zhang Lurang had just parked the car near the seaside.

Su Zai Zai glanced around and asked, “Where are we going?”

“Since we can’t go to the school, I’ll take you for a walk around here,” he said.

With that, Zhang Lurang took her hand and led her toward the beach.

The wind was strong, crisp and refreshing, carrying a faint scent of the sea.

Su Zai Zai turned her head to look. On the sandy shore below, several couples were strolling hand in hand.

In the distance, the sea shimmered under the moonlight, its boundary with the sky strikingly clear.

Zhang Lurang was still thinking about what she had said earlier, remaining silent the whole way.

As they walked, they finally came across an entrance leading down to the beach via a flight of stairs.

Su Zai Zai grew excited and instinctively tugged Zhang Lurang to change direction.

At that moment, Zhang Lurang finally spoke, his tone carrying a trace of uncertainty. “Zai Zai.”

“Hmm?” Su Zai Zai responded while stepping onto the sand.

He averted his gaze slightly, looking a bit unnatural. “Why do you like me?”

Hearing this, Su Zai Zai lifted her head to look at him. She didn’t think too hard about it and simply answered with honest sincerity.

“Because you’re good-looking.”

Zhang Lurang pressed his lips together, clearly unsatisfied with this answer. “That’s it?”

She thought for a moment and added, “And because you’re Lurang.”

The stiffness in Zhang Lurang’s expression softened instantly. He awkwardly asked, “Who else do you think is good-looking?”

“How could I think anyone else is good-looking when I stare at your face all day?” Su Zai Zai felt a bit wronged at the thought. “I don’t even dare to look in the mirror anymore, okay?”

The sea breeze blew wildly, sweeping all her hair back.

Zhang Lurang reached out to smooth it down for her, his mood visibly brightening.

Lowering his eyes slightly, he bent forward a little, staring at her face for a while.

Then, he made a simple declaration: “You’re beautiful.”

Hearing his compliment, Su Zai Zai grinned and clung to his arm, looking curious. “Did you think I was pretty when you first met me?”

Zhang Lurang recalled the moment and fell silent.

Su Zai Zai immediately understood, her smile fading slightly.

Feeling a bit stifled, she asked gloomily, “Then what was your first impression of me?”

Zhang Lurang licked his lips, hesitated for a moment, then decided to be honest. “I thought you were a little strange.”

Su Zai Zai’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How was I strange?”

This time, Zhang Lurang remained silent.

Su Zai Zai thought back to how she had acted in their first year of high school.

…Okay, maybe she was a little strange.

She decided to drop the topic and changed the question. “What about now?”

The silent man remained just as silent.

Growing impatient, Su Zai Zai was about to throw a tantrum when she finally heard him speak.

“…Not anymore.”

—

After walking along the beach for a while, they soon returned to the parking lot and drove back to the hotel.

At the front desk, Su Zai Zai went to check in. She gave her name and handed over her ID.

The receptionist glanced at the two of them and reminded, “If there are two guests staying, we need both IDs.”

Hearing this, Zhang Lurang took out his wallet and pulled out his ID.

But before he could hand it over, Su Zai Zai softly said, “No, it’s just me.”

Zhang Lurang was caught off guard and turned to look at her sharply.

After receiving the room key, Su Zai Zai pulled him aside and explained, “Lurang, think about it. You haven’t been home in so long, and yet you’re staying at a hotel with me. Plus, we’re not even married yet—what would your parents think of me?”

Zhang Lurang looked at her and said in a low voice, “Then I’ll go home.”

“Mm, don’t be stubborn this time.”

“……”

“Next time, you can come offer yourself up,” Su Zai Zai shamelessly added.

Zhang Lurang understood her concerns and didn’t argue.

He walked her to her room, reminding her of a few things before leaving.

As he was about to step out, Su Zai Zai suddenly said, “If you’re unhappy, you can always come over.”

Zhang Lurang let out a soft “Mm,” only leaving after seeing her lock the door.

—

When he arrived home, his parents and Zhang Luli were still sitting in the living room, idly chatting.

Having been away for so long, Zhang Lurang felt a little out of place.

He stood at the entryway for a moment, about to greet them before heading to his room, when Zhang Luli, sitting on the couch, happened to see him and called out, “Brother!”

Zhang Lurang finally moved and walked over.

“Lurang, will you be staying here for the winter break?” his mother suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Zhang Lurang looked at her and answered honestly, “I’ll head back in a couple of days. I’ll come over for New Year’s Eve with Uncle.”

Mother Zhang seemed a little dissatisfied and wanted to say something, but when she thought about the empty house in the past two years, she quickly backed down.

Father Zhang, sitting beside her, flipped through his newspaper without saying a word.

Zhang Lurang greeted them briefly before heading back to his room.

Not long after, Zhang Luli pushed open the door without even knocking and walked straight in.

Zhang Lurang was sitting on his bed. When he saw his brother come in, he only glanced up before quickly looking away.

Zhang Luli climbed onto his bed, sat cross-legged, and said, “Bro, I plan to work over there for a few years after graduation before coming back.”

“Mm.”

“I told Mom and Dad, but they don’t agree.”

Hearing this, Zhang Lurang finally reacted, frowning. “You—”

Before he could finish, Zhang Luli continued, “I won’t listen to them. I just want to stay there. I’ve already made up my mind.”

Zhang Lurang nodded, eyes still on his phone, saying nothing.

Zhang Luli wasn’t bothered by his indifference and kept rambling on. “Bro, do you think Mom and Dad’s attitude has changed? I didn’t come home last year because of this.”

Zhang Lurang glanced at him, puzzled.

“When I was around, they always thought the problem was just you. They thought you were rebellious and disobedient,” Zhang Luli analyzed with conviction. “But bro, you actually didn’t come home for three years—so heartless.”

Zhang Lurang ignored him.

“You really work in Z City after graduation?”

Zhang Lurang was getting annoyed. He kicked him lightly. “Go back to your room.”

“So you do work in Z City?” Zhang Luli kept pressing.

“Mm,” he finally answered and added, “That’s where I am now.”

—

Half a year later, they both started preparing for their senior-year internships.

The companies where Su Zai Zai and Zhang Lurang interned were quite far apart, about an hour and a half by car.

Their jobs naturally involved a lot of late nights and overtime, so they had even less time to see each other than before.

Su Zai Zai’s workplace was an advertising company near Z University.

To her surprise, Xie Lin Nan also worked at the same company, in the same department.

But since sophomore year, Su Zai Zai hadn’t really spoken to him. When they ran into each other, she only greeted him politely and distantly.

Then she promptly forgot about him.

Zhang Lurang interned at a large software company near Jinghua. On days he didn’t have overtime, he would drive Lin Mao’s car to Z University to have dinner with Su Zai Zai or bring her food.

If they squeezed their schedules, they could see each other about four times a week, including weekends.

Two weeks into their internships—

Su Zai Zai stepped out of her company and waited outside for a bit before getting into Zhang Lurang’s car.

He was dressed in a dress shirt and suit pants, his tie properly fastened. His lips were pressed in a straight line, but when he saw her, they curved slightly upward. “What do you want to eat?”

As he spoke, he habitually leaned over to help her buckle her seatbelt.

Su Zai Zai sat obediently, thinking carefully. “Let’s have barbecue.”

Zhang Lurang hummed in acknowledgment, thought for a moment about the location of the restaurant, and quickly started the car.

Bored, Su Zai Zai breathed on the car window and wrote the word “Rang” with her finger.

After a moment, she suddenly turned her head and sighed.

“Rang Rang, we’ve been staying up late so much lately. Should we see who goes bald first?”

Just as they hit a red light, Zhang Lurang stopped the car.

Hearing her, his temple twitched slightly. “No.”

Su Zai Zai didn’t say anything else, but she seemed a bit down.

The barbecue restaurant wasn’t far from her company, only about a five-minute drive.

After parking, Zhang Lurang didn’t rush to get out of the car.

Su Zai Zai lowered her head to unbuckle her seatbelt.

Just as she was about to get out, Zhang Lurang grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer. His voice was soft. “What’s wrong?”

Su Zai Zai looked at him, hesitated, but couldn’t hold back. “The director scolded me again just now.”

Zhang Lurang paused and reached out to ruffle her hair. “What did they say?”

“They said my copywriting was terrible. No matter how many times I revised it, it was still bad.” Su Zai Zai’s emotions finally burst out, perhaps because Zhang Lurang was there. “I want to be like you—good at everything…”

It reminded her of the days before the college entrance exams.

Endless grinding, countless frustrations and breakdowns—all part of the price of growing up.

But fortunately, Zhang Lurang was always by her side.

His dark eyes deepened, his Adam’s apple bobbed as if he were suppressing something.

Then, he leaned in, pulling her onto his lap, looking down at her with a coaxing tone.

“What exactly did they say was wrong with your copywriting?”

Su Zai Zai sniffled and wiped her tears on his shirt.

“They said it’s too stiff, too formal.”

Zhang Lurang rubbed his nose against her forehead, half-joking.

“There’s no way you could write something stiff.”

Hearing this, Su Zai Zai looked at him with slightly reddened eyes but said nothing.

“Don’t take other people’s words too seriously,” he added after a moment. “I get scolded all the time too—for all kinds of reasons. I’m not perfect at everything.”

Su Zai Zai seriously disagreed, her voice muffled.

“You are perfect at everything. The people who scold you are just jealous.”

The heaviness in Zhang Lurang’s chest instantly disappeared. Amused, he let out a quiet chuckle.

Lowering his head, he kissed her eyes, the corners of his lips curving.

“If someone scolds you in the future, I’ll buy you gifts, okay?”

Su Zai Zai, feeling much better, played along. “No need for gifts. If I get scolded, you can just kiss me—one of those really rough ones.”

“No.” Zhang Lurang refused outright.

Su Zai Zai was stunned.

Before she could respond, Zhang Lurang lowered his head, pressing his lips against hers.

He bit down on her soft lips, as if he had taken her words to heart, his force a little rough.

Su Zai Zai heard him mumble, “What if no one scolds you anymore?”

Her eyes widened slightly, and then she heard him add,

“I also think you’re good at everything.”

—

The two lingered in the car for a while before finally heading into the barbecue restaurant.

Zhang Lurang picked up the tongs and carefully placed a few pieces of meat on the grill, flipping them with precision.

As Su Zai Zai chewed on the freshly grilled meat, a thought suddenly struck her.

“Rang Rang, there’s less than a year left until we graduate.”

Zhang Lurang freed a hand to mix some dipping sauce and placed it in front of her.

Hearing her words, his brows moved slightly, and his voice deepened, “Su Zai Zai, stop trying to compete with me for everything.”

Su Zai Zai blinked innocently. “I didn’t take anything from you.”

Zhang Lurang cast her a glance but didn’t respond.

She stared at him for a moment, puzzled. “Why do I feel like you’re always angry?”

He sighed softly and asked seriously, “Don’t you want me to treat you better?”

“Huh?” Su Zai Zai thought about it carefully. “You… already treat me really well.”

Before she could finish, Zhang Lurang continued, “You have to give me a chance too.”

There was a hint of frustration in his tone.

Su Zai Zai dumbly responded with an “Oh” and lowered her head to continue eating.

After a while, she finally processed what he meant.

“I won’t propose to you then. But I’ve thought of so many ways to do it.” As she brought it up, she suddenly felt a little unwilling. “No way, I still want to. How about we each propose once?”

Zhang Lurang placed a few more pieces of meat in her bowl and said flatly, “Can’t you act normal for once?”

Su Zai Zai grinned shamelessly. “You don’t like it?”

Zhang Lurang lifted his eyes slightly, glancing at her.

His expression remained unchanged, his face as impassive as ever.

His voice was warm and smooth, like raindrops falling softly outside the window.

“I do.”