So beautiful that it feels a little unreal.

— Su Zai Zai Fairy’s Diary

---

The whistle blew, signaling the start of a short break.

Su Zai Zai saw Zhang Lu Rang stand up and head toward the restroom.

She quickly jogged after him.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Zhang Lu Rang stopped and turned to look at her.

Su Zai Zai came to a halt in front of him, stood on her tiptoes, and placed the hat back on his head.

He didn’t resist, only saying softly, “If you’re not feeling well, go back and sit down.”

Su Zai Zai took out a bottle of sunscreen from her pocket and shoved it into his hand.

“Lu Rang, remember to apply this. Your face is all red.”

“…”

“The sun is really strong. If you don’t put it on, you’ll get sunburned, and it’ll hurt a lot.”

“Okay.”

“Make sure to cover your ears too. Reapply every two to three hours, or it won’t work.”

He obediently replied, “Mm.”

“Stop moving around so much. Push-ups are exhausting.” Su Zai Zai reminded him.

“Got it. Go back now.”

Su Zai Zai was silent for a moment before saying, “My mental endurance isn’t that weak.”

“What?”

“No matter how harsh the instructor yells, I wouldn’t cry.” She said seriously.

I’m happy because of you. And sad, only because of you.

---

Lunch Break.

After wiping herself down with warm water in the restroom, Su Zai Zai returned to the dormitory.

Just as she was about to climb into bed, Xiao Xiao, who was on the lower bunk, grabbed her and asked excitedly, “Zai Zai, what’s going on between you and that handsome guy from Li Zhong?”

“Nothing.” She replied listlessly.

“Still not feeling well?”

“Mm.”

“Then hurry and get some sleep.”

Half-asleep, Su Zai Zai could vaguely hear the other five girls in the dorm whispering excitedly about what had happened today.

“He was seriously so cool! Why don’t I have a boyfriend like that?”

“Did he really need to be that high-profile, though? It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Yeah, maybe a little…”

Su Zai Zai frowned and pulled the blanket over her head, shutting out the outside world.

---

On the other side.

Zhang Lu Rang was lying on his bed, memorizing English vocabulary.

His dormmate, Li Yu De, scooted over and gave him a thumbs-up. “Master Rang, you’re seriously cool.”

Another guy sighed in mock regret. “Man, getting punished with push-ups just to win over a beautiful girl—Zhang Lu Rang, that was some real strategy.”

Hearing that, Zhang Lu Rang’s hand paused as he flipped the page.

Li Yu De chimed in, “Yeah, girls totally fall for that.”

“I can’t take it anymore. It’s already the second semester of sophomore year! If I don’t start dating now, I’ll never get a chance to have a high school romance.”

Zhang Lu Rang: “…”

A thought flickered in his mind.

But then, a memory suddenly surfaced.

A starlit night.

A girl’s flushed face, full of confusion and panic.

— “I never thought about that, really, never. I swear on my…”

— “I’m only fifteen this year…”

Zhang Lu Rang’s forehead twitched.

He pushed the thoughts aside and refocused on his vocabulary book.

…Forget it.

---

After a nap, Su Zai Zai felt much better.

She got up half an hour early and neatly folded her blanket into a square shape.

After applying sunscreen, she started changing into her uniform.

This time, she double-checked that she wasn’t missing anything before heading out.

She arrived early. More than half of the class hadn’t shown up yet.

Finding a spot under the shade of a tree, Su Zai Zai sat down, took off her hat, and hugged her knees, lost in thought.

Not long after, a guy plopped down beside her, squatting comfortably with his legs spread apart.

Curious, he asked, “Hey, desk mate, are you not feeling well?”

Su Zai Zai glanced at him but didn’t respond.

“What’s going on between you and that guy from the next class?” Wang Nan asked casually.

“…”

“I’m talking to you!”

“There’s a lot going on.” Su Zai Zai answered perfunctorily.

“…”

After a brief silence, Wang Nan suddenly reached out, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, teasing, “Aren’t you hot with your hair all down like this?”

Su Zai Zai frowned and slapped his hand away. “What are you doing?”

After saying that, she didn’t feel like staying any longer and stood up to leave.

Wang Nan instinctively stood up too. “Hey, I was just joking.”

Su Zai Zai turned to him, confused. “Then why did you touch me?”

“…”

She was already in a bad mood and had no patience for nonsense.

She was about to head over to place her water bottle down when she turned and caught sight of Zhang Lu Rang watching from a distance.

Su Zai Zai froze for a second before immediately running over to him.

She asked in a small voice, “Did you put on the sunscreen?”

“Mm.”

“I forgot to tell you—you need to apply it at least half an hour in advance for it to work properly.”

“Okay.”

Su Zai Zai blinked, recalling what had just happened.

To prevent any misunderstandings—whether he had seen it or not—she felt the need to explain.

“Did you see what just happened?”

Zhang Lu Rang averted his eyes and stayed silent.

“Lu Rang, don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not.” He frowned, reaching up to rub his neck.

“…”

Su Zai Zai suddenly found him adorable.

Her mood instantly lifted.

“It wasn’t my fault. He suddenly reached out, and I didn’t even have time to react.” Su Zai Zai explained seriously. After thinking for a moment, she added, “I actually think you got the short end of the stick. How about I let you touch me once too?”

Zhang Lu Rang: “…”

Su Zai Zai shamelessly suggested, “Or I could wash my hair tonight, and tomorrow, I’ll offer myself up.”

“…”

“You should say someth—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Zhang Lu Rang suddenly reached out.

Like ruffling a kitten’s fur, he tousled her hair.

Su Zai Zai hadn’t reacted yet.

Zhang Lu Rang immediately looked away, left a single sentence, and walked off.

“If you’re feeling unwell, remember to ask the instructor for leave.”

Su Zai Zai stood there, dumbly nodding her head.

Before training, they had to stand at attention for fifteen minutes.

The instructor spoke as he walked around the class.

A few minutes later, he stopped in front of Su Zai Zai.

He tapped the brim of her cap with his finger and said sternly, “Who told you to smile?”

For the first time, Su Zai Zai felt so wronged.

She—she couldn’t help it!

---

On the last day of military training,

the school rented buses to take the students back, and from there, they would each head home.

Su Zai Zai stood in the class queue.

The homeroom teacher suddenly walked over and said, “The bus assigned to our class is a bit small, with only 40 seats. Ten students will have to ride on buses assigned to other classes.”

Su Zai Zai held an umbrella, looking down at her phone.

“Three students will go on the Science-Focused Class bus, another three on the Liberal Arts Class Five bus, and the remaining four…”

Hearing this, Su Zai Zai immediately raised her hand. “Teacher! I volunteer to take the Science-Focused Class bus back!”

The teacher was momentarily stunned by her interruption. “…Alright.”

Then, she sent Zhang Lu Rang two messages.

—Let Rang, I’ll be sitting next to you in a bit.

—Save me a seat.

Zhang Lu Rang: “…”

---

After getting on the bus, Su Zai Zai immediately spotted Zhang Lu Rang sitting in the second-to-last row.

She walked over and saw that he had placed his backpack on the seat beside him.

Zhang Lu Rang glanced up and casually lifted his backpack away.

Su Zai Zai sat down and turned to look at him.

Under the sunlight, his skin looked exceptionally fair.

Zhang Lu Rang gazed out the window, showing only half of his side profile.

His long, curled lashes drooped slightly, trembling faintly.

His lips were gently pressed together, curving slightly upward.

After admiring him for a while, Su Zai Zai said, “You must be very meticulous with applying sunscreen.”

Zhang Lu Rang: “…”

“When it’s time for university military training, I’ll buy sunscreen for you too,” she said softly.

She waited for a while but didn’t get a response from him.

Not minding it, she hugged her backpack, curled up in her seat, and closed her eyes.

Soon, Zhang Lu Rang reached over and pulled her backpack away, stacking it on top of his own.

Then, he said in a low voice, “Sleep.”

Su Zai Zai looked at him and obediently responded, “Oh.”

She was indeed tired and soon fell asleep.

Zhang Lu Rang stared out the window, dazing for a while.

Then, he took out a vocabulary book from his backpack and started memorizing words.

Before long, the bus jolted slightly.

Su Zai Zai’s head tilted and landed on his arm.

Zhang Lu Rang’s body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.

He licked his lips and turned to look at her.

Gazing at her delicate face, he suddenly spoke, very, very softly.

“I’ll buy it for you.”

“From now on, whatever you want, I’ll buy it for you.”

Zhang Lu Rang retracted his gaze.

He thought to himself, I’ll let her lean on me for ten minutes, then I’ll wake her up.

Ten minutes later, he thought, Just ten more minutes.

And so, he kept thinking this all the way back.

---

Su Zai Zai had arranged to meet Jiang Jia at the school gate before heading to the bus station together.

“I just rode back with Zhang Lu Rang,” Su Zai Zai said cheerfully.

Jiang Jia had her head down, texting someone.

It took her a moment to react before saying, “Not bad, expert in chasing male gods.”

Su Zai Zai sighed as she recalled the past week. “Military training was too painful. Plus, we weren’t even in the same class—absolute suffering.”

“Forget that, the whole grade already knows about your school’s heartthrob putting a hat on you.”

“…”

“Good taste, you found someone who dotes on his girlfriend,” Jiang Jia teased.

Su Zai Zai didn’t respond, just smiled faintly.

“I have something to tell you,” Jiang Jia scratched her head, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m dating Guan Han now.”

Su Zai Zai was stunned. She stopped walking and stared at her in shock.

Jiang Jia looked a little awkward and patted Su Zai Zai’s arm. “What’s with you? Don’t overreact…”

“You…” Su Zai Zai didn’t even know what to say.

“It’s only been a short while, just since the week before military training.”

Su Zai Zai suddenly lowered her head. “I feel like such a failure.”

Jiang Jia: “…”

“I’ve been chasing after my male god for…” Su Zai Zai started counting on her fingers. “One, two… six months—almost half a year, my god…”

“…”

“This week, I must make actual progress!” Su Zai Zai raised her hand in a solemn vow.

“…Don’t be reckless.”

---

On Saturday afternoon, Su Zai Zai asked Zhang Lu Rang to take their dogs for a walk together.

Little Short Legs was already four months old.

She leashed him up and took him outside.

They met downstairs and walked to the lawn.

After letting their dogs roam freely, they found a spot to sit.

Silence hung in the air for a few minutes.

Su Zai Zai hesitated, wondering how to start.

Eventually, she tactfully asked, “Does your Su Su have a mate yet?”

Zhang Lu Rang: “…”

Come to think of it, he wasn’t even sure about the gender.

Su Zai Zai continued, “Is Su Su a boy or a girl?”

“Girl.”

Su Zai Zai instantly perked up. “My Little Short Legs is a boy!”

“…”

“Do you think they’d be a good match?”

“…No.”

Su Zai Zai widened her eyes. “Why not?! Their genders are perfect for each other!”

Zhang Lu Rang fell silent for a moment, looking a bit awkward. “He wouldn’t be able to reach.”

“Wh—” Su Zai Zai immediately got it. Her ears turned red. “Let Rang, you’re a bit dirty-minded.”

Zhang Lu Rang: “…”

“Truly in awe.”

“Su Zai Zai!” Zhang Lu Rang frowned and called her name.

She instantly quieted down.

An awkward silence followed.

Just as Zhang Lu Rang was about to speak—

She immediately fell silent.

There was an awkward pause.

Just as Zhang Lurang was about to speak—

Su Zai Zai suddenly spoke up, catching him completely off guard.

“Zhang Lurang, you like me.”

Zhang Lurang instinctively turned his head to look at her.

In that moment, the world around them seemed to fall into complete silence.

She didn’t say anything else, just nervously clenched her sweaty hands.

Her gaze was firm, unwavering.

Zhang Lurang’s mind went completely blank.

He couldn’t remember anything, couldn’t hear a single sound.

He could only see her.