Chapter 37

I like her.

I don’t know why she likes me.

But I’m happy that she does.

I will always treat her well.

—Zhang Lurang

—

Zhang Lurang booked a flight for Saturday morning to return.

Before leaving, he gave Su Zaizai a set of exercises.

—2014 Science Comprehensive Academic Level Test.

Su Zaizai was dumbfounded. “So where’s my jelly?”

Seeing her on the verge of an outburst, Zhang Lurang licked his lips and seriously explained, “Eating too much jelly isn’t good for you. Finish these exercises, and I’ll be back.”

At the same time, Su Zaizai noticed the large “20” on the cover.

Twenty sets.

Each set included physics, chemistry, and biology.

Sixty multiple-choice questions per subject, adding up to 180 questions in total.

She was silent for a moment before casually throwing out a remark.

“So… you just don’t want to see me again, huh?”

Zhang Lurang: “……”

“And also…” Su Zaizai counted on her fingers, “The academic level test is still eight months away. Even if I do them now, I’ll forget everything by then.”

He pressed his lips together and said in a cold tone, “You need at least a C in all three subjects to get into a first-tier university.”

Su Zaizai didn’t care at all. “It’s not like I’ll score less than 50, right? It’s all multiple-choice! I can answer 20 correctly, guess another 10, and that’s 50 points already. How hard can it be?”

“…The scores aren’t calculated that way.”

Just because you got 30 right didn’t mean you’d get 50 points.

But he didn’t say that aloud.

Su Zaizai ripped open the transparent plastic wrap and pulled out a test paper.

She lowered her eyes and flipped through it casually.

Still didn’t think it was difficult.

She was puzzled. “What are you worried about? It’s just multiple-choice.”

In their second year of high school, physics, chemistry, and biology had been reduced to just one class per week.

Every time she wanted to use those periods to work on other subjects, she would remember his words and silently put the test papers away to listen to the class properly.

So, Su Zaizai felt zero pressure.

But Zhang Lurang clearly thought differently.

“I’m afraid all your guesses will be wrong.” His eyes held a trace of worry. “If there were written questions, at least you could get points for writing formulas.”

When it came to her studies, he was always particularly serious.

Although Su Zaizai was quite happy that he cared so much about her, she still couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so sure I’ll be guessing?”

He lowered his gaze and looked into her eyes.

Su Zaizai felt a little embarrassed under his stare and turned her head slightly.

Golden sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves.

One beam landed right on Su Zaizai’s eyes, making her squint.

Zhang Lurang instinctively raised his hand to block the light for her.

Then, Su Zaizai heard him speak.

His voice was smooth and gentle, like a breeze brushing past her ear.

“Ah.”

He seemed lost in thought, like he was recalling something.

Soon, he snapped out of it, his tone tinged with amusement.

“—Magnesium, aluminum, sodium, silicon, phosphorus.”

Su Zaizai immediately remembered how she had been reciting the periodic table beside him before.

She didn’t take it seriously and shamelessly ignored the last words he said.

“You called me beautiful.”

Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang in his pocket.

He took it out, glanced at the screen, and said, “I have to go.”

Su Zaizai’s good mood instantly vanished.

She instinctively grabbed his wrist and asked softly, “Can’t I go to the airport with you?”

“No,” he refused immediately.

“Oh.”

He sighed and explained, “I don’t want you to come back alone.”

Su Zaizai fell silent for a moment.

Then, she spoke in a soft, coaxing voice.

“I listen to everything you say.”

“You told me to eat only one jelly a day, to listen carefully in class, and to stay away from other boys. I’ve done all of that.”

“I’ll do these exercises too.”

“I’m so well-behaved. Don’t you want to come back and see me more often?”

Zhang Lurang reached out and patted her head.

His Adam’s apple bobbed twice before he couldn’t help but lower his head.

And kiss her..

—

Zhang Lurang pushed open the door to his house and walked in.

The house was quiet, feeling somewhat empty.

He silently changed into indoor slippers and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

Then, he headed straight to his room.

After texting Su Zaizai to say he had arrived home safely, he pulled out a test paper and started working on it.

Unknowingly, the entire afternoon passed.

Noticing that the sky outside had darkened, he glanced at his phone.

7 PM.

Zhang Lurang stood up, left his room, and walked downstairs.

His parents and Zhang Luli had just returned from outside and were now sitting at the dining table.

Seeing him, Zhang Luli paused in surprise. “Brother, you’re back? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Zhang Lurang replied casually, “I just got back.”

After speaking, he went into the kitchen and scooped himself a bowl of rice.

Just as he sat down, his mother frowned and asked, “Why do you keep running off to your uncle’s place? I had a tutor arranged for you this break…”

Zhang Luli couldn’t hold back and interrupted, “Mom, can we not talk about this during dinner?”

Their mother hesitated before rephrasing her question.

Mother Zhang paused for a moment before asking again, “A-Rang, why are you going to your uncle’s place?”

Hearing this, Father Zhang’s expression darkened. He said sternly, “Before, you went there for classes. What are you going for now? Your uncle isn’t that old, don’t keep troubling him.”

Zhang Lurang’s hand, which was picking up food, paused briefly. Finally, he spoke.

“I’ll go there again during the winter break.”

Mother Zhang immediately objected. “No! What are you going there for? Next semester is the second half of your second year in high school. Can’t you give me some peace of mind?”

“I’m going.” His tone was unusually firm.

Father Zhang sighed and turned to Zhang Luli. “A-Li, go get his ID card for me.”

Zhang Lurang abruptly lifted his head, looking at him in disbelief.

Zhang Luli stopped eating but didn’t move.

Mother Zhang seemed utterly disappointed in Zhang Lurang and repeated the words she often said.

“Can’t you learn from A-Li?”

Zhang Luli immediately turned his head and shouted, on the verge of breaking down, “Mom! Can you stop saying that?”

—

Su Zai Zai was sitting at her desk, about to pull out a practice test to do.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Jiang Jia.

Jiang Jia: Holy shit, let me tell you something.

Jiang Jia: Remember the Weibo post I tagged you in about the top guy from B University?

Jiang Jia: Someone in the comments said! The third picture! That guy’s a sophomore now!

Jiang Jia: BUT! HE’S! ONLY! FIFTEEN! YEARS! OLD!

Jiang Jia: Holy shit!

Su Zai Zai froze for a moment.

The third picture?

The one that looked like Zhang Lurang?

She blinked and pursed her lips before replying: 6666.

For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly recalled a conversation she had with Zhang Lurang a few days ago.

—”Rang Rang, do you have an older brother?”

—”No.”

—”I only have a younger brother, a year younger than me.”

—

A scene suddenly surged into Zhang Luli’s mind.

He had knocked on Zhang Lurang’s bedroom door but got no response.

Then, he opened the door and saw Zhang Lurang lying in bed, asleep.

The window was open, and the wind blew in from outside.

The books on the desk rustled, flipping one page after another.

And then, it just happened to stop on one page.

He instinctively glanced at it.

—If they had only given birth to A-Li, how great would that be.

It was Zhang Lurang’s handwriting.

His brother’s handwriting.

—

Mother Zhang was stunned by his outburst and stammered, “What did I say wrong?”

“You shouldn’t talk to your mother like that,” Father Zhang frowned.

Zhang Luli’s eyes turned red, and he choked out, “Just stop talking.”

In a family with two children,

The parents gave all their love to one child.

The one who was neglected gradually became silent.

The one who was cherished began to tread carefully.

How twisted was such a family?

Even the children could tell something was wrong, yet the parents saw no issue at all.

Zhang Lurang had always lived in such a place.

Because his younger brother was too outstanding, he had grown up under the weight of everyone’s disappointment.

No matter how hard he tried, it was never enough.

—”Hey, Zhang Lurang, your little brother is three grades ahead of you?”

—”You’re Zhang Luli’s older brother? What was your rank in the last exam? …Tsk.”

—”How can an older brother be so much worse than his younger brother?”

—”A-Rang, what are you so proud of? Your little brother scores full marks every time.”

—”Sigh, I don’t even know what to say to you. If you don’t understand, just ask your brother.”

That day, Zhang Lurang pushed open Zhang Luli’s door.

He told himself that if he didn’t understand something, he should ask.

There was nothing shameful about that.

Zhang Lurang mustered his courage and placed his workbook in front of him.

“A-Li, do you know how to solve this problem?”

But back then, Zhang Luli was still young and didn’t understand much.

He had no idea how much harm his next words would cause Zhang Lurang.

“Of course.”

Just as Zhang Lurang was about to ask him to explain, he heard him continue.

“Brother, why can’t you even solve something this easy?”

No matter how many years passed,

Zhang Lurang would never forget that sentence.

Like the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

Because of that sentence, he took the initiative to call Lin Mao.

For the first time, he cried like a child.

For the first time, he bowed his head to reality, as if he could no longer endure it.

“Uncle, I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

“…Can I transfer to your school?”

Zhang Lurang fled from City B to City Z.

And then, he met Su Zai Zai.

The one who, bit by bit,

Stripped away the inferiority ingrained in his bones.