Chapter 53

About things related to her—if I’m not sure whether they’re right or wrong…

…I’d rather not do them at all.

—Zhang Lurang

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere instantly felt like someone had hit the mute button.

Zhang Lurang withdrew his gaze, his dark eyes looking straight ahead. His profile was as sharp and rigid as if carved by a blade.

His grip on Su Zai Zai’s hand tightened slightly, yet he made no comment on her words.

Su Zai Zai didn’t rush to speak either. She lowered her head and began silently counting in her mind.

One, two, three…

Before she even reached ten, Zhang Lurang spoke.

His voice was soft, as if he were casually asking without much thought.

“Has your department booked the hotel and train tickets yet?”

“Not yet.” Su Zai Zai took out her phone to check. “I think we’re taking a coach bus instead. A few people haven’t confirmed yet, but the department head said we have to finalize everything by tonight.”

Zhang Lurang pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, lost in thought.

“If you’re going, book my ticket with yours too. There’s a student discount.” Su Zai Zai considered for a moment before continuing, “As for the hotel, there are seven girls in our department. We were originally going to have three people squeeze into one room. But now that you’re coming with me, I can just stay with you.”

He hesitated, then seriously said, “Su Zai Zai, booking two rooms isn’t that expensive.”

Su Zai Zai blinked, her eyelashes fluttering innocently. “I know it’s not expensive.”

Seeing that she seemed a little persuaded, Zhang Lurang’s expression relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted.

But the next second, Su Zai Zai spoke again, her tone righteous and confident: “But if I book just one room, I can save money and sleep next to you. Why would I book two?”

Zhang Lurang: “…”

Noticing he wasn’t outright rejecting the idea, Su Zai Zai tapped on her phone as she said, “Alright, I’ll let them know. I’ll see which hotel they book, then I’ll reserve a room.”

After a long silence, Zhang Lurang finally relented. “I’ll book the room.”

Hearing that, Su Zai Zai looked up from her phone, shamelessly saying, “You’re not going to book two rooms, are you? I’m not staying in a separate one! No way! I’m scared of sleeping alone! You can’t do this to me!”

“…I won’t.”

—

In the days leading up to the May Day holiday, a few bouts of rain had washed away some of the summer heat.

When Su Zai Zai left the house, the sky was still overcast, and the ground was damp.

The air was especially fresh, and the trees lining the streets looked lush and vibrant, occasionally hit by raindrops still lingering on their leaves.

Since they had to catch a ride soon, the two of them left early and grabbed breakfast at the cafeteria first.

Along the way, raindrops kept landing on them intermittently.

Unable to stand it, Su Zai Zai unzipped her stuffed backpack and rummaged around for an umbrella. As she pulled it out, she accidentally dislodged another item, sending it falling to the ground with a plop.

Zhang Lurang, standing beside her, instinctively bent down to help pick it up.

It was a small box—something that was commonly found on the racks near supermarket checkout counters.

The moment he realized what it was, his expression stiffened. He suddenly had no desire to pick it up.

Su Zai Zai shoved the umbrella into his hand and bent down to pick up the item herself.

Her expression was a little sneaky as she tried to cover it up, saying, “Oops, I dropped a pack of tissues.”

Zhang Lurang stared at her for a moment, silent.

Then, looking a bit defeated, he held out his hand toward her and said in a cold voice, “Give it to me.”

Realizing she couldn’t fool him, Su Zai Zai gave up on pretending and shamelessly said, “Why should I give it to you? If you want one, buy your own.”

If she handed it over now, he’d probably throw it straight into the trash…

Zhang Lurang was momentarily speechless, frowning. “Who told you to buy this?”

Su Zai Zai lowered her eyes and pitifully mumbled, “You’ve got to have dreams, right? What if they come true?”

Hearing that, Zhang Lurang wanted to say something—to completely erase that kind of thought from her mind. But before he could, she spoke again.

Her voice was quiet, tinged with a bit of disappointment.

“Lurang, if you don’t take the initiative, I don’t feel secure.”

The words caught him off guard, shutting down whatever he had intended to say.

Zhang Lurang turned his head to look at her.

She was still looking down, looking rather pitiful.

From this angle, he could see her lips pressed together, drooping slightly. Her eyelashes trembled gently, as if she was on the verge of tears.

Zhang Lurang licked his lips and softened his tone. “Got it.”

Hearing his response, Su Zai Zai instantly brightened up.

“Wow! You promised! Let’s go then!”

Zhang Lurang: “…”

—

Several people in the department had brought their partners along, so Zhang Lurang’s presence wasn’t out of place.

The group first took a bus from the campus gate to the coach station, then boarded a long-distance bus to W City.

The journey took about an hour and a half—just enough for a good nap.

Because there were a lot of people, the air in the bus was stuffy, carrying a mix of different scents that weren’t exactly pleasant.

Su Zai Zai always prepared disposable masks before taking a long-distance bus. While they couldn’t completely block out the smells, they helped a lot.

She rummaged through her backpack, pulled out two, and handed one to Zhang Lurang.

Once he put it on, she immediately took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of him. Then, pulling him into a couple of selfies, she only stopped once she had her fun. Satisfied, she clung to his arm and drifted off to sleep.

Her breathing gradually became slow and steady as she sank into deep slumber.

Zhang Lurang turned his head slightly, gazing at her sleeping face, momentarily lost in thought.

He recalled what she had said earlier.

—“Lurang, if you don’t take the initiative, I don’t feel secure.”

—

The temperature in W City was more comfortable than in Z City, cool and pleasant.

Because of the holiday, the streets were bustling with crowds, people brushing past each other as they walked.

Before long, the group decided to split up for free time, planning to reconvene for a meal later.

Zhang Lurang held Su Zai Zai’s hand as they strolled down a stone-paved path.

In the distance, on the lake, a black-awning boat drifted gently as the boatman rowed, sending ripples across the water.

On the street, vendors called out their wares, each voice louder than the last.

Su Zai Zai stopped at one of the stalls.

A layer of white cloth was spread over the stall, displaying an array of crystal bracelets.

Her gaze swept across them before settling on two.

Each handmade braided cord held a single dark red bead, engraved with the characters “礼” (Li) and “让” (Rang), respectively.

Su Zai Zai picked up the one with “让” and curved her lips into a smile. “Buy this for me.”

Zhang Lu Rang asked for the price and took out his money.

Originally, he had planned to buy both, intending to give the other to Zhang Lu Li.

But then he noticed Su Zai Zai putting the bracelet on her wrist, and he hesitated, abandoning the idea.

Su Zai Zai grinned mischievously and held out her delicate wrist in front of him.

The contrast between the smooth, fair skin and the deep red bead was striking, making her complexion appear even more alluring.

And the “让” character engraved on it stirred something in his heart.

People passed by on the small bridge behind them.

Yet her smile outshone the picturesque scenery.

“You just spent money to give yourself to me.”

Zhang Lu Rang couldn’t help but smile as well. He reached out and gently touched the corner of her eye.

“Mm, I’m yours.”

—

At lunchtime, the group reconvened at a small restaurant.

Since it was a collective trip, they stayed together after the meal, heading to the lake to rent two black-awning boats.

They chatted, took photos, and passed the hour in a leisurely manner.

Su Zai Zai remained quiet, simply playing with Zhang Lu Rang’s fingers, occasionally tracing the lines in his palm.

She suddenly found herself looking forward to tonight.

Zhang Lu Rang had no idea what she was thinking, but watching her little movements, his gaze softened.

After disembarking, the group took a bus to the shopping district to buy local specialties.

By evening, after a full day of exploring, several of the girls were visibly exhausted and suggested returning to the hotel to rest.

After some discussion, half of the group decided to head back, while the rest split into smaller teams for different activities.

Su Zai Zai was still brimming with energy.

Compared to the daytime scenery, she was more interested in seeing W City’s night view.

The streetlights reflected off the water, merging into a single shimmering tapestry. The rippling surface distorted the light, intertwining waves and shadows.

One by one, the scattered lights flickered on, illuminating the night as the night market gradually came to life.

Su Zai Zai’s eyes sparkled, reflecting the glow.

Enchanted by the view, she instinctively reached for her phone to take a picture—only to suddenly feel her palm empty.

She instinctively turned to the side.

Zhang Lu Rang had released her hand.

His palm was open, sliding upward until he grasped her wrist.

With a firm tug, he pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and brushed a light kiss against her lips.

His voice was deep and smooth, laced with lazy amusement.

“I’m being proactive.”

Su Zai Zai blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered.

She licked her lips, unfazed by the small gain, her expression serious and tone firm.

“That’s not what I meant. Don’t try to brush me off.”

Zhang Lu Rang, who had spent the entire bus ride reflecting on his actions, was caught off guard.

“…Then what do you mean?”

“You should understand. I can’t always spell everything out. Otherwise, what does that make me…”

Seeing Zhang Lu Rang deep in thought again, Su Zai Zai couldn’t hold back. She completely forgot what she had just said and added, this time less subtly—

“I’ll be waiting for you tonight.”

Zhang Lu Rang: “……”