She touched his hand.
It was somewhat cold, but also felt warm.
In short... it was great.
-From *Su Zai Zai, the Little Fairy's Diary*
Friday night.
After taking a bath, Su Zai Zai lay on her bed.
She held her phone in her hand, her legs swinging back and forth.
Looking at the name "Zhang Rang Rang" on the screen, she couldn't help but roll over, hugging her phone and giggling.
After a while, she happily typed: Rang Rang.
Su Zai Zai: My foot is better now~
Zhang Lu Rang: Hmm.
Su Zai Zai: So, let's go cycling!
He didn't reply immediately.
Su Zai Zai kept staring at the "The other party is typing" indicator.
After half a minute, she couldn't hold back anymore.
She bit her lip and asked unhappily: You're not backing out, are you?
Su Zai Zai: Then give me back the number of jellybeans fromrows plus one row minus one.
Su Zai Zai: No, with inflation, you should compensate me a hundred times.
Su Zai Zai: You broke our agreement, causing me great emotional trauma.
Su Zai Zai: Adding it all up, you probably owe me around a billion.
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
He slowly deleted what he had just typed and replied: What time?
The next afternoon.
Su Zai Zai walked out the door holding a bag, with a cycling helmet in her hands.
Zhang Lu Rang, standing downstairs, saw what she was holding:
Su Zai Zai ran over cheerfully and showed it to him.
"I bought it last week!" She said proudly.
Su Zai Zai handed him the bag and instructed, "Put these on first, knee and elbow pads, you mustn't get hurt."
Zhang Lu Rang pressed his lips together and took them.
"We can put the helmet on over there," she murmured.
Zhang Lu Rang said nothing, but it was clear he resisted the helmet.
Noticing his expression, Su Zai Zai caught on.
"Do you think the helmet is ugly?"
"...Yes."
Su Zai Zai felt a bit down: "Really? I even chose a plain black one because I thought you might find it too flashy."
Seeing no reaction from him, Su Zai Zai didn't insist.
"But I guess it isn't very good-looking... Then let's not wear it, just the knee and elbow pads."
Zhang Lu Rang nodded.
Su Zai Zai went to the bike shed and wheeled out her bicycle.
The two of them walked side by side to an open space in the neighborhood.
Su Zai Zai suddenly spoke up: "Rang Rang."
"Hmm."
"Did the teacher call your parents?"
Zhang Lu Rang hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't know."
Su Zai Zai responded with an "oh" and switched to another topic.
"Do you know how long it usually takes for a normal person to learn how to ride a bike?"
Zhang Lu Rang thought seriously for a moment, just about to answer.
Su Zai Zai shamelessly lied: "For someone with talent, it takes at least six months. For someone as average as you, it would probably take at least a year."
Zhang Lu Rang: ".
Noticing Zhang Lu Rang's gaze, Su Zai Zai innocently asked: "You don't believe me?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
He turned his eyes away and said in a deep voice, "I don't know."
"How can you not believe me?"
"Rang Rang, you can't always be on guard against me."
"I'm so good to you, why would I lie to you?"
"..." How could he believe it would take a year to learn how to ride a bike?
They reached the open space.
Just as Zhang Lu Rang was about to grab the bike's handlebars, Su Zai Zai stopped him.
"No way! You can't start practicing so soon!"
"We still have to go through the theory first!"
"I'm going to explain it to you." Su Zai Zai pointed to the bike, "This is called a bicycle, you can also call it a pedal bike or a bike..."
Zhang Lu Rang really didn't want to engage with her anymore.
"Its English name is 'bicycle."
"...Hmm."
Noticing his indifferent expression, Su Zai Zai frowned and started to make trouble.
"You tell me, how do you spell 'bicycle'?"
"You don't know? Let me teach you."
"...Learn to ride the bike."
"We are learning to ride the bike."
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After explaining the word to him, Su Zai Zai continued seriously, "Now we'll learn about the bike's structure."
"Su Zai Zai," Zhang Lu Rang couldn't take it anymore.
"Yes?"
"Are you deliberately trying to stop me from learning?"
"Why would I?" She looked completely innocent.
Zhang Lu Rang lowered his head and stared at her expressionlessly.
Su Zai Zai couldn't stand being stared at like that by him.
She immediately looked away and adjusted the height of the saddle.
Then she looked at him and relented, "Try it out and see if the height works for you."
Zhang Lu Rang placed one foot on the ground, swung his long leg over, and stepped onto the pedal.
Su Zai Zai hesitated for a moment and still asked, "Rang Rang, are you sure you don't want to wear the helmet?"
"Hmm."
"Then I'll hold on to you, I won't let you fall, don't worry."
"Okay." A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.
Since Su Zai Zai's bike didn't have a back seat, she could only hold onto the rod under the saddle.
Zhang Lu Rang pushed down with his right foot, stepping onto the pedal.
Then he placed his left foot on it too.
Su Zai Zai held onto the back, gently reminding him, "I'm holding on, try to find your balance."
Zhang Lu Rang responded with a low "Hmm."
"Go ahead and pedal, I won't let you fall," she said seriously.
Considering that Su Zai Zai was holding on behind him, Zhang Lu Rang rode very slowly.
Seeing that he was pedaling well, Su Zai Zai cautiously let go.
But she kept her hands close to the rod, not daring to move too far away.
She suddenly got distracted.
Today, Zhang Lu Rang was wearing a black and white striped pullover, which was fitted and casual.
It was hard to see his muscle lines.
But because the saddle was almost at the same height as the handlebars, when Zhang Lu Rang rode, his body leaned forward slightly.
One careless move, and a bit of skin would show...
Su Zai Zai swallowed nervously.
She couldn't help but reach out and touch him.
Zhang Lu Rang's body stiffened instantly, his balance suddenly lost.
He quickly put one foot down to steady himself.
Quick reflexes-he didn't fall.
Su Zai Zai was startled.
Seeing that he didn't fall, she breathed a sigh of relief.
But then she quickly reacted and hurriedly said, "I didn't touch you."
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
"I absolutely didn't! I absolutely did not touch you!"
Su Zai Zai immediately tried to shirk responsibility: "You were the one who twisted your waist toward me, I swear."
"My hands were just resting there..."
Zhang Lu Rang remained silent, turning his head to look at her.
Su Zai Zai instantly shut her mouth.
After a moment, she weakly admitted, "Alright, it was me."
Then she lied with a straight face: "There was a bug on you just now, I helped you get it off."
Zhang Lu Rang didn't say anything more.
But Su Zai Zai felt inexplicably wronged: "So what if I touched you?"
"It's not like I have any improper thoughts."
"Hmm." He responded quickly.
"Then why do you always act like you're resisting to the death?"
"...I'm not."
"Don't lie to me." Su Zai Zai lowered her head, frustrated. "It's n like I don't bathe, what are you rejecting? I-I took a bath for nothing."
Zhang Lu Rang's cheeks burned, feeling a bit embarrassed: "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"So you're not rejecting me?"
"Hmm."
Su Zai Zai pushed her luck: "Then you have to prove it to me."
"...How?"
She held out her hand, grinning mischievously.
"Touch my hand, to prove you're not rejecting me."
He immediately turned his face away, awkwardly saying, "Don't be ridiculous."
Su Zai Zai widened her eyes: "What's wrong with just touching hands?"
She thought for a moment, deciding to ease his psychological burden.
"Haven't you ever high-fived a girl before?"
Zhang Lu Rang nodded.
Su Zai Zai laughed cheekily, hinting, "Then your first time is mine."
"First time high-fiving a girl," she explained.
Su Zai Zai held up her hand, "Come on."
Zhang Lu Rang kept one foot on the ground, the other on the pedal.
His hands rested on the handlebars, eyes downcast.
After a moment, he lifted his left hand.
His cheeks were a bit warm as he quickly tapped her palm.
Then he immediately pulled away.
Su Zai Zai was so excited she wanted to jump up and lick her palm.
She forcibly suppressed the impulse, pretending not to care.
"Let's continue learning to ride," she said.
Zhang Lu Rang kept his head down, not responding.
Su Zai Zai thought for a moment and said, "Rang Rang, you should put on the helmet. You almost fell just now."
"Not wearing it." He refused directly.
She felt a bit annoyed: "But I might not be able to hold you up."
"Wear it, it's safer." Su Zai Zai continued to persuade.
99
Su Zai Zai leaned closer to him: "Will you wear it?"
Her eyes seemed to be shining, clear and bright.
When she smiled, her almond-shaped eyes curved like crescent moons, with a small dimple appearing at the corner of her lips.
She looked both cute and lively.
Zhang Lu Rang turned his eyes away: "...Okay."
Su Zai Zai quickly picked up the cycling helmet she had placed aside and handed it to him.
He took it and put it on.
Su Zai Zai stood by, watching him adjust the straps.
Half a minute later, she suddenly called out, "Rang Rang."
Zhang Lu Rang responded absentmindedly.
Su Zai Zai praised, "You made the helmet look better."
"Rang Rang, you're really amazing."
Although Zhang Lu Rang could guess that whatever she said nextwould probably be something ridiculous, he hesitated and still couldn't resist asking, "What?"
"I was originally going to say that this helmet was ugly, but after you put it on-"
"I just want to say, it's a beautiful helmet now."
"...Act normal."
After getting ready, Zhang Lu Rang started riding again.
Su Zai Zai held on from behind; this time she didn't dare let go.
Ten minutes later.
Having already found his balance, Zhang Lu Rang couldn't help but say, "Su Zai Zai, you can let go now."
"No way." Su Zai Zai immediately objected, "What if you fall?"
Fifteen minutes later.
"Su Zai Zai, let go."
"I'm scared... I'm scared to let go," she said, looking distressed.
Twenty minutes later.
Zhang Lu Rang squeezed the brakes and said softly, "It's getting late. Let's continue another day."
"Is it really difficult?" Su Zai Zai let go, acting like someone who had been through it all.
He stayed silent for a moment: "...Yes."
The week before the final exams.
The homeroom teacher handed out the subject selection forms for choosing between humanities and sciences.
As soon as Su Zai Zai received it, she immediately filled in "Humanities."
Next to her, Jiang Jia was curious: "Hey, didn't you say Zhang Lu Rang is choosing sciences? You're not following him?"
"Jia Jia," Su Zai Zai said seriously, "You have to be rational when chasing a guy."
"If I choose humanities, I can become a top student."
"Now I'm flawless, perfect in every way."
"...Just shut up."
After the end-of-term ceremony.
Su Zai Zai sent a WeChat message to Zhang Lu Rang.
Su Zai Zai: Rang Rang, let's go cycling tomorrow.
This time, his reply was slower than usual.
Su Zai Zai waited for a while, and just as she was about to go take a bath, her phone chimed twice.
She lit up the screen and checked.
-I'll be going back to City B tomorrow.
-My home is there; I'll be back when the new term starts.