Aug 16, 2024
Chapter 31
So Beautiful That It Feels Unreal
-From "Su Zai Zai's Fairy Diary"
The whistle blew, signaling the end of a short break.
Su Zai Zai saw Zhang Lu Rang stand up and head towards the restroom. She quickly jogged to follow him. Hearing footsteps behind him, Zhang Lu Rang stopped and looked back at her. Su Zai Zai stood in front of him, tiptoed, and placed the hat back on his head.
He didn't resist, softly saying, "If you're not feeling well, go sit down."
Su Zai Zai took sunscreen out of her pocket and handed it to him.
"Rang Rang, remember to apply it, your face is already red."
"The sun is strong; if you don't apply it, you'll get sunburned, and it'll hurt."
"Okay."
Make sure to put it on your ears too, and reapply every two or three hours, or it won't be effective."
He obediently replied, "Hmm."
"Stop moving around so much; push-ups are really tiring," Su Zai Zai reminded him.
"Got it, go back now."
Su Zai Zai was silent for a moment, then said, "My psychological endurance isn't that weak."
"What?"
"No matter how harshly the instructor scolds, I won't cry." She said seriously.
Happy because of you, sad also only because of you.
Lunchtime.
After wiping her body with hot water in the restroom, Su Zai Zai returned to the dormitory.
She was about to climb into bed when Xiao Xiao from the lower bunk immediately grabbed her, gossiping, "Zai Zai, what's the deal with that cute guy from Class 2?"
"Nothing." She said listlessly.
"Still not feeling well?"
"Hmm."
"Then you should sleep for a bit."
Half-asleep, Su Zai Zai could vaguely hear the other five girls in the dorm talking excitedly about today's events in low voices.
"He's really handsome, why don't I have a boyfriend like that!"
"But does he have to be so high-profile? It's a bit annoying."
"Kind of, yeah..."
She 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, studying his English vocabulary book.
His roommate Li Yu De came over, giving him a thumbs up, "Rang, you're really cool."
Another boy joked half-seriously, "Just getting punished with push-ups to win a beauty's heart, Zhang Lu Rang, you're quite the strategist."
Hearing this, Zhang Lu Rang paused in flipping through his book.
Li Yu De added, "Yeah, girls really fall for that, sigh."
"I can't take it anymore, I need to put in the effort too. We're already in the second semester of high school! If I don't start dating now, I'll never have the chance for a high school romance."
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
A thought stirred in his mind.
But a scene suddenly flashed in his head.
At night, under the starry sky.
The girl's face was red, full of bewilderment.
-"I never thought about this, really, never. I swear..."
-"I'm only fifteen this year..."
Zhang Lu Rang's temple twitched.
He pulled himself back to the present, focusing again on his vocabulary book.
...better forget it.
After a nap, Su Zai Zai felt much better.
She got up half an hour early, folded her blanket into a neat square.
After applying sunscreen, she started to change clothes.
This time, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she left the dorm.
She was quite early; more than half the class hadn't arrived yet.
Su Zai Zai found a shady spot to sit down, took off her hat, and hugged her knees in a daze.
Soon, a boy came over.
He squatted beside her with his legs wide apart, asking curiously, "Desk mate, are you not feeling well?"
Su Zai Zai glanced at him without answering.
"What's going on between you and that guy from the class next door?" Wang Nan asked casually.
"I'm asking you a question!"
"A lot of things." Su Zai Zai replied perfunctorily.
After a moment of silence,
Wang Nan suddenly reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, teasing, "Isn't it hot with your hair down like this?"
Su Zai Zai frowned, slapping his hand away, "What are you doing?"
After saying this, she didn't want to stay there any longer and stood up.
Wang Nan instinctively stood up too, saying, "Hey, I was just joking with you."
Su Zai Zai turned, puzzled, "Then why did you touch me?"
Already in a bad mood, she didn't want to waste any more words on him.
Su Zai Zai was about to put her water bottle in place when she turned and saw Zhang Lu Rang looking her way.
She was startled, immediately running over to him.
She asked in a low voice, "Did you put on sunscreen?"
"Hmm."
"I forgot to tell you, remember to apply it half an hour early."
"Okay."
Su Zai Zai blinked, recalling the earlier incident.
To avoid any misunderstanding, regardless of whether he saw it or not, she had to explain.
"Did you see what happened just now?"
Zhang Lu Rang looked away, not speaking.
"Rang Rang, don't be jealous."
"I'm not." He frowned, raising his hand to touch his neck.
Suddenly, Su Zai Zai found him very cute.
Her mood instantly lifted.
"It wasn't my fault, he suddenly reached out, I didn't have time to react." Su Zai Zai explained seriously, thinking for a moment, then continued, "I feel you're at a disadvantage too, how about you touch me once too?"
Zhang Lu Rang: "..."
Shamelessly, Su Zai Zai said, "Otherwise, I'll wash my hair tonight and offer myself tomorrow!"
"Say something..."
Before she could finish, Zhang Lu Rang suddenly raised his hand.
He ruffled her hair like he was petting a soft kitten.
Su Zai Zai hadn't even reacted.
Zhang Lu Rang quickly looked away, leaving a sentence behind ashe walked off.
"If you're not feeling well, remember to ask the instructor for leave."
Su Zai Zai stood there, nodding foolishly.
Before the training, they stood at attention for fifteen minutes.
The instructor talked as he walked around the class.
A few minutes later, he stopped in front of Su Zai Zai.
He tapped the brim of her hat with his finger, sternly saying, "Who allowed you to smile?"
For the first time, Su Zai Zai felt so wronged.
She couldn't help it!
On the day the military training ended.
The school rented buses to take the students back to school, from where they would then go home on their own.
Su Zai Zai was standing in line with her class.
The class teacher suddenly walked over and said, "The bus assigned to our class is a bit small, it only has 40 seats, ten students will have to take the buses of other classes."
Su Zai Zai was holding an umbrella, looking down at her phone.
"Three will go to the Science Intensive class bus, another three to the Fifth Humanities class bus, and the remaining four..."
Upon hearing this, Su Zai Zai raised her hand sharply, "Teacher! I volunteer to take the Science Intensive class bus back to school!"
The teacher was taken aback by her interruption, "...Okay."
Then, she sent two messages to Zhang Lurang.
-Lurang, I'll sit next to you in a bit.
-Save me a seat.
Zhang Lurang: "..."
After getting on the bus, Su Zai Zai immediately saw Zhang Lurang sitting in the second to last row.
She walked over and saw his bag placed on the seat next to him.
Zhang Lurang raised his eyes and casually moved his bag away.
Su Zai Zai sat down and turned to look at him.
His skin, under the sunlight, was dazzlingly white.
Zhang Lurang looked out the window, showing only half of his side profile.
His eyelashes drooped, long and curled, lightly trembling.
His lips were lightly pressed together, slightly curving upwards.
After admiring him for a while, Su Zai Zai said, "You must be very meticulous with your sunscreen application."
Zhang Lurang: "..."
"When we have military training in college, I'll buy you sunscreen." she said softly.
After a while, she didn't get a response from him.
She didn't mind, hugging her bag and curling up in her seat, closing her eyes.
Soon, Zhang Lurang pulled her bag over and stacked it on top of his own.
Then he said softly, "Sleep."
Su Zai Zai looked at him and obediently said, "Oh."
She was indeed tired and soon fell asleep.
Zhang Lurang stared out the window, dazing off for a while.
Then, he took out a vocabulary book from his bag to study.
After a while, the bus jolted.
Su Zai Zai's head tilted, leaning on his arm.
Zhang Lurang's body stiffened momentarily but soon relaxed.
He licked his lower lip and turned to look at her.
Looking at her delicate face, he suddenly spoke very softly.
"I'll buy it for you."
"In the future, whatever you want, I'll buy it for you."
Zhang Lurang retracted his gaze.
In his mind, he thought, let her lean for ten minutes, then wake her up.
Ten minutes later, he thought, another ten minutes.
And so he thought all the way.
Su Zai Zai had arranged to meet Jiang Jia at the school gate, then they would go to the station together.
"I just came back with Zhang Lurang," Su Zai Zai said cheerfully.
Jiang Jia was looking down, sending a message to someone.
After a while, she responded, "Nice, the expert in chasing the heartthrob."
Thinking about this week, Su Zai Zai sighed, "Military training is so painful, and not being in the same class as you is the worst."
Zhang Lurang's body stiffened momentarily but soon relaxed.
He licked his lower lip and turned to look at her Looking at her delicate face, he suddenly spoke very softly.
" buy it for you"
"In the future, whatever you want, I'll buy it for you
Zhang Lurang retracted his gaze.
In his mind, he thought, let her lean for ten minutes, then wake her up.
Ten minutes later,The thought, another ten minutes.
And so he thought all the way
Su Zai Zai had arranged to meet Jiang Jia at the school gate they would go to the station together.
"I just came back with Zhang Lurang," Su Zai Zai said cheerfully.
Jang Jia was looking down, sending a message to someone
After a while, she responded, "Nice, the expert in chasing the heartthrob
Thinking about this week, Su Zai Zai sighed, "Military training is so painful, and not being in the same class as you is the worst."
"Stop bragging, the whole grade knows about your big beauty putting a hat on you
"Good eye, found a wife-loving one." Jiang Jia teased.
Su Zai Zai said nothing, curfing her lips.
"Let me tell you something Jiang Jia scratched her head, a bit enbarrassed, "I'm with Quan Han now"
Su Zai Zai was stunned, stopping in her tracks, looking at her in shock.
Jiang Jia was a bit embarrassed, patting her arm, "What's with you, too exaggerated.
"You Su Zai Zai didn't know what to say.
"Not long, just the week before military training"
Su Zai Zai suddenly lowered her head, "I feel like such a failure"
Jiang Ja
"I've been chasing the big beauty for Su Zai Zai started counting on her fingers, "one, two..sis, almost half a year, my god.."
"This week, her hand in a vo must be substantial progress" Su Zai Zai raisedDon't be impulsive"
On Saturday afternoon, Su Zai Zai asked Zhang Lurang to walk the dog together
The little short legs were already four months old.
Su Zai Zai put the leash on it and took it out
She met Zhang Lurang downstairs.
The two walked to the lawn, let the dog loose, and found a place to sit .
They were silent for a few minutes.
Su Zai Zai hesitated on how to start
Soon, she said tactfully, "Does your Soso have a partner?"
Zhang Lurang:
Thinking about it, the gender seemed undecided.
Su Zai Zai continued, "is Soso male or female?"
"Female"
Su Zai Zai immediately got excited, "My little short legs are male."
"Do you think they are suitable?"
"No"
Su Zai Zai widened her asking, "Why! The genders match
Zhang Lurang was silent for a moment, a bit embarrassed, "Not reachable"
"Wha Su Zai Zai immediately understood, her ears turning red, "Lurang, you're slightly dirty
Zhang Lurang
"Impressed"
"Su Zai Zail" Zhang Lurang called her, frowning
She immediately quieted down.
After an awkward pause.
Just as Zhang Lurang was about to speak
Su Zai Zai suddenly spoke, saying something that caught him off guard.
"Zhang Lurang, you like me."
Zhang Lurang instinctively turned to look at her
At that moment, the surroundings fell silent.
She didn't speak again, nervously clutching her sweaty hands Her eyes were firm, unwavering.
Zhang Lurang's mind went blank.
He couldn't remember anything, couldn't hear any sound.
He could only see her.