Lemon Soda Candy

Friday afternoon.

Autumn sunset lights up the sky.

The windows of class 2 overlooks the basketball fields, with the last window offering the best view.

When Zhou Anran was cleaning near the last window, she paused and looked out.

There was quite a distance between the teaching building and the fields, the teenagers running freely on the basketball court were blurred by it. From afar, they looked like tiny people in blue-and-white running around.

Zhou Anran thought she had memorized that person's figure and appearance by heart, but she couldn't spot him among those piles of tiny figures.

She shifted her gaze to the left seat of the sixth table in the second row.

The seat was empty.

The books on the table were not neatly arranged, but they weren't messy either.

Much like their owner.

Every teacher regarded him as a good student.

But he wasn't exactly your copybook model student.

As soon as the lesson was over, he would run out of the classroom more eagerly than anyone else.

He often hung the black school bag loosely on one shoulder.

Because he hates bothersome, let alone being class president, he even refused to be the class representative¹.

"Ranran, have you finished sweeping??" Yan Xingxi's suddenly asked.

Zhou Anran came back to her senses, "It's almost done."

After taking out the garbage together, Zhou Anran and Yan Xingxi's task was completed.

The two of them went back to their desk to pack their bags, Yan Xingxi turned her head to look at the desk behind her,"He Mingyu, you're not leaving?"

The boy at the back desk was wearing a pair of glasses, writing test papers with his head down, he raised his head to look at them, "I'll leave later." 

"Then we'll go first." Yan Xingxi said nothing more, "Let's go, Ranran."

Class 2 is located on the second floor.

Zhou Anran went downstairs with their arms linked.

Her parents and Yan Xingxi's parents are close friends, they live in the same neighborhood and have been playing together since they were young.

To reach their neighborhood, they have to catch the bus outside the school's east gate.

To get from the teaching building to the east gate, they have to walk past the basketball fields.

At the thought of seeing him again, Zhou Anran's heart leapt with joy, her steps became brisk, even the heavy bag on her shoulder seemed to feel a lot lighter.

On the field, he will always be the most eye-catching sight.

Many students passing by, both male and female, will constantly look over before they know it.

And among them, Zhou Anran was able to blend in with everyone.

This was one of the rare moments in the week where she could openly gaze at him without drawing attention to herself.

Halfway down the stairs, Yan Xingxi was about to ask Zhou Anran if she wanted to get some milk tea outside of school before heading back. When she turned her head, she saw a girl with long curly eyelashes, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, a small dimples escaped on her fair glowing cheeks.

Even though Yan Xingqi had known Zhou Anran for many years, she still found herself moved by her beauty at times.

It was just that due to the school's strict rules regarding hair and clothing, Zhou Anran never tried to adorn herself against it. She still has a bit of baby fat on her face and with her gentle personality, combined with her preference for staying out of the spotlight, she didn't stand out much in class.

Yan Xingxi couldn't help but to stare at her for a few more seconds.

As she walked downstairs, Zhou Anran's shoulder-length hair would sometimes cover the small dimples next to her mouth, appearing and disappearing.

The dimples never leave her face.

"Ranran." Yan Xingxi shook her hand, "What's going on, why do you look extra happy today? "

Zhou Anran's heart skipped a beat,"It's almost holiday, don't you feel happy?"

"Of course I'm happy." Yan Xingxi continued to stare at her, "But I feel that you seem a little happier than usual today."

Zhou Anran avoided her gaze,"My mom said she would cook me braised chicken feet² today, I will send you some tonight." 

Yan Xingxi loves the braised chicken feet made by Zhou Anran's mother, her focus was immediately diverted by this information,"Wow, Ranran I love you, Auntie too I love her."

Zhou Anran and Yan Xingxi continued to chat with each other until they left the teaching building.

The basketball courts soon came into view.

The fields at No. 2 High School were spacious and wide, divided into six standard basketball courts by red and white lines.

There were two rows, with three basketball courts in each row.

He and his friends seemed to prefer playing on the third court in the first row.

Her line of sight unknowingly fell on the third court in the first row.

As the distance drew nearer, the boys running on the field were no longer just blurry figures in blue and white, but could now be recognized by their specific features.

Some were tall and thin with long hands and long legs, some were tall and sturdy, some had long hair; so long that they ought to get reprimanded by the teacher, and some simply cut their hair short to save trouble.

But it wasn't him.

None of them were.

Even if she couldn't see their faces.

Zhou Anran could still easily tell that he wasn't at the third court in the first row.

She then looked intently at the other courts.

The first court in the first row didn't have him, and neither did the second court.

The first court in the second row is empty, he's not in the second court, and the third court is also empty.

A sense of emptiness crept into her heart. 

Her bag suddenly felt heavy again.

She saw two girls standing by the court for a few seconds and then leaving. They probably were boarding students since they walked back towards the school, towards them.

While passing by them, Zhou Anran overheard their conversation.

"Why is Chen Luobai not on the court today? Didn't he usually stay at school to play basketball at this time of the week?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd see him today, I haven't seen him for days."

"Rubbish, didn't you pretend to walk past his class yesterday to have a look at him?"

"I didn't get to see him yesterday."

Their tone sounded the same as Zhou Anran's mood at the moment.

Lost and depressed.

She also thought that she could see him again today.

She was sure she'd heard him and his friends say they were going to play ball together after class. 

After confirming that he was not on the field, Zhou Anran withdrew her eyes and hung her head low, absentmindedly staring at the ground until she saw Yan Xingxi's hand swaying before her eyes.

"Ranran."

Zhou Anran looked up,"What's wrong?"

Yan Xingxi: "I should be the one asking you what's wrong. You were so happy just a moment ago, but now you seem downcast. You didn't even respond when I spoke to you."

Zhou Anran pursed her lips, "What did you say just now?"

Yan Xingxi: "I was asking if you want to go buy a cup of milk tea before heading back."

Feeling a bit guilty for being lost in her own thoughts and not paying attention to her best friend, Zhou Anran nodded,"Let's go. I'll treat you."

"Great." Yan Xingxi's personality was the complete opposite of Zhou Anran's. She was carefree and never overthink things,"My pocket money for this month happens to be almost running out."

Zhou Anran continued to chat with her as they walked.

And soon reached by the fields.

She unconsciously turned her eyes to the third court in the first row and recognized several familiar faces on the court, some were from class 3, while the rest were from her class.

They were all people who played with Chen Luobai.

And that was exactly the reason why she got to know them.

But his friend is playing. Why isn't he here?

Zhou Anran unknowingly started to get lost in her own thoughts again.

So when the words "Classmate, look out" came from the distance, she ended up raising her head half a beat too late—

The orange ball was already dangerously close to her face.

This scene caught her completely off guard, and it seemed like it was too late for her to dodge, Zhou Anran just froze in place, waiting for the pain to come.

Just then, the smell of a refreshing laundry detergent scent invaded her nose, followed by a cold white slender hand reaching out from a corner, blocking the basketball in front of her.

This person was probably less than two inches away from her.

Being so close, Zhou Anran could clearly see the fine hair on his hand as well as the slightly bulging veins caused by the force he used.

There was a little mole above his wrist, one which she had inadvertently taken a peek several times from distance, enough for her to immediately recognise the identity of the birthmark's owner, but this time she could finally see it up close.

The mole turned out to be light brown and not black.

Zhou Anran's heart suddenly began to beat wildly.

Along with the sound of her heartbeat that only she could hear, the owner's familiar voice rang in her ears, his voice slightly deeper than his peers but still carrying a youthful clarity. 

"You almost hit a girl, why aren't you apologizing?" 

Jumbled voices came from the other side of the court.

"Luo ge, you're finally here. We've been waiting for you for a long time, are you still up to play?" His tone was enthusiastic.

"I'm afraid I can't." He said half-heartedly.

"AhLao, what did Old Gao call you for?" Asked someone curiously.

So, he was called away by their homeroom teacher?

Zhou Anran's heart was still beating fast, her fingers were curled up at her side, she wanted to turn her head to see his face.  

Yan Xingxi was also startled, and only now did she react by pulling her back two steps to the side, shouting towards the court, "Can't you guys be more careful when you're playing!" 

Zhou Anran patted her hand, trying to calm her down. She eventually couldn't resist the urge to turn her head and look at him.

Nancheng City did not have a distinct four seasons.

Despite it being late October, the weather is still very hot, most students are still wearing their summer uniforms. 

Some people are just born favored by God. 

The boy is tall and slender, dressed in a loose blue-and-white school uniform that looked particularly neat and cool on him. The sunset illuminated his profile, highlighting his long, black eyelashes and deep-creased eyelid.

The basketball that almost hit her was caught in his hand, he picked it up and casually spun it twice in his hand. With a lazy smile, his gaze remained fixed on the opposite side of the court, completely ignoring her.

Zhou Anran's heart that was high up in the air crumbled down.

A great sense of loss filled her.

However, she could only blame herself for this.

She should have seen this coming.

She should have known that his act of helping her just now was just the upbringing engraved in his bones. It probably didn't matter to him whether he was helping Passerby A, Passerby B, Passerby C or Passerby D. 

After all, this was not the first time he helped her.

On the day of school registration, Yang Xingxi's parents requested a leave from the teacher because it coincided with her grandpa's 70th birthday. They planned to come and register two days later instead.

Zhou Anran's parents also had to work that day, but she didn't let them take time off just to accompany her. So, she went to register alone.

The registration process took place on the second floor of the office building. Since she arrived early, there was no one else on the stairs.

It was raining heavily in Nancheng that day.

Zhou Anran went up the stairs slowly.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she looked around to find the place. Someone had thrown a banana peel on the floor, she didn't notice it and stepped on it. The floor was wet and slippery from the rain, causing her to lost her footing and fell backwards——

Suddenly, she found herself falling into a hot and strong embrace, a cool breath sweeping over her.

A deep male voice came into her ears,"Be careful."

Zhou Anran turned her head and locked eyes with a pair of dark, elongated eyes.

A head appeared on the handrail of the stairs near the third floor, shouting, "Chen Luobai, hurry up."

Seeing their current posture, the other party showed a teasing smile on his face,"What the hell, I've been waiting for you for so long, and here you are, getting cozy with a girl, even hugging each other already? You're quite fast."

Zhou Anran felt her face grow warm.

She couldn't tell if it had turned red or not.

The boy beside her seemed oblivious to her reaction. After helping her regain her balance, he quickly let go of her hand. He glanced up at the person on the third floor and playfully scolded,"Are you sick, the girl almost fell and I simply gave her a hand. Can't you stop blabbering nonsense with your big mouth?"

He was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and black sweatpants, his short black hair hanging down over his forehead, giving him a laid back appearance. His smile exuded an irresistible youthful energy. 

"Then you'd better come up quickly."

It was not until the person on the third floor opened his mouth again did Zhou Anran remember that she should thank him, but the boy did not give her the chance.

He didn't stay any longer, nor did he look at her again, he turned around and went upstairs.

Suddenly, the wind began to blow.

The camphor tree near the second floor rustles loudly, raindrops dripping down along the green leaves.

Amidst the sound of wind and rain, Zhou Anran looked up and caught a fleeting glimpse of the tall figure running into the distance, his white clothes swayed by the wind.