Chapter 8: Eavesdropping

Lu Canran forgot what she had said.

Or whether she had said anything at all.

For two seconds, she even doubted whether everything happening now was just a figment of her imagination.

Like that movie, 《The Secret Life of Walter Mitty》, where she was immersed in a world entirely built by her own fantasy—where the rain was fake, the bamboo was fake, and even the Liang Yuanzheng who was speaking to her now was fake.

But Liang Yuanzheng’s fall proved it was real.

She had never imagined that Liang Yuanzheng would fall on a rainy day.

For the sake of aesthetics and decorative effect, the tiles in front of A University’s library were laid with particular attention to style. The guiding principle seemed to be beauty over safety. There were always a few smooth, dark red ceramic tiles that collected water on rainy days and concealed danger on snowy days. Especially after a light snowfall, stepping on them meant slipping and sliding—countless students had fallen there over the years, with students sent to the hospital every year for injuries ranging from bruised tailbones to fractured ones, clutching their rear ends in pain.

Lu Canran hadn’t expected that A University’s affiliated hospital would also have such hidden hazards during rain and snow.

Liang Yuanzheng was walking ahead when he slipped and fell with a dull thud.

Their high school math teacher once said that Liang Yuanzheng was someone with a remarkable capacity for endurance. Even in the depths of winter, he wore only a thin cotton jacket and would quietly keep working on his exam papers despite the cold causing sores on his fingers. Clearly, his pain tolerance and emotional control were just as strong now. Even after falling so hard, he didn’t utter a word.

Rain and mud soaked through his pants. That little segment of bamboo didn’t help stabilize him at all, nor did it drag Lu Canran down with him. She hopped over and helped Liang Yuanzheng up.

He stood up in silence. The first thing he did after finding his balance was to apologize.

“Sorry. I didn’t scare you, did I?”

Lu Canran shook her head.

She hadn’t been frightened at all. On the contrary, she even harbored a bit of mischievous anticipation—hoping that Liang Yuanzheng might slip again so she could display her reliable girl power and catch him steadily.

Don’t just see me as a junior, okay?

In that moment, Lu Canran found herself empathizing with that classic line from Japanese anime: “I’m a man too, you know.”

I’m reliable too—I can be a trustworthy, romantic partner.

In that moment, she finally remembered what she had just said to Liang Yuanzheng—

She had said, “Me too. Talking with you makes me really happy.”

Through the light mist of rain, Lu Canran looked at Liang Yuanzheng. He was holding an umbrella, his legs splattered with mud, yet he didn’t seem to mind. He walked slowly, reminding her to watch out for a loose tile that would spray water when stepped on.

Meal time had already ended, and the cafeteria had only one or two windows still open, with hardly anyone around. The two of them searched for quite a while but came up empty-handed. Liang Yuanzheng went to the lost and found, handed a cigarette to the person in charge, and asked whether anyone had turned in a pair of Bluetooth earphones.

When told no, he offered two more cigarettes and left his contact information, asking them to keep an eye out.

Lu Canran asked cautiously, “Senior, do you smoke?”

Liang Yuanzheng shook his head.

“I don’t smoke, but sometimes I need it to help get things done. Is that Bluetooth earphone very important?”

“It was just bought yesterday by my roommate,” Lu Canran explained. “So… yes, it’s quite important. Senior, can I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it?”

“I just bought the exact same Bluetooth earphones. They’ll arrive tomorrow,” Lu Canran said earnestly. “If we really can’t find the original, I’ll give the new one to my friend and tell her it was recovered. Could you help me keep it a secret?”

Qin Bingshuang’s family situation wasn’t great. The earphones had cost a few hundred yuan, which wasn’t a small amount. Lu Canran didn’t want her friend to be upset or feel she had to scrimp and save to buy another pair.

Liang Yuanzheng gave a faint smile and said, “Sure.”

On the way back to the hospital, he suddenly asked a question.

“Lu Canran.”

“Senior?”

He asked calmly, “Are you this nice to everyone?”

Lu Canran replied, “Of course not. I’m only nice to my friends.”

“So am I your friend now?”

“Of course you are.”

Lu Canran mentally replayed the conversation, wondering if there was anything wrong with her answer. She even considered saying, “You’re my best friend,” but it sounded too frivolous. After all, from Liang Yuanzheng’s perspective, they had only known each other for less than two days. Lu Canran didn’t want him to think her feelings were something that could be easily won.

But the conversation about friendship ended there. Liang Yuanzheng went to the emergency department’s duty room to change clothes, while Lu Canran bounced excitedly toward the hospital room. As soon as she pushed the door open, she was greeted by several girls cheerfully shouting, “Surprise!”

Xu Qiao and Qin Bingshuang were carrying a cake, and Zhu Huaxin held a bouquet of carnations.

Even Chen Wanli had been dragged there by someone. He stood distractedly in the back, singing,

“Happy discharge to you~ Happy discharge to you~ Happy discharge to you~ Happy discharge to you—okay, I’m done singing. I’ve got urgent business. Can I go now, madam?”

“In such a rush—what, are you reincarnating or something?” Zhu Huaxin said. “At least eat a piece of cake.”

Lu Canran stared at the words floating above his head: [If I’m any later, my old man really will kill me], then turned to Zhu Huaxin and said, “Let him go.”

Knowing Professor Chen’s personality, he really might reincarnate.

The bullet screen above Chen Wanli’s head popped up with a new line: [Thanks, babe. I’ll have my dad treat your family to dinner sometime.]

Lu Canran instantly regretted helping him out.

What a classic case of repaying kindness with betrayal.

Qin Bingshuang’s bullet screen was full of [guilty, guilty, so guilty.]

Xu Qiao’s read, [Why does Canran look a little dazed.]

Zhu Huaxin’s came with background music: [Oh my little troublemaker~ what are you doing~ acting like a fool~]

Lu Canran finally understood where the music in her head had been coming from.

“How could we bear to let you stay in the hospital all alone?” Zhu Huaxin said. “I asked Jiang Si to bring extra blankets in the car. We’re all getting discharged tomorrow.”

“The cake too,” Qin Bingshuang added with a smile, urging her to take the plastic knife. “This was ordered for you by Uncle himself. If you’re going to eat it, we all eat it together.”

Lu Canran raised her hand to wipe her damp eyes. “Ahhh don’t talk about me yet, let me calm down for a second, I’m about to lose it.”

“What are you crying for?” Xu Qiao said. “It’s a surprise, not a scare. Come on, let’s cut the cake.”

Her eyes and cheeks were burning. Choking up, Lu Canran told Qin Bingshuang that she hadn’t found the Bluetooth earphones. Qin Bingshuang gave a small cough and said it was fine, maybe she had just left them in the dorm.

Zhu Huaxin suddenly remembered something and excitedly asked Lu Canran how things were going with Liang Yuanzheng.

Lu Canran answered just as excitedly, “We’re friends now!”

Zhu Huaxin cried, “Amazing, babe! Congratulations! Such incredible progress! At this rate, in thirty years you’ll finally confess, and in another hundred, we’ll be wishing you a thousand years of happiness together!”

Lu Canran: “Xinxin—”

“Don’t give me that ‘Xinxin’—you need to hurry up,” Zhu Huaxin said, hating iron for not becoming steel. “You’re about to be a senior. There’s not much time left for you to experience a proper campus romance. Oh, right—babe, eat some cake first. After that, head outside. Jiang Si’s waiting in the hallway. He looked like he had something to tell you, all secretive and mysterious. No idea what kind of stunt he’s pulling.”

Lu Canran hadn’t noticed Jiang Si at all.

She poked her head out, looked around, but didn’t see any sign of him. Thinking he might be somewhere in the corridor, she wandered along quietly—until suddenly, she heard a cool, crisp female voice.

“What about what my dad mentioned last time? Have you thought it over?”

Wrong place. Lu Canran wanted to leave, like a little mushroom creeping along the base of a wall.

But Liang Yuanzheng’s voice made her stop.

“I’m sorry.”

Lu Canran came to a stop.

At the end of the hallway was a stairwell. This inpatient wing was part of an older building, and the window at the end was open. A light, drizzling rain tapped gently on the green leaves outside, like an endless stream of tears. Lu Canran stood still for ten seconds. The devil on her shoulder beat the angel into submission with a flurry of punches. When it came to Liang Yuanzheng, she couldn’t be a kind and noble person.

The little mushroom quietly perked up both ears to eavesdrop.

“You don’t actually have to give me an answer right now,” the woman’s voice said. “I know what you’re hesitating about. Yes, people will talk. But that’s not what I intended. I just wanted to help you.”

“I know. Thank you,” Liang Yuanzheng said. “I truly appreciate it.”

A long silence followed.

The woman said, “Even if you reject my confession, it’s fine. I won’t hold it against you because of that. As for my dad, I’ll talk to him myself. This opportunity is important—are you really going to give it up? I don’t care what people say.”

…Confession?

Lu Canran immediately regretted eavesdropping.

She slowly began to inch away. Matters involving someone’s private feelings—lingering to listen felt like an unforgivable sin.

“I’m sorry, but I do care,” Liang Yuanzheng’s voice was calm and steady. “I don’t want the person I like to be hurt because of this.”

The little mushroom stumbled in complete silence.

…The person he likes???

“The girl you mentioned last time?” the woman sighed. “It’s been two years. You still can’t let go?”

Lu Canran withered in silence.

Two years.

She had only exchanged contact info with Liang Yuanzheng two days ago.

…

How awful!

If she had known, she would’ve made a move two years ago—boohoo!