Chapter 13: Holding Hands

Summer was approaching.

Lu Canran was trying hard to come up with a reason in the sweltering heat. The love coaches had given her plenty of suggestions, but she had a bad habit of forgetting things when she got nervous. She had forgotten all of them, clean and completely, and only remembered that she wanted to treat him to a meal.

“They say directly inviting someone to a meal can come across as abrupt. Usually, you need a reason to cushion it,” Lu Canran was sweating nonstop. The noon sun was blazing hot. She raised her right hand to shade her eyes so she could open them wider. “To thank you for taking care of me at the hospital, or to thank you for proctoring my exam… I kept thinking about which reason would be better, but the more I thought, the more none of them seemed good enough, and that’s been bothering me.”

Liang Yuanzheng lowered his eyes to look at Lu Canran. It had already been seven minutes since she handed in her exam. In those seven minutes, she had been waiting right here, with the hair on her forehead dampened by sweat.

He wanted to say something. The little princess disguised as a mushroom was subtly releasing light spores toward him. Perhaps she didn’t realize this was barren soil, unfit for brilliant life to thrive. His heart, overwhelmed with emotion, was beating in shame.

Liang Yuanzheng said, “You still haven’t figured it out?”

Lu Canran didn’t understand what he meant. She wasn’t sure if this was another form of gentle rejection. At a loss, she tried to find some clue from the bullet screen above his head.

She said, “I haven’t figured it out, but I did realize one thing. If a direct invitation would get rejected, then a tactful excuse would too.”

Liang Yuanzheng said, “Right.”

Lu Canran asked, “So are you going to reject me?”

“Yeah.”

Lu Canran was already prepared to go file a complaint against Zheng Ji’s Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms.

That terrible hallucinogenic mushroom had caused her to—

“I was the one who broke our last dinner appointment,” Liang Yuanzheng said. “Even if we were to eat together, it should be me treating you.”

—Complaint suspended.

Good mushroom, obedient mushroom, the best mushroom in the whole wide world. Mushroom, mushroom, keep showing your magic and bless Liang Yuanzheng to fall quickly into the palm of her hand.

Lu Canran asked, “Senior, were you really good at writing essays back in high school?”

Liang Yuanzheng replied, “Not bad. Why?”

“You’re too good at raising hopes by putting someone down first,” Lu Canran pointed at herself. “Any later, and I might’ve cried.”

She saw Liang Yuanzheng smile.

“Why would you cry,” he said. “Is being rejected really that upsetting? Is that why you’re so unwilling to reject others?”

“Ah,” Lu Canran hinted subtly, “because you’re the first guy I’ve ever asked to a meal. Of course I’d be upset if I got rejected—but also, no other guy has ever invited me to a meal.”

She felt her hint was obvious enough. The subtext was practically shouting, just short of grabbing a megaphone and blasting into his ear—You’re the first guy I’ve ever asked to a meal! You’re super special to me! No other guy has invited me out! I’m single right now—A single junior inviting you to dinner alone, surely you know what that means! Are you ready to accept my love or not!!!

But Liang Yuanzheng didn’t say anything. He walked side by side with Lu Canran and asked what she wanted to eat.

Now that was a really big question.

Lu Canran had originally reserved a restaurant near campus and even specifically rode her electric scooter so she could take Liang Yuanzheng there.

The problem was, the average cost per person at that place was around two hundred. Lu Canran received a monthly allowance of five thousand from her mom, so of course she didn’t mind. But Liang Yuanzheng—

She did the math. He was taller and bigger than she was. Last time at the cafeteria, he ate so much he practically counted as two people. At that rate, even ordering casually would cost over six hundred.

It might be a bit of a burden for him.

In the end, Lu Canran suggested they go to a private home-style restaurant instead. She’d been there before for a dorm dinner. The average cost was forty to fifty per person, great food at a reasonable price.

Liang Yuanzheng didn’t say no.

Just like when Lu Canran offered to give him a ride on her scooter—he only paused for a moment, then didn’t refuse either.

Lu Canran started to think that the one who couldn’t say no wasn’t her—it was Liang Yuanzheng.

It was just that her little electric scooter was a bit too cute. Liang Yuanzheng was tall and broad, and sitting on the backseat of her scooter made him look oddly out of place, like a cat giving a ride to a tiger on a tiny vehicle.

Lu Canran even had a mischievous idea. On the road, she deliberately braked hard a few times, hoping that Liang Yuanzheng would lose balance and accidentally bump into her back.

At that moment, she would showcase her steady and reliable feminine strength and ask with concern, “Senior, are you alright?”

But it didn’t happen.

Even though the brake cable was about to scream, Liang Yuanzheng still sat firmly, unmoving, calm as a mountain in wind and rain.

He kept consciously maintaining distance, leaving Lu Canran, who couldn’t help wanting to get closer, with no chance to lean in at all.

That didn’t affect her happiness one bit. Along the way, the little cat was meowing, [Cockroaches are tasty and fun, big fat cockroaches.] The little dog was barking, [The cat just gave birth to crispy chocolate sharks.] The red traffic light was yelling, [All of you f***ing stop right there! If you don’t wanna die, then don’t you dare come any closer!] The stinky tofu stall was shouting, [Who can out-stink me, huh?]…

All these increasingly chaotic bullet screens, Lu Canran ignored completely. Right now, she was basking in the delight of an ambiguous flirtation, spring in her step, wheels spinning fast with joy.

There weren’t many people in the restaurant. Just as they finished ordering and went to pay, Liang Yuanzheng’s phone rang.

His younger sister, Liang Yueyun, had skipped class again.

With the college entrance exam approaching, her anxiety was growing worse. After skipping class, she had gone home and cried her heart out. Their grandmother, distressed and unsure how to comfort her, didn’t want to disturb Liang Yuanzheng since she knew he was busy, so instead, she brought Liang Yueyun straight to the main gate of A University by bus.

Before Lu Canran could properly enjoy the lovely one-on-one dinner date, she was caught completely off guard by a surprise parent meeting.

Liang Yueyun was younger than her. On closer look, her features weren’t exactly like Liang Yuanzheng’s, but when the two stood together, it was obvious they were siblings. She was a tall girl with large eyes and a high nose bridge, cold and aloof, with a stubborn look on her face—yet above her head floated a long string of bullet text: [QAQ]

Grandmother’s back was slightly hunched, and she wore a pair of reading glasses. Her bullet screen moved very slowly, with each word popping up one at a time, and before one sentence finished, the next would cover it up.

[Pre—tty— girl— so— cute——]

[She’s— Yuan— Zheng’s— girl—friend——]

[How— sweet——]

Lu Canran already liked Grandmother very much.

Liang Yuanzheng quietly apologized to Lu Canran, but she didn’t mind. When he added more dishes to the order, she even took the initiative to praise Grandmother with a bright smile, saying how healthy and strong she looked. Then she sweetly turned to Liang Yueyun and asked if she wanted some milk tea. “There’s a shop nearby that’s really good. Want to give it a try?”

The elder and the younger were coaxed by Lu Canran into a dazed and cheerful state, unable to tell east from west, both smiling from ear to ear. Before Liang Yuanzheng could even talk to his sister, the sadness between Liang Yueyun’s brows had already vanished.

The four cups of milk tea were delivered quickly. Grandmother kept insisting she wouldn’t drink it, that it was something for young people.

Even as she said that, Lu Canran saw the bullet screen above her head filled with worried thoughts, concerned that the milk tea was too expensive.

“Grandma,” Lu Canran softened her voice, “you should give it a try. Just take a sip and see if you like it, alright? I bought four cups, one for each of us. It’s just right.”

Liang Yuanzheng stood up, then sat back down moments later.

His bullet screen remained quiet, silent, a silence that held absolutely nothing.

Lu Canran was the only child in her family. Among both sets of grandparents, she was the only grandchild. She had known from a young age how to win over the elderly’s hearts—especially now that she had the added advantage of being able to see their bullet screens.

Grandmother kept saying not to order too many dishes, that she wasn’t hungry. But in reality, the bullet screen above her head kept thinking about how expensive everything was and that she should eat less later.

Lu Canran’s eyes stung with emotion.

She had always been far removed from poverty, and this was the first time she realized that some people chose to eat less just to save money with dignity.

In that moment, Lu Canran suddenly understood how difficult it must have been for Liang Yuanzheng to get to where he was.

The impoverished life he had described in his past speech became tangible in this moment. Today, as the two of them sat at the same table sharing a meal, Lu Canran was sailing on a luxurious cruise ship carefully built by her parents, while Liang Yuanzheng had only a small wooden boat carrying his family along.

Liang Yuanzheng didn’t show a trace of embarrassment. Lu Canran couldn’t see his bullet screen or read his thoughts. She could only hear him gently talking to Liang Yueyun, asking if she still had enough for living expenses.

In front of Lu Canran, he didn’t avoid or try to hide his family’s poverty.

The four of them ordered six dishes. Two of them were barely touched. After the meal, Grandmother suggested packing up the leftovers. Liang Yuanzheng calmly went to the front counter and brought back some takeout containers.

It was the first time Lu Canran realized that unfinished dishes could actually be packed to go.

Liang Yuanzheng could clearly sense her unease.

Inexperienced with the world, she still couldn’t quite hide her instinctive shock.

Having long lived through poverty, Liang Yuanzheng made no effort to conceal or sugarcoat it.

There was a stark gap between their family backgrounds. Perhaps the little princess had never truly thought about it deeply, but that was alright. He wouldn’t build a false illusion, wouldn’t use sweet words to construct a palace called “true love.”

She had to see it clearly—his hands were, in truth, empty.

There was no so-called shame. Liang Yuanzheng had never once complained about poverty. He didn’t romanticize it, nor did he blame anyone for it.

When he saw Lu Canran’s surprise at the idea of taking leftovers home, his hand paused while snapping the lid onto the plastic container. He turned his face slightly to the side, avoiding her gaze, then quietly placed the packed boxes into a plastic bag and handed them to his grandmother. First, he reminded her to be careful on the way home, then told his sister to return to school once she had rested.

“No need to worry,” Liang Yuanzheng said. “I called your homeroom teacher and told him you suddenly felt unwell. I filled in a leave slip for you. Remember to pick it up from his office when you get back. He won’t punish you.”

April weather was unpredictable. After Grandmother and his sister boarded the bus, it began to drizzle outside, and soon a full rain started to fall.

Lu Canran had originally planned to confess her feelings to Liang Yuanzheng, but their private dinner had turned into a meal for four, and now the pouring rain seemed to wash away her courage, soaking those straightforward words until they shrank back.

The rain was too heavy for riding the scooter. Luckily, she still had a foldable sun umbrella in her storage compartment. She opened it, and the two of them walked back slowly together under its cover.

Liang Yuanzheng was very quiet.

—Just before they left, when Grandmother and Lu Canran went to the restroom, his sister Liang Yueyun had asked him, “Your girlfriend’s family is so well-off. Do you really think she won’t care?”

She was still young, yet already starting to understand these things.

Liang Yuanzheng wasn’t sure if Lu Canran, who had been walking toward them, had overheard.

He had always known that, at this stage of his life, he had no ability to pamper a bright and innocent little princess. The responsibilities of his family would remain—he was the older brother, and it was his duty to take care of his aging grandmother and his younger sister. But things like this weren’t easy to say to her directly, so he could only remain silently quiet.

Lu Canran kept watching the top of his head and saw a tiny dark cloud on his bullet screen, quietly snowing flakes larger than the cloud itself.

“Senior?” Lu Canran didn’t know what had happened and took the initiative to strike up conversation. “The food today was really good.”

Liang Yuanzheng said, “Yeah.”

“Grandma’s really healthy. Is she an Ox in the zodiac?”

“She is.”

“She’s the same age as my grandma,” Lu Canran said cheerfully. “What a coincidence—we must be really fated!”

Liang Yuanzheng walked slowly beside her in the rain and said in a heavy tone, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Lu Canran said. “Your grandma and sister are both lovely. I was really happy to eat with them today. Sometimes I think, since you’re so outstanding, your family environment must be wonderful too. And today, seeing them, I realized it’s true. Your grandma is so kind and gentle, and your sister is adorable and smart.”

Liang Yuanzheng stopped walking. He held up the little umbrella and looked down at Lu Canran slightly;

Before he could say anything, Lu Canran let out a soft “ah” and leaned in closer to him. Liang Yuanzheng instinctively stepped back, but she gently reached out and caught the corner of his shirt.

“Don’t back away, senior,” Lu Canran said. “Your shoulder’s already soaked… could you come a little closer? That way, neither of us will get wet.”

Liang Yuanzheng didn’t move. He watched as Lu Canran cautiously leaned in, like a little mushroom inching forward, testing the boundaries.

“Okay,” he said. “Be careful.”

The road after the rain was slippery, especially along this part of the shopping street. Even though the sanitation workers had cleaned it, the heavy foot traffic meant there were still bits and pieces of debris stuck to the pavement.

The roses along the roadside greenery had bloomed—the first wave of spring. In the rain, they carried a fragrance that was both fresh and pure.

“This rain’s just as heavy as last time,” Lu Canran said with a note of regret, “What a shame my umbrella’s too small.”

Liang Yuanzheng saw that when she said, “What a shame my umbrella’s too small,” her smile was especially, especially wide.

“I might suddenly slip too,” Lu Canran tested the waters boldly. “You’re not working at the hospital today, right? Can I hold onto your sleeve while we walk?”

Not sure if she would be rejected again, she looked at Liang Yuanzheng nervously. Their eyes met—and both looked away at the same time.

“If that’s inconvenient,” Lu Canran added, pretending to be casual, “I could hold your shirt instead, or maybe buy a walking stick. Oh, that reminds me, there’s a sporting goods store up ahead that sells trekking poles and stuff—”

Oh my god, what was she even saying!

Lu Canran was mortified to realize she really did need to take a course on dating. Why did she always start spouting nonsense at moments like this—

The more nervous she got, the more awkward it became. Lu Canran’s lowered hand accidentally brushed against the back of Liang Yuanzheng’s hand. Her soft warmth grazed his firm heat, and every inch of her skin began to tremble.

Suddenly, he moved.

Warm, solid, rough, and strong.

Liang Yuanzheng silently, firmly took hold of Lu Canran’s trembling hand.

“I understand the trouble you had at noon now,” Liang Yuanzheng said. “Canran, I’m really grateful that you comforted Yueyun, and I’m thankful that you shared your umbrella with me. Between these two reasons, which one should I use to cushion my request to invite you to dinner alone?”

Lu Canran, with her hand held tight, didn’t want to move at all. The heat of his palm flushed her cheeks warm.

Nervously, she said, “Can we use one reason tomorrow, and save the other for the day after? I’ve got a big appetite—I can eat two meals.”