Ding-ling-ling —
Just then, Ye Zhou’s phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at it in confusion, a stranger’s number he did not recognise was displayed on the screen.
Ye Zhou had his phone number listed on his Green Bubble profile, so everyone who knew him was aware of it.
Ye Zhou answered hesitantly, and a very familiar female voice immediately came from the other end.
“Hello, Ye Zhou, where are you now?”
“Uh… Senior Student Lin, how about you look around you right now?”
Lin Shulan paused for a moment, pulled the phone away from her ear, and looked to her right. There, she saw Ye Zhou waving at her with a smile.
“I happen to have a problem here and was thinking of calling you to see if you could provide a solution.”
“After all, you and Su Zhihan joined at the same time, so you definitely have things in common to talk about.”
“It’s about Su Zhihan…”
Ye Zhou held one index finger to his lips.
“You don’t need to say more; I roughly know the situation.”
“Zhihan mentioned something related to this to me before.”
“It’s my responsibility, though, since I didn’t take it to heart.”
“Therefore, Senior Student Lin, don’t blame yourself too much. It’s not a matter of who’s right or wrong. How about you have something sweet? Then it won’t be so bitter.”
Hearing this, Lin Shulan took the cigarette from her lips and spoke slowly.
“That stuff is too sweet. I don’t like it; it’s too cloying.”
Ye Zhou was slightly stunned.
‘I really didn’t expect a girl in this world who wouldn’t be tempted by desserts, just as boys wouldn’t be tempted by digital technology.’
Unexpectedly, Lin Shulan parted her red lips again.
“However, since this is such a grand gesture from my little brother, then this big sister will graciously accept.”
“In that case, let this be a small gesture from big sister to little brother in return. You must taste it with me.”
Lin Shulan gently placed the cigarette she held between her fingertips into Ye Zhou’s mouth.
Ye Zhou’s pupils widened slightly, and the corner of his eye couldn’t stop twitching.
“That’s great and all, but, uh, couldn’t you give me a new one to taste instead?”
“But I heard people online saying that a beautiful girl’s saliva is sweet. I also heard them say that if they had a beautiful girl’s bathwater, they could finish a whole vat of it even without any side dishes.”
Lin Shulan rested her chin on her hand. She appeared to be thinking about this question very seriously.
“You don’t like it? Could it be because I’m not a beautiful girl?”
“Fine. Since that’s the case, from today on, let’s just call each other brothers.”
“Ye-zi? Zhou-zi?”
Ye Zhou couldn’t help but press a hand to his forehead.
“Watch fewer of those online comments. They’re just talking big on the internet.”
“Who would actually want to do that in real life? Pui! Slip of the tongue. Who would dare do that in real life? Wouldn’t that be a pure pervert?”
“And who said I didn’t like it?”
As he spoke, he firmly tucked the cigarette from his lips behind his ear and gave a light cough.
“It’s just that they are them, and I am me.”
“I’m not a pervert, okay?”
***
Lin Shulan deliberately stepped away.
Ye Zhou carried the four remaining Kenji Sakura White Peach Mousse Cups in one hand and knocked on the bathroom door with the other.
He cleared his throat and spoke in a gentle tone, “Student Zhihan, are you in there?”
No reaction —
“Student Zhihan?”
“Are you in there?”
“???”
Still no reaction —
“If you still don’t reply, I’ll have to assume you’re in danger and call a professional to pick the lock.”
“Ye, Student Ye, is that you?”
A very quiet response finally came from inside the bathroom.
“It’s me. I’ll start by apologizing to you.”
Ye Zhou’s tone was sincere. “I won’t look for any excuses, either. I truly forgot about this by accident. I’m sorry.”
The moment he finished speaking, Su Zhihan spoke up first.
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s because I was too willful.”
Ye Zhou was stunned — an unexpected answer.
‘I thought Su Zhihan would call me a liar, a big liar, or something like that.’
‘She really is a sensible girl.’
“Alright, since we’ve both spoken our minds.”
Ye Zhou gave a playful laugh. “Uh… then why are you still staying in the bathroom? Is the bathroom very fragrant? Haha…”
“I don’t really want to come out yet,” Su Zhihan said softly.
A flash of confusion crossed Ye Zhou’s brow.
“Why?”
“Oh, I see. Are you afraid of Senior Student Lin?”
“It’s fine. I’ve already explained everything to her, and she said it’s okay.”
“It’s inevitable that people will have some friction when they clash, but after a while, things naturally settle. After all, family members don’t hold grudges overnight.”
“And let me tell you, Senior Student Lin isn’t as scary as you think.”
“You know, although she usually seems like a cold and indifferent person on the surface, she’s actually gentle in private. It’s just that her gentleness is shown inadvertently.”
“Why was she strict this time? Isn’t it because she has to be responsible for guiding your drama rehearsal, and even for your official performance later on stage? Do you understand?”
Su Zhihan’s voice lowered even further.
“But it’s exactly because I was willful earlier and had a conflict with Senior Student Lin, making things awkward for her, that I… I’m a bit too embarrassed to come out.”
Ye Zhou raised an eyebrow.
“Hmm? I really couldn’t tell that our beautiful Su Zhihan would have a day where she’s so thin-skinned. Ha… how novel.”
“Then how long do you plan to stay in the bathroom?”
“You’ll have to face her eventually.”
“You’re not going to hide in the bathroom every time you see her from now on, are you?”
“That would really give everyone a headache.”
Su Zhihan’s voice sounded a bit panicked.
“It’s not that dramatic. I’m just staying alone for a while before coming out.”
Ye Zhou asked, “Then how long is a while ? A few seconds? A few minutes?”
Su Zhihan replied, “I think, at least until lunchtime? Won’t it be just right to go eat lunch when I come out?”
Ye Zhou pulled out his phone and checked the time. There was still one hour until 12:00 PM.
“Oh! Student Zhihan, you’re truly a genius, but also a bit stubborn.”
Su Zhihan: “…”
Ye Zhou looked at the four Kenji Sakura White Peach Mousse Cups in his other hand.
After thinking for a moment, he walked to the window where ample light was streaming in. He arranged the mousse cups and took four photos from the most appetizing angles.
Looking at those images was enough to make one’s mouth water constantly.
Ye Zhou found Su Zhihan’s contact info on Green Bubble and sent the photos along with a message.
‘Fortunately, she didn’t block me. Otherwise, I might have been embarrassed enough to dig out a whole three-bedroom apartment with my toes.’
「 Ye Zhou: Student Zhihan, I specifically bought these desserts on my way here to treat you. Consider them my apology.
So, do you really want to stay in there that long? Otherwise, they’ll lose their original flavor after being exposed to the air for too long! 」
As expected, Su Zhihan, who was unexpectedly persistent about eating such things, could not resist the temptation at all.
「 Su Zhihan: Wow, it’s real! I haven’t tried this type of mousse cup before. How about… you come in? 」
「 Ye Zhou: Aha? By ‘come in,’ do you mean the bathroom? 」
No reply —
Ye Zhou put away his phone. With a look of confusion on his face, he walked to the bathroom door and turned the handle. The door was locked from the inside.
But in the next second, the lock clicked open. Simultaneously, a slender, fair hand reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him inside. With a click, the door was locked from the inside once again.
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