The deskmate was sprawled over the desk, laughing heartily, as if the demonstration just now was deliberately meant to disgust Lu Zhishen.
Lu Zhishen glared fiercely and said angrily, “Chen Xiaonan!”
“Hey, hey, I’m here.” Chen Xiaonan tried to keep a straight face while trembling with laughter, but when his eyes met Lu Zhishen’s, he couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter again.
Lu Zhishen threatened darkly, “Chen Xiaonan, do you still want to play with the latest toys?”
So mean. Ranran is much better.
“I do.” Chen Xiaonan instantly wiped the smile off his face and looked at Lu Zhishen like a sycophant, speaking sincerely, “I really wasn’t lying. Every time I do this, my mom really buys it for me!”
Lu Zhishen snorted, clearly not buying it.
Chen Xiaonan was genuinely afraid of missing out on the latest toys. Leaning forward, he grabbed Lu Zhishen’s arm with both hands. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Our boss is the best, the very best. There won’t be a next time.”
Lu Zhishen wore an expression that said, “I forgive you.” Seizing the moment before the teacher came to announce nap time, he suddenly remembered that Ranran still didn’t know about this. He blurted out, “I’m done messing around with you. I need to call Ranran.”
In a quiet little corner, Lu Zhishen stood nervously, one arm raised as he dialed Yu Qianran’s number with his other hand. His heart pounded in his chest, the sound echoing like thunder in his ears.
“Ding-ding-ding~”
Yu Qianran was sitting on a chair, drowsy, struggling to stay awake as he stared at the phone watch on his wrist. Finally, when the ringing started, his sleepiness vanished.
He blinked and looked at the caller ID, Shenshen.
Just as Yu Qianran was about to answer, his hand suddenly paused. No, he couldn’t answer so quickly.
Bad Shenshen hadn’t come to find him; he only called.
Yu Qianran restrained his impulse, but his eyes remained fixed on his wrist. He counted down silently in his heart.
Ten, nine, eight… three, two, one.
The call was answered by a small hand at the very last second, and Lu Zhishen’s urgent voice immediately came through the receiver.
“Ranran!”
Yu Qianran brought the watch to his ear but didn’t make a sound.
“Ranran, I didn’t mean to not come find you.” Lu Zhishen explained anxiously. “We’re not in the same kindergarten. I’ll ask my mom to transfer me as soon as school is over.”
The bit of gloom in Yu Qianran’s heart dissipated. “I know.”
“Were you angry just now?” Lu Zhishen asked knowingly.
Yu Qianran stubbornly refused to admit it. “No.”
As long as Ranran didn’t admit it, Shenshen had no proof.
He didn’t want Shenshen to think he was a kid who got angry easily.
A mischievous glint flashed in Lu Zhishen’s dark eyes as he said childishly, “Alright then. I was going to bring the afternoon cookies back for you to eat, but since Ranran isn’t angry, I’ll eat them myself.”
Yu Qianran: !
He widened his eyes, pretending not to care, his tone tinged with a hint of sulkiness. “Go ahead and eat them.”
Ranran didn’t care about cookies anyway. Mom could make them too… But, Ranran had never tasted the cookies from Shenshen’s kindergarten. Would they be as delicious as the ones Shenshen’s family made?
Lu Zhishen keenly sensed something off in Yu Qianran’s voice and pouted. “Ranran, you big dummy. You obviously want to eat them but won’t admit it.”
“I don’t want to eat them!” Yu Qianran retorted.
“Shenshen, you’re so mean!”
“Sorry, sorry, I said the wrong thing.” Lu Zhishen immediately realized he had upset Yu Qianran. “As an apology, I’ll bring you the afternoon cookies.”
Yu Qianran let out a dissatisfied little huff.
Lu Zhishen said without hesitation, “I’ll give you my afternoon snacks every day.”
Yu Qianran replied, “Ranran doesn’t need that many. Just bring them for two days.”
Lu Zhishen beamed with joy, “Mhm, Ranran is the best.”
“You’d better remember that,” Yu Qianran said, a little awkwardly. “Don’t say bad things about me again.”
His voice was soft and gentle, not at all like a warning.
Lu Zhishen nodded repeatedly in agreement, “Okay, okay, okay.”
This was the first time the two little friends had communicated through their phone watches, and they chattered away about what they had been doing.
Most of the talking was done by Lu Zhishen, with Yu Qianran occasionally chiming in curiously with a question.
At the end of the call, Lu Zhishen vowed earnestly, “Ranran, don’t worry. I’ll definitely go to the same kindergarten as you.”
Hearing this, a trace of worry appeared on Yu Qianran’s delicate little face. “Will your mother agree?”
Lu Zhishen answered with confidence once again, “Of course, don’t worry. I have a plan.”
He had already learned the ultimate skill from his deskmate, Chen Xiaonan.
“Alright then,” Yu Qianran said, half-believing and half-doubting, but he didn’t try to discourage him. “Do your best, Shenshen.”
If it really didn’t work out, he could always go to Shenshen’s kindergarten.
Lu Zhishen replied, “Mhm, Ranran, just trust me.”
Yu Qianran wanted to hear more from Lu Zhishen, but from a distance came the gentle call of the kindergarten teacher: “Ranran? Ranran?”
He looked up and responded with “I’m here,” then lowered his head and softly bid farewell to Lu Zhishen, “The teacher is looking for me. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you tonight, Ranran.”
Yu Qianran hung up the call and trotted toward the teacher on his little legs. The teacher, who was approaching him, visibly sighed in relief, crouched down to meet his eyes, and said, “Why did you run off here? I almost thought you were lost.”
Yu Qianran apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”
“Come on, let’s go back for nap time,” the teacher said, standing up and extending a hand for Yu Qianran to hold.
Yu Qianran looked at the hand in front of him and gently placed his own in it.
The figures of the teacher and the child stretched long in the corridor. Outside the window, lush green leaves swayed in the wind, and the buzzing of cicadas grew fainter.
…
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Yu Qianran, who had just returned home from school, put down his backpack and sat on the sofa, eagerly waiting.
Gu Kexin came out with a plate of fruit, a smile on her face. “Ranran is waiting for Shenshen, isn’t he?”
“Yes, Mom,” Yu Qianran nodded, patting the spot beside him to invite Gu Kexin to sit next to him.
Gu Kexin followed Yu Qianran’s lead and placed the fruit plate on the coffee table. “Ranran, have some fruit. Dinner won’t be ready for a while.”
Yu Qianran agreed, “Mhm, Ranran loves fruit the most.”
He picked up a piece of apple with a fork and put it in his mouth. As he ate, his bright eyes fixed on Gu Kexin, as if saying, “I’m eating, see how obedient I am.”
Gu Kexin ruffled Yu Qianran’s hair.
At 4:53, the doorbell rang.
Yu Qianran hurried over in his slippers, his footsteps tapping lightly. He tilted his head to look at the person outside the door, who was wearing a different school uniform than his, white on top and blue on the bottom. Shenshen looked super cute too.
“Ranran, I missed you so much,” Lu Zhishen stepped forward and hugged Yu Qianran, nuzzling his head against him.
Yu Qianran stood still obediently, feeling the warmth and scent of the other person enveloping him as he was held tightly. The air around him was filled with Lu Zhishen’s fragrance.
The warm breeze outside gently brushed against Yu Qianran’s fair cheeks, making him want to head back indoors.
A couple of seconds later, Yu Qianran pushed the door open a bit. “Okay, come on in and play.”
Lu Zhishen followed him inside without hesitation, as naturally as if he were returning to his own home. Spotting Gu Kexin sitting on the sofa, he greeted her warmly.
“Ranran, let me tell you, kindergarten is no fun at all. We have even more to learn than in preschool,” Lu Zhishen said as he took off his backpack and placed it on the sofa, squeezing in next to Yu Qianran to share what had happened that afternoon.
The kindergarten had held an opening ceremony in the morning to distribute new textbooks, and classes officially started in the afternoon. Without any activity periods, Lu Zhishen felt completely out of sorts.
Yu Qianran blinked his big eyes and tilted his head. “Shenshen is so smart, did you learn everything already?”
Lu Zhishen straightened up proudly. “Of course! It was so easy, I picked it up right away.”
Suddenly remembering something in his backpack, Lu Zhishen stood up, grabbed his bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a small, neatly packaged box of cookies. He presented it with both hands. “Ranran, these cookies are for you.”
Yu Qianran accepted them, his face lighting up with a happy smile. “Thank you, Shenshen.”
He lowered his head and carefully unwrapped the box as if it were a precious gift. Inside were two small, transparently wrapped cookies, one shaped like a kitten and the other like a puppy.
After staring at them for a moment, Yu Qianran handed the puppy cookie to Lu Zhishen.
Lu Zhishen looked surprised and asked uncertainly, “For me?”
Yu Qianran nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
Overjoyed, Lu Zhishen took the cookie and planted a kiss on Yu Qianran’s cheek. “Thank you, Ranran! You’re so nice, I like you the most.”
Yu Qianran turned his head slightly, his ears growing a little warm.
His soft black hair was a bit long, covering half of his small ears, so no one noticed he was blushing.
The kitten-shaped cookie was only as big as his palm. He lowered his head and took a bite, producing a faint “crunch.”
It was crispy and fragrant.
After swallowing, Yu Qianran thought for a moment and decided that Shenshen’s family’s cookies were still a little tastier.
Ranran really wished the auntie from Shenshen’s house could work at his house, that way, he wouldn’t have to go looking for Shenshen every day.
The cookie gradually disappeared, eventually ending up entirely in Yu Qianran’s stomach.
Lu Zhishen had wolfed down his own cookie in two big bites. Seeing that Yu Qianran had finished, he leaned in and asked, “Was it good?”
“Mm-hmm,” Yu Qianran nodded to show he liked it. “But Shenshen’s family’s cookies are a little better.”
Hearing that Ranran liked his family’s cookies, Lu Zhishen couldn’t hide the smile on his face. Proudly, he said, “I think so too.”
The sky gradually darkened.
Gu Kexin glanced at the time. Yu Zeyan would be home in about five minutes, so she cheerfully invited Lu Zhishen, “Shenshen, why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”
“Sure, sure!” Lu Zhishen agreed without a second thought.
As long as he could spend more time with Ranran, it was fine, and Ranran’s family’s food was delicious too.
Lu Zhishen had already forgotten all about Ji Nuan.
…
There was a sound at the door. Gu Kexin stood up, immediately followed by two little tails.
“I’m home,” Yu Zeyan’s deep voice echoed through the room.
Just as Gu Kexin was about to speak, she noticed another figure at the door out of the corner of her eye. She smiled warmly and greeted, “President Ji, good evening.”
“Don’t be so formal, just call me by my name,” Ji Nuan nodded with a polite smile. “I’m here to pick up my child,” she explained her purpose.
Lu Zhishen popped out from behind. “Mom, let’s stay and eat at Ranran’s house.”
Ji Nuan lowered her head to meet Lu Zhishen’s pleading eyes, then awkwardly glanced at Gu Kexin and the other person, her voice tinged with apology. “The child doesn’t know any better. Sorry for the embarrassment.”
She warned in a low voice, “Lu Zhishen, we’ll eat at home. Auntie has already cooked.”
“No, no!” Lu Zhishen grabbed Ji Nuan’s hand and shook it, whining in a cutesy tone for the first time. “Mom, I want to eat with Ranran, okay?”
Ji Nuan slapped his hand away, her body trembling involuntarily as if a thousand ants were crawling over her, a wave of disgust rising from deep within.
She forced a stiff smile. “Act normal.”
Lu Zhishen: “…”
That liar Chen Xiaonan!!
He was going to find Ranran and complain about his mom’s cruelty and Chen Xiaonan’s deceit.