Zhao Chao Zhao and Rain
When Chen Xiyu returned to the table with a red tomato face and the handsome guy she "picked up", it caused a small sensation.
"Oh my God?! Tan Zhao?!" Jiang Hui almost dropped the golf club in her hand.
Jiang Xi instantly turned into a fangirl, her eyes twinkling with stars: "Ahhh! My idol! He's that incredibly handsome store manager Feng I was talking about!" She excitedly poked Chen Xiyu, "Sister! What kind of incredible luck is this! You can even pick up a top-notch item right outside the restroom?!"
Xie Yanzhi also stopped "teaching" and glanced back and forth between Chen Xiyu and Tan Zhao, his brows slightly furrowed. "Tan Zhao? What a coincidence?"
Tan Zhao looked calm, his eyes passing over Chen Xiyu's flushed face before looking at Xie Yanzhi: "Yeah. This shop is owned by my cousin, and he stopped by on his way home from school."
"Is it the yellow-haired... uh, cool brother from this morning?" Chen Xiyu almost let it slip.
Tan Zhao's smile deepened. "Yes, Han Xu. If he hears the word 'cool,' his tail will be up in the air." He looked at Chen Xiyu. "Should I help you convey it?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Chen Xiyu nodded vigorously, temporarily forgetting the embarrassment.
Jiang Xi couldn't hold back any longer and moved forward: "Hello, Tan Zhao! I'm Jiang Xi! Xiyu's best friend! I saw you the last time I came here, and you were simply stunning! Much more handsome than some guys!" She glanced at Xie Yanzhi meaningfully.
"I think so too!" Chen Xiyu said subconsciously, and then received a glare from Xie Yanzhi.
Tan Zhao seemed oblivious to Jiang Xi's insults and politely replied, "Hello, Jiang Xi. I'm Tan Zhao." He paused, his eyes fixed on the girl beside him who was trying to minimize her presence, and spoke clearly, "Chen Xiyu's deskmate."
Deskmate… Chen Xiyu's heart skipped a beat. This introduction…why does it sound so strange?
"Deskmate?!" Jiang Xi and Jiang Hui exchanged a look that indicated something was going on.
Xie Yanzhi sneered, picked up the golf club again, and said in a somewhat aggressive tone: "Can being handsome be used to make a living? Playing golf? Talking about classmates? Playing a game?" with obvious provocation.
Before Tan Zhao could answer, Chen Xiyu immediately raised her hand. "I don't know! You guys play! I still have homework!" She emphasized the word "homework," glanced at Tan Zhao with a plaintive look, pulled a crumpled manuscript paper and pen from her bag, and walked tragically toward the small sofa in the corner. Three thousand words! Pang Papi, I hate you!
She was writing furiously while muttering, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to float over the pool table:
"…Climbing over the wall was a momentary pleasure, but then I ended up reviewing the crematorium… wuwuwu… Blame it on the mahjong! Blame it on the popsicles! Blame it on the wall! Blame it on my greed!… I'll never watch Aunt Wang play mahjong again!… What's the point of watching? Next time, I'll just push her away and say, 'Get out of the way! Let me do it!'…"
Tan Zhao was about to hit the ball when, upon hearing this, his hand trembled, and the ball nearly slipped. He suppressed a smile, adjusted his stance, and nailed the hole-in-one. But out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but gravitate to the figure scratching his head and mumbling under the bright lights.
(Intermission)
Tan Zhao walked to the sofa and sat down naturally, not too far away, just enough to smell the faint scent of shampoo in Chen Xiyu's hair. He looked at her quickly written, slightly sloppy handwriting and asked:
"Next time...will you flip it again?"
I thought I'd get a resounding no. Unexpectedly, Chen Xiyu, without even looking up, said firmly, "Turn over! Find a more secluded and safe location!"
She finally stopped writing, looked up, and looked at him with sparkling eyes, a sly expression seeking his approval. "Don't you think... it's particularly interesting to go off the beaten path? You should always leave some unique 'footprints' during your student days, right? Like... footprints on the wall?"
Tan Zhao looked at the light dancing in her eyes, as if he saw the little sunshine in junior high school who stood in front of him without hesitation. His Adam's apple moved slightly, and he said "hmm" softly, his voice low: "I think."
This affirmative answer made Chen Xiyu burst into laughter, revealing two pointed little fangs: "A kindred spirit!" She seemed to have found her group, and excitedly complained, "Huihui and the others all think it's not good! Not to mention that fellow Xie Yanzhi! You really understand!" After saying this, she buried her head in the pile of papers with a bitter face, "Wow, my hand is going to break... Pang Papi is so inhumane..."
Seeing her slightly furrowed brows and her fingers reddened from writing, something in Tan Zhao's heart softened. He reached out, his slender fingers gently tapping the blank space on the manuscript paper: "Here...how about I help you write something?"
Chen Xiyu's eyes lit up, as if she had seen a savior, and she immediately stuffed the pen into his hand: "Hero! It's up to you!"
Tan Zhao, pen in hand, surveyed the densely packed "confessions" before him. For the first time in his life, he felt... at a loss as to where to begin. He carefully wrote an opening, his handwriting neat and elegant, a stark contrast to Chen Xiyu's uninhibited and unrestrained writing.
Chen Xiyu came over to take a look and chuckled: "Tan Zhao...you...could it be that you have never written a self-criticism since you were a child?" Good students are amazing!
Tan Zhao nodded honestly, his ears seemed a little red.
The bright incandescent light of the billiard hall fell on his downcast brows and thick eyelashes, casting a faint shadow on his face. His soft black hair swayed slightly as he shook his head slightly. From this angle, he pursed his lips slightly, his expression focused yet a little bewildered...
Chen Xiyu's heart skipped a beat without warning. A long-forgotten image suddenly popped into her mind.
"Little rabbit..." she murmured unconsciously.
"Hmm?" Tan Zhao looked up doubtfully, his clear peach blossom eyes filled with inquiry.
"Ah!" Chen Xiyu suddenly came back to her senses, her face flushed again, and she quickly pointed at the manuscript paper, "No...nothing! I mean, you just now...looked especially like the little rabbit that my father secretly gave me when I was a child! Especially...well-behaved." She said the last word very quietly.
Tan Zhao was stunned for a moment, then a gentle smile spread across his eyes, and he deliberately asked, "Oh? Now, where is the little rabbit?"
Chen Xiyu's eyes dimmed instantly, and her voice dropped: "No more... I'm allergic to animal hair, and my mother found out. She only raised it for one day before sending it away..." She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously scratching the edge of the manuscript paper, revealing a rare, fragile sense of loss.
Tan Zhao looked at her lowered head quietly, his eyes falling on the soft crown of her hair, his Adam's apple rolling. He wanted to say something, but in the end he just hummed softly and silently handed the pen back to her.
Chen Xiyu took the pen, shook his head, put aside the slight sadness, and returned to the "battle".
(Jiang Xi and the others put away their poles and prepare to leave)
Chen Xiyu shoved the paper and pen into her schoolbag, stood up, and habitually waved to Tan Zhao, who was still sitting on the sofa: "Let's go! Little..." The word "rabbit" rolled on the tip of her tongue, and when she met his half-smile, she abruptly changed her words, "...Tan Zhao classmate!"
Tan Zhao also stood up, and the pressure of his height made Chen Xiyu subconsciously take a half step back. He leaned forward slightly and said with a hint of sarcasm: "What were you going to call me? Little Rabbit... huh?"
"No! You heard it wrong!" Chen Xiyu denied it flatly and tried to run away while pulling Jiang Hui.
"Wait," Tan Zhao took out his cell phone. On the screen was his WeChat QR code. The corners of his lips curled up. "Add WeChat? It's convenient for...'communicating homework'?" He glanced at her schoolbag meaningfully.
Chen Xiyu frantically scanned the code and submitted her application. Tan Zhao's phone immediately rang.
Rain requested to add you as a friend.
Tan Zhao looked at the simple and straightforward nickname and chuckled, "Rain? The rain that means happy rain?"
"Yeah! Easy to remember!" Chen Xiyu leaned over to look at his phone screen. When she saw his nickname, she burst out laughing:
Zhao Chao Zhao
"Hahahaha! Tan Zhao! Did you type this name randomly on the keyboard?" She laughed without any image.
Tan Zhao looked at her helplessly, doubled over with laughter, and explained, "When my grandfather named me, he hesitated for a long time between 'Zhao,' 'Chao,' and 'Zhao.' Then I signed up for WeChat and thought, why not just use them all?"
"Hahaha! That makes sense! It's better to have it all than to be entangled!" Chen Xiyu gave a thumbs up.
(The group goes downstairs)
Tan Zhao said he would go downstairs to buy some drinks and went downstairs with them. As soon as they reached the coffee shop, they saw Han Xu leaning against the bar, talking to Ru Mo, with a rare gentle and focused look on his face.
"Brother, Sister Rumo." Tan Zhao greeted.
Han Xu looked up and saw them, especially Chen Xiyu, his eyes lit up: "Hey! Xiao Zhao's classmates? Are you having fun?"
"So happy! Thank you, Brother Xu!" Jiang Xi said sweetly.
Han Xu grinned and looked at Chen Xiyu: "Classmate Chen! Thanks so much to you this morning! My unreliable brother almost sent my younger brother to elementary school as a transfer student! Later... everything happened, right?" He asked a little guiltily.
Nothing? Xie Yanzhi had just gotten into a taxi when he burst out laughing. Jiang Hui also covered her mouth.
Chen Xiyu and Tan Zhao exchanged a glance, their minds simultaneously flashing back to the closed iron gates at the school, the towering walls, Director Pang's chubby, shocked face, and...their two utterly distraught figures falling. An inexplicable, awkward yet incredibly amusing tacit understanding spread between them.
Chen Xiyu tried hard to suppress her laughter and said to Han Xu seriously, "It's okay! Don't worry, Brother Xu! It went very... smoothly!" After saying that, she couldn't help herself and laughed softly with Tan Zhao, her shoulders shaking slightly.
Han Xu was baffled by the laughter and scratched his head. "Good thing it went well! Come and play next time and tell me Xiao Zhao's name. It's free!"
When saying goodbye, Tan Zhao looked at Chen Xiyu's back as she jumped and prepared to get on the car, and suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it reached her ears clearly:
"Chen Xiyu."
Chen Xiyu turned around.
He stood in the warm glow of the coffee shop, his eyes deep and a faint smile on his lips:
"Review...Do you need me to 'reference' the last 500 words for you?"
Chen Xiyu was stunned for a moment, then her eyes curved into crescents and she waved at him vigorously: "No need! Little rabbit... oh no! Classmate Tan Zhao! See you tomorrow!"
She quickly got into the car, leaving Tan Zhao standing there, looking at the taillights of the car going away, his fingers gently stroking the new contact named Rain on the phone screen.
"Little rabbit?" he repeated in a low voice, the smile in his eyes slowly lighting up like stars. "Chen Xiyu, see you tomorrow."
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