Chapter 35

The two of them were neighbours, and with such a big downpour, Song Yu Meng would naturally let Yi Ran hitch a ride in her car.

In the warm car, Song Yu Meng could see Yi Ran’s whole body was soaked. Touching her damp clothes, Song Yu Meng asked: “Your whole body is soaked, are you cold? Will you catch a cold?”

She hurriedly told Uncle Wang who was driving: “Uncle Wang, hurry up and make it warmer.”

Uncle Wang didn’t dare delay, he immediately turned on the warm air to full blast.

Yi Ran looked at Song Yu Meng fussing over her and she suddenly felt it was super worth it to get soaked in the rain!

“Don’t worry, I’m not cold. My body’s pretty sturdy, I won’t fall sick.” She reassured Song Yu Meng.

“You better not! If I don’t see you in school on Monday morning, I’ll… I’ll……”

“You’ll what?” Yi Ran smiled.

“This lady will ignore you forever!” Song Yu Meng warned her with a petulant tone.

“Don’t worry, I won’t give you the chance.” Yi Ran’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

“Hmph, that better be the case!”

Uncle Wang was in his forties, and hearing the two of them talk, he felt as if he had been forced to eat dog kibble[1]. Their relationship was really good, he mused to himself.

When the car reached, the rain had stopped and the sky was extra blue after the rain.

Yi Ran was about to get off when Song Yu Meng tugged on her jacket, shyly saying: “Give the jacket to me. I’ll wash it and return it to you.”

Yi Ran agreed quickly: “Sure, one less item for me to wash.”

“Today…… Thank you.” Even though she had thanked Yi Ran plenty of times, she still felt embarrassed.

“See you on Monday, don’t be late!”

Yi Ran smiled and promised in a soft, pampering tone: “Alright, see you on Monday. I won’t be late.”

When Song Yu Meng got home, the first thing she did was to take a shower and change into some dry clothes. After that, she started washing clothes.

For her own clothes, she just threw them straight into the washing machine, but she handwashed Yi Ran’s jacket. Soaking it in water, rubbing detergent in, scrubbing, she did it all step by step. She had never washed her clothes so diligently before.

Mrs Song found it odd she was handwashing clothes and asked: “My good daughter, is this yours? I don’t remember you having something like this before?”

“Mom, this is Yi Ran’s. I didn’t bring an umbrella today and it was raining, she used the jacket to send me back home.” Song Yu Meng smiled sweetly. The moment she thought about it, she was in a good mood.

“Oh, so Xiao-Yi sent you back. That kid’s really kind, and she treats you well too.” Mrs Song’s impression of Yi Ran got even better.

Song Yu Meng couldn’t help boasting in her heart, of course Crazy Yi treated her nicely!

“But Xiao-Yu, if someone treats you well, you must treat them well too, got it?”

“I know mom, that’s why I’m helping her wash her clothes. Okay mom, go out, I’m not done washing Crazy Yi’s clothes yet!”

After Mrs Song left, she continued scrubbing the jacket. After washing it a few times, she finally stopped. She looked at the jacket in satisfaction, and couldn’t help herself from smelling it.

It was the same smell as her clothes! Song Yu Meng was both happy but also slightly embarrassed. Doesn’t that mean that Crazy Yi would smell like her?

……

On Sunday when the students had to return to school, Song Yu Meng gave the jacket to Yi Ran.

“Here.”

Yi Ran took the jacket and gave it a sniff, teasing with a smile: “How much washing powder did you use? My clothes smell like you.”

Song Yu Meng’s face turned red and her heart started racing. “What! This lady washed your clothes and you’re still not happy? If you’re not satisfied, take it home and wash it again!”

Yi Ran thought she looked particularly cute when throwing a tantrum.

“You got it wrong. What I meant was that you smell really good. I quite like having your smell on my clothes.” Yi Ran’s tone was both a bit flippant and a bit flirtatious, her bright eyes looking at Song Yu Meng’s flushed face.

The atmosphere between the two changed and the two of them felt like they were in their own little bubble.

Liu Luo Yang had wanted to return the umbrella, but looking at the two, he thought the atmosphere was a bit weird.

“Thanks for lending me the umbrella that day.” He held out the umbrella in front of Song Yu Meng and smiled mesmerisingly.

But Song Yu Meng felt that his smile was exceedingly annoying. Or rather, his whole appearance was unexpected, he shouldn’t be there.

“It’s fine, you can have the umbrella.” She said blandly, a polite, distant smile on her face. She didn’t want this umbrella back at all.

Liu Luo Yang paused for a few seconds, then left with the umbrella in a bad mood.

Yi Ran had been silently watching from the side and laughed. “Why did you give the umbrella to him? What a waste.”

“Hmph, this lady has plenty of money, I don’t care about that!”

“You’re so rich? Then how about you raise me[2]?”

“Dream on! Raising a dog would be better, more obedient than you, right?”

From afar, Liu Luo Yang looked at the two in deep contemplation, his heart feeling an odd sense of alarm.

But he brushed it off. He didn’t believe that Song Yu Meng, who had liked him and chased him so passionately, would suddenly not like him anymore.

Liu Luo Yang’s lips curled up: Seems like I have to give her a bit of motivation.

……

After class, Liu Luo Yang leaned over and gently whispered in Song Yu Meng’s ear: “Could you bring breakfast for me tomorrow morning?”

Song Yu Meng had wanted to take a nap, but with Liu Luo Yang whispering in her ear, she was completely awake. Half frightened and half wondering what was going on.

She stared at Liu Luo Yang blankly for a few seconds, and thinking that she wasn’t going to agree, he put his hands together and begged in a teasing manner: “Please? I think the bread you brought is really super delicious!”

“Um…… Alright then.” Song Yu Meng was reluctant, but ended up agreeing.

Yi Ran lowered her head and continued working on her maths homework, but she heard everything. She heard Song Yu Meng agreeing and her eyebrows knitted together, a fire suddenly sparking in her heart.

Liu Luo Yang flashed his trademark smile. “Thanks, Song Yu Meng.”

“It’s fine.” Song Yu Meng smiled dryly, but she was panicking in her heart.

She only promised Crazy Yi not to bring breakfast for Liu Luo Yang, but if she gave it to him at night, it wouldn’t be considered breaking her promise, right???

Alright, she was just trying to find a way out.

Song Yu Meng twisted around and pretended to be looking for something in her bag, but she was secretly observing what Yi Ran was doing.

Seeing Yi Ran with her head down and looking at a maths question, she felt relieved. Although Yi Ran didn’t look happy, she chalked it up to Yi Ran being stumped by the maths question.

But right at that moment, Liu Luo Yang said again: “Oh right, I have a basketball match with the neighbouring class tomorrow afternoon. You’ll come and support me right?”

“Um…… I’ll decide then.” Song Yu Meng didn’t want to go, and she thought she had rejected him very nicely.

“Don’t decide then, you’ll come right?” His eyes shined, making it hard for people to reject him.

“Alright then.” Song Yu Meng couldn’t find it in herself to reject him.

If it was in the past, she would have been ecstatic at Liu Luo Yang asking her to watch the basketball match and support him. But today, she didn’t feel much, even felt a bit reluctant. Her first thought was whether Crazy Yi would be angry if she found out.

She turned around silently to look at Yi Ran’s reaction, but Yi Ran had sprawled out on her table to take a nap. Her hood was up and she was lying on her arm, the only one in class to sleep so early.

Song Yu Meng felt like she knew something and her panic started again. She was already regretting promising Liu Luo Yang.

The whole day, Yi Ran pulled a long face. There was no more smiles, she had on a gloomy expression the whole day. One look and you could tell she was in a bad mood.

Once the bell rang, the other students were still busy packing their bags when Yi Ran immediately got up with her bag and walked out. That was speedy, she was the first person in the whole school to leave.

Song Yu Meng was even more convinced she had heard the conversation, and the panic in her heart and regret grew even more.

Back at home, Mrs Song saw her daughter wasn’t in a good mood and asked in concern: “What’s wrong, you’re unhappy? Did someone bully you at school?”

“Was it that punk again?” Mr Song’s face immediately darkened.

“That punk” was definitely referring to Liu Luo Yang, Mr Song’s prejudice against him was sky-high.

“Dad, mom, it has nothing to do with him. I’m fine.” Song Yu Meng was a little distracted. “I’m going back to my room first.”

She disappeared into her room, her back looking lonely and depressed.

– Room –

Song Yu Meng held onto her phone, debating. She opened Yi Ran’s chat.

【What happened today? Why were you pulling a long face all day long? Did someone anger you?】

Song Yu Meng hugged her phone and waited for a reply.

After about 10 minutes, Yi Ran replied her.

【I’m not angry, you’re overthinking.】

Her emotions were clear from the short sentences. Song Yu Meng knew Yi Ran was angry at her, but she didn’t know what to say, opting to just send an “oh” across.

Seeing the “oh”, Yi Ran felt even more irritable, and even a little disappointed.

【Let’s end the conversation here, I’m going to sleep.】

Song Yu Meng stared at the screen. She felt aggrieved too. Her eyes prickled and she held back tears as she typed out “good night”.

She waited for Yi Ran to reply her, but after half an hour, she didn’t receive anything.

A dam broke and she started crying. The tears dripped down her face and landed on her phone’s screen. She sniffed as she tried to control her sobs. She was upset, but she didn’t dare cry too loudly in fear of alarming her parents.

She rubbed her face with the back of her hand. The last time she cried, Yi Ran was there to console her and wipe her tears. But this time, she had angered Crazy Yi. Crazy Yi didn’t want to care about her anymore.

Song Yu Meng’s tears fell faster than she could wipe them away, the more she cried the worst she felt.

But what she didn’t know was that Yi Ran didn’t go to sleep. She had intentionally ignored her. Her heart was aching too.

The next day, the two of them acted like strangers, an invisible barrier between them. Neither of them spoke to the other, but they were still stealing glances at each other.

It was time to hand in homework after the morning self-study period.

“Homework.” Yi Ran stood in front of Song Yu Meng’s desk, her tone was cold and unfriendly.

Song Yu Meng’s heart felt sour and she sniffed as she replied softly: “I didn’t do it.” She didn’t dare to look at Yi Ran.

Yi Ran didn’t say anything and she had a blank expression on. She just wrote Song Yu Meng’s name on a post-it note.

Song Yu Meng was a bit perturbed. “Could you not note my name down?”

Yi Ran stayed silent, glancing at her before scratching out her name on the post-it.

But this way, Song Yu Meng felt like crying even more. It didn’t matter if Yi Ran wrote down her name or not, she didn’t care about it. She cared about Yi Ran’s attitude towards her.

Song Yu Meng couldn’t take it anymore. Biting her lip, she looked up at Yi Ran, a determined look in her eyes.

She knew why Yi Ran was angry, and she made a decision.

While Liu Luo Yang wasn’t around, she grabbed Yi Ran’s hand and pulled her into an empty classroom. Her other hand was holding onto a pack of bread in her pocket.

Yi Ran seemed to have guessed what she was doing, but still asked: “Why did you pull me here?” Her tone was much warmer than it was just now.

Song Yu Meng stuffed the bread into Yi Ran’s arms and said sadly: “I already gave you bread, can you not be angry at me anymore?” She lowered her head, looking like a girlfriend who was still upset, but had to put aside her own emotions to coax her partner.

Yi Ran smiled, like the sun coming out after the rain, and gently patted her head. “Don’t be sad, I won’t be angry at you, okay?” Her eyes were unbearably soft, as if her feelings were going to overflow.

“I’m not sad!” Song Yu Meng pushed her gently.

“Look, you’re being stubborn again.”

Song Yu Meng lowered her head, a blush spreading across her face.

Yi Ran tossed the bread up and down, asking: “If I remember correctly, you were going to give this to Liu Luo Yang. So if you give it to me, what’s he going to do?”

Song Yu Meng kept her head down and said softly: “I don’t know, just said I forgot.”

“Then this afternoon’s basketball match?”

“I just won’t go to see……”

Yi Ran’s heart lightened and a cheerily smile appeared on her face.

“That’s more like it.” She patted Song Yu Meng’s head then tore open the bag and stuffed half in her mouth, holding out the other half.” Here, eat it.”

“No, I don’t want to eat it.”

Yi Ran casually said: “Well, okay if you don’t want it. I’ll just share it with my deskmate.”

“How dare you!!!” Song Yu Meng glared at her, then immediately plucked the bread from her hand and stuffed it in her mouth, puffing her cheeks out.

Yi Ran felt that Song Yu Meng looked like a squirrel hoarding food in its mouth. It was kind of cute?

[1] 狗粮 – Dog food. More internet slang, people say they get force-fed dog food when they have to witness a couple being all lovey in front of them. Jump back up.

[2] 养我 – Literally means to raise /me/. It’s used to mean raising in a financial sense, or to look after. Basically means Yi Ran is asking Song Yu Meng to be her sugar mommy.