Chapter 37

School was released at 4PM.

Yi Ran remembered that Song Yu Meng had sprained her ankle and it wasn’t easy for her to walk, so she asked: “Need me to hold onto you?”

“Don’t!” Song Yu Meng rejected before even thinking about it. “Don’t help me, or else you’ll say this lady owes you a favour again or something.”

“Then can you walk by yourself?” Yi Ran was both a little doubtful and a little worried.

“I can’t, but I asked Xiao Xiao to help me back.” Su Xiao Xiao walked over at this moment with her school bag. “Look, she’s here.” Song Yu Meng slung an arm over Su Xiao Xiao’s shoulder and Su Xiao Xiao supported her to reduce the amount of weight on her right foot.

“Bye, Crazy Yi.” Song Yu Meng waved casually.

“We’ll be going first, bye Yi Ran.”

Yi Ran nodded. “Mm, bye.”

– Rear entrance of the campus –

Yi Ran wanted to get on her scooter and ride off, but she saw a familiar silhouette by her scooter before she even got there.

Wasn’t that her deskmate Xu Yuan? After that incident, Yi Ran felt like she was going to ask for another ride on her scooter.

“School’s out but you’re still not going home?” Yi Ran reluctantly greeted her.

Xu Yuan smiled and asked: “Are you sending me back?”

Yi Ran froze, not knowing what to say.

“I mean, could I trouble you to send me back? It’s not that convenient for me.” She pointed at her injured knees, an innocent expression on her face.

If it was any other guy, they would have agreed immediately, but Yi Ran wanted to refuse.

“Where’s Liu Luo Yang, why didn’t you ask him to send you home?”

“He’s not free.”

Yi Ran: “……” She wanted to ask why he wasn’t free, but thinking about it, it was a stupid question.

“Could you?” Again with that innocent, harmless, pitiful look.

But before Yi Ran could answer, a cold “she can’t” rang out.

“She can’t!!!”

The two of them looked back to see Song Yu Meng limping towards them. It looked a little funny because of how urgently she walked; her left foot stepped on the floor with a stomp, but her injured right foot could only placed lightly on the ground with each step.

Funnily enough, her right foot hurt whenever she placed weight on it because of her sprain, but the moment she saw Xu Yuan and Yi Ran standing together, the pain miraculously vanished from her right foot, and she could put it on the floor gently to limp over.

“Xiao-Yu, walk slower, I can’t keep up.” Su Xiao Xiao was supporting Song Yu Meng and trying to keep pace with her, but it looked more like Song Yu Meng was the one supporting her instead.

Xu Yuan saw Song Yu Meng coming over, and her eyebrows wrinkled slightly. Her face didn’t change, but it wasn’t hard to see she was unhappy.

As for Yi Ran, she rushed to Song Yu Meng, wanting to help support her but finding nowhere to hold on to.

“Didn’t I tell you to walk less these few days, what are you walking so quickly for?” Her tone was a mix of worry and reprimand.

Song Yu Meng completely ignored Yi Ran and Su Xiao Xiao’s words, walking straight to Xu Yuan and saying coldly: “She can’t. Crazy Yi won’t fetch you home. Are you two very close? Where did you get the courage to trouble her? Also, this lady has already booked her scooter in advance, so get lost!”

Xu Yuan’s face immediately turned dark, staring at Song Yu Meng hostilely.

“What are you looking at!” Song Yu Meng looked around and didn’t see Liu Luo Yang. “Where’s Liu Luo Yang? Wasn’t he so worried about you that he carried you to the medical bay? Where’s he? Why don’t you get him to send you home?”

She even unhappily spat out: “All you do is trouble Crazy Yi, does she look like someone you can bully easily?”

Yi Ran raised a fist to her face, hiding her smile, but she didn’t step out to stop Song Yu Meng. She didn’t think Song Yu Meng was speaking out of turn, in fact, she felt Song Yu Meng came at a great time to save her.

Su Xiao Xiao was committed to being the role of a human crutch, she watched silently from the side.

Xu Yuan clearly realised that the situation was unfavourable for her, so she held her anger and calmly said: “If that’s the case, then let Yi Rn decide.”

Song Yu Meng scoffed. “Okay, let Yi Ran decide! See who she will pick!” She seemed to be extremely confident that Yi Ran would pick her.

The three of them all looked at Yi Ran, just to see that Yi Ran’s eyes were darting back and forth between Song Yu Meng and Xu Yuan. She had a frown on her face, as if she was considering hard.

Song Yu Meng was originally quite confident, but now, she started to panic.

Crazy Yi wouldn’t pick that Xu Yuan, would she??? Song Yu Meng made a decision: If Crazy Yi picks Xu Yuan, I’ll never speak to her again!!!

Yi Ran didn’t know Song Yu Meng was thinking so much, but she looked at her with a hint of a smile. Even when she was called upon for answers in class, Song Yu Meng had never been so nervous.

Yi Ran finally looked at Xu Yuan and said: “Sorry, I did agree to send Song Yu Meng home today, so I can’t help you.”

Yi Ran never promised Song Yu Meng, clearly, she just wanted to choose her.

“It’s fine.” Xu Yuan’s smile was particularly forced.

Fireworks exploded in Song Yu Meng’s heart upon being chosen. She casually pulled Yi Ran to her side and showed off to Xu Yuan. “Hmph, I told you, I knew Crazy Yi would choose me! Nobody’s going to send you home, you better walk home yourself!”

She thought Yi Ran wouldn’t say anything, but Yi Ran stepped up.

“We’re all classmates, there’s no need to be like this.” She turned to Su Xiao Xiao. “I’ll send Song Yu Meng home, I’ll trouble you to help Xu Yuan.”

Su Xiao Xiao didn’t have any grudge against Xu Yuan, so she nodded. “Alright.”

After Su Xiao Xiao had helped Xu Yuan a distance, Song Yu Meng said unhappily: “Crazy Yi, why did you let my best friend help someone I hate?”

Yi Ran teased: “Your best friend didn’t even refuse, why are you so worried?”

Song Yu Meng purposely threw a tantrum: “But you know I hate Xu Yuan and you still cared about her in front of me, are you doing it on purpose?”

Yi Ran couldn’t hold back a smile. “Please, where did you see me caring for Xu Yuan? It’s more correct if you say I’m caring for you.”

Face flushing, Song Yu Meng snapped: “Nonsense! How did you care for me?”

“Whether I care or not, you should know it best.” Yi Ran hooked the strap of the helmet with a finger and brought it to Song Yu Meng. “Wear it, or you can’t get on.”

“I don’t want to. I want you to wear it fo rme.”

Yi Ran smiled and helped Song Yu Meng to put the helmet on, complaining: “You’re already so big and you still need me to help you, are you dumb?”

“I’m not…..” She mumbled in turn.

After they got on the scooter, Yi Ran said her standard “hold on tight” and Song Yu Meng hugged her tightly. The two of them rode out of school and disappeared.

They didn’t know that someone saw everything, their form teacher, Tang Xiang Ping.

She stared with wide eyes at the two of them on the scooter, a rubbish bag in her hand.

She had just been on her way to throw out the rubbish when she saw Yi Ran helping Song Yu Meng wear the helmet, and Song Yu Meng even hugged Yi Ran’s waist and leaned on her back.

How did that seem like enemies quarrelling every day? If you said they were a couple, she would believe it.

“Tsk tsk tsk.” Tang Xiang Ping shook her head. “Seems like the rumours on the school forum really can’t be trusted.”

She didn’t know who was the one who started talking about how they weren’t on good terms and quarrelled every day. Sure, they did quarrel quite often, but looking at them now, it seems like their relationship was pretty good.

On the other hand, Yi Ran was riding on the main street with Song Yu Meng. It was almost December, and the wind was a little chilly, stinging when it hit the face.

“Scaredy Cat, does your face hurt? If it hurts, then put your hood up.”

Yi Ran thought she was caring for her, but Song Yu Meng punched her back and said: “You’re not allowed to call me Scaredy Cat!”

“You really have selective hearing!” Yi Ran laughed. “But I want to call you that. Scaredy Cat, Scaredy Cat, Scaredy……”

Song Yu Meng pulled up Yi Ran’s hood and yanked it over her eyes, covering all the way to her nose.

“What are you doing! I can’t see the road! Let go!” Yi Ran was terrified of not being able to see, the scooter swerving left and right.

But Song Yu Meng wasn’t scared since she could see, and the road was straight with no other cars around. There was no safety issue, she just wanted to prank Yi Ran.

“I’ll let go if you say you’re wrong.”

“I’m wrong! Ma’am[1] please let me off, I don’t want to die young!”

Song Yu Meng laughed and pulled off her hood, whispering in her ear: “Relax, I won’t let you die young.”

She couldn’t bear to let Yi Ran die young!

“Song Yu Meng.” Yi Ran suddenly sounded serious. “I’ll tell you a secret about me, do you want to hear it.”

Song Yu Meng definitely wanted to hear it, but she didn’t want to admit it. “Who cares about your secret?”

Yi Ran bit back a smile. “Oh, alright then. Forget it since you don’t want to hear it. I’ll send you back.”

Song Yu Meng wanted to slap herself, why was she so stubborn just now!!!

On the way home, she was thinking about what the secret was. Finally, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity anymore and asked: “Hey, Crazy Yi. What secret did you want to tell me just now?”

Yi Ran laughed. “I thought you didn’t care about it?”

“I was just bluffing……”

Yi Ran smiled, fondness seeping into her eyes. She glanced at Song Yu Meng in the side mirror, she looked cute pouting, and her face was red from being forced to admit to her lie.

She was the epitome of a shy young lady.

Song Yu Meng saw she was smiling and hit her shoulder. “Tell me!” She didn’t realise she had started using a coquettish tone with Yi Ran.

“The secret is if you hadn’t come just now, the owner of my backseat would have changed.”

“What sort of secret is that!”

“Then I’ll say another?”

“Go ahead, I’m not stopping you.” Song Yu Meng acted like she didn’t care.

“Actually, I don’t like Xu Yuan like you. But I don’t hate her like you either. I just treat her like a normal classmate.” Yi Ran suddenly smiled widely. “So it’s pretty good having you, this scaredy-cat, on my backseat!”

Song Yu Meng’s lips twisted upwards too. She leaned on Yi Ran’s back, pressing her cheek against the centre, her eyes unspeakably soft.

“Crazy Yi, bring this lady to the beach for a ride.” She suddenly didn’t want to go home so early. She wanted to keep this atmosphere a little longer, she wanted to enjoy the sea breeze even if it was cold.

“But doesn’t your foot hurt? Wouldn’t it be better to go back and rest earlier?”

“You’re just the shifu[2] driving me around, just listen to this lady obediently!”

“Alright, how could I dare not to listen to this big miss.” Yi Ran teased.

She changed directions, from the way home to the coastline, meandering along the winding road all the way to the beach.

The beach was a tourist attraction with plenty of shops opening there. A particular brand’s milk tea shop also had an outlet there.

Song Yu Meng sat by the blue sea while Yi Ran went to buy two drinks, a cup of milk tea and a cup of fruit tea.

She gave the fruit tea to Song Yu Meng, leaving the taro milk tea for herself.

Taking the cup, Song Yu Meng asked suspiciously: “Why did you get yourself milk tea, but I got fruit tea?”

Yi Ran took a sip then replied: “Because you said you don’t like sweet stuff, so I changed yours to fruit tea.”

“When did I tell you I don’t like sweet stuff?”

“That day when I gave you the lollipop, you said you hated sweet stuff.”

Warmth spread over Song Yu Meng’s heart. She never thought a random thing she said would be so deeply ingrained into Yi Ran’s memory. She had forgotten it herself.

Yi Ran seemed to have figured out what she was thinking, and boasted: “So? Am I very attentive and nice? Better than Liu Luo Yang at least?”

Song Yu Meng nodded her head, her pretty eyes showing a trace of amusement as she looked at Yi Ran.

……

Yi Ran rode steadily and sent Song Yu Meng back to her gate. Song Yu Meng thanked her and was about to get off the scooter and go home when Yi Ran swept her into her arms.

“You can’t walk. I’ll be a good person to the end[3] and carry you into your home.” Yi Ran’s words were logical, and she didn’t realise anything was wrong with her actions.

Song Yu Meng heard that Yi Ran planned to carry her into the house and she immediately struggled. For her own safety, her hands were around Yi Ran’s neck, but her legs were kicking back and forth.

“You’re being a hooligan! I can walk! Put me down!”

Thankfully no neighbours were in the area, or they would really have thought that someone was being a hooligan in broad daylight.

“Stop making a fuss, or I’ll throw you into the rubbish bin.” Yi Ran said sternly.

Song Yu Meng wanted to cry: …… What sort of person is this!!!

Carrying someone in her arms, Yi Ran couldn’t knock on the door, so Song Yu Meng opened it while being carried.

Mrs Song was happy to see her daughter arrive home, but when she realised she was lying in Yi Ran’s arms, she was dumbstruck. She couldn’t understand why her precious daughter was being carried by Yi Ran???

And Song Yu Meng was embarrassed to the point of anger when she saw her mother. She already told Crazy Yi not to carry her. Now great, how was she going to explain to her mom?!

Yi Ran calmly said: “Aunty, Song Yu Meng sprained her ankle and can’t walk, so I carried her back.”

Song Yu Meng perked up, nodding her head frantically, afraid her mother wouldn’t believe it.

Mrs Song paused for a second before reacting, saying emotionally: “Aiya, we’ve really trouble you, Xiao-Yi. Don’t stand there, put Xiao-Yu on the sofa.”

Yi Ran did as she was asked and let Song Yu Meng sit on the sofa. Leaving that warm and fragrant embrace, Song Yu Meng was a little reluctant.

Mrs Song sat at one side, praising and thanking Yi Ran with a big smile. It was obvious she was very satisfied with Yi Ran.

As for Song Yu Meng, she sat quietly, just looking at Yi Ran.

At this moment, some long-forgotten things in her heart started stirring, almost like it was going to overflow.

[1] 姑奶奶 – This is a bit hard to explain. It literally is the term you call your grandfather’s sister, but in this context, it’s used more as something you call someone who’s messing around. Another similar term used like this is 小祖宗 or little ancestor. Jump back up.

[2] 师傅 – So this might be a bit confusing, because shifu is used in many xianxia/wuxia novels to mean your master, or someone who teaches you something. But in China, people who drive taxis are also called shifu, presumably because they’re… skilled at driving I guess? Jump back up.

[3] 我好人做到底 – Literally means I’ll be a good person till the end. It’s the whole concept of, once you start doing something, see it through all the way.