Hua Rong wandered through the shopping mall, pushing a trolley filled with groceries. She stopped in front of a shelf, eyeing the selection of pickles. Reaching up, she grabbed her favorite one. I like this one. I'll take it.
Dressed in casual shorts, a T-shirt, and a long shrug draped over her shoulders, she hadn't put much effort into her appearance. After all, the mall was close to her house, and it wasn't like she was expecting to run into anyone she knew. Her hair was lazily tied into a bun atop her head.
But just as she turned the trolley down the next aisle, her eyes landed on a familiar figure. Lin Zeyan.
Without a second thought, she picked up her pace, practically rolling her trolley toward him before patting his back. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked cheerfully.
Lin Zeyan turned around, his eyes widening in surprise. "Hua Rong?"
"Do you live around here?" she asked, tilting her head. "I've never seen you before."
He scratched the back of his neck. "No, I don't. I just came to visit my grandmother."
Hua Rong then noticed a woman standing a little distance away from them. She had fair, delicate skin and soft, light pink lips. Her features were gentle, though her eyes held a sharpness that reminded Hua Rong of Lin Zeyan.
"Is she your mother?" she asked.
Lin Zeyan nodded.
Without hesitation, Hua Rong walked toward her with a polite smile and bowed slightly. "Hello, I'm Hua Rong. Nice to meet you. I'm Lin Zeyan's friend."
The woman smiled warmly. "I know."
Hua Rong blinked in confusion and glanced at Lin Zeyan, who suddenly looked a little flustered. She knows?
"He told me about you," his mother continued in a soft voice. "And how you helped him."
Hua Rong's brows furrowed slightly. "Helped him?" she muttered, turning to Lin Zeyan for an explanation.
"Mom," Lin Zeyan cut in quickly, grabbing Hua Rong's arm and gently pulling her away. "Let's talk over here for a bit."
As they walked through the mall, Hua Rong crossed her arms. "Alright, what was that about? What did she mean by me helping you?"
Lin Zeyan exhaled and rubbed the back of his head. "I never really mentioned it before, but… thanks."
"For what?"
He looked ahead as if gathering his thoughts. "If it weren't for you, I probably would've always remained a coward."
Hua Rong frowned, about to protest, but he continued.
"You probably don't even realize it, but back at Anhua Academy, my mother came to watch me. It was the first time she saw me playing happily with my classmates." His voice softened. "She was glad."
Hua Rong remained silent, listening intently.
"When she found out I was transferring to Blackthorn Academy, she was proud that I didn't just tolerate the bullying this time. But she was also sad because she saw how much I regretted my actions. That day, when she saw me actually enjoying myself, she was really happy."
Lin Zeyan turned to Hua Rong, his gaze steady. "To tell you the truth, if it weren't for your words, or if you hadn't been by my side, I probably would've never changed. Even after knowing I tried to get someone's points deducted unfairly, you didn't abandon me. You got mad at him instead of laughing at how pathetic I was. I'm really glad to have a friend like you."
There was warmth in his eyes, a sincerity that made Hua Rong pause.
But despite the gratitude in his voice, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. She hadn't done all that with the intention of helping him—she had simply acted on instinct, doing what felt right at the time. But if it had ended up making a difference for him, then… maybe it wasn't so bad.
Still, being appreciated so much for something she hadn't thought too deeply about felt a little strange.
She glanced at Lin Zeyan and smirked. "Well, don't get all sentimental now. It's embarrassing."
He let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, yeah."
And with that, they continued walking, the weight of unspoken understanding lingering between them
As Hua Rong and Lin Zeyan reached the counter to pay, she pulled out her wallet, but just as she was about to place her groceries on the scanner, a hand abruptly interrupted, dropping a pack of cigarettes onto the counter.
She blinked in confusion before turning to see the owner of the hand—a familiar figure dressed in a white T-shirt, pants, and a jacket lazily draped over his shoulders.
Her eyes widened. "Xu Lingwei!" she shouted, snatching the cigarette pack away.
He raised an eyebrow at her sudden reaction, but Hua Rong's patience had already run thin.
"First the medicines, and now you're smoking?" Her voice was sharp, laced with genuine frustration. Her grip tightened around the pack as she glared at him. "Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Xu Lingwei sighed, rubbing his temple. "Hua Rong, relax—"
"Relax?" she cut him off, voice rising. "You're tired, so you start smoking? What's next? Are you being pressured again?" Her hands balled into fists as she tried to control her temper, but it felt like she was losing her mind. "If something's wrong, just come to me! There's no need to ruin yourself over it, you dumbass!"
She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, feeling her pulse quicken. Just thinking about him making reckless decisions infuriated her.
But then, to her disbelief, Xu Lingwei let out a low chuckle.
Hua Rong scowled. "What's so funny?"
"It's not mine," he said simply.
She blinked. "What?"
Xu Lingwei casually nodded toward the entrance, where a middle-aged man stood, waiting with crossed arms. "It's for my uncle," he explained. Then, looking back at Hua Rong, he smirked. "But thanks for worrying about me."
Still stunned, Hua Rong barely reacted as he smoothly took the cigarette pack from her hand.
The cashier, who had been watching the whole exchange with growing impatience, finally tapped on the counter. "Are you paying or not?"
Snapping back to reality, Hua Rong let out a breath and hastily handed over the money. Once the bill was settled, she grabbed her bags, but before she could make a quick escape from the awkwardness, Lin Zeyan leaned in slightly.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low.
Hua Rong turned away, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up her neck. "I'm fine," she muttered, but she was painfully aware of Xu Lingwei's lingering smile.
Before she could say anything else, Lin Zeyan's mother approached. Her gaze shifted between Hua Rong and Xu Lingwei, eyes filled with curiosity. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asked.
"No!" Hua Rong blurted out, almost too quickly.
Lin Zeyan chuckled. "Mom, he's just someone she's known for a long time but refuses to acknowledge properly."
Hua Rong's eyes widened. "What—"
Lin Zeyan's mother looked intrigued. "Oh? Did you two have a fight?"
"That, I don't know," Lin Zeyan admitted with a teasing smile.
"Then they should hurry up and patch things up," his mother declared as if it was the most obvious solution.
Before Hua Rong could protest, Lin Zeyan gently steered his mother away, his lips curled into an amused smile. "Yes, yes, they will," he said casually, clearly enjoying the situation.
Hua Rong stood frozen, utterly baffled. What the hell just happened?
"Ma'am, your bags," a voice called.
She turned back toward the counter, where the cashier was holding out her remaining grocery bag. Feeling even more flustered, she quickly took it and marched out of the mall, eager to escape the ridiculous scene.
But before she could get too far, footsteps followed behind her.
"Hua Rong," Xu Lingwei called.
She sighed, clutching her grocery bag a little tighter. Of course, he wouldn't let it go that easily.