Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 20

The movie’s plot progression triggered a memory for Lian Fang.

“Hey, do you remember when the homeroom teacher showed us this movie and skipped the nude scene with the heroine? I had no idea that scene existed, so I went home and made my parents watch it with me again. Do you know how awkward that was?” Lian Fang said.

Lin Ran smiled: “The teacher showed this one too?”

“Yeah, don’t you remember?”

The homeroom teacher was an English teacher who liked to show them Hollywood movies, usually after monthly exams.

“I remember he liked to show movies, but I forgot he showed this one.”

“That’s because you weren’t even watching it then. You said you’d already seen it, so you were secretly watching anime.”

At this, Lin Ran finally had a vague memory. She recalled sitting in the back row, secretly watching anime in the corner, and also…

“Wait! Was that movie shown because Fu Linling won some kind of award?” Lin Ran asked.

“Was it?” Lian Fang turned back to ask Fu Linling for confirmation.

Fu Linling looked at their two pairs of eager eyes and replied: “A mathematics competition.”

“Right, right! Mathematics competition!” Lin Ran said, standing up and moving the doll aside. “I’m going to the restroom. No need to pause it.”

Fu Linling looked at the doll, picked it up, and squeezed it a couple of times. It was soft and seemed to retain warmth. She couldn’t help but rub it a few extra times.

“Be careful! Ran Ran might get mad if she sees you bullying her doll like that,” Lian Fang teased.

“She won’t get mad,” Fu Linling said with certainty.

“How are you so sure?”

“If she gets mad, I’ll just coax her. She doesn’t hold grudges.”

Lin Ran was never one to hold a grudge.

After the misunderstanding about skipping class, Fu Linling thought Lin Ran would never speak to her again, let alone be friends. She no longer dared to hold out hope and focused all her attention back on her studies.

A few days later, she represented the school in the math competition, winning first prize. The homeroom teacher was overjoyed and asked everyone to applaud, but only sparse clapping echoed in the classroom.

Not everyone felt this sense of class honor, as they felt completely uninvolved, especially with a top student who didn’t fit in. As a result, no one cared much.

Fu Linling went to the restroom after class and ran into Lin Ran and Lian Fang on the stairwell. The two were holding freshly bought snacks, talking and laughing as they discussed the movie they were going to watch that evening.

Fu Linling’s tall, heavy figure blocked their way. She awkwardly moved aside to let them go first.

Lian Fang took a step up the stairs, but Lin Ran looked up at Fu Linling.

Fu Linling was nervous and afraid, but Lin Ran suddenly smiled at her: “That’s so awesome, Fu Linling! You got first place!”

Fu Linling never expected that reaction from her.

“Math is so difficult, and you won first place in a competition! You’ll definitely get into your ideal university, and maybe even get a Ph.D.!”

“Lin Ran, hurry up! We’re going to be late!” Lian Fang shouted from above.

“I’m coming!”

Fu Linling watched their cheerful backs, feeling a little envious but also secretly happy.

That night, when the movie was shown in the classroom, Fu Linling wasn’t interested. Her English was a bit weak, and she planned to use the time to memorize vocabulary.

Just then, there was a commotion in the front row. She looked up and saw Lin Ran and Lian Fang had switched seats with two people.

The two of them sat down furtively in front of her. Then, Lin Ran pulled out a phone, shielded it with a book, and started watching anime.

The light in the last row was dim. Fu Linling took out her small desk lamp, trying to shine it only on her book.

But someone shouted angrily: “Fu Linling, can you turn off that light? We can’t see the screen! This is movie time. If you want to study, go outside. Don’t disturb everyone.”

Several people quietly agreed: “Exactly, exactly.”

Fu Linling lowered her head and turned off the lamp.

But Lin Ran in front of her looked up and said: “Fu Linling brought honor to our class this time, and the teacher is showing this movie because she won first place. If you keep making noise and attract the teacher, no one will get to watch.”

Then, she turned and handed Fu Linling a portable flashlight: “This is more convenient and not blinding. Use this for now.”

“Thank you,” Fu Linling whispered.

“You’re welcome. Remember to return it when you’re done; I need it tonight.” Lin Ran turned back to continue watching anime, while Lian Fang was clearly engrossed in the movie and wasn’t interested in the anime, so their heads weren’t touching anymore.

For the rest of the time, Fu Linling neither watched the movie nor focused on memorizing vocabulary. Instead, she was watching a silent anime, the beginning and end of which she didn’t know, from half a meter away.

To this day, she doesn’t know the name of that anime, but she remembers that dimly lit night class as the happiest night of her three years in high school.

Happier than winning first place.

As the movie reached its conclusion, the medicine had cooled. Fu Linling brought it out and placed it on the small table on the rug, next to the fruit platter.

In the flickering light, she could clearly see the expression of sheer repulsion on Lin Ran’s face.

Fu Linling quietly smiled and silently sat back down on the sofa.

After about a minute, Lin Ran seemed to have mentally prepared herself. As the credits rolled, she picked up the cup and quickly drank most of it. She took a breath, finished the rest, let out a moan of anguish, and immediately grabbed a plum to suppress the taste.

Lian Fang couldn’t help but applaud: “A person should be viewed in a new light after three days.”

Fu Linling took the medicine bowl and turned on the living room light.

Lian Fang looked at the time, said goodbye, and went home.

Lin Ran got up to clean up. She had spat out quite a few plum pits and was pouring them into the trash can when she heard Fu Linling ask: “What was the name of the anime you were watching in high school?”

“I watched a lot of anime in high school. Which one are you talking about?” Lin Ran turned around, seeing Fu Linling leaning on the side cabinet.

Fu Linling thought for a long time but couldn’t recall the plot or characters, only vaguely remembering a white-haired character: “There was a white-haired character.”

“There are tons of white-haired characters in anime.”

“The one you were secretly watching when we were watching Titanic.”

“I don’t remember.”

“Right. I’m going to shower now.”

Lin Ran walked to the balcony, preparing to take in the laundry. Her phone pinged—a message from Lian Fang confirming she was home.

She spontaneously texted Lian Fang: [What anime was I watching during Titanic?]

Lian Fang: [How should I know! Why are you asking all of a sudden?]

Ran.: [Fu Linling asked.]

Lian Fang: [That was years ago! Who remembers that stuff? Are all top students’ brains that amazing?!]

Ran.: [Probably. That’s why we’re the academic failures who don’t know anything.]

Lian Fang: [Don’t include me. I was always in the top forty in our class.]

Ran.: [There were only a little over fifty people in the whole class.]

“What are you laughing about?” Fu Linling walked to the balcony doorway.

“Nothing,” Lin Ran said, turning back with a smile. She saw that Fu Linling had showered and was wearing silk short-sleeved pajamas. Her hair was slightly damp and casually draped, giving off an air of laziness.

“Need to get clothes?” Fu Linling asked.

“Mm.”

Fu Linling looked up and immediately reached up to take down Lin Ran’s dress.

“I was wondering why I couldn’t find the drying pole,” Lin Ran muttered.

Fu Linling had forgotten about it. There used to be one, but it broke once, and she hadn’t bought a new one. It looked like she would have to… sigh, buy one online.

“Anything else?” Fu Linling asked.

“This too,” Lin Ran said, pointing to her head (where a clip or scrunchie might be).

Fu Linling took a step closer. Lin Ran caught a fresh scent of citrus, the smell of body wash. She tilted her head slightly, watching Fu Linling reach for the clothes. Her neck formed a beautiful arc, her jawline sharper and more defined, yet her earlobes were faintly red.

Fu Linling held a piece of underwear in her hand—black, with a somewhat complicated, multi-strapped design.

Their eyes met.

Fu Linling handed the underwear to her with a pretense of composure: “Got it. Anything else to take down?”

Lin Ran looked at her with amusement: “Panties.”

Fu Linling looked around, finally locating Lin Ran’s pair. She took them down without a word.

Lin Ran stared intently at her ears—Wow, they were even redder now.