My Straight Childhood Friend Successfully Pursued Me After The Breakup - Chapter 29

“Mom, didn’t you set up your own kid for this…”

“Mom, didn’t you set up your own kid for this?” Zuo Xian couldn’t help but complain. “Where is there anything to do in this town? I have money in my hand, but nowhere to spend it.”

Hearing this, Zuo Zhimi realized he might have a point.

These two children were different from her when she was little; she never got tired of running around these little broken alleys with a group of friends, climbing hills, playing in the water, and causing trouble.

These two really didn’t have much fun here.

Zuo Zhimi felt a moment of sadness and no longer insisted that the two children go out and play. Instead, she pulled Zuo Zhifan over and started lamenting the fleeting time.

After avoiding the lecture, Zuo Xian entered her room and subconsciously took out her phone to check for messages from Tao Ran.

As soon as she opened the phone, Zuo Xian cursed herself for being weak, but after cursing, she honestly started checking.

The notification screen was empty.

“I don’t contact you, and you don’t contact me either?” Disappointment and sadness gathered in Zuo Xian’s eyes, and her heart felt hollow.

She recalled Liu Xinyu’s “curse” again:

Every ‘lala’ (lesbian) has her own straight-girl calamity.

“Stupid Tao Ran, if you don’t contact me again, I won’t ever talk to you in the future.” Zuo Xian muttered threateningly to the chat box.

But after saying it, she regretted it. She couldn’t bear not contacting her. The truth was, if Tao Ran didn’t take the initiative to contact her, Zuo Xian was about to break her own limit and reach out first.

You really have no principles, Zuo Xian.

But she truly liked Ranran so much, she had never liked anyone this much before.

Zuo Xian hugged her phone, lay back on the bed, and stared at the pure white paint on the ceiling, her mind full of wild thoughts. She caught herself curling up the corners of her lips, and her face immediately stiffened after realizing it.

A few days ago were sunny, and her grandmother had taken all the quilts out to sun. Zuo Xian’s quilt was one of them.

The washed duvet cover had a faint lavender detergent scent, mixed with the soft, warm scent of the sun, making it exceptionally hypnotic.

The tightly closed curtains only let in a single beam of light, shining on one corner of the desk. Dust motes danced in the light beam, and as Zuo Xian watched the light, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

So sleepy. I’ll just sleep for a while.

Zuo Xian’s last thought flashed through her mind, and then her consciousness completely succumbed to sleep.

When she woke up again, faint voices drifted from outside the slightly ajar bedroom door. Zuo Xian groggily sat up, and the quilt on her body slipped down.

Zuo Xian paused. Did I cover myself with a quilt before I slept?

The next second, she realized it was probably her mother who came in to check on her and covered her up.

The sky outside the window was already dark. Zuo Xian rubbed her eyes and picked up her phone from the bedside to check the time.

Five forty-five.

Below the time, there were two messages.

Tao Ran: Ah Xian, I’ve arrived in Nan Ding.

Tao Ran: I’m downstairs at your house.

For a moment, Zuo Xian thought she was hallucinating. She unlocked her phone screen and read the messages in the chat box again and again.

Until she could barely recognize the words, Zuo Xian heard the sound of her own heart beating violently, deafeningly loud.

The faint conversations filtering through the crack in the door seemed to become tangible, lightly climbing onto Zuo Xian’s bed, transforming into a fine thread that wrapped around her finger base, pulling her, guiding her out of the room.

Her bare feet touched the floor. The heater was on, and the floor was at a comfortable temperature, stimulating Zuo Xian’s nerves.

She walked out of the room and looked down the stairs from the second floor. Everyone was sitting in the living room downstairs, chatting happily.

A figure Zuo Xian had longed for, with a clear and graceful back like green bamboo, sat quietly there. It seemed Zuo Zhimi had said something, and she slightly turned her head to listen.

The warm light illuminated her side profile. Her eyes curved slightly, and she said something.

“Ranran.” Zuo Xian instinctively called her name. Her voice was very soft, and no one downstairs noticed.

Yet Tao Ran seemed to sense it, turning her head to look. When she saw Zuo Xian, she paused slightly.

“Ah Xian.”

“Awake?” Zuo Zhimin looked over and indeed saw her daughter standing dazedly upstairs, looking like she had rushed out right after waking up.

Her hair was messy, a stubborn cowlick was sticking up, and she wasn’t wearing shoes.

Zuo Zhimi said, “Then you kids go play. You don’t need to keep us company.”

Tao Ran didn’t decline, got up, and walked straight up the stairs.

Liu Xinyu sat next to them with one leg crossed, resting her chin on her hand, her scrutinizing gaze lingering on Tao Ran.

Tap, tap, tap.

With every step she took up the stairs, Zuo Xian’s heart sank a little deeper. She stared at Tao Ran without blinking until she stood right in front of her.

The quicksand named Tao Ran completely swallowed Zuo Xian’s pounding heart.

She seemed to finally react, her eyes bright, and her tone soft and sweet, “Why did you come back?”

Tao Ran took her hand and led her back to the room. Hearing the question, she chuckled softly, “Someone was angry, so I came back to comfort her.”

Bad Tao Ran.

Zuo Xian blushed, bit her lower lip, and allowed her to lead her toward the room.

“Wear your shoes.” Tao Ran placed the abandoned slippers in front of Zuo Xian. “Why did you run out without wearing shoes?”

Zuo Xian put on her shoes and glanced at her. “I saw your message. I was in a hurry to see you.”

At this, both of them started to feel shy. One sat on the edge of the bed looking down, and the other stood in front of her with her head turned away. Neither dared to look at the other.

The air felt as if someone had peeled an orange, and the refreshing, sweet-and-sour scent dispersed, stirring trouble in both their hearts, yet they couldn’t help but enjoy it.

Soon, Zuo Xian was the first to look up. She looked at the standing Tao Ran, watching her for several seconds, then took her hand and gave it a tug.

“Ranran, how did you manage to come back?”

Tao Ran’s earlobes felt a little hot, but she kept a calm expression and deliberately said, “I flew back.”

“Oh, you know I wasn’t asking that.” Zuo Xian shook her hand, naturally acting spoiled.

Tao Ran curled her lips, “I completed the task my father assigned me ahead of time, so I made some time to come back.”

With a light sentence about “completing it ahead of time,” she didn’t mention the difficulties involved, making it sound as effortless as if she could complete Tao Yizhang’s task with a simple wave of her hand.

Tao Ran bent her lips and looked down at Zuo Xian, observing her clear eyes, the faint light-brown glass-like pupils under the light. Her heart stirred, and she raised her hand to stroke Zuo Xian’s face.

Zuo Xian, like a puppy, actively leaned in for a rub. Her eyes curved into shallow moons, looking at Tao Ran as if she were her whole world.

“I’m sorry,” Tao Ran said softly. “I wanted to apologize to you before, but…”

But she was worried that Zuo Xian would insist on going abroad, or unexpectedly appear before Tao Ran as a surprise, which would definitely attract Tao Yizhang’s attention.

So Tao Ran had to hold back. Before finding a solution, she didn’t dare to hope for Zuo Xian’s forgiveness.

She had been working day and night on company matters these past few days, but the moment she relaxed, she would recall what Zuo Xian had said, and her heart would ache.

Tao Ran lowered her gaze, her face hidden in the shadows. Her pink lips pursed.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her delicate eyes showed fatigue. Zuo Xian could clearly see the dark circles under her eyes, which were definitely not caused by just one or two nights of staying up late.

“Ah Xian, will you forgive me?”

Forgive.

I’ll forgive you immediately.

Let alone forgiveness, Zuo Xian’s heart was already aching for her. She pulled her to sit next to her, cupping her face, her thumb gently rubbing the dark circles under her eyes.

“I’m not angry anymore, I haven’t been angry with you for a long time.” Zuo Xian’s gaze flickered around, looking here and there. “Ranran, are you very tired? Was it very hard for you to come back?”

The soft, warm palm touched Tao Ran’s cheek, then her neck. The sensation was pleasant, and Tao Ran narrowed her eyes in enjoyment, shaking her head.

“Not tired.”

“Lying, you have dark circles.” Zuo Xian’s gaze settled on her lips again. “Your lip color isn’t as red as before either.”

“Honestly, I’m fine, not very tired,” Tao Ran said, seeing Zuo Xian didn’t believe her. “Someone helped, so it wasn’t as hard as you imagine. And I’m already very happy to have the chance to come back. It doesn’t matter how tired I am.”

“If you exhaust yourself, I’d rather you stay abroad,” Zuo Xian said, her heart aching. “You’re so silly. I would only be angry for a few days and then I’d be fine, and I would wait for you anyway. You’re definitely coming back; how could I not wait a few months?”

Although Tao Ran was the one who went through the hardship, Zuo Xian was on the verge of shedding tears. Tao Ran couldn’t help but laugh, and Zuo Xian, with teary eyes, pushed her lightly. She simply fell back, lying down on Zuo Xian’s bed.

Saying she wasn’t tired was to comfort Zuo Xian. The opportunity for Tao Ran to return to China was practically squeezed out of a fully packed schedule. She only dared to take the earliest, fastest flight.

After all the rushing, even an iron person couldn’t endure it, let alone Tao Ran, who was still only a sixteen-year-old child, no matter how mature she was.

She lay on the quilt filled with Zuo Xian’s scent, blinked, and the fatigue arrived belatedly, yet a smile still hung on the corner of her lips.

Zuo Xian kicked off her shoes and sat cross-legged beside her, feeling both happy and very guilty.

“Sleep for a while, Ranran,” she whispered.

Tao Ran glanced at her and shook her head. Her voice was already hoarse with sleepiness, but she was still trying to stay awake.

“I want to spend more time with you, Ah Xian. I have to leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Zuo Xian asked in surprise. “Leaving so soon? Not staying for the New Year?”

Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, but she had to leave tomorrow, not even staying for the reunion dinner.

“Mhm.” Tao Ran propped herself up on the bed, sitting up. Her gentle gaze rested on Zuo Xian, and she said softly, “I applied to my father to return for one day to accompany my mother for New Year’s Eve. I’ll go back on the night of New Year’s Eve.”

But she didn’t go to see Aunt Jiang; she came to see herself instead.

Zuo Xian felt like she was done for, but also incredibly lucky.

If Liu Xinyu’s curse was true, and she was destined to face a straight-girl calamity.

If that calamity was Tao Ran, Zuo Xian felt that even if her ending was utterly disastrous, she would be willing. She swore…

Well, actually.

She was being clever. If it was Tao Ran, Tao Ran wouldn’t bear to let her suffer a disaster. Tao Ran would save her no matter what.

Zuo Xian changed to a kneeling position. Before Tao Ran could react, she pressed down on her shoulders, pushing her back down.

Tao Ran was startled and subconsciously put her arm around Zuo Xian’s waist. Zuo Xian’s abdomen was naturally sensitive to tickling, and with Tao Ran’s touch, she lost her strength and softened into her embrace.

The two girls fell onto the bed, their warm breaths brushing past each other’s cheeks, both freezing in sync.

Zuo Xian squeezed her eyes shut tightly, wishing she could faint right then and there. She only meant to let Tao Ran get some proper sleep, so how did things escalate into this strange, inexplicable situation?

The soft body of the girl was pressed tightly against her. Her nose was filled with the faint, delicate fragrance on Tao Ran’s body, and her breath dusted Zuo Xian’s ear, making her ear turn crimson.

Zuo Xian’s brain, usually cleaned by study materials, was now full of indecent thoughts. She scrambled to sit up but was pulled back by the wrist by Tao Ran, who yanked her down again. She fell back.

“Mmm…”

Zuo Xian’s impact was too heavy. Tao Ran, who was underneath, slightly furrowed her brows and let out a muffled groan.

It was the first time Zuo Xian realized Tao Ran’s groan sounded so good, and she was stunned for a moment.

“You… you… what are you doing?” Zuo Xian’s throat bobbed with difficulty. She propped herself up with her arms, looking down at Tao Ran beneath her.

Tao Ran smiled, “Nothing, just messing with you.”

Perhaps it was the laziness brought on by fatigue, but at that moment, the movement in Tao Ran’s eyes held an indescribable magic. Zuo Xian was utterly captivated and struggled to tear her gaze away from her.

She quickly got off Tao Ran and secretly took a deep breath to calm her surging heart.

“Stop playing. Ranran, you should rest for a while. I’m afraid you’ll collapse from exhaustion,” she said, kneeling beside her, observing her eyes, nose, and mouth, looking as if she was about to meditate right there.

She added, “I’ll stay here and keep you company. I won’t go anywhere.”

Tao Ran lay on the bed, her eyelids half-closed, looking sidelong at her. After a long pause, she let out a soft laugh, unable to resist her.

She stood up and started taking off her clothes.

Zuo Xian knew she was getting ready for bed, but she couldn’t help her heart race and her face flush.

“Do you have pajamas?”

Zuo Xian stared at her legs, not daring to look up, and pointed to the cabinet. “They’re over there. Just pick any set you like.”

She wasn’t looking, but her ears were sharp.

Zuo Xian could clearly hear what Tao Ran was doing now. She took off her sweater, then her pants, followed by the faint sound of metal clasps clinking.

Zuo Xian’s head dropped lower and lower.

“All set.” The long ordeal was finally over. Tao Ran, wearing Zuo Xian’s pajamas, pulled back the quilt.

Zuo Xian let out a heavy sigh of relief and rose to leave, but Tao Ran suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Aren’t you going to keep me company?”

Zuo Xian looked into her eyes, and her heart softened. She pointed to the sofa chair beside them. “I’ll sit there.”

“What’s the point of sitting there?” Tao Ran glanced at the sofa chair, not willing to spare it another look. She held Zuo Xian’s hand, lifted the quilt, and raised her chin.

“Keep me company here,” Tao Ran stared at Zuo Xian and repeated. “A Xian, sleep with me. You promised me.”

The girl’s cheeks flushed bright red, her eyelashes fluttered, and her lips trembled. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Tao Ran… you can’t do this. That’s too much.”