My Straight Childhood Friend Successfully Pursued Me After The Breakup - Chapter 7

“What are you looking at…

“What are you looking at?” Tao Ran noticed Zuo Xian’s increasingly open side-glances. She lowered her head to look at herself. “Is something wrong?”

Zuo Xian abruptly retracted her gaze. “No, it’s fine. Very good.”

After saying this, Zuo Xian remained silent. Tao Ran wasn’t very talkative either, so the drive to school was unusually quiet today, causing Li Yi, the driver, to glance at them a couple of times.

They soon arrived at school. Zuo Xian entered her classroom, and just as she sat down at her desk, someone took the empty seat beside her.

Xue Shuangxi: “Zuo Xian, did you sleep well last night?”

Zuo Xian curved her lips. “Thanks to you, I slept quite well.”

“Why didn’t you reply to my messages later? I specifically gathered a lot of gossip about Tao Ran to pass on to you.”

Zuo Xian pouted, thinking to herself that she was the most familiar with Tao Ran’s news, so why would she need others to tell her?

“I went to bed pretty early yesterday,” Zuo Xian smiled politely, slightly reluctant to deal with Xue Shuangxi.

Even if Tao Ran liked her and asked Xue Shuangxi to deliver a love letter for her, Zuo Xian didn’t want this matter to be known by too many people.

Nor did she want unrelated outsiders to get involved.

So, Zuo Xian turned to Xue Shuangxi and whispered, “I’ll tell you a secret.”

“Ah? What secret?” Xue Shuangxi leaned in curiously.

“Tao Ran and I are childhood friends.”

“Childhood friends?!” Xue Shuangxi’s eyes immediately lit up. “Then you two… Oh my god.”

“Don’t get too excited, I haven’t finished yet. Yesterday was a misunderstanding.” Zuo Xian patted Xue Shuangxi’s shoulder.

“I asked Tao Ran after I got home. She said the chocolate she gave me was from her mother, who asked her to bring it. I saw the pink box and mistakenly thought it was a love gift.”

Zuo Xian brought up Jiang Ningxiu (Tao Ran’s mother) and firmly told Xue Shuangxi, “Tao Ran and I have a purely platonic friendship. Don’t misunderstand and spread rumors.”

“A misunderstanding?” Xue Shuangxi sounded clearly disappointed.

Zuo Xian nodded. “It really was a misunderstanding.”

“Oh…”

“Class is about to start, hurry back to your seat,” Zuo Xian urged Xue Shuangxi to leave.

The utterly disappointed Xue Shuangxi didn’t resist and left promptly.

After dismissing the gossiping Xue Shuangxi, class began shortly after. Zuo Xian appeared to be staring at the blackboard, but her mind was entirely filled with Tao Ran.

This was the first time she had encountered such a situation, and she had absolutely no idea what to do.

She definitely couldn’t reject Tao Ran directly like she would with others, nor could she distance herself.

What method could possibly make Tao Ran stop liking her…

Lost in thought, the class ended. Zuo Xian took her water bottle out to fill it.

Tao Ran’s class, Grade 1 Class 1, was situated between Class 2 and the water dispenser area, so Zuo Xian inevitably walked past Class 1 and couldn’t help but glance inside.

Unlike Zuo Xian, Tao Ran’s seat was arguably the perfect position.

Not too far front or back, not too far left or right; she could take in the entire podium area with a single glance.

It was breaktime now, and the situation in Class 1 was similar to Class 2.

Some were resting, others were chatting and playing. Amidst this group, the girl with the neatly braided hair and straight back stood out.

The sunlight streaming through the school windows always seemed brighter and more brilliant than elsewhere. Half of Tao Ran’s body was bathed in the sun as she looked up slightly, talking to a classmate standing beside her.

As if feeling something, Tao Ran looked towards the door and happened to meet Zuo Xian’s gaze.

Both paused for a moment. Zuo Xian gripped her water bottle, and then saw Tao Ran stand up and walk towards the doorway.

“A-Xian,” Tao Ran stopped in front of Zuo Xian and smiled. “Are you here to find me?”

“No, I came to get some water,” Zuo Xian raised her water bottle.

Zuo Xian felt a hint of disappointment in Tao Ran after she heard her reply, though she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

On an impulse, Zuo Xian invited, “How about we go get water together?”

Tao Ran: “No, my bottle isn’t empty yet.”

Zuo Xian: “Oh.”

It truly was her imagination.

But Zuo Xian couldn’t deny that a significant burden instantly lifted from her heart.

Zuo Xian immediately dropped her guard, pretending to wipe away a tear and sighing, “It’s okay, I can go get water by myself. It’s fine.”

Tao Ran couldn’t suppress the curve of her lips, and her eyes were full of amusement. She noticed the drawstring of Zuo Xian’s hoodie, worn under her school uniform, had fallen into her collar.

She gently hooked the drawstring out, straightened Zuo Xian’s collar for her, and coaxed her like a child, “Then don’t fill too much this time. I’ll go with you during the next break, alright?”

Zuo Xian didn’t realize there was anything unusual about this action. She was used to being looked after by Tao Ran, so she simply gave a soft huff.

“I don’t want to.”

After a brief chat, Zuo Xian left with her water bottle, feeling much lighter.

Based on her observation, she felt the pink box incident still needed verification. Tao Ran didn’t look like she was in love with her at all.

Otherwise, who would refuse their crush’s invitation to get water just because their bottle wasn’t empty yet?

That simply didn’t make sense!

“Wow, and you said nothing was going on between you two.” Xue Shuangxi suddenly appeared beside Zuo Xian like a ghost.

Zuo Xian yelped in surprise and instantly sprang back. After seeing it was Xue Shuangxi, she felt all her strength drain away.

“Why is it you again, Xue Shuangxi?”

Xue Shuangxi grinned, picked up her own water bottle. “I came to get water.”

“Fine, fine, go ahead and get your water,” Zuo Xian wouldn’t be so overbearing as to stop someone from getting water.

But if she couldn’t stand her, she could at least avoid her, right? Zuo Xian held her bottle, preparing to go downstairs to fill it.

Unexpectedly, Xue Shuangxi’s next sentence cemented her feet to the ground.

“I have a feeling that Tao Ran has had a crush on you for a while.”

Her joints felt stuck together with glue, unable to move. Zuo Xian pursed her lips, slowly drew back the foot she was about to move, and glanced around to ensure no one was listening.

She asked in a low voice, “What do you mean?”

The sound of the water dispenser operating started up. Xue Shuangxi filled a cup with hot water, brought it to her lips, and sighed contentedly with a slurp.

She was clearly trying to keep Zuo Xian in suspense.

Zuo Xian was helpless, letting out a small ‘tsk.’ “Fine, I lied. I didn’t dare to ask Tao Ran yesterday whether that box was from her.”

“I knew it!” Xue Shuangxi closed the lid of her cup and immediately decided not to keep anything back.

“I saw the whole scene when you two were talking just now. What kind of regular friend organizes your clothes so gently? Who smiles so affectionately and tenderly at a regular friend?”

With Xue Shuangxi’s interference, the situation became confusing again. Zuo Xian was truly struggling to figure out what Tao Ran was thinking now.

Xue Shuangxi was still chattering next to her, and Zuo Xian’s thoughts were tangled up like a ball of yarn.

“Stop, stop, stop. Just be quiet for a bit, my brain can’t process this right now.”

Xue Shuangxi patted her shoulder. “It’s normal to feel confused. The leap from best friends to a couple is indeed huge.”

Zuo Xian immediately became anxious. “Who said I’m going to take the step to a couple? Impossible! Never in this lifetime!”

The irritated Zuo Xian forcefully pushed aside the blocking Xue Shuangxi and strode quickly towards her classroom. Xue Shuangxi, thick-skinned and possessing the keen eyesight to see that Zuo Xian was simply exasperated, chased after her immediately, apologizing while continuing to add fuel to the fire, which only made Zuo Xian Walk faster.

The two, one walking and one chasing, staged a tense and exciting “racing chase” in the corridor, drawing the attention of many onlookers.

Inside Grade 1 Class 1, the classmate Tao Ran was talking to also looked over and smiled. “Is that your friend, Tao Ran? What are those two doing? They’re quite amusing.”

Tao Ran glanced at them and gave an ambiguous “Mm” in reply.