Chapter 22: A Blatant Secret Crush part 1

After a restless night, Lin Yuran returned home late.

The day had been a whirlwind of excitement and anxiety, causing such emotional turbulence that she couldn’t sleep well. When she woke up, striking dark circles shadowed her eyes. 

To look her best for the long-awaited opening ceremony, Lin Yuran, uncharacteristically, sat at her vanity and meticulously applied makeup. She rummaged through her closet for a pleated skirt to pair with her school uniform. Once dressed, she checked the time and found she was still early.

Unsure when Chi Ye would arrive, Lin Yuran grabbed her backpack and headed to the neighborhood gate to wait for him. As she exited the complex, she spotted Chi Ye leaning casually against his car, one hand in his pocket, already waiting.

He wore black sweatpants and sneakers, paired with a casual black shirt with sleeves rolled to mid-forearm. The shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a purple T-shirt underneath. A lollipop jutted from his mouth, his sharp, handsome features both striking and aloof. If the rebellious edge in his eyes hadn’t softened with age, Lin Yuran might have thought she was seeing Chi Ye as a teenager again.

Chi Ye’s cool, unwavering gaze followed her as she walked from the gate to his car. His lashes fluttered slightly before he smirked, pulled his hand from his pocket, and extended it toward her. A handful of lollipops in her palm.

Lin Yuran smiled, pursing her lips, and took one to eat.

Chi Ye opened the passenger door for her. As Lin Yuran settled into the seat, she noticed a large bouquet of roses on the driver’s seat.

Just as she was wondering who the flowers were for, Chi Ye rounded to the driver’s side, picked up the bouquet, and presented it to her. “Lin Nuotao, happy first day of school.”

Lin Yuran paused briefly before accepting the flowers. “Thank you.”

A faint smile touched Chi Ye’s lips as he watched her silently for a few seconds before starting the car.

While waiting at a red light, Chi Ye turned to her casually. “Who did you give the other friend voucher to?”

Lin Yuran, lollipop in her mouth, looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to be curious about such a small thing. A mischievous impulse rose within her, and she tilted her lips into a teasing smile. “You’ll find out when we get to school.”

Chi Ye’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he studied the curve of her lips, his own gradually straightening.

At the school parking lot, they happened to run into Xu Jianwei and Qin Lang.

“Did you give the voucher to Xu Jianwei?” Chi Ye asked.

“Mhm,” Lin Yuran replied, fluttering her eyelashes at him. “Who else would I give it to?”

Chi Ye’s lips curled slightly, but he remained silent. Lin Yuran glanced at him, sensing his mood was much better than before.

Xu Jianwei chimed in, “Exactly! Who else would Ranran give her friend tickets to if not me?” She stepped forward and handed Lin Yuran a bouquet of flowers. “Happy first day of school, Ranran!”

“Thank you,” Lin Yuran replied, accepting the flowers. She looked at Xu Jianwei and Qin Lang, frowning slightly. “Are you two glued at the hip now? I only have two tickets. How are three of us supposed to get in?”

Chi Ye offered his ticket to Qin Lang. “I don’t need a ticket to get in.”

“Then why did you ask me for one yesterday?” Lin Yuran asked, her brow furrowed.

Chi Ye smirked. “I just wanted to see if you’d give it to me.”

Lin Yuran: “…”

Xu Jianwei burst out laughing beside them.

“What’s so funny?” Lin Yuran demanded.

“I just never expected Chi Ye to have this side to him,” Xu Jianwei replied.

“…” Lin Yuran didn’t understand. “What side?”

Afraid of embarrassing Lin Yuran, Xu Jianwei glanced her up and down and changed the subject. “Ranran, you look so youthful today! Like a sixteen-year-old girl.” She tugged at the hem of Lin Yuran’s skirt. “This dress looks amazing on you, though the waist is a bit loose.”

Hearing this, Chi Ye’s brow furrowed slightly as he studied the pleated skirt on Lin Yuran.

Lin Yuran tugged the skirt up a little and smiled. “It’s not too big. It’ll fit perfectly with the belt.”

Xu Jianwei exclaimed, “Ranran, I finally get to see you with a full face of makeup!” She scrutinized Lin Yuran’s look. “Those makeup products that didn’t work for me look amazing on you. You’ve turned my rejects into treasures! This blush shade makes my complexion look sallow, but on you, it’s so youthful!” Xu Jianwei said enviously. “Ranran, your makeup is lethal. Even I, as a woman, am completely mesmerized.”

Her words rang true. Lin Yuran’s fox-eye makeup was both alluring and playful. Her naturally thick lashes, enhanced with mascara, fluttered like butterfly wings. A delicate peach blush dusted her snow-white cheeks, and a sheer water-red lipstick gave her lips a soft, dewy plumpness. Combined on her palm-sized, porcelain-smooth oval face, the effect was both innocent and seductive, radiating a tender, dewy glow.

Lin Yuran chuckled. “You’re exaggerating.”

Qin Lang leaned toward Chi Ye, his eyes darting toward Lin Yuran. He whispered in Chi Ye’s ear, “No wonder you’ve been obsessed with that girl since you were sixteen! Who wouldn’t be captivated?”

Chi Ye shot him a warning glance. “Remember, you’re in a relationship.”

Qin Lang stammered, “I…!”

“Relax, big brother. I’m just admiring the view.”

“Admire them yourself,” Chi Ye said.

He opened the back door of the car and turned to Lin Yuran. “It might be inconvenient to carry that bouquet. Why don’t you put it in my car first?”

“Sure,” Lin Yuran agreed, relieved.

The bouquet of roses lying quietly on the back seat was a mesmerizing shade of deep magenta, its velvety petals radiating a hypnotic intensity.

Xu Jianwei’s eyes widened as she spotted them. “Who gave these roses to whom?” she exclaimed.

“Chi Ye gave them to me,” Lin Yuran replied truthfully.

Xu Jianwei’s reaction was even more dramatic. “Who sends red roses on the first day of school?!”

She recognized the brand logo on the bouquet: Floyd. “Floyd,” she murmured, “you casually wander through my dreams.”

“What?” Lin Yuran asked.

“The flower language of this brand,” Xu Jianwei explained, glancing at Chi Ye. “These flowers are usually given to someone you like, someone you have a crush on, or someone you’re trying to woo.”

Lin Yuran’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she turned to look at Chi Ye.

“Oh, I just thought they looked nice, so I bought them,” Chi Ye said casually.

His tone was so natural, so perfectly in line with his usual demeanor, that Lin Yuran didn’t dwell on it. She placed her bouquet next to the roses, closed the car door, and moved on.

Qin Lang surreptitiously kicked Chi Ye under the table. “Why did you have to say that? Afraid she’d get the wrong idea?”

A hint of bitterness curled Chi Ye’s lips, but he remained silent.

The four of them walked together toward the gymnasium. Xu Jianwei was bursting with excitement, acting as if it were her own first day of school. She kept stopping to take photos, dragging Qin Lang along and making Lin Yuran snap endless pictures of them.

Midway, Xu Jianwei answered a phone call. Before long, Ye Hui arrived. He wore a crisp white shirt, a navy blue tie, and gold-rimmed glasses, looking even more refined and handsome than usual.

He presented Lin Yuran with a bouquet of white roses, smiling warmly. “Happy first day of school, Yuran.”

Lin Yuran hesitated slightly at the sight of the flowers.

Tucked among the blooms was a small pink card, inscribed with two lines of neat, calligraphic script: 『May you grow into the person you wish to be, like wildflowers in a field, blooming freely and passionately.』

Lin Yuran read the message and chuckled softly. She reached out to accept the bouquet. “Thank you. You’re so busy preparing for your art exhibition, yet you still remembered my first day. I’m touched.”