Ch.32
Su Cheng bordered the sea, so Yi Ran rode along the coastline to let Song Yu Meng enjoy the scenery.
The fresh, cool sea breeze mixed with Yi Ran’s clean scent and rustled Song Yu Meng’s hair. Blue skies, white clouds, the sea and riding on a scooter, Song Yu Meng’s mood immediately became better.
“Crazy Yi, ride faster!” She called out while hugging Yi Ran.
“Won’t you be scared if I ride faster?”
“I won’t be scared!”
“Then hold on tighter.”
This time, Song Yu Meng wasn’t stubborn. She obediently hugged Yi Ran’s waist tighter. Yi Ran smiled and twisted the throttle.
The sensation of the howling wind blowing across her face was indescribable. Song Yu Meng whooped in joy, she liked this sort of ride.
In front of the sea, the beach was a stretch of golden sand. Plenty of residents and tourists were frolicking on the beach.
The two of them found an empty spot and sat down, less than a metre away from the sea. The waves rised and ebbed, brushing against their feet.
Yi Ran was in a good mood too and she asked: “How is it, feeling better?”
Song Yu Meng looked out at the vast ocean and nodded with a hum.
“Aren’t I good to you? Better than Liu Luo Yang is to you, at least?” She looked at Song Yu Meng with anticipation.
Song Yu Meng mumbled: “Are you good to me? How are you good to me? Just a bit.” SHe held her hand up, the thumb and index finger almost touching.
“A bit or a hundred million bits?[1]” Yi Ran teased.
“I can’t be bothered with you, whatever you say!” Song Yu Meng looked at the waves kissing her feet and she smiled, her eyes unfathomably deep. “Today…… Thank you.”
“How many times have you thanked me already, why are you still so shy? What on earth are you shy about?” Yi Ran tilted her head down, trying to see her face.
Song Yu Meng flinched, looking at Yi Ran incredulously, her chest moving up and down like the waves as her face flushed.
Yi Ran was shocked at her reaction too, asking: “What’s wrong? I just wanted to look at you, what’s with the big reaction?”
Song Yu Meng exhaled shakily upon hearing that.
She thought Yi Ran had wanted to kiss her just now. Thinking about it, it was too crazy, so she could only try to find an excuse to get out of it.
“Nothing! What could be wrong? You suddenly came so close to me that you scared me, okay?”
“But if I scared you, why is your face red?” Yi Ran drew closer to her and bent her head down again, asking in a low tone. “Shy?”
“As if!!!” Song Yu Meng raised a fist and punched her. “Crazy Yi, you’re really annoying! Why are you always pranking me!”
Yi Ran smiled, not reacting to her punches. In fact, she liked the way Song Yu Meng was whining and complaining about her.
……
– Sunday, Song Villa –
“Xiao-Yu, we have guests coming over tonight, they’re daddy’s business partners.” Mr Song said.
“Oh, got it.” Song Yu Meng replied absent-mindedly.
But when she saw it was the Yi family at night, she was shocked.
“Yi Ran??? Why is it you?” Song Yu Meng ran from the second storey down to to the first in surprise. This world was really too small.
“Why is it not me?” Yi Ran laughed, not showing any surprise at all. When she had arrived outside the gates, she had already been shocked once. She didn’t know her father’s business partner was the Song family.
The four parents didn’t know their children would actually be acquainted, and Mr Song happily said: “It’s a good thing everybody knows each other. Let’s eat first.”
At the table, Mrs Song cordially said to Yi Ran: “You must be Yi Ran, our Xiao-Yu often talks about you.”
Song Yu Meng was drinking soup at that moment and she choked. After a few coughs, she hastily tried to explain with a red face. “I, I, I was talking about her bad points, okay!”
She had no filter when she was flustered.
Yi Ran: “……”
The atmosphere suddenly changed, all the grownups and Yi Ran were smiling awkwardly and Song Yu Meng also realised she had misspoke.
Luckily Mr Song came out to save the day: “Sorry, my daughter’s like this, she doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“Yes yes yes, don’t take it to heart.” Mrs Song agreed and turned to Song Yu Meng. “Xiao-Yu, apologise quickly.”
Yi Ran hid her smile with a hand and looked at her with anticipation.
Song Yu Meng fidgeted for a bit before spitting out a “sorry”.
“Hahaha!” Mr Yi laughed loudly. “Relax, she’s an outspoken lady, we won’t take it to heart.”
Mrs Yi also smiled. “Seems like the relationship between these two kids is pretty good.”
Yi Ran and Song Yu Meng exchanged a glance, smiling mysteriously. Yi Ran wanted to tell her mother that they quarrelled everyday in school, their relationship really wasn’t great.
Students at First Middle School had to go back to campus on Sunday evenings for night self-study, and it was exactly 5.30pm while the self-study period started at 6pm.
They had to go back to school.
Mr Song said to Yi Ran: “Our driver is sending Xiao-Yu to school in a bit, why don’t you go along too? You’re in the same class anyway.”
“It’s okay, Uncle, I’m used to riding my scooter there.” Yi Ran refused politely.
“Won’t it be too inconvenient to ride your scooter?” Mrs Song asked.
Mr Yi: “Don’t worry, this child likes to ride her scooter to school. There’s no need to worry about her.”
Mr Song “oh”-ed, then turned to look at Song Yu Meng. “Or do you want to ride Xiao-Yi’s scooter to school?”
He just wanted to help his daughter get along better with Yi Ran. His impression of Yi Ran was pretty good, a kid who was polite and reserved. If his daughter could be friends with someone like that, it could only be a good thing.
But how would Song Yu Meng understand her father’s intentions? She rejected immediately: “Ah? I rather not. I rather sit Uncle Wang’s car to school, I’m a bit scared.”
Yi Ran smiled but didn’t expose her. Scared? Who was the one who was sitting on her rear seat on Friday and asking her to drive faster?
In the end, it was decided Song Yu Meng would take the car while Yi Ran would ride her scooter.
But when school was let out, there was a bit of an incident.
Uncle Wang should have driven over to fetch Song Yu Meng Home, but he suddenly couldn’t make it.
“Hello, Uncle Wang.” Mr Song said. “What? You have something on and you can’t fetch Xiao-Yu.” The person on the line explained to him. “Ah, alright then. My condolences for your loss.”
After hanging up, Mr Song sighed. He was troubled over who would fetch his darling daughter tonight, he definitely couldn’t go himself since his business partner had come over to his house.
The Yi couple hadn’t left at this point, and Mr Yi said: “Old Song, isn’t it easy? Just ask Xiao-Yu to ride on Yi Ran’s scooter back.”
“That’s a great idea.” Mr Song slapped his leg and agreed, it was exactly what he wanted.
Thus, he went to his study to call the form teacher and inform her to let Song Yu Meng know about the change in plans. Additionally, he asked: “Teacher Tang, my daughter hasn’t been up to anything lately with that Liu Luo Yang right?”
Tang Xiang Ping thought for a while then replied: “Mr Song, I’ll be honest with you. Earlier in the semester, Song Yu Meng did pester Liu Luo Yang everyday and there was plenty of gossip about them throughout the school. But lately, it’s been much better and I haven’t heard any new gossip.”
“That’s good.” Mr Song sighed in relief, and asked again. “Teacher Tang, please keep an eye on Xiao-Yu. This child is stubborn and she won’t listen to us. She insists on liking him, but we don’t approve of it at all!”
“I understand, I’ll help you keep an eye on her.”
After Mr Song thanked her, he continued. “Oh yes, how’s our Xiao-Yu and Yi Ran’s relationship? Is it good?”
“The two of them… Their relationship’s quite good, they’re always together and making a ruckus!” Tang Xiang Ping still recalled that their relationship was good enough to sneak out of school to play.
Mr Song was overcome with emotion. “That’s good, that’s good!”
……
Tang Xiang Ping informed Song Yu Meng of the matter after school was released.
Yi Ran had packed up and was about to leave when Song Yu Meng walked to her and said arrogantly: “Hey Crazy Yi, my driver can’t pick me up today. Your dad asked you to send me back.”
Yi Ran folded her arms and looked at her for a few seconds, then laughed. “Please, is this how you should be asking someone for a favour? Could you be even more haughty? Also, didn’t you say you were scared of riding on my scooter, now you’re not scared anymore? You’re too fickle!”
Song Yu Meng was angered to the point of crying without tears and childishly shouted: “So be it if you won’t let me on! This lady doesn’t care for it!” She immediately turned out and stormed out of the classroom.
“Eh, where are you going?” Yi Ran panicked and rushed up to grab her.
“Going home!” Song Yu Meng was still angered, forcing her way forward.
“How are you going home? Calling a cab?”
“If not, then what! You want me to walk home?” She paused in her tracks, wanting to cry over how stupid Crazy Yi was.
“Don’t, how wasteful is it to call a cab? It’s not safe to walk either. Sit on my scooter, I’ll reluctantly let you sit on it.”
Song Yu Meng’s eyes widened as she raged: “What did you say? Reluctantly? Say that again?”
Yi Ran immediately changed her tune: “Cough cough, I mean, this great lady is willing to lower herself to sit on my scooter, it’s this lowly one’s honour.”
Song Yu Meng laughed. “Hmph, that’s more like it. At least you know how to butter someone up!”
The two of them walked to where Yi Ran’s scooter was parked, and Song Yu Meng suddenly ran over to it, mocking Yi Ran: “Crazy Yi, hurry up! Why are you walking slower than an 80-year-old?”
Yi Ran laughed. Under the pale moonlight, she thought that Song Yu Meng was particularly good looking, with the same innocence of a child.
She languidly walked to Song Yu Meng and put the helmet on for her, nagging: “How many times have I said it, you must wear the helmet when you get on the scooter. Why can’t you remember it?”
“Who says I forgot?”
“You didn’t forget but you didn’t put it on?”
“I’m waiting for you to help me put it on. It’s always like that, you always put it on when I get on.”
Her words drilled into Yi Ran’s heart like nails. On this quiet autumn night under the bright moonlight, this was the moment Yi Ran’s heart was completely given over to her.
Song Yu Meng hadn’t realised how her words had stirred up Yi Ran’s heart. She only felt that she was very lucky and very sweet when she was saying these words, feeling as happy as she would have been eating sweet honey.
Yi Ran got on her scooter and said the usual: “Hold on tight.”
“Got it.” Song Yu Meng couldn’t hold back a smile as she leaned forward and hugged Yi Ran, sweetness bubbling out of her heart.
After Song Yu Meng alighted at her villa’s gate, she said: “Don’t move, lower your head.”
“What?” Yi Ran was confused, but lowered her head as asked.
Song Yu Meng removed the helmet, then copied Yi Ran and helped her to put it on, clasping it under Yi Ran’s chin before knocking on the helmet with a knuckle..
“Alright, go home.”
Yi Ran looked at her silently, a hint of a smile on her lips and her eyes glinting like there was a vast ocean of stars. Her heart hadn’t settled down the entire way.
Song Yu Meng felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze.
“What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and go home. I have to go too.” She turned and walked towards her door, but her footsteps slowed after a few paces. She suddenly turned back and shouted to Yi Ran: “Thanks for the ride and for the helmet!”
After that, she ran to her door, jammed in the key, unlocked the door and went in, but not before stealing one final glance at Yi Ran.
Yi Ran suddenly missed her.
When she got home, she realised there was a message from Song Yu Meng.
【I didn’t hear you say “you must be sincere when thanking someone”, so I don’t owe you a favour!】
【Then I’ll definitely remember to say it next time!”】
Yi Ran smiled and turned off her phone. She sat in front of her desk and took out a post-it note from the drawer. She wrote something, then scrunched it up and threw it into the glass jar. The jar already was more than half full with white post-it notes.
【How could someone be so stupid, she even needs me to help her wear the safety helmet…… But her sitting on my scooter, me helping her wear the helmet, it seems like it’s become a tacit understanding between us.】
[1] Aha, this is the second appearance of this line. Back in Chapter 5, Yi Ran said the same thing to tease Song Yu Meng. Here’s my explanation from back then. 是一点点还是亿点点啊？- Literally means, is it a bit or is it a hundred million bits? This only makes sense in Chinese because 一 or one is pronounced Yī, while 亿 or 100 million is pronounced Yì. There are four sounds in Chinese, and while these two words aren’t pronounced the same way, it’s close enough that it’s able to be used as a pun.