Chapter 35: All aboard, saliva mark
(Part 1)
“Ke……” Chu Yao bit her lower lips and said once more, “Then let’s sit together later!” She still needed to get closer to Lu Anran, otherwise when they reach the excursion site, how would she be able to deceive her and push her to death!
“Sorry!” Ji Ling unhappily cut in and hugged Lu Anran’s arm, “I have already reserved the seat next to Anran!”
“Ah?” Chu Yao was stupefied. She originally felt that Linda was a sufficient eyesore. Why did this Ji Ling pop out to cause trouble again, “Ji Ling? You… Aren’t you sitting with Linda?”
“Linda gets carsick and just took the medicine for motion sickness. Once she gets on the coach, she will sleep all the way until we reach our destination! I don’t want to sit with her! I’ll be bored to death.” Ji Ling said, “So, Lu Anran and I have agreed to sit together today!”
“Uh…… That’s the way it is.” Lu Anran feigned an apologetic smile.
At this time, the teacher started to organise the students to board the bus. Prep class students boarded first, so Lu Anran, Linda and Ji Ling went up the bus together. Chu Yao who was left alone, discontentedly clenched her fist, wishing that Lu Anran would just drop dead immediately.
“Chu Yao? Why are you still standing there? Get on the bus!” Sun Shasha called out after noticing that Chu Yao has not moved.
“Orh! Coming.” Chu Yao put on a sunny smile and followed Sun Shasha to board the bus. As the two of them were late boarding the bus, they could only sit at the middle of the back row. They sat quite a distance away from Lu Anran who was sitting near the front as she was dragged by Ji Ling to be one of the first to board. Chu Yao sat on the other side of the aisle and was able to see the side back profile of Lu Anran.
Seeing that one’s own Eldest Young Miss has already boarded the bus, Old Zhang waved his hand at the position that Lu Anran was seating. Carrying Linda’s gift of handmade cookies, he went back to his car, started it up, and left the main entrance of Ying Hua Middle School. After parting with Eldest Young Miss, he still has to pick up another person……
As this was the first time Lu Anran was traveling on a coach, Ji Ling dutifully gave up the window seat for Lu Anran and sat next to the aisle, chatting and joking with her.
Maybe it was because it was the first time participating in this sort of entire year level excursion or maybe it was with great difficulty that one could free oneself from one’s onerous studies, that everyone seemed excited.
“Anran, your backpack sure is full!” Ji Ling stared at the backpack in Lu Anran’s arm and said, “What’s in there!”
“Comics and snacks.” Lu Anran took out an extremely large family- sized bag of potato chips out of her backpack and opened it, “Want some?”
“En en!” Ji Ling didn’t even stand on ceremony with Lu Anran and grabbed a large handful, “What flavour is this?”
“Cheese.” Lu Anran still loved cheese- flavoured snacks, and also shared them with classmates who sat near her. Everyone talked and chatted about their own snacks and was extremely happy.
“Try my rice cracker!” Ji Ling also handed her snack over to Lu Anran and the people around her. When she wanted to turn behind to share her snack with Linda, she realised that Linda had already fallen asleep, “So quick to sleep!”
“Haha.” Lu Anran and the surrounding people started laughing. Just like that, an hour flew past with lots of chatter and laughter. Gradually, everyone felt tired. Everyone was too excited to sleep last night as they were going out to play today. Moreover, all of them woke up really early this morning. After an hour of talking and joking around after boarding the bus, now everyone felt a little sleepy, so they leaned against each other shoulders and slept.
The Ji Ling who was laughing at Linda just now, also gently leaned her head against Lu Anran’s shoulders and fell asleep.
Lu Anran smiled and looked out of the window. The sky was azure blue and the protective railing and trees on both sides of the road rushed to the rear rapidly. Looking at the far- off endless mountain ranges, that should be the small border town just outside the flourishing S city.
Reflected in the window was the quiet side profile of Lu Anran. Fair and clear skin with baby fat of a fifteen- year- old girl, and delicate facial features. Her pair of eyes looking into the distance, as if she was pondering on something. The little sun hat on her head was made of straw, a dark coffee- coloured ribbon encircled the brim of the hat with a cute bow tied at the side of the hat. Her waist long hair was braided into a pigtail that crosses from the side of the right ear, bypassing the shoulders to hang down on her chest. The cherry hair tie that was on her ponytail mutually echoed the cherry pin on the collar of her shirt. It was extremely cute.
She wore a short sleeved white t- shirt with a chequered skirt tied by a white leather belt. Below the skirt was a pair of knee- high socks and the latest fashionable blue, white and red tri- coloured high- top sports shoes. Overall, her appearance was casual and cute, with a hint of cat- like laziness.
Chapter 35: All aboard, saliva mark
(Part 2)
Lu Anran was perfectly satisfied with her current life but the happier she was, the more cowardly she felt. She was afraid that she will face death once again, she was worried that she would lose her current happiness once more. She cherished every second of her present life and treasured every person around her. Ever since her rebirth, she could not remember just how many times she has dreamt of that night, how many times she has experienced that kind of pain and fear all over again! Almost every night, she would rouse suddenly from her dream sweating all over. There were even times when she hated sleeping and feared dreaming. She was terrified of facing that kind of situation again.
She was itching to uncover the identity of that mysterious person behind Chu Yao, but she also knows that her present strength was simply not enough to confront that mysterious person. She also does not know who the Lu family offended, and who had such ability to stealthily plan for over ten years or even longer! She was worried that even if there comes a day that she really managed to ferret out that mysterious person, she may be unable to change the ending. That’s why she has been desperately trying to accumulate power bit by bit, desperately making herself go even further, stand even taller, desperately making herself even better! Only in this way would she be more emboldened to face that unknown enemy, that unknown force.
From the window’s reflection, Lu Anran also caught a glimpse of Chu Yao. She was glaring unwaveringly at her with a pair of eyes that contained hatred. Lu Anran admired Chu Yao a little, she obviously hated herself yet each time, she could chat and laugh with her with such warm and gentle smile. Although Lu Anran was thoroughly defeated in her previous lifetime, she did not really suffer much grievances. Who would have expected Chu Yao to have such mindset since primary school, one’s own best friend since young actually envied, hated and schemed against her ever since she was young enough to remember? However, this time round, Lu Anran naturally will not give Chu Yao any opportunity ever again! And Lin Haosheng……
Thinking about Lin Haosheng, Lu Anran could not help feeling heartache. In her previous lifetime, Lin Haosheng came back from abroad after her hand muscle snapped off, then step by step, making use of her, and Ji Rou, he won the trust of everyone in Lu family. By fixing an engagement with her, Grandpa imparted all his culinary skills to him. In this lifetime, her hand muscle has not snapped, nor would she know when Lin Haosheng would appear……
Blood brother of the same father but different mother? The man who claimed to love her, dote on her, but shoved her directly into hell…… Lu Anran’s eyes were full of pain and hatred……
Another hour later, the coach stopped at the main entrance of S city’s Wild Nature Reserve. Qin Shuhan also had a ‘just woke up’ look, she stood up to stretch before clapping her hand, “Everyone wake up! Get up! We are here!”
One by one the students rubbed their sleepy eyes, waking up from their dreams. Stretching themselves, each one of them queued to get off the bus.
When alighting the bus sleepy- eyed, a burst of cool breeze intermingled with the scent of grass and trees brushed by making everyone awake in an instant, and each one of them became lively once more.
“Anran! Sorry!” Ji Ling put her palms together, her ears were very red, “I… I also don’t know why I fell asleep…… And…… And…… I am so very sorry!”
“It’s fine, don’t worry!” Lu Anran waved her hand with a helpless expression, “It will probably dry in a while……”
“Ji Ling, you are truly inelegant when sleeping!” Linda stretched herself, the effects of the motion sickness meds had just passed, and she was feeling much more energetic. Seeing a small saliva mark on Lu Anran’s left shoulder, she could not help shaking her head.
“Don’t want to be told off by the person who slept as soon as she got on the bus!” Ji Ling waved a small fist.
“Well…… It’s okay!” Lu Anran said, “Let’s go over to Teacher Qin!”
“Okay……” Ji Ling hung her head. Really shameful to death, she was too excited last night and could only sleep during the latter half of the night at 2AM. As she woke up a bit earlier than 5 in the morning, she ended up leaning against Lu Anran’s shoulders on the bus and sleeping, feeling extremely at ease. It’s fine if she sleeps, she even drooled on Lu Anran’s shoulders…… That little blouse must be very expensive! What to do! Lu Anran smelled so good, this was still the first time that she felt so at ease sleeping! It was even better than sleeping on the bed at home……
“Lu Anran! Get everyone to line up.” Qin Shuhan stretched herself and hollered at Lu Anran.
“Okay!” Lu Anran answered. Getting everyone to line up was indeed her duty as a class monitor.
Everyone from the Prep class complied and queued up separately according to gender. When Lu Anran passed by, they all involuntarily looked at Lu Anran’s left shoulder. A small wet spot revealed a faintly visible pale pink shoulder strap, causing everyone not to know where to look. The eyes of the male students fluttered somewhat awkwardly in all random directions while the females had the appearance of wanting to say something but then hesitate, not knowing how to tell her so that she would not feel mortified.
“Anran, your shoulder!” Chu Yao did not mind humiliating Lu Anran, “How shameful ah!”
“My shoulder?” Lu Anran replied and lowered her head to take a look, “Oh! It’s okay, it will dry in a while.”
“Your straps are all showing already ah!” Chu Yao seemed to be unsatisfied with Lu Anran’s reaction, and said again, “Why don’t you know how to cover it up!”
“Cover what?” Lu Anran felt a little amused, “There are photos everywhere of the strapless dress that I wore the previous time, could it be that I still need to wear a jacket?” It was just a shoulder strap showing, not as if she was exposing herself. Lu Anran has worn many tube dresses, now it was just revealing a shoulder strap, not to mention it was only a small part of it ah.
“……” After hearing what Lu Anran said, Chu Yao had nothing else to say. Not only was Chu Yao speechless, everyone who hesitated to tell her were all relieved.
Everyone then lined up and walked towards the site where the cookout was to be held.