The Kind of Liking

Ever since the night of Chu Ran’s twenty-fifth birthday—the night eighteen-year-old Ye Nanzhi was “bitten” by her—Ye Nanzhi hadn’t dared to contact her Senior Chu proactively. Even just hearing someone mention Chu Ran’s name would make Ye Nanzhi’s neck throb with a phantom sensation, followed by her entire face turning a brilliant shade of crimson.

As winter break began, matters regarding Chu Ran were temporarily shelved. During the second week of the break, the Spring Festival arrived. Ye Nanzhi was kept busy helping her family prepare for the new year.

On the day of the Lunar New Year, the girls in the dormitory chat group were exchanging greetings.

“Fang Fang, where are you? I heard your family has hotpot for New Year? What about Xiao Ye?” After asking around the circle, Feng Linlin sighed. “I’m so envious of you guys. I have to help out at my family’s shop during the holidays; I don’t get a single day of rest. Who doesn’t take a break for New Year!”

Hearing this, Fang Fang answered matter-of-factly, “Actually, some people don’t. Yesterday, the Student Union group uploaded the stay-on-campus records. Guess what I saw? Someone actually booked the lab for several days straight.”

“Huh? Who’s that intense? Spending every day of New Year in the lab?”

“Who else could it be at our school? Chu Ran!” Fang Fang sighed. “But later they said that since the campus heating is suspended during the holidays, she was given special permission to take the experimental electronic equipment home. She just has to return it after the break. I heard she’s working on aerial photography; honestly, that stuff doesn’t have to be used in a lab, it’s just a matter of counting the inventory every day. Letting her take it home saves her the commute.”

“Aerial photography… that equipment isn’t cheap!” Feng Linlin sent three consecutive shocked emojis. “They let her take it home just like that? Since when was our school so generous? Why do I have to pay a ten-yuan fine just for returning a library book two days late!”

“Apparently, almost no one in the country is doing her project. The school values it highly and is giving her the green light all the way.” Fang Fang noticed that one person in the group hadn’t spoken for a long while. “Hey, Xiao Ye? Were you there just now?”

“She’s probably helping her family with chores!”

It was the Spring Festival. Pedestrians on the street wore joyful expressions, carrying a variety of New Year goods as they hurried home to share in the annual reunion.

Words like “reunion” and “family happiness” had never belonged to Chu Ran. The word “home” felt far too foreign to her. In that so-called “home,” no one welcomed her existence. Every year, Chu Changbai would have his secretary give Chu Ran a sum of travel funds so she could go out and “clear her head.” It was less about clearing her head and more about sending her away so she wouldn’t be an eyesore to their family.

Chu Ran didn’t mind. She accepted the “consolation” with a clear conscience and saved it. Year after year, the amount in her account had grown into a substantial sum. Chu Ran always had her own goals. To achieve them, hard work was one part, but financial independence was an essential pillar. Thus, since starting university, she had worked hard to earn money. The Art Club was just one of many channels.

Chu Ran found a bag of frozen wontons at the bottom of her freezer—a free gift from a supermarket promotion. She didn’t like frozen food and had expected it to go to waste, but today she wasn’t in the mood to cook. She decided these would serve as her New Year’s Eve dinner.

Just as she set the water to boil, the sounds of her upstairs neighbors, an elderly grandfather and his two young granddaughters, drifted down. The girls were jumping and running around the house, then clamoring to go outside and play in the snow—lively and bustling.

In contrast, Chu Ran’s surroundings were like the water in the pot: silent, without a single ripple.

Finally, the liquid in the small pot began to boil. Just as Chu Ran was about to tear open the wonton packaging, a hurried knocking sounded at the door. Perhaps a child from upstairs had come to the wrong floor? She turned off the stove and went to the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw a familiar figure.

When she pushed the door open, Ye Nanzhi was standing there, breathless and huffing as she leaned against the doorframe.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t make it in time… I ran for so long!” Ye Nanzhi peered behind Chu Ran. “You… you haven’t made dinner yet, have you?”

“Not yet.”

At the answer, Ye Nanzhi excitedly grabbed Chu Ran’s wrist. “That’s great! Then come over to my house for the New Year!”

It was through this opportunity that Chu Ran learned that although Ye Nanzhi was a local, she lived on the other side of the city. A round trip took nearly two hours by bus.

“So you ran out early this morning?”

Ye Nanzhi looked proud of herself. “Of course! As soon as I heard you were here alone for New Year, I rushed over. I was terrified you’d already started the stove. Well? Are you moved?”

Chu Ran felt a surge of warmth. “If you had sent me a message, I would have picked you up at the station.”

“I wanted to give you a surprise.”

Ye Nanzhi kept saying her family wasn’t formal and that they would just be eating at a restaurant, so she just needed to show up. However, Chu Ran insisted on stopping at a nearby supermarket to buy gifts.

“Really, Senior Chu, just you being there is enough. My family doesn’t lack anything—”

“Do you want strawberries or cherries?” Chu Ran asked, standing before the fruit counter.

Ye Nanzhi thought for a moment. “Cherries… wait, strawberries!” She caught sight of the price tag on the strawberries and quickly changed her tune. “Actually, cherries!”

Chu Ran turned and placed a large box of cherries and a large box of strawberries into the cart. Then she looked up at Ye Nanzhi. “What else do you like? Do you want blueberries?”

“No, no!” Ye Nanzhi waved her hands repeatedly. Good heavens, the cherries and strawberries alone were nearly three hundred yuan, and that wasn’t even counting the imported dried fruit gift box next to them. If she wasn’t with Chu Ran, Ye Nanzhi wouldn’t have even known her neighborhood supermarket sold such expensive items.

Ye Nanzhi walked ahead while Chu Ran pushed the cart, following her quietly. Back when Ye Nanzhi had secretly followed her, Chu Ran hadn’t understood why she did it. Now, standing behind the girl and mimicking the “little rabbit’s” pace and posture, she gradually discovered the joy in it. Ye Nanzhi’s strides were small and her pace was slow; she would stop and start, and sometimes, after having clearly passed something, she would double back to take another look.

“You seem to really like grocery shopping,” Chu Ran noted.

“Of course! When I was little and my parents were fighting, I’d pester my mom to take me to the supermarket. Then my dad would go to the flower shop at the entrance to buy flowers for my mom. Once my mom’s anger faded, I’d get a big tub of ice cream!”

As she spoke, they reached the snack aisle. Ye Nanzhi’s cheerful pace came to a sudden halt. She stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the family-sized bags of giant potato chips on the shelf. Ye Nanzhi had a small appetite; if she ate snacks, she wouldn’t eat her meals. Therefore, her mother, Ms. Song Wan, almost never bought her snacks. Of course, after that incident where she was hospitalized for gastritis, Chu Ran also forbade her from eating such things.

With no snacks allowed at home and someone managing her at school, Ye Nanzhi had almost forgotten the taste of potato chips. Now, she turned back and looked at Chu Ran with watery eyes. “Senior Chu, it’s New Year’s! I’ll just take one bag, just one small bag, okay?”

Chu Ran sighed and reached out—past the promotional bags of chips—and went straight for the giant assorted snack gift box behind them, dropping it into the cart.

“Thank you, Senior Chu! You’re the best in the world! I like you the most!” Ye Nanzhi jumped up in excitement, showering her with praise.

Chu Ran leaned down and brushed Ye Nanzhi’s hair. “You said it yourself. Don’t regret it later.”

Ye Nanzhi didn’t catch the hidden meaning in Chu Ran’s words, only nodding and promising she wouldn’t regret it.

The two headed straight to the restaurant. Upon entering the private room, most of the relatives had already arrived. Ye Nanzhi’s grandparents sat at the head of the table, with her mother, Song Wan, sitting next to the grandmother, pouring hot tea for the elders.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” Ye Nanzhi pulled Chu Ran over. “Grandma, Grandpa, this is Chu Ran, my good friend. Mom, this is the senior I mentioned who teaches me painting. She’s the one who took me to the hospital when I fainted from stomach pain last time.”

Chu Ran bowed slightly, greeting the elders in Ye Nanzhi’s tone. “Hello Grandma, Grandpa. Hello, Auntie.”

Song Wan was a dignified and gentle woman. Seeing the expensive gift boxes in Chu Ran’s hands, she said, “Our family isn’t that formal. You’re Xiao Ye’s friend, just coming over is enough. Don’t spend money like this in the future.”

“It’s just a small token of my respect,” Chu Ran replied modestly.

Ye Nanzhi told her mother that since Chu Ran was from the south and busy with school work, she had to spend the New Year alone in Harbin. “Mom, I wanted her to spend the New Year with us. You have night shifts these few days, so I want her to keep me company.”

Song Wan had a soft heart. Seeing a young girl alone in a distant city, she agreed without a second thought. “Of course. It’s rare for you to bring a friend. Please, take a seat!”

Before the conversation could end, a maternal aunt waved Ye Nanzhi over. “Xiao Zhi, come here! Look who’s here!”

Following the aunt’s gesture, Ye Nanzhi saw Tang Mu sitting on the sofa.

“Brother Tang Mu?”

“Your Uncle Tang is on duty today, so Tang Mu came to spend the New Year with us.”

Just then, the waiter came in to ask if everyone had arrived so they could start serving. The aunt quickly pulled Ye Nanzhi and Tang Mu together. “You’re both young and have things to talk about. Sit together!”

Li Huan, who was still in middle school, hopped out from somewhere. “I want to sit with my cousin too!”

“Tsk, you’re just a kid, don’t interfere! Sit next to me.” After the aunt pulled Li Huan away, Tang Mu stepped forward to greet Ye Nanzhi.

“Chu Ran is here too.” Facing Chu Ran, Tang Mu’s expression held a hint of awkwardness.

Seeing them standing there, the aunt urged them, “What are you staring for? Sit down! The food is coming! Tang Mu, sit next to Xiao Zhi. I’m entrusting my precious niece to you today!”

A blush crept onto Tang Mu’s face as he moved to pull out a chair for Ye Nanzhi. Ye Nanzhi, however, grabbed Chu Ran’s sleeve and brought her to her side. “Senior Chu, come sit here!”

Consequently, at the dining table, Chu Ran sat on Ye Nanzhi’s left, and Tang Mu sat on her right.

During the meal, Chu Ran sat quietly. Ye Nanzhi would occasionally steal a glance at her, then quickly look away the moment their eyes met, only to meet Tang Mu’s gentle gaze. As always, Tang Mu wore glasses, and his turtleneck sweater made him appear even more mild-mannered. Unlike Chu Ran’s cold aura, Tang Mu was always warm.

The lazy Susan rotated, and the aunt noticed Ye Nanzhi’s plate was empty. “Tang Mu, as her older brother, what are you doing? Hurry and get some food for Xiao Zhi!”

“No, it’s fine, I can do it myself,” Ye Nanzhi waved it off.

Just then, a bowl of “Pearl Soup” (tomato and egg drop soup with flour pearls) rotated in front of them. Tang Mu stood up, served a small bowl, and handed it to Ye Nanzhi. “Don’t just eat the dishes, have some starch. The utensils are clean; I haven’t used them.”

“Thank you, Brother Tang Mu.”

The pale orange soup had tomatoes simmered until they merged into the broth. The flour pearls were of various sizes, and the whisked eggs floated like a dancer’s skirt. To anyone else, it looked inviting, but Ye Nanzhi hesitated.

At that moment, Chu Ran also stood up. Reaching past the soup, she picked up a custard bun shaped like a little pig and placed it on Ye Nanzhi’s plate.

“Don’t you dislike tomatoes? Have this for your starch instead.” As she spoke, she smoothly took the bowl Tang Mu had served and moved it away. Then, she pointedly looked at Tang Mu, catching the flurry of panic he was trying to hide.

The aunt, seeing the silence among the youths, started a conversation. “Miss Chu, you’re Xiao Zhi’s senior. Are you also studying Early Childhood Education?”

“Oh, no. I study Architecture.”

“Architecture is great! I heard you need an art exam for that. Is it hard? I hope our Huanhuan studies that in the future. Becoming a great architect—how prestigious! When Xiao Zhi was choosing her major, I didn’t agree with her choice, but she and her mother insisted…”

The aunt went on a long rant about how teaching was a dead-end career with low pay and long hours. Then, she looked meaningfully at Tang Mu. “But being a teacher has one good point: they’re gentle and virtuous. Especially since our Xiao Zhi has such a soft temper—whoever marries her in the future will be lucky!”

Song Wan placed a shrimp on the aunt’s plate. “Just eat your food. My daughter is still so young; I’m not ready to see her married off yet!”

“Tsk, a daughter isn’t someone you can keep just because you want to. Our Xiao Zhi is so pretty; who knows how many wolves at school are staring at her! Xiao Zhi, you have to keep your eyes open. Don’t be like when you picked your major—sinking your heart into one thing without looking around, okay!”

Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Ye Nanzhi was embarrassed, moving her chopsticks aimlessly over the greens on her plate. She prayed for a miracle to save her.

That miracle appeared quickly.

Chu Ran’s tone was calm as she spoke up. “I actually think studying Early Childhood Education is very good.”

No one expected the guest to stand up and contradict the aunt. The bustling table went silent.

Chu Ran continued, “Architecture students usually start their major with the hope you mentioned—becoming a ‘Great Architect.’ While that’s prestigious, it requires breaking through a massive crowd; not even one in ten thousand makes it. Without a family background, relying solely on personal ability to reach that level is nearly impossible. Many work their whole lives only to end up as anonymous draftsmen. But Early Childhood Education is different.”

Chu Ran turned her head, her gaze clear and bright as she looked at Ye Nanzhi with unwavering conviction. “The original intention of those in education is to teach and nurture. In terms of achieving one’s goals, education has a much higher success rate than architecture.”

Then, Chu Ran pointedly looked at Tang Mu. “What do you think, Tang Mu?”

But Tang Mu’s mind was still stuck on the tomatoes. Ye Nanzhi didn’t like tomatoes? He had known her for so long and didn’t know that, so why did Chu Ran? Being called out suddenly, he didn’t even hear what she said and could only nod mechanically in agreement.

Tang Mu’s distracted agreement made the aunt’s face darken. Everyone could see she had spent the whole night trying to set up Tang Mu, but in the end, he had taken the side of an outsider and embarrassed her in public. The expression on the aunt’s face was quite a sight.

After dinner, Ye Nanzhi gave half the cherries and strawberries to her grandparents and some to her mother. Song Wan was a doctor and had a night shift; she had to head straight to the hospital. Finally, Ye Nanzhi kept a small portion for herself, packing them to eat during the New Year’s Eve vigil.

The restaurant wasn’t far from Ye Nanzhi’s home, and since they had eaten so much, Ye Nanzhi suggested they walk back with Chu Ran. On the way, Ye Nanzhi kept stealing glances at Chu Ran, her eyes full of suppressed laughter.

“Senior Chu, thank you for speaking up for me just now. My aunt is just blunt, but her heart is in the right place.”

Yes, a maternal aunt who spent the whole meal trying to push her niece onto Tang Mu—such effort was rare.

Instead of that, Chu Ran was concerned with something else. “Why was Tang Mu there today? Does he spend every New Year at your house?”

“No, we usually just visit each other during the holidays. Having New Year’s Eve dinner like this is a first.”

Chu Ran felt a quiet surge of relief. She stopped her steps suddenly. Under the New Year’s Eve sky, standing half a step away from Ye Nanzhi, she looked up at her. “Your aunt was trying to set you two up just now.”

At the mention of this, Ye Nanzhi looked away awkwardly, not wanting to discuss it.

But Chu Ran had no intention of letting her off. “Tang Mu likes you. You can tell, right?”

Ye Nanzhi remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

“So, do you like him?”

“My liking for him is the kind you have for family. It’s the same as how I like my cousin Huanhuan.”

“I see. Then what about me?”

“Of course I like you too, Senior Chu!”

“That’s not what I meant.” Chu Ran asked her, word by word, “Ye Nanzhi, I’m asking: What kind of liking do you have for me?”