The Taste of Memory

In the days since they had last seen each other, today marked the harshest words Chu Ran had ever spoken to Ye Nanzhi.

In the past, she might have softened her stance or offered a few words of comfort to her junior, but today, Chu Ran turned and left without a second glance.

She left the girl standing there alone. Upon exiting the studio, she swiftly turned into the stairwell and vanished at the end of the corridor.

Her movements were clean and decisive, devoid of any hesitation.

Chu Ran was gone, leaving behind the studio that served as the sole thread connecting her to Ye Nanzhi.

Winter in the North always arrived early. Once the temperature dropped, few were willing to venture out into the cold without reason. It wasn’t a peak hour for foot traffic, and since it was Saturday, the café beneath the teaching building was practically empty. Chu Ran sat alone in a corner by the window, silently watching the clouds.

The sky was gloomy, as if covered by a layer of ash. The weather forecast predicted snow for tomorrow. If it snowed, the filth and unpleasantness of the earth could be hidden away again. This was the first time Chu Ran had ever longed for snow so urgently.

After an uncounted number of clouds drifted by, Chu Ran finally began to relax.

Since that vibrating string in her mind had snapped, her emotions had spiraled out of control.

Truthfully, many people had distanced themselves from her because of her reputation; she was long used to it and didn’t care.

But today, although the girl hadn’t said much, a single gesture had struck her most vulnerable nerve.

Without her even realizing it, Chu Ran had subconsciously categorized Ye Nanzhi and everyone else into two very different places.

She always found herself instinctively hiding her worse side from Ye Nanzhi. What had just happened was a total collapse of that effort. Yet, Chu Ran didn’t regret it.

In the end, they weren’t the same kind of people. How could a soft white rabbit walk alongside a wolf like her? Rather than exhausting herself trying to retract her claws and hide her fangs, it was better to lay it all bare. She was tired of acting; she didn’t want to pretend anymore. She hoped that after this, the little girl would learn to be smart and stay away.

After a while, the dense clouds began to disperse, and thin rays of sunlight leaked through the gaps.

Tsk. Looks like tomorrow’s snow is a lost cause, Chu Ran thought with regret.

She had been sitting there for quite some time, and Chu Ran was not someone who wasted time on meaningless things. Once she realigned her thoughts, she decided to head back. Back to her original orbit.

Having tidied her emotions, she didn’t notice the barista calling out a “Welcome.”

When she turned her head, someone was already sitting beside her.

A quiet face was wearing a sweet smile. It felt like a marshmallow had been dropped into boiling milk.

The girl sat side-by-side with her, a light fragrance slowly drifting over.

“Why didn’t you answer when I called you!” Ye Nanzhi’s voice held a hint of a challenge, but it lacked any real sting.

Chu Ran looked at the several unread messages on her phone and said flatly, “It was on silent. I didn’t hear it.”

“Oh.” Ye Nanzhi didn’t press further, nor did she mention the scene in the studio. Instead, she asked out of the blue, “Do you want some ice cream?”

Chu Ran: ?

Ye Nanzhi pulled out a small tub of ice cream from somewhere and handed it over.

It was a small round cup, smaller than a palm. Under the transparent plastic lid, pink cream was decorated with chocolate and crushed nuts in the center.

Chu Ran didn’t think she would like something so cloyingly sweet and made no move to take it.

But Ye Nanzhi proactively opened the lid for her, tucked the matching small wooden spoon inside, and handed the whole thing to Chu Ran.

“Whenever I’m unhappy, I want ice cream. After I eat it, I feel happy again. Especially cherry flavor—it’s the most effective! This trick works every time. You should try it.”

Chu Ran stared at the ice cream in her palm. “Who told you I was unhappy?”

The words were dismissive, but she didn’t put the cup down.

Seeing this, Ye Nanzhi scooted a bit closer to Chu Ran, the sweet scent growing more pronounced. “You were happy? If you were happy, why did you scare me! You’re my teacher; teachers aren’t supposed to scare their students!”

Chu Ran hadn’t expected that even after that confrontation, Ye Nanzhi would still cling to their fragile student-teacher relationship. Chu Ran lowered her gaze. “What I said was the truth.”

Ye Nanzhi asked her, “But I was there last time. Clearly, that guy started the trouble and threw the first punch. Why didn’t you say that?”

When the police questioned her, she had told the truth. The police said they needed to investigate and gather evidence, and they would notify her when there was a result. However, the rumors at school arrived much faster than the police findings. No one gave her a chance to explain; no one even asked for her side of the story. People simply invented dramatic plots and traded them back and forth.

The idea of a popular student being provoked and losing was far less interesting than the idea of a top student who kept to herself being ruined by her own malice. That, apparently, was worthy of gossip.

As for her, or the so-called truth, no one cared.

Chu Ran was not the type to step forward and explain herself. She didn’t have the time, nor the patience. The opinions of unimportant people weren’t worth her attention. She much preferred spending her time on meaningful pursuits.

In all her years, Chu Ran had never eaten ice cream. Today, by a stroke of luck, she had her first taste.

She scooped up a small bit and put it in her mouth. At first, the sweetness of the cherry and the slight bitterness of the chocolate were perfectly balanced. After a bite, a fresh and mellow aftertaste lingered.

It was… a very strange feeling.

“I don’t care. Anyway, Senior Chu Ran was mean to me today. I’m remembering this!” Ye Nanzhi deliberately emphasized the name “Chu Ran.”

This time, she called her by her name.

Having said that, she reached for the other tub of ice cream next to her as if nothing had happened.

The small movement didn’t escape Chu Ran’s eyes. She was quick, snatching the small round bowl first.

Ye Nanzhi had her posture ready, but just as her wooden spoon was about to touch the ice cream, it was gone. She turned her head, her eyes full of resentment.

“Did the doctor say you could eat cold things yet?”

Ye Nanzhi clenched her fists in frustration. “I’ve been better for ages! Besides, I already bought it. Isn’t it a waste not to eat it? Wasting is the biggest crime! Oh, Senior, we can’t be criminals, right?”

At that moment, Chu Ran finished her first portion and immediately dipped her spoon into the newly opened one.

Ye Nanzhi looked on in shock. Hadn’t this person just looked at it with rejection? Now she was eating non-stop and had even snatched her portion.

Seeing there was no hope, the girl leaned back against the sofa cushions and let out a long sigh. I should have made my move while she was talking, Ye Nanzhi thought regretfully.

Just then, Chu Ran suddenly extended the hand holding the small bowl. “Here.” She turned her face away, not looking at Ye Nanzhi. “It was my fault for being mean to you today. Consider this an apology.”

Like a blessing from the heavens, Ye Nanzhi instantly sat up in the booth. Just as she reached out, Chu Ran’s arm suddenly retracted. “What are you thinking? Just one bite!”

One bite was fine; it was better than nothing. Ye Nanzhi wasn’t polite, using her wooden spoon to scoop up a massive chunk.

Chu Ran watched the girl’s greedy movement but didn’t protest, letting her have it. Then, she continued eating the remaining ice cream spoonful by spoonful.

The girl ate happily, and Chu Ran’s heart felt sweet as well.

This was the first time Chu Ran realized that sweetness was such a joy-inducing flavor.

So much so that in the four years that followed, Chu Ran searched every street and alley but could never find that taste again. That soul-refreshing sweetness was something she only tasted once, making every other flavor seem dull and uninteresting by comparison.

Four years later, at Shen University, in the faculty office.

After Chu Ran left, Ye Nanzhi sat there alone for a long time.

Recalling the scene from earlier, Chu Ran had snatched the half-cup of coffee she had already drunk from and taken a sip.

No matter how slow Ye Nanzhi was, she could sense it. Since their reunion, Chu Ran was constantly bringing up the past, repeatedly trying to close the distance between them.

But could they really go back?

Ye Nanzhi frustratedly ruffled her hair. Forget it; she had to focus on business first. They were going for a survey this afternoon, and she needed to organize the materials as quickly as possible.

By the time she finished, it was already noon. After eating, Ye Nanzhi was caught right at the canteen entrance by Chu Ran.

Checking the watch on her wrist, Chu Ran nodded with satisfaction. “Good. You ate on time.”

Ye Nanzhi snorted inwardly. Do you still think I’m that silly little freshman who reports every meal to her senior?

“As a reward…” Chu Ran pulled a pink bag from behind her back—it was ice cream.

It was a very expensive brand; a small tub cost nearly three figures. The packaging was exquisite, with two bags of dry ice inside the thermal bag to keep it from melting.

“For you.” Chu Ran offered no further explanation, leading Ye Nanzhi toward the parking lot. “Let’s go. I have an appointment with the survey school; we’re heading there now.”

Ye Nanzhi focused on the bag. She tore open the packaging, and after peeling back the layers of the thermal bag, it was exactly as she expected—cherry flavor.

“No rush. You have plenty of time on the road. No one is going to snatch it from you.”

Ye Nanzhi’s face instantly flushed. “Who’s in a rush!”

Chu Ran smiled, not wanting to linger on such an obvious point. Her gaze swept over Ye Nanzhi’s shoes and paused for a moment.

Ye Nanzhi clutched her cherry ice cream and finally sat in the back seat, intending to see how this expensive ice cream tasted. Suddenly, the car door was opened again.

Chu Ran took a box from the trunk and pushed it toward Ye Nanzhi.

“We’ll be walking around all afternoon and standing for a long time. Change into these.”

Opening it, she found a pair of flat sneakers. Compared to the leather shoes on Ye Nanzhi’s feet, these were clearly much softer and more comfortable.

Chu Ran hadn’t mentioned the survey would be today, and Ye Nanzhi had been so focused on the data this morning that she hadn’t gone back to change. Moreover, Chu Ran had already started the car in the driver’s seat, clearly not intending to give her time to go back.

Ye Nanzhi checked the shoe size; it was exactly hers. The problem was, this was a style from two years ago that was now very hard to find.

Chu Ran’s size was quite different from hers. Could it be that she had bought these shoes specifically for her two years ago? But wasn’t she abroad then? How could…

In the driver’s seat, although Chu Ran’s eyes were fixed on the road ahead, she seemed to guess Ye Nanzhi’s thoughts. She said unhurriedly:

“The shop sent the wrong item back then.”