Jian Ran honked once. He immediately looked over, still uncertain.
She stuck her hand out the window and waved.
Chu Lulin didn't hesitate. He walked quickly to the car, opened the passenger door, and bent slightly to look inside.
Their eyes met.
"Big Sister."
His voice carried an unmistakable lightness and joy.
But Jian Ran was preoccupied and didn't notice, only giving a soft 'mm' to invite him in.
With a thud, the door closed.
The narrow space instantly brought them closer, creating a private atmosphere.
Jian Ran blinked, suddenly at a loss for words.
Actually, when she sent the message, she wasn't sure if Chu Lulin would come down. But she couldn't bear to watch him go down the wrong path, so she decided to gamble—if he came, she would try to talk him out of it.
But now that he was here, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
Because she realized she might be presumptuous. What exactly was 'the wrong path'?
Besides, she didn't know his situation. Maybe he was in some kind of trouble. If he made this choice, he must have his reasons.
She had no right to judge from a moral high ground when she hadn't faced his difficulties.
That would be easy for her to say.
"You/Big Sister..."
They both spoke simultaneously, but then both stopped.
Jian Ran glanced at him. Since she hadn't decided what to say anyway, she let him go first. "You go ahead."
Chu Lulin paused, noticing that Jian Ran didn't look good. He hesitated.
"It's nothing. I'm just surprised you called me down."
Jian Ran was taken aback.
Was it her imagination, or did she hear a hint of grievance in his short reply?
But then again, he had the right to feel wronged. She had coldly refused to meet him earlier, and now she suddenly called him down—she owed him an explanation.
But just as she was trying to think of a good reason, her phone rang sharply, breaking the silence.
In the tight space, it was particularly jarring.
Chu Lulin held up his phone. "Can I take this, Big Sister?"
Jian Ran glanced at the screen. The name 'Ms. Chu' stood out prominently.
She raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Go ahead."
Chu Lulin answered. Immediately, a woman's voice came through.
"Where did you go? You've been in the restroom forever. You didn't run off after taking that expensive suit, did you..."
The receiver couldn't hide the sound in the enclosed car, and since Chu Lulin held the phone on Jian Ran's side, she heard everything clearly.
Jian Ran instinctively looked at his clothes.
Only then did she notice that, completely different from his usual student style, he wore a well-tailored black casual suit.
She recognized the brand—it was high-end, mostly handmade.
And certainly not cheap.
During the call, Chu Lulin barely spoke, just gave a few vague responses.
When the other party said something else, he switched hands, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Jian Ran was frowning and thinking about something. He frowned too.
"I have to go. I'm busy now. Talk later."
He didn't say much more and hung up.
But as soon as he did, before he could say anything, Jian Ran turned to him, her expression serious. "How much did this suit cost?"
Chu Lulin was taken aback. He looked down at his clothes, confused. "I don't know."
Lu Lan had had it delivered in his size; he genuinely didn't know the price.
"Then ask. Find out and tell me."
What did she mean by 'running off with the suit'? Jian Ran couldn't stand hearing that. She had called him down, so she felt responsible.
It was just a suit—she would pay for it. No big deal.
Chu Lulin was puzzled but nodded. "Okay, I'll ask later."
Jian Ran nodded, satisfied. "Alright, let's go. I'll take you back to school?"
Since she would pay for the suit, she naturally assumed there was no need for him to go back. Besides, he had said he wanted to leave.
Chu Lulin was more than happy to spend more time with Jian Ran, so he readily agreed. "Okay."
He buckled his seatbelt.
Seeing that, Jian Ran gave a satisfied smile.
The car started and slowly merged into traffic.
Neither spoke. A long silence settled over the car.
It was past rush hour, so traffic was smooth. Seeing that they would soon reach A University, Jian Ran grew anxious.
She couldn't talk him out of it.
So what should she do? She could take him away this time, but what about next time? The problem remained unsolved.
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she struggled internally.
The inexplicable impulse she had barely suppressed in the parking lot resurfaced, seemingly unstoppable.
Chu Lulin was also unsettled.
Since getting in the car, he could sense Jian Ran's low mood. He didn't dare speak recklessly, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
But as they neared the school, he grew restless.
Despite their reluctance, the car finally arrived at the A University gate.
As she braked, Jian Ran took a deep breath, as if she had finally made a major decision. She turned to face Chu Lulin.
"How about you stay with me!"
Chu Lulin froze, taking a moment to process. "Big Sister, what... what do you mean?"
Now that the words were out, Jian Ran felt a strange sense of relief.
"I'm saying I'm kind of a rich woman. My assets aren't bad. Why don't you just be with me?"
---
Author's note: Years later, when they had a slight disagreement about something,
Chu Lulin: "Big Sister, you know, I've been with you since I was nineteen..."