Thanks to the Valentine’s Day rush and his hard work over the past few weeks, Zhou Le had finally saved up a bit of money.
It wasn’t much, but he finally had some savings in his bank account. That evening, he bought some pork ribs and made braised ribs, enjoying a hearty meal with his mom.
The next morning, he woke up feeling utterly satisfied.
On his way to school, he even bought some nutritious milk from the convenience store to share with Lin Xiaoxiao and the others.
Even though he didn’t have much money, Zhou Le always wanted to share a little with his friends whenever he earned some, even if it was just a small carton of milk.
At 7 yuan per box, he almost winced as he bought it.
Seeing the packaging, Lin Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows. “Wow, Zhou Le, you really went all out today! Did you secretly strike it rich without telling us?”
Xia Linchuan took a sip and smacked his lips. “Mmm~ Tastes good. I think I could go for another one.”
He reached out, trying to open Zhou Le’s desk drawer.
But Zhou Le blocked him with his hand.
Xia Linchuan: “?”
Seeing his puzzled expression, Zhou Le stammered, “Um, the rest aren’t for you.”
Xia Linchuan narrowed his eyes. “Are you telling me you have friends other than us?”
“Come on, who’s it for?”
Zhou Le fumbled, nervously hiding the milk in his desk. “No one, no one.”
In truth, he was debating whether he should give one to Lu Jingran.
The 7-yuan milk was expensive for him, but for Lu Jingran and Chen Nan, it was probably nothing. They might even disdain it for not being as fancy as the sushi he’d gifted before.
Even though it was just a small, inexpensive gift, Zhou Le still felt the urge to share it with Lu Jingran and the others, including them as friends he felt he should care about.
When he thought about it quietly, it was actually a bit laughable—he really wanted to be friends with Lu Jingran…
With these few cartons of milk in his arms, Zhou Le waited until the afternoon gym class, when everyone was free to move around. He snuck back to the classroom from the sports field, intending to place the milk on Lu Jingran, Chen Nan, and Sheng Qian’s desks.
But placing them openly on the desks seemed too obvious. If his classmates saw when they came back, it would be awkward…
While hesitating with the milk in hand in front of Lu Jingran’s desk, he suddenly didn’t know what to do.
“What are you doing?”
A soft voice came unexpectedly close, like it was right in his ear.
Startled, Zhou Le spun around to find Lu Jingran standing behind him, very close. He hadn’t noticed when Lu Jingran came in.
Turning abruptly, Zhou Le almost stumbled right into him, face to chest. Lu Jingran steadied him, his eyes catching sight of the three milk cartons in Zhou Le’s hands.
Noticing his gaze, Zhou Le stammered, “These are… um…”
He fidgeted, trying to put the milk on Lu Jingran’s desk, then feeling a little embarrassed.
“For me?” Lu Jingran asked softly.
Without waiting for a reply, he took a carton, inserted the straw, and took a sip.
It tasted like plain milk but not completely natural, with a hint of added flavor. At home, he was used to drinking fresh, additive-free milk. Though most people wouldn’t notice, Lu Jingran could tell the difference right away.
“Thanks.”
“It’s good,” he said, taking a few more sips, his thirst quenched after playing basketball outside. Even if the milk wasn’t pure, it was perfect at that moment.
Seeing that he seemed to like it, Zhou Le beamed. “No need to thank me, class rep, as long as you like it.”
Lu Jingran’s gaze drifted to the other two cartons in Zhou Le’s hands.
“Oh,” Zhou Le said quickly, “these are for Chen Nan and Sheng Qian.”
He turned and placed one carton each on their desks. Since Lu Jingran liked it, he thought Chen Nan and Sheng Qian would too.
Lu Jingran watched him, then looked away silently.
So, the milk wasn’t just for him.
After leaving the milk, Zhou Le realized that only he and Lu Jingran were left in the room.
Thinking of recent events, Zhou Le scratched his ear, feeling a bit awkward but still wanting to speak. “Class rep, thank you. You’ve helped me so much recently.”
“If it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t have known what to do…”
Lu Jingran looked at him quietly, listening to his words of gratitude. He enjoyed hearing this kind of sincere expression from Zhou Le.
But then, Zhou Le’s tone abruptly shifted, full of energy, “So! From now on, class rep, you can consider me your little sidekick!”
“Tell me to go east, and I won’t go west; tell me to go west, and I won’t go east!”
“From now on, I’ll be just like Chen Nan and Sheng Qian—totally loyal and completely obedient!”
Zhou Le raised his hand, looking as though he was about to take an oath.
Lu Jingran was stunned, as if three giant dots had floated over their heads.
Zhou Le, realizing the awkward silence, blinked, feeling the stillness in the air.
Just when he didn’t know what else to say, Lu Jingran suddenly looked down and chuckled softly.
It sounded like he just couldn’t hold back.
Zhou Le relaxed, smiling. “Well… anyway, class rep, feel free to order me around. I’ll take good care of you.”
Lu Jingran, with a faint smile, raised an eyebrow. “Take care?”
Zhou Le, oblivious, nodded eagerly. “Exactly.”
Lu Jingran’s smile faded a bit, his gaze darkening slightly.
The Alpha’s instinct kicked in; though it was a simple phrase, it seemed to hold some hidden implication.
He could imagine Zhou Le being obedient, blushing, and whispering softly.
Lu Jingran frowned, realizing he was letting his mind wander too far.
Here was Zhou Le, genuinely expressing his gratitude, and he was thinking of these inappropriate things.
“Alright, I’ll accept you.” Lu Jingran’s voice was low, with a faint rasp to it.
Zhou Le, unaware of any undertones, nodded happily. “Yes!”
His face lit up with a big, satisfied smile.
In his mind—and probably in the minds of all the students in Class Three, and maybe even the entire school—Lu Jingran was almost like a god.
Smart, capable, responsible, tall, handsome, a top Alpha… he was the kind of person who could impress anyone on sight, someone Zhou Le was proud to follow.
Zhou Le grinned, pleased.
Even though Lu Jingran didn’t know what he was smiling about, he found himself smiling back, almost instinctively.
—
After gym class, Chen Nan returned to find a carton of milk on his desk. He saw another on Sheng Qian’s desk and noticed that Lu Jingran was drinking a carton as he worked on a problem, and immediately understood.
“Thanks, Brother Lu, for the… um, whatever this is!” Chen Nan took a sip and immediately sensed something off. The flavor was different from what he was used to.
Sheng Qian took a sip and concluded right away, “Not from you, is it?”
Lu Jingran: “Zhou Le bought it.”
Chen Nan’s expression shifted to one of understanding as he uttered a quick “Oh,” then promptly moved to toss the milk into the trash.
The next second, Lu Jingran’s voice came, “Drink it.”
Chen Nan’s hand, which was about to toss the milk, instantly changed direction, and the straw returned to his mouth. He finished the whole carton in three seconds.
Sheng Qian, observing the scene, chuckled.
Lu Jingran raised his eyes and looked at him.
Sheng Qian lowered his head and also finished his milk in three seconds.
Just then, someone entered the classroom through the front door holding a milk tea and called out loudly, “Zhou Le? Zhou Le!”
Zhou Le, who was chatting with Lin Xiaoxiao about some gossip and thinking about setting up a booth for Women’s Day, quickly looked up and responded, “Here!”
The person spotted him and lifted the milk tea in their hand. “Liu Yanyan got this milk tea for you!”
“She said, ‘Thanks for your milk!’”
No matter how you heard it, the phrase exploded like a bomb.
In an instant, the whole class burst out laughing.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward Zhou Le.
“Liu Yanyan?! Is it the Liu Yanyan I’m thinking of?”
“Wow, this kid’s serious!”
“Zhou Le’s milk? What’s going on?”
“Oooh~~ Zhou Le, was your milk good? Do you have more? I want some too!”
“Me too! I want some!”
What nonsense was this?!
Zhou Le’s face turned red as he wished he could find a hole to crawl into. He grabbed the milk tea and ducked down in his seat, pretending nothing had happened.
Ahhh, so embarrassing!
Sheng Qian, amused, remarked slyly, “So Zhou Le gave some of that milk to Liu Yanyan too.”
Chen Nan chimed in, “Seriously, with such a cheap carton of milk, he’s giving it around to everyone. And Liu Yanyan even bought him a milk tea. Geez, she’s not falling for someone else, is she? Maybe she’s into Zhou Le now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Nan heard a loud crunching sound beside him.
Lu Jingran had squeezed his empty milk carton tightly, and from the crushed shape, it was clear he’d used quite a bit of force.
Chen Nan asked, “Brother Lu, what’s wrong?”
Lu Jingran didn’t reply, still gripping the milk carton. A moment later, he turned and tossed it into the trash.
