Chapter 10 – The First Shared Secret
It was after school, and the corridor was unusually quiet. Most students had already left, leaving behind only scattered footsteps and the faint sound of lockers closing. Su Zaizai hurried toward the science lab, clutching her notebook tightly. She had a few questions about the project, and she hoped Zhang Lurang would still be there.
As she entered the lab, she spotted him immediately. He was standing near the window, examining the magnetism experiment they had started the week before. His posture was relaxed, yet his focus was intense, as if every detail mattered to him.
"Hey," Zaizai said softly, stepping closer.
He looked up, his dark eyes meeting hers. "You're late," he remarked, but there was no irritation in his voice — only a faint acknowledgment.
Zaizai shrugged, smiling awkwardly. "I got caught in traffic… and then I got distracted." She trailed off, feeling suddenly shy under his gaze.
Lurang studied her for a moment, then gestured toward the desk. "Sit. Let's finish this before the weekend."
As they worked, the lab grew silent except for the occasional clink of metal and the soft scratching of her pen. Zaizai noticed that Lurang had a habit of tilting his head slightly when concentrating, and she found herself stealing glances at him more often than she cared to admit.
Finally, as they were organizing their notes, Zaizai hesitated, then whispered, "Lurang… can I ask you something?"
He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"It's… about you," she began, her voice barely audible. "Why do you… notice things about me? Small things, like how I like tea, or that I get wet in the rain… How do you…?" She trailed off, unsure how to put her feelings into words.
Lurang remained quiet for a moment, his gaze steady. Then he spoke softly, almost in a whisper, "Because I pay attention. Not everything, but enough. You… matter, Zaizai."
Her heart skipped a beat. The words were simple, but the weight behind them made her breath catch. No grand confession, no dramatic gesture — just honesty, quiet and unassuming, yet more powerful than anything she could have imagined.
Zaizai smiled, her cheeks burning. "Thank you… for noticing."
He nodded once, then returned his attention to the experiment, as if nothing had happened. Yet Zaizai knew something had shifted between them. That moment — quiet, personal, and intimate — was a secret they shared, one that belonged only to the two of them.
As she left the lab later, Zaizai felt a strange mixture of excitement and nervousness. The day had started like any other, but it ended with a shared secret, a quiet acknowledgment, and the unmistakable feeling that something new and fragile had begun to grow between her and Zhang Lurang.
And for the first time, she realized that perhaps he wasn't just a boy by the window anymore — he was becoming someone essential in her world.
End of Chapter 10