Chapter 18 – The Library Confession
It was another quiet afternoon in the library, and Su Zaizai had settled into her usual corner with her books spread across the table. She was focused on finishing her science project, but her mind kept drifting to Zhang Lurang, who was sitting a few tables away, silently reading.
After a while, he closed his book and walked over, placing a small stack of reference materials in front of her. "These might help," he said, his voice calm and even.
Zaizai looked up, surprised. "Thanks… Lurang. You always seem to know what I need."
He tilted his head slightly, meeting her gaze. "I notice," he replied simply.
Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment longer than usual, and Zaizai felt her heart flutter. The quiet attention, the subtle care in his words, and the fact that he had come all this way just to help her… it all made her feel something she couldn't quite put into words.
"I… I wanted to ask you something," she whispered, her cheeks warming.
He raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Zaizai hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Why do you… pay so much attention to me? Even the little things… like noticing when I'm frustrated or tired. Why?"
Lurang studied her for a moment, his dark eyes softening ever so slightly. "Because you matter," he said quietly. "More than you realize."
Zaizai's heart skipped a beat. His words were simple, but their meaning struck her deeply. It wasn't a grand confession, but it felt like one — a quiet acknowledgment that she was important to him in a way that no one else was.
She smiled, feeling warmth spread through her chest. "Thank you… for noticing me," she said softly.
He nodded, his usual calm returning, though Zaizai thought she saw a flicker of something more in his eyes — a subtle hint of care, perhaps even fondness.
As they returned to their work, the atmosphere between them had changed. It was still quiet, still understated, but the unspoken connection had grown stronger. Each glance, each gesture, and each small act of attention was slowly building something neither of them had named yet, but both could feel.
That day, Zaizai realized that sometimes, feelings didn't need to be shouted or declared. Sometimes, the quietest words and the smallest gestures could speak louder than anything else.
And with Zhang Lurang, those quiet words and gestures were beginning to mean everything.
End of Chapter 18