"That makes me feel at ease."
Lu Chuan saw Mr. Xie's relieved smile in the rearview mirror.
The two families are friends and both like these two children very much. They had privately discussed the possibility of their children becoming in-laws in the future, though that was something from when they were very young. As they grew up, they saw these two children playing as buddies, and it seemed like that idea was no longer relevant.
"You two are in your senior year now. This year at school, you need to supervise and help each other. You must work hard and study, got it?"
Lu Chuan knew that this mention of mutual supervision carried a deeper meaning. Like Lu Chuan, Liu Ruyan was also a prominent figure in her former school, receiving a few love letters and confessions each week was not unusual.
The reason for Liu Ruyan's transfer was that Xie Yun Chuan had suddenly become very busy with work, so it was more convenient for both children to attend the same school; one person from each family could handle the pick-up and drop-off. Another reason was to have Lu Chuan keep an eye on Liu Ruyan, afraid that early romantic involvement might affect her studies.
In fact, their concern was unnecessary, as Liu Ruyan was not interested in those suitors at all.
"Got it, Uncle Xie." As the older brother by a few months, Lu Chuan was still more composed than Liu Ruyan.
The car drove into the underground parking lot of a high-end residential area. Lu Chuan and Liu Ruyan were playfully bantering, and as soon as they entered the house, the aroma of food filled the air.
Mrs. Xie, Shen Bing, was a great cook. When they were kids, Lu Chuan often said that the food at his house wasn't good and frequently came to Liu Ruyan's house for meals.
"Xiao Fang, eat more." Shen Bing continued to serve Lu Chuan, whose bowl was piled high with food, "Look how skinny you are."
"Thank you, Aunt Shen. I eat a lot; I just digest it quickly."
"Yeah, he's already had two bowls." Liu Ruyan said unceremoniously.
"Look at how stingy you are with your own food!" Lu Chuan kicked Liu Ruyan's leg under the table, giving her a look of disapproval.
After dinner, they went to their respective rooms to do homework. Specifically, Liu Ruyan was doing her homework while Lu Chuan, who had already finished his at school and left his backpack behind, was being a nuisance.
Liu Ruyan, with a pencil in her mouth, was struggling with a math problem. After thinking for a while, she began to write furiously, then crossed it out and rewrote it, growing increasingly frustrated.
"Hey, you just made a mistake with the formula," Lu Chuan said as he looked over her shoulder and immediately identified the problem.
Liu Ruyan felt mortified that after all her effort, it was just a formula error.
"Tsk tsk tsk, how come you're still so careless? At this rate, when will you ever surpass me?"
Lu Chuan had consistently ranked in the top three of his grade throughout high school. Although Liu Ruyan's grades were also excellent, it seemed like other people's children always did better. The Xie family parents always encouraged Liu Ruyan to learn from Lu Chuan.
Now that Liu Ruyan had transferred to Lu Chuan's school, they were both competitive. They had agreed that whoever performed better in the upcoming monthly exam would make the other their "personal assistant" for a month.
"Lu Chuan, just wait and see how I'm going to crush you in this exam," Liu Ruyan said fiercely, squeezing out the words through clenched teeth.
Just then, Shen Bing appeared at the door with two glasses of milk. "Ruyan, you're bullying Xiao Lu again."
"Mom! Am I your daughter or is he your son?"
"Hmm hmm hmm," Lu Chuan said with a mischievous grin.
As Shen Bing left, Liu Ruyan's slipper flew accurately to Lu Chuan's head.
"Not like a girl at all," Lu Chuan had left this note before coming home.
Lu Chuan's home was across from Liu Ruyan's. The next morning, as soon as Liu Ruyan opened her door, she saw him leaning against the doorframe. "Liu Ruyan, let's ride to school today."
"Let's go."
On a summer morning, with the air carrying a hint of freshness, the streets were filled with hurried office workers and elderly people taking walks or practicing Tai Chi. Everything, like the two youths basking in the sunlight, was full of vitality and hope.
Lu Chuan enjoyed riding his bicycle to school in the morning, passing by a morning market filled with the aroma of vegetables and the lively calls of vendors, which was a taste of life; the chirping of birds taking flight from the branches was a symbol of life's strength.
The jingling of the bike bell was also cheerful, and with Liu Ruyan by his side, everything became doubly interesting.
"Hey, Lu Chuan, Liu Ruyan!"
They ran into Ye Ziming at the corner near the school gate, who waved at them from a distance.
"Wah wah wah, Liu Ruyan, you've stolen my Xiao Fang away."
Seeing Lu Chuan and Liu Ruyan inseparable, Ye Ziming couldn't help but feel jealous.
"Seventeen years, this guy has been haunting me for seventeen years, I beg you to take him away from me."
Of course, Liu Ruyan's words had a bit of a boasting tone. If one day Lu Chuan was really taken away from her, she might have the urge to kill the person who took him.
"Liu Ruyan, the most beautiful Liu Ruyan in the world, I remember now, it's you, hahaha."
Ye Ziming finally remembered that there was a time in the first year of junior high when Lu Chuan's meal card, which originally had a photo of his favorite basketball player, was replaced with someone's self-portrait, and Lu Chuan was teased for it. It turned out she was Lu Chuan's childhood friend.
"I've heard a lot about you, Liu Ruyan. Looks like we need to get to know each other again."
"Not at all, I've heard of the handsome Ye Ziming as well."
The two found themselves inexplicably hitting it off, feeling like they had known each other for ages. Lu Chuan locked his bike and squeezed between them. "Let's hurry up; we're going to be late."
A beautiful day began with morning reading. Liu Ruyan was diligently memorizing her English text when the homeroom teacher suddenly walked in and tapped the blackboard.
"Everyone, look up. I have an announcement. Next week, we'll have a diagnostic exam covering all the material we've studied so far. The format will be exactly like the college entrance exam. This will be the first major exam for our senior year, so I hope everyone takes it seriously."
"Ah? How come there's an exam right after school starts?"
"Yeah, I'm not prepared yet."
"The scope is basically everything we've covered!" The classroom was filled with cries of despair.
"Alright, alright, enough discussion. Just get back to what you were doing," Mr. Zhang said before leaving the classroom.
The anticipated time had arrived early. Lu Chuan, I must do better than you, Liu Ruyan silently vowed to herself.