Chapter 159: A New Hairstyle and Evening Escapades

After the haircut, Lily looked refreshed and full of energy.

She turned her little head in the hair salon’s mirror, her shortened twin tails swaying gently at her shoulders.

The hairdresser marveled, “Your sister is so pretty. She doesn’t even need to dye her hair; it’s already beautiful. Of course, dyeing it could make her even more stunning.”

Lily’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she stayed quiet. Though she felt good about it, what really mattered was if someone special thought she looked good—after all, women dress to please those they care about.

Lily turned to Lin Zheng Ran and asked, “What do you think, Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran saw her twin tails reaching midway down her back and ran his hand through her smooth braid; she seemed even more lively now.

“It looks great.”

Of course it did; it was just a trim, and nothing else had changed much.

Lily beamed at the compliment.

After paying, the two left the hair salon and headed back to school.

On the taxi ride back, Lily pulled out her phone and searched online for images of golden twin tails.

There were quite a few results, but real-life pictures were scarce—cartoons made up most of them, which was odd.

Still, she agreed with the hairdresser; black twin tails looked cute, but gold ones seemed more vibrant and suited her style better.

As she scrolled, she stumbled upon a picture of a boy holding a girl’s twin tails from behind.

Her face turned red, and she quickly swiped past it. She asked Lin Zheng Ran, “Zheng Ran, do you think I’d look good with blonde hair? The hairdresser said it would suit me, but I’ve never dyed it, so I don’t know.”

Lin Zheng Ran could tell from her eager expression what she was thinking.

“You’d look great.” He agreed.

“Really!” She was thrilled.

“Of course, I think you’re naturally perfect for that color.”

Lily bit her lip, glancing at Lin Zheng Ran while fiddling with her twin tails, and whispered, “What if I dye it right after high school?”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled. “Sure, I’ll go with you then.”

“Deal.”

Lily stared at the pictures on her phone, imagining herself with golden hair—it would look amazing.

Then, she suddenly noticed the time on her phone.

It was past ten.

She urged the driver, “Driver, can we make it back to school before eleven?”

The driver sped through the city, one hand casually on the gear shift as he pressed the accelerator. “No problem. It’s just a short trip, and it’s only a bit past ten. I’ll get you there in fifteen minutes—plenty of time.”

Lily wasn’t worried; eleven was the curfew, so they had time.

But the driver suddenly asked, “Why are you heading back to school now?”

“To go back and sleep, of course.”

The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror, thinking these young couples were really into their roles.

It reminded him of his high school days, and he chuckled, “Sleep? The dorms lock at ten. It’s already past that—how will you get in?”

“Sleep? The dorms lock at ten. It’s already past that—how will you get in?”

Lily froze, waving her hand with a forced smile while beads of sweat formed on her forehead:

“You must have it mixed up, driver. Our school’s girls’ dormitory locks at eleven, not ten. We can still get in; I checked the other day. Right, Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran stared out the window. “The boys’ dormitory locks at ten; it’s always been that way. I don’t know about the girls’.”

Lily’s smiling face stiffened, turning her to stone.

“Huh?” She turned to Lin Zheng Ran with wide eyes, “Is that true? The boys’ dorm locks at ten?”

“Yeah, definitely at ten.”

The driver laughed.

“You must have it wrong, kid. All the dorms at your school lock at ten. I’ve been driving taxis here for years and just dropped off a bunch of students around nine. Now it’s ten, and you don’t see any kids out anymore.”

Lily looked at the streets; indeed, there were no students around. Her mind went blank for a moment.

Then panic set in. She turned to Lin Zheng Ran and the driver, her voice stuttering and loud with nerves, “What do we do? If it locks at ten, I can’t get back to the dorm! Where will I sleep tonight?”

The driver suppressed a smile:

“There are always ways around it.”

Lily asked Lin Zheng Ran, “Zheng Ran, if the boys’ dorm locks at ten, how will you get in? Are we both stuck sleeping on the street?”

“I wasn’t planning to go back anyway. I was going to find a place to shower and get a room nearby.”

“Get a room?”

Lily’s mind raced, and she felt a sudden heaviness. She blinked, stunned for a moment.

Then her eyes widened, and a blush crept across her fair face.

Her gaze trembled as she looked at Lin Zheng Ran’s calm expression, finally understanding the driver’s knowing tone earlier.

She suddenly grew shy and sat straight, not saying a word.

Head slightly bowed, legs together, hands clenched on her knees, her face flushed red.

Get a room…

Was Zheng Ran hinting at something?

Did he know the dorms locked at ten and planned this?

Was his goal to spend the night with her?

Was he thinking about that?

It felt too soon.

Though some classmates had done it, she and Zheng Ran had only held hands so far.

Their relationship hadn’t reached that point yet.

But then again…

Lily clenched her hands tighter on her knees.

She bit her lip, remembering how girls talked about boys their age wanting that.

Zheng Ran probably did too, even if he didn’t show it—he might really want to do that with her.

Something only adults do…

Tonight…

The driver pulled up after a couple of turns: “We’re here.”

“Huh?!” Lily hadn’t expected it so fast; he said fifteen minutes, but her mind had been spinning, making time fly.

Though it had been about that long.

Lin Zheng Ran got out of the taxi.

Lily followed, her hands clenched tight, her heart pounding.

“Zheng Ran…”

But he said, “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to the girls’ dorm supervisor and get you in.”

“Wait, what?” Lily looked up at him. “You’re letting me go back to the dorm?”

Lin Zheng Ran raised an eyebrow. “What else would we do?”

Lily felt both shy and confused; she wasn’t sure what he was up to anymore. Playing hard to get?

That didn’t seem like him. “But you said you were getting a room to shower?”

“Yeah, I am.”

He guessed what she was thinking and leaned in close, looking into her flushed eyes seriously. “What are you imagining? Did you want to come with me instead of going back?”

Lily’s heart raced under his gaze; she closed her eyes and playfully punched him with a small fist. “What are you talking about? I didn’t think that!”

After hitting him, she crouched down, covering her face. “I wasn’t thinking about that at all.”

“Then let’s get you back.”

As he stood up, she gently tugged at his pant leg: “Wait, Zheng Ran… Actually, it’s late, and I’d just disturb my roommates. Maybe it’s better if I stay with you outside. I don’t want to go back.”

She stared at the ground, face red, barely knowing what she was saying.