Chapter 204: Blossoming Moments in the City

After the little fox’s sneaky tailing, Lin Zheng Ran and Lily hopped into a car headed for the hair salon.

In the taxi, Lin Zheng Ran gazed out the window, first puzzled, then resigned.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

He thought to himself, that fox must be bored out of her mind today—why trail me all the way from home?

“Zheng Ran? After we get my hair dyed, how about we find a spot to try on some new clothes?”

Lily, sitting next to Lin Zheng Ran, bit her lip and tried to sound as serious as possible.

In truth, she wasn’t great at lying—her face flushed red.

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “Try on new clothes somewhere?”

“Yeah, and I didn’t sleep well last night. I want to nap in the afternoon.”

Lily stared straight ahead because the taxi driver was listening to the radio, so as long as she kept her voice low in the back seat, he wouldn’t hear.

“So, basically… later, you and I can get a room, try on the clothes there, and rest up.” She stumbled over her words, speeding up:

“I told my parents I’d be out late tonight, so I’ve got plenty of time… plus, you mentioned wanting me to make it up to you… how about we just…”

Finishing, she blushed and quickly added to Lin Zheng Ran:

“But I have to clarify! First, I don’t even know what you want as compensation. I just want a place to try on clothes and take a nap! I don’t mean anything else! If you’ve got other ideas, that’s on you. Though I’m okay with it, I’m not thinking that way!”

Lin Zheng Ran noticed how proactive this girl had become over the past two years.

Before, she’d hint at things indirectly, but now she just said what was on her mind and made up excuses afterward.

As Lin Zheng Ran kept watching her, Lily’s face grew even redder.

Lin Zheng Ran suddenly smiled. “Sure, dyeing hair is tiring. Let’s get a room later, try on the clothes, and take a nap together.”

“Ah!”

Lily’s lips parted in surprise, her lively eyes widening.

She was shocked—Zheng Ran agreed so easily! Clearly, since graduating high school, he wanted to try that kind of thing too.

That adult thing.

After all, ever since that hug in high school freshman year, the two of them hadn’t gotten any closer over the past two years due to various reasons. Even she was getting impatient, let alone him.

That meant today… today would be their first time…

It felt a bit rushed, but no matter how close she was to Heqing as sisters, Zheng Ran’s first time was hers and hers alone.

As his girlfriend, who wouldn’t want it? She wanted it badly.

“Okay,” Lily agreed, her face flushed as she looked down.

This time, she boldly gripped Lin Zheng Ran’s hand tight.

Suddenly, she leaned on his shoulder, her tone playfully tsundere yet eager, shyly saying, “Once we’re done with the hair dye, let’s go get that room.”

“Mm.”

Lin Zheng Ran held her hand, using his other to gently lift one of Lily’s ponytails for a closer look.

Unusually, Lily didn’t pull away; she let him touch it freely. After all, soon he’d be holding her anyway, so what was the harm now?

She was his girlfriend—he could touch anywhere he liked.

At the same time, on the high-speed train, Heqing kept sneezing and gazing at the scenery outside, missing Zheng Ran more and more.

These past couple of days, she just felt an ache if she didn’t see him soon, like something was missing.

Not long after, Lin Zheng Ran and Lily arrived back at the hair salon.

The crowd was thinner than in the morning, though still busy with people coming and going.

They didn’t wait long before it was Lily’s turn.

Lily sat in the chair as the hairdresser asked, “Miss, I remember you’re here for a dye job, right? What color are you thinking? With your face and style, I’d recommend…”

Lily said, “Yellow hair?”

The hairdresser nodded enthusiastically, “Exactly! I think yellow suits you best!”

Lily thought to herself, why does everyone think yellow hair looks good on me?

It was baffling.

The hairdresser pulled out a color chart: “Yellow comes in several shades, though. Our shop has these options—take a look and see which one works.”

Lily took it and glanced over, noticing they all looked similar. She called out, “Zheng Ran! Which one do you think is best?”

Lin Zheng Ran walked over, took the chart, and pointed to a lighter yellow shade. “This one. It looks good.”

The hairdresser agreed, “Spot on. Your girlfriend has thick hair, so if it’s too dark, it won’t suit her. This shade won’t make it look overly yellow. Shall we go with this?”

Lily nodded quickly, “Yeah, I’ll go with what my boyfriend says.”

“Alright, let’s get started. Please sit still, miss.”

Lily sat quietly as the hairdresser prepared and applied the dye evenly to her hair.

Suddenly, a thought popped into her head: New look… once it’s done, Zheng Ran can check out the feel—or rather, the look.

The dyeing process was pretty dull.

You couldn’t really do much during it.

Of course, that was for most people. For Lily, the time dragged on with a mix of nerves and excitement.

She felt scared, tense, and eager all at once.

About her and Zheng Ran’s first time…

From a young age, Lily had watched her share of random movies alone, but experiencing it herself was different from just watching.

She wondered what it would really feel like.

And kissing—high school girls always said it felt great, like eating cotton candy. She couldn’t even picture it.

Maybe she’d get to try that too. Oh, how embarrassing.

The hairdresser checked the dye and noticed Lily’s flushed cheeks. “Your face is so red—are you allergic?”

People glanced over, and Lily waved awkwardly, explaining. She pointed to the heat lamp above, “No, no! It’s this lamp. My skin’s fair, so it just looks red!”

Lily held out her arm to prove it, “See, my hands and arms are fine.”

The hairdresser nodded, “Okay, just speak up if you feel off. The test didn’t show any reactions.”

Lily chuckled, “I’m good, really. No discomfort.”

She glanced at Lin Zheng Ran, who smiled, and she smiled back shyly. Grabbing her phone, she pretended to scroll through the clock and calendar apps to hide her nerves, her heart pounding away.

Around 11 a.m., the dyeing was finally done.

After rinsing out the dye and setting agent, the hairdresser dried her hair.

Lily stared in the mirror at her light yellow, golden locks—stunning.

Lin Zheng Ran came over, “It really suits you—a total transformation.”

His compliment made her feel even more thrilled.

“I think it’s great too.” Lily stood, grabbed a hair tie, and pulled her hair into twin ponytails.

Once done, even the hairdresser and some customers couldn’t help but stare—yellow hair looked perfect on this girl.

Lily eyed her reflection, thinking to herself, I look this good with yellow hair?

It fit her so well.

She smoothed her hair with her hand and looked at Lin Zheng Ran. He gently held a strand, admiring it, “Ready to go? I’ll get a better look later.”

Lily caught his meaning and nodded shyly, “Okay.”

After paying, they held hands and left, grabbing some snacks on the way to the nearby hotel.