Chapter Nine: The Comical Love Letter

During class, the homeroom teacher announced that there would be an exam next month. First, it was to assess everyone’s academic performance; second, some students might be reassigned to different classes based on the results.

There were still two weeks left until the end of the month, but she hadn’t started tutoring Su Yichen in earnest yet.

“Ah, Mengxia, why is there another test again?” Lin Manting wailed, clutching her books.

“Su Yichen, why aren’t you reacting at all?” she asked. “Aren’t you afraid of being moved to another class?”

Su Yichen replied offhandedly, “Not worried.”

She looked at Su Yichen, who was diligently taking notes in front of her. Judging by his usual behavior, she figured he was one of those smart students who simply hadn’t taken studying seriously before.

But when he turned to her to ask a question and she saw the simplest function problem in his math workbook, Ye Mengxia was silent for several seconds.

“What’s wrong? Is it very hard?” he asked.

“No,” she replied, forcing a smile as she looked at his earnest face. At that moment, she realized her path as a tutor was going to be exceptionally challenging.

After school, Ye Mengxia and Lin Manting went to cheerleading practice to learn some basic moves.

Su Yichen stood outside, holding a cup of strawberry milk tea.

Ye Xingchen, about to head off to basketball practice, saw Su Yichen standing there like a block of wood and went over to clap him on the shoulder.

“Su Yichen, what are you doing here? Want to play ball?”

“No.”

“You’ve even bought milk tea. Perfect, I was craving some. If you’re not drinking this, give it to me.”

“No way,” Su Yichen said, raising his hand.

“Why not? Don’t you still want to pursue my sister?”

Yan Mu rolled his eyes at him. “He bought it for your sister.”

“What?” Ye Xingchen followed Yan Mu’s pointing finger and, looking through the window, saw Ye Mengxia and Lin Manting practicing inside.

“Never mind, then. Let her have it.”

“Come on, Yan Mu, let’s go get milk tea ourselves.”

Ten minutes later, Ye Xingchen and Yan Mu returned, each carrying two cups of milk tea.

The three of them squatted together on the stone steps.

“Yan Mu, why did you buy two?”

Yan Mu stared ahead and said slowly, “I didn’t buy milk tea, I bought a chance encounter today.”

“With your kind of luck in love, how could you possibly understand the loneliness of us single folks?”

Ye Xingchen and Su Yichen exchanged a glance, then immediately pinned him to the ground and started roughhousing. They were still laughing heartily when a girl stopped in front of them.

“Excuse me, this is for you.”

All three looked up to see a pink envelope thrust before them.

A love letter?

Who was it for?

After a moment’s hesitation, Yan Mu took the letter—after all, she was standing right in front of him. As soon as he took it, the girl ran off at full speed.

Yan Mu grinned at them and coughed twice. “Well, whose love letter is this? Hurry up and claim it, or I’ll open it myself.”

Ye Xingchen snatched the letter. “Son, did it never occur to you it might be for you?” He quickly tore it open, and several photos fell out.

Awkward—none of them were in the pictures.

They were all candid shots of Su Yichen, taken from various angles.

“What the—, you’ve been secretly photographed?”

“That’s an invasion of privacy.”

Ye Xingchen smacked Yan Mu on the shoulder. “Use your head, this is a confession.”

Yan Mu replied, “I know, but who would have thought that one day someone would surpass you, Ye Xingchen? Hahaha…”

“Son, one more word and you’re done.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s see what the letter says.”

“This is for Su Yichen, you’re not allowed to read it,” Ye Xingchen said, handing the envelope to him.

Su Yichen reached for it, but Yan Mu snatched it away. “Let a single guy read it.”

“Yan Mu, quit it.”

“Just kidding. Here you go.”

“What’s so funny? Let me see too,” Lin Manting said, coming up behind them and grabbing the envelope.

She read aloud, “Su Yichen, hmm? Is this a love letter?”

Yan Mu urged, “Keep reading.”

“Even though your grades aren’t good and you’re not as handsome as Ye Xingchen, I still like you. The reason is, you remind me of my first love…”

Laughter erupted.

Ye Mengxia happened to be coming out just then. Su Yichen tried to take back the letter, but Yan Mu beat him to it and kept reading.

“And I know you like someone else. What you’ve done really moved me, so I like you a lot. I took some photos for you—you can show them to her. Maybe then your confession will succeed!”

Yan Mu laughed so hard he could barely breathe. “Is this a reverse confession? Absolutely hilarious.”

“Su Yichen, you’re a weirdo—no wonder the people who like you are all weirdos too!”

Ye Xingchen gave him a smack. “Enough, son.”

Looking up, they saw Ye Mengxia standing at the door, looking slightly embarrassed. She smiled and walked over to stand next to Lin Manting.

Su Yichen handed her the milk tea. “Strawberry flavor—the one I promised I’d get you.”

“Oh, thanks.” Ye Mengxia was still a little dazed. Did she just witness a love letter in real time? Su Yichen had been confessed to.

“Mushroom Head, I bought an extra cup for you.”

“You chose chocolate flavor?”

“Doesn’t that suit you perfectly?”

“Ye. Xing. Chen!”

“Well, you never told me what you liked.”

Lin Manting gave him a look, took a sip, and said, “I like mango.”

“Oh, then next time I’ll get you watermelon, so you can wear it on your head, too.” Ye Xingchen pressed her head lightly as she charged at him.

Laughter abounded.

Off to the side, Yan Mu muttered, “...”

Why did he buy two cups, again?

The group headed to a nearby hotpot restaurant—Ye Xingchen insisted on treating them to the best hotpot in town.

After ordering, the server brought out the base, which turned out to be extra spicy—a mistake. Nevertheless, they all endured the spiciest hotpot of their lives.

No one said a word about the mix-up.

Ye Xingchen, seeing Ye Mengxia’s flushed face, burst out laughing. “Ye Mengxia, what’s going on? You look like you’ve been set on fire.”

“It’s really spicy. But you look worse—your tongue seems swollen.”

“My tongue? What’s wrong with my tongue? Why can’t I talk properly?”

Yan Mu poked through the pot. “Wait, did you order mushrooms?”

“No... I didn’t…”

Ye Xingchen suddenly collapsed onto the table, and soon after, the sound of an ambulance approached.

At the hospital, they sat in the waiting area. Ye Xingchen was fine—it was just a severe allergic reaction. A nurse came over, eyeing their fire-red faces.

“Do you all need a check-up as well?”

“Uh…”

“No, it’s just… the spiciness…”

How could they explain it was really just the hotpot?

Lin Manting, linking arms with Ye Mengxia, said excitedly, “So he’s allergic to mushrooms.”

“No, he’s allergic to all fungi,” Yan Mu corrected.

“So who ordered the mushrooms?”

The four exchanged glances and shook their heads.

Su Yichen suggested, “Maybe the kitchen got the order wrong?”

Yan Mu slapped his leg. “That’s it! No wonder the mild flavor was so intense. I thought I was the only one suffering.”

“Then why didn’t any of you say anything?”

The four fell silent.

Since Ye Xingchen had to stay on a drip in the hospital, they all decided to go home and get some rest, planning to return the next day.

But the next morning, they all overslept.

No one had set an alarm—it was Saturday, after all.

When they finally arrived at the hospital, Ye Xingchen was shrouded in resentment, silently watching them.

“Did you all sleep well last night?”

“Pretty well…”

“You all leave—Yan Mu, stay behind.”

“Why me? You ordered the hotpot yourself last night, and besides, everyone else was involved…”

But when Yan Mu turned to point at the others, they had already disappeared.

“Hey, what are you doing? Save your strength—wait until you’re better to take it out on me. Don’t blame me if your body gives out.”

Ye Xingchen grabbed Yan Mu with effort. “Shut up. I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh.”