Chapter 48
“Did you dream about something?”
A moment ago, He Zhen had been speaking with the doctor on duty about Li Huan’s condition when Yu Chen, still asleep, suddenly began to sob softly, as if he were having a nightmare.
Yu Chen had already come back to himself, his red, swollen eyes lowered, not knowing how to describe that chaotic dream. Afraid of disturbing Li Huan, he tried hard to hold back his crying, until his shoulders trembled lightly and hot tears hung from his damp lashes.
“Uncle and I will never leave you.”
“Don’t worry.”
He Zhen gently wiped away the tears at the corners of Yu Chen’s eyes with his fingertips, then lightly cupped his face. “Go back to sleep for a while. The doctor just drew Uncle’s blood. Other than a slight fever, all his indicators are fine.”
“A fever?” Yu Chen immediately panicked and hurried out of bed. “Why does he have a fever?”
“This is a normal post-surgery reaction. The doctor said there’s no need to worry.” He Zhen glanced at the time, walked to his side, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “There are still four hours until dawn. Go get some rest.”
“I’ll stay with Dad.” Noticing the tiredness in He Zhen’s brows and eyes, Yu Chen pushed at him and urged, “We agreed we’d take turns looking after Dad. You go sleep. I’m not sleepy at all right now.”
He Zhen could not win against Yu Chen, so in the end he could only agree to rest on the sofa first.
Yu Chen tucked a thin blanket over him. “Boss, make do with this for now. I’ll wake you in the morning, and then you can go home and rest.”
He Zhen said, “No need. I already asked He Heng to bring us a change of clothes. If you’re worried about Uncle, then Monday morning we’ll go straight from the hospital.”
“But…” Yu Chen lowered his brows in hesitation and voiced his concern. “He’s my dad. As his son, I should be the one taking care of him. Your studies are already so busy. I don’t want to trouble you anymore and tire you out like this.”
He Zhen looked at the tip of Yu Chen’s nose, pink from crying, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly. “Are you being so formal with me?”
“It’s not that.” Yu Chen denied it at once, sniffing as he explained, “I’m worried Grandpa will blame you for skipping class, and that you’ll suffer and get scolded.”
He Zhen frowned and met Yu Chen’s eyes. “If my grandpa were sick and I needed to take care of him, would you stay with me?”
“Of course I would.” Yu Chen answered without thinking. “Grandpa treats me so well. I should be filial to him.”
He Zhen lowered his head and thought for a moment. “Then since Uncle has been taking care of me since I was three, I should treat him well too.”
Yu Chen mumbled, “Alright then…”
As he spoke, his eyes turned red again.
“Stop crying. If you cry again, I won’t rest.”
Yu Chen quickly wiped away his tears and forced out a small smile. “Boss, I’m not crying. Hurry and rest properly.”
“Yu Chenchén.”
He Zhen sounded helpless and heartbroken as he beckoned to him.
Yu Chen moved closer, head bowed, doing his utmost to hold back his tears.
From a rational point of view, He Zhen had plenty of grand principles he wanted to use to comfort Yu Chen. But seeing how upset Yu Chen was, all he wanted was to coax him.
“Uncle is already fine. Don’t be sad anymore, okay?”
“Mhm!”
Yu Chen hurriedly nudged He Zhen. “Go rest already.”
“Mhm.” He Zhen answered, rested his head against the sofa, and slowly closed his eyes.
Not wanting to disturb him, Yu Chen blew his nose, then obediently kept watch by Li Huan’s bedside, propping up his chin as he quietly stared at the IV bottle.
It was now three in the morning. Li Huan had already been switched to another medication drip. Yu Chen went by himself to the duty doctor’s office to ask about the blood transfusion. The doctor told him not to worry too much; Li Huan already had a bit of anemia to begin with, so this was normal.
Yu Chen then searched up some ways to treat anemia, puzzled over how his dad could have anemia at all.
At the same time, he felt guilty.
It was because he had not cared enough about his dad. Every year, his father had all of Yu Chen’s medical checkup numbers memorized by heart, yet Yu Chen himself had not even known his dad was anemic.
Yu Chen felt like he had no conscience. After returning to the room and watching over Li Huan, he sadly shed a few more golden beans.
The second hand of the clock ticked on.
Yu Chen started to feel sleepy, so he got up to stretch.
He Zhen was sleeping fairly soundly, his even breathing falling rhythmically in the quiet room.
Yu Chen tiptoed over to him, sat on the edge of the sofa, and helped tuck the blanket back around him.
At that moment, He Zhen’s brow twitched slightly.
Yu Chen froze at once, afraid he had woken him.
Two seconds later, He Zhen’s features relaxed again.
Yu Chen slowly bent down and edged closer, suddenly realizing how much He Zhen’s looks had changed over the past two years. With those excellent genes as a base, his contours and features had become more and more striking. Standing there casually, he was eye-catching yet distant, like the cold male lead straight out of a comic.
He Zhen’s eyelashes were not especially long, but they were very dense.
Yu Chen’s gaze quietly traced down that high, straight nose bridge and finally settled on He Zhen’s lips.
His boss’s lips were slightly thin. In novel terms, it was the classic look of a cold-hearted man.
But his boss was not cold-hearted at all. On the contrary, he was warm.
Yu Chen suddenly remembered a description of a cold male lead from some novel.
A mocking smile on thin lips, lips hard and firm.
So if someone had thin lips, were their lips really harder?
Yu Chen stared at He Zhen’s lips, their color warm as polished jade, his own rosy lips pressed tightly together.
In the end, he could not resist his curiosity and lifted a finger to touch them.
The feel of them was unexpectedly soft, though not as soft as his own.
Yu Chen curved into a faint smile, thinking that comic books really did exaggerate proportions. They always drew the eyes too big.
Someone like his boss had perfectly proportioned features.
Yu Chen’s lips parted slightly, his smile reaching his eyes.
He thought again of that day when the lab had lost power.
If He Zhen had not been there, he would probably have been scared to death.
And just like that, he found himself getting tangled up again over the matter of He Zhen dating someone.
If He Zhen really did start dating, then when the building lost power that day, he definitely would not have rushed to find him first thing.
At that point, the person in his heart would be the one he loved. Why would he still think about whether Yu Chen was afraid?
The more Yu Chen thought about it, the sourer his heart felt. His eyes drooped slightly, as though He Zhen had bullied him. He lifted his gaze—and suddenly met a pair of quiet light-brown eyes.
Their gazes collided in midair.
Yu Chen stammered, “Boss, when did you wake up?”
He Zhen was still lying there. “Before you touched my lips.”
A flush instantly spread across Yu Chen’s face. He was just about to get up when He Zhen suddenly wrapped an arm around his shoulders and held him firmly in place.
“I touched them by accident,” Yu Chen argued in a small voice. “Why didn’t you say anything when you woke up? You were actually secretly watching me?”
Even though he knew perfectly well this was a classic case of the guilty party accusing first, he still said it anyway. After all, He Zhen could not really do anything to him.
“Half-asleep, I suddenly realized someone was touching me.” He Zhen lazily lifted his eyelids and looked at Yu Chen’s reddened ear tips. “Yu Chenchén, why were you touching me?”
“I wasn’t! Don’t talk nonsense!” Yu Chen protested like a little pufferfish with its spines up. “If you weren’t looking at me, how would you know I was looking at you?”
There was laughter in He Zhen’s eyes. “If you want to touch, you can touch. There’s no need to be so nervous.”
“You’re slandering me.” Yu Chen was the type who could never keep things hidden, and he ended up confessing part of it himself. “I just thought you looked good, and while I was looking at you, my finger accidentally brushed you.”
“Oh?”
“Is that so?”
He Zhen curled his lips, half believing and half doubtful. “You think I look good?”
“It’s not just what I think. Everyone thinks so.” Yu Chen snuck a glance at him. “You’re even more handsome than movie stars.”
He Zhen sat up and lightly hooked Yu Chen’s tense fingers, playing with them quietly. “You look good too. You look even better than me.”
The words were very soft, like a feather lightly brushing against Yu Chen’s heart.
“Do you really think that?” He drew back stiffly and sat by the hospital bed again. “Are you lying to me?”
“Why would I lie to you?” He Zhen walked over and bent down to whisper by his ear, “In my eyes, Yu Chenchén is the best-looking person in the world, and very cute too.”
“So mushy.” Yu Chen fled in a panic like a little rabbit, turning away and lowering his head. “Boss, you’re a little weird today.”
He Zhen straightened up, a faint smile at the corners of his lips, and rested his palm on Yu Chen’s hair. “I’ve always thought so.”
Though Yu Chen was delighted inside, he still stubbornly let out a soft “Hmph.” “Did you still think that when I was a little chubby kid?”
“Mhm.” Speaking of that, He Zhen felt a little nostalgic for the Yu Chen of childhood. “I thought you were especially cute when you were all soft and chubby.”
Yu Chen poked at He Zhen’s hand with one finger. “It’s all your fault. Your snacks were too good. You fed me fat.”
“The guilty party accusing first.” He Zhen laughed softly and rubbed Yu Chen’s hair again.
…
During the day, when Li Huan woke up, he seemed to be in pretty good spirits. He urged Yu Chen and He Zhen a few times, but when he saw the two of them were determined not to go home, he stopped insisting.
After peeling an apple for Li Huan and cutting it into small pieces, Yu Chen asked, “Dad, the doctor said you have anemia. Since when?”
Li Huan said, “About the last half year or so. I went to the hospital for it. It’s nothing serious. It’s also my own fault. The medicine the doctor prescribed, I took it on and off, so it’s been very slow to work.”
Yu Chen pouted, and his eyes reddened instantly. “You weren’t listening.”
Li Huan hurried to coax him. “Don’t cry. Dad will listen to you from now on. I’ll take my medicine properly.”
Seeing Yu Chen sniffing, He Zhen sighed and helped wipe him off. “Alright. Uncle just woke up. Talk about something happy.”
Li Huan also wiped away Yu Chen’s tears and looked heartbrokenly at those eyes, swollen like walnut kernels. “Don’t cry. Dad’s fine.”
Yu Chen tried to hold back the soreness in his nose, but in the end he still buried himself in Li Huan’s arms and began to sob softly.
“Our Chenchén is already fifteen and still such a little crybaby.” Holding him, Li Huan brought up something happy. “Aren’t you running for sports meet announcer?”
“Mhm.” Yu Chen’s voice was thick with emotion. “Boss said he’d find me a coach, so my chances would be better.”
Li Huan signaled to He Zhen with his eyes. “When is the teacher coming?”
He Zhen immediately understood. “This afternoon.”
Li Huan patted Yu Chen on the shoulder. “Then you need to hurry and go. You can come see Dad again tomorrow if you have time.”
Yu Chen wrinkled his nose unwillingly. “I want to stay here with you.”
“There’s a caregiver here. The two of you should hurry back and rest. If you keep staying here with me, Dad will worry about your health too, and then I won’t be able to recover in peace.”
This time, Yu Chen was finally persuaded.
After going back with He Zhen, he used the afternoon to practice pitch, rhythm, and vocal projection with the speech coach.
Time passed in a flash, and soon it was the day of the announcer selection.
Before leaving, Yu Chen deliberately drank several cups of loquat-and-pear soup to soothe his throat. His hair was combed without a single strand out of place. In Xiao Yu’s words, he looked ready to go stand at the entrance of a hotel as a greeting attendant.
Lin Jiashu and Li Ye were also trying out for announcer. The three of them walked side by side along the shaded corridor on campus, chatting on and off.
“Jiashu, are you bad at sports too, so you want to help the class earn points by reading scripts?” Yu Chen generously shared his throat lozenges with the two of them. “My boss prepared these for me. You two have some too.”
Lin Jiashu thanked him and curved his lips lazily. “I’m trying out mainly because I want to read a cheering message for my boyfriend. He was mad at me a few days ago, so I’m here to coax him.”
“Ah…” Yu Chen had not expected Lin Jiashu to be so open with him. He scratched at his ear. “That’s really romantic.”
“Hm?” Lin Jiashu narrowed his eyes slightly. “If you get picked, won’t you read something to cheer on your brother too?”
Yu Chen paused. “I will. Boss signed up for long-distance running. I have to write a special poem for him.”
“Have you heard they’ve started casting for the school anniversary performance?” Li Ye, who had been silent all this while, suddenly looked at Yu Chen. “I wrote a script myself. Do you want to be my male lead?”
“Male lead?” Yu Chen’s lips curved shyly. “Thanks for thinking highly of me, but I probably won’t have time.”
Li Ye invited him again. “I’ll send you the script. If you’re interested, contact me anytime. I think you fit my male lead very well.”
Yu Chen did not refuse again. “Alright, I’ll take a look.”
As they talked, the three arrived at the campus radio station. Looking at the long line in the hallway, Yu Chen began to feel nervous. He had not expected this position to be so sought-after.
An hour later, after the interview, Yu Chen returned to the classroom.
Seeing the heavy thoughts on his face, He Zhen assumed the interview had not gone well and handed him a bottle of juice. “Tonight I’ll go with you to pick Uncle up from the hospital.”
“Mhm.” Yu Chen pulled out his exercise book and propped up his cheek gloomily. “Boss, there were so many people interviewing for announcer. I’m worried I won’t get chosen.”
Xiao Yu happened to walk in at that moment and eagerly asked Yu Chen, “How did the interview go? Can you get in?”
Yu Chen’s dark eyes shifted. “The competition is fierce.”
Xiao Yu had always spoken bluntly. “They only want three people in total. It’d be normal if you don’t get picked.”
He Zhen noticed the beads of sweat on Yu Chen’s nose. Casually picking up a test paper, he fanned him a few times. “It’s alright. That day the temperature will be high. Reading scripts nonstop up on the platform would make you uncomfortable too.”
Yu Chen looked dejected. “Boss, am I a failure?”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” He Zhen smiled. “That recitation book you gave me back then—I still remember how wonderful it was.”
Yu Chen secretly curled up the corners of his lips, then suddenly spread his arms wide. “I tricked you! There were fifty applicants in total! I got picked!”
A flash of delight passed through He Zhen’s eyes. Curling his lips, he ruthlessly kneaded Yu Chen’s smooth cheeks. “Little liar.”
Yu Chen looked proud. “Aren’t I amazing?”
He Zhen raised his brows lightly. “Not bad.”
Yu Chen narrowed his eyes. “Is there a reward? If you can make me happy, I might consider composing a poem for you that day.”
There was laughter in He Zhen’s eyes. “Alright. What reward do you want?”
With his arms folded, Yu Chen replied leisurely, “Let me think. No matter what, it should at least be a huge villa.”
He Zhen answered airily, “Alright. Granted.”
Left out all by himself, Xiao Yu’s feelings were complicated.
Did these two really think he was invisible?
They were way too clingy, weren’t they?
…
That night, Yu Chen brought Li Huan home from the hospital. Grandpa He had specially arranged a patient’s meal for him and found someone to take care of him.
Li Huan could actually move around freely already; he was just walking a little more slowly. When he heard Yu Chen had become an announcer, Grandpa He smiled and praised him. “Who would have thought our Chenchén had broadcasting talent too?”
With his cheeks pink, Yu Chen said modestly, “Thank you, Grandpa, for finding me a teacher. If there’s a medal, half of it belongs to you.”
Grandpa He did not decline. “Alright. If you really get a certificate, you’ll have to put it in my room.”
Yu Chen smiled until his eyes curved like crescents and took two quick bites of rice. “Deal.”
That day, He Zhen received his athlete number bib, and the teacher told everyone to stick it to the back of their school uniforms in advance.
After his shower, with damp hair still clinging to him, Yu Chen sat at the desk wondering how to help He Zhen attach the bib.
The surface of the number bib felt smooth. It was made of biodegradable material, and it would tear with one pull. If they used tape, it would not stick firmly and would flap noisily in the wind. He wanted to find a way to attach it that would not affect He Zhen’s running and would still look neat.
He Zhen came out of the bathroom in his pajamas. Seeing Yu Chen clutching his school uniform and refusing to let go, he asked while drying his hair, “What are you thinking about?”
Yu Chen muttered, “I want to sew it on for you.”
He Zhen smiled, his brows lifting slightly. “Sew?”
“Yes. What if your number bib falls off while you’re running?” Yu Chen had already borrowed a sewing kit from Auntie Li and was clumsily threading the needle. “Don’t worry. I’ll sew it onto the vest, and when you run you can just pull it on directly.”
He Zhen hooked up his black athletic vest. “You even found this?”
Yu Chen had already threaded the needle and was awkwardly tying a knot. “Are you okay with doing it this way?”
He Zhen curled his lips faintly. “Of course.”
Seeing that he did not refuse, Yu Chen happily said, “I’ll sew it nicely for you. I saw Liu Chong’s Moments just now—his family did it like this too.”
He Zhen sat beside Yu Chen, his gaze falling on the droplets of water on Yu Chen’s neck.
“Why didn’t you dry yourself off first?”
Yu Chen sewed with great concentration. “It’s fine. It’s hot. I’ll dry soon.”
It was Yu Chen’s first time ever doing needlework. Holding He Zhen’s athletic vest firmly in his arms, with every stitch he carefully checked whether it was aligned. His boss hated sloppiness. The stitches he sewed had to be neat.
He Zhen simply stopped bothering with his own hair and leaned against the sofa, quietly watching Yu Chen’s every move.
Perhaps because he had been selected as an announcer, Yu Chen was in an especially good mood that night. Under the bright light, his long thick lashes drooped softly, the corners of his lips curved in a lovely arc, and his delicate handsome features looked especially earnest. Humming a little tune, he lifted his pale slender neck, like a soft fluffy marshmallow—gentle and lively.
He Zhen picked up his phone, snapped a candid photo of him, and when Yu Chen did not notice, set it as his wallpaper.
Even after sewing on the number bib, Yu Chen still refused to sleep. Deliberately hiding from He Zhen, he sat at the desk writing something in a secretive way.
He Zhen was very curious. He had a feeling that whatever Yu Chen was writing had something to do with him. Rarely, he did not rush Yu Chen to bed. He simply lay on the bed reading, keeping him company until almost midnight.
Two days later, it was the sports meet.
Each class sat in the area assigned by the school, with balloons and whistles ready to cheer on their athletes.
As one of the event staff for this sports meet, Yu Chen put on his work uniform early in the morning, wore a baseball cap, and followed the teachers around like a little leader while checking the preparations for each event.
The school had been extremely generous. As he passed the prize collection area, Yu Chen secretly glanced inside. There were backpacks, athletic shoes, laptops—everything one could want. Chen Ru, who was in charge of holding the placards, was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped. As expected of a top private high school—it really was on another level of wealthy.
When they passed the long-distance running venue, and while the teachers were busy chatting, Yu Chen deliberately checked the rubber track. Only after confirming there were no foreign objects on it did he feel at ease enough to continue inspecting the next venue.
Lin Jiashu had not been selected in the announcer tryouts. Yu Chen was a warm-hearted person, so he told Lin Jiashu that if there was anything he wanted read, he could go directly to him.
When Xiao Yu saw Yu Chen in his little event-staff vest, he teased him with a grin. “Isn’t this Fat Chenchén? Now you count as half an official. Remember to read more messages for our class.”
Yu Chen gave him an I’ve got this look and ran off to cheer He Zhen on.
He Zhen had already changed into the athletic uniform Yu Chen had sewn the bib onto. Seeing it, He Zhi’an asked in surprise, “Brother Zhen, your number bib is sewn on?”
Compared to the others’ number bibs, He Zhen’s lay much more neatly and elegantly. Everyone else’s had simply been taped on.
“Mhm. Yu Chen sewed it on for me.” He Zhen did not say it quietly. Quite a few people heard him.
Especially Lin Jiashu, who teased Yu Chen from the side. “I didn’t know you were this domesticated?”
Yu Chen’s face burned. “I was afraid the number bib would fall off and affect my boss’s performance. My boss is going to win first place.”
Xiao Yu poured cold water on that at once. “Fat Chenchén, don’t forget that the long-distance event is full of sports students like Liu Chong. It’ll be hard for He Zhen to take first.”
Yu Chen retorted quietly, “Then in my heart, my boss is still number one.”
Hearing the two of them bicker, He Zhen tapped Yu Chen on the head. “Enough. You should go report to your post.”
“I’m not in a rush.” Yu Chen stood on tiptoe and straightened He Zhen’s short sleeves. “When you race, I’ll film you. The view from there is good.”
He Zhen smiled. “Mhm.”
Quite a few people around them were paying attention to the two of them, including students from other classes who were interested in He Zhen and Yu Chen.
“So that’s He Zhen and Yu Chen?”
“They look so good together, ahhh! I ship it!”
“Yu Chen is really good-looking. Such refined features.”
Yu Chen returned to the broadcast station and began his work for the day.
Working with him were an older girl and an older boy from the upper grades. Yu Chen took out the lozenges and snacks he had prepared in advance, shared them with the two of them, and reminded them to protect their throats.
Both of them liked this well-behaved younger schoolmate very much, and for Yu Chen’s sake, they read many of the submissions sent in by Class 1 of Grade 10.
One hour into the sports meet, the long-distance race began.
Yu Chen quickly took the poem he had written in advance out of his pocket and familiarized himself with it, preparing to read it aloud for He Zhen.
Just then, Xiao Yu came running up with a thick stack of scripts. “Fat Chenchén, hurry and pick some.”
“Okay.” Yu Chen nodded absentmindedly as he pushed Xiao Yu aside. “Boss is about to race. Don’t block me.”
Xiao Yu gave a dissatisfied snort and began to stir the pot beside him. “You have no idea. The moment you left, a whole bunch of people came over to chat up He Zhen and ask for his WeChat.”
Yu Chen lightly tightened his grip on the paper and asked with feigned indifference, “Did he give it to them?”
Xiao Yu arched a brow. “Want to know? Ask him yourself.”
“Say it or don’t.” Holding the script in hand, Yu Chen adjusted his voice. “Go away. I’ve got serious business to do.”
Xiao Yu lifted his tone. “What? Reading a love letter for your boss?”
Yu Chen corrected him seriously, “It’s not a love letter. It’s a cheering letter.”
Suddenly—
The starting gun fired.
Several swift figures shot onto the track.
The stands around the field immediately erupted into frenzy, cheers and shouts surging one after another. Fang Jingrao and He Zhi’an led all the boys from their class in shouting He Zhen’s name to cheer him on.
Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes at the tall figure on the track, moving with easy, springing strides, and commented blandly, “He Zhen’s physical ability is good. He runs fast. He might make top three.”
Pride was hidden in Yu Chen’s brows. “My boss is good at everything. No matter what he does, he’s the best.”
“If your boss is that amazing, then why don’t you just hurry up and marry him?” Xiao Yu simply stayed there and sat on half of Yu Chen’s chair. “I may not like He Zhen, but he really does treat you well. Just make do and marry him.”
“Xiao Yu, don’t say nonsense.” Yu Chen frantically shot him warning looks, afraid the older students beside them would hear.
Resting his chin on his hand, Xiao Yu lifted his chin in reminder. “Aren’t you going to read already? Your boss is almost done running.”
Yu Chen gave an “oh” and clenched the letter tightly.
“Look at all those girls cheering for He Zhen.” Xiao Yu poked Yu Chen’s cheek. “You’d better hurry and—”
“Poem: To the Most Beautiful You.”
Accompanied by a faint crackle of static, the clear and lovely voice of a young boy rang out across the sports field.
He Zhen slowed his breathing and instinctively looked toward the announcer’s platform.
“You, with steps swift as flight—mountains and rivers cannot match your perseverance.”
“You, unstoppable as splitting bamboo—the galaxy itself cannot match your brilliance.”
“You love to strive, holding fast to your dreams.”
“You press forward tirelessly, your will unwavering.”
His pace remained steady and swift as He Zhen helplessly curved his lips in a smile.
So this was the poem Yu Chen had stayed up all night suppressing himself to write?
“Student He, may your heart remain blazing, and may you embrace a magnificent future.”
“Student He, may the years hold you close, and may your future shine with countless lights.”
“Student He, may you wear your armor and walk forward without fear!”
Down below, nearly every student was quietly discussing which brave soul had written this confession letter for He Zhen.
Although no name had been mentioned, there were only a few people in the whole school with the surname He. And among those currently competing on the field, there was only one.
Fang Jingrao listened in some confusion and softly asked He Zhi’an, “Why is everyone laughing? The poem Chenchén is reading is pretty touching.”
He Zhi’an gave him a meaningful look. “Don’t you think it sounds like a confession letter?”
Fang Jingrao hesitated. “It seems alright to me. Reading it specially during Brother Zhen’s race shows thoughtfulness. But if it were from a secret admirer, that would make sense too.”
He Zhi’an was suddenly very interested. “Fat Chenchén is really bold. He clearly knows this letter carries a hidden confession, and he still dares read it out in public.”
Fang Jingrao looked a little worried. “If it really is a confession letter, will Brother Zhen get called in with his parents by the teachers?”
He Zhi’an said, “Probably not to that extent, but the teacher will likely call him to the office for a talk. Confessing in front of the whole school takes a lot of nerve.”
Fang Jingrao added, “When they were reading the earlier scripts, they all ended with a signature. I wonder whether Chenchén will read this one too.”
“May my most beautiful boy not fail the starlight, break through adversity, and march toward the sea of stars!”
Yu Chen curved his lips upward as he watched with his own eyes that familiar figure break through the red finish line and receive an explosive wave of cheers.
“Yu Chen, everyone in the group chat is guessing which secret admirer of He Zhen sent in this quiet confession letter.”
The sudden message threw Yu Chen’s thoughts into slight confusion.
Covering the microphone, he stared at Xiao Yu, who was scrolling through the chat log, not understanding why everyone would think that.
“Let me read some of it to you. They’re all making a fuss and saying this beautifully written letter must be a confession from some school beauty to He Zhen.”
“Right—”
Yu Chen suddenly signaled for Xiao Yu to be quiet, his fingers tightening around the microphone.
Two seconds later, he spoke softly.
“This submission is from Yu Chen of Grade 10, Class 1.”
Standing on the faraway track, He Zhen turned back to look at him.
