Or.. this… wasn’t written by Xia Zhinian?
Did he find someone to write a love letter for him?
Yan Ci slightly furrowed his brows, his smile fading as he looked at the letter in his hand, his face showing some confusion.
The next day, Xia Zhinian stuffed his Chinese homework into Yan Ci’s hands, took a deep breath, and then slumped onto the desk, closing his eyes and speaking in a muffled voice.
“I’ve finished copying it, you can check it.”
Practising neat handwriting is easy, but mimicking a messy and crooked script is not like writing at all; it’s more like drawing, with each stroke all over the place.
He stayed up late last night until three in the morning to finally finish it, and now he was so sleepy that his eyes could barely stay open, feeling utterly exhausted.
Yan Ci flipped through the homework, and at a glance, he paused.
“Classmate Xia.”
Yan Ci raised an eyebrow, his voice clear. He suppressed the doubts in his heart and curved his lips slightly.
“Why is this… written in pencil?”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Pencils can be erased and rewritten.
The boy sighed deeply, burying his head in his arms and rubbing it, looking soft and well-behaved.
“I couldn’t find a pen, only a pencil.”
“Oh…” Yan Ci’s tone was nonchalant, “The Xia family’s house is so big and occasionally work from home or sign documents, and you don’t even have a pen?”
Xia Zhinian: “…?”
Xia Zhinian tilted his head, pressing his head against his arm, struggling to open his eyes. His slightly round almond eyes had deep double eyelid folds, clearly showing he hadn’t slept well. He looked at him with a strange expression and spoke softly.
“I just didn’t have a pen in my room, why are you being so sarcastic?”
Yan “Sarcastic” Ci: “…”
Yan Ci gave a faint smile, “It’s nothing.”
It’s strange.
Xia Zhinian was napping on the desk, but during the break, someone accidentally bumped into it, making it shake.
Drowsily, he lifted his head, and the boy beside him looked at him nervously, “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Xia Zhinian: “…?”
He was confused for two seconds, then saw the boy’s face clearly, tilting his head and looking slightly puzzled.
“…Qin Jin?”
Isn’t this the same small fry who poured hot water on him last time?
Is it time for a scene where he causes trouble? Which part is this?
He was a bit muddled, but Qin Jin looked genuinely accidental, his face pale. He glanced timidly at the boy with a straight back and an elegant face next to him, “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it.”
“??”
Xia Zhinian was still not fully awake, his almond eyes misty and round.
Yan Ci’s dark eyes showed an unclear expression as he glanced at Qin Jin, reached out to pull the boy back, and patted his head.
“Ignore him, go back to sleep.”
Xia Zhinian cleared his head but couldn’t fall asleep, so he thought back to the original story. Qin Jin’s minor character did appear, but his role was too small, quickly mentioned, and the timing wasn’t very clear.
Unable to determine if what just happened was part of the plot.
Xia Zhinian couldn’t figure it out, so he put it aside for now, rubbed his eyes, and spoke softly.
“Yan Ci, did you deliver the things?”
Chu Qingjian was sitting just in front.
Yan Ci turned his head, smiling elegantly, “Classmate Xia is in such a hurry?”
Xia Zhinian yawned, his eyelashes a bit wet, “Of course, hurry up and deliver it.”
Yan Ci saw that he was barely awake but still insisted on delivering the love letter. His smile was a bit chilly, but he nodded gently, “Alright.”
He tapped Chu Qingjian’s chair and handed over the light blue envelope.
“Someone asked me to give this to you.”
Xia Zhinian: “!!”
Xia Zhinian immediately perked up, his eyes bright as he watched Yan Ci and Chu Qingjian.
Chu Qingjian: “??”
He looked bewildered, glancing at Yan Ci with a forced smile and then at Xia Zhinian, who was secretly excited. He frowned and took the envelope, raising his hand to open it.
Yan Ci stopped him, suggesting he open it later. Chu Qingjian gave the two of them a strange look and casually stuffed the love letter into his desk.
Xia Zhinian felt a bit tense but also relieved.
Opening it later is fine; Chu Qingjian would surely think he wrote it, and if he opened it now and found the handwriting didn’t match, it wouldn’t be possible to push the love letter onto Yan Ci.
Yan Ci turned to Xia Zhinian with a gentle smile, “Classmate Xia, are you satisfied now?”
Xia Zhinian smiled with his eyes, nodding like a chick.
Yan Ci’s voice was soft, his face smiling, “Since Classmate Xia is satisfied, then it’s my turn, right?”
—
Yan Ci didn’t say the price; he just asked Xia Zhinian to follow him back to the dorm in the evening.
During lunch, Xia Zhinian planned to order takeout again but suddenly received a message from his brother saying he was waiting for him at the school gate.
He hurriedly went out, and Xia Wenhan was sitting in the driver’s seat, propping up the window with one hand. His long and narrow eyes exuded a cold, unapproachable vibe.
Xia Zhinian entered the passenger seat, looking around curiously, “Brother, why did you come at this time?”
Usually, he was picked up in the evening. Xia Wenhan was worried about him getting too close to Chu Qingjian, even having Yan Ci watch him for a while. But after Xia Zhinian behaved better, he got busy again and returned to sending the driver.
Xia Wenhan saw his brother get in, closed the window, and turned to look at him.
The young man was buckling his seatbelt, his face tender, his porcelain-white neck emerging from his collar, looking soft and innocent.
Xia Wenhan stared at him, his voice calm, suddenly asking.
“Why haven’t you been coming home for lunch recently?”
Xia Zhinian: “?!”
Why this question all of a sudden?
He was stunned for a moment, pursing his lips, his soft hair falling on his forehead, speaking softly, “The lunchtime is short, a bit troublesome, so I just didn’t go back.”
Xia Wenhan’s tone remained flat, “The driver picks you up, and the distance isn’t far. What’s the trouble?”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian lowered his head, his fingers fiddling restlessly with his clothes, sighing lightly in his heart.
Right now… he was a bit afraid to see the Xia family.
The original owner had been outside for more than a decade, and the Xia family searched for him for just as long. They were eager for a family reunion, but now he, an outsider, was occupying this body.
And they knew nothing about it. The more kind and considerate they were, the more he feared facing them.
The boy kept his head down, silent. Xia Wenhan glanced at his brother, his lips pressed straight, trying to restrain some of his coldness. After a moment, he spoke calmly, “If there’s nothing going on, come home for lunch.”
“Someone is waiting at home.”
Xia Zhinian’s eyelashes, like raven feathers, trembled, his heart shrinking, his fingertips tightening as he nodded lightly.
“I understand.”
Back at the Xia family, Mother Xia had been informed. She had thought her youngest son wasn’t coming home for lunch, and now seeing him back, she was pleasantly surprised.
“You’re back, Nian Nian.”
“Weren’t you supposed to have something at school? Well, it’s good, your father is also home for lunch, the whole family is here.”
Mother Xia quickly notified the housekeeper to prepare a few more dishes, but given the short time, it was a hasty preparation, not too lavish.
However, the joy on Xia’s parents’ faces was evident.
Father Xia casually mentioned at the dining table, “There’s been trouble in the Yan family. Those twins, not even older than Nian Nian, I believe, with ill intentions. I heard they hired people at a high price to lock a high school student in the basement. The hired person turned against them and called the police.”
Xia Zhinian was startled, looking up.
Basement?
High school student?
Having received the information, Father Xia continued, “I heard they spent tens of thousands, threatening the hired person not to speak or go. But somehow, that person just sprang up.”
Jiang Yuan asked her youngest son, “The Yan family is complicated. You and Xiao Ci are close. Is Xiao Ci unaffected by this?”
Xia Zhinian shook his head, hesitated momentarily, and spoke slowly, “I haven’t heard anything.”
But why does the description of the high school student locked in the basement sound so much like Yan Ci, who was trapped in the underground activity room last time?
Speaking of which, someone even sent him a text to frame him, claiming they received his money and acted according to his instructions.
The original owner indeed does the plot in the original novel, but now, he’s not sure who it is.
Xia Hongyu shook his head and laughed lightly, “Anyway, it’s caused quite a stir, it’s already spread in the circle, and can’t be suppressed. That old fox Yan Shiwei has rushed to the police station to bail someone out.”
“Speaking of which, Xiao Ci is also having a tough time.” Jiang Yuan sighed softly, “If it weren’t for him and his mother being…”
She stopped mid-sentence, not wanting to say more in front of the child.
–
In the evening, Yan Ci patted Xia Zhinian on the head, wrapping his arm around the teenager and walking him out.
The classmates were used to it, but students from other classes were slightly surprised. It was dismissal time, and all eyes were on them.
Xia Zhinian’s legs were not as long as Yan Ci’s, so he quickly took a few steps to catch up. His voice was clear as he grumbled, “Slow down a bit.”
“Classmate Xia.”
Yan Ci smiled politely, his tone calm but the content was daring.
“Please bear with me, I’m in a hurry.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
So nervous.
He still didn’t know what the price was.
Xia Zhinian was led forward. In the afternoon, he had already told the driver not to pick him up, thinking that Yan Ci would take him to the dormitory. But as they walked, he realized something was off.
Looking at the nearby school gate, Xia Zhinian was momentarily stunned and slowed his pace, “Aren’t we going to the dormitory? Why are we heading towards the school gate?”
Yan Ci looked at him, the corners of his lips gently curving.
“I changed my mind. After all, Classmate Xia let me decide, so naturally…”
He paused a gentle smile on his face, the scar at the corner of his eye softening with sweetness. He patted his head and spoke slowly, “Naturally, I’ll do as I please, wouldn’t you agree?”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
That’s the meaning, but when it comes from Yan Ci… it makes him inexplicably nervous.
He shrank his neck to avoid his hand, his almond-shaped eyes wide open as Yan Ci pushed him into the car’s back seat.
Yan Ci followed from the same side, and Xia Zhinian froze, quickly moving inward after a moment.
In the driver’s seat was a young man, probably under thirty. He nodded, greeting, “Young Master Yan, Young Master Xia.”
Xia Zhinian blinked, his eyes slightly tense. He stuck close to the car window and sat stiffly, his gaze drifting from Yan Ci to the driver.
Where are they going?
Wouldn’t the black sesame dumpling sell him off?
Yan Ci glanced at the wide-eyed, nervous teenager and met his amber eyes, a warm smile on his lips.
“To the villa in the suburbs.”
Qin Xu nodded, stepped on the accelerator, and sped off smoothly.
The car drove for a while before reaching its destination, a secluded and quiet villa at the entrance. Xia Zhinian and Yan Ci got out of the car, and the vehicle sped away again.
Xia Zhinian watched the car quickly disappear, his almond eyes wide open. “How am I supposed to get back later?”
Yan Ci smiled indifferently, “Perhaps you won’t have to go back.”
Xia Zhinian: “?!”
What the hell?!
Xia Zhinian was shocked, but Yan Ci remained calm. Standing tall and straight next to him, he smiled slightly. “Classmate Xia wouldn’t want to back out, would you?”
Xia Zhinian’s expression tightened, squeezing his fingers. Thinking about the relationship between the protagonist gong and shou, he estimated that he would have to make a deal with Yan Ci, taking a deep breath, his voice clear.
“I’m not backing out, just tell me what you want to do.”
Yan Ci didn’t answer, pulling him inside.
The villa was quite large, three stories high, with an attic on top. The interior decor was minimalist, almost entirely black, white, and gray, and it looked particularly cold.
However, some places with decorations and ornaments didn’t match the style, but they were more suited to female tastes.
“This villa was left by my mother.”
Yan Ci said softly.
Xia Zhinian retracted his gaze, turning to the tall, long-legged boy beside him, a hint of speechlessness in his amber eyes.
… No wonder.
The original text doesn’t mention such a place, only that the protagonist’s mother passed away early, and shortly after, Yan’s father brings his new wife and child back to the Yan family.
Yan Ci took him to a bedroom on the third floor, helped him put his backpack beside the desk, his eyes clear and moist, pulled out a chair for him, and smiled softly.
“Classmate Xia, the price you have to pay has two choices for you to pick.”
He smiled, his tone casual.
“The first option, spend the night with me.”
Xia Zhinian: “?!”
“What?”
Xia Zhinian’s eyes widened, his almond eyes round, and he looked shocked and panicked in his amber eyes.
Yan Ci chuckled, “Don’t worry, there’s a second option. It’s very simple, just copy tonight’s Chinese homework here, and I’ll send you back.”
“Choose whichever you prefer.”
Xia Zhinian: “!!!!!”
Ah ah ah ah ah, what the hell?!
This, this!
Neither is easy!
Yan Ci looked at the boy’s wide, round eyes, smiling, patting his head, his eyes gentle, “Two options, and one is so simple. Aren’t I being very kind?”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Kind, my ass.
Xia Zhinian froze, his body stiff, his gaze sweeping over the desk. A few pens were in the pen holder, but they were all carbon pens with no pencils or erasers.
And there were two chairs by the desk, clearly indicating that he would write while Yan Ci watched.
But his handwriting… was completely unpracticed.
Even with a pencil and eraser, it took him a long time to write yesterday’s homework, and he couldn’t revise it before Yan Ci.
Writing in front of Yan Ci…
He stiffly, like a rusted machine, turned to Yan Ci.
Yan Ci’s eyes curved, “What are you looking at me for? This should be an easy choice, right?”
The second option was very simple. Since the boy didn’t like being touched, the first option was definitely a secondary choice.
But if he chose the first one…
Yan Ci leisurely looked at him, sizing him up from head to toe, his gaze deep as if he wanted to see through him.
“Choose.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian swallowed with difficulty, keeping his expression tight. His mind raced, trying to figure something out: “Why suddenly give two choices?”
Yan Ci’s smile was light and gentle, his tone soft, “Because I’m kind, not taking advantage of Classmate Xia.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Xia Zhinian’s head hurt, his ears buzzing, pressing his lips together.
“I’m also kind, not letting you suffer. How about this, change the second option a bit, I’ll let you touch for a while, so you won’t feel sick again, and then I’ll leave, okay?”
Yan Ci stared at him, a hint of interest in his eyes, thoughtful.
“Thank you, Classmate Xia, for your consideration, but no need. This time your kindness can be saved for next time.”
Xia Zhinian: “…”
Save it for what, ah ah ah!
Why did the black sesame dumpling suddenly pull this stunt?!
Xia Zhinian gritted his teeth, glaring at him sneakily. His fingers curled and pinched the hem of his clothes, pressing his lips together tightly.
Yan Ci smiled, sitting at the desk, and softly urged, “Classmate Xia, choose quickly. I’m in a hurry.”
Xia Zhinian clenched his fists.
The choice was laid out in front of him. Anyone with eyes would know what to choose. But if he wrote here, Yan Ci, being so smart, would notice the problem, and before the plot even finished, his identity would be exposed.
But if he chose to sleep together, let alone not wanting to be touched, the fact of selecting the sleep option implied some concern about writing.
Xia Zhinian looked at Yan Ci with suspicion, his almond eyes wary.
Did the protagonist shou discover something… It is such a cunning choice; it seems deliberately set up.
Yan Ci sat in the chair, his expression unchanged. He smiled pleasantly, his tone gentle and very refined as he asked.
“Classmate Xia, have you made up your mind?”
“What’s your choice?”
Xia Zhinian took a deep breath, his body stiff and tense. His long eyelashes dropped as he tried to calm himself, but no matter how you looked at it, he seemed on the verge of gritting his teeth and biting someone, puffing up angrily.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
