Chapter 25 Love Letters

"..."

Because he hadn't replied to the barrage of venting messages he'd sent her earlier, she assumed he'd simply ignored them.

Unexpectedly, he remembered every single word.

This dog is absolutely amazing.

Peng Chengyi gave a speechless twitch of her lips and lowered her head to browse the forum again: "I can't be bothered with you."

After enjoying two days of being a celebrity on the forum, the post's popularity faded with the upcoming midterm exams.

But walking around the school, Peng Chengyi still attracts more attention than before. She even met a senior in the second year of high school who was in front of her while she was getting food. The senior turned around and praised her, saying that she was even cuter up close than on stage.

So when a girl from another class, whom she didn't recognize, called out to her during Wednesday's activity period, she thought it was another fan of hers.

Unexpectedly, the girl handed her a letter, asking if she could help deliver it to Chen Yubai.

Peng Chengyi paused, somewhat at a loss, and said, "Wouldn't it be better if you delivered it yourself?"

“He’s so hard to approach, I can’t even get a word in edgewise, let alone write him a letter…” The girl pursed her lips and shoved the letter into her hand. “You two seem to be really close, so I’d like to ask you for a favor. I’ll treat you to milk tea later.”

Peng Chengyi glanced down at the light blue envelope in her hand, with pink heart stickers carefully pasted on the edge, clearly a love letter.

He couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed: "Um, isn't the school cracking down on early relationships...?"

"It's okay, I just wanted to convey my feelings to him, I didn't expect to talk to him. I believe you won't give this love letter to the teacher, right?" The girl smiled.

"Of course not!" Peng Chengyi quickly shook her head; she was not the type to tattle on teachers.

"Then I'll leave it to you! I'll go buy some milk tea!" The girl made a gesture of putting her hands together in prayer and then ran off happily.

"..." Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, not knowing how to stop her from refusing, so she could only hide the love letter in her school uniform.

Afraid of being seen by others, she waited until after evening self-study before secretly messaging Chen Yubai on WeChat: "Don't go back to the dorm yet, I have something to give you."

Chen Yubai: "What is it?"

Peng Chengyi: "Don't ask, just find a secluded place and wait for me."

Chen Yubai: "The grove of trees behind the teaching building?"

Peng Chengyi: "Okay, you go first, I'll follow later."

Chen Yubai glanced at Peng Chengyi, who was acting suspiciously in front of him, turned around and greeted Ling Baizhou, then slung his backpack over his shoulder and left the classroom.

"Chengcheng, aren't you leaving yet?" Zheng Xinyue, having finished packing her schoolbag, looked at Peng Chengyi, who was still sitting in her seat.

"I... I still have a math problem to finish. You guys go back to the dorm first," Peng Chengyi casually made up an excuse.

Zheng Xinyue couldn't help but exclaim, "My goodness, you're working so hard!"

Peng Chengyi smiled to cover up her embarrassment: "After all, the midterm exams are next week."

Zheng Xinyue: "Okay, then Weiwei and I will go back first. Don't stay up too late. You can write again tomorrow if you can't."

"Mm." Peng Chengyi nodded guiltily.

After most of the people in the classroom had left, she silently breathed a sigh of relief, took the love letter out of her schoolbag, hid it again in her oversized school uniform, and headed to the grove.

The grove was small and poorly lit.

Upon seeing a tall, thin figure standing under the tree, Peng Chengyi hurried over.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that he was not Chen Yubai at all, but was actually holding a petite girl in front of him.

Peng Chengyi's breath hitched, and she hurriedly took two steps back, but accidentally broke a branch that had fallen to the ground, making a crisp sound.

The boy immediately became alert, released the girl in front of him, and turned around.

"...Sorry to bother you!" Peng Chengyi covered her face awkwardly and ran away.

The night wind whistled in her ears, and her heart pounded.

I wanted to run out of the grove to catch my breath, but someone grabbed my backpack from behind.

Peng Chengyi was startled, thinking that the boy from earlier had caught up with her to settle scores. She quickly lowered her head and continued to apologize, "I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to. I mistook you for someone else. I won't go around saying anything..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Hearing her familiar, lazy voice above her head, Peng Chengyi paused and abruptly raised her head.

He met Chen Yubai's lowered, dark eyes.

"Damn! It was you! You scared me to death." Peng Chengyi patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Yubai looked at her with amusement, her bangs all messed up from running: "What bad thing did you do this time? You're so scared."

"Who did something wrong! I almost got myself killed by you." Peng Chengyi glared at him angrily.

Chen Yubai: "What's wrong with me?"

Peng Chengyi: "Do you know that this grove is a secret dating spot for couples?"

"Really?" Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow as if he had just heard the news. "So you bumped into another couple on a date?"

"Yes... they were still hugging and cuddling, it was so embarrassing I wanted to dig a hole and escape from Earth overnight!" Peng Chengyi said with lingering fear.

Chen Yubai chuckled softly: "It's not like we're kissing, it's not that serious."

"..."

To kiss.

How could he so casually utter such shameful words!

Peng Chengyi felt her face flush for no reason. She raised her voice to cover it up and retorted, "That's because you haven't experienced it yourself. It's easy for you to talk when you're not in the situation! I even made eye contact with that guy just now. It was so embarrassing. I hope he didn't see my face clearly. Anyway, I don't remember what he looks like."

Chen Yubai glanced at her puffed-out cheeks: "Don't worry, in such dim light, he can't see clearly."

Hearing that he had finally spoken a sensible word, Peng Cheng's anger subsided. She touched her school uniform, preparing to hand over the love letter, but couldn't find it for a long time.

Huh? Where's the letter?

Could she have run away just now?!

Peng Chengyi hurriedly unzipped her school uniform and even jumped up and down a couple of times.

The letter was still not found.

Seeing her touching and jumping around, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, Chen Yubai asked, "Did the thing you were going to give me get away?"

“Yes… I have to hurry back along the road to look for it!” she said, and started walking.

"So what is it? Let me help you find it." Chen Yubai put his hands in his pockets and followed behind her.

"A love letter," she replied hastily.

Chen Yubai's expression froze, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks: "A love letter?"

“Hmm, a blue envelope with a heart sticker on it.” Peng Chengyi’s eyes were focused on scanning the ground, completely unaware of his reaction.

Chen Yubai stood behind her, his Adam's apple bobbing slowly, and he parted his thin lips to say, "So you..."

"Ah! Found it!" Peng Chengyi excitedly picked up the envelope that had fallen into the grass, gently patted off the dirt, and handed it to him. "Someone asked me to give this to you. Keep it safe."

"..." Chen Yubai was taken aback and glanced down at the love letter in her hand.

A complex and inexplicable emotion flashed in his dark eyes.

He pursed his lips slightly, lifted his eyelids, and said, "Who told you to pass this on?"

Peng Chengyi: "It seems to be a girl from Class 11, but I don't know her."

Chen Yubai frowned: "You don't even know her, yet you helped her deliver love letters to me?"

Peng Chengyi: "Uh... she seemed like a nice person, and she even bought me milk tea."

Chen Yubai scoffed: "In your heart, am I only worth a cup of milk tea?"

"No, she just wanted to convey her feelings to you, it doesn't mean you have to agree to date her. It's not like I betrayed you because of a cup of milk tea." Peng Chengyi pouted.

Chen Yubai was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "You've brought this kind of trouble upon me, which is almost the same as betraying me."

“What’s the trouble? If you don’t want it, just return it yourself. I’ve already delivered it.” Peng Chengyi said, then stuffed the love letter into his hand. “I’m going back to my dorm to sleep. Bye.”

"..."

Watching her departing figure, Chen Yubai's eyes darkened slightly, and he clenched the envelope in his hand.

-

The next day during break time.

Peng Chengyi had just come out of the restroom when Zheng Xinyue, who had rushed over, grabbed her and said, "Chengcheng, have you heard? Big news about Chen Yubai!"

"What big news?" Peng Chengyi looked at her strangely.

Zheng Xinyue: "He went to Class 11 and called a girl out!"

Peng Chengyi: "Oh."

It seems he really did go and return the love letters himself.

She was a little worried that he might return the love letter to her again today, so as soon as the bell rang, she ran straight to the toilet and hid.

Zheng Xinyue's eyes widened in disbelief: "You only said 'oh'?! Chen Yubai usually ignores all girls except you, but just now, he took the initiative to call a girl out! What does that mean! Aren't you curious?!"

"He can call whoever he wants, what does it have to do with me?" Peng Chengyi shook her head with a smile, then added, "Besides, I know what he wants to do with her."

"What are you doing?" Zheng Xinyue's eyes lit up with gossip.

Peng Chengyi thought for a moment and felt that this matter involved the girl's privacy, so he said, "I can't tell you."

"Hey? Tell me! I'm very tight-lipped, I definitely won't tell anyone else!" Zheng Xinyue grabbed her hand and shook it.

Peng Chengyi thought about it again and still refused: "It's mainly about other people's privacy, and I really can't say."

Hearing this, Zheng Xinyue didn't insist any further, but released her hand with a hint of disappointment: "Alright then."

Two days later, Zheng Xinyue found out the answer.

Peng Chengyi asked in surprise, "Where did you hear that from?"

Zheng Xinyue chuckled and said, "From my connections in Class 11, that girl herself said that Chen Yubai only contacted her to return her love letter."

“…?” Peng Chengyi was stunned.

Suddenly, I felt like a fool for being so careful in keeping that girl's secret.

If she had known, she would have just slipped the love letter to Chen Yubai at any random opportunity.

Why did I go to the grove and end up in such an embarrassing situation?

Just as she was filled with regret, Ling Baizhou suddenly called out to her from the doorway, "Peng Chengyi, someone is looking for you outside."

"Oh!" Peng Chengyi quickly stood up and hurriedly left the classroom.

She thought it would be Zhang Yang, but standing in front of her was yet another unfamiliar girl.

"Could you please deliver a letter to Chen Yubai for me?" She asked, holding a pink letter and a cup of milk tea in her hand, her voice slightly nervous.

"..."

Huh? Not again?

Peng Chengyi was taken aback, wanting to find a reason to refuse, but the girl had already pushed the letter and milk tea in front of her: "I've already bought the milk tea! Please help me this once!"

Faced with the girl's pleading eyes, Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, the words of refusal swirling on her tongue, but ultimately turned into a weak "okay".

Who's looking for you?

Zheng Xinyue glanced at Peng Chengyi, who returned with a bitter face.

"It's me delivering love letters to Chen Yubai again..." Peng Chengyi sighed and said, "I really don't understand why he's suddenly so popular."

"Maybe it's because your band just became popular at the arts festival?" Zheng Xinyue said.

"But I haven't seen anyone send me love letters!" Peng Chengyi pouted unhappily.

Zheng Xinyue couldn't help but tease, "Are you jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous?" Peng Chengyi chuckled. "It's just that being his mail carrier is a real pain. I hope no other girls will come asking me for help later."

“I think it’s very likely…” Zheng Xinyue pondered.

"Is it true? No one has ever confessed to him before."

“Before, he always had a cold face in front of girls, so who would dare to confess to him? But now, seeing that you can help deliver love letters, he will even personally return them. For many girls in other classes who can’t talk to him, this is already a kind of benefit,” Zheng Xinyue explained.

"Huh? What kind of benefit is this?" Peng Chengyi looked completely bewildered.

Zheng Xinyue: "Exactly. Chen Yubai is so unapproachable at school that many girls already like him like a celebrity. Now that they suddenly have the opportunity to interact with their 'idol,' how can that not be considered a perk?"

Peng Chengyi: "..."

So, he's already been adored by the girls at school to this extent?

She simply couldn't understand it.

But she suddenly understood why he said she was causing him trouble.

However, she really didn't know how to refuse these girls' requests.

Whenever she met someone's earnest gaze, it was as if she were under a spell; the words of refusal would automatically turn into "okay" before she could say them.

It seems that if she wants to stop being his mailbox, she can only first distance herself from him.

After all, those girls approached her because she and he were close.

So, after secretly slipping the love letter into Chen Yubai's bag, Peng Chengyi began her plan to distance herself from him.

First, she made up an excuse that she needed to focus on her studies and stopped eating with him in the cafeteria.

But as the midterm exams ended, her reason began to falter.

Chen Yubai also asked her, "You just finished the exam, why are you in such a hurry to go back to the dorm to study?"

"I...Isn't it okay if I just love studying?" Peng Chengyi tried to explain.

"Do you think I'd believe that? Do you think I've just met you?" Chen Yubai glanced at her with amusement.

"..." Peng Chengyi choked and fell into an awkward silence.

Chen Yubai put down his backpack and sat down in the empty seat next to her: "Tell me, why have you been avoiding me lately?"

recent?

Peng Chengyi was stunned.

It turned out that he had realized from the beginning that she was making excuses.

She thought he only found out after finishing his exams in the last couple of days.

Peng Chengyi pursed her lips and explained with a somewhat subtle feeling, "If I get too close to you, those girls will keep asking me to send them love letters, which is a bit annoying."

Chen Yubai gave a speechless twitch of his lips: "If you find it annoying, you can just refuse them. You're not a mail carrier, you can't just deliver things whenever you're asked!"

“But, you know, it’s hard for me to say no to people…” Peng Chengyi explained to herself.

Chen Yubai was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked her, "So if someone else confesses their feelings to you, you can't refuse them?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn]

Thank you for the nutrient solution that was provided during the rain!