Valentine's Day chocolates
The morning self-study sessions at Nangang No.1 Middle School are usually quiet, but today was different.
February 13th, the eve of Valentine's Day.
When Xu Ying pushed open the door to Class 7 of Grade 11, the classroom was already mostly full. The girls were gathered in twos and threes, excitedly discussing something in hushed tones, occasionally letting out a suppressed chuckle. The boys pretended to be calm as they flipped through their textbooks, but their eyes couldn't help but dart towards the girls.
"Have you heard? The prettiest girl in Class 3 prepared a box of Godiva..."
"Really? Who is she going to give it to?"
"Who else could it be, of course it's..."
The chatter abruptly ceased. Xu Ying lowered her head and hurried to her seat, feeling several gazes following her. Ever since becoming deskmates with Zong Heng, this subtle attention had never ceased.
The backpack was heavy. Inside were handmade chocolates I made last night while staying up all night.
Xu Ying gently placed her schoolbag on her lap, her fingers stealthily slipping into the inner compartment. The sharp edges of the packaging box pricked her fingertips, reminding her of the mess she made in the kitchen last night.
The first time, the chocolate sauce burned.
The second time, the mold broke when it was demolded.
The third time... she looked at the finished product. Although the shape wasn't perfect, it was at least presentable.
"Sakura!"
Lin Xiaoyu suddenly patted her shoulder from behind, startling Xu Ying so much that she almost threw her schoolbag away.
"Why are you so nervous?" Lin Xiaoyu leaned closer suspiciously. "Could it be that..."
"No!" Xu Ying denied reflexively, her ears burning uncontrollably. She quickly changed the subject: "Why are you here so early today?"
Lin Xiaoyu lowered her voice mysteriously, "Of course I'm here to gather intelligence." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket, "This is the list of girls in our class who gave chocolates, do you want some...?"
"No need." Xu Ying shook her head quickly, but couldn't help glancing at it.
The note was covered with names, and after "Zong Heng," there were five girls' names.
My heart suddenly felt like it had been pricked by a needle.
The back door of the classroom was suddenly pushed open.
The previously noisy classroom fell silent for a few seconds.
Zong Heng carried his schoolbag in one hand, his school uniform jacket casually draped over his shoulder. He had faint dark circles under his eyes, indicating he hadn't slept well the night before.
The most unusual thing was that he wasn't late.
Xu Ying quickly lowered her head, pretending to organize her textbooks. She could feel the seat next to her being pulled open, and Zong Heng's faint scent of mint mixed with a hint of tobacco enveloped her.
"morning."
A deep male voice sounded in her ear, startling Xu Ying so much that she dropped her pen. Zong Heng never took the initiative to greet her.
She nodded stiffly in response, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zong Heng staring at her. His gaze felt tangible, making her cheeks burn.
"you..."
"Brother Zong!" A boy suddenly jumped up and draped himself over Zong Heng's shoulder. "Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, how many chocolates are you planning to get?"
Zong Heng frowned and pushed the person away: "None of your business."
"Stop pretending," the boy winked, "The class beauty of Class 3 has declared she's determined to win you over..."
Xu Ying unconsciously tightened her grip on the pencil, and the lead snapped.
During the break between classes, Xu Ying stayed in the classroom under the pretext of having a stomachache.
She finally had a chance to take the chocolate out and examine it closely. The pink wrapping paper was a little wrinkled, and the ribbon was tied crookedly.
Thinking that the other girls would definitely give her exquisite designer chocolates, she dejectedly stuffed the box back in.
"As expected..."
"Or what?"
Lin Xiaoyu appeared out of nowhere and snatched the schoolbag from the side: "Let me see what goodies our Yingying has prepared!"
"Xiaoyu! Give it back to me!"
The two girls chased each other through the classroom, and Xu Ying eventually gave up, panting. Lin Xiaoyu proudly brandished her prize: "Wow! It's handmade! Zong Heng is so lucky!"
"Who said... it was a gift for him..." Xu Ying's voice trailed off.
Lin Xiaoyu suddenly became serious: "Yingying, do you know how many girls in our class are eyeing him?" She pointed to the list, "If you don't take action soon, his drawer will definitely be bursting at the seams tomorrow."
Xu Ying stared at the unfamiliar female names on the list and bit her lower lip.
"But..."
"No buts!" Lin Xiaoyu solemnly placed the chocolate back into her hand. "After school, while he's playing basketball, I'll secretly put it in his drawer. No one's going to know, how perfect!"
Xu Ying stroked the packaging box, her heart pounding.
Unbeknownst to her, a tall figure was quietly watching everything through the glass window at the back of the classroom.
The first period in the afternoon is physical education class.
Xu Ying was in the classroom on duty and was wiping the blackboard when three girls walked in.
"Hey, isn't this Zong Heng's deskmate?"
The girl leading the group, Xu Ying, recognized her; she was Zhou Ting, the arts and culture representative of Class 3, and the class beauty who was rumored to be sending Godiva.
"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day," Zhou Ting approached, looking down at Xu Ying, "I heard you and Zong Heng have a good relationship?"
Xu Ying gripped the blackboard eraser tightly: "We're just deskmates."
"That's good." Zhou Ting chuckled. "Some people overestimate themselves, thinking that sitting close to someone gives them a chance." She glanced meaningfully at Zong Heng's seat. "How could a guy like him possibly be interested in..."
The classroom door was suddenly kicked open.
Zong Heng stood at the door, basketball in hand, sweat trickling down his neck and into his collar. He gave Zhou Ting a cold look: "What's wrong with my seat?"
Zhou Ting's expression changed instantly, and she said in a sweet voice, "Zong Heng, I was just about to ask you about tomorrow..."
"Get out."
After the three girls slunk away, Zong Heng walked up to Xu Ying and suddenly reached out to wipe the chalk dust off her face.
"Ignore those busybodies."
His fingertips were very hot; the places he touched felt like they were on fire.
During the last class, Xu Ying didn't listen to a word the teacher said.
For the first time ever, Zong Heng didn't sleep; instead, he twirled his pen in a daze. The atmosphere between the two was so subtly awkward it was almost suffocating.
The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class. Zong Heng suddenly spoke up, "I need to go to the office after school."
Xu Ying was taken aback: "...Oh."
"About twenty minutes," he added.
After Zong Heng left, Lin Xiaoyu rushed over immediately: "He's creating an opportunity for you! Quick! Seize the moment!"
Xu Ying's hands were trembling. She took out a chocolate from her schoolbag and looked around furtively.
At that moment, she suddenly understood why people give chocolates on Valentine's Day—
It's not because of custom, it's not because of following the trend.
Rather, some feelings must be expressed through a sweet veneer before one dares to speak them aloud.
Lin Xiaoyu nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Aren't you going to see him off? Zong Heng will be back soon."
Xu Ying pursed her lips and remained silent.
She stayed up until 3 a.m. last night, following an online tutorial, and only managed to make this barely presentable box of chocolates after two failed attempts. The dark chocolate was mixed with a little hazelnut pieces, and the sweetness was toned down—she remembered that Zong Heng didn't like things that were too sweet.
"What are you so afraid of?" Lin Xiaoyu said, exasperated. "All the girls in the school want to give him chocolates. If you don't do something soon, someone else might steal them from you."
Xu Ying unconsciously ran her fingertips along the edge of the box, the wrapping paper making a soft rustling sound.
"I never said I was going to give it to him," she stubbornly insisted, but her voice grew softer and softer.
Lin Xiaoyu rolled her eyes: "Fine, then keep pretending. Don't cry if Li Yuan from the next class beats you to it later."
Xu Ying suddenly looked up: "Li Yuan?"
"Yeah, she said in class yesterday that she was going to get the chocolate into Zong Heng's hand today." Lin Xiaoyu deliberately dragged out her words. "I heard it's imported, and the packaging is really fancy..."
Xu Ying looked down at her crookedly wrapped box and suddenly felt a little embarrassed to show it off.
Just then, a commotion came from the front door of the classroom.
"Zong Heng has been called to Old Zhang's office!" someone shouted.
Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up, and she shoved her sharply: "Quick! Now!"
Xu Ying stood up almost reflexively, then immediately froze.
"I……"
"Go quickly!" Lin Xiaoyu pulled her up from her seat and shoved her backpack onto the table. "The stuff is in the hidden compartment, right? I'll keep watch for you!"
Xu Ying's ears burned, and she frantically pulled the small box out of her schoolbag. The pink wrapping paper shimmered softly in the sunlight, but the edges were a little wrinkled because of her clumsy handling.
She took a deep breath and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, quickly walked towards Zong Heng's seat.
His desk was as messy as ever. Several textbooks with curled edges were piled haphazardly in the corner, some geometric figures were scribbled on the draft paper, and there was a half-open bottle of mineral water with fine water droplets condensing on its surface.
Xu Ying bit her lower lip and carefully opened his drawer.
A faint scent of mint wafted over. His drawer was surprisingly tidy—textbooks and notebooks on the left, and several pens and a black lighter on the right.
Her heart started beating even faster.
Her fingertips trembled slightly as she quickly stuffed the chocolate into the innermost part of the drawer and then partially covered it with a physics textbook.
"Are you done yet?" Lin Xiaoyu urged in a low voice from a short distance away.
Xu Ying was about to nod—
"Xu Ying".
A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Her blood froze instantly.
Xu Ying turned around stiffly.
Zong Heng had returned sometime earlier and was leaning against the doorframe, one hand in his pocket, looking at her with a half-smile. Sunlight streamed in from behind him, outlining his tall figure.
"Sneaking around like that," he raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to?"
Xu Ying's mind went blank.
She could feel her face heating up at an alarming rate, her ear tips burning as if they were about to catch fire.
"N-nothing." She subconsciously took a step back, her back hitting the edge of the table.
Zong Heng narrowed his eyes and strode over. His aura instantly enveloped her—a faint tobacco scent mixed with the coolness of mints, making her gasp for breath.
"Really?" he replied casually, but his right hand pulled open his drawer.
A pink-packaged chocolate was lying conspicuously on the textbook.
Xu Ying closed her eyes in despair.
A sudden uproar erupted in the classroom.
Wow!
"Zong Heng! Someone brought you chocolates!"
"Quick, see who sent it!"
Amidst the cheers, Zong Heng picked up the small box, his fingertips gently tracing the creases of the wrapping paper. His gaze fell on Xu Ying's flushed ears, his voice low and husky:
"A gift for me?"
Xu Ying lowered her head, staring intently at the tips of her shoes. There was a small stain on her white canvas shoes, probably from stepping in a puddle that morning. She stared at that stain as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
"Give it back if you don't want it." Her voice was barely audible.
Zong Heng suddenly smiled.
The next second, he grabbed her wrist and, amidst everyone's gasps, dragged her out of the classroom.
Xu Ying stumbled as he pulled her along, the heat radiating from her wrists frighteningly intense.
"Zong Heng! What are you doing—"
He didn't answer, but pulled her straight to the corner at the end of the corridor. Few people came here, and the sycamore trees outside the window cast dappled light and shadow, cutting their silhouettes in alternating light and shadow.
Zong Heng released her wrist but blocked her path with his body. He braced himself against the wall beside her ear and leaned closer:
“You have to give the chocolates in person,” he said, shaking the small box with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “That’s the rule.”
Xu Ying was trapped between him and the wall, and even breathing became difficult.
She caught a whiff of the sweet scent of melting chocolate, mingled with his distinctive aroma. The wrapper rustled softly between his fingers, a sound like her racing heart.
"I..." She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Zong Heng suddenly opened the packaging.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the chocolates. The irregularly shaped little cubes lay quietly in the box, some with a few hazelnut crumbs still clinging to their edges.
He picked up a piece, examined it for a while, and then suddenly bent down and took a bite.
Xu Ying watched his expression nervously.
Zong Heng frowned: "It's too sweet."
Her heart sank.
So it really was a failure after all?
Her eyes suddenly felt hot, and she reached out to snatch the box back: "Then, give it back to me..."
Suddenly, Zong Heng grabbed her chin and, to her astonishment, stuffed the remaining half of the chocolate into her mouth.
The sweet and slightly bitter taste melts on the tip of the tongue.
"Just kidding," he said, looking down at her wide eyes, his voice hoarse, "the sweetness was just right."
Xu Ying was stunned.
The aroma of chocolate filled her mouth, while his thumb gently pressed against her lower lip, its heat intense.
"Xu Ying," Zong Heng's voice suddenly became very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something, "you know what giving chocolates means, right?"
The shadows of the sycamore trees swayed between them.
The school bell rang in the distance, but no one moved.
Her earlobes were burning hot, and her fingers unconsciously twisted her cuffs: "It's just regular obligatory chocolate."
"Obligation chocolate?" He raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out the word. "Out of so many people in the class, why me of all?"
Xu Ying bit her lower lip, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. Of course, she knew the difference between "obligation chocolate" and "personal chocolate"—the former was a formality, the latter was the true sentiment. But she dared not admit it, nor dared she look him in the eye.
Her eyelashes trembled violently, and her throat went dry: "It's...it's just between classmates..."
"Classmate?" Zong Heng chuckled, then suddenly leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers. "Then why don't you dare look at me?"
His breath brushed against her cheek, frighteningly hot. Xu Ying gripped the barbed wire behind her tightly, her knuckles turning white. She should have pushed him away, should have calmly said "Stop it" as usual, but at this moment, even breathing became difficult.
Zong Heng's gaze fell on her bright red earlobe, and he suddenly reached out and pinched it: "So nervous?"
"I didn't!" She reflexively slapped his hand away, but he grabbed it back.
The moment their fingers intertwined, Xu Ying froze completely. Zong Heng's hands were large, with calluses from years of playing basketball on his palms; they were rough yet warm, completely enveloping her fingers.
"Xu Ying." He called her name again, this time with a hint of seriousness, "I'll ask one last time—"
The rooftop door was suddenly kicked open, and several boys rushed in, laughing and shouting, "Heng-ge! The teacher's looking for you—"
The sound stopped abruptly.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Xu Ying abruptly pulled her hand back, and Zong Heng's face instantly darkened.
"Get lost." He uttered the word without turning his head.
The group scattered like birds and beasts in an instant, and before leaving, they thoughtfully slammed the door shut with a deafening roar.
An awkward silence ensued. Xu Ying stared at the tips of her shoes, wishing she could disappear into the ground. Zong Heng clicked his tongue in annoyance and scratched his head.
"Um..." she mustered her courage and spoke, her voice barely audible, "I should go back..."
Zong Heng suddenly grabbed her backpack strap: "You haven't finished speaking yet."
"What?"
He took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision: "I'll take the chocolate." He paused, then added, "The rest are mine too."
Xu Ying's eyes widened, and before she could react, she saw Zong Heng take something out of his pocket and put it in her palm—it was a mint candy, the wrapper crumpled up, obviously he had been carrying it for a long time.
"A return gift." He turned his face away, his ears turning suspiciously red. "...Don't overthink it."
The wind dispersed the clouds, and sunlight suddenly poured down. Xu Ying clutched the candy tightly, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up in a smile.
"Oh," she said softly, "then next year... I'll give it to you again."
Zong Heng suddenly turned to look at her, his eyes sparkling like stars. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he just reached out and ruffled the top of her hair.
"How silly," he said softly, but his smile was gentler than ever before.
As soon as the bell rang, Zong Heng swaggered out of the classroom, carrying a box of pink-wrapped chocolates. Instantly, countless eyes were cast down his way—some gossipy, some shocked, and a few girls covered their mouths and screamed softly.
"What are you looking at?" He raised an eyebrow, deliberately shaking the box in his hand, the wrapping paper rustling. "Never seen chocolate before?"
The boys from the next class teased, "Heng-ge, who gave this to you? So thoughtful, even with a bow tie!"
Zong Heng chuckled, his thumb casually brushing against the crooked bow on the box—clearly tied clumsily by someone. He didn't answer, but the curve of his lips said it all.
Xu Ying hid behind the classroom's back door, wishing she could dig a hole and disappear right then and there. Lin Xiaoyu tugged at her sleeve tightly, whispering excitedly, "Yingying! He's showing off! He's definitely showing off!"
"Shut up..." Xu Ying's ears burned. She grabbed her backpack strap and tried to slip away through the back door, but was blocked by a tall shadow.
Zong Heng had somehow circled around to her side, leaning against the wall next to her with one hand, and looked down at her: "Why are you running?"
The corridor fell silent for three seconds, then erupted in an ambiguous "Oh—".
Xu Ying kept her head down, feeling her face burning. Zong Heng leaned closer, his breath brushing against her earlobe: "You've already given it, are you afraid people will find out?"
She suddenly looked up and glared at him, only to meet his smiling eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Tell me the truth! When did you two get together?!"
On the way home from school, Lin Xiaoyu pinned Xu Ying down in a corner of the milk tea shop, her eyes shining.
"We're not together..." Xu Ying said, biting her straw, her voice growing softer and softer.
"You're kidding me!" Lin Xiaoyu slammed her hand on the table. "The way he looked today, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers! And—" she suddenly lowered her voice, "I found his drawer full of your draft papers last week, all neatly folded!"
Xu Ying choked on her milk tea: "W-what?"
"And another thing!" Lin Xiaoyu recounted, as if reciting a familiar story, "Last month when you had a cold, he secretly slipped throat lozenges into your drawer every day; the week before last, during PE class, you fell while running, and even though he was playing basketball, he rushed over the next second..."
Xu Ying was stunned. She had never noticed these details before.
Lin Xiaoyu suddenly leaned closer mysteriously: "So, did he eat the chocolate?"
The scene on the rooftop flashed before Xu Ying's eyes—Zong Heng's slightly narrowed eyes as he bit into the chocolate, and the warmth of his fingertips as he deliberately put it into her mouth.
"I ate it," she said softly, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of the cup.
"And then? What did he say?"
Xu Ying opened her mouth, the phrase "just the right amount of sweetness" swirling on her tongue before finally becoming: "He said it was too sweet."
Lin Xiaoyu rolled her eyes: "What a hypocrite!"
Winter nights fall early, and Xu Ying wrapped her scarf tightly around herself as she walked home alone. Passing a convenience store, she inexplicably went inside.
The shelves were filled with all sorts of chocolates. She picked up a box that was exactly the same as the one delivered today, and gently ran her fingertips over the wrapping.
"Should we deliver it again?"
A deep voice suddenly sounded behind her, startling Xu Ying so much that she almost dropped the box. Turning around, she saw Zong Heng standing behind her, holding a can of cola, looking at her with a half-smile.
"You... what are you doing here?" she stammered.
"Buy water." He shook the Coke can, his gaze falling on the chocolate in her hand. "You like this brand that much?"
Xu Ying hurriedly put the box back: "Just looking around..."
Zong Heng suddenly bent down, took a box of dark chocolates from the bottom shelf, and put it in her hand: "This is suitable for you."
She looked down and saw it was 85% cocoa content, the kind of bitter that would make your taste buds scream.
“I don’t like bitter things…” she protested softly.
"I know." Zong Heng opened the can of cola with one hand, took a sip, and then slowly said, "So don't put so much sugar in it next time."
Xu Ying looked up abruptly, meeting his smiling eyes, and suddenly realized—he remembered. He remembered her adding extra sugar in her haste while making chocolate, and he remembered all her clumsy attempts.
At 10 p.m., Xu Ying came out after taking a shower and found that her phone screen was lit up.
One unread message.
From Zong Heng.
Her heart raced, and she clicked on the link—it was a photograph. An empty chocolate box, containing only a folded square wrapper.
The caption read: "Finished eating, see you next year."
Xu Ying rolled halfway around on the bed, clutching her phone, then buried her face in the pillow. After a long while, she cautiously replied:
"...The box can be thrown away."
The other party is typing...
Why throw it away?
"...takes up space."
"No need, my drawer is perfectly empty."
Xu Ying imagined him typing lazily and couldn't help but smile. She hesitated for a long time before finally replying with only a period.
Almost instantly, Zong Heng's message popped up again: "What does the period mean?"
...
She snuggled under the covers, her fingers lightly tapping on the screen: "meaning goodnight."
This time, it took him a full three minutes to reply:
Okay, goodnight.
"You remember dreaming about me."
Xu Ying tossed her phone aside and crawled into bed.
In the darkness, her heartbeat was deafening.
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