A bold idea suddenly took root in Qiao Muyu’s heart.
Since “early romance” could cause grades to plummet, wouldn’t it work if he enticed Lu Zhen into a relationship?
Qiao Muyu couldn’t help but recall that game of “I Have, You Haven’t” at their last dinner—Lu Zhen was a guy who hadn’t even held a girl’s hand. Looking at his “single-since-birth” lifestyle, obsessed only with games and studying, he was likely just like Muyu: zero romantic experience.
When a hormonal teenage boy like that falls in love, it’s bound to be a total cataclysm! He’d be so dizzy and infatuated he wouldn’t know which way was up!
The more Qiao Muyu chewed on it, the more feasible it seemed. But a critical question arose—he had the “infatuation” ready, but who would be the “distraction”?
Was he supposed to hire someone to date Lu Zhen? Setting aside whether he could afford the salary, who would agree to do something so unscrupulous?
After agonizing over a strategy, Qiao Muyu finally gritted his teeth and made a decision that went against all his principles: No choice. I’ll have to do it myself.
Anyway, being gay wasn’t unheard of these days. Even if Lu Zhen was a “straight-as-a-steel-pole” guy, so what? A confession would probably scare him half to death. If Muyu followed up with a fierce pursuit… hmph, it would definitely throw the kid off his game.
Go for it, Qiao Muyu! You can’t catch the wolf without sacrificing the kid! You can’t be a legendary seducer without sacrificing your innocence!
Qiao Muyu was a man of action. Once the plan was set, he started working on it that very night.
First, he needed the indispensable prop for any confession: a love letter.
Qiao Muyu had plenty of experience receiving love letters, but writing one was a first. Especially writing one for a target he had zero feelings for—it felt as futile as a eunuch visiting a brothel. He had no idea where to start.
When in doubt, ask Baidu.
He opened his computer, typed in keywords, and gathered a bunch of love-letter tips. After reading dozens of high-rated templates, his “top student DNA” kicked in. His creative blocks cleared, and he felt terrifyingly capable.
Ultimately, based on theoretical knowledge and cleverly blended with his own situation, he spent two nights crafting a hodgepodge love letter that looked sincere but was actually complete nonsense.
…
Dear Classmate Lu Zhen,
Hello.
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Before I met you, I always thought that was the world’s biggest joke—how could someone be so stupid as to fall for a stranger the first time they see them?
But the moment you appeared before my eyes, I suddenly realized that I am exactly that kind of fool.
You might not believe it, but even though I knew nothing of your life before this, I have an illusion that we had a fateful encounter long ago. Perhaps we brushed past each other on the street, or met in a past life, or in a dream on a summer afternoon.
From that day on, I began to unconsciously notice your every move. I don’t know the specific signs of liking someone, but I know that when you speak to me, the feeling of my heart racing is incredibly clear. I know that wherever your gaze lands on me, that spot starts to burn. And I know that when you said you liked my drawings, I was so happy I couldn’t sleep all night…
This is the I-don’t-know-how-many-th night I’ve lost sleep because of you. I’m looking at the moon outside the window and thinking of you.
The moonlight is beautiful tonight. Are you looking at it too?
Sweet dreams. I look forward to seeing your eyes every morning in the future.
— Qiao Muyu
…
Finally, he drew a little sketch on the envelope: a small fish (Yu) sleeping on a pillow (Zhen), enclosed in a giant heart. Over.
Qiao Muyu admired his masterpiece with satisfaction before drifting into a sweet sleep.
…
The next day, Qiao Muyu arrived at school looking radiant.
He held it in for three classes, acting as if nothing were wrong. Then, during a break when Lu Zhen was away from his seat, he slipped a note into his textbook.
Message: Come to the rooftop during lunch break. I have something to say to you. — Qiao Muyu
The lunch bell rang on time. Qiao Muyu went to the cafeteria with Du Jingfei and Xu Rongcan as usual. Because he had “big business” to attend to, he ate at lightning speed. After wolfing down his food, he made an excuse and left them.
The classroom was empty. Qiao Muyu checked the time, guessed Lu Zhen hadn’t finished eating yet, and decided to go to the meeting spot first. He took the love letter out of his bag, hid it carefully in his jacket pocket, and headed for the roof.
The stairwell to the top floor was silent.
Qiao Muyu was silently reciting his confession speech when he pushed open the half-closed wooden door. A breeze smelling of grass and trees met him. He looked up, and to his surprise, he saw a figure already there: Lu Zhen.
The boy was leaning against the grey-blue wall, quietly gazing at the distant scenery. His school tie fluttered slightly in the wind. Behind him was a brilliant blue sky, looking as if it had been washed clean, dotted with silk-like clouds.
Hearing movement, Lu Zhen turned his head. When he saw who it was, his slightly furrowed brow smoothed out, and his mood seemed to brighten instantly.
“I thought you’d stood me up,” he said.
Qiao Muyu blinked, surprised that Lu Zhen had arrived before him. “When did you get here?”
“Right after class,” Lu Zhen answered honestly.
Qiao Muyu was shocked. “You didn’t eat lunch?”
“No.”
“Are you stupid? It’s not like those few minutes would have mattered.”
But Lu Zhen said, “You didn’t specify a time. I didn’t want you to wait.”
Qiao Muyu choked on his words, scratching his cheek awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m inexperienced. I’ll do better next time. Why don’t you go eat first?”
Lu Zhen shook his head, looking at him stubbornly. “You said you had something to tell me. I want to hear it now.”
Qiao Muyu’s lips moved, and his heart inexplicably started pounding. He thought he was thick-skinned enough, but now that the moment was here, he couldn’t stop the nerves.
What are you chicken for? It’s just a fake confession.
Qiao Muyu took a deep breath, pulled the envelope and a box of fancy chocolates from his pocket, and stepped solemnly in front of Lu Zhen, offering them with both hands. “These… Please accept them.”
“What are these?”
“Chocolates.” Qiao Muyu paused, his face flushing with a perfectly timed (though guilt-induced) blush. “And… a love letter.”
Lu Zhen’s eyes flickered. He stared intently. Qiao Muyu suddenly didn’t dare meet his gaze, so he lowered his head and blurted it all out: “Lu Zhen, I like you! Please go out with me!”
The wind in the air seemed to freeze for a moment. Someone’s heart skipped a beat.
Qiao Muyu closed his eyes, prepared for a cold rejection or even a shouting match. But a second later, a soft chuckle came from above him.
Confused, Qiao Muyu looked up, meeting Lu Zhen’s eyes—which were filled with a shallow smile—and heard him say one word: “Okay.”
“Eh?”
Wait, that’s not right!
Lu Zhen’s unexpectedly smooth answer left Qiao Muyu stunned for five full seconds. His brain disconnected and then slowly rebooted. “You… you agreed? Just like that?”
“Mhm. I agreed.”
“Are you sure? I’m confessing to you! The serious kind! I’m not joking!”
“I’m sure. I’m not joking either.”
“So you really want to date me?”
“Really.”
“But this letter… don’t you want to read it first?”
“No need.”
“…”
Lu Zhen answered every question instantly, with a certainty that seemed almost thoughtless. Qiao Muyu couldn’t help but wonder if he was being patronized.
He grumpily shoved the letter into Lu Zhen’s hand. “Hey, show some respect for my hard work! I spent a whole night writing this. You’re really not interested?”
The corners of Lu Zhen’s eyes curved with a hint of a smile. “Oh. Then I’ll read it now.”
“Wait, no!” Qiao Muyu interrupted him. Having someone read his love letter right in front of him was too embarrassing. “Never mind. Read it when you get back.”
Lu Zhen nodded obediently. “Okay. I’ll read it a hundred times and memorize it.”
Qiao Muyu cringed. “…That’s really not necessary.”
“It is,” Lu Zhen said. “I will treasure any letter you write to me.”
Qiao Muyu didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just gave a small “Mhm.”
Lu Zhen looked down at the unopened envelope, his gaze tender. “So you were writing this all night yesterday?”
“Yeah, why?”
“No wonder you didn’t reply when I messaged you.”
Remembering the mess from two days ago, Qiao Muyu explained, “Actually, my dad confiscated my phone. I can’t use it for now, so I didn’t see your messages.”
“Why did he take it?”
“Because he thinks it interferes with my studies.”
This was clearly outside Lu Zhen’s realm of understanding. He followed up: “When can you use it again?”
“Maybe… winter break?” Qiao Muyu guessed. “Depends on when my dad cools off.”
Lu Zhen pondered for a moment, then pulled his own phone from his pocket and handed it to Qiao Muyu. “Use mine for now.”
Qiao Muyu blinked in surprise. Who just gives away their phone like that? He didn’t plan on being a moocher, so he shook his head. “No thanks, I’m not that addicted to my phone.”
But Lu Zhen said, “But I want to be able to reach you anytime.”
That gave Qiao Muyu a flash of inspiration. Wait, if I don’t have a phone, I can’t stay in constant contact with Lu Zhen. How am I supposed to flirt with him and distract him from his studies? The “murder weapon” was essential!
Seeing him fall silent, Lu Zhen thought he was hesitating and added, “It’s not brand new, but it’s only two months old. Don’t mind it. If you don’t like this model, I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow.”
“No need for all that. I like this one just fine. Thanks!” Qiao Muyu changed his mind instantly, took the phone without ceremony, and smiled at him with crescent-moon eyes. “I’ll use it to text you ‘goodnight’ every day.”
“Mhm. I’ll text you too.”
Lu Zhen gave him a satisfied look and took a step forward, leaning in slightly. He was close enough that Qiao Muyu could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on him.
Just as Qiao Muyu was about to instinctively back away, Lu Zhen simply reached out and tapped the phone screen to light it up. “The passcode is lz0613. My birthday. You can change it to whatever you use.”
“Oh, okay.” Qiao Muyu hid his subtle thoughts and looked down at the phone. Then, remembering something, he turned the screen off and handed it back.
Lu Zhen was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
“Um,” Qiao Muyu cleared his throat. “Shouldn’t you log out of your WeChat first? And clear your app history and photos? What if I see something I shouldn’t…”
Lu Zhen raised an eyebrow. “It’s fine. Go ahead and look. Your boyfriend has nothing to hide from you.”
“…”
First Blood!
Qiao Muyu felt he’d been taken down by that sentence. He awkwardly looked away. Dude, you stepped into the role way too fast…! I… I can’t lose!
Qiao Muyu racked his brain for a witty line to flirt back, but Lu Zhen—who was turning to leave—casually patted his head. Soft strands of hair brushed against Lu Zhen’s palm and stuck up slightly, looking adorably messy.
The unexpected physical contact left Qiao Muyu dazed. He smoothed his hair and gave Lu Zhen a questioning look.
The corners of Lu Zhen’s eyes tilted up. “Why are you standing there? Time to go back to class, boyfriend.”
“…”
Double Kill!
Strange. Why does it feel like Lu Zhen is the one who successfully pulled off a scheme, not me?!
Qiao Muyu’s brain was overloaded. He couldn’t straighten out his thoughts, so he just glared at Lu Zhen’s back and gritted his teeth. Whatever. I’ll just trick him into falling in love first.
…
Back in the classroom, Qiao Muyu’s heart was still thumping uncontrollably.
His deskmate, Li Tianquan, looked at him curiously. “Class Monitor, what did you do? Why is your face so red?”
Qiao Muyu touched his face; it was indeed hot. He made up an excuse: “Just came from the sun. It’s hot out.”
After saying that, he quickly took a gulp of cold water to calm down.
Don’t misunderstand—he wasn’t blushing from shyness. It was purely the guilt of a thief!
Qiao Muyu prided himself on not being a perfectly “upright” person. He often had a smile on his face while cursing in his heart, and frequently had rebellious thoughts. But thoughts were just thoughts. For years, based on his behavior, he was a model student. This was his first time doing something so scandalous.
As the Class Monitor, he had taken the lead in dating a classmate. Oh, and the other person was a guy. A double crime. Plus, he was intentionally deceiving him. A triple crime!
But a sent love letter is like spilled water—you can’t take it back. Since it had come to this, he decided to manage this “underground romance” well and keep it hidden, otherwise, it would be hard to wrap things up.
Qiao Muyu was silently “hitting the wooden fish” in his mind, praying for Buddha’s forgiveness, when a girl called to him from the window: “Class Monitor! Old Wan wants you and Lu Zhen to come to his office!”
Qiao Muyu bolted upright, his face turning pale with fright. “Me? And Lu Zhen?!”
The girl nodded. “Yeah, just the two of you.”
Wh-what?! Was this underground romance going to be strangled in its cradle before it even sprouted?
Dying before the battle is even won!
As Qiao Muyu spiraled, Lu Zhen’s hand lightly patted his shoulder. The guy looked way more composed than him. He just asked, “Not going?”
“…Oh.” Qiao Muyu followed him toward the office with the resolve of a martyr. “Let’s go.”
Worst case scenario, he’d just hang himself at the school gate tomorrow morning.