After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Dinner Gathering
◎Can I bring a plus one?◎
The next morning, Xie Zhirou was fully dressed and woke up the still-sleepy Chen Mengyin.
Chen Mengyin had been plagued by a whole night of chaotic dreams after falling asleep. One moment, she dreamt she was still at the KTV, where the song they had been singing was left unfinished—because Xie Zhirou had silenced both of them with a kiss.
Then she dreamt they were playing games in a room, and somehow, she and Xie Zhirou ended up kissing again mid-game.
The entire night’s dream was basically a hundred different ways she and Xie Zhirou could kiss.
Sitting dazed on her bed, Chen Mengyin pondered if she had cared too much about that unfinished kiss—so much that all her dreams revolved around Xie Zhirou’s soft lips.
“Go brush your teeth, then come down for breakfast.” Xie Zhirou kissed her on the forehead, gently urging her to freshen up.
The act was so casual and natural that Chen Mengyin didn’t even find it odd at the time and obediently got out of bed to wash up.
It wasn’t until she was halfway through brushing her teeth that it hit her—Xie Zhirou had just kissed her on the forehead.
AHHHHHHHHH—did that really just happen?!
And come to think of it—Zhirou’s lips were so soft—like unbelievably soft.
Chen Mengyin touched her forehead, only to find the reflection in the mirror didn’t show any signs of rejection. In fact, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled with warmth.
She splashed cold water on her face, hoping to calm herself and shake off the chaotic thoughts—but it didn’t help much.
Just thinking about the softness of those lips on her forehead made her cheeks burn like they were on fire.
Last night she had wondered how soft Zhirou’s lips must be—now she knew. They were incredibly soft, like a fluffy marshmallow gently brushing against her. Soft, sweet, unforgettable.
The thought only deepened her blush.
So… why did she kiss her forehead anyway?
Chen Mengyin thought to herself in a daze.
Back in the bedroom, Xie Zhirou was far less composed than she appeared. She lightly touched her lips—the very lips that had just kissed Chen Mengyin’s forehead—and her pale cheeks turned slightly pink. She was both shy from her bold action and relieved that her oblivious childhood friend hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Over the years, thanks to Xie Zhirou’s efforts, Chen Mengyin had grown completely used to her presence and the intimate dynamic between them.
She wasn’t just a part of Chen Mengyin’s life—she was the immovable wall that kept others from getting too close to her.
Originally, Xie Zhirou had planned to wait until after graduation to make a move. She didn’t want her feelings to affect Chen Mengyin’s studies. She had intended to go slow.
But that plan unraveled once they became classmates and even desk mates. She realized she couldn’t wait anymore. She wanted to kiss Chen Mengyin, to hug her, to be the one who meant the most to her.
So, Xie Zhirou stopped playing the “just friends” game and stepped out of her comfort zone, beginning to test the boundaries of Chen Mengyin’s feelings.
Chen Mengyin emerged from the bathroom still savoring the kiss. They both tacitly avoided mentioning what had happened and headed downstairs together.
At that time, Li Ran was still asleep. As an office worker, her workday started later than the two senior high schoolers. The only reason she had gotten up early before was to make buns for Chen Mengyin on the first day of school. Now that the excitement had passed, she wouldn’t wake up early unless necessary.
Chen Mengyin pulled some frozen wontons out of the fridge and asked Xie Zhirou if she wanted any. Xie Zhirou nodded without hesitation.
“After we finish the wontons, let’s stop by the bakery and grab some bread. One bowl of wontons won’t be enough to hold us over until the long break,” Chen Mengyin said while waiting for the water to boil. Xie Zhirou stood beside her mixing the seasoning, ready to pour everything together once the wontons were cooked.
“Will we make it in time?” Xie Zhirou asked.
Chen Mengyin glanced at the clock—over 30 minutes till class. They’d make it easily: “Of course! I’ll give you a ride on the scooter after breakfast!”
“Okay, but don’t ride too fast. Safety first.”
“Got it.” Once the wontons were cooked, Chen Mengyin scooped them into the bowl Zhirou had prepared, ladled in some broth, and stirred it all together with the seasoning at the bottom—creating a light soy-based soup.
Chen Mengyin added chili oil to her bowl. She loved spicy food and couldn’t eat soup without a bit of heat.
The frozen wontons were average in taste, but the two quickly finished them, washed up, and headed out.
The bakery was close to school—only a 6–7-minute scooter ride—but always busy. Thankfully, they’d left early, so the line wasn’t long. Chen Mengyin quickly picked out their favorite breads and headed to the cashier.
Back outside, she handed the bread to Zhirou, told her to hold on tight, and zoomed toward school.
They arrived right as the class bell rang.
Chen Mengyin hung her backpack on the desk, pulled out her English textbook, and started memorizing vocabulary. Her English wasn’t great, but she believed that diligence would make up for it.
Before she realized it, the morning study session was over. Chen Mengyin, pretending the earlier incident never happened, turned toward Zhirou and leaned on her desk to chat.
“Bring your game controller over next week, okay? I got It Takes Two and Overcooked, but haven’t had a chance to play yet!”
Xie Zhirou added some notes to Mengyin’s workbook: “Sure. I’ll play with you after we finish homework.”
“Yay! We’ll do homework during the day and play games at night~”
Zhirou paused her writing and warned, “You better finish on time. I won’t let you off the hook otherwise.”
Chen Mengyin saluted with a grin: “Yes, ma’am!”
Xie Zhirou laughed at her antics.
Just then, Ye Siying walked over. “Mengyin, someone’s at the door asking for you.”
Mengyin glanced over but could only see half the person’s body, not their face. “Who is it?”
Ye Siying shrugged. “No idea. Seems like an old classmate of yours.”
Mengyin glanced at Zhirou, who gave a nod. Then she stood up. “Thanks, I’ll go see who it is.”
Waiting at the door was her former English class rep from second year, Zheng Xixi, who flashed a bright smile. “Long time no see, Mengyin.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. What’s up, Xixi?”
Xixi pouted jokingly. “What, I can’t stop by unless I have a reason?”
Mengyin waved her hands. “No no, you’re always welcome.”
Xixi grinned again. “That’s better. But I do have something to ask you this time.”
“What is it?”
“Our old homeroom teacher’s organizing a class dinner this Saturday. We were classmates for a year—it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t come. So I came to see if you’re free.”
“What time Saturday? And… can I bring a plus one?”
Xixi hesitated. “Six in the evening. A plus one? You mean Xie Zhirou?”
Mengyin replied, “Who else would I mean?”
Xixi looked awkward. “Uh… I’ll have to check with our class rep. I can’t really say yes without asking her first.”
“No worries, I’ll ask her myself. Class is starting soon—you’d better get back before a teacher catches you.”
Xixi nodded. “Alright, see you, bye!”
“Bye~” Mengyin waved with a smile.
Inside the classroom, Ye Siying tsked as she watched the two chat at the door.
Xie Zhirou looked up at her, then returned to revising Mengyin’s notes.
“Hey Zhirou, don’t you think that girl’s a little… interested?” Ye Siying whispered with a gossip-loving gleam.
Zhirou didn’t look up. “Not really.”
“Come on, I have a good eye for these things. I bet she likes your Mengyin. Look how happy they were chatting.”
Zhirou remained calm.
“Aren’t you worried she’ll steal Mengyin away?”
Zhirou finally responded, “Have you ever heard Mengyin mention her?”
Ye Siying thought for a moment. No, she hadn’t. “So?”
“She’s never even mentioned her name. Why should I worry? And don’t jump to conclusions without evidence.”
Ye Siying realized she may have gone too far. “Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that.”
Zhirou didn’t respond.
She wasn’t upset with Ye Siying’s words, but with the fact that there were parts of Mengyin’s world she didn’t know—people she hadn’t met. It made her feel a lack of control, like a needle pricking her heart.
Before they were classmates, she could rationalize it away. But now that they shared a class, her possessiveness had only grown.
Ye Siying saw how upset she looked and blamed herself for gossiping too much.
When Mengyin came back, she immediately stood between Zhirou and Siying and joked, “What’s this? Bullying my Zhirou?”
“No way! Not with you around!” Ye Siying nearly cried tears of relief.
“And don’t bully her even when I’m not around,” Mengyin added.
Ye Siying mentally told herself not to mess with someone so hopelessly in love, then smiled and left: “Class is starting—I’ll head back.”
“Such a weirdo,” Mengyin muttered as she sat down. Then she noticed Zhirou’s tense expression. “What’s wrong? You don’t look too happy.”
Zhirou didn’t want to admit she was jealous, so she said casually, “Maybe I’m just tired from yesterday.”
That made Mengyin worried enough to check her forehead. “You didn’t get heatstroke, did you? I brought herbal cooling water. Want one?”
Zhirou took her hand and patted it gently. “Don’t worry. Just a little drained—I’ll be fine after a break. So, who was that girl earlier?”
Relieved, Mengyin relaxed and leaned on her desk again. “You mean Zheng Xixi? She said our old class is having a dinner this Saturday. Asked if I’d go.”
Zhirou looked her in the eyes. “And are you going?”
Mengyin fiddled with her fingers, a bit shy. “I was thinking of bringing you. If they don’t agree, then I won’t go.”
“Why?”
“Because… I’d rather spend time with you than go out with them.”
That line emptied Zhirou’s emotional health bar completely.
Her little childhood sweetheart was just too cute.