After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Reward
◎Is rubbing calves also part of class?◎
Monday’s schedule was pure torture for Chen Mengyin.
After two back-to-back math classes, she slumped over her desk, totally wiped out.
Xie Zhirou tore off a small piece of bread and stuffed it in her mouth. “Eat something. Don’t go hungry during English class.”
Chen Mengyin chewed the soft, sweet bread and silently shed tears in anticipation of the two English periods to come.
“I wish I could appear in a dream to our ancestors and give them a world map. Let them conquer Europe and the Americas so I wouldn’t have to memorize English vocabulary…”
A passing classmate heard her and chuckled, “The only thing standing between our ancestors and English-free life is your dream visit. Keep it up, Mengyin.”
Chen Mengyin tried to turn her head to see who it was but was lured back by more bread from Xie Zhirou. She continued eating with her head down. “Who was that just now?”
Xie Zhirou glanced at the person already back in their seat and said calmly, “The PE rep.”
As soon as Mengyin heard that, she knew it was Song Yuan, that cheeky girl. If she remembered after English class, she’d definitely give Song Yuan a piece of her mind. Dream-visiting wasn’t free—it should cost at least 50 yuan for the project fund.
“Open up.” Zhirou reminded the dazed Mengyin to open her mouth again. She complied. “Mmm, this cream puff is good. Buying a whole bag was totally worth it.”
Zhirou ate one herself. The cream filling was savory rather than overly sweet—pleasantly light.
The two finished the bag of puffs, alternating bites like kids.
Just in time for class to start. Chen Mengyin finally sat up—still a bit sluggish—until Zhirou poked her in the waist to make her sit properly.
English class was boring for Mengyin—not because she didn’t understand, but because she couldn’t figure out why perfectly fine sentences had to be made so complicated. No wonder international friends joked that their English sounded like “Eastern Shakespeare.” It was way too poetic.
She spun her pen, occasionally jotting down notes from the blackboard. At first glance, she seemed attentive, but only Xie Zhirou, her deskmate, knew her mind had already wandered off somewhere far away.
Zhirou nudged her calf against Mengyin’s leg, trying to snap her out of it.
That little shock brought Mengyin back to earth. She glanced at the teacher first, then turned her head toward Zhirou.
Zhirou kept her gaze forward, focused on the lesson.
Only Mengyin knew that this seemingly model student had just sneakily rubbed her with her leg.
Mengyin knew Zhirou did it to get her to pay attention—but the class was so boring. Those 26 letters kept forming sentences she could read but couldn’t truly grasp. She needed something stimulating to stay awake.
So, she returned the gesture, mimicking Zhirou by rubbing back.
Zhirou, mid-note-taking, suddenly paused. She turned and, unsurprisingly, caught Mengyin flashing her a bright grin.
Zhirou: “…”
That was not the point of the leg rub.
Mengyin didn’t get a response and went for a second round.
This time, Zhirou was visibly flustered. She tore a piece of notebook paper and scribbled a message, sliding it to Mengyin.
“Stop it.”
Mengyin burst into silent laughter when she read it. Then, she wrote back:
“Nope ∩_∩”
She even drew a cheeky face to emphasize just how much she was not going to stop.
Zhirou read the reply, her heart fluttering, but she couldn’t let it show. If she did, Mengyin might push her luck even more.
She straightened her face and wrote again:
“Focus on class. No fooling around.”
After reading that, Mengyin deflated like a wilting eggplant.
She sulked but kept listening, and surprisingly, absorbed more than usual. She even finally understood a few grammar structures she’d always mixed up.
When the bell rang, she slammed the crumpled note onto Zhirou’s desk and pointed accusingly:
“Xie Zhirou, I’m very disappointed in you. What was that during class? Were you trying to distract a fellow student?”
Zhirou picked up the now-wrinkled paper. At the end of the last sentence she wrote, Mengyin had drawn several crying and angry doodles.
“You’re bad at English. You should be paying more attention,” Zhirou sighed.
But Mengyin wouldn’t let it go. She was still mad Zhirou had teased her and then ghosted her.
She narrowed her eyes. “So rubbing my leg was your idea of staying focused?”
The two girls sitting in front turned pale—as if they’d just heard some unspeakable secret. They exchanged shocked glances.
Damn, they thought, is that how class toppers flirt?
The girls lowered their heads like frightened quails, trying to become invisible.
Zhirou was mentally exhausted. “I was just trying to get you to pay attention.”
Mengyin pouted. “Then you should’ve rubbed me more. I’d be super focused.”
Zhirou: “…Duly noted.”
Sometimes, having a clueless childhood sweetheart wasn’t a blessing—you couldn’t flirt with her properly at all.
Mengyin didn’t even notice Zhirou’s silence and kept chirping: “Next time you want me to concentrate, just pass me a note, okay? I’ve been waiting two whole years to exchange notes with you. Finally got my chance!”
“Like this.” She tore another sheet and scribbled on it, folding it up and sliding it over.
Zhirou opened it. The handwriting was neat and pretty, just like Mengyin’s usual vibe.
“Pay attention in class. I’ll make it up to you afterward.”
Zhirou smiled. “Make it up to you how?”
Mengyin tilted her head. “If I pay attention now, you have to play games with me after school.”
Zhirou asked, “What else?”
Mengyin thought for a bit. “On weekends, don’t just make me do homework. Take me out.”
She gave Zhirou a pitiful look. Ever since they started senior year, her life had been reduced to homework and more homework. Zhirou barely had time to play with her anymore.
“You promised we’d go to the amusement park,” Mengyin mumbled sadly.
Zhirou tugged at her cheek. “If your scores improve this month, we’ll go.”
Mengyin’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’re not just saying that to shut me up?”
Zhirou assured her, it was a genuine promise. That instantly lifted Mengyin’s spirits, and she forgot all about what happened in English class.
If the bell hadn’t rung, she could’ve spent the whole day talking about amusement parks.
With that carrot dangling in front of her, the little donkey named Chen Mengyin suddenly had endless motivation for class!
…
After the last morning period, Mengyin gave Zhirou a ride home on her e-bike.
After trying out a few delivered lunches from the housekeeper, they decided it was better to go home and eat. That way, they could rest after lunch and skip the delivery hassle.
Mengyin parked and followed Zhirou inside.
The housekeeper had already finished cooking and left. Mengyin lifted the food cover and grabbed a bowl to serve rice.
“Let’s ask Auntie to try making spicy hot pot next time. Haven’t had it in a while—I’m craving it.” She handed the rice bowl to Zhirou, then scooped one for herself.
They sat in the dining room to eat. Zhirou picked up some greens. “I’ll let her know. We can have it tonight.”
Mengyin grinned. “Nice! I’ll think about what toppings to add.”
Zhirou nodded. “Let’s eat. Rest well after lunch.”
…
After eating, Mengyin used Zhirou’s phone to send the grocery list to the housekeeper, then went to the kitchen for fruit. She peeled and diced mangoes and fed Zhirou two pieces.
“You head up first. I’ll come up after I’m done.”
Zhirou didn’t move, just stayed by her side watching her cut.
Seeing this, Mengyin sped up.
She finished prepping the fruit, poured in yogurt with Zhirou’s help, gave it a stir, covered it, and then they headed upstairs to nap.
Zhirou’s home layout was the same as Mengyin’s. Their bedrooms were both the first door on the left upstairs, but somehow Zhirou’s room felt brighter and bigger.
Mengyin firmly believed it was due to poor lighting in her room—not because she never cleaned it.
Zhirou let her believe that, never calling her out.
“Feels like I haven’t slept over here in forever,” Mengyin said as she lay down and turned to chat.
“Yeah, last time was… half a year ago?”
When Zhirou’s parents weren’t home, she usually stayed over at Mengyin’s. But if her mom was around, and Mengyin didn’t want to sleep alone, she’d come over in her PJs, declaring that Zhirou had to sleep with her.
That time, Li Ran teased her for days, calling her a pervy thug who tried to seduce someone else’s daughter right in front of her mom.
Mengyin got so annoyed, she barked back: “Yeah, I do want Zhirou to sleep with me! It’s mutual—how is that seduction?”
Ran was too stunned by her shamelessness to stop her from pulling the same stunt again.
Remembering that, Mengyin giggled under the covers.
Zhirou asked, “What’s so funny?”
Mengyin told her the whole story: “My mom was so mean for saying that about her daughter.”
Zhirou laughed too. “No wonder my mom kept smiling back then. So that’s what happened.”
“Alright, time to nap.”
Mengyin blinked—she wasn’t that sleepy yet, but since Zhirou said so…
She closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and drifted off, surrounded by the cozy scent of Zhirou’s sheets.