After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Lunch Break
◎Counting Eyelashes to Sleep◎
After a math class, Chen Mengyin slumped in her seat, utterly drained.
Her head was now stuffed full of formulas and knowledge points, leaving no room for the sorrow of not getting to sit next to Xie Zhirou.
Ye Siying, seeing the faint look of death on her face, clicked her tongue in amazement. “First time I’ve seen someone look this soul-crushed.”
Annoyed by the disturbance, Chen Mengyin waved her off.
Ye Siying was about to keep teasing when she spotted Xie Zhirou walking over. With a mischievous smile, she said, “Your power bank is here, so this lightbulb will kindly excuse herself.”
Chen Mengyin struggled to turn her head. Her empty eyes lit up immediately upon seeing Xie Zhirou. Her headache disappeared, and a smile bloomed on her face. “Hiiiii~”
Xie Zhirou looked down at her. “Fried your brain?”
Chen Mengyin rubbed her nose, too embarrassed to admit that yes, one math class had indeed left her completely stunned. She had known the honors class was hard to get into, but thought if she paid attention, she could keep up. Instead, that one lesson shattered her confidence and made her feel hopeless.
“If I can’t even understand the class, how can I compete with anyone?”
Xie Zhirou, having known Chen Mengyin for years, understood what she was thinking. “Don’t overthink it. I’ll teach you after class.”
Chen Mengyin gave a goofy smile. “Okay, okay~”
Seeing her childhood friend regain her usual cheer, Xie Zhirou quietly sighed in relief.
She knew Mengyin wouldn’t be defeated by something like this. Give her a little time, and she’d adjust her mindset and get back on track.
But the honors class didn’t allow much time. Teachers wouldn’t slow down just because one person couldn’t keep up. It was a harsh, high-pressure environment where every step was nerve-wracking.
The bell rang, and Chen Mengyin reluctantly parted from Xie Zhirou.
When they weren’t in the same class before, she hadn’t felt this frustrated. But now that they were in the same class, close but unable to talk freely, it made her restless. She longed to move her desk next to Xie Zhirou’s.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the math teacher entering.
Chen Mengyin flipped open her textbook and forced herself to focus.
After two more periods came the long break. She and Xie Zhirou chatted in the hallway.
“How about we get burgers for lunch?” Chen Mengyin hated eating in the school cafeteria — not because it was bad, but because it was always crowded. She’d rather eat instant noodles from the school shop than stand in line for food.
Xie Zhirou rarely said no to her. When she agreed, Mengyin pulled out her phone to ask what kind of burger she wanted.
“Beef. No onions,” Zhirou said.
She wasn’t a huge fan of burgers. The first time she ever had one was because little Mengyin wanted the toy from a combo meal but couldn’t finish the food alone.
Little Mengyin plus little Zhirou was just enough.
So that day, Zhirou had her first-ever burger. It was just okay, but novel enough to be memorable.
After removing the onions from the order, Mengyin asked, “Cola, or swap it for orange juice?”
“Orange juice,” Zhirou nodded.
Mengyin finalized the order but didn’t pay yet — she didn’t want the restaurant to prep it too early.
She leaned against the railing, chatting with Xie Zhirou. Both tall, they stood side by side like conjoined twins. From a distance, they were hard to miss. Ye Siying, returning from the restroom, spotted Mengyin with one arm wrapped around Zhirou’s waist, practically leaning on her shoulder laughing.
Ye Siying quietly snapped a photo.
Nice. That shot should earn her at least a few dream meal deliveries.
Time flew by. Chen Mengyin powered through the next two English periods with the promise of lunch as motivation.
As soon as the bell rang, she dragged Zhirou to the burger shop.
There weren’t many customers. They grabbed their food and sat by the window.
As Zhirou unwrapped her burger with gloved hands, she asked, “How was English? Better than math?”
Mengyin took a huge bite. The juicy beef patty and savory sauce burst in her mouth. She squinted in delight like a cat that’d stolen fish.
“A bit better, but some grammar points still confuse me. You’ll have to go over them with me.”
Zhirou placed the cola with a straw near Mengyin and ate her burger in small bites. “Okay. After we sort out math tonight, I’ll help with English too.”
Mengyin grinned and took a sip. “Zhirou is the best!”
Zhirou didn’t smile, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. “Sweet talker.”
After finishing her burger, Mengyin balled up the wrapper and placed it on the tray. “But am I wrong? Aren’t you the best to me? Huh?” She reached out to tickle Zhirou.
Zhirou, unable to dodge, surrendered with a nod.
Satisfied, Mengyin helped finish Zhirou’s fries.
After lunch, they found a shared electric scooter outside KFC.
“Come nap at my place. I set the AC on a timer. Should be nice and cool now — better than waiting for it to chill at your place,” Mengyin suggested.
Zhirou didn’t object and held onto Mengyin’s slim waist as she nodded.
The August sun was scorching, but the roadside trees offered some shade. Riding under the canopy, it wasn’t so bad.
Four minutes later, they arrived. Mengyin opened the gate and told Zhirou to head in first while she parked and locked the scooter.
Zhirou took her bag and used the fingerprint lock to open the door.
“Let’s go! I made honey water last night — drink some before we sleep,” Mengyin called, running in to grab cups from the kitchen.
Zhirou followed, pulling out the chilled honey water and pouring two glasses.
“Ahh~ that hits the spot!” Mengyin chugged half her cup. Her face was sun-flushed, with sweat beading down to her neck.
She looked like a dew-kissed peach, radiating sweetness.
Zhirou sipped hers and thought: irresistible.
“Give me your cup, I’ll wash it,” Mengyin offered.
Zhirou leaned nearby, watching her rinse them. When she flicked her wet fingers dry, Zhirou grabbed her wrist with a frown. “Don’t fling water around.”
Mengyin froze obediently.
Zhirou grabbed a towel and gently dried each finger.
The soft cloth brushed over the sensitive skin, and Mengyin’s pinky trembled. Her face grew warm again.
Before she overheated entirely, Zhirou finally let go. “All done. Next time, dry properly.”
“Huh? Your face is red, are you heat-struck?” Zhirou reached for her forehead.
“No, no, I’m fine!” Mengyin dodged. Blushing, she shoved Zhirou toward the bedroom. “Let’s go chill with the AC!”
“You sure?” Zhirou looked unconvinced.
“I’m sure!” Mengyin opened the door eagerly — only to reveal a messy bed, snack wrappers, and the gaming console that kept her up till 3:30 AM.
She covered her face.
“Embarrassed now?” Zhirou undid her ponytail, casually combing her hair. “Go wash up and sleep.”
Mengyin nodded behind her hands and scurried to the bathroom. Water soon flowed.
When she returned, Zhirou had already tidied up the mess and lay on the bed, hair spread out, clearly ready for a nap.
Mengyin slid under the covers too.
The air conditioner cooled their flushed bodies. Within moments, Mengyin was asleep.
Once she was out, Zhirou opened her eyes and turned toward her.
She had done everything earlier — the towel, the forehead check — on purpose. Teasing her silly little peach was too much fun.
Zhirou stared at Mengyin’s lashes, counting them one by one, until her own eyes grew heavy.
The bed wasn’t big, and in their sleep, they drifted closer, foreheads touching. Their breaths were sweet with honey water.
The alarm rang. No more napping.
Zhirou woke immediately and nudged Mengyin.
Still groggy, Mengyin let herself be led to the sink to wash her face.
Zhirou tied her hair back. Even after half a day in a ponytail, it remained sleek and flawless.
Mengyin loved watching her brush her hair — dark and silky, tamed by long fingers. In under a minute, a perfect high ponytail was done.
At the door, putting on their shoes, Mengyin remembered: “Oh no! I forgot to bottle the honey water.”
She dashed to the kitchen, filled a one-liter bottle, and Zhirou even made a fresh batch so she could drink more later.
Finally, they headed out. The shared scooter was still there and not too hot.
They zipped off toward school.
At the gate, they scanned in and walked through the tree-shaded campus. In this summer heat, the trees were their salvation.
Chen Mengyin basked in the shade and walked into the classroom.
As soon as she opened the door, cool air hit her.
“Ahhh~ so nice!” she sighed.
Zhirou tapped her back, telling her to stop zoning out and rest while she still could.
Mengyin obeyed.
She took out her bottle but didn’t get to open it before Ye Siying smelled it and came over. “What’s that good stuff?”
“It’s honey water — just out of the fridge. Drink some, prevent heatstroke,” Mengyin said, pouring it into her cup lid.
Ye Siying took a sip, eyes welling up. “Being a day student is awesome. You can go home and drink amazing stuff like this.”
Mengyin poured some for others too. “Hang in there. Just one more year.”
Ye Siying got gloomier. “Yeah, but even for college I’ll be living away. What’s the difference?”
“There is a difference,” Mengyin said. “If you’re not studying medicine, it’s only four years. If you are—”
“Chen Mengyin!!” Ye Siying shouted. “You know I’m going into medicine, and you still twist the knife?! Come here!”
They playfully brawled like schoolkids, until homeroom teacher Zhu Ling walked in and sighed, “Settle down. Class is starting.”
The two immediately pretended to be good students, flipping open their textbooks.
Zhu Ling walked up to the lectern and began the lesson.