After Confessing To My Childhood Friend - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Evening Self-Study
◎ Someone please rein in your girl Mengyin! ◎
Chen Mengyin entered the classroom through the back door. Evening self-study hadn’t officially started yet, but the class was almost full. She saw many students carefully working through the problems copied down earlier today on their worksheets.
She also saw her desk mate for the day, Ye Siying, casually flipping through a smuggled-in magazine while munching on a jianbing guozi (a Chinese savory crepe) from a street vendor near the school gate, showing no signs of a stressed-out senior high school student.
Chen Mengyin was about to sneak up and startle Ye Siying, but Xie Zhirou stopped her, pointing at the wall clock and signaling that self-study was about to begin—no time for messing around.
Chen Mengyin obediently followed and returned to her seat with Xie Zhirou.
“We’re really deskmates now?” she asked in a daze, still finding it hard to believe that she had finally become Xie Zhirou’s desk mate.
“Yeah,” Xie Zhirou smiled, thinking her little childhood sweetheart was just too cute. If they weren’t in class, she’d reach out and ruffle her hair to see what’s really going on in that head of hers.
“We’re really deskmates!” Chen Mengyin turned her head to look at Xie Zhirou. Their arms were touching, and the warmth made it all feel real. She finally snapped back to reality.
They were desk mates now!
She couldn’t help but think back to their first year of high school when bad luck placed them on separate floors—one on the first floor, the other on the third.
The only time they could meet was during the mid-morning break when they’d run to the big balcony on the second floor to chat. As class time approached, Chen Mengyin always felt like they hadn’t talked enough, but they had no choice but to head back to their own classrooms and meet again after school to grab a meal.
In the second year, they were slightly luckier after being split into humanities and sciences.
Chen Mengyin’s class ended up right next to the experimental class, which meant they could see each other right after class without waiting for breaks.
But it still wasn’t enough to satisfy Chen Mengyin.
If someone had asked her what her biggest wish in high school was, she would’ve answered without hesitation: to be Xie Zhirou’s desk mate.
Just being in the same class wasn’t enough—she wanted the seat next to Xie Zhirou. To be her desk mate.
After all, being deskmates meant she could be by her side all the time~
Having fulfilled her “high school dream,” Chen Mengyin hummed a tune as she pulled out the problems she copied down earlier and started working on her homework.
Even after celebrating, she still needed to study seriously!
The evening self-study officially began as their English teacher, Wang Hong, came in to supervise.
As soon as she stepped in, she noticed that Chen Mengyin and Xie Zhirou had moved to the last row, while Jiang Yingxia was now sitting with Ye Siying. She was confused.
Wang Hong asked, “Why did you four switch seats?”
Chen Mengyin eagerly raised her hand: “Teacher, the homeroom teacher told us to!”
Wang Hong was surprised: “That sudden?”
Chen Mengyin grinned: “Ah, Ms. Zhu did it for our own good. You see, we’re kind of tall. Sitting in the front blocks the view of the students behind us, so we were asked to move.”
Wang Hong thought about it and agreed. Chen Mengyin’s height did make it hard to see the board—moving to the back made sense.
“Alright then,” Wang Hong said. “Now that evening self-study has begun, everyone get on with your work.”
Chen Mengyin beamed: “Yes, this arrangement is perfect.”
Xie Zhirou tugged on her sleeve: “Time to do your homework.”
Chen Mengyin pulled out her copied questions. Even her archnemesis—math—looked a little more charming tonight.
…
“Zhirou, let’s go for a walk, yeah?” After one self-study period, Chen Mengyin stretched and tried to ease her stiff muscles.
“No. I haven’t finished my homework yet,” Xie Zhirou replied, head still down and writing in her notebook. “If I finish early, I’ll help you go over the parts you didn’t understand in class.”
Chen Mengyin pouted: “Just a few minutes of rest? Look—my hand’s red from writing.”
She even stuck her hand in front of Xie Zhirou’s face to show off her “injured” fingers.
Xie Zhirou glanced at them. All she saw were healthy, well-circulated fingers with a rosy glow—definitely no harm done. Heck, they probably wouldn’t even need squeezing for a bl00d test.
But of course, she couldn’t say that out loud—Chen Mengyin would cry on the spot.
“Nope, acting cute won’t work.” When it came to studying, Xie Zhirou was strict with Chen Mengyin—no slacking.
“Ugh…” Chen Mengyin whimpered.
Knowing it was no use arguing, she got back to work on her unfinished English composition, albeit a bit reluctantly.
One of her old classmates happened to pass by the experimental class and was stunned to see the class “little tyrant” obediently doing her homework.
The power of love is terrifying!
Luckily, since it was the first day of school, the teachers hadn’t given out much homework. Chen Mengyin finished with two self-study periods to spare.
She pulled out her math textbook and started whispering questions to Xie Zhirou about things she didn’t understand.
Having tutored her for years, Xie Zhirou knew exactly how to explain things in a way Mengyin could grasp and absorb.
They leaned in close, heads nearly touching, their voices so quiet that only they could hear.
Wang Hong, watching from the front, didn’t know whether to stop them or not. In the end, she just let it slide.
Before they knew it, two periods had passed.
At the sound of the 10 p.m. dismissal bell, the class erupted. Students grabbed their bags and rushed out—they were starving! If they didn’t run, they wouldn’t make it in time for supper.
Chen Mengyin and Xie Zhirou weren’t in such a hurry. They had eaten some bread during the break and weren’t as hungry as the others.
“Zhirou, shall we go get a bite too?” Chen Mengyin asked as she slung on her backpack.
Xie Zhirou thought for a second, then nodded.
They stepped out of the classroom, the hallway mostly cleared. Chen Mengyin walked on Zhirou’s left and asked, “Got any cravings?”
“Takoyaki,” Zhirou replied.
The moment she heard “takoyaki,” Mengyin’s not-so-hungry stomach suddenly rumbled—mouth watering instantly.
“Let’s go! Takoyaki it is!”
By the time they reached the school gate, others had already finished buying supper and were heading back to the dorms.
They queued at the takoyaki stand. The aroma made Chen Mengyin swallow hungrily—her stomach now officially growling.
Luckily, the line wasn’t long, and the vendor was quick. After ten minutes, both girls were holding a box of piping hot takoyaki.
The delicious smell, the bonito flakes softened by steam, the sauce all mixed together—each bite was savory and satisfying.
Mengyin ate with her eyes closed in delight, mouth stained with sauce and flakes, not even bothering to wipe. She devoured the whole box quickly.
Zhirou waited till she was done, then pulled tissues from her bag and gently wiped the sauce from her lips.
Having spent over a decade together, Mengyin was used to her affectionate gestures. She even turned her face slightly to help her clean more easily, only turning back once Zhirou was done.
“Let’s go home. We can shower and rest early.” There were a few shared e-bikes left outside the school. Chen Mengyin picked the cleanest-looking one, scanned the QR code, tossed her bag in the front basket, and waved Zhirou onto the back seat.
Zhirou hopped on, hugging her waist.
During the day, Yonghuai City was hot and stuffy, but the evening river breeze cooled everything down.
As they rode beneath the streetlights, their shadows stretched long across the asphalt.
By the time they got home, it was 10:30.
Li Ran was sitting on the couch, soaking her feet with a face mask on, watching TV. Hearing the door, she glanced over and drawled, “Back already, you 985 hopeful?”
Chen Mengyin, knowing her mom was teasing her about what she said that morning, grinned: “Yep! How’s your day, Miss Li?”
Li Ran snorted, “Much better than someone who leaves at seven and comes home at ten.”
“Oof, mom, don’t bring that up—it hurts!” Mengyin whined.
Li Ran peeled off her mask lazily. “Go shower already. I’m not waking you up tomorrow.”
Thinking about the early morning, Chen Mengyin groaned and dragged herself to the bathroom.
After her shower, the cool air from the AC eased her body heat. She picked up her phone and opened WeChat.
Ms. Zhu had told them to report home safely in the class group chat.
Probably because the chat included teachers, only a few day students had followed the thread started by class rep Zhu Danxue. Mengyin added her “1” and closed the app.
Then she opened QQ and saw that Zhirou had added her to a new group shortly after getting home. In just the time it took for her to shower, the chat had exploded with 99+ messages.
She clicked into the group and scrolled to the @mention.
[Emperor] Zhu Danxue: Welcome our new student! @Chen Mengyin
Mengyin burst out laughing when she saw Zhu Danxue’s title.
She skimmed the repeated messages and replied:
[Last-In Disciple] Chen Mengyin: Thanks~ [Cat Bowing Sticker]
[Last-In Disciple] Chen Mengyin: ?
[Big Glutton Cat] Ye Siying: Hahahahaha hello, Last-In Disciple!
[Outsider] Xue Tongyun: What’s with the question mark? I didn’t say anything—am I not allowed to exist? [Angry Leopard]
[Outsider] Xue Tongyun: Don’t want your title? I’ll take it~ [Soybean Smile]
[Emperor] Zhu Danxue: Ahem, so here’s the tradition… Last place in class gets that title until someone else replaces them.
[Last-In Disciple] Chen Mengyin: Fine. But how’s there an “Outsider”? Thirty-first place dares challenge thirtieth? That’s a crime!
[Outsider] Xue Tongyun: Waaah class rep, she’s bullying me! You must avenge me—no wait, support me! [Crying Beagle]
[Emperor] Zhu Danxue: [Soybean Smile]
[Outsider] Xue Tongyun: Oops, typo. No offense, class rep~ [Beagle Puppy Eyes]
Mengyin laughed so hard reading the messages.
Xue Tongyun was the poor soul she knocked out of the experimental class.
Last semester’s placement test had Chen Mengyin beating her by a single point, snagging the thirtieth spot in the science class. That’s how she earned the “Last-In Disciple” title—previously held by Tongyun.
Because there were no teachers in the QQ group, Xue Tongyun hadn’t left like she did the WeChat group. She stayed to chat and joke around like usual.
After all, they’d known each other for a year—they were friends at heart.
Despite being rivals, their relationship was pretty good. Xue Tongyun didn’t resent her for taking the last slot—she still greeted her warmly at school.
She figured, Why complain when my grades were worse? Better to study harder than waste time blaming others.
She swore to herself she wouldn’t lose by one point again—not in the college entrance exam!
After a few more rounds of banter, Xue Tongyun admitted defeat and called in backup:
[Outsider] Xue Tongyun: @Xie Zhirou Control your girl Mengyin! She’s bullying me! [Crying Beagle]
[Last-In Disciple] Chen Mengyin: @Xue Tongyun [Beagle Roll Eyes] Can’t handle a loss?
[Big Glutton Cat] Ye Siying: Fight! Fight! [Leopard Claps.gif]
[Top Student] Xie Zhirou: @Chen Mengyin Time for bed.
[Last-In Disciple] Chen Mengyin: @Xie Zhirou Okay~ Good night~ [Line Pup Kiss]
After sending the message, Ye Siying and Xue Tongyun both groaned, claiming emotional trauma and demanding compensation.
Mengyin ignored them. With Zhirou’s loving goodnight in hand, she happily set down her phone and drifted off to sleep.