Qingteng's Mind - Middle School Era

Chapter 1404 Reply
The setting sun bathed the glass windows of the teaching building in a warm orange-red hue.

Ke Mengnan stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the figures running on the distant playground, but she couldn't see anything.

Only one thought kept running through his mind: Today is the second day of school, she should have received the letter by now.

He spent the entire May Day holiday writing that letter.

On the last morning, he finally finished writing the last word, and his hands were trembling slightly as he folded the letter and put it into the envelope.

He carefully considered every word in the letter countless times, striking the perfect balance between politeness, courtesy, and distance.

It's not that I don't want to write in a more intimate and natural way.

He also wanted to ask her how she was doing lately, to tell her that he really wanted to say something to her on the day of the physics competition, and to ask what was going on with the letter signed by two names.

But what if... what if she's not the only one reading this letter? What if that unfamiliar name really belongs to someone else?
So in the end, he wrote down some very formal words: the semester is halfway through, the midterm exams should be over, but we still need to keep working hard and focus on our studies; high school is a crucial period, so we need to concentrate on our studies and not think about anything else...

As he wrote, he himself felt that the letter read like a homeroom teacher's end-of-term report.

While he was writing the letter, Junjun came over to look several times, and each time he was so frightened that he hurriedly pressed the letter under the book.

It was precisely Junjun's several impulsive intrusions that made him even more convinced that he should reply to the letter, but the content of the reply must be carefully considered.

What if someone else sees this letter?
What if... that signature really is someone impersonating someone else?

These thoughts entangled him like vines, making it hard for him to breathe.

What are you thinking about?

A hand suddenly patted his shoulder. Ke Mengnan turned his head and saw Lin Xiaoyao's face, which was full of gossip.

Before he could speak, another voice interrupted from behind:

"Need you even ask? Of course it is—" Zheng Yifan strolled over slowly, glanced at Ke Mengnan, and smiled meaningfully, "Enjoying the scenery."

Ke Mengnan looked away and didn't reply.

The three of them stood side by side by the window, gazing at the sunset on the horizon.

The setting sun cast a soft glow on them, and the three tall, upright boys instantly became the most beautiful sight on campus.

Some girls passing by glanced at them furtively, some whispered among themselves, and others covered their mouths, laughing as they ran away.

Ke Mengnan's gaze was fixed on the distance, but her mind was still on that letter.

I've sent it out, now I'll just wait for a reply.

Clutching a letter as if it were some rare treasure, Ling Mengchu ran wildly into the classroom.

She ran so fast that she almost tripped at the door, but it didn't diminish the excitement that was practically overflowing on her face.

"Little water chestnut! Little water chestnut!"

She grabbed He Shiling's arm and shook it hard, the letter rustling in her hand:

"Oh my god! I guessed right! He really is from Lingnuo Middle School! He actually replied!"

Before He Shiling could react, Ling Mengchu had already rushed towards Geng Xinyu beside her:
"That's amazing! You actually guessed his name correctly!"

Geng Xinyu looked bewildered: "Me? Whose name did you guess correctly?"

"It's—it's—" Ling Mengchu was so excited she was incoherent, waving the letter in front of the two of them again and again, "A-Nan! Ke Mengnan! He replied!"

Several people's eyes immediately focused on it.

Wang Xinyi was the first to chime in: "What? Whose letter?"

Wang Xiaoxiao also leaned over: "Ke Mengnan? The one—the handsome guy you kept talking about meeting on the road? Did he really reply?" Ling Mengchu nodded vigorously, her face flushed with excitement.

She carefully unfolded the letter, then, as if remembering something, suddenly closed it and looked around warily.

"No, no, you can't read it here." She tucked the letter into her bosom. "Xiao Lingzi, come on, let's go to the balcony."

He Shiling was pulled to her feet, but she felt a strange sensation in her heart.

He actually replied?

The setting sun slanted through the windowpane, casting a warm glow on the floor.

Ling Mengchu finally unfolded the letter, leaned close to the two of them, and began to read it aloud in a low voice.

The letter was short, but the handwriting was neat, and every stroke showed care.

The content, however, was very... polite.

"Dear He Shiling and Ling Mengchu, I received your letter and thank you for your concern. It was a coincidence and a surprise to meet you both, and also a surprise to receive your letters. The semester is already halfway over, and high school is indeed a crucial period. I hope everyone can prioritize their studies, concentrate on their work, and not be distracted by other things..."

Ling Mengchu's voice gradually faded as she read this.

The three people looked at each other in bewilderment.

"...That's it?" Geng Xinyu blinked. "Isn't that a bit too... earnest?"

Geng Xinyu carefully considered her words, almost bursting out laughing. "Ke Mengnan" was actually this kind of person? Her reply was much more rigid than "A-Jie's".

Ling Mengchu wrinkled her nose and looked at the letter over and over again: "Maybe...that's just his personality? Or...he's too shy to write too enthusiastically?"

He Shiling didn't speak, but just stared at the letter in Ling Mengchu's hand.

Every word in the letter was polite and proper, without a single flaw. But it was precisely this impeccable politeness that made her feel... something was wrong.

This tone is unlike him, after all, he is such a "chatterbox" that I've met him several times and never heard him mention "studying".

Studies should come first, oh dear.

"Anyway!" Ling Mengchu quickly cheered up, carefully folding the letter. "He replied! That means the address is correct! And the person is right! We're already more than halfway there!"

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at He Shiling: "By the way, Xiaolingzi, do you want to write him a letter too?"

He Shiling stared intently at Ling Mengchu.

Should I write him a letter? What should I write? Ask him what he wrote in his last letter? Ask him what's going on in his current letter?

“I don’t know him at all,” He Shiling laughed. “And I’m not you either.”

Geng Xinyu glanced at her, said nothing, and suddenly remembered the Song Dynasty poems that had been soaked in water and hidden in the drawer.

Who is that owner?

The bell rang at the end of the corridor, signaling the start of class. The three walked back, Ling Mengchu still chattering away, her excitement undiminished.

He Shiling listened, nodding occasionally, but a slight smile involuntarily crept onto her lips as she recalled the words in the letter:

"Focus on your studies, concentrate on your work, and don't think about anything else..."

It turned out that these words weren't meant for her, but for Ling Mengchu. He Shiling looked at Ling Mengchu, intending for Ling Mengchu to hear them.

He really is… He Shiling chuckled softly and shook her head slightly. Fortunately, he's not stupid; he can tell that the letter wasn't written by her.

As for the specific contents of the previous letter, she no longer cared.

Seeing all this, Geng Xinyu raised her eyebrows, and a bold idea suddenly popped into her head.