365 Love Letters

Shi Sui originally intended to escape the awkward situation by pretending to sleep, but Wang Cheng pointed at his ear and shouted in shock, “F*ck, Shi Sui, is your fever back? Your ears are so red!”

He shook Shi Sui’s arm vigorously, completely shattering the boy’s plan to play dead.

Shi Sui slowly straightened his back and looked at the noisy Wang Cheng with a wooden expression.

Sensing the murderous intent in Shi Sui’s gaze, Wang Cheng instinctively shut his mouth. “Dad, I didn’t mess with you, did I?”

“The one digging through your bag just now wasn’t me, it was the Top Student!” Wang Cheng sold Lu Huaizhi out completely, then looked at Shi Sui’s desk with lingering suspicion. “He didn’t accidentally touch something he shouldn’t have, did he?”

Dirty magazines? Toys? He hadn’t realized Shi Sui was such a closet pervert!

Wang Cheng cast a gaze filled with a thirst for knowledge toward Lu Huaizhi.

He didn’t get a response from Lu Huaizhi, but he did get a smack on the head from Shi Sui’s notebook.

Shi Sui said coldly, “Clear out the trash in your brain!”

It was just a stupid love letter. He’d find a deserted spot on the way home and tear it up!

However, even as he neared his home, Shi Sui hadn’t found a chance to deal with that letter.

Wang Cheng had intended to walk Shi Sui home since he was sick, but he was held back by Tian Hongjun to clean the toilets. Thus, the task of escorting Shi Sui naturally fell to Lu Huaizhi.

The two walked down the street, one behind the other.

Because of the letter tucked in his bag, Shi Sui felt as though Lu Huaizhi was staring at his backpack the entire time.

He stopped, turned around, and said coldly, “Can you walk a little faster? Otherwise, just let me go home by myself.”

Lu Huaizhi took a step forward to walk side-by-side with him. His gaze lingered on Shi Sui’s pale face for a moment. “I’m having a little trouble keeping up. Slow down.”

“If you can’t keep up, go home on your own,” Shi Sui said. “And can you stop trying to shove your thermos into my bag?”

Lu Huaizhi, who was just about to slip the thermos into the side pocket of Shi Sui’s backpack: “…”

He simply held the thermos out in front of Shi Sui. “It’s best not to drink cold water when you’re sick. I have warm water mixed in here; you can drink it directly.”

Shi Sui didn’t take it. He wasn’t like Lu Huaizhi, so frail he had to carry a thermos and sip warm water all day.

Nevertheless, Shi Sui’s pace finally slowed down. The two walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the streets outside Nan Alley. The last rays of the setting sun fell upon them, stretching their shadows long behind them.

Watching Shi Sui navigate the twists and turns of the alley with practiced ease, Lu Huaizhi asked, “Are you very familiar with this place?”

“Obviously.” Shi Sui pointed at a streetlamp above them. “I even know which lights don’t turn on at night.”

He had lived here for over ten years. Every time he finished school or ended a shift at the internet cafe, he passed through these streets.

The owner of the convenience store at the corner often tutored her child at eight in the evening, her voice booming; the clothing store at the entrance played the same ancient playlist and refused to change it; and the stir-fry stall owner loved to toss water out the front door, leaving a layer of grease on the pavement…

To most, Nan Alley was a place of disgust, but to him, it was where he grew up.

He thought of the Anhe Neighborhood where Lu Huaizhi lived—two security guards at the gate, stone lions by the fountain wiped spotless, and beautiful, grand water jets.

Shi Sui suddenly asked, “Do you find this place disgusting?”

He regretted it as soon as he asked. “Forget it. Pretend I didn’t say anything.” Why did he care about such things?

Shi Sui took a shortcut, and they soon arrived at the base of his apartment building.

Lu Huaizhi looked up. Unit 7.

Shi Sui: “I’m going up.”

“Wait.” Lu Huaizhi stopped him. “Take your medicine half an hour after eating. It’s in your bag. Take your temperature once before bed. If you feel unwell, don’t just tough it out. A fever isn’t like a common cold; it’s nothing to joke about.”

Shi Sui gave a dismissive wave and turned to head upstairs, but then a cheerful voice rang out from behind.

“Brother, you’re home from school!” Xin Xin had been out for a walk in the garden with her mother. She spotted Shi Sui as soon as they returned.

She jogged over, instinctively grabbing the strap of Shi Sui’s backpack. As she passed Lu Huaizhi, she realized something, and her eyes sparkled. “The brother who raises Tang Tang!”

“It’s me.” Lu Huaizhi couldn’t help but smile. “It seems Xin Xin still remembers Tang Tang.”

“Of course!” Xin Xin immediately grabbed Lu Huaizhi’s sleeve. “Brother, where is Tang Tang? Didn’t you say I could see her again?”

“Tang Tang is at home right now.” Lu Huaizhi glanced at Shi Sui. “How about we video call tonight?”

Xin Xin nodded rapidly. “Okay! I’ll go to the brother’s house across the hall and have him call you!”

Lu Huaizhi: “Deal.”

Shi Sui: “?” Did anyone ask for his opinion?

After Lu Huaizhi left, Shi Sui turned to head up. Xin Xin tugged on his backpack strap and followed him.

Shi Sui looked down at the hand gripping his strap tightly, and his pace slowed.

“Brother,” Xin Xin asked. “I don’t know.”

“Has Tang Tang gained any weight lately?” “I don’t know.”

“Brother, do you…” “I don’t know.”

“Brother,” “I don’t—”

Shi Sui stopped mid-sentence as he noticed something.

The previously empty side pocket of his bag was now occupied by a thermos.

It was blue with a matte texture, looking quite high-end.

It was the very bottle Lu Huaizhi had been holding on the way back.

Shi Sui gritted his teeth. This guy’s ability to sneak things into his bag was as impressive as ever.

Shi Sui got home, threw his bag on the sofa, and boiled some instant noodles. He had only eaten porridge at noon and was starving.

He finished the noodles in a few minutes, then went to the bathroom to check the malfunctioning water heater. It turned out the hot water pipe was clogged. Once he cleared it, it was working again.

Shi Sui took a shower. As he was drying his hair, there was a knock at the door.

“Brother! I’m here!”

Shi Sui opened the door. Xin Xin’s mother looked at him apologetically. “I really couldn’t keep her away. Sorry to trouble you.”

She handed Shi Sui a jar of homemade pickles. “They’re perfect to eat right now.”

Shi Sui hadn’t planned on taking them, but she shoved the jar into his arms while Xin Xin slipped into the apartment.

This time, Xin Xin was very careful to avoid the sunken spot on the sofa, sitting cautiously between two cushions.

Shi Sui put the pickles in the fridge. His fridge usually only held bottled water; this was the first time it held actual food.

Sitting on the sofa, Xin Xin sniffed the air. “Brother, did you eat instant noodles?” “Mom says instant noodles are junk food and shouldn’t be eaten.”

Shi Sui opened the balcony door for ventilation. “Only kids shouldn’t eat them.” He raised an eyebrow at Xin Xin. “Noodles are delicious.”

The child didn’t catch the mischief in his tone and immediately felt a craving.

Shi Sui sent a message to Lu Huaizhi asking if he was free, since Xin Xin wanted to see the cat.

Lu Huaizhi quickly initiated a video call.

Shi Sui had learned his lesson. He handed the phone directly to Xin Xin and curled up at the other end of the sofa to play with a Rubik’s Cube.

Lu Huaizhi had just fed Tang Tang a can of food, and the cat was eating happily.

Xin Xin watched for a while, swallowed, and suddenly asked Lu Huaizhi, “Brother, are instant noodles really delicious?”

Lu Huaizhi stroked Tang Tang’s ears. “Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

Xin Xin replied quickly, “Brother Shi Sui said so. He just ate some and said they were good.”

Shi Sui: “…” He felt a surge of guilt, like a secret bad influence being exposed.

“You can have noodles once in a while, but they aren’t a proper meal,” Lu Huaizhi said. “Especially for someone who is sick; noodles are something to avoid.”

Xin Xin whipped her head toward Shi Sui. “Brother, you said you had a cold this morning!”

Shi Sui, taking another hit: “.”

“He doesn’t just have a cold, he has a fever,” Lu Huaizhi said calmly. “Xin Xin, keep an eye on him for me these next few days. Don’t let him misbehave.”

Xin Xin agreed immediately. “No problem!”

Lu Huaizhi asked, “By the way, Xin Xin, what is your apartment number?” “401.”

Lu Huaizhi was quiet for a moment. “Shi Sui, don’t let Xin Xin hold the phone. It’s too close to her eyes.”

Shi Sui’s hand on the Rubik’s Cube stopped. He glanced over. Sure enough, Xin Xin’s face was almost pressed against the screen.

He pulled the phone away from her, frowning. “Didn’t your mother tell you to hold the phone further away?”

Seeing Shi Sui’s voice turn cold, Xin Xin looked a bit hurt. “Don’t be mean, Brother. I won’t do it again.”

Shi Sui’s cold expression was just instinctive. He hadn’t meant to scare her. His hand holding the phone froze in mid-air, unsure of what to do.

“Xin Xin, Brother Shi Sui isn’t being mean, he’s just worried about you,” Lu Huaizhi said timely. “Just let him hold the phone for you.”

Xin Xin was quickly comforted and nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Shi Sui was forced into the frame, beginning to turn the Rubik’s Cube with one hand to pass the time.

Lu Huaizhi occasionally answered a question from Xin Xin, but his gaze remained on Shi Sui.

Shi Sui must have just showered; his face was flushed from the hot water. He wore a black tank top and sat beside Xin Xin on the sofa, head down as he fiddled with the cube, occasionally nudging Xin Xin’s shoulder back to keep her from getting too close to the phone.

His focused expression made him look even better behaved than Xin Xin.

Shi Sui’s speed on the cube slowed down.

Lu Huaizhi’s gaze was too direct, not softened in the slightest. Shi Sui endured it for a few minutes before hissing through gritted teeth, “Look at your cat!”

Lu Huaizhi slowly averted his gaze.

A short while later, there was a knock at Shi Sui’s door. “Hello, delivery!”

Shi Sui: “?”

He looked at Lu Huaizhi, who said to Xin Xin, “Xin Xin, your brother’s delivery is here. Help him open the door.”

Xin Xin immediately went to the door and brought the delivery in.

Shi Sui looked closer. Millet porridge.

There was no doubt Lu Huaizhi had ordered it again. By walking him home, he’d learned the unit number, and by asking Xin Xin, he’d deduced his exact address.

Is this how top students use their deductive reasoning?

Xin Xin busily set out the bowl and spoon for him. Before the lid was even off, Shi Sui smelled the light fragrance.

His barely-filled stomach let out a growl.

Xin Xin looked at Shi Sui’s stomach in surprise. “Brother’s tummy is talking!”

Shi Sui clearly heard Lu Huaizhi’s low chuckle.

Lu Huaizhi said, “Xin Xin, let’s not bother your brother while he eats. Hold the phone yourself—keep it away from your eyes—and I’ll show you Tang Tang doing a somersault.”

Xin Xin excitedly took the phone from Shi Sui. “Okay!”

The two gave Shi Sui a perfect excuse to eat. Based on his principle of not wasting food, Shi Sui finished the porridge.

When the phone was back in his hand, he checked the delivery receipt and transferred the money to Lu Huaizhi.

Lu Huaizhi accepted it.

Tang Tang was currently on a desk. Lu Huaizhi teased the cat with one hand while holding a pen and writing with the other.

Shi Sui caught a glimpse and looked away. Probably doing homework.

Xin Xin’s time with the cat soon came to an end when her mother knocked to bring her home for bed.

Lu Huaizhi put down his pen and held Tang Tang’s paw to say goodbye.

Xin Xin looked back every few steps. “Brother, can I see the real Tang Tang? Not through a phone?” She wanted to touch the ears and tail just like Lu Huaizhi.

“Sure,” Lu Huaizhi said. “I’ll bring her over next time.”

Xin Xin finally left, satisfied.

Now that the main guest was gone, Shi Sui instinctively wanted to hang up, but Lu Huaizhi asked, “Did you take your medicine?”

Shi Sui: “Yes.”

“Liar.” Lu Huaizhi glanced at Shi Sui’s bag on the sofa in the background. “I put the medicine in your side pocket. It hasn’t been moved.”

Shi Sui looked back and saw the plastic bag sticking out of the pocket. “?”

Given Lu Huaizhi’s personality, would he ever leave a bag sticking out like that?

He looked steadily into Lu Huaizhi’s eyes. “Did you plan this video call from the start?”

Lu Huaizhi didn’t deny it. If Xin Xin hadn’t been there, he would have had Wang Cheng initiate a group call.

Shi Sui realized what was happening, but he didn’t fight his own health. He tilted his head back and swallowed the pills. However, this feeling of being completely seen through by someone made him feel very uneasy.

Just then, Lu Huaizhi took a sip of water.

Shi Sui noticed the blue thermos in his hand was identical to the one currently sitting next to his backpack. It gave him a very strange feeling.

It felt as though they were using the same cup, or perhaps like they had a “couple’s set.”

Either way, it was weird.

Shi Sui’s expression soured, but Lu Huaizhi didn’t seem to notice. After drinking, he went back to writing.

Perhaps because he was at home, Lu Huaizhi’s posture was much more relaxed than in the classroom. His elbows were propped up, he occasionally stroked Tang Tang’s head, and he often paused for a long time after writing a single sentence to think.

This calm attitude left Shi Sui with nowhere to direct his frustration.

“Stop putting random things in my bag from now on.” Shi Sui placed the annoying thermos on the table with a thud. Lu Huaizhi agreed, “Okay.”

“And you’re not allowed to just grab my chin.” Lu Huaizhi’s hand paused. “I’ll be careful next time.”

“Don’t order food for me.” “Got it.”

No matter what Shi Sui said, Lu Huaizhi agreed. However, the speed of his writing increased significantly, as if he were gaining inspiration from what Shi Sui was saying.

This submissive attitude made Shi Sui feel like he was punching a cloud—there was no resistance.

Just then, Lu Huaizhi finished a page, put his pen down, and swapped the paper for a new one.

Shi Sui watched as a flash of pink suddenly flickered across the screen. Was the video lagging?

As if answering his question, Lu Huaizhi folded the paper covered in writing and slid it into a nearby envelope.

The paper was pink, and so was the envelope.

“Wait, Lu Huaizhi—” Shi Sui hissed through his teeth. “What the hell are you writing?”

Lu Huaizhi sealed the envelope and tied a lollipop to it with a ribbon. “A love letter.”

He looked at Shi Sui seriously. “The previous one was too simple. I’m writing you a new one.”

Lately, he’d been so busy tutoring Shi Sui and making practice problems that he’d forgotten about it.

Luckily, the blue letter in Shi Sui’s bag today had reminded him.

Shi Sui: “?” How could this person say something so ridiculous with such a calm face?

“If you dare give that to me, I’ll tear it up right in front of your face, believe me?” He reached into his bag and pulled out the blue one to demonstrate.

Yet Lu Huaizhi’s expression didn’t change. “As you wish.” “I bought 365 sheets. I can write for a long time.”

Shi Sui: “…”