The Blue Envelope

Lu Huaizhi lied without blinking, successfully tricking Tian Hongjun.

Tian Hongjun stayed in the classroom for a while longer. Under his scrutinizing gaze, Lu Huaizhi naturally taught Shi Sui two more physics problems.

“Alright, I’m heading out,” Tian Hongjun said with a face full of relief. Before leaving, he glared at the expressionless Shi Sui. “Don’t give me that look. Study hard!”

“And if I catch you smoking in the classroom again, you’ll be scrubbing toilets for seven days!” The room reeked of smoke.

After dropping that threat, Tian Hongjun closed the door and left.

Shi Sui pressed down on his exam paper, annoyed. “Can’t even smoke after school.” He began stuffing his things haphazardly into his backpack.

Seeing him prepare to leave, Lu Huaizhi grabbed his backpack strap. “Not studying anymore?”

Shi Sui refused: “Study my *ss.” His head was spinning from those physics formulas.

He looked at Lu Huaizhi’s hand on his bag and warned, “Let go.”

Lu Huaizhi didn’t let go. “I think you put my Chinese and Physics papers in your bag.”

Shi Sui’s cool exit stalled. He flopped back into his chair and tossed the backpack into Lu Huaizhi’s lap. “Find them yourself.” There were too many papers; he was too lazy to look.

Lu Huaizhi unzipped the bag slowly. While searching, he asked, “Are we doing tutoring after school tomorrow too?”

Shi Sui: “No—”

“Teacher Tian might come to check,” Lu Huaizhi interrupted. “I think we should keep up appearances.”

Shi Sui frowned. “You want to teach me?” The intention was far too obvious.

Lu Huaizhi pursed his lips, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Shi Sui: “Speak.”

“Yes,” Lu Huaizhi admitted. “I can help you.” “And I want to spend more time with you.”

Shi Sui automatically ignored the last bit of nonsense. He stood up, walked to the score sheet on the wall, and used his hand to piece together the torn corner. He pointed to a specific person’s score. “If I learn from you, can I score like this next time?”

“Ranked in the top 400.”

Lu Huaizhi carefully examined that person’s scores, then looked down at Shi Sui’s row of single-digit grades. He fell silent.

Shi Sui grew irritated by the silence. Just as he was about to say “forget it,” Lu Huaizhi spoke.

“I can’t guarantee that, but—” Lu Huaizhi paused. “I can guarantee you won’t get only 8 points in Physics.”

Shi Sui: “?” He shouldn’t have asked!

Shi Sui snatched his backpack from Lu Huaizhi and slammed the door as he left.

All the way home, Shi Sui regretted not beating Lu Huaizhi up before leaving.

As he reached his apartment building, the scent of dinner and the sounds of laughter from the various units made him even more restless.

He habitually pulled a cigarette from his pocket. As he prepared to light it, he inexplicably lowered his head and sniffed his fingers. There was no smell at all.

How did Lu Huaizhi smell it? Dog nose.

But the mood was ruined, so he put the cigarette back.

At least the kid was sensible enough not to mention the near-fight and managed to fool Tian Hongjun. He’d even been quick enough to take back the love letter.

Shi Sui thought absentmindedly that Lu Huaizhi at least knew when to be discreet.

He searched for his keys in his backpack while climbing the stairs. He didn’t find the keys, but he felt a thin, slightly stiff piece of cardstock.

Shi Sui suddenly had a very bad feeling.

He stopped on the third-floor landing and slowly pulled the object out.

The light in the old building was covered in dust, casting a dim, yellow glow, but it was enough to see what was in his hand.

A sky-blue envelope with a lollipop wrapped around it. It was the love letter Lu Huaizhi hadn’t sent earlier.

Shi Sui gripped the letter, the paper making a fragile crinkling sound. No wonder Lu Huaizhi was so slow looking through his bag; he was busy stuffing this thing inside.

And a lollipop? Is he a kindergartner?

Just as he was deciding whether to tear it up or slap it onto Lu Huaizhi’s face tomorrow, a soft sound of breathing came from the darkness above.

Shi Sui’s eyes sharpened. “Who’s there!”

The voice-activated light on the fourth floor flickered on. Shi Sui looked up and saw a small dark shadow huddled in the hallway. It flinched violently at his voice.

Shi Sui’s eyes locked with those of a red-eyed little girl.

The next moment, the girl burst into tears, large droplets rolling down her cheeks.

Shi Sui’s face went stiff. He stared into those round eyes until the girl started hiccuping from crying. Finally, he asked, “Where’s your mom?”

This was Xinxin, the girl living across from him. He didn’t know why she was squatting outside alone.

“Mama is… working late…” Xinxin’s voice was broken by sobs. “Told me… to wait… here…”

Her mother had called ahead, planning to have the auntie from upstairs who worked at a preschool watch her. But the auntie had her own children to care for, so Xinxin had offered to wait at the door.

She hadn’t expected her mother to work this late.

The hallway was dark and full of mosquitoes. She had been hugging her arms and enduring it until Shi Sui appeared. The sudden fright broke her remaining resolve, and she let out all her pent-up fear.

Xinxin tried to suppress her sobs. “Brother, can I stay at your house for a bit?”

Shi Sui didn’t say anything. He looked down and saw clearly that the child’s arms and legs were covered in mosquito bites.

He opened his door with his key. After stepping inside, he glanced back. “Aren’t you coming in?”

Xinxin immediately grabbed her backpack and ran over.

Shi Sui turned on the light. The child instinctively blinked. Once her eyes adjusted, she looked around curiously.

“Brother, your house is so small and empty.” Children’s descriptions were always blunt.

Shi Sui’s home was a one-bedroom apartment with a bathroom and a kitchen. The living room only had a heavily worn sofa and a simple coffee table. There wasn’t even a TV.

“Can I sit on the sofa?”

Shi Sui poured himself a glass of water. “Whatever.”

Given permission, the girl put her backpack on the sofa and carefully climbed up. But as soon as she sat, she let out a small cry.

Shi Sui turned and saw the girl trapped in the sofa at a strange angle.

The sofa was so old that the center had completely sagged. Shi Sui was used to it, but the little girl didn’t know. As soon as she sat down, she was stuck in the hole, unable to get back up.

Having never faced such a situation, she looked at Shi Sui helplessly.

Shi Sui was speechless. He pulled her out of the sofa, then took his school jacket out of his bag and folded it as a cushion for her.

“Brother, I want water too.”

Shi Sui: “…” He instinctively reached for yesterday’s cold water, but after thinking about it, he filled the kettle and boiled a fresh batch.

After drinking, Shi Sui sat on the edge of the sofa while the girl applied floral water to her mosquito bites.

Perhaps from the scent or the situation, her eyes remained red. She kept stealing glances at him, looking anxious and pitiful.

Shi Sui pursed his lips and pulled out his phone, finding the [A Nest of Dogs] group. After he had left, Wang Cheng had dragged him back in.

– ss: How do you comfort a kid?

The fastest responder was always Wang Cheng.

– Wangwang: Huh? You have a kid at your place? – ss: Neighbor’s. Watching her for a bit. – ss: She looks like she’s going to cry again.

Coincidentally, Shi Sui turned his head, and their eyes met. The girl’s mouth wobbled, and a tear splashed down. This time it was silent, as if she were afraid of making him dislike her.

Shi Sui remained wooden. Was he really that scary?

His phone vibrated with a response.

– Chi Qing: When my neighbor’s kid cries, the adults usually bribe them with KFC or McDonald’s. Why don’t you take her for a meal?

– Wangwang: Why make it so complicated? You know how my dad raised me? – Wangwang: Two days without a beating and I’m on the roof. – Wangwang: Take my advice—one smack and they behave.

– ss: … One more useless than the other.

– Wangwang: If you’re really out of options, why not ask the Top Student? – Wangwang: @Lu.

Less than a minute later, Lu Huaizhi replied. – Lu: I’ll message you privately.

Shi Sui hesitated for a long time before pulling Lu Huaizhi out of the blacklist.

– Lu Huaizhi Grade 11 Class 3: Do you have any snacks at home?

Shi Sui looked around. Aside from instant noodles and water, there was nothing. Sausages? He remembered having a few left over from his last bowl of noodles.

He prepared to search the box under the coffee table, but his eyes landed on the open backpack and the lollipop wrapped around the love letter.

He unwrapped the lollipop and handed it to the girl. With something in her mouth, she finally stopped crying.

However, she still looked at him with a red face and asked softly, “Brother, when is my mama coming back?” “I don’t know,” Shi Sui said truthfully.

“Oh.” The girl picked at the fuzz on the sofa edge, looking down and going silent.

Shi Sui asked her, “Where’s your dad?” She had only mentioned her mother, never her father.

“Mama says Papa went somewhere very, very far away.” The girl lowered her head further, her voice bordering on tears again. “Mama raises me alone. Lots of people talk about her behind her back.” “Mama works very hard.”

Shi Sui’s shoulders tensed for a moment. He looked down at the yellowed floor tiles and fell silent. At least she had a mother.

Soon, a soft sniffing sound started beside him.

Just then, Lu Huaizhi sent a message.

– Lu Huaizhi Grade 11 Class 3: Is she comforted?

Shi Sui looked at the wet patch on the sofa. He felt as if his heart were like that damp cotton—stifling and heavy. His grip on his phone tightened.

– ss: No.

The next second, a video call request from Lu Huaizhi popped up. Shi Sui looked at the girl’s tear-streaked face and accepted.

When the video connected, a large, grey, fluffy tail appeared on the screen. It wagged back and forth, the tip almost hitting the lens.

The sobbing beside him stopped. Even Shi Sui was stunned. The messy emotions from earlier were miraculously chased away by this strange sight.

Lu Huaizhi’s voice came through the phone. “This is my Ragdoll cat, Tangtang.” He held down the wagging tail. “Stop hitting my phone.”

Lu Huaizhi had likely just showered; there were traces of water on his face. He wore loose, light-white pajamas with a towel draped over his shoulder. Only half of his face was visible, showing a sharp jawline.

The Ragdoll cat was nestled in his arms, its rear facing the camera. Lu Huaizhi scratched its chin, and it tilted its head back, squinting its eyes and purring loudly.

The little girl’s eyes widened. “It’s so pretty.”

Lu Huaizhi moved the phone. “Call its name, it will respond to you.”

“Tangtang!” Xinxin called out immediately.

Hearing the voice, the cat looked curiously at the phone. Its large blue eyes were fully visible on the screen, and it let out a soft “meow” toward the device.

Xinxin excitedly leaned toward the phone to see better, forgetting she was on the sofa. She tilted sideways and almost fell off. Shi Sui immediately caught her shoulder. “Don’t move.”

Lu Huaizhi spoke: “Don’t hold the phone so far away. The child will chase it.”

Shi Sui adjusted his position several times. Finally, he appeared on camera with a wooden face, forced to watch Lu Huaizhi use a cat to entertain a child.

While showing Xinxin the pink pads on the cat’s paws, Lu Huaizhi asked Shi Sui, “Have you eaten?”

Shi Sui instinctively wanted to say “none of your business,” but seeing Xinxin out of the corner of his eye, he stopped himself. “No,” he replied stiffly.

Xinxin, enjoying her lollipop, said, “I haven’t eaten either, but I have a lollipop!”

Lu Huaizhi noticed the light-red candy wrapper near the sofa. It looked familiar. He paused and asked, “What flavor is it?”

“Lychee! It was tied to a piece of paper. Brother took it off for me to eat! He even stared at that paper for a long time!”

Shi Sui suddenly covered Xinxin’s mouth. “Stop talking nonsense!” His voice was tinged with embarrassment and rage.

Then, he heard Lu Huaizhi’s voice, clearly containing a smile: “That paper is very important. Only Brother can see it. Xinxin mustn’t peek.”

“Peek my *ss!” Shi Sui looked at the curve of Lu Huaizhi’s lips on the screen and said viciously, “Don’t laugh!”

Lu Huaizhi moved the camera slightly so his face was no longer visible. “Mhm, I’m not laughing.”

Shi Sui rubbed his heating ear and gave the phone to Xinxin. “You talk to him. I’m going to wash my face.”

“Xinxin wants to wash her face too!” The girl felt sticky around her mouth from the candy.

Shi Sui had to carry her over. He propped the phone up in a crack in a shelf and watched Xinxin wash her hands and mouth. After she was clean, Shi Sui lowered his head and gave his face a quick wash.

Because of the phone’s angle, Lu Huaizhi could only see Shi Sui’s neck and shoulders. As he washed, the loose T-shirt moved. Lu Huaizhi could clearly see the water dampening the collar, with some droplets trailing down the prominent Adam’s apple.

Lu Huaizhi’s gaze shifted down. Realizing something, he quickly looked away, eventually settling on the slight indentation on the right side of Shi Sui’s collarbone. There was a small black mole there, nearly invisible if one didn’t look closely.

Having been rubbed roughly by Shi Sui’s hand, a few light-red marks appeared on his slender neck, right around the mole. Shi Sui’s skin seemed to mark easily. Was it because he was so pale?

Soon, the phone was picked up. The view flipped, and the cramped bathroom environment flashed by. Shi Sui wiped the water from his face and handed the phone back to the girl. “Alright, go back to looking at the cat!”

“Wait,” Lu Huaizhi said. “The delivery I ordered has arrived. Remember to go pick it up.”

Shi Sui looked confused. “Who told you to order?”

“Didn’t Xinxin say she hadn’t eaten?” Lu Huaizhi’s voice was steady. “We can’t let a child go hungry.” “I didn’t know your specific building, so I told the driver to leave it at the complex gate. If they can’t find anyone, they’ll call out the name.”

“You’re so much trouble…” Shi Sui ruffled his hair in annoyance, put on his shoes, and dashed out. He didn’t want to hear someone shouting his name at the gate in the middle of the night.

The delivery was heavy—sandwiches, burgers, grilled sausages, chicken rolls, oden… And a single lychee-flavored lollipop.

Lu Huaizhi explained, “I had them get things from the convenience store. One of everything.” He added softly, “The lollipop is specifically for you. Don’t give it to her.”

Shi Sui ignored him. He tossed the annoying lollipop onto the back of the sofa, laid the food out on the coffee table, and pushed it toward Xinxin. “Eat.”

Leaving her to it, he found a sticky note from a corner and wrote: [Xinxin is in 402.] He stuck it on the neighbor’s door. He was worried her mother would come back and not find her.

When he returned, Xinxin hadn’t touched a bite. She was looking at him expectantly.

“Not good?”

“No.” Xinxin stole a glance at the video on the phone and swallowed before saying, “I can’t eat all this alone. Can Brother eat with me?”

Shi Sui said coldly, “No.”

Xinxin’s face fell. She fidgeted with her wooden chopsticks. “At home, Mama always eats with me…” She looked ready to cry again.

Ultimately, Shi Sui had to sit stiffly beside the girl and eat with her. The child had a small appetite; she was full after one sandwich. The rest went into Shi Sui’s stomach.

While Shi Sui was cleaning the table, Xinxin flashed a peace sign at Lu Huaizhi. The scene went back to twenty minutes ago when Shi Sui went to get the delivery.

“Xinxin, that brother hasn’t eaten either,” Lu Huaizhi had said. Xinxin understood immediately. “Then I’ll invite Brother to eat with me.” “But will he agree?” Her intuition told her he wouldn’t. “If he doesn’t agree, you cry.” Lu Huaizhi scratched the cat’s chin and smiled. “He’s most afraid of kids crying.”

Shi Sui had no idea about the secret transaction. Just as he finished clearing the trash, there was a knock on the door. Xinxin’s mother had finally returned. She thanked Shi Sui repeatedly.

Xinxin was reluctant to leave. “Brother, can I come see the cat again next time?” Before he could answer, Lu Huaizhi’s voice came from the phone on the table: “Yes.”

After they left, Shi Sui looked coldly at the phone.

“Glarring at me off-camera won’t work,” Lu Huaizhi said. “Do you want to come over and see the cat?” “Tangtang can do somersaults. I’ll make him do one for you.”

Shi Sui: “I’ll watch if you do a somersault.”

Lu Huaizhi was silent for a moment. “If you want to see it, I can try.”

Shi Sui: “…” He hung up immediately. Go do somersaults with your cat!

He pulled the charging cable from his bag to plug in his phone, accidentally knocking something out of the bag onto the floor.

A blue envelope. A section of the letter inside had slid out.

Shi Sui stared at the half-open love letter on the floor. He faced off with it with a cold expression for a while before finally picking it up. He couldn’t leave trash on the floor.

He sat on the sofa with the letter and felt something hard underneath. He reached down; it was the lollipop. He instinctively unwrapped it and put it in his mouth.

As the lychee sweetness spread, Shi Sui froze. Lu Huaizhi had bought this candy.

He glanced at his phone. It was dark and silent. Right, the video was over. Even if he ate the lollipop Lu Huaizhi bought, he wouldn’t be caught.

The love letter too. He’d take one look and then destroy the evidence.

So, with the lollipop in his mouth, Shi Sui opened the blue envelope. The letter only had three words—

[I like you.]

The handwriting was neat and disciplined, but the content was bold and reckless.

Shi Sui’s ears turned beet red. He stuffed the letter back into the envelope.

“You can write so many words for an essay, but you can only squeeze out one sentence for a love letter,” Shi Sui cursed under his breath.

His fingers tensed, ready to tear the annoying thing to pieces. But after a moment, he roughly shoved it back into his backpack.

Shi Sui crunched the lollipop in his mouth. “Just wait. I’ll slap this stupid letter onto your face tomorrow.”