Chapter 55

Chapter 47: Today I Find Your Complexion Improved

There were few people in the classroom, and Ren Yi had surprisingly arrived quite early. As soon as he sat down, he leaned over confidentially and whispered, "Brother Wen, I have something to ask you!"

Wen Liang gave him a surprised look, rarely seeing Ren Yi so humble. He hesitated for a moment,拱拱手 (bowed slightly), and said, "This... Brother, what should I call you today?" He had been busy with Ji Zheng's affairs and hadn't paid attention to what books Ren Yi was reading. His titles always combined with his current obsession with martial arts characters, changing frequently and giving Wen Liang a headache.

Ren Yi was reminded of his sorrow and sighed deeply, "Since Jiu Shimei is dead, how can Yin Jianping live alone? Since Tang Fang is dead, how can Xiao Qiushui live alone? From now on, I will leave the martial world and dedicate myself to being a poet!"

"Poet?" Wen Liang tried hard not to laugh, "Being a poet is good. 'Straightforward love is of no benefit, but melancholy is a clear madness.' Brother Ren, 'This emotion can be cherished as a memory, but at the time it was already lost.' It's better to be more open-minded! A girl like Ji Su, can we really have fantasies about her? Better to let go early and move on..."

Ren Yi was moved by these words, grabbed Wen Liang's hand, and almost shed tears, "True friend, true friend, who would help me on the road? True friends are rare in the world! With Brother Wen as my true friend, even without Ji Su, I would die content." It was clear that to match his new title as a poet, this guy had been memorizing a lot of poetry recently.

Wen Liang was thoroughly disgusted by his poor acting and raised his hands in surrender, "Stop! If you have something to say, just say it, don't play these games! Old Ren, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but flattery also needs some skill. You can't keep being so shameless; it's not a long-term strategy."

Ren Yi put on a smile and said, "I call it adapting to the person. Who made you so susceptible to this? Seriously, I have something I need your help with." He pulled out a square, pink letter from his desk and handed it to Wen Liang, speaking in a low voice, "You're bold and thick-skinned. Help me secretly slip this to Ji Su..."

Wen Liang curiously flipped through it a few times and similarly lowered his voice, "A love letter?"

Ren Yi lowered his head and picked at his fingernails, speaking in a hesitant, almost inaudible voice, "Yeah!"

Wen Liang almost didn't hear it, feeling a bit exasperated, and pointed forward, "Ji Su isn't here. Why don't you just put it in her desk?"

"How can I secretly slip it? At least I should give it to her in person to show sincerity."

"Didn't you say Ji Su and Gu Wenyuan are... something? You still have the nerve to send a love letter?"

Ren Yi puffed out his chest and said, "I read in 'Readers' yesterday, and there was a very reasonable statement: 'Life only comes once, and some things must be done, even if the consequences are unbearable. At least you can tell yourself that your youth was not in vain!'"

The moment Ren Yi mentioned 'Readers,' Wen Liang understood. Wasn't this the holy scripture of the literary youth, alongside 'Liaoning Youth,' 'Tiny Stories,' 'Miscellaneous Essays,' and 'Youth Digest'? For a high school cultural enthusiast like Ren Yi, who had a bit of a bourgeois sentiment, a bit of literary interest, and a bit of sensitivity, it was as if he had been brainwashed by a pyramid scheme.

He felt a bit conflicted. If he had sent it a few days ago, it would have been fine, at most he would have been looked down upon by Ji Su. But now, the relationship with Ji Su was a bit complicated, and helping to deliver a love letter might not be appropriate. Besides, everyone knew that this love letter would definitely not be returned, and the chances of success were virtually zero. "Brother Ren, you know I have a bit of a grudge with Ji Su. If I deliver it, the fifty percent chance will drop to ten percent. The risk is too high. How about..."

Ren Yi didn't say anything, just stared at Wen Liang with a resentful look and said in an incredibly calm voice, "If you don't deliver it, I won't eat snacks for a day!"

Wen Liang smiled bitterly, "What a powerful threat! I'll think about it!"

"Okay, what are you sending?"

Both of them were startled and turned around. Ji Su had entered from the back door of the classroom and was standing behind them, tiptoeing to peek at what was in Wen Liang's hand. When her eyes met Wen Liang's, she smiled, "What are you sending? Maybe I can help?"

Ren Yi had never spoken so closely to Ji Su before. His previous bravado vanished, and he grabbed the love letter back, stammering, "Nothing, nothing, we're just joking."

Ji Su returned to her usual self, behaving gracefully and joking appropriately without seeming out of place. Who would have thought that this charming girl had just gone through such a tragic event? She pointed to the love letter Ren Yi hadn't hidden and laughed, "The paper is folded into a 'Fangsheng Knot.' It's for a girl, right? Student Ren Yi, I never thought you, who usually act like a good boy, would be like this..."

"Good boy? Him?" Wen Liang was astonished, trying to find any trace of a good boy on Ren Yi's face, which was lost in a daze, "Student Ji Su, I have to say, your judgment of people is really unreliable!"

Ji Su chuckled, "Maybe, I haven't been very accurate in the past, but I won't be in the future. I believe in myself!"

The topic was getting dangerous, so Wen Liang wanted to shift the blame. Ignoring Ren Yi's resistance, he snatched the letter from his hand and pretended to study it, "What's a 'Fangsheng Knot'? Brother Ren, I never thought you were so cultured!"

After the initial confusion, Ren Yi quickly calmed down, and his usual lewd and shameless nature took over, "Culture is an inner quality. Only someone equally cultured can see it. Like Student Ji Su, who immediately recognized it as a 'Fangsheng Knot.' Wang Shifu wrote in 'The Western Chamber,' 'Fold the flower paper and brocade words into a heart-shaped Fangsheng Knot,' which means folding the paper into two diamond shapes and then crossing them, that's a Fangsheng Knot!"

Wen Liang clapped in admiration, "Among three people, there must be a teacher. Teacher Ren, you are truly erudite and talented..." Ren Yi stood proudly, "But who is your wife?"

This hit too hard, and Ren Yi choked and coughed, his face turning red under Ji Su's curious gaze, "Don't talk nonsense, what wife? I was just folding it for fun."

Many classmates had gathered around, and some had already noticed them, but they hadn't thought much of it. Ji Su was the class monitor and English representative, so she might have been collecting homework with Wen Liang and Ren Yi. Wen Liang, seeing that the joke had gone far enough, didn't want to be the center of attention and whispered, "Student Ji Su, if you have nothing else, you should go back to your seat. Class is about to start."

Ren Yi wanted to kick him. In such a good atmosphere, a treatment others would beg for, and this guy was eager to send her away? Just as he was about to say something more, he was stunned.

Ji Su took out a transparent plastic bag from behind her, with four green characters printed on it: "Qinghe Soy Milk." Inside, there was a cup of soy milk and two scallion pancakes. She placed it on Wen Liang's desk and said casually, "I happened to pass by Eighth Road, where there's a famous soy milk shop. I tried it, and it's really good. Try it." She forced herself to say this without blushing, and before Wen Liang could refuse, she quickly returned to her seat, head down, and took out her textbook.

The classmates who had been watching from the side had the same expression as Ren Yi, eyes wide open, mouths slightly agape, and a dazed look, as if they had seen a ghost. After a while, they reacted, and the classroom was filled with excited chatter.

"Are you kidding? Am I blind?"

"No, not blind, our eyes are just blurry!"

"Bringing breakfast, Ji Su bringing breakfast? Damn!"

"Turns out... the goddess is human too. If I had known, I would have made a move. Maybe I would be the one enjoying this treatment today!"

"With your looks, in your dreams! Damn, I'll tell the teacher, early romance is not allowed!"

All kinds of comments, like infrared-guided missiles, drilled into Wen Liang's ears. In his past life, he knew the immense impact of Ji Su. When the news of her being with Gu Wenyuan spread, how many boys were heartbroken? But he was still shocked by the overwhelming resentment he felt now.

What's going on? This is even more unjust than Qingwen in 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' bearing a false reputation?

Ren Yi, recovering from his shock, his first reaction was to grab a pencil knife and fight. Wen Liang casually took it from him, coldly snorted, and drew a line on the desk, saying fiercely, "No more brotherhood. From today, we cut ties!"

Wen Liang threw the pencil knife back, "Use this to cut, drawing a line isn't effective!"

Ren Yi, who still didn't understand what "effective" meant, suddenly pounded his chest and wailed, "This life is unbearable. The goddess has descended, my brother has betrayed me, my dreams are shattered, my life is over. Alas, what can relieve my worries? Only soy milk!"

Damn, this guy really has become a poet. Wen Liang picked up the plastic bag and shoved it into his arms, irritated, "Stop messing around. If you want to drink, just say so. I'm already annoyed, don't provoke me."

Ren Yi, though playful, was not without a sense of propriety. He looked at the plastic bag for a moment and sighed, "This is for you, so it's yours. I know my place. All those Jiu Shimei and Tang Fang were just jokes, don't take them to heart."

Ren Yi's most endearing quality was that he never let his bad mood last more than three seconds. He lightly bumped Wen Liang's shoulder and laughed, "How did you get Ji Su to fall for you? Tell me!"

Wen Liang smiled bitterly and shook his head. He didn't understand why the usually wise Ji Su had suddenly become so impulsive. He naturally didn't delude himself into thinking Ji Su had feelings for him so quickly. She was just expressing her gratitude in her own way. But, sister, this is school, a place where a bit of gossip can be magnified countless times. Compared to the gossip sections of online communities in the future, this era's high school was just a joke.

Meng Ke was also asking the same question. Ji Su completely ignored the shock her actions had caused in Class 3 and said calmly, "I have nothing with him. I just wanted to express my gratitude, that's all!"

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End of Chapter 47