Chapter 86

In her bedroom, Xu Youyu tossed her backpack onto the chair, turned on the computer, and pulled open the zipper to take out the envelope.

Compared to Ying Chanxi, Xu Youyu received slightly fewer letters.

After all, most Gao Er club members were already familiar with Xu Youyu's temperament and knew writing to her would likely yield no reply.

So many Gao Er boys quietly sent their letters to first-year girls instead.

Among them, Ying Chanxi received the most.

Thus, apart from one letter from a first-year boy, Xu Youyu received only one or two letters from other Gao Er female club members.

In total, eleven letters.

Xu Youyu casually opened one, glanced at it briefly.

Besides the two letters from girls, Xu Youyu considered for a moment and wrote two replies; the rest of the boys' letters, she barely glanced at before setting them aside.

She knew well that sometimes you must not give too many signals.

Otherwise, some boys would mistake politeness for affection, then internally indulge in their own fantasies and brainwash themselves into endless daydreaming machines, which was extremely annoying.

▲co

So she always maintained proper boundaries with ordinary boys.

Only boys like Li Luo—who often sneakily stared at her chest but rarely sent her any ambiguous signals—could make Xu Youyu lower her guard and enjoy the simple pleasure of friendship.

But such boys were exceedingly rare; Xu Youyu didn't expect to encounter them often.

She resealed the letters she'd read, then picked up the one from Ying Chanxi.

【Youyu Sister:】

【As I wrote this letter, I recalled the surprise of our first meeting during summer vacation.】

【I suppose we must have great destiny—we met by chance in Li Luo's newly bought house and ended up living under the same roof.】

【During this time together, I've learned you're an open-minded, easygoing girl, and our daily conversations have been very pleasant.】

【I hope in the time ahead, we can continue to maintain this harmonious atmosphere as we have so far.】

【—Ying Chanxi】

【September 6, 2014】

Ying Chanxi's letter was conventional enough; Xu Youyu propped her chin as she finished reading, then picked up Li Luo's letter.

The moment she opened it, Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow and let out a soft hum.

【Gluttonous Senior:】

【First, some good news:】

【With this letter, you may apply to halve your cleaning duties.】

【Happy?】

【No need to thank me—if you really must, helping me wash clothes for another month wouldn't hurt.】

【Nothing much else to say; since this is the Literature Club, I'll just share some books.】

【But I'm indifferent to traditional classics—I never liked them since childhood—so I can only recommend some online novels I occasionally read.】

【Here's the list:】

【……】

【Literary Era】

【……】

【Oh, by the way, if you want to eat anything, just say so—just buy the ingredients yourself; you don't have to stick to fried noodles every day.】

【But if you really gain weight later, don't blame me.】

【—Li Luo】

【September 6, 2014】

Xu Youyu: "?"

This bastard!

Why the hell is he recommending online novels out of nowhere?

And why is his own book on the list?

Seeing "Literary Era" on the list, Xu Youyu's heart skipped a beat.

But then she thought: Li Luo was Chongran—he'd read her books before, so that was understandable.

Back when they chatted on QQ, Li Luo even said her writing was better than his.

Could it really be that he liked her?

Xu Youyu stroked her chin, pondering, her expression odd, then slightly pleased.

Being acknowledged felt pretty good.

She reread the letter and realized Li Luo actually intended to reduce her cleaning duties.

Hmph, at least he's sensible.

As for late-night snacks, she hadn't grown tired of fried noodles yet, so it didn't matter.

Thinking this, Xu Youyu picked up paper and pen, spinning a ballpoint pen in her hand, considering how to reply to both letters.

Meanwhile, in Ying Chanxi's bedroom.

After returning to her room, she took out Xu Youyu's and Li Luo's letters and set them aside, then placed the remaining dozen or so letters into another pile.

Altogether, fifteen letters.

She prepared paper and pen, then opened one.

The content was simple—mostly expressions of admiration, asking if they could be pen pals.

Some had known Ying Chanxi even before joining the Literature Club, having heard of her reputation, or caught a glimpse of her on campus and been deeply captivated.

Ying Chanxi was already used to this kind of thing; after all, she had often received love letters in junior high.

In the period leading up to the junior high entrance exam, love letters poured in daily—she might return from the bathroom to find another one in her desk drawer.

Once, someone even sent her a blood letter, which was downright disgusting; later, that person was secretly beaten up by Li Luo, and only then did Ying Chanxi's unease begin to ease.

As she recalled these memories, Ying Chanxi read the letters.

After reading each one, she wrote a reply.

The replies were brief and to the point: thank you for your kindness, but she had no interest in becoming a pen pal—usually just one or two sentences to end it.

Repeating this process, even Liu Shaowen's letter was dealt with in the same way.

When she finished everything, Ying Chanxi sighed, stretched out in her chair, as if she'd just completed her homework and could finally relax.

Compared to reading these letters, Ying Chanxi found reading Xu Youyu's and Li Luo's letters much easier.

She picked up their envelopes, climbed onto the bed, and pulled the panda plush over.

Then she lay face-down on the panda, her chin resting on its head, and began reading their letters.

【Xixi:】

【Hi~】

【When I moved apartments, I was worried I'd be kicked out—haha~】

【I never expected to see you here.】

【To be honest, I don't have many friends at school.】

【Aside from my desk partner, whom I often eat with, I hardly have any close friends.】

【So I'm glad it's you and Li Luo who moved in.】

【Going to and from school together every day, having late-night snacks and chatting—it's already the perfect roommate life I've always dreamed of.】

【I hope these fun days can last forever.】

【—Xu Youyu】

【September 6, 2014】

Don't you have many friends at school either?

Ying Chanxi was slightly surprised.

She had assumed someone as cheerful and open-minded as Xu Youyu would be popular.

Hmm… not quite right.

Ying Chanxi thought for a moment and understood.

After all, she herself was much the same.

Though it might sound conceited, truly outstanding girls often automatically repel other girls around them.

It's like an invisible magnetic field.

And boys, to varying degrees, all had obvious ulterior motives—it was hard to be casual with them.

Over time, you end up with few friends.

But now that she knew Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng, Ying Chanxi felt it was rather nice.

At least they were all very pretty?

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi smiled, lifted her feet, and swung them in the air, wondering if she was being a little shameless.

Then, with anticipation, she opened Li Luo's envelope.

【Little Dumpling:】

【Let me guess—how many letters did you get?】

【Based on my estimate, counting yours and Xu Youyu's, plus the number of first- and second-year male club members…】

【Maybe ten to fifteen?】

【Wanna make a bet?】

▲￠o

【If I'm right… hmm, nothing fun to wager.】

【How about you learn to oink like a pig?】

【If I'm wrong, I'll pretend I never said it.】

【Alright, joking's over—let's talk seriously now.】

【Regardless, we've both gotten into the same high school.】

【Trust me, three years from now I'll get into Qianjiang University—you don't need to worry about that.】

【Instead of stressing over it, take better care of yourself. Don't pour all your time into studying—learn to relax sometimes.】

【I won't say more.】

【After reading this, remember to come learn pig noises from me.】

【—Li Luo】

【September 6, 2014】

Dumpling? Ying Chanxi wrinkled her nose at the opening, thinking, You're the dumpling.

Want me to oink? How cute.

After reading the sincere parts later on, her expression softened—but when she saw the last line, she rolled her eyes.

She flipped off the bed, dashed out of the bedroom, and ran into the living room to find Li Luo.

"Oh? You really came to learn pig noises?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow, having just put away the letters, and grinned.

"You treat letters like betting stakes?" Ying Chanxi scowled, her pale bare feet stepping directly onto his thigh, and slapped the letter onto the table with a snap. "Rewrite it!"

"Delete the betting part, expand the rest, and don't write fewer words than I did."

"Otherwise I'll let you learn tonight what a pig squeal sounds like."

Li Luo looked at Ying Chanxi beside him, chuckled twice, and said, "I think it's still necessary to remind you that the physical difference between guys and girls is actually pretty big."

……

Xu Youyu, who had originally been planning to write first, suddenly heard a ruckus coming from outside.

Walking out of the bedroom out of curiosity, Xu Youyu looked toward the living room and saw Ying Chanxi being pinned down on the sofa by Li Luo, restrained from behind.

Two fair, tender little feet kicked about wildly, without the slightest bit of lethality.

"What are you two doing?" Xu Youyu said, a little caught between laughter and tears.

"Sister, save me!" Ying Chanxi wailed, her hands pinned behind her back, unable to move at all. "Li Luo is bullying me!"

"Senior, don't move," Li Luo said loudly. "As long as you stand by and watch, I'll cut your cleaning time in half again."

"Deal?" Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow.

"Deal." Li Luo grinned, then lowered his head and leaned close to Ying Chanxi's ear. "Keep squealing?"

"I'm going to tell Lin Yi," Ying Chanxi said, puffing out her cheeks in displeasure.

"You sure about that?" Li Luo placed his hand at Ying Chanxi's armpit.

"Ah! No, no!" Ying Chanxi twisted her body and immediately begged for mercy. "Stop tickling me!"

"Then make a pig squeal."

"No way… ahahahaha~ wait…"

Watching this scene, Xu Youyu immediately covered her forehead and sighed, "You two are really childish."