Chapter 146 — Delivering a "Love Letter"

But after two knocks, the curtain inside did not stir, and Tang Yun did not open the window. Wei Zhao was a little puzzled. She could hardly have left the classroom so soon, could she? He had come at a gallop, and had they not agreed, during the break after the last period, that he would come by and bring her the recipe?

At the thought, Wei Zhao knocked on the window again, hard. She couldn't have failed to hear that, surely?

This time there was finally a reaction from inside; Tang Yun lifted a corner of the curtain. But she did not open the window. Her face slightly flushed, she put a hand to her mouth, made a hush gesture at Wei Zhao, and then waved her hand.

What on earth was that supposed to mean? Wei Zhao was baffled. Come on, just say something, would you? If you speak, I can read your lips and understand what you mean. But you go and shush me and wave your hand — who is supposed to make sense of that?

But just then, the door of the Class Nine, Senior Three classroom opened, and a middle-aged woman came out. Looking at Wei Zhao knocking on the window, she demanded sharply: "Who is that knocking on the window? What class are you in?"

Wei Zhao was startled. What in the... a teacher coming out? Had the class run overtime?

At the thought, Wei Zhao broke into a cold sweat. All that knocking of his had disrupted the teacher's lesson — no wonder she had come out to give him an earful.

"Uh, sorry, I thought class was already over..." Wei Zhao said, scratching his scalp.

"You..." Teacher Song, the homeroom teacher of Class Nine, Senior Three, looked at Wei Zhao and was briefly taken aback, and then she remembered what had happened during morning exercises a few days earlier. They said this was the one who had been named one of the school's newly crowned Four Great Young Tyrants — and after kicking up such a storm, he had come away with nothing on his record, so his family background must be no small thing.

Teacher Song frowned. She had no wish to squabble with a student like this; there was no point to it, only a waste of breath, and there was no telling whether he would listen to a word she said. So she simply gave up on the lecture and asked outright: "What are you knocking on the window for?"

"I'm looking for Tang Yun," Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"Looking for Tang Yun?" Teacher Song frowned. She could not imagine what business this delinquent had with Tang Yun, the prize student of her own class. She was about to refuse when she suddenly recalled Director Wang's words that morning — that where matters concerning Tang Yun were concerned, she was to give the girl more freedom... At that, Teacher Song decided not to refuse him outright, and to ask Tang Yun what she thought. Ordinarily she would simply have shooed Wei Zhao away: "What's your name..."

"Wei Zhao," Wei Zhao said.

"Then wait a moment." With that, Teacher Song turned and walked back into the classroom, and said to Tang Yun: "Tang Yun, there's a student outside looking for you, named Wei Zhao. Will you go and see him?"

Tang Yun was so furious she could have gone mad. Honestly — any time at all would have been better than this! Coming to find her right in front of the teacher, and knocking on the window of all things — wasn't that just making a fool of her?

Even if... even if you rode the bus again tomorrow morning, and I got teased by you one more time, giving it to me then would still have been better than now.

Ai, Tang Yun felt a wave of sorrow. How had her life turned so wretched ever since she met Wei Zhao? That delinquent.

And if she did not go out to see him, what if Wei Zhao simply kept on knocking at the window? What if he took offense and refused to give her the recipe? Not that she cared a fig for his wretched recipe, but her mother needed it... And if she did not go out to get it, and her mother ended up coming in person, would that not make things even harder for her?

At the thought, Tang Yun could only rise to her feet and say to Teacher Song: "Teacher Song, I'll just step outside for a moment..."

Teacher Song was taken aback. She knew how Tang Yun usually behaved. There was an endless stream of suitors at school, and not a few rich young masters among them, yet Tang Yun paid none of them any mind — never mind going out to meet one who came to the classroom; even running into one in the halls, she would take the initiative to avoid him. And this time...

But since Tang Yun had decided to go out and see Wei Zhao, Teacher Song could hardly say much. She nodded, but followed Tang Yun to the classroom door and watched the two of them from there, to see what they were up to — if Wei Zhao pestered Tang Yun, she would be able to step in and stop him.

"Why did you come at a time like this?" Tang Yun pouted, looking at Wei Zhao with displeasure. "It's our homeroom teacher's class, and it isn't over yet. Didn't you see the gesture I gave you?"

"You shushed me and waved your hand — how was I supposed to know what you wanted?" Wei Zhao shrugged innocently. "Didn't we agree? That I'd give you the recipe at the break after this period..."

"Aiyah..." Tang Yun sighed faintly, full of helplessness. "Then just give it to me quickly."

"Here." Wei Zhao took out the written recipe and handed it to Tang Yun.

Tang Yun took it and slipped it straight into her pocket without even opening it. "I'm going back in. Don't go knocking on windows at random next time."

"Next time?" Wei Zhao was taken aback.

Only then did Tang Yun realize her slip of the tongue — by saying that, had she not as good as told Wei Zhao to come and harass her again next time? She hurriedly corrected herself: "There won't be a next time."

With that, afraid of angering the young master, she did not dare look at him, and turning, head down, she ran quickly back toward her classroom — and nearly collided head-on with Teacher Song...

"Ah... s-sorry, Teacher Song..." Tang Yun's face flushed slightly.

"Go on back. Be more careful next time." Teacher Song knitted her brows. She did not care in the least that Tang Yun had nearly bumped into her; what she cared about was — what had Wei Zhao just given Tang Yun? It looked like a folded piece of paper?

And after receiving it, Tang Yun had fled back, red-faced, as if running for her life?

Teacher Song quite naturally took Tang Yun's blush of embarrassment at nearly bumping into her for a blush of shyness...

Could it be... a love letter? At that possibility, Teacher Song shook her head. Had the girl taken leave of her senses? She had never once accepted a boy's love letter before. What had come over her this time? Not only had she made an exception to see Wei Zhao, she had even accepted his love letter, and with a face full of shyness... Could it be that there really was something between the two of them?

And it was not only Teacher Song who saw all this, but many others as well — Tang Yun's classmates, for instance. There was more than one window along the corridor; any of them could lift a curtain and take in the scene outside...

They could not hear what was being said, but from those ambiguous looks, those ambiguous gestures, and that expression on Tang Yun's face — half petulant, half reproachful — a great deal could be imagined...

Especially at the end: Wei Zhao had drawn out a folded piece of paper and given it to Tang Yun, and Tang Yun had blushingly tucked it into her pocket, and then, head lowered and face red, come running back...

That scene was just too juicy.

In the dull, flavorless life of a school, what spreads fastest of all? Nothing but which boy is going out with which girl... So-and-so gave so-and-so a love letter, a confession was accepted, Classmate A turned down Classmate B's advances...

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