Ji Zhaoxi was an extremely honest person.
That was the system's evaluation of Ji Zhaoxi.
Making an honest person do those malicious things carried a particularly heart-wrenching flavor.
Today was day number who-knows-what of Ji Zhaoxi's secret crush on Xie Sili.
Every morning, she would slip a small cake into Xie Sili's desk, accompanied by an anonymous love letter.
The cake would be eaten by the glutton sitting behind Xie Sili, while the love letter would peacefully rest in the trash can.
The system's original task for her was to write an eight-hundred-word love letter every day, complete with literary and historical references, drawing on declarations of love from across time and cultures.
But Ji Zhaoxi was too lazy. Taking advantage of the fact that the system wouldn't personally check, she just stuffed blank sheets of paper into the love letter envelope.
After all, Xie Sili never read them anyway.
As for the female lead, Jiang Shiyi, Ji Zhaoxi had even less to say to her.
Every time Ji Zhaoxi hurled harsh words at her, Jiang Shiyi would simply smile and look at her with the utmost tolerance.
Often, looking at Jiang Shiyi's expression, Ji Zhaoxi really wanted to throw herself into her arms, but she couldn't.
Because she was a villainess of the darkest sort.
Her mission was to be jealous of Jiang Shiyi from the dark corner, and to secretly pine for Xie Sili from the dark corner.
After graduation, they continued secretly peeking at their social media feeds from the other end of the phone.
That was Ji Zhaoxi's destined ending.
Dark but honest.
Finally, after her cake was once again eaten by that glutton, Ji Zhaoxi stopped Xie Sili for the first time.
Xie Sili looked silently at the girl blocking his path.
He knew her. She rarely spoke in class, but she really liked to stare at him.
All the time.
Sometimes he would wake from his sleep, disturbed by the heat of her gaze...
"Xie... Xie Sili, I don't think it's very nice for you to give the cake to someone else," Ji Zhaoxi said, looking at him hesitantly.
Xie Sili's gaze lingered on Ji Zhaoxi, as if pondering something.
Ji Zhaoxi, afraid he might misunderstand, hurriedly added, "It wasn't from me! I just think it's wrong!"
Xie Sili nodded, continuing to stare at her. Ji Zhaoxi met his gaze and gave him a puzzled look.
Their eyes met again, Xie Sili showing no intention of looking away.
Ji Zhaoxi: ...
Ji Zhaoxi cleared her throat, avoiding his gaze. "Well, it's still someone's thoughtfulness, right? If it were me, I'd at least try a bite or two."
She stole a glance at Xie Sili, only to find he was still looking at her.
Ji Zhaoxi: ?
Why is he staring at me? Is he provoking me?
A flicker of amusement passed through Xie Sili's eyes. "I'm allergic to mango, so I gave it to someone else."
Ji Zhaoxi's expression went blank for a moment.
Xie Sili explained calmly, "I thought it might be from someone who disliked me, sent on purpose, so I didn't dare eat it."
Ji Zhaoxi choked back her words.
Xie Sili looked at the pensive Ji Zhaoxi, a trace of resignation in his eyes. "Is there anything else, classmate?"
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head, then looked up at him, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. "If tomorrow's cake doesn't have mango, will you eat it then?"
Xie Sili raised an eyebrow. "Maybe."
"Okay, I understand." Ji Zhaoxi let out a sigh of relief.
Her progress bar would finally move tomorrow.
The girl's figure grew smaller in the distance.
A boy holding a basketball bumped into Xie Sili. Squinting at the retreating figure, he asked, "Why were you talking to her?"
Xie Sili's face was perfectly calm. "Just ran into her."
The boy laughed. "What did you talk about? She doesn't seem to like talking to people much."
"Nothing much."
The cicadas in the summer trees were screaming as if on stimulants.
When Ji Zhaoxi first arrived, she couldn't sleep at all because of them, night after night. But after hearing them so much, she found she couldn't sleep without their chirping now.
Habit is a terrifying thing.
Ji Zhaoxi was honest, but her parents were the complete opposite.
They were both hot-tempered, arguing almost every day. Arguing at home wasn't enough; they had to continue outside.
Ji Zhaoxi's mother was exasperated by her daughter's personality.
In her words, with Ji Zhaoxi's dawdling personality, she wouldn't even get to eat the shit while it's still hot!
Ji Zhaoxi insisted vehemently that she had no plans to eat shit in the future. Her mother snorted coldly, saying that she wouldn't even get any shit to eat in the future.
This scatological topic finally ended when Ji Zhaoxi's father lost money playing mahjong.
Every morning, Ji Zhaoxi's mother would sternly admonish her.
"If anyone bullies you, you beat them to death! Mom will go to jail for you!"
Remember what Mom told you about the secret to fighting? If it's a boy, just kick him right between the legs!
Don't always look so dejected! That kind of attitude just attracts bullies!
Ji Zhaoxi helplessly stuffed the last bite of bread into her mouth.
"Mom, I'm going to school, not to a fight."
Ji Zhaoxi's mother looked at her silently for a long time, then shook her head and turned away.
Ji Zhaoxi: ...
Ji Zhaoxi was always the first to arrive in the classroom every day.
It wasn't that she loved studying so much; she just needed to put the cake and love letter in Xie Sili's desk, and she didn't want anyone to see.
But when she walked into the classroom today, someone had actually arrived even earlier than her.
And that person was Xie Sili...
Ji Zhaoxi suddenly felt her mother was right.
Sure enough, dawdling leads to trouble.
But it was strange. Xie Sili always cut it close, arriving at the last second every day. Why was he so early today?
Ji Zhaoxi squatted outside the classroom door, thinking of a plan. How could she lure Xie Sili out and then put the love letter in his desk?
Time ticked by. The female lead, Jiang Shiyi, would be here soon.
If she kept hesitating like this, she wouldn't be able to complete today's task.
She took a deep breath and walked calmly into the classroom.
She could feel Xie Sili's gaze linger on her for a moment. She put down her backpack and took out her books.
Ji Zhaoxi kept her head down, practicing silently in her mind.
[Xie Sili, a girl just asked me to give this to you.]
[Classmate Xie Sili, this cake and love letter were given to me by a girl to pass to you.]
After practicing several times, Ji Zhaoxi finally gained some confidence.
Holding the cake and love letter, she walked towards Xie Sili. Just as she was about to hand them to him, she lost her grip, and the items slammed onto Xie Sili's desk.
"Thud—"
The atmosphere froze.
To an unknowing observer, it might have looked like a challenge to a fight.
"A g-girl just now... asked me to give this to you."
Xie Sili looked up at her. Ji Zhaoxi's face was completely flushed, her voice trembling.
If he said anything even slightly harsh, she looked like she would collapse.
Xie Sili was silent for a moment, then straightened the crooked cake box. "Thank you."
Ji Zhaoxi pretended to be cheerful. "Don't thank me. Thank that girl. I actually admire her, sending you a cake every day."
Forcing an introvert to act like an extrovert is one of the cruelest tortures of modern times.
Xie Sili glanced at the visibly uncomfortable Ji Zhaoxi, took a bite, and thanked her politely. "Thank you."
Ji Zhaoxi breathed a sigh of relief and was about to return to her seat.
"Just..."
Ji Zhaoxi immediately went on alert.
Xie Sili held the love letter, his tone tinged with confusion. "Why does she always give me a blank card?"
Ji Zhaoxi was also taken aback.
But she had never imagined that Xie Sili would actually open it and read it.
