Why Does First Love Feel This Sweet? - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

After that slightly different “night life,” Sheng Yi was on the verge of collapsing into sleep. In his semi-conscious state, he felt his body being dipped into warm water, someone holding him from behind. At the final moment before drifting off, he was pulled into a familiar pair of arms.

In his dreams, Sheng Yi returned to his tenth-grade year. After half a month of “demon tutoring” from Teacher Xiao Yu and the divine luck of a top student, the former academic failure finally faced his first monthly exam.

The first subject was his worst: English. Having been a slacker for over a decade, he lacked confidence. But as the listening portion began, he realized something shocking—he actually understood it! The core vocabulary Rong Yu had organized for him over the past twenty days had turned “alien gibberish” into recognizable words.

His brain seemed to have suddenly “opened up.” By the time the exams ended, he felt a strange sense of accomplishment. On the ride home, Rong Yu patted his head. “Don’t think about it anymore. There will be a good result.”

That weekend, the results and class assignments were released. Sheng Yi was assigned to Class K. He looked at the long list: Rong Yu was, unsurprisingly, #1 in the entire year, assigned to Class A. Counting on his fingers from A to K, Sheng Yi felt a wave of disappointment.

“The results are out?” Rong Yu asked, emerging from the bathroom. “I’m in Class K,” Sheng Yi whispered. Rong Yu checked his phone. “Not bad. You moved up 150 places.”

Though he was praised, Sheng Yi realized the distance between them. If they weren’t childhood neighbors, would he ever have known someone so brilliant? Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He had been added to a new group chat: Class K Slackers United.

“Wait, I just saw! You’re #1 in our class!” his friend Cheng Wenge shouted in a voice message. Sheng Yi’s eyes lit up. “Xiao Yu! I’m first in the class!” Rong Yu rubbed his hair with a smile. “Impressive.”

That night, Sheng Yi looked at his sleeping childhood friend. Driven by an unknown impulse, he reached out to touch Rong Yu’s nose and lips. When his finger brushed those soft lips, his heart hammered. At sixteen, looking at his best friend, Sheng Yi felt a sensation akin to a hunger-induced palpitation.

…

The Distance and the Rival

In Class K, Sheng Yi quickly became a popular figure and the class monitor. Though he missed Rong Yu, he worked harder than ever, determined to become someone worthy of standing beside him.

On Christmas Eve, a girl in his class shyly asked, “Monitor, what kind of chocolate do you like?” “I don’t like chocolate,” Sheng Yi replied bluntly (he hated bitter things). The entire class of girls went silent.

That evening, Sheng Yi didn’t wait for Rong Yu to go home. He went back to his own empty house to secretly make handmade chocolates. He wanted to give Rong Yu a surprise—a “romantic” gesture to celebrate their decade of friendship. He even molded the chocolates into cartoon versions of themselves.

The next day, he went to Class A at lunch, only to see the school “Goddess,” Qin Feilin, standing before Rong Yu. She offered him a box of exquisite handmade chocolates. “I spent all night making these, I even burned my hand,” she said gracefully.

Sheng Yi, hiding behind the door with his own box, felt a cold, heavy feeling in his chest. He turned and left before he could see Rong Yu’s reaction.

..

The “School Bully” and the Protector

That afternoon, Sheng Yi was in a foul mood. News broke that Liu Chen, a notorious school bully, had gone to Class A to cause trouble. Apparently, he wanted to “defend” Qin Feilin after Rong Yu rejected her chocolates.

Sheng Yi sprinted to Class A. He found Liu Chen intimidating Rong Yu, holding a tube of chocolate sauce. “Since you won’t take a girl’s gift, take mine,” Liu Chen sneered, squeezing the sauce onto Rong Yu’s uniform.

The air froze. Rong Yu’s aura turned terrifyingly cold, but before he could act, a chair flew through the air.

CRASH!

Sheng Yi had slammed a chair into Liu Chen’s head. “Say that again,” Sheng Yi growled, grabbing the dazed bully by the collar. “Who the hell are you…” Liu Chen groaned through the blood. “I’m your father,” Sheng Yi snapped.

Rong Yu stepped in, grabbing Sheng Yi’s wrist before he could throw another punch. “That’s enough. Don’t hurt your hand.”

…

The Taste of Christmas

Later that night, after their parents helped settle the matter (revealing Rong Yu as the son of the school’s biggest shareholder), the two sat under the grape trellis in the courtyard.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you lose your temper,” Rong Yu said, a slight smile on his lips. “Don’t talk to me,” Sheng Yi huffed. “How dare he touch my person? I don’t even raise my voice at you!”

Rong Yu chuckled softly. “My fault.” Sheng Yi’s anger softened. He pulled out his box of handmade chocolates. “Well, you’re out of luck. I made these for you, but you’re allergic.”

Rong Yu stared at the two cartoon figures holding hands. “You made these?” “Yeah. I guess I’ll just eat them myself.”

Rong Yu stopped him, breaking off a tiny piece. “Just a little won’t hurt.” He tasted it carefully. “How is it?” Sheng Yi asked, curious. Rong Yu tucked the box away, having no intention of sharing. He looked at the purple packaging as the Christmas lights flickered in the garden.

“What does it taste like?” Sheng Yi pressed. Rong Yu smiled. “It tastes like Merry Christmas.”