You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Cook First Confess Later

Seeing him look up, Qin Mian didn’t stop his hands. “Are you okay? Did you get a bit of heatstroke?”

“I told them long ago that the school’s crappy electric fans need replacing. They’re always pinching pennies on the wrong things.”

He lifted his eyelids, his gaze toward the fan filled with undisguised disdain. Qin Mian’s figure was slightly blurry in Song Ying’s eyes, but his crisp, clean, and somewhat cool voice rang out clearly in his ears.

Unconsciously, Song Ying felt his heart gradually settle down, and his mind cleared a bit. He stood up, his gaze landing on Qin Mian’s face. “I’m fine now. I just felt a bit dizzy a moment ago.”

Qin Mian noticed the redness at the corners of Song Ying’s eyes, paused, then leaned over to pick up a bottle of water and handed it to him. “Drink some water. I’m going to go tell Ding Zi.”

With that, he left the classroom.

Song Ying stared at Qin Mian’s back, lost in thought for a moment. He had to find time to confess to Qin Mian quickly. The monthly exams were right around the corner, and Mo Weixin was like a time bomb—there was no telling who he’d blow up first between him and Qin Mian.

Rather than waiting for Qin Mian to interrogate him, it was better to confess first.

Song Ying felt silent, confused, and baffled. How on earth did I manage to make the act of ‘studying’ feel like confessing to an affair?

In the Grade 12 Teacher’s Office.

Ding Zi was sitting at his desk, holding his phone and grinning like an idiot, clearly having seen something funny. It was currently self-study time.

Relying on his top-tier movement skills, Qin Mian managed to avoid the patrolling teachers in the hallway and slipped beside Ding Zi’s desk. Seeing Ding Zi slacking off, he silently popped his head up like a ghost and asked, “What are you looking at? Why is it so funny?”

“Gah!” Ding Zi let out a shuddering gasp of fright at Qin Mian’s sudden voice, nearly dropping his phone.

Discovering it was Qin Mian, Ding Zi awkwardly slammed his phone face-down on the desk and questioned him with forced anger to cover his tracks: “What are you doing here? Class isn’t over yet, is it?”

Qin Mian stared at Ding Zi without saying a word.

Ding Zi: “……”

“Fine, what is it this time?” He knew this kid all too well. Seeing that he hadn’t even brought a book to the office, he certainly wasn’t here to leech the air conditioning.

The kid began his performance. “Teacher Ding, let me ask you a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you have Hou Yi’s phone number?” Qin Mian asked with total seriousness.

Ding Zi: ? What the hell? “……Whose number?”

Qin Mian: “Hou Yi’s phone number.”

Ding Zi: “What do you want Hou Yi’s number for?”

Qin Mian: “To tell him to come over and shoot down the sun.”

Ding Zi: “……That’s a very ‘cold’ joke.” Note: A pun on ‘lame joke’ and ‘coldness’

He knew what Qin Mian was trying to say. “If you think it’s hot, you can just come to the office to leech the AC,” Ding Zi pointed to a seat by the wall. “No one’s stopping you. Your desk is still sitting right there anyway.”

Qin Mian acted with great righteousness. “That won’t do! How could I shamelessly enjoy the cool air alone? So many students in the class are still suffering!”

Ding Zi gave a cold laugh. “Heh. I wonder who used to run to the office every single day back then? I didn’t see you caring about the life or death of your classmates then.”

“Don’t try to deny it; your seat is sitting right there!” Ding Zi knew exactly what Qin Mian was up to the moment he opened his mouth.

Qin Mian, who was about to say more, shut his mouth. “……”

“I’m serious. Song Ying almost had heatstroke just now. What use are those two fans? They don’t even reach the back row.” Qin Mian made a face.

Ding Zi’s hand, which was holding his tea, paused. “Who did you say?”

Qin Mian was impatient. “What?”

Ding Zi: “You just said Song Ying had heatstroke?”

“Yeah.” Qin Mian’s eyes darted around as he began to exaggerate. “His face was pale, he was covered in sweat, and he said he felt dizzy, blurry-eyed, nauseous, and wanted to throw up! Other students also reported to me that it’s too hot—so hot they can’t even study!”

Ding Zi frowned in contemplation for a moment before replying, “Alright, I got it. I’ll go talk to Dean Cai about this. Now get back to class!”

“Really?” Qin Mian confirmed repeatedly, a bit surprised that it went so smoothly this time.

Ding Zi nodded and waved him away with a look of feigned disgust.

Qin Mian curled his lip and dropped a parting shot: “Watch fewer ‘unhealthy’ things.”

With that, he nimbly vanished from the office.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking?! No respect for your elders!” Ding Zi raged impotently at the direction Qin Mian had left. “This is not ‘unhealthy’!”

He had actually been chatting with Zhang Ruting. Their last argument had ended with Zhang Ruting agreeing to go out for fruit bowls with him. Currently, their relationship was going quite well.

Ding Zi stood up and headed to the Dean’s Office to find Cai Yu to report the issue with the AC and fans.

As soon as the basketball tournament ended, the monthly exams followed immediately. The previous lighthearted atmosphere vanished, and the tension in Class 18 returned.

After finishing a set of physics problems, Song Ying pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. At the front of the room, the physics teacher—who had a “Mediterranean” bald spot—was excitedly stabbing the blackboard with a piece of chalk.

Thinking about his plan to confess today, Song Ying heavily pulled out his phone and opened the chat with Qin Mian.

Song Ying: Do you have plans today? If not, let’s head home together. I have something to tell you.

Q: ? Q: I recall we sit front-to-back. Is there something you can’t just turn around and tell me?

Song Ying: This matter is a bit… shameful.

He was afraid that the moment he said it, Qin Mian would try to fight him, which would be bad for both their reputations.

Q: ??? Q: Is there something shameful between us? Q: How come I don’t know about it?

Qin Mian raised his head in disbelief, staring at the back of Song Ying’s head. Song Ying tried his best to ignore the burning gaze behind him and typed steadily:

Song Ying: I really have something. Let’s walk together after school. Song Ying: Rabbit cupping fists emoji

Qin Mian stared at the rabbit and couldn’t help the corners of his mouth from curling up.

Q: Fine.

Song Ying breathed a silent sigh of relief. He planned to go home, cook a whole table of food for Qin Mian, and then confess. Once he’d eaten the food, he wouldn’t be able to hit him.

Throughout the final class, Song Ying checked the time every few minutes. He could honestly say this was the most anxious moment of his life—even during exams, he hadn’t felt this stressed.

At that moment, Yu Canxing, sitting beside him, silently handed him a pack of tissues. Song Ying looked back at him, confused.

Yu Canxing said considerately, “Do you have diarrhea? Here’s some paper. Just go.” He had felt the same way, sitting on pins and needles, the last time he had stomach issues.

Song Ying looked at the pack of tissues and felt like he had never been more speechless in his entire life.

Finally, after much anticipation, the school bell rang. Song Ying pulled Qin Mian and hurried out of the school gates.

“I’m telling you, what is this about?” Qin Mian was truly curious. He had never seen Song Ying so frantic.

Song Ying rubbed the tip of his nose. “I’ll tell you in a bit. Let’s buy some groceries first.” He wanted to buy extra groceries to make more dishes to pacify the anger that might be coming from Qin Mian.

Qin Mian had a bad premonition and guessed, “You didn’t do something behind my back that you’re sorry for and now want to compensate me, did you?”

He was just speaking casually. However, Song Ying’s body stiffened.

Qin Mian: “……” I was literally just guessing.

“You really did something to me?” Qin Mian stared at Song Ying in disbelief. Then he started questioning himself: “Wait, we haven’t even known each other that long, have we?” What could this guy have possibly done to wrong him?

Song Ying gave a dry cough and pulled Qin Mian’s wandering thoughts back. “Don’t overthink it. Groceries first.”

When Qin Mian sat at the dining table watching Song Ying’s busy figure in the kitchen, he felt the atmosphere getting weirder and weirder. For some reason, there was a sense of “old married couple” déjà vu. Like a husband who had messed up and was doing a series of preparatory gestures before confessing to his wife. And Song Ying was the husband, while he was the…

Qin Mian shuddered and shook his head, trying to fling that terrifying thought out of his brain.

As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. However, it didn’t sound like it was his door—it was the door across the hall.