Chapter 77: Stutterer Part 1

“Can I show it to Mom?” Upon hearing Mother Tao’s words, Tao Tao first asked Tao Zhi’s opinion.

The note didn’t contain anything overly mushy. It roughly said that the girl often saw Tao Zhi in the library, had noticed him for a long time, thought he was very good-looking, serious, and polite, and asked if they could get to know each other and add each other on WeChat. Her WeChat ID was attached at the end.

It was very normal interaction.

It had nothing to do with a love letter.

But middle school students nowadays were just too precocious.

When Tao Zhi was Tao Tao’s age, his mind had been filled only with studying. It wasn’t until he reached high school and bumped into classmates dating, or saw them secretly holding hands after school, that he realized early romance was happening around him.

Tao Tao, on the other hand, was only fourteen, still in junior high, and already the gossip captain of her class.

She knew everything about the entire grade—who was dating whom, who was flirting with whom, who had written an eight-hundred-word love letter to whom. She was extremely sensitive to such matters.

In her eyes, this kind of note was basically equivalent to a love letter.

Even if it wasn’t very obvious.

It was all the same meaning.

“Is it okay?” Tao Peach was still asking. “Her handwriting is so pretty. She must be a really beautiful girl.”

Tao Zhi snapped back to attention.

He had just subconsciously thought of Fu Si Heng, which made him feel a bit unnatural at the moment.

“There’s no love letter. I don’t remember anything like this. Let me see it first.” As Tao Zhi spoke, he took the crumpled note from Tao Peach’s hand.

Seeing the content, he finally remembered and denied it. “This isn’t a love letter. It’s just a note someone passed me in the library. I didn’t add her.”

“Oh, I see.” Mother Tao looked a little disappointed.

Tao Tao said, “This is basically the same as a love letter. As long as you add her, there’ll be a story.”

“Why didn’t you add her? Isn’t she your type?”

She was very curious.

Tao Tao’s words made Tao Zhi recall his mindset at the time again.

More than the surprise of being handed the note, what came to mind was what Fu Si Heng had once said to him.

Fu Si Heng had asked him, since he was straight, what kind of girls he liked.

Back then, Tao Zhi couldn’t think of any, and even now, he still couldn’t. His mind went blank; he had no concept of such things, no ideal type.

Was this really normal?

It seemed a bit abnormal.

Moreover, there had been two such instances… There was actually a figure in his mind.

But that person…

Tao Zhi felt a little lost.

Was he really still straight?

For the first time, Tao Zhi began to doubt this.

He pondered for a few seconds, then looked down at his phone again.

On the screen was his chat interface with Fu Si Heng. Fu Si Heng had sent him a few photos of his high school campus field.

Fu Si Heng: 【I sneaked in.】

Tao Zhi looked for two seconds before typing: 【How did you get in? Normally, outsiders aren’t allowed on campus…】

Fu Si Heng: 【I said I knew a teacher at your school and had business with him. The security guard let me in.】

Tao Zhi: 【?】

This actually worked?

Tao Zhi was shocked.

So Fu Si Heng really was full of tricks.

Of course.

If he wasn’t, how had he tricked Tao Zhi so badly back then, forcing him to do so many… Suddenly, he recalled those shameful things he had done with Fu Si Heng before. His fingertips trembled slightly as he replied to Fu Si Heng with a few periods, then typed: 【Big liar.】

Fu Si Heng: 【Sorry.】

Tao Zhi: “…?”

This apology came out of nowhere. Tao Zhi suddenly felt a shy embarrassment, as if his secrets had been exposed. His face flushed red in an instant, and he quickly set his phone down.

Over there, Mother Tao and Tao Peach were still chatting about the earlier matter.

“Receiving a note like this means my brother is pretty popular at school, right?” Mother Tao asked Tao Peach.

“Probably. My brother has always been popular.” Tao Peach told him, “Before winter break, didn’t my brother come to pick me up from school? A lot of girls in my class said he was so handsome.”

Tao Tao’s tone was especially proud, as if she shared in the glory. “Some even asked if he was dating anyone, if he had a girlfriend, and tried to get your WeChat from me.”

“I didn’t give it.” Tao Zhi answered honestly.

Tao Tao suddenly chuckled twice.

Tao Zhi didn’t understand what she was laughing at, but the laugh sounded strange.

No, it was evil.

Just as Tao Zhi had this thought, Tao Tao scooted closer to him.

She tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear, “Some also asked if you have a boyfriend…”

“???” Tao Zhi’s face was full of horror.

What was wrong with junior high students these days?

How, how could they…

Tao Zhi felt like his little secret had been exposed, his eyes panicked. “W-what kind of nonsense is this?”

“What else?” Mother Tao hadn’t heard their whisper and asked curiously.

Tao Peach jumped at having scared him, delighted like a prank had succeeded, her eyes curving into crescents. “Just kidding.”

She had said no back then.

How could her brother possibly have a boyfriend? She was just teasing Tao Zhi.

But in front of Mom, she didn’t dare say that. “Nothing much. Oh, right, Bro.”

Tao Tao spoke to Tao Zhi again. “You kept it even after crumpling it like this. Are you planning to think it over seriously before deciding?”

Tao Zhi: “…”

Tao Tao had really learned to be naughty now.

“I’ve already thought it over.” Tao Zhi took a deep breath, his racing heart gradually calming.

After serious consideration, the result was rejection.

He had kept the note simply because he forgot about it.

He had been on the phone with Tao Peach at the time and casually put the note in his pocket, then put the whole thing out of his mind.

It must have fallen out with his phone just now.

“Okay.” The teenage girl seemed genuinely very curious about romance.

Like a little chatterbox, her questions came one after another, impossible to stop.

“So, Bro, are you planning to get a girlfriend in college?”

“Do you have time for dating? Is college busy?”

“Do you guys have mixers at college? Have you been to any? Did you meet anyone you like?”

“Do you have anyone you like right now? Come on, tell me.”

“Has anyone been chasing you, or are you chasing someone?”

“Bro, what kind of girls do you like?”

“…” Tao Zhi blinked.

“Hm? Tell me quick.” Tao Tao urged.

“Alright, Tao Peach, stop it. Your brother’s face is red.” Mother Tao stopped her.

Was his face red…

Tao Zhi touched it with the back of his hand.

It did feel a bit hot.

“Fine, fine, I was just curious.” Tao Tao was still obedient. Since Mom had spoken, she stopped pestering Tao Zhi. “Then I’ll go buy groceries. No—”

She didn’t ask.

She hadn’t said the last two words.

“I don’t know.” Tao Zhi answered honestly. “Someone is chasing me.”