Mistaken Canary Chapter 41
Chapter 41
The students of Freshman Class Two were having their literature evening study session. Some were quietly reciting their books, while others, taking advantage of the teacher’s absence, were huddled together, secretly chatting.
The sports committee member shoved the class president’s deskmate into his seat and then plopped down next to the class president, speaking in a low voice, "Class president, help me come up with an idea. My love letter to Zhuo Zi was confiscated by the homeroom teacher."
The class president was slightly surprised, "Did the homeroom teacher recognize my handwriting?"
"I don’t know. He just stuffed it straight into his drawer without looking at it. But I’m not sure whether or not he looked at it later," The sports committee member said. "He didn’t mention anything about the love letter today. Do you think maybe he didn’t look at it?"
"Probably not. Teacher Ying doesn’t seem like the type to sneak a peek at someone else’s love letter." The class president relaxed a little.
The sports committee member pleaded, "Class president, could you write me another copy?"
The class president replied, "Certainly, a friendly rate of 9.9 yuan per use. A price set with integrity—negotiators need not bother."
"No problem." The sports committee member immediately agreed. Money was never an issue, the issue was his ugly handwriting.
It had taken him four days, taking many references from Baidu, to finally put together a perfect love letter.
But unfortunately, some of his script looked like a chicken had walked across the page, which definitely didn’t help his charm.
And so, he thought of Ban Zhang, the calligraphy prodigy of their class—a master of the craft, yet born into poverty. Fortunately, his exceptional grades earned him a special admission to the school, along with a monthly stipend for living expenses.
Such special cases were a regular part of the school’s recruitment to raise the academic prestige and make the school look good. This year, however, he was the only one recruited. The other potential candidates didn’t want to join, preferring to avoid mingling with the rich kids around campus, fearing isolation from peers.
But Ban Zhang was more than happy to join, as he saw this as the starting point of his entrepreneurial journey.
Writing love letters, copying homework for others, getting meals for others... The prices here were much higher than at other schools, with a huge profit margin.
Although the sports committee member approached him to write a love letter, it didn’t require any brainpower, so the price was a lot lower.
"Do you want me to come up with the content, or are you writing that yourself?" Ban Zhang asked.
"Myself—it’s more sincere that way." The sports committee member started thinking, then began recalling, "I’ll try to repeat it, and you can just write it down."
"Okay."
The sports committee member began to recite: "Dear Xiao Zhuo—"
Ban Zhang paused his pen. "I wanted to ask you last time, why do you call her ‘Xiao Zhuo’?"
The sports committee member replied, "It sounds more respectful, takes away the sleazy, creepy vibe."
"Alright then."
The sports committee member: "Dear Xiao Zhuo—"
"Can you guess who I am?"
"This doesn’t even need guessing." Zhuo Shu sat in his study, the door securely locked, and solemnly began reading the letter. Upon seeing the first line, he rolled his eyes. "Ying Tongchen, Ying Tongchen... trying to pull this on me? No way, don’t even begin playing hard to get!"
Sports committee member: "Whether you can guess it or not, please hear me out. From the moment I first saw you, it was as if Cupid was waving at me—then shot an arrow straight through my heart."
Zhuo Shu narrowed his eyes. "Oh, so it was an attack by a hidden enemy, huh? I wondered why you didn’t call the cops after knocking. Turns out, Cupid had a talk with you, huh? Heh."
The sports committee member continued to reminisce, "You’re just so enchanting, with your angelic face and devilish body, it’s impossible not to want to get closer."
Zhuo Shu scoffed, "Heh, so you’ve been eyeing my body all along."
The sports committee member: "I’ve never met anyone who moves me like you do. I feel like I’m floating, forgetting who I am, what I’m supposed to do, what my purpose in life is... I don’t know..."
Zhuo Shu: "Get a grip, you’re an educator of the people, for crying out loud! You’re supposed to be aiming for ‘Top Ten Young Teachers of the Year’!"
The sports committee member: "I only know one thing: I will follow the one I love. I’m willing to give up everything to chase you."
"..." Zhuo Shu fell silent for a moment before replying, "Alright, I’ll just sit back and watch how you plan on chasing me."
"Xiao Zhuo, please don’t push me away. I’m willing to turn into the wind or the sand, endlessly following you to the ends of the earth. I wish to be your bird in the sky, your vine on the ground. I don’t know if you’ll accept me?"
Zhuo Shu tapped his fingers on the desk, producing a crisp sound. "Hmm... I’ll think about it."
The sports committee member thought for a moment, trying to recall some romantic lines from ancient poetry he’d copied online. Unable to remember anything, he skipped it and continued, "I know, I may not give you a sense of security yet, but I’ll work hard. I sincerely hope you’ll give me an answer. I’ll be waiting for you on the sports field."
Zhuo Shu hesitated for a moment. "...Well, I’ll have to think about it carefully."
The sports committee member then declared loudly and from the heart, "Lastly, I have to say this from the bottom of my heart!"
"—I love you!"
Zhuo Shu’s fingers trembled slightly: F*ck, is this the romance of an English teacher? So simple, direct, and powerful.
The sports committee member: "Sincerely, A mature, charming man full of male hormones."
Zhuo Shu snorted, "Heh."
Ban Zhang, speechless, eventually asked, "So why isn’t your signature ‘A'Wei’?"
The sports committee member immediately flinched. "I was afraid she’d reject me outright and wouldn’t even bother going to the sports field."
"What do you have prepared at the sports field?"
"A surprise." The sports committee member said slyly, "As long as she’s curious about this letter, she’ll come to the sports field, and then I’ll have a chance to show off my romance and charm."
"O k a y..." Ban Zhang wrote down the words verbatim without missing a beat. After all, he was just a money-making tool, and copying stuff didn’t require much brainpower. "Done. I accept WeChat, Alipay, and credit cards."
"You even brought a POS machine?" The sports committee member asked in surprise.
"Of course. You guys have money, better safe than sorry," Ban Zhang said, pushing up his glasses modestly.
The sports committee member caught a whiff of shady business tactics, but seeing the elegant and beautiful new love letter, he pushed all those thoughts aside and happily said, "Okay! After class, you can call her out of the room, and I’ll sneak it into her desk."
"Five yuan to call someone."
A true businessman! The sports committee member grumbled, "Deal!"
Ban Zhang then added, "Since we’re classmates and you’ll soon be a regular customer of mine, I’ll throw in a free piece of advice."
"Class President daren*, please enlighten me," the sports committee member said respectfully.
(TLN: like the suffix -sama [jp] or -nim [kr])
"Give it to her next week. The parent-teacher meeting is coming up, and if you mess up again, you might really lose your chance for good."
"Good point." The sports committee member carefully put the letter into his bag. "Then next week, and also, let me copy your homework."
"50 per subject."
"Deal."
Zhuo Shu read and reread the love letter, silently mouthing the words and even memorizing it.
He folded the letter carefully, placed it in the drawer, and clasped his hands together, entering a state of deep contemplation.
To respond or not to respond—that is the question.
But he was really curious—why meet at the sports field? What could be there? Could it really be a surprise?
While lost in these thoughts, he heard his parents talking downstairs. He stepped into the hallway and overheard Mu Qing say, "A’Zi just called, said the parent-teacher meeting is on Friday. We need to clear some time."
"Oh, what bad timing, should we cancel the tickets for the next event?" Zhuo Fu asked.
"Cancel them," Mu Qing sighed.
"Alas."
The two of them sighed in unison. After attending countless parent-teacher meetings, year after year, the same old routine and conversations, it no longer sparked any interest for them.
Just then, a steady and powerful voice travelled from upstairs. "No need to cancel."
They both turned toward the hallway, and Mu Qing asked, "When did you get back? Why don’t we need to cancel?"
"I just got back," Zhuo Shu walked down, glancing at his father and then his mother. With great ‘reluctance’, he said, "You’ve worked hard. This time, I’ll go instead."
"Really?" Mu Qing said with a smile. "But these meetings are so boring."
"It’s fine, I’ll go. If Zhuo Zi gets hurt again, I’ll be able to carry her. After all, I’m her natural brother," Zhuo Shu replied.
"That’s true," Mu Qing said excitedly. "Then it’s all up to you! You’re so reliable!"
…
On Friday during the morning self study period, the students were clearly restless. Taking advantage of the quiet murmur of the reading session, they were secretly chatting and discussing the upcoming parent-teacher meeting.
Ying Tongchen walked over to Ban Zhang, handing him an event schedule. "I need to hold a quick meeting. You copy this on the blackboard, here’s five yuan."
He was fully aware of Ban Zhang’s circumstances—whenever possible, Ying Tongchen would have him copy out papers, slipping him a little money in return.
Ban Zhang: "No problem, sir. Do you want it in Yan style (颜体), Liu style (柳体), or in Slender Gold(瘦金体)*?"
(TLN: They’re different calligraphic styles.)
"Up to you," Ying Tongchen replied.
…
After breakfast, Zhuo Zi ran into Ban Zhang on her way back to class.
After exchanging greetings, the two of them walked back to the classroom together. Ban Zhang suddenly asked, "Has the homeroom teacher spoken to you this week?"
"No, why?" Zhuo Zi replied.
"It’s nothing." Ban Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the homeroom teacher really wasn’t the type to sneak a peek at love letters. His gaze shifted to Zhuo Zi’s injured leg, and he quickly jogged to pick up a long sturdy stick from the nearby bushes and handed it to her.
"?"
"Hold onto this, be careful you don’t trip again," Ban Zhang said.
Zhuo Zi and he walked along, each holding an end of the stick, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The looks from the people around them seemed strange, and the perverted A'Wei trailing behind them looked like he was about to spit fire!
When they reached the stairs, Ban Zhang kindly asked, "Can you manage to go up on your own? Or should I piggy-back you?"
"No, no need," Zhuo Zi quickly waved her hands.
A'Wei, who had been following behind, immediately wanted to settle the score with Ban Zhang. But the next moment, he heard Ban Zhang say, "Then let’s settle the bill."
A'Wei: "?"
Zhuo Zi: "?"
Ban Zhang: "I’ve been helping you all along, special student price, 1 yuan."
Zhuo Zi: "..."
A'Wei could no longer hold back. He rushed forward and said, "I’ll pay!"
Zhuo Zi gave them a ‘concerned for the mentally ill’ look before turning and heading up the stairs.
A'Wei gritted his teeth and asked, "Why are you even scamming her too?!"
Ban Zhang leisurely replied, "I’m giving you an opportunity to show off."
"?"
Ban Zhang: "Wasn’t I just incredibly scheming, ruthless, and completely heartless?"
A'Wei nodded.
"And when I was asking money from the weak female student, didn’t your image as a chivalrous hero instantly rise after intervening, right?" Ban Zhang modestly adjusted his glasses.
A'Wei: "Right! So what you mean is..."
"I already knew you were trailing behind. This whole thing was a perfect chance for you to shine. Now, in her eyes, you’re a man who’s both righteous and generous. That’s what makes you so charming. Don’t you think this deal was worth it?"
A'Wei’s spirit lifted: "Worth it!"
"This is an opportunity I’ve sacrificed my character for," Ban Zhang patted A’Wei’s shoulder and left leisurely, leaving behind the dissipating impression of a master and an impactful mantra, "My account number is the same as yesterday. You can decide the value I provided."
…
Back in the classroom, Ban Zhang opened his phone and looked at the 888 yuan red envelope in his WeChat, grinning as he glanced at Zhuo Zi... and the group of boys gathered around her.
Who should I target next?
At that moment, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom, prompting everyone to return to their seats.
Ying Tongchen announced, "The parents will arrive at nine. Everyone, tidy up and get ready to greet them. We’ll first take them to the sports field for a collective meeting and then return to the classroom."
The students lined up by class and went out to greet the parents. Zhuo Zi excitedly walked to the school gate and immediately spotted the most eye-catching person in the crowd, Zhuo Shu.
Zhuo Zi: "Why are you here?!"
Zhuo Shu: "Mom and Dad went to watch the game again, sigh."
Zhuo Zi whined, leading him past the school gate. She couldn’t help but glance at him and said helplessly, "Da ge, the principal is going to speak later. Are you sure you want to keep those sunglasses on the whole time?"
Zhuo Shu casually replied, "We’ll see."
The sports field was already filled with people. Zhuo Shu moved through the crowd, finally spotting Ying Tongchen leading the parents into a designated area.
He immediately walked over, and many parents were shaking hands with Ying Tongchen ahead of him. When it was his turn, he extended his right hand.
Clasping the hand presented, Ying Tongchen sensed the familiar sandalwood scent and looked up, only to see the incredibly flamboyant person in front of him. His fingers twitched, inadvertently scratching the palm of Zhuo Shu’s hand.
Zhuo Shu raised an eyebrow—so this was the surprise he had in store for him on the sports field?
Interesting, but not enough.
Just as he was about to speak, someone behind him shoved him aside.
"......"
…
All the students and parents had gathered on the sports field. The parents sat in chairs, while the students stood to the side. The principal and various leaders took turns giving speeches.
Zhuo Zi, glancing down, noticed her older brother Zhuo Shu looking around. She patted his shoulder and pointed to a spot diagonally behind them. He turned to look, only to see Ying Tongchen standing tall beside the sports committee member.
The sports committee member was startled when he noticed the Zhuo siblings watching him, and he hurriedly shifted. Something dropped.
The Zhuo siblings turned their attention away. Ying Tongchen lowered his head, swiftly picking up a pink envelope and gave the sports committee member a stern look, as if to issue a warning.
A'Wei: "..." I just want to die!
A'Wei was doomed! AHHHH!
Ying Tongchen quickly tucked the envelope into his pocket to avoid any potential conflicts with the boy and his parents. Before he could properly put away the envelope, he had to move forward, following his initial plan to stand at the front of the line.
Just as he was near Zhuo Shu, Zheng Zhinan approached him from the front, nudging him to step back and join the others.
Ying Tongchen, off balanced, stumbled backwards, but fortunately Zhuo Shu reached out and steadied him.
In the next moment, Zhuo Shu lowered his head, his eyelids flickered slightly as he inadvertently stepped on something.
Ying Tongchen shot a glare at Zheng Zhinan, who immediately felt guilty. Zheng Zhinan motioned toward the back with his chin, and only then did Ying Tongchen follow.
After the leaders finished speaking, everyone was about to return to their respective classrooms. Zhuo Zhi stayed behind and nudged her brother, who hadn't moved. "What are you waiting for? Everyone else is gone!"
Zhuo Shu suddenly pointed at the sky. "What’s that?"
Zhuo Zhi looked up, but saw nothing. When she lowered her head again, she saw Zhuo Shu had bent down to pick something up. "What are you picking up?"
"Trash."
The siblings walked back to the teaching building when Zhuo Shu said, "I need to use the restroom."
He slipped into the restroom and looked at the envelope with a footprint on it. Was this the so-called surprise?
He opened it to find—well, besides missing a few lines of poetry—the exact same love letter as before.
What was the meaning of this?
Zhuo Shu’s heart skipped a beat: Is he hinting that I should respond quickly?