BDBE 65

Chapter 65 The Envelopes

The night before the supplementary classes started, all the students in Class 1 of Grade 11 arrived at school without a single one absent for their first evening self-study session. 

Yang Liu was very satisfied with this result and even mocked Class 4, which had two absent students. 

“Teacher Yang is happy.” Fang Chi slumped listlessly on the table, “We lost a full two weeks, a total of 14 days of summer vacation!” 

Zhou Mingchen, true to his good brother, immediately chimed in, “Yeah, yeah.” 

Lu Niannian, who was standing to the side, couldn’t bear to see the two of them ruining the class’s strong study atmosphere and said, “We’re going to be seniors soon, it’s normal to be a little nervous. Schools like No. 1 High School have been having evening self-study sessions since Grade 11.” 

“They’re in a worse situation.” Fang Chi said weakly, “Luckily, my mom insisted that I study here despite the exorbitant tuition fees.”

Fang Chi entered Qiongya as a sport student. He excelled in his sport and received a substantial scholarship, but still needed to pay around 30,000 yuan in tuition each year. 

Lu Niannian tapped Fang Chi on the head: “Since you know your mother’s good intentions, why aren’t you studying properly?” 

Fang Chi covered the spot where he was hit and shouted, “No, why do you all like to hit my head? You’re [Read on]making me stupid!” 

Zhou Mingchen said, “Because your head is round, it looks easy to hit.” 

Lu Niannian added, “You can’t make people stupid by hitting them. You’re stupid because you were stupid to begin with!” 

During break, the children’s bickering could fill the entire ten minutes. Shen Wanchao watched them play with a smile. 

Perhaps because of his different state of mind, he didn’t find the supplementary classes painful; instead, he felt nostalgic for his youth. 

Shen Wanchao used to study at Qiongying No. 1 High School, which Lu Niannian mentioned. Indeed, in the first year of high school, one had to attend evening self-study sessions and live on campus. 

Night completely enveloped the world. The students were still sitting in the brightly lit classroom, diligently writing, a very nostalgic atmosphere. 

The first evening self-study session was mainly to give everyone time to adjust. Yang Liu spent one period explaining the discipline and precautions during this period. She left the remaining two periods for students to arrange as they pleased. During the self-study session, the difference between the top students and the struggling students became apparent. 

Some, like Lu Niannian, were independently doing practice problems and reviewing what they had learned; others, however, secretly changed seats, or drew a chessboard in their notebooks to play Gomoku… 

Unfortunately, the happy Gomoku time didn’t last long. 

Ten minutes later, Yang Liu stood with her arms crossed and a serious [stolen content]expression in front of Zhou Mingchen and Fang Chi’s seats. 

Shen Wanchao shook his head as he watched Zhou Mingchen and Fang Chi being dragged to the office by Yang Liu for criticism and education. Then he pushed aside the textbook he was using as cover, revealing the novel underneath, and continued reading. 

It wasn’t his first time attending evening self-study; he had mastered the art of slacking off. 

At ten o’clock that night, self-study ended. 

Lin Anyi was always a hard-working student, never distracted by thoughts. But tonight, he couldn’t focus. 

The reason… was that Shen Wanchao had come to the supplementary classes, just as he had expected, and coincidentally, they had indeed been assigned to the same dormitory. 

Lin Anyi knew why Shen Wanchao had changed his mind; after all, the day after he had shared his thoughts with him, Shen Wanchao had told him he had also decided to attend the supplementary classes. 

Lin Anyi was very surprised; he had never imagined that Shen Wanchao would change his mind because of a single sentence he had said… He had given up the comforts of home to come and join them for intensive tutoring. 

His heart felt as sweet as if he’d eaten a lychee-flavored candy. 

No wonder Zhou Mingchen told him to speak his mind. 

It turned out that Shen Wanchao was like Santa Claus. He listened to the Read onchildren’s wishes and magically made them come true. 

Shen Wanchao was unaware that the children around him had already taken him for Santa Claus. He took out his dormitory key from his pocket and opened the door. 

They had already seen the dormitory they would be living in for the next 14 days when they came to unpack their luggage that afternoon. 

Qiongya lived up to its high tuition fees; the dormitory conditions were top-notch: two-person rooms, 1.2-meter wide single beds, private bathrooms and washing machines, air conditioning, underfloor heating, and water heaters. Everything was provided, everything one could need. 

Lin Anyi couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise when he first saw it. 

It was far better than the orphanage where he had lived for sixteen years. In the orphanage, except for the very young children, everyone else had bunk beds, eight people crammed into one room. To use the toilet and wash up, they had to go to the public bathroom at the end of the corridor, and in winter they had to fetch hot water from the boiler room themselves. 

Shen Wanchao was also very satisfied with Qiongya’s accommodations. He traveled all over the country year-round, and not every place had hotels. Sometimes he would stay at other people’s homes, and it was common for several people to squeeze into one bed. Sometimes, when there was nowhere to sleep, they would even sleep in a car. 

Shen Wanchao turned to Lin Anyi and said, “Go take a shower first, I’ll unpack my things.”

The afternoon was a bit rushed, and he hadn’t had time to take small items like clothes and miscellaneous things out of the suitcase yet. 

Lin Anyi nodded, opened the suitcase, found his pajamas, and took shower gel and shampoo into the bathroom. 

Shen Wanchao stayed outside and started unpacking their suitcases. 

He first put all his things into the closet, then went to Lin Anyi’s open suitcase and took out the clothes, folding or hanging them up one by one. 

It was only two weeks, so Lin Anyi didn’t bring many clothes, and the suitcase was quickly emptied, revealing an envelope at the bottom. 

Shen Wanchao was initially surprised. Did people still use letters to communicate these days? 

He bent down to pick up the envelope, only to find that there was no postmark or anything like that, so it wasn’t a letter that could be mailed. 

“If there’s anything lacking, please contact me…” 

This sentence was followed by a phone number. 

The more Shen Wanchao looked at the handwriting, the more familiar it became. After reading the phone number, he confirmed it was left by Zhou Hui. But how could Zhou Hui’s handwriting be in Lin Anyi’s hands? 

Shen Wanchao hadn’t yet figured out the meaning of this sentence, what “lack”? 

Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Lin Anyi came out. Upon seeing what Shen Wanchao was holding, he froze on the spot. 

Shen Wanchao hadn’t expected Lin Anyi to see him like this, and felt embarrassed. He quickly placed the envelope [visit our site]on the desk and stammered, “Um… I didn’t mean to look at your things… I just helped you put your clothes in the closet… This thing, uh, it was in the box, but I didn’t open it…” 

His explanation only became more incoherent, and finally, Shen Wanchao gave up: “I’m sorry, I touched your things without permission.” ” 

He already treated Lin Anyi like his own child, so it was only natural for him to help pack. But he still had his privacy, especially since Lin Anyi’s situation was special…” 

Lin Anyi lowered his eyes and silently walked over. He went to the desk and picked up the envelope.

Shen Wanchao felt like he had made a mistake when he saw him like this. 

This child had finally opened up to him, and now he was probably going to retreat back into his little shell. 

Lin Anyi held the envelope in his hands, the tips of his ears turning a subtle red, and whispered, “It’s okay…it’s not a secret, I’m just a little embarrassed.” 

Shen Wanchao’s breath hitched as he looked at him. 

Lin Anyi raised his head and slowly explained, “The contents have already been taken out; I only kept the envelope.” 

“Uncle Zhou has been sending me living expenses every month since last year, and these are the envelopes he uses to hold the money. I kept every single one; I didn’t throw them away.” A slight blush rose on Lin Anyi’s cheeks as well, “Because I thought you were the one who sent them…” 

Shen Wanchao understood the unspoken meaning in Lin Anyi’s words. 

He had been brought from Xiaoli City to the unfamiliar Qiongying City, and Shen Wanchao had repeatedly promised to adopt him, only to face strong opposition from his own family. This must have made Lin Anyi feel uneasy and guilty. 

Not long after, due to work, he went on another business trip and left him alone behind, unable even to make the occasional phone call to express his concern. 

He stayed alone in that house where no one else would return, going to school, coming home, doing homework, eating, and sleeping every day according to the routine… 

Only the envelopes containing his living expenses that appeared on time each month was considered by him as something Shen Wanchao had left behind, the only thing that proved he hadn’t been completely abandoned. 

So he treasured it carefully, and even took them with him when he moved out. 

Like a yellow leaf falling from a branch in late autumn and drifting for a long time before landing near a rock, he was constantly worried that a strong wind would sweep him away and send him back onto an uncertain path. 

Lin Anyi tucked the envelope into a book and lowered his head again: “I only found out later that it was from Uncle Zhou.” 

Shen Wanchao felt a slight pain in his heart. 

He was truly incompetent; he failed even the most basic duty. If Zhou Hui hadn’t handled everything so perfectly, Lin Anyi would have silently swallowed countless grievances. 

Shen Wanchao stepped forward and hugged Lin Anyi. 

“I’m sorry,” Shen Wanchao choked back tears, “It’s my fault for not doing a good job.” 

Lin Anyi’s body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. He raised his arms to hug him back, “No… after I found out the envelopes were from Uncle Zhou, actually… well, I was only a little disappointed, but then I quickly realized that Uncle Zhou is a really good person. He personally delivered my living expenses every month, which means he doesn’t dislike me. Thinking about it that way made me happy.” 

“He is indeed a very good person,” Shen Wanchao tightened his arms, “but that doesn’t excuse my negligence.” 

Lin Anyi felt this way, and so did Zhou Mingchen. 

Shen Wanchao always made excuses for himself, saying that it was understandable to be negligent because he was too busy with work. His family also understood him very well and never blamed him for neglecting them because he was busy with work. 

But actually, no matter how busy he was, he could still make a phone call or send a message. 

Shen Wanchao was too used to having Zhou Hui behind him. He believed that he could handle everything and that he could pursue his career goals without any worries. 

He forgot that no matter how well Zhou Hui did, there were times when he couldn’t replace him. 

After a long silence, Shen Wanchao released Lin Anyi, gave him a gentle smile, and said, “I will correct myself in the future, and I will need your continued supervision.” 

Lin Anyi nodded, but in truth, he didn’t think Shen Wanchao needed to change anything. 

Pursuing a career was right; Lin Anyi felt that if it were him, he wouldn’t want to be tied down by his family either. However, from the perspective of Shen Wanchao’s family, such as Zhou Mingchen, Lin Anyi felt that it wasn’t wrong for him to need his dad. 

Even he, who had only received Shen Wanchao’s kindness for a short time, hoped that Shen Wanchao could devote more energy and attention to him, let alone Zhou Mingchen, his biological child. And Uncle Zhou, as his husband, was probably the one who most wanted Shen Wanchao to stay by his side. 

On one side was his career, the foundation of his life; on the other was his family who needed him. 

Lin Anyi admitted that he wouldn’t have been able to make the same choice either. 

Shen Wanchao said he would change, and Lin Anyi didn’t know how he would do it, but he unconditionally believed that if it were Shen Wanchao, he could do it well if he wanted to. And he was doing very well now. 

Just then, Lin Anyi suddenly heard Shen Wanchao call his name.  

Shen Wanchao gently brushed aside the strands of hair that had fallen down his forehead because of the water, and then Lin Anyi heard the person in front of him ask with a smile: 

“Now that we’re alone together for once, do you want to sleep with me?” 

Lin Anyi’s eyes widened slightly. 

Shen Wanchao had already turned around and gone to Lin Anyi’s bedside. He picked up his pillow, and placed it on his own bed. 

“This bed is spacious, two people can sleep in it.” Shen Wanchao turned back, “When Zhou Mingchen was in elementary school, he would occasionally pester me to sleep with him, but that’s not possible now. You sleep with me tonight, okay?” 

“I…” 

Lin Anyi, who had slept alone since birth, was facing this situation for the first time. 

Shen Wanchao didn’t ask for his opinion anymore and made the decision for him: “I’m going to take a shower. You lie in bed and wait for me.” 

With that, Shen Wanchao took his pajamas and went into the bathroom. 

Lin Anyi was left standing there alone, his face redder than a ripe apple.