Chapter 20: [Hello, My Name is Chen Ye]

Chen Ye couldn't understand why he had blurted out such baffling words.

Maybe it was love at first sight, or maybe he was simply driven by lust. Or perhaps he felt that this was the only way to truly reach Jiang Xin's heart.

But Chen Ye found a perfectly reasonable excuse for himself. "I'm just tired from writing code," he thought.

Besides, what could be more uplifting than sitting face-to-face with a beautiful girl, learning sign language together?

Jiang Xin, however, had clearly never anticipated such a thing. Clutching her book, she stood on the balcony, completely stunned.

This was the first time anyone had ever offered to learn sign language for her. Even her older sister, Su Siyun, and her parents had never said those words.

Jiang Xin desperately wanted to ask why, but she couldn't speak, and Chen Ye couldn't understand sign language. She could only fret in anxious silence.

But Chen Ye seemed to read her mind. Before she could figure out how to pose her question, he took the initiative to explain, "I need to learn it exactly because I don't understand it. You can't just walk around with a notebook hanging around your neck every day, right? Writing everything down is exhausting."

Hearing this explanation only confused Jiang Xin further.

"Does Chen Ye really need to know sign language? And what is all that about not letting me walk around with a notebook every day?" she wondered.

He was just borrowing her computer for the day. They wouldn't have any further contact after this.

"Could it be... is Chen Ye actually trying to pursue me?" she thought.

That unsigned love letter kept swirling in her mind. Right now, Jiang Xin wanted nothing more than to tell Chen Ye that she wasn't right for him. He should be chasing after girls who loved to laugh, loved to talk, and loved to share their deepest secrets with him.

She couldn't even express what she was thinking. Those dry, lifeless written words could be erased with a single gentle wipe. Even if she did harbor a tiny, deeply buried crush on Chen Ye in her heart.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xin lowered her head and skirted past Chen Ye, returning to her own room. She had to grab a pen and write it down for him.

As soon as she entered the room, Jiang Xin glanced around. Only after confirming that Chen Ye hadn't touched anything did she feel relieved enough to pick up the palm-sized notepad from her desk.

But the moment she stepped out of the door, she crashed solidly into Chen Ye's chest. He had been waiting right around the corner.

Jiang Xin let out a muffled grunt, startled, and hurriedly stumbled back two steps.

"Are you okay?" Chen Ye asked, patting his chest.

Jiang Xin shook her head. She tucked a few stray strands of hair—messed up from her nap and the collision—behind her ear, lowered her head, and prepared to write on the notepad.

But Chen Ye didn't give her the chance. Snatching the pen and notepad away, he started writing instead.

Jiang Xin immediately grew anxious and reached out to grab them back, but Chen Ye had already finished. He handed the pen and notepad back to her.

"Today, we're going to learn this sentence."

Jiang Xin didn't take the notepad right away. Slightly annoyed by his actions, she knit her dark, delicate brows and glared at him. However, she couldn't help but look down at the written line anyway.

"Hello, my name is Chen Ye."

"Is Chen Ye trying to... introduce himself to me?" she wondered.

Looking at those words, ripples of emotion stirred in Jiang Xin's heart. This was the first time someone had used written words to greet her. If she actually taught him, Chen Ye would also be the first person to ever greet her in sign language.

"Why does he always have to steal my firsts!" the young girl thought indignantly.

Watching Jiang Xin's expression shift from puffing her cheeks in anger to looking frustrated, and finally settling into hesitation, Chen Ye knew he had succeeded.

He pressed his advantage, saying, "We've known each other for a few years now, and I haven't even properly said hello. It just doesn't feel right. Besides, it's only one sentence. It won't take much time. Once you teach me, I'll leave."

Jiang Xin lowered her head slightly and gently closed her eyes.

"How did I never realize Chen Ye was so thick-skinned before? Back when we shared a desk, he used to blush after saying just a couple of words," she thought.

But she truly didn't know how to refuse him. Ever since she lost her ability to speak in middle school, no one had ever made any requests of her. Everyone, to some extent, just accommodated her.

Taking another deep breath, she looked up and wrote on the notepad, "I have to go out later."

"Don't worry, I'm a fast learner. It's just one sentence, after all." Chen Ye smiled confidently. Taking the lead, he walked back into Jiang Xin's room and sat down at the computer again.

Seeing the girl still standing in the doorway, he glanced around and noticed they were short a stool.

"You sit here. I'll go grab another one."

Chen Ye stood up, slid his stool over to the other side of the desk, and patted the seat. He then walked past Jiang Xin and headed into the living room to fetch another stool.

When he returned, Jiang Xin was still standing by the door. Her pearly white teeth gently bit down on her lower lip, and her pretty little face was full of conflict.

"Don't overthink it. The sooner you teach me, the sooner I'll leave. Just consider it granting a wish of mine," Chen Ye urged with a smile, carrying his stool into the room as if he owned the place.

The young girl glared at his back with a hint of annoyance, but eventually puffed her cheeks and sighed. She felt as though Chen Ye was a tireless lion on the savanna, and she was the hunted fawn. No matter which direction she fled or how fast she ran, he would eventually catch up to her. He left her absolutely no room to breathe.

Slowly shuffling her feet, she walked over to the desk and plopped down onto the stool. She made the movement a little louder than necessary to express her displeasure.

But in Chen Ye's eyes, the action carried an entirely different appeal. He quickly averted his gaze, afraid that his eighteen-year-old body might betray his willpower. If he got caught in that kind of situation, it wouldn't just be an embarrassment. He reckoned he would never be able to get through to Jiang Xin's phone ever again.

"I heard that in sign language, every word is a separate gesture. So, start teaching me from the first word." Chen Ye grabbed the piece of stationery he had written on earlier and rewrote the sentence vertically, using very large letters.

"You," he said, pointing at the first word.

Jiang Xin pursed her lips and pointed her index finger at him.

Chen Ye mirrored her, extending his index finger to point back at Jiang Xin, and repeated the word aloud.

"Good."

Jiang Xin stared at his finger. Retracting her index finger, she gave a thumbs-up.

Chen Ye followed suit, giving a thumbs-up as well, though his eyes never left Jiang Xin's hands. People are never stingy when it comes to appreciating beautiful things.

"I," he said softly.

Jiang Xin retracted her thumb and pointed at herself.

"Call."

Hearing this word, a flash of embarrassment crossed Jiang Xin's eyes, but she instinctively made the gesture anyway. She formed an 'L' shape with her thumb and other fingers, placing it near her mouth. Then, she opened her mouth slightly, pantomiming a shout.

Seeing her make such an adorable gesture, Chen Ye had to turn his head away to keep himself from laughing out loud. Noticing that Jiang Xin's expression was gradually souring, he hurriedly struck the same pose.

He even shouted along with it, "Call!"

To his surprise, the girl in front of him couldn't hold back and let out a sudden PFFT, bursting into laughter. But before he could say anything, Jiang Xin quickly stifled her amusement and looked at him with sheer earnestness.

"No laughing allowed," Chen Ye reminded her, before uttering the final two words.

"Jiang Xin."