Chapter 158: The Love Letter in the Matryoshka Doll (First Part)

As soon as Jiang Muwen finished speaking, Wen Yichen’s expression shifted subtly. His gaze turned somewhat complex, making it difficult for anyone to guess what the young man was currently thinking.

"It's nothing," Wen Yichen replied calmly. The next second, he shifted his gaze back outside the car window. He had originally intended to tell Jiang Muwen to go back and open the nesting dolls one by one, but the words died on his lips just as they reached the tip of his tongue. Saying that now felt a bit too abrupt.

After Wen Yichen spoke, silence filled the taxi once again, broken only by the soothing voice of the radio host. The more Jiang Muwen thought about it, the more curious she became. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she asked, "Why did you suddenly ask that? You couldn't have hidden something inside the nesting dolls, could you?"

Jiang Muwen kept her final question extremely soft, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz, terrified that Wen Yichen might hear her clearly.

Yet, despite how softly she spoke, Wen Yichen still heard it. His gaze fell upon Jiang Muwen once more, a trace of faint tenderness flashing through his eyes. The next second, the corners of his lips curved upward involuntarily. "Just go back and see for yourself."

After getting out of the taxi, the three of them walked quietly through the residential neighborhood. Wen Yichen’s younger brother, Wen Yixin, who usually never stopped moving even for a second, was unusually quiet tonight—so quiet that he lacked any sense of presence, as if he could blend right into the serene night at any moment.

Finally, the two boys escorted the girl to her doorstep. Wen Yichen stood quietly at the door, watching as Jiang Muwen unlocked her apartment. "Remember to open the Russian nesting dolls."

Before Jiang Muwen stepped inside, Wen Yichen offered one last gentle reminder, acting as though he truly had hidden something immensely important inside the nesting dolls—the kind of thing that, if left unopened, would cause a lifetime of regret.

Jiang Muwen did not overthink it. She simply murmured an acknowledgment, bid farewell to the two boys, and closed the door behind her as she entered her home.

After finishing her evening wash, Jiang Muwen suddenly remembered the words Wen Yichen had spoken to her earlier. She strolled leisurely over to her desk and pulled out the set of Russian nesting dolls she had displayed there for some time.

Why would Wen Yichen suddenly tell her to open the nesting dolls? Could he have actually put something extraordinary inside them?

Her vivid imagination caused her to pause mid-motion. What on earth could he have put in there? In such a tiny space, what could possibly fit? Surely he wouldn't stuff some sort of love—

At this thought, Jiang Muwen couldn't help but laugh at herself. A guy like him? Writing a love letter? If he were ever to write her a love letter, she would spell her name backward from that day forward.

harboring such a mindset, the girl expectantly opened the Russian nesting dolls. She had already opened the first and second layers last time, and there was absolutely nothing inside. Pondering what on earth could be hidden within, she proceeded to open the third layer.

As she twisted open the third layer, a neatly folded piece of paper sprang out along with the movement, landing lightly upon the desk.

There really was something inside!

Jiang Muwen’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately set the nesting dolls aside, picked up the paper the very next second, and unfolded it step by step along the creases. What on earth could Wen Yichen have written on this paper? Surely it couldn’t be something about encouraging each other in their studies?

Yet, when the girl finally unfolded the final layer, what greeted her was—

A blank sheet of paper. To be precise, a sheet of paper with faded handwriting.

He must have written something on it originally, but the ink had completely vanished, leaving behind only faint, formless indentations and a few delicate pen strokes.

Looking at the sheet of paper, Jiang Muwen instinctively brought it closer to her face, as if doing so could make the faded handwriting reappear. Yet, after staring intently for a long time, the only phrase she managed to decipher was: *Looking forward to your reply.*

"..." Jiang Muwen stared at the neatly folded piece of paper with a completely bewildered expression, torn between laughter and tears.

Just as she snapped a photo and prepared to seek help from the omniscient internet, a message popped up from Wen Yichen: *Did you open the nesting dolls?*

The moment she saw Wen Yichen’s message, Jiang Muwen’s heart fluttered. This message arrived right on cue. Her fingertips lightly tapped against the screen, and she replied with a simple "Mhm."

She originally intended to tell Wen Yichen that there was nothing on the paper, but seeing the string of words "The other party is typing" at the very top of the chat interface, she instinctively stopped. Suddenly, she grew quite curious about what message he would send.

After deleting and rewriting several times, the boy finally sent just two words: *So?*

Jiang Muwen stared at her phone screen, momentarily at a loss for what to reply. So... was he looking forward to her response?

*Jiang Muwen: There are no words on that paper.*

The moment the message was sent, Wen Yichen replied instantly.

The next second, Jiang Muwen sent the photo she had just taken straight to Wen Yichen.

When Wen Yichen received that photo, he felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He stood frozen in place, staring at his phone screen, utterly lost in a trance.

"What's wrong?"

Wen Yixin’s voice suddenly pierced through Wen Yichen’s ears, abruptly pulling his thoughts back to reality.

Wen Yichen paused for a moment. After a brief silence, he spoke in a low voice, staring at the photograph as if still finding it hard to believe: "The handwriting on the note I gave Jiang Muwen has faded."

"..." After Wen Yichen finished speaking, Wen Yixin suddenly fell silent. His silence was so abnormal that it immediately aroused Wen Yichen’s suspicion.

"Did you look at the letter I wrote to Jiang Muwen that day?" Wen Yichen asked, fixing his gaze squarely on Wen Yixin in an interrogative tone that made Wen Yixin feel rather self-conscious.

"I... You..." Wen Yixin was left speechless by the question, having no idea how to explain himself to Wen Yichen. After stammering for a long time, he finally managed to say, "I didn't know you had hidden a piece of paper inside!"

Back then, Wen Yixin had no idea Wen Yichen had placed anything inside the nesting dolls. That day, after stepping out of the bathroom, he had seen Wen Yichen leave the nesting dolls on the desk before turning around and heading back inside.

Out of sheer curiosity, Wen Yixin had taken the nesting dolls apart. To his surprise, he unexpectedly discovered a neatly folded piece of paper hidden inside. Overwhelming curiosity drove him to take a peek at what was written on it. Since he also happened to feel a bit hungry, he decided to boil some water and make himself a cup of instant noodles at the same time.

While waiting for the noodles to cook, Wen Yixin had secretly unfolded the paper. If he hadn't opened it, he never would have known that his younger brother turned out to be a closet romantic capable of writing love letters.