Come Over for Tea When You Have Time

Song Qitao is an art student in his final year of high school who struggles significantly with mathematics. Despite his talent for drawing, his poor academic scores threaten his university prospects. His classmate, Meng Sicheng, is the grade's top student, renowned for his exceptional mathematical ability and aloof demeanor. Song Qitao develops a crush on Meng Sicheng and attempts to get closer by bringing him breakfast, specifically soy milk and buns, every morning. However, his efforts are initially clumsy; he accidentally spills the soy milk and even copies a mathematical formula incorrectly on the cup sleeves. Meng Sicheng notices these gestures but remains distant, only engaging with Song Qitao when the latter seeks academic help. During one such interaction, Song Qitao finds himself unable to understand Meng Sicheng's explanations, humorously describing it as an allergy to the top student's voice.

Desperate to improve his grades, Song Qitao discovers a hidden note offering paid homework correction services from a top-ranking student. He contacts the anonymous tutor, known only as "Paid Tutoring," and is impressed by the detailed and patient corrections provided. Unaware that the tutor is actually Meng Sicheng, Song Qitao begins a rigorous study routine, sending papers daily to the lounge. He goes to great lengths to support his tutor, buying mosquito repellent, replacing light bulbs, and even purchasing a new uniform after noticing stains on the tutor's back. Meanwhile, Meng Sicheng endures a hostile home environment where his neglectful parents argue constantly. He uses the school lounge as a refuge and finds himself increasingly drawn to Song Qitao's earnestness and kindness. The tutoring arrangement helps Song Qitao's math score rise dramatically, though he remains stuck around the ninety-point mark.

As the college entrance exam approaches, the tutoring ends with a brief message from Meng Sicheng. After the exams, Song Qitao learns that Meng Sicheng scored a perfect mark in mathematics, while he himself barely passed. The two cross paths again at a post-exam hotel gathering. Meng Sicheng, having consumed alcohol, invites Song Qitao into his room to review the exam questions. Despite Song Qitao's attempts to escape, Meng Sicheng persists in teaching him, leading to a chaotic and intimate night where Song Qitao falls asleep on Meng Sicheng's shoulder. The situation escalates when both boys realize they have been drugged by spiked drinks at the banquet. In a moment of confusion and physical distress, they inadvertently assist each other, an incident that leaves Song Qitao traumatized and vowing never to see Meng Sicheng again.

Three years later, Song Qitao is a university student and a successful manga artist under the pen name Maotao. He receives an invitation from a mutual high school friend, Yao Zhao, to a birthday dinner in Nancheng. To his horror, Meng Sicheng appears at the same event, having traveled from Beijing for a mathematical competition. The reunion is tense, with Song Qitao trying to avoid Meng Sicheng while the latter remains calmly persistent. Later, Meng Sicheng invites Song Qitao to his hotel room, ostensibly to discuss a math problem, but the situation mirrors their past encounters. Both are again affected by drugged drinks, leading to another intense and confusing physical interaction. The next morning, they agree to pretend the incidents never happened, though Meng Sicheng secretly reviews hotel surveillance footage to confirm the events and realizes his own lack of control during the incidents.

The story shifts to the present day, where Song Qitao continues his career in art while Meng Sicheng pursues advanced mathematics. Meng Sicheng's family dynamics remain complicated, with his parents attempting to manipulate his future for business gain. Despite the awkward and painful history between them, an underlying tension suggests that their paths are destined to cross again. Meng Sicheng's actions indicate a desire to reconnect and understand Song Qitao better, moving beyond their academic dynamic into personal territory. The narrative sets the stage for a reconciliation, as both characters navigate their adult lives while grappling with the unresolved feelings and misunderstandings from their high school years.