Chapter 22: Darkening?
“That boss turned green, haha!”
“One hundred bucks brought back all this! Wen Yang, you must have gone shopping!”
“Too powerful! You really are something!”
Ning Chu was holding an oversized plastic bag stuffed with all sorts of trinkets and toys, blocking his view so much that he had to tilt his head to see the road ahead.
His endless praise made Wen Yang a bit shy as he scratched the back of his head.
“Awesome! Let’s go again next week! More shopping!”
Even though they didn’t really play much, Wen Yang’s spirits were high, a smile plastered on his face.
Ning Chu glanced at him and felt even happier.
They spent just over a hundred bucks on bus fare, snacks, and ring toss games, but came back with a bunch of trinkets, not to mention how thrilled Wen Yang was.
If they had just bought tickets for a rollercoaster or something, the three of them would have easily spent over a hundred. Talk about winning!
Later, Ning Chu thought about setting up a stall on the school square and selling the extra trinkets. Who knows, he might even make some cash.
Laughing and joking, they reached the dorm door, and Ning Chu gestured for Wang Jie to open it.
“I can’t, you open it.”
“Okay.”
Wang Jie looked utterly exhausted; the trip to the amusement park had drained all his energy.
He took out his keys and was about to unlock the door when it just swung open.
“Didn’t you lock it on the way out?”
Ning Chu asked in confusion, first entering the room with a mountain of stuff, and, after dropping it all, stretched his body like a cat, lazily yawning.
Returning to the dorm felt like going home~
Sure, the place was a chaotic mess, and there was a hint of an unpleasant smell, but compared to the anxiety outside, the dorm felt so much more comfortable.
Smack!
“What the heck!” Ning Chu yelled as he rubbed his backside and turned around. “Are you crazy?!”
“Quit blocking the door,” Wen Yang said helplessly from outside. “It’s scorching out here.”
Ning Chu’s soft, squishy butt was definitely enjoyable to smack.
“Ugh! Turn on the AC! I need a nap~”
Ning Chu dashed off to find the remote but suddenly realized something and looked up at the air conditioner blowing cool air.
His mind blanked for a moment when the back door swung open, revealing Zhang Shaoqing with a cigarette in his mouth, peeking into the room. “Where have you all been? Can’t see anyone in broad daylight.”
“You’re back so early?”
Seeing Zhang Shaoqing, Ning Chu immediately lost his playful demeanor and sized him up.
Not bad. Despite Zhang Shaoqing’s usual moody face before going home, he didn’t seem to have brought back any ominous vibe.
Ning Chu sighed in relief, fearing Zhang Shaoqing might come back all triggered and turn into a villain.
“Did you miss me after one night?”
“Go away.” He rolled his eyes at the slick-talking Zhang Shaoqing and turned to Wen Yang. “Are you taking a nap this afternoon?”
With the temperature soaring close to forty degrees, after being out all morning, staying alert in an unfamiliar setting while keeping Wen Yang happy had left him utterly drained.
“Maybe not a nap? I was thinking about that café outside, but with this heat…” he said, feeling the sweat and exhaustion. “Let’s just shower and take a nap, I’m all sweaty.”
“Then I’ll go first!”
Ning Chu felt satisfied with the answer, grinning as he realized how much more considerate Wen Yang had become.
If it were before, Wen Yang would have rushed out for a date without a second thought.
Keep it up! Let’s transform Wen Yang into a guy who has zero interest in women!
He needs to realize there are countless fun things in the world, aside from girls.
As Ning Chu grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom, Wen Yang yawned and made his way to the balcony, leaning against the railing while fiddling with his phone, waiting for Ning Chu’s shower to finish.
“Don’t smoke next to me.” He glanced at Zhang Shaoqing, who was puffing nearby, frowning slightly. “What’s your status with Ling Ling now?”
Zhang Shaoqing’s cocky smile faded immediately at the mention of his childhood sweetheart, his expression darkening.
He averted his gaze and answered nonchalantly, “Nothing’s going on.”
Wen Yang was exasperated. “If she doesn’t like you, just move on. There are tons of girls out there.”
“Did she tell you?” Zhang Shaoqing suddenly turned to stare at Wen Yang with a dangerous glare, jealousy and possessiveness bubbling up inside him.
The girl he liked was disregarding him and was all about Wen Yang, who, ironically, had never thought much of Ling Ling.
His breathing became heavier, eyes reddening, fists clenching unconsciously.
Wen Yang noticed something was off but still nodded, “Last night, she messaged me, saying you confessed to her.”
“…”
Just then, the bathroom door swung open, and Ning Chu, with wet hair, was drying it with a towel as he walked out.
But as soon as he stepped onto the balcony, he sensed the tense atmosphere.
Nervously glancing at Wen Yang and then at Zhang Shaoqing, whose expression had twisted, his heart sank.
What the heck!
What’s going on?!
I just took a shower! How did Zhang Shaoqing get all villainous on me?!
Ning Chu frantically ran through the plot points involving Zhang Shaoqing in his head and quickly tried to lighten the mood on the balcony, “Wen Yang, I’m done showering! You should hurry and take yours, too.”
“Okay,” Wen Yang responded decisively, sensing he had stirred Zhang Shaoqing’s emotions, and promptly left.
As Wen Yang went inside to grab his clothes, Ning Chu finally turned to Zhang Shaoqing.
What the heck?
Maybe because Ning Chu had left a close friend impression on Zhang Shaoqing, he met Zhang’s questioning gaze. After a brief hesitation, Zhang Shaoqing sighed, “I confessed last night and got rejected.”
Why on earth did you confess?
She obviously sees you as an older brother!
Ning Chu’s face turned green. “Why didn’t you give me a heads up?”
You can’t view characters in royal texts with normal logic, especially since Zhang Shaoqing was always smothering dark thoughts inside.
What if the rejection triggers him…
He had planned to step by step help Zhang Shaoqing pursue Ling Ling after military training, turning this royal text into a romance game.
Ning Chu paused for a moment, anxiously drying his hair with a towel. “Don’t rush, let’s… let’s think of something.”
He tried to calm Zhang Shaoqing’s urgent emotions.
“Besides, Ling Ling doesn’t have a boyfriend right now. There’s no rush.”
He just feared that this guy impatiently might decide to resort to desperate measures, just like in the plot, resorting to some drug to take control.
Girls often lower their defenses around friends and family, which could easily lead Zhang Shaoqing to success.
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