Volume 1 Chapter 45: Class Dinner
"Sorry, sorry!"
On the balcony, Zhang Shaoqing wore a dark expression. He had just returned to the dorm when Ning Chu dragged him out here, and now the little guy in front of him kept apologizing nonstop.
"It's all my fault—every bit of it! I must've lost my mind yesterday morning! I misunderstood what you meant by massage…"
Zhang Shaoqing was actually a bit dumbfounded. The gloomy look froze on his face as he stared blankly at the pitiful-looking Ning Chu. Then he leaned back against the balcony railing and demanded in a displeased, sharp tone, "So you're wrong? What's the use of just saying it?"
"Th-this…" Ning Chu's deliberately pitiful act instantly fell apart. He took two steps back. "What do you want to do?"
Holy crap! Don't tell me he's really turning evil over something this small?!Sure enough, a villain's heart is fragile!
Seeing Ning Chu's wary expression—like a kitten facing a vicious dog—Zhang Shaoqing suddenly burst out laughing. "Just call me 'Dad' and we'll call it even."
"..."
"Hey! Show some sincerity!"
Ning Chu felt utterly humiliated. His lips twitched, and he reluctantly hummed, "Dad."
"Eh~ One more time!"
"Are you asking to get beaten up?!"
"Come on, hit me~" Zhang Shaoqing turned and ran back into the dorm, taunting as he ran. "So whiny—like a girl! You didn't seriously think I'd get mad over something like this, did you?"
Fuming, Ning Chu grabbed a broom and chased after him.
The dorm was as noisy as ever. Wen Yang turned around, watching the two of them chase and brawl in the cramped space. He rubbed his temples with a headache and shouted to stop them. "Enough, enough! Pause for a second!"
"The counselor said yesterday that we're having a class dinner tonight. Are you guys going or not? Give me a straight answer."
"Not going! What's there to go for? I only know you guys in the whole class."
Zhang Shaoqing managed to reply while running, only to get smacked on the butt by the broom. He yelped and ran even faster.
"Wouldn't it be bad not to go…? The counselor said we should all try to attend, to promote class unity…"
"Are you stupid? You actually believe that crap?"
Wen Yang had no way to deal with him, so he turned to look at Ning Chu, who was holding the broom, cheeks puffed up like an angry pufferfish as he chased Zhang Shaoqing around.
"Ning Chu, are you going?"
"Don't want to!"
Right now, Ning Chu just wanted to beat Zhang Shaoqing to death.
"Wang Jie?"
"Ranking up. No time."
Wen Yang shook his head helplessly. "Come on, at least one of you go with me, okay? I don't really know anyone in the class either."
"Don't worry, the girls in class won't ignore you."
The moment Zhang Shaoqing said that, Ning Chu suddenly snapped to attention. He stopped in his tracks, his voice tight with anxiety. "Isn't it fine if you don't go?"
"I'm the class monitor. How could I not go? The counselor would break my legs."
Ning Chu frowned in distress, put down the broom, and pulled out his phone. He opened the Notes app.
Inside were his summaries of all the girls in the novel who had NSFW scenes with Wen Yang. Among those in the same class were Ling Ling the cat girl—whom Zhang Shaoqing liked—the ascetic succubus they'd discussed in the dorm before, the yandere fox girl…
There were also quite a few other girls in class who were heroines in the plot. If Wen Yang was allowed to attend the dinner alone, chances were high he wouldn't be coming back tonight.
"Worried about Wen Yang going out alone again?" Zhang Shaoqing mocked, seeing his gloomy expression. "Why don't you just go to Thailand to finish your surgery and marry Wen Yang already?"
Ning Chu stubbornly explained, "I'm just broke and don't have money to eat, that's all!"
"Your family hasn't sent you your allowance yet?" Wen Yang asked curiously from the side. "Mine already came in."
"No…"
Ning Chu opened his banking app and stared gloomily at the single-digit balance.
Because he'd been raising a cat, and hadn't exactly been frugal with meals and milk tea, this month's living expenses were basically gone. The money left was enough to buy two packs of instant noodles—just enough to last him a day.
He pressed his lips together and opened his contacts, tapping on the number labeled "Mom," but his thumb hovered there, refusing to press down.
In his previous life, his mother had passed away early, and he had relied on his grandfather to survive. But here, he'd suddenly gained a mother out of nowhere.
That made him instinctively resistant. His brows furrowed as he felt unwilling to communicate with this "mother" at all.
What's more, this was about asking for money… It felt humiliating, like begging from a stranger.
"What, is your relationship with your mom bad?" Wen Yang saw his hesitation.
"It should be… okay, I guess?"
Zhang Shaoqing sat with one leg crossed over the other, muttering casually, "Asking your family for living expenses and still hesitating like that. I don't even need to ask—my mom stuffs money into me every day."
That's because you're a rich second-gen!
Ning Chu shot him a look, then flipped his phone screen face-down on the table and shook his head helplessly at Wen Yang. "Forget it. I'm not going to the dinner tonight."
Since it involved Ning Chu's family matters, Wen Yang didn't say much. He just shrugged to show he understood.
He sat back down in front of his computer, but inside, he couldn't help feeling a surge of excitement.
So that meant tonight, Ning Chu wouldn't keep following him around, wouldn't keep interfering with his romantic prospects. If some girl happened to pursue him, Ning Chu wouldn't deliberately come and mess things up either…
If not for Ning Chu, would someone like him—who had girls lining up to chase him—really still be a virgin to this day?!
That selfish thought made him feel a little guilty. He sneaked a glance at Ning Chu, only to see him still frowning, head lowered, searching for something on his phone.
"What are you doing?" Wen Yang asked.
"Looking for a part-time job…"
Ning Chu propped one foot on the chair, resting his chin on his knee, muttering, "Preferably an on-campus job—supermarket clerk~ cafeteria delivery or serving food~"
"That way I can work and earn some money even between classes."
Watching his gloomy expression, Wen Yang's excitement gradually faded. "It's the last day of the month. Asking your family for allowance is pretty normal. Why go find a part-time job?"
"Didn't you say that a college student's top priority is studying?"
That was just nonsense I fed youso you wouldn't go work part-time and flirt with girls everywhere—and you actually took it seriously? Are you dumb or what?
Ning Chu complained inwardly but said nothing.
"How about teaming up with me for game boosting?" Wen Yang suggested. "Just play a few hours at night. It won't affect your studies too much, and you can treat it as entertainment."
"Him?" Zhang Shaoqing snorted. "Did you forget that 0–18 last time? The three of us carrying him and we still lost—we lost all of our games that night. And you want him to boost accounts?"
Boosting…
Ning Chu's eyes suddenly lit up.
Boosting was impossible—but what about being a paid gaming companion?!
Even if he was terrible at the game and a guy, meaning almost no one would want to hire him as a companion, unless it was some rich woman who liked the shota type—like that café owner lady.
What if, though?
He quickly downloaded a gaming companion app and registered an account, planning to just leave it there. If he got lucky, some sucker might give him money. Even if not, all he'd lose was a bit of phone storage.
Wen Yang: "I should get going soon."
"So early?" Ning Chu jolted upright.
"I need to first count how many people are actually going to the dinner, then go with the counselor to find a good, affordable place to eat…"
Zhang Shaoqing chimed in, "Just don't pick that Sichuan restaurant again. It gave Ning Chu a bad stomach."
"Alright."
Seeing Wen Yang about to leave, Ning Chu hurriedly stood up and jogged over. "Wait—wait!"
"What is it?"
Ning Chu glanced back at Zhang Shaoqing, who was clearly enjoying the show. A wave of burning embarrassment rushed over him. His face flushed slightly as he lowered his voice and awkwardly reminded Wen Yang, "Don't drink alcohol at the dinner, come back early tonight, um… and don't stay out overnight…"
I have to learn to let go eventually.
It's just going out for a meal—nothing bad should happen to Wen Yang, right?
But Zhang Shaoqing had heard everything clearly. "Hey~ It's like watching a distressed wife reminding her husband to not go back too late!"
At those words, the embarrassment instantly multiplied several times over. The faint pink on Ning Chu's face deepened into a vivid crimson, so delicate it looked ready to drip blood. The flush quickly spread to the tips of his ears. He lowered his head, feeling his cheeks burn, grinding his teeth as he desperately wanted to punch Zhang Shaoqing.
What an asshole!
Wen Yang looked at the blush blooming across Ning Chu's cute face, that soft, shy demeanor gently poking at his heart.
Does Ning Chu… actually like me?
His thoughts began to spiral, but he still gave a light nod.
"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of guy who messes around."
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Note:
Link for character illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxOucqi87ss3bmqfO9zI2gYiM1Gy8Hz2