That burning sensation seemed to linger on the back of her hand, leaving Ning Chu feeling restless.
She sat at her desk, glanced down at her hand in disgust, and rubbed it against her clothes.
Letting out a soft sigh, she tried to calm her unsettled emotions before pulling out her phone and messaging Zhang Shaoqing:
"Where did you and Wang Jie go?"
A moment later, Zhang Shaoqing sent back a photo.
The picture showed a cluttered two-lane street lined with roadside stalls.
So, they had gone off-campus to grab some snacks…
"Getting some food. Gonna come back and watch Wen Yang's competition."
Clearly, he didn't know yet that Wen Yang had fallen during the match. Even though Wen Yang seemed to recover quickly, Ning Chu had no intention of letting him participate in the remaining events.
Her nose twitched slightly as she turned to glance toward the balcony, mumbling in annoyance, "Why am I only sensitive to this kind of smell?"
The scent had grown noticeably stronger, indicating that Wen Yang had likely resolved the issue.
He had spent half an hour dealing with it outside, but only one minute in the dorm bathroom.
Sure enough, after the sound of the toilet flushing, the smell dissipated significantly. Wen Yang then walked into the room looking refreshed, though the moment he saw her, his confidence crumbled, and his face flushed as he avoided her gaze.
Seeing his bashful, awkward demeanor made Ning Chu want to laugh. She teased him, "That was fast this time, huh?"
"..."
If it weren't for Ning Chu accidentally brushing against him earlier, it wouldn't have been so quick.
Basically, it was as if Ning Chu had helped him out…
Wen Yang dared not explain. Instead, he went straight to his computer and sat down. "Duo queue?"
"Forget it. I don't feel like playing."
He sneaked a glance at Ning Chu, then lowered his head to fiddle with his phone, though his mind was still filled with chaotic thoughts.
Ning Chu was truly peculiar. Sometimes she was bold enough to peek at him in the bathroom and even suggest he take care of his own "needs," yet at other times, she'd get shy and avoid him entirely.
Was her boldness just one-sided teasing?
If so, Ning Chu was the type to have high offense but low defense.
Initially planning to take a nap, Ning Chu found herself distracted by the faint announcements from the sports field's broadcast system, which seeped into her room and disrupted her mood.
Around noon, she ordered takeout and propped her chin in one hand, idly clicking through trending videos online to pass the time.
"Ning Chu, how about we go out later this afternoon once my foot feels better?"
"Where to?"
"Just, y'know, wander around…"
Wen Yang glanced at his banking app to confirm his savings and quickly scratched off the idea of going to the movies.
Without looking up, Ning Chu replied, "Invite Shaoqing and the others? Or Xinya and Lily?"
"Uh… just the two of us? And you could wear that dress…"
Oh, so that's what you're aiming for!
If it were just the two of them going out, and she dressed in that outfit, wouldn't it be a date?
Dream on!
"I don't like wearing dresses. I'm taking a nap this afternoon."
"Alright."
Wen Yang didn't push further but began brainstorming ways to subtly convince her to wear a dress without making her resist.
How could a perfectly good girl not wear dresses?
After cycling through some videos, Ning Chu opened the school forum.
After an hour of buzz, there were already three trending posts about Wen Yang.
One thread featured photos of Wen Yang at the sports meet. The photography skills were excellent, capturing his sunny, boyish charm and making him look especially handsome.
Although the thread contained only a few pictures, the comments section was full of lovestruck fans squealing and calling him "Prince Charming."
"Even falling looks handsome!"
"Ahhh! Post more!"
"Husband!"
Scanning through the comments, Ning Chu shut down the post with a twinge of jealousy.
Being good-looking really is nice...
Unfortunately, her role in the story was the female side character, not the main lead.
She sighed and began pondering how to deal with the trouble brewing ahead.
Glancing at Wen Yang, who was seated at his computer, she tested the waters:
"Wen Yang, you're trending on the school forum."
"Mm."
"Not happy about it? A lot of girls see you as their dream guy." Her tone, tinged with envy, came out unintentionally sour. "If you wanted, you'd have girls throwing themselves at you in no time."
"Even better if it's a rich lady. Then you'd never have to worry about money again."
Wen Yang rejected the idea without hesitation. "My stomach's fine. I can't digest freeloading."
"Oh?"
"You said the same thing when the café owner had a crush on you."
Ning Chu smiled slyly and continued probing, "Doesn't it make finding a girlfriend much easier for you?"
"Finding a girlfriend can wait. No rush."
His answer didn't make her happy at all.
After spending so much time with Wen Yang, it was clear the male lead had started seeing her as his sole target. He didn't even spare a glance for other girls.
That's not right.
Normally, wouldn't any grown man chafe under restrictions? Wouldn't a guy turn into a flirt the moment a girl chased after him?
She wasn't more beautiful than the other side characters. Words like breathtakingly gorgeous didn't apply to her, and if it came to her figure… well, slim pickings.
Knock, knock, knock
A sudden knock at the dorm room door broke Ning Chu's train of thought.
It was obviously not Zhang Shaoqing or Wang Jie; those two never knocked. If they didn't kick the door open, that was already polite.
Wen Yang casually called out, "Come in."
A petite, cute girl with glasses poked her head in.
"What is it?"
"Um, could you help me download some software? If possible, could you register an account too?"
Wen Yang hesitated briefly before standing up. "Sure."
Inside, Ning Chu was screaming, Oh, come on!
Ning Chu locked her eyes on the glasses-wearing girl and felt a sharp sense of unease.
A shy and pretty bookworm type—eerily similar to one of the side characters from the story.
Without hesitation, Ning Chu squeezed between them, blocking Wen Yang while wearing a clear expression of hostility. "This is a men's dorm!"
She couldn't let them interact—what if this triggered the plot?!
The girl seemed bashful, keeping her head down as she stammered, "The dorm supervisor wasn't downstairs..."
Wen Yang had already downloaded the app and was about to register when he paused, his brows knitting together. Taking a step back, he stared at the girl with suspicion.
"A loan app?"
"No, no! It's a legitimate lending platform. It's just for emergencies."
Another scheming woman!
Ning Chu was right! Pretty girls who approach have ulterior motives—just like this!
How devious can you get?
Wen Yang's face darkened. One hand gripped the door, while Ning Chu quickly cooperated by pushing the girl out of the dorm.
The door slammed shut, leaving a sudden calm in the room.
"A loan app?" Ning Chu turned to confirm with Wen Yang.
"Yeah."
In her past life, campus loans had been strictly regulated, yet this world still allowed them to operate.
"If you're ever short on money, come to me or Zhang Shaoqing. But never take out any loans." She reminded him seriously, "Don't think you can beat the odds."
Wen Yang nodded obediently. "Got it."