Chapter 26: Afternoon Nap
It seemed that the bad woman wasn't a plot-related character after all.
If she were, by the time Wen Yang completely lost interest in the girl with glasses, the related storyline should have been disrupted, and Ning Chu should have felt some sort of punishment. But nothing felt off in her body.
By the time her takeout arrived, Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie had returned to the dorm as well.
"Damn! Was the fall bad?" Zhang Shaoqing exclaimed as he stared at Wen Yang’s hands and knees, now covered in ointment. "Are you still going to compete in the sports meet?"
"No, I’ve already told the advisor I’m not participating," Wen Yang replied, raising his leg slightly. "I twisted my ankle too, and it’s still weak."
"Are you okay?" Wang Jie asked, concerned. "Did you go to the infirmary?"
"Yeah, I did. It’ll be fine in a day or two, no big deal."
Although he said one or two days, after just a few hours of rest, the pain in Wen Yang’s ankle had already lessened considerably.
"It’s just as well Ning Chu isn’t competing either, so you can take care of Wen Yang these next couple of days," Zhang Shaoqing said, turning to Ning Chu, who was eating her lunch. "Hey! Take care of your hubby~"
"Shut up!"
"Why are you so snappy today? Is it that time of the month again?"
Wen Yang figured Ning Chu was just in a bad mood.
Thanks to his fall, nearly every girl in the school now knew who he was, and Ning Chu’s earlier jealous tone made it clear she was worried about him getting seduced by other women.
They’d known each other for so long, and Ning Chu still didn’t trust his character.
After finishing her lunch while watching a restaurant review video, Ning Chu stretched and prepared to take a nap.
With the midday broadcast finally quiet, she estimated she could sleep for about two hours, just enough time to recharge before dealing with the inevitable encounters with "flirty vixens."
"Wen Yang, time for a nap."
To avoid Wen Yang sneaking out to flirt with other girls while she napped, Ning Chu always made a point of reminding him.
"Alright, I’ll take a nap too once I finish eating."
It was only Wednesday, and Wen Yang’s meal had reverted to instant noodles with a sausage.
Most of the 200 yuan he’d earned from his weekend part-time job had gone toward buying a dress for Ning Chu. After eating well for two days, he was back to scraping by.
It was a good thing Ning Chu constantly reminded him to be wary of bad women; otherwise, when that loan app was pushed on him today, he might have seriously considered taking out a loan.
"I worked so hard to buy that dress... Ning Chu should at least wear it once, right?" Wen Yang muttered to himself, wondering how to get Ning Chu to put it on.
After considering a few ideas, all of which he feared might upset her, an image of Yan Xinya popped into his mind.
If he asked Yan Xinya for help, even if Ning Chu was annoyed, her anger would be directed at the wolf-girl, not him.
He quickly picked up his phone, found Yan Xinya’s chat icon, and was about to type a message when he suddenly hesitated.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
His social media was linked to Ning Chu's.
So instead, he switched to texting...
"Ning Chu, want to go out this afternoon? I’ve invited Xinya and Lily too," Wen Yang asked, looking up at Ning Chu, who was already on her bed. "You up for it?"
"Is your foot better?"
"Walking normally isn’t a problem."
Ning Chu pursed her lips. She didn’t like the idea of going out alone with Wen Yang, as it would look too much like a date. But adding Yan Xinya and Lily into the mix made it different.
Her drowsiness made her mind sluggish, and she didn’t feel like thinking too much.
"Alright."
"Not bad~ Taking three girls out at once," Zhang Shaoqing teased, turning around. "Guess it pays to be handsome."
Wen Yang started tidying up his meal tray. "Ning Chu’s a guy."
"Right, right~ A trap," Zhang Shaoqing joked. "Wen Yang, are you planning to go after the wolf-girl or the succubus? Need a wingman? I’m more than qualified!"
He patted his chest confidently. "I’m an ace wingman!"
"No need."
"What, don’t trust your bro?"
Sensing some gossip, Wang Jie also turned around, curious. "Yeah, I’ve noticed those two girls sticking to you guys lately."
"But they seem more like Ning Chu’s girlfriends," he commented. "Must be nice to be good-looking—you find friends first, then girlfriends."
Wen Yang didn’t want to reveal Ning Chu’s real gender, so he casually brushed them off. "We’re just friends hanging out, nothing more."
"Mind if I tag along? I’m still single."
"Already forgot about Ling Ling?" Ning Chu chimed in, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Zhang Shaoqing’s face darkened, and he scoffed, "Why bring that up?"
"Quiet, I’m trying to sleep."
The dorm fell silent for about two minutes.
But, as usual, Zhang Shaoqing couldn’t stay quiet. He whispered to Wen Yang, "Hey, hey! Wen Yang! Don’t go to bed just yet."
"What is it?"
"Which one do you actually like? The wolf-girl or the succubus?"
"Neither," Wen Yang replied confidently.
"Bro~ Stop pretending!" Zhang Shaoqing, acting like a seasoned expert, crossed his legs and suggested, "I think the succubus is better. I heard they’re wild in bed, while the wolf-girl might just punch you to death."
"Hey, that succubus in our class always has a stern face. How’d you even get close to her?"
Wen Yang, now nursing a headache from dealing with this nonsense, decided he’d had enough. He climbed into bed without another word.
Sitting at the head of the bed, he instinctively glanced over at Ning Chu.
Ning Chu’s sleeping posture had always been rather ungraceful. She lay flat on her back, her head tilted against the pillow, the blanket kicked to the side, her short sleeves riding up to expose her belly and waist. Her legs were positioned in an odd "卩" shape, showing no signs of proper sleep etiquette.
Wen Yang glanced at the two below, seeing that neither was paying attention to him, then quietly leaned over toward Ning Chu’s bed, gently pulling up the blanket to cover her.
He didn’t want her to catch a cold or stomachache.
And he was more concerned that Zhang Shaoqing or Wang Jie might see her like this and develop any inappropriate thoughts.
But Ning Chu suddenly opened her eyes, staring straight at Wen Yang with her bright, piercing gaze.
"Sleeping so lightly?"
"..."
She watched as Wen Yang attempted to climb into her bed, utterly bewildered by his sudden boldness.
In broad daylight! And with the other two roommates still awake.
"Cover up with your blanket, don’t catch a cold," Wen Yang calmly advised before quickly returning to his own bed.
"..."
Ning Chu remained silent, pulling the blanket over herself, suddenly finding it hard to fall asleep.
She wasn’t sure if Wen Yang genuinely wanted to cover her with the blanket or if he had other intentions. But one thing was certain—if Wen Yang did have any thoughts of sneaking into her bed, it would be incredibly easy for him to do so.
"Better buy a bed curtain... at least I’d feel more secure."
Ning Chu turned over and immediately ordered one online.
"And maybe keep some sleeping spray under my pillow... Shaoqing’s wrench could come in handy too..."
If something like this happened again, she wouldn’t care if it was a misunderstanding—she’d hit Wen Yang with the spray first and then interrogate him with the wrench.