Chapter 50: My Male Lead!
Male lead...
On the way to the girls' dormitory, Wen Yang pondered the meaning of those words.
This wasn’t some kind of movie or novel. In reality, there’s no such thing as a “male lead.” The world keeps spinning regardless of who’s in it or not.
Maybe it was just Ning Chu’s way of boosting his confidence?
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёwebnovel.com.
After all, when he confessed before, he had shown his insecurity stemming from his family’s financial situation, and Ning Chu clearly hated it when he lacked confidence.
He took a deep breath. No matter what, whether he succeeded or not, if Ning Chu asked for something, he would do his best to fulfill it.
“This is Xinya’s balcony,” Ning Chu said as they circled around the dormitory building.
From behind a tall iron fence, she pointed toward a balcony not too far away. “Because it’s on the first floor, it would be pretty convenient for a pervert.”
Wen Yang nodded and scanned the surroundings.
It was similar to the boys' dormitory. Even though there were iron fences around the dorm to prevent students from sneaking in and out after lights-out, many of the fences were damaged, with gaps large enough for an adult to squeeze through.
They said this was the delivery drivers' doing.
Wen Yang put down the comforter he was carrying, squeezed through the gap in the fence, and walked through a few patches of bushes until he reached Yan Xinya’s balcony.
“Ah!”
Inside the balcony, Lily had just come out of the bathroom and screamed when she saw a man standing outside.
“...”
“What’s wrong, what’s wrong?” Yan Xinya rushed over excitedly, wearing boxing gloves. “Did you spot the underwear thief? I’ll kill him!”
But when she saw Wen Yang, her energy deflated. “Oh, it’s just you, Wen Yang. Where’s Ning Chu?”
“Behind me.”
Yan Xinya stood on tiptoes, peering into the distance and waving at Ning Chu.
“I’m coming in through the main entrance!” Ning Chu called, dragging her suitcase since it couldn’t fit through the gap in the fence.
Wen Yang continued to observe the balcony, inspecting its surroundings and details.
The balcony wasn’t high off the ground, only a few dozen centimeters. Although there were security bars, a thief could easily climb up, reach through the bars, and grab the laundry hanging inside.
“We’ve already started hanging our underwear further inside,” Yan Xinya complained, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. “But it still keeps disappearing.”
The underwear was now hung above the sink, deep inside the balcony—too far for even the longest arms to reach.
“What about security cameras?”
“We did catch some footage, but it’s too dark. You can’t see anyone; it just disappears in a flash,” Yan Xinya said, spreading her hands wide in frustration. “Do perverts wear night-vision suits now?”
“Hmm,” Wen Yang muttered, looking down at the black poodle that had somehow appeared at his feet. “Could it be cats, dogs, or maybe birds?”
“Why would they steal underwear?”
“Good point.”
Hearing the door open, Yan Xinya turned and saw Ning Chu entering the room with her suitcase.
“So, any results?” Ning Chu hurried over to the balcony. “How’s it going?”
Wen Yang shook his head, about to suggest giving up, but when he saw the eager look on Ning Chu’s face, he changed his mind. “Has anyone else’s underwear been stolen? I could take a look there too.”
“No way!”
Ning Chu immediately protested.
“What’s wrong?”
If Wen Yang actually caught the pervert, he’d become even more famous at school!
Thanks to the sports event, he already had a small following of female fans, including one plot-related supporting character and several passersby. If he became famous for catching the underwear thief, how would Ning Chu survive?
She’d be consumed by qing energy every day! Her body wouldn’t be able to handle it!
“No way. I forbid it!”
If Wen Yang found any clues here, they could pin it on Yan Xinya. But if he went anywhere else to investigate, there would be no hiding his involvement.
“Alright then... This dog is annoying.”
“What dog?” Ning Chu peeked out from the balcony and saw the small poodle circling around Wen Yang’s legs. “Is it a stray?”
Yan Xinya nodded. “Yeah, I see it sometimes and feed it when I can. It’s pretty friendly.”
She leaned out beside Ning Chu and called out to the dog with a playful smile, “Hey, Little Black!”
The poodle’s eyes lit up the moment it saw Yan Xinya. With a sudden burst of energy, it jumped almost as high as the balcony railing and leaped inside.
“Whoa! Dogs can jump that high?” Ning Chu yelped, retreating into the room in a panic. When she was younger, she’d been chased around by dogs, and the trauma still haunted her.
The rest of the group was also startled by the poodle’s impressive leap. They watched as it nuzzled affectionately against Yan Xinya’s pant leg, then sprang up to the sink, grabbed a piece of underwear hanging above, and bolted.
“Huh?”
Everyone was stunned, watching in disbelief as the poodle jumped out of the balcony and disappeared into the bushes with the stolen underwear.
“That’s the underwear thief!” Yan Xinya yelled, her face pressed against the security bars as she pointed furiously at the bushes. “I feed that thing breakfast every day, and this is how it repays me?!”
“Huh? Where? What happened?” Ning Chu rushed back to the balcony, brandishing a broom as if ready for battle.
“That dog!”
“Huh?”
Wen Yang, still bewildered, asked, “What should we do? Catch it?”
Yan Xinya was fuming, taking several deep breaths to calm down. Then, as if realizing something, her face turned beet red. Without saying a word, she quickly retreated into the dormitory.
“What’s wrong with her?” Ning Chu asked Lily, confused.
Lily seemed puzzled at first, but soon she realized what was going on. She leaned in and whispered to Ning Chu, “Her... um... her qing cycle might have started.”
“Huh?” Ning Chu still didn’t quite get it, but Lily, embarrassed, turned and headed back into the dorm.
Ning Chu had no choice but to look outside at Wen Yang.
“Of course you’d solve the case the moment you show up.”
“Well, that dog did make things pretty obvious...”
Ning Chu had been worried that moving into the girls’ dorm would be like walking into the lion’s den, but now she felt much more at ease.
“That’s the power of the protagonist.”
The protagonist’s aura really was something special!
Wen Yang blinked, hesitating before asking, “What do you mean, protagonist?”
Feeling cheerful, Ning Chu leaned against the balcony railing, playfully sticking out her hips and teasing him with a smile. “It means you’re the chosen one, blessed by the heavens.”
“It’s not that dramatic,” Wen Yang said awkwardly, scratching his head. “I’m just lucky.”
“Luck? It’s more than that! You’re my male lead! Be more confident! There’s nothing you can’t handle!”
“Your...”
Wen Yang’s face turned bright red. Seeing his expression, Ning Chu froze, only then realizing how her words had sounded.
She had always thought of Wen Yang as her male lead. Even though it was true, saying it out loud like that made it sound like a confession.
“Don’t overthink it! I’m going to go set up my bed. You should head back now too.”
As she hurried into the dorm, Wen Yang stared after her, deep in thought.
I’m... Ning Chu’s male lead?
In Ning Chu’s world, was he really the most important person?