It seemed that the woman from earlier wasn't a key figure in the plot.
If she were, logically, the moment Wen Yang completely lost interest in her, the related storyline would collapse, and Ning Chu would be punished. Yet, her body felt perfectly fine.
By the time her lunch delivery arrived, Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie had returned to the dorm.
"Whoa! Did you fall hard?" Zhang Shaoqing exclaimed, staring at Wen Yang's hands and knees, now treated with ointment. "So, are you still competing in the sports meet?"
"No, I already told the counselor I won't be." Wen Yang lifted his leg, showing his swollen ankle. "I twisted it too; I can't put any weight on it now."
"Is it serious?" Wang Jie asked with concern. "Did you go to the campus clinic?"
"I did. It'll be fine in a day or two."
In truth, after just a few hours of rest, Wen Yang's ankle was already feeling much better.
"Well, Ning Chu isn't participating either. These next couple of days, she can look after you," Zhang Shaoqing said, turning to Ning Chu, who was eating her lunch. "Hey! Take care of your 'husband' a bit, won't you?"
"Get lost!"
"What's with the temper today? Time of the month?"
Wen Yang figured it was just Ning Chu being in a bad mood.
Thanks to his fall earlier, almost every girl on campus now knew who he was. Ning Chu's earlier sour tone clearly stemmed from her worry about other girls trying to steal him away.
After knowing each other for so long, she still didn't trust his character at all.
After finishing her lunch while watching food-review videos, Ning Chu stretched and prepared to take a nap.
With the campus broadcast silent for now, she figured she could sleep for two hours and recharge her energy, ready to fend off any flirtatious troublemakers.
"Wen Yang, it's nap time."
To prevent Wen Yang from sneaking out to flirt while she rested, Ning Chu made a habit of reminding him every day.
"Okay, I'll sleep after I finish eating."
Being midweek, Wen Yang's meal was, once again, instant noodles with sausage.
The 200 yuan he had earned over the weekend from his part-time job had mostly gone toward buying Ning Chu a dress. After splurging on good food for two days, he was now back to scraping by.
Thankfully, Ning Chu's constant reminders about "scheming women" had left an impression on him. Otherwise, when that loan app promoter came knocking earlier, he might have actually considered taking out a loan.
"The dress I bought for her… she's gotta wear it at least once, right?" Wen Yang muttered under his breath, brainstorming how to convince Ning Chu to put it on.
After running through several ideas, he worried each one might upset her. Suddenly, Yan Xinya's face popped into his mind.
If I ask Yan Xinya to help, even if Ning Chu gets annoyed, she'll blame the 'wolf girl,' not me.
He immediately picked up his phone, found Yan Xinya's profile picture, and started typing. Then, he hesitated.
His social media accounts were linked to Ning Chu's.
Switching tactics, he decided to send a text message instead...
"Ning Chu, wanna go out this afternoon? I've also invited Xinya and Lily," Wen Yang said, looking up at her from his phone.
"Your ankle's fine already?"
"It's okay for regular walking."
Ning Chu pursed her lips. She didn't like the idea of going out alone with Wen Yang, as it felt too much like a date. But with Yan Xinya and Lily joining, it wouldn't be the same.
Drowsiness muddled her thoughts, and she gave in lazily.
"Fine."
"Well, aren't you lucky—taking out three girls all at once," Zhang Shaoqing teased as he turned around. "Being handsome really is different, huh?"
Wen Yang tidied up his lunchbox. "Ning Chu's a guy."
"Right, right—a trap," Zhang Shaoqing joked. "Wen Yang, are you aiming for the wolf girl or the succubus? Want me to be your wingman?"
Puffing out his chest, he added, "I'm a certified, top-tier wingman!"
"No need."
"Wait, don't you trust me, bro!"
Sensing potential gossip, Wang Jie turned around, his curiosity piqued. "Yeah, I've noticed those two girls hanging around you guys a lot lately."
"But honestly, they seem more like Ning Chu's girl friends." He added teasingly, "Being good-looking is something else—haven't found a girlfriend yet, but already has two besties."
Wen Yang, unwilling to expose Ning Chu's true gender, dismissed the comment casually. "We're just friends hanging out. Don't overthink it."
"Then let me join! I don't have a girlfriend right now anyway," Zhang Shaoqing chimed in.
"Forgot about Ling Ling already?" Ning Chu's voice came out of nowhere, dripping with sarcasm.
Zhang Shaoqing's face darkened, and he scoffed, "Why do you have to bring that up?"
"Quiet down. I'm trying to sleep," Ning Chu ordered, ending the banter.
The dorm fell silent—for a grand total of two minutes.
Once again, it was Zhang Shaoqing who broke the peace. In a hushed tone, he asked Wen Yang, "Hey, hey, Wen Yang! Don't go to bed yet."
"What's up?"
"Come on, who do you actually like—Wolf Girl or Succubus?"
"Neither," Wen Yang answered firmly.
"Bro~ Stop pretending!" Zhang Shaoqing assumed a knowing posture, crossing his legs. "I think Succubus is the better choice. I hear she's wild in bed. Wolf Girl? Nah, I'd be worried she'd punch you to death."
"Yeah, the Succubus in our class is always so stone-faced—she seems unapproachable. How did you even get close to her?"
Wen Yang massaged his temples in frustration, too annoyed to continue the conversation. Instead, he climbed onto his bed, seeking refuge.
From his spot, his eyes instinctively drifted toward Ning Chu's bed.
Ning Chu's sleeping posture had always been terrible. She lay flat on her back, her head tilted to one side on the pillow, the blanket kicked aside, exposing her small belly and slender waist under her rolled-up T-shirt. Her legs were sprawled in an odd shape resembling the character "卩," utterly unladylike.
Glancing at Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie below, Wen Yang made sure neither was paying attention to him. Then, moving stealthily, he leaned halfway over onto Ning Chu's bed, carefully tugging the blanket to cover her.
He didn't want her to catch a cold—or worse, draw unwanted attention from the other two guys.
Suddenly, Ning Chu's eyes snapped open, wide and bright, staring straight at him.
"You sleep this lightly?"
"...?"
Her gaze locked onto him, confusion written all over her face. What gave this guy the nerve to crawl onto her bed in broad daylight, especially with their other two roommates awake?
"Cover yourself with the blanket; don't catch a cold," Wen Yang said calmly, retreating to his bed as if nothing had happened.
"...?"
Ning Chu pulled the blanket over herself silently, suddenly finding it hard to fall back asleep.
She wasn't sure whether Wen Yang had genuinely intended to cover her up or had something else in mind. But one thing was certain: if he ever wanted to sneak under her covers, it'd be ridiculously easy.
"I should buy a bed curtain… That'd make me feel a bit safer."
Turning over, she grabbed her phone and quickly placed an online order.
"And bring the sleep spray up to bed. Keep it under the pillow… Zhang Shaoqing's wrench is pretty handy too…"
Next time something like this happened, she wouldn't hesitate to spray Wen Yang unconscious and interrogate him with the wrench, misunderstanding or not.