“Ning Chu, are you applying for the school’s financial aid? The need-based grant.”
Later, Wen Yang came up behind Ning Chu, resting both hands on the back of his chair as he leaned over to look at his computer screen. “If you need it, you’ll have to fill out an application. It’s due this weekend.”
Wen Yang had become the class monitor, so every now and then he had to take care of tasks assigned by the higher-ups.
Ning Chu paused the video, startled. He turned to look behind him. “What about you?”
“My family’s not that hard up. I’ll pass.” Wen Yang shook his head. “Besides, the school’s already reduced my tuition. It’d feel wrong to take the grant too.”
You might as well take the grant. I’m just worried you’ll run out of money and get a job, then start fooling around with other girls.
Ning Chu grumbled inwardly, shaking his head to show he wasn’t interested.
“Okay.”
“Hey, you haven’t asked me yet.” Zhang Shaoqing strolled over with a cheeky grin. “Do you think I qualify for the grant?”
The two of them turned around, narrowed their eyes, and stared at Zhang Shaoqing like he was the scum of humanity. In perfect unison, they said, “No!”
Ning Chu pursed his lips in disgust. “You’re a rich second-generation kid. Have some shame! This grant’s for students who can barely afford to eat while they’re at school. What about you? You spend thirty or forty yuan on every meal, and sometimes over a hundred!”
Wen Yang chimed in, agreeing. “Those shoes of yours cost as much as a whole year’s worth of grant money.”
“I was just joking.” Zhang Shaoqing wore a cheeky grin.
Who knew whether he was really joking or not.
Even though Ning Chu had gradually gotten to know him, he still couldn’t shake the image of Zhang Shaoqing as the villain from the novel.
He hadn’t even gone dark yet, and he was already the kind of guy everyone hated.
“Hey! Where are you going?” When Wen Yang headed for the door, Ning Chu immediately got up and hurried after him. “I happen to have something to do outside too!”
“I’m going to check a few other dorm rooms, then grab something to eat at the cafeteria.”
“I’m hungry too!”
Wen Yang paused, glanced back at Ning Chu trailing after him, and said nothing. He simply headed straight outside.
After stopping by a few dorm rooms nearby, the two left the dorm area, crossed the main plaza, and made their way to the closest cafeteria.
The cafeteria was a three-story building. The first floor had all kinds of fast food and a small grocery store, while the second and third floors were filled with various eateries on campus. The food was pretty decent, and compared with delivery, it was good value for money.
“Someone on the forum said they found a bug in their food at the cafeteria yesterday.” Wen Yang picked up a tray and casually shared the latest gossip with Ning Chu. Then he added, “Half a bug.”
“Could you not talk about that while we’re eating...”
Ning Chu’s face darkened. The appetite the delicious smell of the food had stirred up promptly vanished.
“You said earlier you had something to do?”
“Yeah. I saw a kitten earlier, so after we eat, I’m going to buy something to take over and feed it.” The moment he brought it up, his spirits soared. He excitedly told Ning Chu about the little black cat. “It’s super cute! I wanted to bring it back to the dorm, but I was worried you guys would hate cats!”
“I don’t mind.”
“You know what? That cat even tried to scam me! I only petted it twice, and it flopped right down on my shoe. It wouldn’t get up no matter what, until I gave it a sausage.”
Ning Chu ordered his dinner and picked up his tray, then took quick little steps after Wen Yang.
That guy was tall, with long legs. One of his strides was worth two of Ning Chu’s, so Ning Chu had to hurry to keep up.
They sat down across from each other. Ning Chu had just unwrapped his disposable chopsticks when Wen Yang suddenly asked, “Why do I feel like you’re just like Shaoqing said... Wherever I go, you have to come along too?”
Ning Chu’s hand froze. A little panic rose in his chest, but he lowered his head and kept eating as if nothing was wrong. “Huh? No, I don’t?”
“It’s like you don’t trust me to go out by myself.”
“When did I ever do that?”
Wen Yang didn’t touch his food either. He studied Ning Chu closely.
Over the past week, he’d clearly felt that Ning Chu seemed to care about him more than most. It was almost like... a girlfriend with a serious possessive streak, or a mother who was always worrying about her child.
Just like Zhang Shaoqing had said, it was almost as if Ning Chu had a crush on him.
Girlfriend...
Ning Chu’s face was kind of cute, but he had no figure, wasn’t particularly good-looking, and couldn’t compare to the girls who pursued Wen Yang. Most importantly, he was a man!
“I’m not into men,” Wen Yang said suddenly, with unusual seriousness.
Ning Chu nearly spat out his food. His eyes widened as he looked up at Wen Yang in shock. “Why do you think that too? I’m not!”
He’d known all along that people might get the wrong idea, but being mistaken for one of those gays was still more than he could take.
He desperately tried to clear himself of any suspicion of being gay. His face flushed hot and red with agitation as he explained his type: “I like girls! Preferably with big boobs, long legs, and pretty faces...”
“And catgirls would be even better!”
At this rate, before the plot could turn him into a woman and leave him caught between two men, he might end up in the proctology department first!
What the hell do you mean, I’m into men?!
But Wen Yang still looked unconvinced. “Then why do you always stop me when I’m going on a date?”
“I wasn’t stopping you! I was looking out for you and giving you advice!”
“Look, the first time, you chose gaming over your date. The second time, you went all the way to the bar, then came slinking back because you chickened out. How can you blame me for that?”
Hmm... Ning Chu did have a point.
Wen Yang started wondering if having so many girls chase after him had made him a little too confident.
After Ning Chu’s forceful rebuttal, Wen Yang scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “Guess I was overthinking it.”
That was what he said, but he still looked at Ning Chu’s flushed, rosy face with suspicion. Somehow, Ning Chu’s explanation didn’t quite add up.
“See? You were just overthinking it.”
Sure enough, after Ning Chu had told Wen Yang not to go on dates several times, the guy had started making wild assumptions.
The real problem was those shameless girls!
When he got back today, he’d make a list of every girl in the book who had anything intimate with Wen Yang. That way, he wouldn’t be caught off guard when he ran into them later.
The mood was a little awkward. Wen Yang ate a few bites, thought for a moment, then decided to share two more bits of gossip he’d heard. “Apparently, there’s a haunting over by the teaching buildings. The school’s planning to hire someone to perform an exorcism.”
“A haunting?”
Wen Yang’s words swept every other thought from Ning Chu’s mind.
“D-do you know what an exorcism involves?”
“Huh? Isn’t that just superstitious stuff? Like some shamanistic ritual?”
Yeah, it should’ve been superstitious nonsense. But in the world of smutty novels, exorcism probably meant fucking the ghost until it gave in...
He’d written a chapter like that before. Wen Yang was the male lead.
Don’t ask why the school in the novel would ask Wen Yang to perform an exorcism. Just remember that smutty novels don’t need to make sense.
“The school administrators heard my uncle used to be an exorcist, so they asked me to go check things out... The problem is, I don’t know how to do any of that. Ugh.”
Wen Yang rubbed his temples, looking troubled.
Well, look at that—they even managed to tie that in! So his uncle wasn’t exactly a respectable guy either!
“Couldn’t you just not go?”
“The school administrators asked me personally, so it’s hard to turn them down.” Wen Yang smiled helplessly. “Anyway, it’s all superstitious nonsense. If there really is a ghost, I can ask my uncle for advice. Might even make some money out of it.”
Ning Chu’s face darkened.
Making a virgin use his “vital essence” to exorcise a ghost? That’s asking a lot!
