Chapter 2: Physical Education Class
In the afternoon, it was time for physical education class.
Ning Chu sat lethargically on a bench in the corner of the playground, staring longingly at her classmates who were jogging around the track.
Earlier that day, she had sprinted a bit too fast during lunch, and now her lower abdomen hurt more than ever. So, she decided to claim her stomachache was from bad food and skipped PE class.
She picked up her thermos and took a sip of lukewarm water.
On such a hot day, all she could have was this tepid water… She had almost caved to the temptation of ice-cold cola at lunch, but as soon as she got back to the dorm, Wen Yang snatched it away from her.
“That little rascal.”
Ning Chu muttered to herself, feeling utterly devoid of energy. She reclined against the back of the bench, staring blankly at the novel in her hands.
On the track, Wen Yang and Zhang Shaoqing jogged side by side.
Occasionally, Wen Yang glanced toward Ning Chu, worried that his roommate might do something reckless if he wasn’t careful.
“Hey, Wen Yang,” Zhang Shaoqing said while jogging, “Are you sure Ning Chu is older than me?”
“?”
Wen Yang paused for a moment before processing the question. “Um, why?”
“She doesn’t look older at all. You’re not trying to pull a fast one on me, are you?”
He joked, “Maybe you’re just too short?”
“Shut it! I’m not blind!” Zhang Shaoqing retorted, then continued, “Remember when she came out of the shower in her underwear? The front was as flat as a pancake!”
Well, that’s because there wasn’t much to begin with.
Recently, Ning Chu had been extra cautious. Before, when she got out of the shower, she would flash her long, fair legs, but now she only dared emerge from the bathroom when properly dressed.
Wen Yang dismissively said, “Why do you care if she’s older? You wanting a fencing match or something?”
“I’m just curious!” Zhang Shaoqing suddenly perked up. “I’ve never seen a girl like that before! A real-life trap!”
“Are you a pervert or what?”
This guy must have some issues.
After a couple of warming-up laps, the PE teacher waved his hand, signaling “free time.”
“Wen Yang! Want to sh**t some hoops?”
“You guys go ahead!”
Wen Yang couldn’t contain his excitement any longer and jogged over to Ning Chu, asking with concern, “How are you feeling? Still hurting a lot?”
“Not too bad, just hot…” She cradled her belly, letting out some little whimpers of pain, “I really want something cold to drink.”
“You’re not trying to give yourself a serious case of hurt, are you?”
“Ugh~”
Even though it was supposed to be free time, the teacher only allowed them to stay in the designated area of the playground. Ning Chu wanted to sneak back to the dorm, especially since the PE teacher often called for attendance, and anyone missing would be counted as leaving early.
Ah, the “freedom” of free time…
She glanced at the PE teacher, who, by Little Emperor Wen’s worldview, was a muscular hunk despite the usual potbelly and frailty of a PE teacher. Rumor had it, this teacher was once a provincial athlete.
“I’m heading to the basketball court!”
Ning Chu jumped up quickly. “I’ll go check it out too.”
Wen Yang was instantly motivated, imagining himself dunking the ball while Ning Chu cheered and clapped for him.
Too bad he couldn’t even dribble a basketball…
Given Ning Chu’s personality, she would probably just laugh and mock him when he messed up instead of doing that whole cheerleader thing.
Once they reached the basketball court on the other side of the playground, Ning Chu immediately found another bench to sit on. She crossed her legs, watching her classmates sweat it out on the court.
Aside from her roommates, she couldn’t even name half of those boys.
Wen Yang’s protective nature towards her was one thing; she just felt uneasy around the others.
At least the male protagonist was a shy but good-hearted virgin—well, in the plot at least. But the other classmates? Who knew what they were up to…
“Ning Chu~”
That cheerful call instantly conjured an image of a big golden retriever in her mind.
The familiar bushy tail and pointy ears came into view as Yan Xinya plopped down next to her and casually hooked her arm around Ning Chu.
Ning Chu furrowed her brow in discomfort and pulled her arm away, scooting a little farther.
The Wolf Girl pouted, mumbling to herself, “Do you really dislike me that much~”
Though she sounded self-deprecating, her droopy tail clearly showed her disappointment.
“It’s not that, I just… I’m not used to being so close…” Ning Chu said gently, as if calming a puppy, “And we haven’t known each other for that long.”
“Ah? Aren’t we best friends?!”
Who said we were best friends!
Ning Chu rolled her eyes at her, but suddenly, a chorus of cheers reached her ears.
Following the sound, she turned her gaze to the other end of the court.
What in the world—so many giggly girls!
Clearly, Lin Li was leading the charge; seven or eight girls were either confused by the basketball moves or simply following her lead. Even when Wen Yang just passed the ball, they would erupt in cheers under Lin Li’s command. If a pass got intercepted? Cue the boos.
Wow! Is this what being the male protagonist gets you?
Ning Chu squinted at Wen Yang on the court, who was playing even harder in response to the girls’ cheers.
She narrowed her eyes disapprovingly, trying to spot any potential plot characters among the gaggle of girls: “Xinya, how many of those girls do you know? Some of them look new to me.”
“The ones over there are from Class 2. They have PE class with us.”
“Do you know their names?”
Yan Xinya perked up, her ears perking and her tail wagging with excitement. “Are you worried they might steal your man?!”
“No, I’m not interested in Wen Yang.”
Looking at Ning Chu’s tense reaction, it was as if her face screamed “Wen Yang is mine!”
Suppressing her amusement, Yan Xinya thought it was clear that Wen Yang and Ning Chu liked each other, but perhaps no one had confessed yet?
She figured she could play the role of the trusty wingwoman to repay the two for their earlier help.
“I only know two of them… The short girl on the left is called Wen Wen.”
A wave of anxiety washed over Ning Chu.
Though she couldn’t immediately recall the specifics of the plot, the moment she heard the name, she was convinced that Wen Wen was a supporting character in the story!
Initially, she came up with this theory to be lazy, but now it became a method to differentiate between ordinary people and supporting roles.
Peering from afar at Wen Wen, she estimated her height to be just over 1.5 meters—a petite girl with a big, youthful face. But she was sure the girl was definitely an adult.
Ning Chu suddenly had a thought twist in her mind.
This doesn’t add up! Although Wen Yang was tall, Wen Wen was tiny—how could they possibly be involved in the story together?
Isn’t she going to fall apart?
Although, she really shouldn’t be looking for logic in a Little Emperor Wen story.
“Do you know Wen Wen?”
Yan Xinya shook her head. “I only know her name… Want me to dig up some dirt on her?”
“Yeah, see if there’s any juicy gossip.” Ning Chu realized that Wolf Girl was surprisingly useful, “And keep an eye on Lin Li for me. She seems like a lovesick puppy, always staring at Wen Yang in class instead of paying attention!”
“That girl? Because of her, your reputation among the girls in class isn’t great.”
Ning Chu replied, “Just don’t let it reach my ears.”
As a guy, she couldn’t be bothered to stoop to Lin Li’s level with underhanded tricks.
Just the impotent rage of the weak!
——————
There may not be an update today; things are a bit hectic. Let’s see how it goes!
