Chapter 23: Plot Triggering Prodigy
A new week begins!
When Ning Chu arrived at the classroom ten minutes early, only half the students had settled in.
As soon as she plopped down, Ning Chu eagerly fished out her meat bun and soy milk from her pocket, munching away while her eyes darted to the doorway, fully convinced that the instructor was going to pounce on her at any moment.
The new instructor was strict, definitely had that menopausal vibe, and had already blown up in the class group chat several times.
Wen Yang flipped open his textbook, using these ten minutes to prepare for today’s lesson. Meanwhile, Wang Jie and Zhang Shaoqing huddled together, intensely strategizing over the new character pool for a mobile game.
“Wen Yang~”
“Hmm?”
“What do you plan to do after graduation?” Ning Chu asked, resting her chin on her hand as she sipped her soy milk.
Wen Yang paused for a moment before responding with a smile, “Make money, of course. My family isn’t exactly rolling in it.”
“I see~”
“Why the sudden interest?”
Ning Chu’s future was always shrouded in fog, leaving everyone clueless about her direction.
Even when it came to dating, she had no idea if she should choose a girl, a guy, or just enjoy a lifelong singlehood.
Jobs, family, marriage…
Everything felt light-years away for her.
“Come on, it’s only the first year. Why worry so much?” Wen Yang, noticing her gloomy uncertainty, comforted her, “Find some hobbies and try different things these two years.”
“Yeah.”
Meanwhile, it was still Monday, and Zhang Shaoqing was haranguing Wang Jie about their weekend plans. “Wang Jie, should we go to the bar again this weekend?”
“Another bar? Seriously…”
“My friend said there’s this bar where all the waitresses are stunning~ All catgirls!”
“Wait, what?!”
Wen Yang’s ears perked up instantly, and he unconsciously leaned closer to Zhang Shaoqing.
Ning Chu was starting to lose her cool. She slammed the table and pointed an annoyed finger at Zhang Shaoqing. “Zhang Shaoqing! Why do you insist on dragging him to those wild places every day?”
She had even more reasons to lecture now that she’d found out Wang Jie had a girlfriend.
“And he has a girlfriend! What if he gets led astray by you?!”
But Zhang Shaoqing was totally unfazed. “So what if he has a girlfriend? My dad’s married and still goes out all the time!”
“…”
Is that what they call the apple not falling far from the tree?
Ning Chu was left momentarily speechless, her retorts jammed in her throat. She turned her gaze towards Wang Jie instead. “If your girlfriend finds out her long-distance boyfriend is out here looking for girls every week…”
Wang Jie hung his head, looking guilty. “Zhang Shaoqing drags me out. I’d rather be gaming in the dorm.”
“Zhang Shaoqing!”
Shooting a dismissive look at Wang Jie, Zhang Shaoqing retorted, “Is that really looking for girls? He wouldn’t even dare to touch one, total iron-clad virgin.”
This guy must be on a mission to corrupt Wang Jie!
“Well, if I suggest something fun and none of you go, what does that say about me? I’m not a hermit! I’d go crazy staying in the dorm all weekend!” Zhang Shaoqing lamented, “Bungee jumping, skydiving, roller coasters… you in?”
The three of them almost synchronized in their head shaking, Ning Chu shaking hers so vigorously it felt like it might come off.
“How about that script killing thing?”
“That…”
That actually sounded doable? Even though she didn’t quite get the concept of script killing, at least it was a legitimate place to go.
“Ning~Chu~”
An excited yell interrupted their discussion. Ning Chu turned and, to her horror, saw a giant dog bounding toward her, tail wagging wildly, making her face go white.
“Move in a little!” Yan Xinya said, draping an arm around Ning Chu’s shoulder, her ears perked up like radar dishes.
Wen Yang felt a twinge of displeasure at the closeness between them but said nothing, letting out a sigh as he shifted his seat.
“Just squeeze in a little more.”
Ning Chu was momentarily stunned. She tilted her head to see what was behind Yan Xinya.
Succubus Lily!
That speechless succubus stood cheerily behind Wolf Girl and flashed a friendly smile at her.
What is this girl doing here?!
Ning Chu stared agape at Lily, then whipped her head around to look at Wen Yang.
No way! Yan Xinya must be a professional at inserting plot twists!
Lily and Wen Yang never had any interaction! At most, they’d exchanged a couple of glances at the library! Now they were in the same row of seats for class together!
“Hurry up, we’re about to take attendance.” Yan Xinya urged, pulling Lily down into a seat. Noticing Ning Chu’s bewildered expression, she whispered, “She’s just a bit possessive~ She gets jealous if she sees Wen Yang too close to pretty girls~ Don’t worry, you’ll find she’s pretty nice after spending some time together.”
“Mm.” Lily paused before curiously asking, “So they’ve already…”
“Yep!”
“Totally not!”
Ning Chu shot an angry glare at Wolf Girl but found herself on high alert when looking at Lily.
Although Succubus Lily was more of a passive character in the plot, with her looks, what if Wen Yang really took a liking to her?!
Right now, there were only two seats between Wen Yang and Lily! Less than a meter apart!
While she desperately wanted to kick Lily out, she had actually enjoyed their time together over the past few days. Lily had even selflessly shared resource sites with her, so turning sour today would be just plain wrong.
“Don’t worry~ Lily wouldn’t steal him from you.”
As if on cue, Lily nodded obediently at Yan Xinya’s words.
“…”
Ning Chu could feel her bl**d pressure rising.
She glanced at Wen Yang and saw that his gaze was constantly flicking toward Lily. The irritation surged in her and she deliberately stepped on his foot.
Can’t deal with Lily? Fine, I’ll deal with you!
Wen Yang grimaced in pain and hurriedly ducked his head back into his book.
He was just curious about how this ice princess ended up chatting online with Ning Chu about such topics…
She didn’t seem like the type! Looked like an unapproachable ice queen, couldn’t see a single expression throughout a day’s worth of classes, but privately she was a whole different story!
But given her succubus identity, it wasn’t that surprising after all.
“Ning Chu!”
“Here.”
As attendance wrapped up, the teacher at the front started the lecture, and Wen Yang quickly got into study mode. Lily, too, focused on taking notes.
The others were busy with their own things, while Ning Chu covertly flicked her glances between Lily and Wen Yang, fearing a spark might ignite between them.
These two straight-A students looked so perfectly matched!
“It’s fine, Lily said she has zero interest in Wen Yang.” Yan Xinya, noticing Ning Chu’s restless demeanor, chuckled to reassure her. “She thinks men are less fun than toys~”
The moment she finished her sentence, Wolf Girl winced as Lily pinched her waist, making her tail stiffen up in shock.
Ning Chu let out a worried sigh.
Now, any attempt to talk it out would be pointless.
Seeing the way Wen Yang was looking at Lily with that curious gaze, it was clear the plot had already begun to unfold.
Ever since the library, Ning Chu had been on high alert against Lily…
If the story followed its course, the protagonist would gradually become more curious about Lily, and during some future provocation, they would discover the hidden side of her.
To derail this plot, she’d have to focus on Wen Yang. She needed to extinguish any flickers of curiosity he had for Lily.
With a furrowed brow, Ning Chu decided to set aside the punishment issue for now; figuring out how to make Wen Yang lose interest in the silent succubus was a daunting task.
Shall she give Wen Yang a little succubus 101? After all, curiosity comes from the unknown.
But after the lesson, would he connect the dots and realize she was a succubus too?!
