028. Bright and Early
When Ning Chu finally woke up, his brain felt like it was still on a vacation.
With half-open eyes and not a shred of energy, he attempted to sit up and go to the bathroom, but his limbs felt like they had turned to jelly, heavily pressed down by an invisible boulder.
Panic washed over him as he tried to smack the bed to wake up his roommate for help. But alas, even that simple action eluded him.
Was he being haunted?
He could hear Wang Jie’s furious typing sounds echoing through the room. He had no idea what time it was, but the gaming loser was still at it.
He could also hear the air conditioner humming away, the occasional chirps of insects from outside, and the heavy breathing of Wen Yang in his slumber… yet, he couldn’t move an inch.
Time dragged on like a snail on vacation as he forced himself to roll over, to open his eyes, even to try to make a sound, but it felt like his body had lost its connection to the central command.
He could hear Wang Jie getting into bed, and moments later, the sounds of snoring and teeth grinding filled the room.
Zhang Shaoqing was jolted awake, grumbling as he turned over in his sleep.
This disconnect between mind and body was sheer torture, stretching Ning Chu’s nerves to their breaking point until he exhaustedly slipped back into a dreamy oblivion.
When he awakened again, the dim light of dawn was seeping through the window.
Ning Chu shot up in bed, gasping in confusion, his enlarged pupils frantically scanning the cramped dorm room, until his racing heart eventually calmed down.
“Just a sleep paralysis episode… I’ve had my fair share of those back in high school.”
“Maybe all this stress is finally catching up to me…”
With a sigh of despair, he ran his fingers through his hair, wiping the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead, and crawled out of bed. He plopped down at the computer.
Glancing at the time, he realized it was almost seven o’clock.
He reached for the bread and milk on the desk, booted up the computer, tossed on his headphones, and found a food video to munch along with.
It was Monday already! Military training began at eight, meaning he had to force himself to eat breakfast to avoid another embarrassing fainting spell.
After finishing the video and filling his belly, Ning Chu didn’t head for the bathroom right away. Instead, he glanced down at his chest.
The snug pajamas left little to the imagination, and the little red bean was as prominent as ever.
“Nothing’s changed…”
He wasn’t sure if he should feel dejected or relieved.
Dejected that last night’s drama didn’t completely ruin his demonic storyline, or relieved that his body hadn’t morphed any further into femininity thanks to punishment.
“It’s no wonder I’m facing sleep paralysis; it’s just one headache after another.”
The pressure felt heavier than exam stress back in high school. At least flunking the college entrance exams meant he could still go to a vocational school or just get a factory job, ensuring he wouldn’t starve.
But if he messed up now? His fate could involve awkward male bonding, same-gender marathons, or even a visit to obstetrics, possibly transforming him into a character straight out of Little Emperor Wen.
He definitely didn’t want to be the one who hears, “Darling, you wouldn’t want your child to be bullied at school, right?”
Terrifying!
Just thinking about it made his complexion pale.
“Up so early?”
Wen Yang’s voice drifted down from above, and Ning Chu looked up to see him rolling out of bed.
“Mmhmm.”
“What’s up? Feeling antisocial again?” Wen Yang stretched and added, “Want me to share some juicy gossip to cheer you up?”
Ning Chu shook his head silently. Gossip wasn’t really his cup of tea.
But Wen Yang paused with his toiletries behind him, his expression shifting to something weirdly regretful, and blurted, “So, I reported what happened at the teaching building yesterday, and last night, security caught a girl while patrolling.”
“Captured? A female ghost, maybe?”
“Not exactly. I don’t know if you’ve heard of that habit… called exposure or something… uh…” Wen Yang glanced at Ning Chu’s intrigued yet expectant expression. Seeing his innocent face, he suddenly struggled to continue, “Anyway, a girl was caught at the GHS in the teaching building.”
“Gee, I thought they actually caught a ghost.”
Ning Chu rolled his eyes and flopped down on the desk.
Maybe he was becoming too accustomed to this wild world, as he felt no emotional stir from such sensational gossip.
Clearly, there were only a handful of normal people around here. Just the thought of spending a lifetime in such a situation made him envision vast, open fields of grass just waiting to settle on his head one day.
It wouldn’t be wise to go looking for a wife here unless you have nerves of steel.
Except for enthusiasts of bull-headed beings, of course.
“Didn’t sleep well?”
“Yeah, woke up last night with sleep paralysis.”
“You think too much; your mind is too heavy,” Wen Yang said as he trotted towards the balcony to wash up.
Yeah, if he had a carefree spirit, he’d be the kind of “battle buddy” who wouldn’t mind going to war alongside you. You might even be livin’ it up.
Ning Chu continued to rest his head on the desk, trying to get his energy up before military training began.
About ten minutes later, the rest of the roommates began to stir, quickly filling the previously peaceful room with their sweet nothings.
“Another round of military training… I can’t even get up. I want to take a sick day.”
“Dammit, it isn’t even eight and the sun’s already blazing! Do we even deserve to live?”
“What kind of idiot principal schedules training in the hottest part of the day? What if my little Ning Chu princess passes out from heatstroke?”
Ning Chu grabbed an empty bottle from his desk and turned to chuck it at Zhang Shaoqing’s head.
This guy is getting out of hand!
Zhang Shaoqing ducked with a cheeky grin, bouncing towards Ning Chu like an eager pet, “Ning Chu, did you hear? Last night in the teaching building…”
“I heard! Shut it!”
“Tsk tsk~ People these days really know how to play hard!”
Ning Chu, feeling a headache coming on, covered his ears with both hands and half-opened his eyes, giving Zhang Shaoqing a disdainful glare.
You play harder in the books!
I wrote those!
Too bad Little Emperor Wen isn’t finished yet; otherwise, I’d have to arrange for you to take a cement swim.
“Hey, check out that face! You look so judgemental; it’s like watching a pervert!”
“Ning Chu, ready to head out for breakfast?” Wen Yang had already changed into his military outfit and was ready to roll.
Gazing at the bread bag on the desk, Ning Chu stood up without hesitation, “Let’s go!”
Even though he had already eaten breakfast, facing Zhang Shaoqing’s harassment in the dorm was less appealing than heading out with Wen Yang, plus he could keep an eye on him to prevent any sirens from trying to flirt with the main character!
As soon as they opened the dorm door, their feet froze in place.
“Instructor?” Wen Yang was the first to speak, incredulous, “What brings you here?”
Han Jingye wore a gentle, friendly smile, followed by a few curious onlookers from the adjacent dorm, “Came to check on hygiene. Not welcome?”
Ning Chu nodded vigorously from behind Wen Yang and then shot a quick glance around the dorm.
When it came to cleanliness, “messy” was putting it mildly.
“I mainly wanted to see how you all were settling in,” Han Jingye entered the dorm with a smile, surveying the room, “You guys really need to tidy up; there’s a leadership check coming next week.”
“Huh? Which clueless leader has that much time on their hands?” Zhang Shaoqing grumbled as he strolled in from the balcony, his cocky demeanor fading in an instant. He snatched a broom from the corner and muttered, “We’ll clean whether the leaders check or not!”
Wow, talk about a quick turnaround!
