088. Runaway
“Here it comes, here it comes!”
The dormitory door swung open again, and Wang Jie, still half-asleep, rolled over on his bed, feeling that today was unusually noisy in the dorm.
Wen Yang dashed over with a plastic bag in hand, busily asking, “When did Shao Qing get back?”
“Just a few minutes ago. Where did you put the montmorillonite powder?”
“You have diarrhea? It’s in the cabinet downstairs.”
“Isn’t Ning Chu the one with stomach pain?”
He instinctively started to answer but suddenly paused, changing his tune. “He’s got a stomachache. Montmorillonite powder is for diarrhea. It won’t work for him.”
Zhang Shaoqing suddenly had an epiphany and leaned closer, eyeing Wen Yang as he prepared hot water and brown sugar, teasing, “He’s not on his period, is he? Is that why he needs to drink brown sugar water?”
“Stomach pain works just the same.”
Ning Chu weakly replied, “Mm.”
It’s said that brown sugar water can alleviate cramps during menstruation, but he couldn’t remember where he heard that. Supposedly, it has the same effect as glucose water—essentially, they both just replenish energy.
So! Wen Yang clearly hadn’t asked what kind of stomachache he had!
What if it really was diarrhea? Could Wen Yang just assume his stomachache was just from a stomach issue? The application of brown sugar water was mostly for when girlfriends had cramps!
He looked up in doubt, only to find a cup of brown sugar water shoved against his lips.
Wen Yang glanced down. “Drink.”
“Okay.”
He obediently cradled the cup with both hands, blowing on it several times before cautiously taking a sip of the brown sugar water.
He seriously doubted Wen Yang’s mental state at the moment.
He lifted his eyes and saw Wen Yang reaching for a painkiller.
That guy had seriously asked about his gender the last time, and now he seemed to be treating him like a girl with cramps… Had Wen Yang already convinced himself that he was a girl?
But he only looked like one! He even lived in the Boys’ Dormitory—was Wen Yang’s thought process seriously tangled?
He did still have a p*nis! Though it was a bit small.
After a couple of sips of brown sugar water and popping a painkiller, whether it was psychological or the medicine actually working, Ning Chu felt somewhat better.
He turned his head to look at Zhang Shaoqing, who was already back to playing on the computer. He looked up, and Wen Yang was standing nearby, his gaze full of concern and tenderness.
Chilling!
What was going on? Why did it feel like the friendship boat was about to capsize?
Ning Chu was thoroughly puzzled.
Clearly, this week he acted out, following Wen Yang everywhere and even supervising him in the bathroom. When Wen Yang spoke to random girls, he’d immediately pull him away.
He had even violently interrupted Wen Yang’s one-on-one tutoring sessions with Shan Shan, dodged any female background characters, and yanked Wen Yang away anytime he tried to chat with any girl… To be honest, he felt like a pervert or a yandere himself.
After a week of this, any guy should be annoyed, right?
Why did it seem like Wen Yang actually liked him more now?
“d*mn, a masochist…”
The book didn’t even hint that Wen Yang was a masochist!
Ning Chu muttered to himself. While the pain subsided, his face looked a bit better, but he still couldn’t muster any energy. Resting his chin on one hand, he clicked around randomly on the computer.
Wen Yang’s gentle gaze was making him squirm. Although these were just guesses, he felt it might be time to plan an escape.
At this rate, even if he could still act like a male, he could easily get caught.
With Wen Yang’s abilities, it was likely he could end up in proctology.
As for chopping off Wen Yang’s… well, that kind of thing was like reading a fantasy novel; it’s fun to imagine but impossible to put into action.
Seeing Ning Chu’s tense body relax a bit, Wen Yang poured another cup of hot water, asking, “Feeling better?”
“Mm…”
“I’m heading to the cafeteria later.”
Ning Chu waved his hand dismissively. “Go ahead; I’ll just order takeout.”
The whole day of stomach pain left him completely drained. He was betting that nothing would go wrong this time.
“Should I bring you a bottle of cola?”
“No, I’m sick of it.”
Ning Chu caught on to Wen Yang’s probing, but at the moment, he didn’t dare drink cola; for the past few days, he’d only trusted warm water even to wash his face.
As the dorm room door clicked shut, he lifted his head to see Wen Yang’s figure disappear.
Worry rolled over him, fearing Wen Yang would get entangled with some girl or happen to flirt with one… It only intensified his unease from the stomach pain.
Ning Chu took a deep breath, and simply picked up his phone, opening the ticket booking app.
Running away was the last resort. In the fantasy world he resembled, he was likely to become material for the worst kind of story.
Without the protagonist halo for protection, he might encounter a pervert on the bus, get hypnotized while ordering takeout, or even get kidnapped and “trained” while walking. Even hiding under the covers in his bed, he might find a tentacle monster slithering into his room…
He clearly remembered that during his last trip to the amusement park, just a brief separation from Wen Yang had led him to feel malevolent gazes lurking in the corners.
Should he just forget it?
Shivering at the thought, he quickly brushed away his earlier impulse.
Maybe he was just overreacting and seeing threats where there were none.
He felt a bit cowardly…
The situation wasn’t dire enough to justify an immediate escape. Comparatively, the dangers he could foresee while still in the dorm seemed far less threatening than running away, which evidently left him feeling more vulnerable.
“Just wait a bit longer…”
He was still a guy, even if a small part of him was fading. Although Wen Yang was probing into his gender, he hadn’t explicitly shown preferences. Their friendship ship was still teetering.
Moreover, the book clearly stated that his plot wouldn’t kick in until he turned female.
“Buying a ticket? You’re heading home?”
Zhang Shaoqing’s voice startled Ning Chu, making him flinch. He instinctively turned around to see this guy peeking over his shoulder.
“There’s something going on at home… I might need to head back anytime.”
He put up a preemptive warning for his roommate to avoid confusion later when he needed to run away.
“Oh~” Zhang Shaoqing didn’t seem too concerned. He excitedly offered, “Come on, let’s make it a group order; if we hit forty, we can save five!”
“…”
“This place is seriously good! I’m not kidding!”
“Shut up!” came Wang Jie’s grumpy voice from the upper bunk. “I’m trying to sleep! Can you all be a little quieter?”
Zhang Shaoqing ignored him, grinning and calling out, “It’s almost six! Time to get up and eat!”
“You’re all so noisy; I can’t sleep properly.”
“Hurry up! If you keep sleeping, you’ll be up all night!”
With the racket from his roommates buzzing around, Ning Chu sprawled over his desk with a troubled expression, both hands on his stomach, utterly still like a salted fish.
No rush; he’d wait until he was fully transformed into a girl before running away.
089. Is he… jealous?
After living together for a month and a half, Wen Yang had pretty much figured out Ning Chu’s preferences.
Throughout this time, Ning Chu had never touched the dormitory kettle; he only drank ice-cold mineral water, and sugary drinks were only served ice-cold. Even for bathing and washing up, he always used cold water.
Yet now, he was rare enough to drink hot water, and the night before, he even filled a basin with warm water to bathe in. Even while washing clothes, he used warm water.
It was already the second day, and he still looked pale and sickly, occasionally cradling his stomach and groaning, always choosing to lie down over sitting or sitting over standing.
Clearly, he was still suffering from stomach pain today.
Though Wen Yang had yet to catch any substantial evidence, given Ning Chu’s increasingly feminine appearance, his developing curves, and the now two consecutive days of suspected period cramps, Wen Yang was pretty much ready to conclude.
Ning Chu was a girl!
This revelation dramatically eased Wen Yang’s guilt. Fantasizing about a pretty female roommate was clearly less perverse than if he were fantasizing about a male roommate.
At least his s*xual orientation was normal.
Who knows why he kept dreaming about Ning Chu every few days.
He couldn’t understand how she managed her sanitary napkins though; did she use cotton pads or something?
Worriedly washing women’s underwear on the balcony, Wen Yang considered it was time to work his skills. Holding it all in like that was no good; supposedly, holding it in too long can cause health issues.
But Ning Chu always clung to him, leaving him with absolutely no private space to work his magic.
“Washing underwear so early?” Zhang Shaoqing strolled out of the bathroom, flashing a sly, lewd grin. “How about I take you out today to see the world? A half-and-half massage?”
“A half-and-half?”
“You don’t know? You’ll find out when we go! I have a friend who’s a regular!”
“How about this afternoon? You can get Ning Chu to take a nap, and then the three of us can go get a massage together!”
That did not sound like a legitimate massage.
But Wen Yang felt slightly tempted.
“Zhang Shaoqing!”
However, Ning Chu’s furious shout completely extinguished that minuscule flicker of temptation.
He turned to see Ning Chu leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his stomach, clearly displeased, “Why do you feel the need to drag Wen Yang into it? Trying to corrupt all your friends, huh?”
Zhang Shaoqing instinctively shrank back, mumbling, “I’m not scared…”
“You’ve never gone either, have you?” Ning Chu sneered, “If you’re scared, just don’t go! And I still haven’t forgotten about the last time you took Wang Jie to a bar to watch erotic stuff! You’re getting more outrageous!”
“…”
Watching Ning Chu walk into the bathroom with an indignant expression, Zhang Shaoqing muttered, “Why does he seem like he’s on a warpath? So riled up?”
“Are you not going to defend yourself?” Wen Yang poked the fire, “This isn’t like you to be so meek when shouted at.”
“Tch! I’m not stooping to the level of a girly guy!”
“Who are you calling girly?”
“Me! I’m the girly guy!”
Zhang Shaoqing scurried back into the dorm, leaving Wen Yang shaking his head helplessly.
They say girls get temperamental when on their periods, and seeing Ning Chu’s fiery expression was like facing a momma tiger.
Even when Ning Chu used to get angry, he always had a pitiful look that made one want to comfort him.
“Really scary.”
He muttered, hanging the washed underwear up, but his gaze drifted to the corner, where Ning Chu’s underwear hung.
Is it really okay for girls to wear boxers?
Recalling the sight of Ning Chu’s bare legs post-shower, Wen Yang thought it looked less like wearing underwear and more like wearing super short shorts.
He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ning Chu didn’t wear any underwear, which felt a bit weird.
“Wen Yang! Paper!”
“Wait!”
Hearing the call from the bathroom, Wen Yang quickly shook off those jumbled thoughts and hurried to grab the roll of toilet paper from the corner of the dorm.
He rushed back onto the balcony and stood by the bathroom door.
A moment later, the door opened just a crack, and a delicate white hand reached out, grasping the air a few times.
Aside from that hand, nothing else was visible from the gap.
“Where’s the paper?”
Ning Chu’s voice sounded slightly anxious. Wen Yang slid the roll closer. “Here.”
Once she got the paper, the hand swiftly retreated, and the lock on the door clicked shut.
The way she was behaving…
Clearly, she was a shy little girl!
Come to think of it, Wen Yang had never seen Ning Chu use a public toilet, which was why every time they returned to the dorm after class, she would rush to the bathroom first.
“What are you doing at the door?”
Ning Chu opened the door but was immediately blocked by Wen Yang’s tall figure.
A faint blush tinged her cheeks, eyes filled with wariness and nervousness.
If Wen Yang had wanted to, he could’ve just pushed through!
Never again would he make such a rookie mistake! He needed to check for toilet paper properly before going to the bathroom… Ever since becoming a girl, he had to squat to use the toilet. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up with toilet paper on his backside and had to wipe it each time.
Though still a guy, the entire way of using the bathroom had been forced to mirror a girl’s.
Seeing Wen Yang step aside, Ning Chu shook his head softly, sighing as he returned to the dorm.
From Wen Yang’s behavior, it seemed he’d already defined his gender as female in his mind.
Back at his computer, he rested his chin on one hand, the persistent stomach pain distracting him from gaming, leaving him clicking through webpages listlessly.
But then, the little penguin icon in the bottom corner suddenly began to blink.
Moving the mouse over, he saw it was a message from Han Jingye.
“Are you interested in the top ten singer competition?”
“Nope.”
“I’ve heard you have a decent voice…”
As the conversation shifted from the competition to casual chatter, Ning Chu found himself replying aimlessly to Han Jingye’s comments.
He had never encountered such a laid-back instructor before.
Suddenly, Ning Chu’s right eyelid twitched.
Wait a second! This instructor couldn’t possibly be interested in me, could he?
Then he couldn’t help but snicker at the thought; previously, he’d been overly perceptive, and later it turned out he was worrying for nothing.
With the many disruptions to the storyline, Han Jingye’s plot had long since spiraled out of control.
Looking at him now, he didn’t resemble the pervert in the plot at all.
“Why are you chatting with the instructor again?”
“I was bored.” Ning Chu didn’t shy away, displaying his chat thread openly.
But Wen Yang furrowed his brows, a hint of dissatisfaction showing. “What could a male instructor possibly have to talk about?”
“He’s just concerned about his students, right?”
“I’m the class leader, and he doesn’t even bother chatting with me daily.”
Ning Chu turned back, contemplating the look in Wen Yang’s eyes.
This guy… could he be feeling jealous?!
