26. The Gift
On a Monday afternoon during gym class, Ning Chu surprisingly didn’t pester Wen Yang.
During free time, she was sitting on a long bench by the soccer field with Lily and Yan Xinya, each holding a cup of milk tea.
“Ning Chu~ I can smell it again~” Wolf Girl rested her chin on Ning Chu’s shoulder, teasingly remarking, “Next time, you better take a shower. What if others catch a whiff?”
“……”
“How did you deal with it at lunchtime?”
“I just endured it…”
Lily chimed in, “That sounds dangerous, right?”
“Exactly! You should move out quickly. Otherwise, in the boys’ dormitory, you might accidentally end up in a big brawl.”
“……” Ning Chu lowered her head, unable to respond.
And here they were, making jokes! The real culprit was right in front of her!
She had been wary of Wen Yang’s interactions with Lily, only for Yan Xinya to bring Lily along to class! They insisted on getting close to Wen Yang!
Now, in order to mess with the plot, she was already suspected by Wen Yang of being a succubus.
There was also a chance that Lily’s storyline might shift towards her.
Maybe she’s just overthinking?
Ning Chu leaned back in her chair, gazing at the bright blue sky, her face reflecting endless despair.
“You succubi have it tough~” Yan Xinya, looking down while using a cat comb on her tail, commented, “But you don’t shed fur, that’s great~”
After just a few strokes, the comb was already thick with hair.
Even in front of her friends, Lily maintained a cool demeanor, sitting upright and reading a book, while gently responding.
“Ning Chu, can I see the patterns on your belly? Lily won’t show me hers.”
“Don’t talk to me……”
“Wen Yang’s disappeared.”
Ning Chu jolted upright, tiptoeing to scan the playground, her eyes sweeping across, but there was no sign of Wen Yang.
Just a few minutes ago, he was sitting on the grass playing mobile games with Wang Jie and Zhang Shaoqing!
Where did he go now?
In a panic, she repeatedly scanned the playground, hoping it was just a mistake and she hadn’t spotted Wen Yang.
But with Wen Yang’s nearly six-foot tall stature and stunning looks, there was no way she could have missed him!
“Maybe he went to the bathroom?” Yan Xinya tugged at her hand, “Don’t panic, he might not be off chasing girls.”
It wasn’t that she was worried about Wen Yang chasing girls, but Ning Chu was more concerned about herself.
As long as Wen Yang was out of sight, her heart raced uncontrollably with unease.
“I’ll go look for him.”
“Don’t rush, don’t rush.”
Lily shifted her gaze from her book to Ning Chu, “Just call him.”
Ning Chu hurriedly grabbed her phone, but her eyes were glued to the entrance of the playground, and then she sighed in relief.
It was Wen Yang, holding a package. He had just gone to pick up a delivery.
This guy was so tight on money; he just started working and immediately couldn’t resist shopping… I really need to talk to him about his spending habits! He splurges as soon as he has cash!
She plopped back down, mumbling, “You scared me.”
“You said you and Wen Yang are not involved~” Yan Xinya cheekily chimed in, “Look how nervous you were just now.”
“I’m not!”
“You’re in denial~” Wolf Girl turned to Lily, teasingly added, “Last weekend, she wore Wen Yang’s clothes in the dorm just to feel safe~ but she claims not to like him.”
Ning Chu’s face flushed, and she retorted, “Stop talking nonsense! I was cold!”
At that moment, Wen Yang walked over with the package and looked at the three sisters who were joking around: “What are you all talking about? Sounds fun?”
“About Ning Chu just now……”
Ning Chu quickly grabbed Yan Xinya’s wolf ears, causing her to flop down like a noodle, “Ouch! Let go! It hurts!”
“Chh!” She released them and looked up, “What’s going on?”
“I bought you something.”
“???”
Wen Yang tossed the package onto Ning Chu’s lap from a meter away, turning his head, a bit red-faced: “Take a look and see if you like it.”
“Love token!”
Ning Chu grabbed Yan Xinya and pinned her down, “Shut up!”
Meanwhile, Lily awkwardly shifted away but then “thudded” off the long bench.
“Lily! Are you okay?” Yan Xinya quickly got up and helped her, then turned back to Ning Chu, “No more teasing, open it and see.”
Ning Chu shot her a glare, glanced down at the package on her thigh, hesitated, and looked back at Wen Yang.
It can’t really be a love token, right? Why else would he be sending her something if he didn’t have anything else to do?
Maybe I shouldn’t open it, just let Wen Yang return it?
Wen Yang felt nervous under her doubtful gaze, crossing his arms and urging, “Just open it; if you don’t like it, I’ll return it.”
“What kind of clueless guy are you!”
He paused, glancing at the wolf girl who looked like she wanted to knock his head, and the emotionless succubus bobbing her head, quickly changing his tone: “Well, I gave it to you; whether you like it or not, just keep it.”
“……”
Ning Chu let out a heavy sigh and tore open the package.
It looked like a set of clothes.
She pulled out the clothes, laying them on the bench. Staring at the short blue-and-white shirt and dark blue skirt, with black thigh-highs as accessories, she fell into deep thought.
Wen Yang, does his brain have a glitch?
She cast a lingering glance at Wen Yang.
Seeing her displeased expression, Wen Yang quickly explained, “I noticed you didn’t have any girl clothes, so I thought I’d buy you a set… Even if you can’t wear it in the dorm, you’ll definitely want to wear it out on weekends…”
As she noted his increasingly discontented look, Wen Yang’s voice softened: “I thought it looked pretty; it suits others.”
That high school sailor suit girl he casually met during home tutoring really struck his fancy, especially that outfit. He kept thinking about how it would look on Ning Chu.
By the way, it seemed like Ning Chu didn’t have a single piece of girl’s attire in her wardrobe.
“I’m not into that kinda stuff,” Ning Chu said, rubbing her nose in frustration.
“You don’t like wearing skirts?” Wen Yang seemed surprised.
I never wear girl’s clothing at all! Not to mention a skirt that’s a sailor outfit!
“Don’t buy me stuff anymore; this whole set looks expensive, and your part-time wage is better spent on food.” Ning Chu folded the clothes and passed them back to Wen Yang, “Return it.”
At times like this, she had to firmly refuse! She needed to make sure Wen Yang’s feelings went unreciprocated!
Wen Yang froze, looking a bit dejected, and just as he reached out to take them, he noticed Yan Xinya wildly giving him wink-winks.
“……”
So, he turned and walked away.
“Wait! You’re supposed to return it!” Ning Chu shouted, getting up to chase him, “Come back!”
“He’s just being kind~ even if you don’t like it, just keep it~” Yan Xinya suddenly hugged Ning Chu’s shoulders from behind, pinning her back down with a face full of mischievous glee, “Just accept it!”
“I live in the boys’ dormitory!”
“I’ll keep it for you! When you need it, just shout, and I’ll deliver it to you right away!”
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I’m clearly adding more every day! How am I still so behind?!
