52. Rainy Night
Thanks to her tired body, Ning Chu enjoyed a peaceful sleep this time.
Waking up from a deep, dreamless slumber, she felt refreshed—only to glance at the clock and realize she had snoozed for a full four hours.
“Looks like another late night ahead.”
Fortunately, it was the weekend, and staying up late was just another day in her life.
Stretching and sitting up, she looked down and was pleasantly surprised that there was no urgent need to change her pants upon waking.
Feeling fresh!
It was clear that Wen Yang’s part-time gig had failed to trigger the usual drama.
Otherwise, with how conscious he was these days—avoiding girls like they were walking landmines and getting all serious whenever they got too close—any potential plot would probably end before it even began.
“Should I be able to withstand two punishments?”
Next time she messes up the plot, she needs to find a good moment to release all that pent-up tension; otherwise, she might lose her mind and wind up seducing men, shaking her booty, and begging.
Now that would be terrifying…
A total black history moment!
Sitting at the edge of her bed, leaning against the wall, Ning Chu pondered whether it was time to move out of the boys’ dormitory.
If she left, she could enjoy more freedom—whether renting an apartment or moving to a girls’ dorm, she could handle any “punishments” with more ease instead of tiptoeing around in the boys’ dorm, afraid it might turn into a chaotic brawl.
And even though Wen Yang was genuinely principled now, unphased by her temptations, she worried that if she kept dangling this over him, it might backfire one day.
But if she left, there would be no way to restrain him.
With no strings attached and those mischievous bad women lurking around, one lapse in self-control from Wen Yang, and he’d end up spiraling down the path of the typical male protagonist.
At that point, she’d be hard-pressed to avoid the inevitable plotline.
“Stuck between a rock and a hard place~”
“What punishment? More like a left-right male one?”
Ning Chu jumped at the sound, her body jolting in surprise. She quickly peered under her bed and was greeted by Wen Yang, who had somehow silently snuck into the room, sitting in front of his computer.
“It’s only five o’clock! You’re back so early?”
“A little family issue. I only had two classes today,” Wen Yang said, looking at her curiously. “What were you just talking to yourself about?”
“……”
Thank goodness she hadn’t blurted out anything embarrassing.
After a brief pause, she casually responded, “Oh, it’s just a game I’m playing—a strategy game. You probably wouldn’t be interested.”
“Not interested?” Wen Yang glanced at her desk. “I brought you dinner.”
“Okay!”
Ning Chu stretched and lazily hopped out of bed, scurrying off to the bathroom in her slippers.
Getting used to this, huh…
In the beginning, she always forgot to grab toilet paper, and now she had developed the habit of wiping from front to back.
The first time being a woman, her browser history was filled with all sorts of bizarre searches.
Like, “How to buy sanitary napkins,” “Things girls should pay attention to,” “What to do if feelings arise in the dorm”…
If it weren’t for the internet, she would still be utterly clueless, not even able to differentiate between types of sanitary napkins.
Returning to the dorm, Ning Chu found Wen Yang watching her intently.
When she glanced down, she realized she was still wearing his coat.
Feigning nonchalance, she casually stripped it off and threw it back at him: “Too lazy to search for my own coat. I’ll just wear yours, hope you don’t mind?”
Wasn’t it just two days ago that she was all snobby about it?
“Not at all.”
Wen Yang caught the coat, and in that moment, he caught a whiff of something odd yet alluring.
Not thinking too much, he hung the coat over the back of a chair, turned up the volume on his computer, and asked, “Wanna watch some TV?”
“What show?”
“Just a new Japanese drama—light and funny,” he invited. “Wanna join?”
With nothing else to do, Ning Chu scooted her chair closer to his side, crossed her legs, and began munching on her takeout while watching.
She made sure to leave a bit of space between them to avoid any awkwardness crossing Wen Yang’s mind.
Once the first episode rolled, the cozy and comical storyline hit all the right notes for her—she often burst into laughter, incredibly jealous of the romance between the lead characters.
She envied the male protagonist for having such a thoughtful and understanding girlfriend, though the girlfriend’s controlling tendencies caused the male lead quite the headache.
“So nice~” she sighed, genuinely envious.
Wen Yang glanced over at her, then back at the male protagonist for a serious comparison.
Yeah, he definitely fit the sunny, handsome type—just like him, sorta.
Though his character was a tad on the brooding side, unlike the lively male lead who always made the female lead laugh.
Ah, got it! Ning Chu definitely liked that type.
Before they knew it, they had binged a few episodes, and outside the dorm, the sky had darkened significantly.
A torrential downpour began, the rhythmic patter of rain mixed with howling winds turned the serene night into a cacophony.
The rain cooled the air, causing goosebumps to rise on Ning Chu’s arms.
“Looks like another cold front is rolling in; tomorrow it’s gonna be in the teens.”
Wen Yang stood up and headed to the balcony, teaming up with Ning Chu to rescue a few clothes from the rain.
“Guess we need to wear long sleeves now.”
Ning Chu loved this kind of weather, and rain-soaked nights were her favorite.
The slightly cool temperature made her blankets feel even cozier, while the sound of rain lulled her into a comfortable sleep.
Throwing on a jacket, she glanced at the clock and realized it was already eight!
Engrossed in the drama, she felt no sign of sleepiness at all.
Watching Wen Yang click to start a new episode, she adjusted her comfy sitting position, just as the lights in the dorm suddenly went out.
“……”
With the faint glow from the laptop illuminating their shocked faces, they exchanged bewildered looks.
“When’s the last time we paid the electric bill?”
“I forgot…”
Ning Chu sighed helplessly, “Can’t we pay a bit extra?”
“Charging too much, and I won’t have enough money.”
She turned to the window, gazing out at the pitch-black rainy night, then stood up, “Let’s just get some sleep and worry about the bill tomorrow.”
“It’s only eight! The service center should still be open,” Wen Yang replied as he grabbed the umbrella from the corner and headed for the door.
“Hey!” Ning Chu rushed to catch up but only saw his back as he hurried out. “It’s already past eight!”
Wen Yang turned back, confused. “You won’t sleep even if you go to bed now.”
Is eight really that late? Isn’t the night life just kicking in?
“I…”
True, Ning Chu had napped for far too long in the afternoon; she’d likely be awake into the early morning now.
Peering out the dorm hallway, she noticed that despite the storm, there were still delivery riders braving the weather.
Only eight, and there should still be many diligent students soaking in the library—not likely to encounter a female ghost.
After a moment of hesitation, she quickly kept pace with Wen Yang, “I’m coming too.”
“If you see a ghost, just run, okay?”
“??? ”
