543. Besties
Maybe the break-up hit him hard, but Wang Jie was more introverted and withdrawn than ever.
At the cafeteria dining table, he sat silently playing on his mobile phone, barely speaking more than five sentences through the whole dinner.
Lily, although shy as well, had sparkling eyes as she listened to her friends, occasionally bursting out with some awkwardly flirty comments.
Ning Chu felt a pang of worry for Wang Jie, but after a year of not seeing him, she didn’t know how to start the conversation.
“Wang Jie, are you going out for drinks tonight?”
But Wen Yang saw right through her thoughts and spoke up for her.
“I guess I won’t go?” Wang Jie shook his head in refusal.
“So what’s your plan then? They’re not going to let you stay in the dorms much longer, right?”
Only then did a hint of urgency creep onto his face, but he still shook his head in confusion. “I’ll just see later?”
Ning Chu understood Wang Jie’s state all too well; before her crossing over, she was just as lost and frightened after graduation, with no goals, no desires, and zero motivation—just living day by day.
Last year, she had gone through a similar situation, but the difference was she had Wen Yang, providing her with motivation and desires. Even though the future still seemed unclear, she was no longer afraid.
This had pushed her to actively search for a job, and in just one year, she had entered society smoothly and steadily.
“Why don’t you try dating again?” Ning Chu tried to project her own experience onto Wang Jie.
But he merely shook his head. “I don’t want to date; it’s pointless.”
“Isn’t your family urging you to find a job?”
“I told them I’m still in class.”
“Uh… fine then.”
Ning Chu threw up her hands in defeat and shot a pleading look at Wen Yang.
But Wen Yang shrugged, helpless. “Should we find a hotel nearby tonight? No one brought bedding back, right?”
“I want to sleep with Lily and Ning Chu!” Yan Xinya declared while devouring the food on the table and popping her head up to shout.
“I’m sleeping with Wen Yang, right?”
“It’s just a small hotel; the soundproofing is terrible; you two can’t sleep together! What’s the plan for our sleep then?”
Ning Chu blushed in embarrassment and rebutted fiercely, “I’m not that shameless!”
Even though she was a succubus, it didn’t mean she was desperate every night!
“Sleeping together?” Lily looked at Ning Chu expectantly. “We haven’t seen each other in ages…”
“Sure!”
“Why should I agree just because you said so?”
Ning Chu rolled her eyes at the Wolf Girl; Lily was sweet and adorable, who could compare to a Husky?
She directly ignored Yan Xinya’s protests and leaned over to whisper in Wen Yang’s ear. “So tonight, I’ll sleep in the same room as Lily and Xinya? Are you okay alone?”
“I’ll just go talk some sense into Wang Jie. Just look at him now,” Wen Yang replied nonchalantly, glancing at the silent Wang Jie. “Is breaking up really that impactful?”
“What if you break up with me?”
He paused for a moment and shook his head. “That’s impossible.”
Years of being together made it unimaginable for him to think of life without Ning Chu; his mind never entertained such a notion.
“I’m full! Burp~” Yan Xinya groaned, clutching her distended belly, slumped in her chair. “The cafeteria food is still awful~”
“Everyone’s just waiting on you.”
Ning Chu shot her an annoyed glance and stood up. “I wanted to suggest we go eat barbecue tonight…”
“Sounds good! Let’s buy some wine too!”
“Are you seriously eating that much?”
“I’ll just be hungry again in two hours; what’s the big deal?”
Lily always had a huge appetite, not only craving quantity but also quality food, leaving her with barely anything from her paycheck after paying rent.
Wen Yang, on the other hand, was much easier to feed; he could live on steamed buns and pickled vegetables without complaint.
“I’m heading back to the dorm.”
As Wang Jie walked out of the cafeteria, he muttered a low greeting and headed straight for the dorms.
Ning Chu worriedly watched his despondent figure leave, reluctantly glancing at Wen Yang, desperately fighting against her urge to meddle. “So now what? Looking for a hotel?”
“Yep, there should be plenty of hotels off-campus.”
Even though couples at this school loved to sneak off for adventures, little hotels were still everywhere outside.
The prices were cheap, usually around a hundred, though the conditions were basic—just a place to bathe and sleep, lacking any comfort or enjoyment.
They booked two adjacent big bed rooms and filed in with their luggage.
Wen Yang stood by the door, staring at the massive double bed, and asked, “You really plan to cram three people into one bed?”
“We haven’t seen each other in ages; it’s fine to squeeze a little!” Yan Xinya quickly kicked off her shoes and put on the hotel-provided slippers, not raising her head as she asked, “You’re not unwilling to share with Ning Chu, right?”
“I just worry that you guys might not sleep well if it’s too cramped.”
“Stop worrying about us! I’m off to take a shower! Out!”
Yan Xinya hurriedly shooed Wen Yang away, slamming the door behind her. She looked at Ning Chu with envy. “How do you two do it?”
“What do you mean?”
Ning Chu looked up, confused.
“Almost four years since freshman year, and your relationship is still this good. You both can’t stand a night apart!”
She mused that her and Wen Yang probably just wanted to sneak around during the nights.
But that was an important part of any relationship; if intimacy was rocky, then getting along in general might prove even harder.
Of course, Ning Chu couldn’t reveal that reason, so she shrugged casually, “It’s not a big deal… maybe just getting used to it.”
“You’re just making excuses! Wait, do you guys never fight?”
She plopped down on the sofa and rummaged through her backpack for her clothes for the night while answering, “Of course we fight; last time I was so mad I cried, remember I called you?”
“That time…,” Yan Xinya rested her chin on her hands and pouted. “That was pretty ridiculous; wasn’t it just because you couldn’t find something?”
Mentioning that incident made Ning Chu anxious, her voice rising involuntarily. “It’s different! He always takes things and never puts them back! I’ve told him countless times, and he always agrees but never changes!”
“He never remembers to turn off the lights when he leaves, always leaves slippers lying around, and doesn’t even hide when I go to the bathroom…”
Living together, differing habits inevitably led to petty arguments—either compromising or adapting to each other’s styles, gradually becoming a blend of sorts.
Once in society, with more stress in life, their arguments noticeably increased.
Ning Chu was still pretty stubborn; she wouldn’t admit if she was wrong. Usually, Wen Yang would soften and apologize, and only after things cooled down would she awkwardly say sorry.
“Then how come you guys don’t fight anymore? Did he change?”
The complaints halted, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze sheepishly drifted to the ceiling.
Lily, who had been silent, suddenly asked thoughtfully, “Did you give him a good stripping down?”
“It was me forcing him to change!” Ning Chu denied, flustered and annoyed.
“Got it! You need a boyfriend who’s well-endowed and skilled~”
