“Wen Yang! What do we do? What do we do?”

Ning Chu paced back and forth on the dormitory balcony, speaking incessantly. “Shaoqing confessed to her before, and she turned him down. Now she’s got a boyfriend! What are we going to do?”

Wen Yang, not understanding why Ning Chu was so agitated, leaned against the balcony railing with his arms crossed and asked, “Isn’t unrequited love pretty normal? Considering it’s probably Shaoqing’s first love, it’s even more understandable, right? Why are you more anxious than him?”

Ning Chu halted his steps, opened his mouth, and found an excuse, “I’m worried he’ll be heartbroken.”

“There are always going to be moments like these; it’s a part of growing up.”

“But...” Ning Chu continued to pace, and after a few seconds, a bad idea struck him, “How about we beat that guy up?! Force him to break up with Ling Ling?”

Ling Ling being in a relationship was one thing, but if she had already slept with the guy, Shaoqing might lose it completely. 

This guy usually had a good attitude; even when he treated friends to drinks at the bar one day and Ning Chu stabbed him in the back the next day, he didn’t mind too much. 

But when it came to his controlling family and Ling Ling, just mentioning them made Shaoqing’s face darken as if he was ready to hit someone at any moment.

“How can you just go around beating people up?” Wen Yang said, half-amused and half-serious. “You won’t solve anything that way. It’s better to tell Shaoqing and let him handle it himself.”

Let Shaoqing handle it himself?

Ning Chu remembered the first plot scene where Shaoqing appeared in the book: he drugged an unsuspecting Ling Ling under the guise of friendship and tamed her.

That definitely won’t do!

If this reckless rich kid actually became a criminal who deserved to be shot...

Surprisingly, Ning Chu’s first thought wasn’t about his own safety in the plot but rather a deep sadness for Shaoqing’s potential descent into darkness.

“Ning Chu! Wen Yang! Want some milk tea? Chip in for the delivery?”

The balcony door was suddenly pushed open. Zhang Shaoqing, having taken off his headphones, peeked out at the balcony. “What are you two chatting about so happily? Come join us!”

“...”

“How much coffee did you have this morning? And now you want milk tea in the afternoon?” Wen Yang walked into the room. “Aren’t you afraid of getting fat?”

“Fat my ass, I have six-pack abs!”

Ning Chu quickly followed Wen Yang inside and whispered, “Don’t tell him yet.”

“I know.”

The air conditioning was set to twenty-six degrees, but the room still felt a bit stuffy.

Ning Chu, sitting back at his computer, was worried about Shaoqing turning to the dark side. 

He looked around for the air conditioner remote and found it on Shaoqing’s desk. “Shaoqing, turn the air conditioning down a bit!”

“Twenty-six degrees is the most energy-efficient. Why lower it?”

This rich kid was lavish when it came to treating people, but he always found strange places to save money in his daily life.

Savings on delivery discounts, electricity bills... The money he saved in a month wasn’t even enough for Shaoqing’s occasional nice meal.

Thinking about how Shaoqing’s childhood sweetheart was now with someone else, Ning Chu didn’t want to argue. 

He sighed sympathetically, turned on his computer, and logged into the game.

“Log in and invite me!”

“I’m definitely winning a match for you today! I don’t believe I can’t do it! Wen Yang! Hurry up!”

Ning Chu wasn’t very interested in gaming, but since they were on holiday and not working part-time, there was nothing else to do.

He occasionally glanced at Shaoqing with worry-filled eyes, debating whether to tell him about Ling Ling.

Shaoqing might either turn dark instantly or, like a normal person, feel sad for a while.

From what Ning Chu had observed of Shaoqing over this period, the former seemed more likely.

Ning Chu remained silent while gaming. 

The dorm was filled with Shaoqing’s sweet talk and occasional curses from Wen Yang. 

The atmosphere felt somewhat strange as the three of them played together.

After two rounds, Shaoqing looked at Ning Chu’s poor performance and sighed heavily. “You’re really bad at this. We lost again.”

“You know I rarely play games...”

“You’re like a mute while playing, never talking, and you keep zoning out.”

Wen Yang tried to defend Ning Chu. “He’s not familiar with the maps and heroes. Don’t expect too much from a newbie.”

“Psh!” Shaoqing complained a bit more before starting another game.

Ning Chu thought for a long time and finally decided to keep quiet about Ling Ling. 

He rubbed his temples, climbed into bed, and prepared for a nap.

The accumulated fatigue from part-time jobs and the constant worry had left him mentally and physically exhausted. 

As soon as he lay down, his mind started to drift.

Despite the busy days, he hadn’t earned any money, but he did notice that Wen Yang was getting better at rejecting women.

With a bit more training, Wen Yang might avoid the plot’s pitfalls even if he left Ning Chu.

“Damn it!”

A sudden curse from below startled the half-asleep Ning Chu.

Annoyed, he turned to look down and saw Shaoqing’s face as dark as coal, his expression twisted with anger, instantly dispelling Ning Chu’s irritation and sleepiness.

“What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

“None of your business!”

Shaoqing’s irritable tone made Ning Chu shrink back. 

It wasn’t in his nature, but given his smaller stature and physical disadvantage, it was wise to be a bit cowardly.

Could it be that he found out about Ling Ling’s new boyfriend? 

But who told him?

Wen Yang turned around, frowning at Shaoqing. “If something’s wrong, say it. Don’t take it out on Ning Chu.”

“...”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, don’t go crazy in the dorm!”

Wen Yang’s firm tone made Ning Chu peek down at Shaoqing, signaling with his eyes not to provoke him further.

After a moment, Shaoqing turned back, still angry but less so than before. 

He handed his phone to Ning Chu on the bed. “See for yourself.”

Ning Chu glanced at the screen and his mouth twitched.

Damn it, Ling Ling posted a couple’s photo on her social media!

In the photo, Ling Ling nestled in a man’s arms, making a simple heart shape with her fingers, while the man looked at her lovingly.

On the table was a small cake, and behind them was a double bed with white sheets, looking like a hotel room.

No wonder Shaoqing suddenly looked like he was having a stroke.

Ning Chu sighed, trying to console him. “It’s okay, there’ll be someone better...”

Wen Yang, although not having seen the photo, understood the situation from Ning Chu’s words and softened his tone. “Should I go buy some beer? Let’s drink together tonight?”

Ning Chu nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, let Wen Yang drink with you. A few drinks and you’ll feel better.”

He’s just worried that after a few drinks, Shaoqing might completely lose it...

It’s better for him to lock the door while drinking.

Shaoqing took back his phone without answering, standing still with a frown, lost in thought.

“I’m going to find her at the hotel.”

“Hey! Don’t!”

Ning Chu quickly tried to get out of bed, but Shaoqing had already left the dorm. Annoyed, he complained to Wen Yang, “Why didn’t you stop him?”

“This... it should be fine, right?”

“What if Shaoqing catches them mid coitus?”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Wen Yang abruptly stood up. “I’ll go after him!”