Except for the first day—when Ning Chu fainted from not eating breakfast before military training—things had gone relatively smoothly for him after that.
Even the persistent stomachache he’d been suffering ended on the fifth day.
He suspected it was some kind of punishment triggered when he stopped Wen Yang from going to the bar that night. That might’ve been why the pain had lingered until now.
"Just one more hour to get through, then we finally get the weekend off," Wen Yang said as he lay sprawled on the grassy field, staring lifelessly at the sky. "Why is it always sunny during military training? There’s not a single cloud in sight."
Ning Chu sat cross-legged beside him, not as carefree. He chugged half a bottle of water, then hugged it and spaced out.
He’d gradually adapted to the intensity of the training, though his skin had noticeably tanned from being in the sun every day.Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on Novᴇ(l)Fɪre .ɴᴇt
Darker skin wasn’t a bad thing—it made him look a bit more masculine.
He glanced around. Pretty much everyone had tanned to some degree, and a few had even started peeling from sunburn.
"Got any plans for the weekend?" Ning Chu asked, looking down at Wen Yang. "Gonna stay in the dorm and play games all day?"
"You and Wang Jie need to get out a bit. You’ve been cooped up too long. Even on the weekend, you want to just stay inside?""How about we do something together? Go sightseeing or something?"
As long as he could take up Wen Yang’s weekend time, those flirty girls wouldn’t have a chance to get close to his male lead.
Wen Yang hesitated and turned his head toward Zhang Shaoqing, who was a few meters away. “Shaoqing! Want to hang out this weekend?” he called.
“No, I’ve got stuff to do,” Zhang replied flatly.
“Wang Jie! What about you?”
“I’m already dying from this week’s training...”
After checking with both roommates and getting shut down, Wen Yang turned back to Ning Chu and shrugged. “Forget it. They’re not interested.”
Ning Chu rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He wasn’t Wen Yang’s parent—he couldn’t force him to stay in the dorm. But letting him go out meant risking plot developments that shouldn’t happen.
Was he supposed to follow Wen Yang around everywhere now?
Well, maybe his presence as a massive third wheel would keep those seductive girls from doing anything too bold.
After a ten-minute break, the drill instructor barked for everyone to get up and resume training.
The university’s military training lasted for two weeks. That was plenty of time for the students to master basic formations. On the final day, there’d even be a formal performance.
By evening, the sun wasn’t as harsh, and the breeze sweeping across the field had cooled. The last hour of training felt easier than usual.
When it finally ended, Ning Chu let out a breath of relief, stretching his arms as he looked toward Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie.
He was determined to persuade them to go out this weekend.
Even though part of him just wanted to laze in bed for two days after this exhausting week, this involved something much more serious—his future gender and, more importantly, his position .
He really didn’t want to end up on the bottom...
That thought alone was terrifying.
He jogged up to his roommates, eyes filled with hopeful anticipation. “Come on, let’s go out this weekend. I haven’t been anywhere since school started.”
Zhang Shaoqing gave him a quick glance and replied coldly, “Told you already—I’ve got plans.”
“I just want to stay in and be a couch potato,” Wang Jie added.
“I already asked, remember?” Wen Yang shrugged again. “They’re not interested.”
Ning Chu frowned.
Wang Jie might be persuadable. He was a homebody, sure, but he had a mild temperament. With enough pushing, he could probably drag him outside.
But Zhang Shaoqing was another matter. Normally carefree and joking around, today he was dead serious, wearing a somber expression. Whatever he had planned for the weekend must be important.
Ning Chu couldn’t help overthinking.
Could Shaoqing be planning something shady—like messing around with some poor girl?
In the original novel, Zhang Shaoqing’s first story arc involved a crush on his childhood friend. He’d always acted indifferent to her hints and advances—until she started dating Wen Yang.
Not long after, she made the first move on Wen Yang. That sent Zhang Shaoqing’s possessiveness and rage over the edge.
He ended up drugging and sleeping with her, just to “take her back.”
Ning Chu’s lips twitched.
If he could, he’d go back in time and slap his past self—the one who wrote this melodramatic, messy hentai novel.
Why couldn’t he have written something wholesome and sweet instead?!
“Shaoqing...”
There was no time to regret past decisions. Right now, he had to deal with the current crisis.
He had to stop Zhang Shaoqing from going full psycho.
“What’s the thing you have to do this weekend?” Ning Chu asked carefully, watching Shaoqing’s blank expression. “You don’t look like you’re in a great mood.”
“None of your—”
Zhang Shaoqing turned his head, about to snap at him. But when he saw Ning Chu’s cautious yet genuinely concerned expression, the harsh words caught in his throat.
After a pause, he muttered, “Family stuff. I have to go home.”
“Your family is pretty strict, huh?” Wen Yang leaned over, intrigued. “I always see you on the phone with them at night.”
Now that he mentioned it, it was true.
Every night, Shaoqing would light a cigarette and head out to the balcony. Ning Chu didn’t like the smell of smoke, so he’d never paid much attention to what the guy was doing out there.
With the topic open, Zhang Shaoqing began to vent a bit. “Yeah, it’s strict. I don’t even want to go home this week, but things have been pretty tense with them lately.”
No wonder he’d been so moody these past few days.
Realizing Zhang Shaoqing wasn’t planning anything twisted, Ning Chu finally relaxed.
“Then just don’t go,” he said.
“I skipped last weekend too.”
“You’re an adult,” Wen Yang chimed in. “What can your parents even do if you don’t go back? My folks were super strict when I lived at home—I hadn’t even held a girl’s hand before college. But look at me now: out on my own, free to go on dates whenever I want…”
His voice trailed off mid-sentence.
Well, not exactly free.
He glanced at Ning Chu.
God knows why this roommate of his kept trying to stop him from going on dates. It had already happened twice—each time, Ning Chu came up with some excuse or reason to make him cancel.
Maybe this weekend, he’d sneak out quietly...
But then Wen Yang frowned.
Why was he sneaking around like he was cheating on someone? Ning Chu was just a roommate—why did his dating life suddenly feel like some secret affair?
“Let’s see,” Zhang Shaoqing sighed, his mood clearly improving after the chat. Then his usual cheeky tone returned. “Fine, I’ll skip this time. But next time, we should all go do something fun. How about bungee jumping?”
“Bungee jumping?!”
Ning Chu’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth slightly agape. Zhang Shaoqing couldn’t help but feel a mischievous sense of joy—like teasing a kid. His mood got even better.
And honestly, this roommate of his looked wickedly pretty. With those soft lips slightly parted, the word “cherry” actually didn’t feel like much of an exaggeration.
“What? You scared? You’re a guy and you’re afraid of bungee jumping?”
“That’s way too intense!” Ning Chu shrank his neck back nervously. “Pick something else.”
“Well, it’s summer. How about river rafting?”
“I can’t swim! No way!”
Zhang Shaoqing thought for a second, then offered, “Paragliding? There’s an instructor—it’s totally safe.”
“…”
Wen Yang, seeing Ning Chu getting flustered, chuckled and joined in. “Okay, how about a massage at a spa instead?”
Wang Jie’s eyes lit up. He nodded so fast his head nearly flew off. “Now that I’m not too tired for!”
“Absolutely not!” Ning Chu shook his head with comical intensity. “No way! Definitely not!”