Volume 1 Chapter 36: The Sleep Club
Wen Yang felt like there was something wrong with him.
Or maybe something was wrong with Ning Chu.
Could it be because ever since the semester started, he'd been hanging out with Ning Chu all the time? Somehow, he'd started to feel like Ning Chu's little lackey. Whenever he did something that went against Ning Chu's wishes, he would inexplicably feel guilty and uneasy.
"Wen Yang! Help me bring back food! I'm going upstairs to check on Black Bean first!"
Just after military training ended, Ning Chu—who moments ago had looked so listless he seemed ready to faint at any second—suddenly swept past Wen Yang like a gust of wind and sprinted straight out of the field.
Wen Yang froze in place, took off his cap, and muttered, "So today you're not going to the cafeteria with me."
"Shaoqing, cafeteria?"
"I already ordered takeout with Wang Jie."
"Alright."
He had grown used to eating with Ning Chu, used to having a little tail following behind him everywhere. Suddenly going to the cafeteria alone felt a bit lonely.
Without Ning Chu around, if a girl came up to pester him, he wouldn't even know how to refuse properly.
Feeling slightly down, Wen Yang stuffed his hands into his pockets and strolled slowly toward the cafeteria. In his mind, he recalled the dishes Ning Chu usually ordered, while also calculating how to stretch the little money he had left to survive the week.
Even though he was fairly frugal, having freely disposable money for the first time in college inevitably meant he'd spent a bit more than he should have.
The cafeteria, fresh off the end of military training, was as lively as ever. Large numbers of students in training uniforms queued up at the food counters. Wen Yang got his food, then found an empty corner and sat down.
A plate of shredded pork with green peppers, and a serving of rice drenched in vegetable gravy.
"Ning Chu always seems to get tomato-and-egg stir-fry too…"
"And I should probably bring something back for the cat…"
He muttered to himself when suddenly a waft of perfume drifted over. A smiling girl sat down beside him.
Wen Yang didn't even look up. Just from the overly strong, artificial fragrance, he knew it wasn't Ning Chu.
"Wen Yang~ Our club is really great! Once freshman military training is over, we're even planning to rent a villa on the weekend for club activities! Lots of pretty girls will be there!"
Wen Yang glanced at the girl next to him.
"Don't worry! It won't cost anything. Our club president is a rich young lady—she'll cover everything!"
After the school opened club recruitment last week, this girl had somehow gotten his contact information and had been pestering him online every day, trying to get him to join.
This time, she had come straight to him in person.
Wen Yang was actually quite interested in college clubs, but the problem was that the name "Sleep Club" didn't sound very proper at all.
"I'm not really interested in joining a club," he said again, politely declining. "I don't really like group activities."
"Group activities are necessary! College isn't just about studying—you need to expand your social circle. When you enter society later, university connections always come in handy, right? And you can't just stay in your dorm every weekend, can you? Going out with a club, taking part in activities—it's good experience!"
He knew she had a point, and his expression gradually wavered.
Rubbing his temples with a headache, he set down his chopsticks and said helplessly, "Why do you keep targeting me? There are plenty of freshmen who haven't joined any clubs yet."
"Our Sleep Club was just founded this year! We're really short on people!"
Were their club activities something like a quiet afternoon where a few—or a few dozen—people lay on the grass of the sports field, sunbathing and taking naps together?
And the so-called villa party—was it just about experiencing what it was like to sleep in a villa?
Wen Yang really couldn't understand what the point of this club was. He asked, "How many members do you have already?"
"Five! All girls! And we've invited some others too! By then, maybe ten or so people will come?"
Do girls like sleeping that much nowadays?
"Fine, fine. Stop bothering me." Seeing the girl's starry, hopeful eyes, Wen Yang waved his hand with a headache. "I still need to eat."
"Yay! Don't forget the weekend gathering!"
"..."
Watching the girl run off in high spirits, Wen Yang's mouth twitched. He really couldn't understand how these people's minds worked.
After finishing his meal, he packed one portion for Ning Chu, then bought a carton of goat's milk and a boiled egg for Black Bean.
The moment he opened the dorm door and turned his head, he saw Ning Chu squatting in the corner by the wall near the door, teasing the cat.
"Black Bean~ Black Bean? Say something to me?"
Ning Chu was already smaller and slimmer than the average guy, and squatting down like this made him look even tinier. Wen Yang subconsciously slowed his steps, as if he might accidentally step on Ning Chu if he wasn't careful.
"Your lunch."
Hearing the voice behind him, Ning Chu finally realized Wen Yang was back. He turned around and looked up at him with a smile, asking, "You didn't buy a bunch of stuff I don't like, did you?"
"No. It should all be things you like."
Propping himself up on his knees, Ning Chu stood up and moved closer with a bright smile, reaching out to take the takeaway box from Wen Yang. But then he suddenly stopped, frowned, and sniffed the air a couple of times.
Wen Yang's expression froze.
Ning Chu stared at him suspiciously, nose twitching as he leaned forward, catching a faint trace of perfume on Wen Yang's sleeve.
"..."
Wen Yang unconsciously retreated two steps until his back hit the door. There was nowhere left to go, yet Ning Chu kept advancing, relentless—like a cat—until his nose was practically brushing Wen Yang's collar.
"Yo~ I was only gone to the bathroom for a bit. Things got this spicy already?"
Zhang Shaoqing came back in from the balcony and walked straight into the scene of Ning Chu pinning Wen Yang against the wall.
"No! He smells really strongly of perfume…" Ning Chu snorted lightly through his nose. "It reeks. Perfume mixed with sweat—disgusting."
"Really?"
"If you don't believe me, come smell it."
"Can it really be that bad?"
Zhang Shaoqing's curiosity was instantly piqued. He trotted over eagerly and joined Ning Chu in wall-pinning Wen Yang.
Blocked at the dorm entrance with nowhere to escape, Wen Yang stood there with Ning Chu on his left and Zhang Shaoqing on his right, his expression growing more and more awkward.
"Damn! That's cheap perfume!" Zhang Shaoqing cursed. "Go take a shower already!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Ning Chu nodded furiously. "It's as bad as the perfume people wear on the bus."
Wang Jie glanced back at the three of them and muttered quietly, "What kind of weird roommates did I end up with…"
"Alright, alright. I'll go shower."
Helpless, Wen Yang walked over to the wardrobe, grabbed some clothes, and got ready to head to the bathroom. Wang Jie looked at the two still discussing the perfume and couldn't suppress his curiosity.
"Hey! Wait a second!"
"What?"
"Let me smell it too!"
"???"
What kind of idiots are you people?!
Wen Yang didn't bother responding. He grabbed his clothes and walked straight out of the dorm.
After Wen Yang left, Ning Chu yawned. Glancing at Black Bean, who was exploring the dorm corner like he'd discovered a new world, he picked up the takeaway box and returned to his desk. He turned on a TV drama and ate lunch while watching.
His brows were tightly knit, and he could barely stomach the food.
All he'd done was let Wen Yang go eat alone in the cafeteria for once—and the guy had already gone around flirting everywhere! Truly incapable of staying put for even a moment!
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Note:
Link for character illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IxOucqi87ss3bmqfO9zI2gYiM1Gy8Hz2