Volume 1 Chapter 168: The Overprotective Partner!

As long as she was beside Wen Yang, she inexplicably felt reassured and safe.

After a sleepless night filled with fear and unease, the moment she saw Wen Yang, the heavy weight in her heart was finally lifted.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" he asked.

"Mm," Ning Chu murmured.

Sitting in a corner of the cafeteria, Ning Chu rested her chin in one hand while lazily stirring a bowl of spicy soup with the other. Her head drooped, her eyes half-closed, and she occasionally let out a yawn.

Wen Yang sat beside her, studying her expression. That anxious and eager look she had shown earlier when they met in the morning was clear to anyone who saw it. He wondered if she had been bullied in the girls' dormitory.

That shouldn't be the case, right? He and Ning Chu had helped Yan Xinya, so it wouldn't make sense for her to repay their kindness with hostility.

"How's life in the girls' dormitory? Are you getting used to it?" he asked.

"Definitely not..." Ning Chu yawned again. "It's much quieter than our dorm, but I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places."

Of course, the nightly conversations in the dorm were... a bit overwhelming. She paused and decided not to mention the private talks between the girls, instead complaining vaguely, "That Lin Li is such a pain! From last night to this morning, she kept targeting me!"

It wasn't exactly slander. Just thinking about that sly fox's smug face calling her "tiny and cute" was enough to make her angry.

"Lin Li..." Wen Yang's expression darkened. "I see."

Ning Chu noticed the change in his face and quickly clarified, "She just talks a lot. It's nothing serious."

But planting a bad impression of Lin Li in Wen Yang's mind wasn't a bad idea—it might stop that flirtatious fox from trying to charm him again. Lin Li's story arc was already complete, and her future behavior was unpredictable.

Plus, it was a good excuse...

Ning Chu carefully crafted her words, lowered her head, and sighed, "I really can't fit in at the girls' dormitory... If I have to stay there for four days, I think I'll go crazy."

"How about..." She looked up at him with a hint of expectation but quickly gave up the idea with another sigh.

Better to endure it. It was just four days, after all.

She couldn't keep relying on Wen Yang. If this continued, she would truly become a delicate little wife who couldn't live without him!

Ning Chu picked up her bowl and drank the rest of the spicy soup in one go. She ended up choking and coughing several times, hastily wiping her mouth with a napkin before standing up.

"Let's go, it's time for class."

As she turned toward the cafeteria exit, her steps faltered, and her gaze fixed on a catgirl, Qiaoqiao, who had just walked in.

Oh no!

For a new female supporting character to show up at this moment was disastrous. Letting Qiaoqiao approach Wen Yang or allowing him to disrupt the storyline both carried major risks.

Having already been punished twice, Ning Chu wasn't sure she could stay rational if it happened again.

For a moment, she didn't know what to do. She watched helplessly as Qiaoqiao approached with an innocent smile, her fists clenched tightly.

"Big brother~"

Wen Yang, who had been clearing the dishes, glanced up at the sweet and sugary voice.

He couldn't help but notice that this catgirl was... really flat.

At twenty-something years old, her figure was as flat as a board. One look and you could tell there wasn't going to be any more "development."

He had absolutely no interest in petite girls with flat, steel-like figures. Unlike Ning Chu, who was also quite slim but still a succubus in her developmental phase—there was at least some hope of nurturing growth.

Wen Yang ignored Qiaoqiao, finished tidying up the dishes, and walked straight to the recycling station.

Seeing this, the tense Ning Chu finally let out a breath of relief.

Yes, just like that! Keep Qiaoqiao hanging!

This way, Qiaoqiao would give up prematurely, ending the co-renting subplot and causing her to face punishment. But at the same time, she wouldn't actually have a chance to seduce Wen Yang either.

Ning Chu quickly jogged to catch up with Wen Yang, only to hear him chuckle, "Your expression earlier—it was frozen stiff."

"I hate her. Don't talk to her in the future."

"Alright, I won't talk to her."

<+>

The classroom was only half full. After barely sleeping the previous night, Ning Chu slumped over the desk as soon as she sat down, her mind falling into a hazy, sleepy state.

Strangely enough, the classroom felt more comfortable for sleeping than the girls' dormitory—at least here, she didn't have to worry about any potential weirdos appearing.

However, after lying there for a while, her arm, pressed under her head, began to feel numb and sore.

Half-opening her eyes, she glanced at Wen Yang's forearm, which was conveniently close by. Without much thought in her drowsy state, she turned her head and used Wen Yang's arm as a pillow instead.

Wen Yang froze for a moment, lowering his gaze to look at her peaceful, contented face.

"You don't mind, do you?" she murmured.

"No, I don't," he replied.

"Then move your arm a bit closer."

It seemed that Ning Chu wasn't as averse to close contact with him as she used to be.

Wen Yang suddenly realized this. In the past, Ning Chu had always kept a deliberate distance from him. On rare occasions, there would be accidental closeness, like whispering secrets or nodding off on his shoulder during a bus ride.

Later, whether it was holding hands or kissing, it had always been against Ning Chu's will.

Now, with her face pressed softly against his arm, he could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted from her, intoxicating him.

It was just her head resting on his arm—nothing more—and yet, his body was reacting intensely.

Feeling guilty, Wen Yang nervously looked around, shifting his position to hide his male thing under the desk.

"Good morning~"

Yan Xinya entered the classroom, brimming with energy. She quickly approached, then lowered her voice when she saw Ning Chu sleeping soundly.

"Asleep?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Wen Yang nodded.

"Perfect~ Sleeping in class while using your boyfriend's arm as a pillow," she teased.

Wen Yang, not used to such jokes, turned beet red and looked away. "Stop talking nonsense," he muttered.

Afraid Ning Chu wasn't fully asleep and might overhear, he solemnly clarified, "She's just borrowing a friend's arm as a pillow. Totally normal."

"Sure, sure~" Yan Xinya smirked and sat down with Lily, sneaking a glance at Ning Chu's face.

"This doesn't make sense," she muttered. "She didn't even use skincare products last night, and she doesn't wear makeup. How is her skin this good?" Turning to Lily, she added, "And you too! Why is that?"

Lily remained silent, flipping through her book with the air of a studious scholar.

"By the way, Xinya," Wen Yang interjected, "from Wednesday night to Sunday, Ning Chu will be staying in your dorm for four days. Please take care of her."

"Got it!" Yan Xinya nodded enthusiastically.

Just then, she noticed Ning Chu's eyelashes flutter slightly. Pausing, she asked eagerly, "How about you don't leave? Aren't you worried Ning Chu might get herself a boyfriend while you're gone?"

"That... seems unlikely, right?"

"Why not? Isn't Ning Chu pretty enough?" Yan Xinya teased. "Look at you! Sure, you're handsome and popular, but when it comes to financial stability, how do you compare to other guys?"

"There are plenty of good-looking and rich guys out there—ah, ow!"

Yan Xinya yelped as she looked down and saw Ning Chu stepping on her toes.

What's with this overprotective maniac?

Despite the pain, Yan Xinya couldn't help but smile, delighted by the drama. She quickly backtracked, "Alright, alright, he's the best—better than anyone else."

Finally, Wen Yang's confidence seemed slightly restored.

Ning Chu, however, huffed and pressed down harder with her foot.

"Alright, alright! My bad!" Yan Xinya winced.