After being caught in a private conversation with Lily, Ning Chu had no idea how to face Wen Yang.
Now, everything has changed.
The overwhelming embarrassment had completely transformed into frustration. When they met, she'd first glare, then roll her eyes—Wen Yang wasn't going to get a good look from her.
On the other hand, Wen Yang was beaming with joy. What started as a curious test unexpectedly led to their first hand-holding moment.
He felt like he had hit the jackpot.
During the next tutoring session and even on their way back to school that evening, Wen Yang's face was filled with a satisfied and cheerful smile. Ning Chu, meanwhile, looked utterly defeated by life.
At 7:30 PM, after eating in the cafeteria, the two of them opened the dormitory door.
Inside, Wang Jie and Zhang Shaoqing were already back and playing a game together, their sugary banter filling the room.
The dormitory was always quiet and peaceful over the weekend, so this sudden noise was a bit hard for Ning Chu to adjust to.
Hearing the door open, Zhang Shaoqing turned and asked, "Where did you two go on a date?"
"I was giving a tutoring session. Ning Chu tagged along because she was bored."
"Really?" He looked at Wen Yang's smiling face. "Then why are you grinning so creepily?"
Wen Yang immediately straightened his face. "What, can't I be happy about earning money?"
By this point, Ning Chu had already walked over to Wang Jie and was watching his game. She quietly asked, "How's it going with your girlfriend?"
"Huh? Pretty good."
"No problems, right?"
"What kind of problems?"
Ning Chu breathed a sigh of relief. This weekend, her biggest worry was that Wang Jie might end up heartbroken, but things seemed optimistic.
Clearly, the outfit she helped him put together played a big role!
She mentally gave herself credit for a job well done and then contentedly walked over to her desk.
Now that her roommates were all back, if something disrupted the plot and she ended up visibly aroused in front of them…
The result would either be permanent social death or being dragged into their game session.
Ning Chu thought that if such a scenario did happen, she might as well just jump off the balcony and hit the restart button on life.
Even if something did trigger, it had to be resolved in bed!
Or in some other secluded spot. If worse came to worst, she might endure punishment in front of Wen Yang again, but there was absolutely no way she'd allow herself to lose control in front of the whole dorm.
Returning to her computer, Ning Chu rested her chin on one hand, staring blankly at the screen.
Tonight, when she showered, she'd probably need to study the new accessories...
It was frustrating.
She knew this was the first step toward falling down the rabbit hole.
"Wen Yang! Ning Chu! Wang Jie! Come over here!"
Zhang Shaoqing, who had just finished his game, suddenly shouted to gather everyone. "I've got something amazing to show you!"
The others glanced at him but continued with their own activities.
"Hey! At least pay attention to me! It's seriously a treasure!"
"…"
Ning Chu yawned and stood up to get her change of clothes.
"Ning Chu! Ning Chu!"
Zhang Shaoqing waved at her mysteriously. "Come take a look!"
"Stop being dramatic..."
"I'm serious! I found this treasure at my grandpa's place!"
This stirred a bit of curiosity in Ning Chu. She turned back to look at Zhang Shaoqing, who was grinning smugly, her brows slightly furrowed.
What kind of mischief was this guy up to?
"Come closer." Zhang Shaoqing held his right hand behind his back and gestured toward Ning Chu with his left.
Something about him seemed... off.
Could it be that Zhang Shaoqing had some hidden plotline?
But the antagonist's storylines were supposed to unfold only after their "darkening." How could this now-redeemed Zhang Shaoqing still be tied to any plot twists?
Hesitating, Ning Chu took a step forward, only to see Zhang Shaoqing suddenly whip out a small spray bottle and spritz her face.
"!!!"
What the hell?! No way!
Before she could even react, let alone scream, Ning Chu felt her mind go foggy. The next moment, she was trapped in a state akin to sleep paralysis—conscious but unable to move a single muscle.
This was... the antagonist's hypnotic spray plotline!
In the original book, the antagonist used this little spray bottle to harm countless girls!
Her heart sank. No matter how much she planned, she hadn't expected Zhang Shaoqing, who was supposedly redeemed, to use this on her.
"See? Didn't I say this is a treasure?" Zhang Shaoqing smirked, crossing one leg over the other. "Come on, call me 'daddy.'"
"Daddy."
Ning Chu stood there blankly, blurting out the word.
Wen Yang turned around in shock, while Wang Jie looked utterly baffled, not understanding what was happening.
"What's wrong with Ning Chu?"
"He's been hypnotized! Now, you can make him do anything, like..."
Zhang Shaoqing's grin grew even more lecherous. Wen Yang froze for a moment before striding over to him.
"...like having Ning Chu join us for some ranked games!"
Wen Yang stopped mid-step, then casually leaned against the wardrobe door, as if nothing had happened.
"Damn it! He's always dragging us down in games! Laughing when teammates get caught, jungling when told to gank, splitting lanes during team fights, spacing out when asked to ward! Winning is impossible with him!"
"Ning Chu! Log in! And listen to my commands during the entire game!"
"..."
Ning Chu blankly walked over to her computer and opened the game. Zhang Shaoqing waved the others over. "Log in already! What are you standing around for?"
"Are there any side effects? He'll really just do whatever you tell him?" Wen Yang asked, standing next to Zhang Shaoqing, his brows furrowed and face tense. "How do you wake him up?"
"He'll wake up on his own in three to five minutes. It's no big deal."
Wen Yang wasn't sure if it was his own dirty mind or if Zhang Shaoqing's thinking was just that innocent, but gaming wasn't the first use that came to his mind.
Oh, right—Zhang Shaoqing didn't know Ning Chu was a girl. That explained it...
Wang Jie mumbled from the side, "This thing's dangerous, though. What if some pervert got their hands on it?"
"Do I look like a pervert?" Zhang Shaoqing pointed to his face.
One glance at the still-hypnotized Ning Chu, and both Wen Yang and Wang Jie simultaneously nodded.
"Damn it! Can't people trust each other a little more?"
As they argued, Ning Chu suddenly felt herself waking up from her daze.
It was as if her soul had returned to her body. She regained control of herself, but in the next instant, fear and dread washed over her. Her back was soaked in cold sweat.
What if Zhang Shaoqing had tried to do something to her…
What if his prank had gone too far...
Her face turned pale with fright. She looked back at Zhang Shaoqing in alarm, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
In this situation... The dorm wasn't safe anymore!
This time, it was a prank. But what if Zhang Shaoqing tried something else next time?
She stood up, intending to flee, but in her panic, she knocked over her chair, drawing the others' attention.
Seeing her tearful, pale face, clearly terrified, Wen Yang placed a firm hand on Zhang Shaoqing's shoulder. "That was too much."
"Wait... I didn't mean—"
"Apologize," Wang Jie chimed in. "That really went too far."
Seeing Ning Chu on the verge of tears, Zhang Shaoqing started to feel guilty. He scratched his head awkwardly and avoided meeting their gazes. "It was just a joke... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
When he didn't get a response, he noticed Ning Chu's wary eyes fixed on the spray bottle in his hand.
"You want it? Fine, spray me too." With a cheeky grin, he tossed the hypnotic spray to her. "Then we're even."
Ning Chu froze, fumbling to catch the little bottle. She looked up at him in disbelief.
What? The antagonist's tool was now in her hands?
Could it be... she was the real antagonist?