TITCFRIBN 16
Chapter 16
This was actually a good idea. Bai Qing’s unique constitution tended to attract all kinds of creeps, and if he could learn some self-defense, it would ease An Cheng's burden a little.
An Cheng already had a plan in mind, but he asked casually, "Why do you want to learn?"
Most of Bai Qing’s attention was still focused on An Cheng’s chin as he spoke, revealing his true thoughts.
"I just feel like things like this will keep happening," Bai Qing said, his eyelids lightly meeting as he blinked. "I think it's necessary."
An Cheng nodded, acknowledging the point. In a way, Bai Qing was quite perceptive.
After finishing with the ointment, excitement and joy flickered at the corners of Bai Qing’s eyes. "So, does that mean you’re agreeing, Cheng-ge?"
An Cheng simply replied, "I'll think about it."
An Cheng had developed his fighting skills on the battlefield, so he had no idea how to teach anyone. He decided that it would be best to find a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) coach for Bai Qing instead.
Wang Qimeng had just finished a game, and the sound of leveling up was music to his ears. He turned around to greet his roommates but was surprised to see An Cheng and Bai Qing sitting close together.
A bit puzzled, he asked, "What are you two doing?"
The emotions that had been swirling in Bai Qing's head instantly dissipated like a receding tide. He glanced at the ointment and then at Wang Qimeng, quickly standing up and pulling his chair back.
"I-I was just applying ointment to Cheng-ge," Bai Qing stammered.
Wang Qimeng raised an eyebrow, "Did you get hit in the face by a basketball?"
An Cheng responded bluntly, "We got into a fight."
Wang Qimeng’s eyes widened in surprise, but before he could react, Bai Qing explained, "It was just a minor dispute, nothing serious."
Wang Qimeng nodded in understanding as the sound of his gaming buddies calling for him came through his speakers. He put on his headphones and said to Bai Qing, "Hey, Bai-ge, let me know when you're done so I can take a break."
Bai Qing lowered his head and nodded.
An Cheng’s phone buzzed twice. He opened it to see a message from Zille.
Zille: Next time, I'll find better people for this kind of thing. It won’t happen again.
An Cheng: Hmm.
Zille: Will it kill you to say a few more words?
An Cheng ignored him and started looking for a change of clothes. It wasn’t until he headed to the bathroom that he remembered he still had ointment on his face. He hadn’t realized it earlier, which is why Bai Qing had rushed to apply the medicine, forgetting that he’d need to reapply it after his shower.
Now that he thought about it, it was strange how Bai Qing always seemed to have ointment for bruises on hand.
An Cheng approached Bai Qing. "Bai Qing."
Bai Qing looked up, his clear eyes staring at An Cheng, the light reflecting off his gaze, making him appear a bit dazed.
"What is it, Cheng-ge?" Bai Qing asked.
"I'm about to shower. Can I borrow the ointment again afterward?" An Cheng asked.
This time, Bai Qing didn’t insist on helping apply the ointment. His gaze wandered slightly. "Okay, I'll leave it on your desk later."
That night, they both slept soundly.
Saturday.
It was rare not to have military training, so An Cheng stayed in bed until 11 a.m. When he finally felt hungry and got up, he noticed that Bai Qing was still jotting down notes, just like he had the night before.
Wang Qimeng was still asleep, of course—he was a night owl who never woke before noon, given that he stayed up playing games until after 2 a.m.
After freshening up, An Cheng combed his wet hair back, his features appearing sharp and defined in the dimly lit room. Leaning against the ladder of his bed, he asked, "What are you working on?"
An Cheng didn’t consider himself controlling, but Bai Qing’s safety was important, so it was only natural to ask. After all, it was just friendly concern.
Bai Qing looked up and, without hiding anything, held up his notebook so An Cheng could see. "Cheng-ge, I’m looking for part-time tutoring jobs. These are the ones I found that seem suitable. Can you take a look?"
The handwriting was neat and elegant, listing information on seven or eight students.
Bai Qing had always been thorough in his approach. Even when looking for a tutoring job, he made sure to compare options.
An Cheng skimmed the list, pausing on a name that seemed familiar, as it had appeared in the novel. Though it wasn’t mentioned much, An Cheng recognized it.
Taking the notebook, An Cheng asked calmly, "Any specific ones you want to try?"
Bai Qing nodded, "There are two I’m interested in. Look at the top left, Fan Weihe. His parents have hired tutors before, but he chased them all away. Because of that, they’re offering a high rate—300 yuan an hour."
Bai Qing had clearly done his homework. "The other one is Lin Huanhuan, a middle schooler with poor grades who’s more interested in novels than paying attention in class. Her parents are looking for a tutor who can spark her interest in learning. The rate is a bit lower—270 yuan an hour."
An Cheng asked, "You want to go with Fan Weihe?"
He guessed this because, in the novel, Bai Qing had indeed taken that job. Fan Weihe, who was usually rebellious, let Bai Qing stay because he had ulterior motives.
By the second tutoring session, Fan Weihe had slipped several sleeping pills into a glass of milk he gave Bai Qing.
An Cheng mentally scoffed at the author for always writing such drugged scenarios.
Author's note: What? I didn’t know!
"Yeah," Bai Qing admitted. "Lin Huanhuan is a girl, and that might make things awkward."
He also wasn’t sure how to get her interested in studying; his main motivation for considering the job was the higher pay.
Half of An Cheng's face was hidden in the shadows. "Let me think about it."
Bai Qing agreed.
An Cheng stepped out onto the balcony.
"007, look into Lin Huanhuan’s background."
007 stretched lazily, tapping the air with a tiny paw. A set of information appeared in the air.
Her parents were both key employees at a state-owned enterprise, generally kind and decent people. Her father, in particular, was very much a straight-laced guy.
An Cheng double-checked with 007 to make sure her father wouldn’t suddenly "bend" upon meeting Bai Qing.
As for Lin Huanhuan’s interests... well, she liked reading boys’ love novels. Aside from that, she enjoyed watching videos of handsome men and collecting fan art of anime characters, way ahead of her time.
An Cheng sighed to himself and returned to the dorm room.
"Go with Lin Huanhuan," An Cheng said to Bai Qing.
He was sure that Lin Huanhuan would be motivated to study the moment she saw that her tutor was Bai Qing.
"But what if she gets uncomfortable since she’s a girl?" Bai Qing asked, still unsure.
"Just tell her you’re gay," An Cheng replied.
A girl who loved boys’ love stories would probably treat Bai Qing like her bestie—closer than a sister, even.
Bai Qing thought about it and agreed. "Alright, I’ll try teaching her tomorrow."
Bai Qing went to give his trial lesson on Sunday morning, and by the afternoon, he had already received good news.
Bai Qing’s tutoring session with Lin Huanhuan had gone unexpectedly well. Her parents were amazed at how serious their daughter was about her studies, having finished two math papers and one physics paper in one day. Since the results exceeded their expectations, they offered to raise Bai Qing’s rate to 300 yuan an hour. To show their appreciation, they even paid him for the trial lesson right away, generously.
Wang Qimeng, who knew a bit about the situation, was curious about how Bai Qing had managed such a feat. An Cheng, who was also interested, perked up his ears to listen in on the conversation. But Bai Qing dodged the question with a vague excuse, too embarrassed to reveal the truth.
In reality, Bai Qing had promised Lin Huanhuan that for every academic goal she completed, he would share stories about his "boyfriend" and their relationship. The only problem was... Bai Qing didn’t have a boyfriend!
That afternoon, at 2 p.m., Li Yu sent a message in the class group chat, announcing that there would be a second class meeting that evening. This time, they would elect the class president, the youth league secretary, and other class officers. Students interested in running were encouraged to prepare, whether by making a presentation or showing off some special skills to win votes.
To get everyone excited, Li Yu added: "Our class is full of talented people, so tonight’s competition is sure to be fierce."
An Cheng glanced at the message briefly before dismissing the idea, just like how he’d declined joining the music club. He had no interest in running for class president. Instead, he was more curious about Bai Qing’s thoughts. If he remembered correctly, winning the Financial Academy’s "Three Good Student" award could add points toward graduate school recommendations. And it was hard to deny that the award was often won by students with good popularity and visibility, as it was determined by internal voting.
Running for class office could be a good step for Bai Qing.
Bai Qing brought up the topic himself. "Cheng-ge, are you thinking about running for anything?"
An Cheng didn’t hesitate, but he slowed his head-shake slightly to maintain his cool image.
"Alright," Bai Qing said, draping his arm over the back of his chair, his face showing some hesitation. "I kind of want to try, but I might be too busy. I won’t have time."
An Cheng offered some well-timed encouragement: "How will you know unless you try?"
Bai Qing smiled, his eyebrows lifting. "Okay, then I’ll give it a shot."
Wang Qimeng, who had been intensely focused on his computer, heard the conversation but was too engrossed in what he was doing to fully participate. He only managed a half-hearted, "Yeah! Try it! Try it!"
An Cheng couldn’t help but wonder what Wang Qimeng was up to.
That question was answered that evening when Wang Qimeng suddenly took the stage. "I’m running for the cultural and sports committee member."
Wang Qimeng started his speech with, "Everyone thinks culture is about reading, and sports are just running, right? Wrong! That’s too narrow. I believe that e-sports is a sport, and figuring out how to win games is a science. Let me show you my record."
He proceeded to display a slideshow, filled with his glorious triple and quad kills, along with his impressive damage output.
He finished by saying, "Vote for me, and I’ll bring a new perspective to our cultural and sports lives."
An Cheng watched Wang Qimeng transform into a different person when talking about video games, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Qimeng, if you continue like this, will I be the only one left as the quiet, background guy?
After Wang Qimeng’s presentation, Bai Qing took the stage. "Hello, everyone. I’m Bai Qing, and I’d like to run for class president."
An Cheng wasn’t worried about Bai Qing’s chances. Among the male students, Bai Qing had already built up a strong following thanks to their time in the same military training squad. As for the female students, well… An Cheng glanced at Bai Qing’s good looks and sunny demeanor. He didn’t need to worry about them, either.
An Cheng leaned back, relaxed, as Bai Qing spoke. His tone was calm and measured, with a rhythm that drew people in. He almost sounded like a professional host, and it was easy to get lost in his words.
Suddenly, a girl sitting in front of An Cheng turned around and politely asked, "Hi, could I add you on social media?"
An Cheng was momentarily stunned. They were in the same class, so it wouldn’t be right to refuse. Besides, he was always a bit more polite when dealing with girls.
He handed over his QR code. At the same time, the clear and pleasant voice on stage faltered for just a second before resuming with a hint of something unsettled.
After Bai Qing’s presentation, he returned to his seat. An Cheng, busy noting down the girl’s name, took a moment to offer some encouragement. "Good job."
Bai Qing smiled faintly. "Thanks, Cheng-ge."
Bai Qing rested his chin in his hand as he absentmindedly watched the other students give their campaign speeches. His mind wasn’t really on the elections anymore, though. Every time he zoned out, a slight sense of discomfort welled up inside him.
He didn’t like the feeling.
A few seats in front of Bai Qing, two male students weren’t paying attention to the stage. Instead, they were watching a live stream with their headphones on. The screen flashed images of several glamorous female streamers before stopping on one in particular. The boys began whispering to each other.
"This girl’s really cute."
"Yeah, but she’s dressed super hot and shaking her hips. Such a contrast."
"Right? I love it."
Their voices were low enough that no one else could hear, but their movements caught Bai Qing’s attention. His gaze landed on the phone screen, and his expression froze. A moment later, it shifted to something bordering on disbelief and anger.
An Cheng immediately sensed the shift in Bai Qing’s mood and followed his line of sight, confused.
Why would Bai Qing be upset over some guys watching a streamer? It’s not great, but it’s nothing to get mad about.
"007, what’s going on with Bai Qing?" An Cheng asked.
The little cat, lazily grooming itself, replied nonchalantly, "Sorry, host, I can’t read the minds of characters in this world."
It yawned and added, "But maybe that 'cute' streamer is his sister?"
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Who is Zille?
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