But then again, Su Chen... didn't seem to have any reason to lie to her about something like that.
Looking at Wang Dong's little face, full of shock, deep suspicion, and indignation, Su Chen suddenly smiled and asked, "Ever considered that maybe it's not that I'm too strong..."
He paused, and under Wang Dong's expectant gaze, leisurely finished the sentence: "...but that you're too weak?"
Wang Dong: "..."
Silence was tonight's Cambridge.
Wang Dong felt her blood pressure shoot up in an instant. Her fists clenched tighter and tighter. She stared at Su Chen's flawlessly handsome face, silently screaming inside:
You're obviously so handsome! That face is practically heaven's most perfect masterpiece! And you've got such a unique air about you!
But that mouth of yours... Could you stop saying such brutally honest things that hurt people? If you said a little less, you'd be a perfect, incredibly popular boy!
After all, honestly speaking, if she set aside his awful personality and sharp tongue, Su Chen had actually made a very favorable first impression on her.
He was the first boy her age she had ever met who made her feel even a little "threatened" by his looks.
But that mouth of his... It was so infuriating! Every sentence hit her right in the lungs!
"Grrr..." Her stomach protested again, interrupting Wang Dong's furious inner tirade. She decided to ignore this annoying jerk for now. Filling her stomach was what mattered; she needed to keep her strength up so she could get her revenge someday!
She stopped paying Su Chen any attention, marched over to the desk in a huff, picked up the meal that had already gone lukewarm, and began wolfing it down without a care for her manners. It actually tasted pretty good. Shrek's cafeteria was still up to par.
After she finished eating, Wang Dong crumpled up the bag and tossed it in the trash. Then she stood up at once, not even glancing at Su Chen, and headed straight back to her bed. She kicked off her shoes, lifted the covers, and flopped down in a huff, pulling the blanket over her head.
She decided that if she spoke to Su Chen first even once more today, she'd be a puppy!
"Going to bed this early?" Su Chen's voice came from across the room, tinged with curiosity.
"..." Wang Dong held her breath under the covers, staying silent and pretending she was already asleep.
Su Chen didn't seem inclined to leave her alone. He continued, "By the way, didn't you swear you'd beat me? What happened? It's only been a day, and you've already given up? Planning to lie down and admit defeat?"
"..." Wang Dong nearly sprang out of bed, but in the end she forced herself to hold back, biting down hard on the edge of the blanket. Don't fall for it! Don't answer him! He's doing it on purpose!
From the outside, the tightly bundled blanket was trembling ever so slightly at an astonishing frequency, showing just how vexed and aggrieved its owner was.
Ah!!! How could there be such an annoying, boring, childish, sharp-tongued boy?!
What on earth had she, Wang Dong, done in her past life to deserve this? Or how much money had she borrowed from this guy and never paid back? How else could she have ended up with such a "gem" of a roommate in this life!
What a run of rotten luck!!!
Su Chen watched the quivering "blanket mountain," radiating resentment, and finally couldn't help chuckling. He shook his head, stopped teasing her, and sat back down cross-legged, closing his eyes to continue his cultivation.
The third day, early morning.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and Dormitory 108 was still quiet. Wang Dong woke groggily from her sleep, her pink-and-blue hair spread across the pillow like unrolled silk. She rubbed her bleary eyes and instinctively looked toward the bed across from hers.
Su Chen was already sitting there, back straight and eyes half-closed. A faint golden glow, almost impossible to see, swirled around him. He had clearly been cultivating for quite some time. Morning light slipped through a gap in the curtains and fell across his sharply defined profile, tracing his focused, tranquil features.
Wang Dong stared for a few seconds, then couldn't help grumbling inwardly: Does this guy... really not need to sleep? Every time I wake up, he's cultivating... What a freak.
But after spending the past two days with him, she had more or less gotten used to Su Chen's almost self-torturous cultivation schedule. She still found it unbelievable, though—he didn't look much older than her, so how did he have that kind of discipline?
"Hey," Wang Dong cleared her throat, her voice still hoarse from sleep. "Su Chen, classes officially start today. Are you going to keep sitting here and cultivating? Aren't you going to get breakfast? Don't be late."
At Wang Dong's voice, Su Chen slowly opened his eyes. A golden glint flashed through them and vanished. He looked at her calmly. "I know."
Though the two of them had gotten into several big and small "disagreements" over the past two or three days—over dormitory rules, everyday matters, and verbal sparring—for some reason, this combative way of getting along had instead formed a rather peculiar, delicate bond between them, somewhere between "frenemies" and "friends."
At the very least, Wang Dong could talk to Su Chen naturally now—though it was usually to complain or provoke him.
Su Chen stood up and quickly washed up. His movements were brisk, and he was ready in no time, dressed in his new white freshman uniform. The simple outfit made him look particularly upright and fresh.
"Going to eat?" Su Chen asked casually, looking at Wang Dong, who was still taking her time. "Together?"
"Sure." Wang Dong nodded and hurried up a little. She quickly washed up too, put on her uniform, tidied her short pink-and-blue hair, and followed behind Su Chen.
The two walked out of the dormitory building, one after the other. The morning air was cool but fresh. Quite a few freshmen were already heading toward the cafeteria, and they still cast all sorts of looks at the strikingly attractive pair of Su Chen and Wang Dong.
Su Chen had long since grown used to it and didn't look around. Wang Dong lifted her chin slightly, wearing her habitual air of pride as she took the attention in stride—though if any of those looks carried the same meaning as the other day's, "He's the one who got taken down in one move," she immediately glared back.
They soon reached the freshman cafeteria. The entrance was still crowded, and delicious aromas filled the air.
Su Chen naturally started to walk inside, but suddenly stopped. He realized Wang Dong hadn't followed him. Instead, she had stopped beside the bulletin board at the cafeteria entrance, tilted her little face up, and was staring at a notice, deep in thought, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
Su Chen walked back, puzzled.
Wang Dong pointed at the notice with her pale finger, then turned to look at Su Chen, her pink-and-blue eyes full of confusion. "It says right here in black and white that food isn't allowed to be taken out of the cafeteria... How did you bring my meal back yesterday?"
She remembered clearly that when she woke up yesterday evening, the meal Su Chen had brought her was packed up.
Su Chen followed the direction of her finger and glanced at the notice. There wasn't a trace of nerves or embarrassment on his face at being "caught." Instead, he looked perfectly calm, as though it was only natural to wonder why she'd even ask.
"Oh, that?" Su Chen said flatly, almost offhandedly. "You just don't have to pay attention to it."
Before you continue