"Forget it. I won't waste any more time here. I'll find a suitable time to come back for the files."
Wu Liang pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke with a headache. After thinking for a moment, he hoisted the unconscious Nan Zhu over his shoulder and headed for the door.
There was no need to linger here any longer. Staying would only give Su Qian more chances to toy with him.
"Senior, I brought your uniform ba—"
Hugging the uniform, Nan Qingshui hurriedly pushed open the door and crashed straight into Wu Liang, who was about to leave.
Her balance gave out, and just as she thought she was about to have an intimate encounter with Mother Earth—
She felt her wrist tighten, and then someone lightly pulled her back upright.
Thud.
A dull impact sounded beside them in the room.
Having lost Wu Liang's support, Nan Zhu fell straight onto the floor with a heavy thud.
His fingers twitched slightly. The pain in his face stirred a faint reaction from the unconscious Nan Zhu.
"Ah... sorry..."
Wu Liang released Nan Qingshui's wrist and awkwardly looked at Nan Zhu, who had fallen to the floor again.
Thankfully, Nan Zhu was unconscious. If he found out Wu Liang had dropped him twice, he would probably fight him to the death.
"Thank you, but why are you and my brother here, Wu Liang?"
Nan Qingshui dipped slightly in thanks, quietly rubbing her wrist.
This guy was seriously strong... Her wrist had just felt like it was trapped in an iron shackle, impossible to move...
Still, if Wu Liang had not pulled her back, she would have made a real fool of herself.
"Qingshui, did you bring my uniform?"
Su Qian sat on the bench and waved at Nan Qingshui.
So the boy Wu Liang had knocked unconscious was Qingshui's brother. No wonder she had thought he looked somewhat familiar earlier.
"Ah, President, I brought it. Your previous uniform has already been sent to be washed."
Nan Qingshui hurriedly answered while holding the clothes, but she froze when she saw Su Qian wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
Su Qian sat leisurely on the bench with one leg crossed over the other, exposing large stretches of flawless pale skin.
"President! What are you doing?!"
Nan Qingshui spoke in dissatisfaction when she saw Su Qian acting so lazy and casual.
It was one thing for President Su Qian to dress like this around her, since they were both women, but there was a grown man standing here now.
"Mm... Did someone just call me...?"
Still dazed from the fall, Nan Zhu covered his cheek and sat up from the floor.
Ugh... My face hurts... What just happened...? Why am I lying on the floor...?
"Qingshui?"
Nan Zhu looked up at Nan Qingshui standing beside him and asked in confusion.
He seemed to have gone to the student council with Wu Liang earlier, and then...
"Don't look at what you shouldn't!"
Nan Qingshui's expression immediately darkened when she saw her brother suddenly wake up. Her elbow slammed solidly into Nan Zhu's face.
"Impressive..."
Wu Liang watched Nan Zhu pass out for the third time, the corner of his eye twitching.
Was this the treatment male protagonists received...? It was a little different from what he had imagined...
Wu Liang's Melancholy
When Nan Zhu woke up again, he was already slumped over his desk.
"Hiss..."
The pain in the back of his neck and face made him suck in a cold breath.
Nan Zhu clutched his aching nose bridge and looked around, only to find that he was the only person left in the classroom.
"Wasn't I in the student council earlier?"
Nan Zhu rubbed his forehead and muttered in confusion. Hadn't he gone to the Student Council Room with Wu Liang earlier?
Why could he not remember anything that happened afterward? The only thing he remembered was seeing Qingshui later.
Then everything went black, and he passed out. Had he fainted? Why?
"You're finally awake. I thought you'd sleep until school was over."
Wu Liang walked in through the door carrying a cup of hot tea.
When he saw that Nan Zhu had awakened, the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
That girl Nan Qingshui's elbow strike might have been even stronger than his. As expected of Nan Zhu's biological sister—she was truly ruthless toward her own brother.
"Wu Liang? Why am I lying at my desk?"
"Weren't we at the student council earlier? It seemed like we were looking for something..."
Nan Zhu awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He had forgotten nearly everything that had happened before.
And he did not know whether it was just his imagination, but he suddenly felt that Wu Liang was much gentler toward him now.
Wu Liang had clearly been indifferent toward him not long ago, so why did he suddenly seem so much more approachable now?
"Have some tea. You just... well... You were hit by a flowerpot..."
Wu Liang handed the hot tea to Nan Zhu, turning his head aside with some embarrassment.
If he had not knocked Nan Zhu unconscious with one palm earlier, Nan Zhu would not have suffered so much afterward.
Feeling guilty, Wu Liang had personally brewed Nan Zhu a cup of tea, hoping to make up for his mistake.
"Hit... hit by a flowerpot?"
Upon hearing this, Nan Zhu hurriedly touched the back of his head. He had only been unconscious for a while after getting hit by a flowerpot?
His skull really was tough. If it had been an ordinary person, they probably would have been bleeding by now.
But getting hit by a flowerpot seemed a little too much... He did not remember there being a flowerpot behind him...
"It was just a flowerpot hitting your head. It's nothing serious."
"Try the tea I made. It should taste pretty good."
Wu Liang gave an awkward smile when he saw Nan Zhu's huge reaction.
He hurriedly drew Nan Zhu's attention to the hot tea placed beside his hand.
He did not want Nan Zhu to keep dwelling on this, much less find out that Wu Liang had actually knocked him unconscious.
"Wu Liang, you actually know how to make tea...?"
Nan Zhu looked at Wu Liang in surprise. Qingshui had said Wu Liang was a wealthy young master. Did a young master like him know how to brew tea too?
"Yeah. When I used to stay home alone, I'd occasionally make some for fun."
Wu Liang recalled the days when he used to stay home alone and work as a streamer.
Back then, he had really been quite the shut-in. Brewing tea had been his only hobby.
He would not dare boast about his other skills, but when it came to making tea, he was very confident.
"Wu Liang, you were a shut-in?"
Nan Zhu took a sip of the hot tea. Its refreshing fragrance instantly filled his mouth, and its clean, light taste made him feel completely relaxed.
Delicious. That was Nan Zhu's first thought. He was not actually someone who enjoyed drinking tea.
But the tea Wu Liang had brewed left him wanting more. He even wanted another cup.
"I used to be."
Wu Liang spoke faintly, unable to stop himself from recalling his former self in his previous world.
He truly had been a stay-at-home shut-in before, though he had also been a computer expert.
He had lived in the virtual network, seeking a sense of reality in a virtual world.
Wu Liang had once fantasized about being transported to another world and accomplishing great things afterward.
But when he had truly arrived in this game world, he discovered that it was nowhere near as simple as he had imagined.
Whether it was interpersonal relationships or the way he handled things.
The dazzling array of maids around him, the countless assets under his name, or the flawless female leads he would soon encounter.
Everything showed that he had gone from being a hopeless shut-in to someone living a fulfilling real life, yet Wu Liang now felt that his former self in the virtual world had lived more fully.
"Wu Liang?"
Nan Zhu softly called Wu Liang's name. The atmosphere around him had changed.
That oppressive feeling made it hard for Nan Zhu to breathe. The heaviness surrounding Wu Liang especially caught his attention.
"Hm? I was distracted. Get some rest first. I should be heading back soon too."
Coming back to himself, Wu Liang realized he had lost his composure earlier.
Sigh, getting older really did make people nostalgic. When would he finally get rid of that habit?
There was no point missing the past now anyway. He had no idea how to leave this world.
The only thing he could do now was fully integrate into this world and become a part of it.
But honestly, if he were to live in this world forever, it did not seem all that bad.
The wealth he possessed in this world was enough to last several lifetimes.
As long as he avoided the death ending, what else did he have to worry about?
"The only regret is Uncle and Auntie over there..."
Wu Liang turned and left Nan Zhu's side, speaking in a low voice.
The people he had let down most were probably the uncle and auntie who had adopted him, as well as the little sister who liked to cling to him every day.
If only he could apologize to them in person... Life really was always full of regrets...
"Wu Liang..."
Nan Zhu blankly watched Wu Liang gradually leave the classroom.
He wanted to catch up and ask him something, but when he saw that lonely back, he hesitated.
It felt as though they were people from entirely different worlds. Right now, he still could not reach him...
I Really Can't Think of a Chapter Title
'Rooftop'
When Wu Liang arrived at the rooftop with a cigarette pinched between his fingers, he saw a familiar figure leaning against the railing and gazing into the distance.
Not particularly surprised, Wu Liang walked over to her, casually holding the cigarette out in front of her.
"Oh? Didn't you have something to do? Didn't you say you weren't coming here anymore?"
Ning Shuang, who had been lost in thought, was startled by Wu Liang's appearance. As if by reflex, she raised a hand to cover her cheek, trying to hide something.
But when her fingers touched the fox mask on her face, Ning Shuang remembered that she had already put it on beforehand and could not help letting out a long breath.
"I finished what I had to do. I just got played by someone."
Wu Liang ignored Ning Shuang's panicked reaction and merely raised his hand, signaling for her to take one.
Before you continue