The morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the window.
Zhang Zhaomu opened her eyes, yawned, and then glanced at the bed.
There were no particularly pleasant or welcome scenes.
Chen Zhenzhen wasn't in bed, but there were rustling sounds coming from the bathroom, so she guessed she had already gotten up.
Xiang Qing was still fast asleep, covered by a thin blanket, her long black hair spread out on the pillow. The morning light bathed her face in a golden glow, making her look even more ethereal than usual.
Faced with a Sleeping Beauty of this caliber, only a blind person could resist taking photos.
Anyway, Zhang Zhaomu had already taken out his phone without hesitation and started snapping pictures of the Little Mute. He felt that no matter which angle she was from, she was flawlessly beautiful.
It's the kind of poster you can just pick, add some artistic lettering, and use it directly as a movie poster.
"Tsk tsk." Zhang Zhaomu admired the photo on his phone screen and muttered, "If you didn't know her, just looking at the photo, who would guess she's a crazy idiot with a distorted thought process..."
If this girl were to put on a white ancient-style dress, she could easily become the Xiaolongnü in an ancient tomb without looking out of place.
Wait a minute, besides their appearances, the Little Mute and the Xiaolongnü do actually share some similar traits...
While lost in thought, Zhang Zhaomu was suddenly patted on the shoulder, which startled her.
"Hey, what are you doing!" Zhang Zhaomu complained. "You walk so quietly?"
"Heh." Chen Zhenzhen sneered, "Isn't it possible that it's because you were too focused when you were doing those lewd things?"
"What... what did I do that was perverted about?"
"Who knows? Anyway, standing motionless in front of that Little Mute's bed first thing in the morning, he must be planning something improper, right?" Chen Zhenzhen scoffed, "Too bad you'll be disappointed. When I got up, I made sure to cover the Little Mute with a blanket."
Zhang Zhaomu was immediately enraged.
So that's where the culprit was! No wonder the blankets were still perfectly folded after I slept all night!
Of course, he felt his anger wasn't because he didn't want to see any explicit scenes, but simply because he thought Chen Zhenzhen was being incredibly uncooperative.
It's one thing to not share good stuff with your buddy, but to actually create obstacles? Chen Zhen, I'm very disappointed in you!
He turned around, intending to give the other person a good scolding, but instead saw a tired face with dark circles under its eyes.
"You didn't stay up all night, did you?" Zhang Zhaomu couldn't help but ask.
"I must have slept for a few hours, but the rain stopped at 2:32 a. m.," Chen Zhenzhen said calmly.
"Insomnia? Do you have trouble sleeping in your own bed?" Zhang Zhaomu asked.
Chen Zhenzhen's lips drooped slightly.
I did have insomnia, but not because I couldn't sleep in my new bed. It was because my mind was filled with a jumble of emotions last night, with memories of Zhang Zhaomu playing on repeat.
Of course, this couldn't be said aloud, so she simply hummed in agreement.
Then, changing the subject, she said, "Go wash up quickly, then go downstairs to buy some breakfast. I need to Little Mute up."
"Why don't you take a nap? It's a day off anyway."
"I'm going back to catch up on my sleep." She paused, then added, "I'm a little disgusted with your bed."
Zhang Zhaomu rolled her eyes, deciding not to argue with her since she seemed unwell, and turned to leave the room.
After washing up and buying breakfast, they returned home to find themselves dressed in their original clothes and sitting on the sofa.
"I checked, and although there's still some water outside, it's basically no longer a problem." Zhang Zhaomu sounded a little surprised, "It's only been a few hours, right?"
"If the old town's drainage system can't even handle a yellow alert, our school would have been flooded long ago." Chen Zhenzhen took the breakfast from Zhang Zhaomu: "I'll go back after I eat."
"Hmm." Zhang Zhaomu nodded. " Little Mute, what about you?"
"I just video-called my mom," Xiang Qing replied. "She told me to go back today. She made me some chicken soup yesterday, but she can't finish it all by herself."
At this point, she asked, "Would you like me to pack some over and have a taste? My mom's chicken soup is so delicious!"
"That chicken soup was made with your mother's love. If she knew you shared it with someone else, or even with a boy, she would cry," Chen Zhenzhen said.
"That seems to be true." Xiang Qing thought for a moment, "But Mom shouldn't mind if I share some with you."
"No need to trouble yourself, I might not even be able to finish all the food my mom cooks."
Chen Zhenzhen glanced at Zhang Zhaomu, who was nonchalantly munching on a xiaolongbao, his mouth dripping with oil.
"What are you looking at?" Noticing Chen Zhenzhen's gaze, he raised an eyebrow. "Although these steamed buns don't seem to have much of the owner's love, they're full of delicious meat juice, which I think is more genuine."
Chen Zhenzhen:
9
At these moments, she always admired Zhang Zaowan's mindset.
After breakfast, Zhang Zhaomu escorted the two to the stairwell.
"I had a really fun time last night." Xiang Qing asked with a hint of anticipation, " Zhang Zhaomu, can I come stay at your house again next time?"
"Then we need to work together to figure out a way to persuade Auntie first," Chen Zhenzhen quickly interjected.
She didn't want Xiang Qing to go to Zhang Zhaomu's house alone to stay overnight. Without her supervision, given Zhang Zhaomu's despicable nature and Xiang Qing's peculiar thought process, it was hard to guarantee that something even worse than last night wouldn't happen.
For example, if you feel bad about letting Zhang Zhaomu sleep on the floor, you might as well sleep in the bed together.
Two blankets are too much trouble, so I'll just use one.
So Zhang Zhaomu, you're used to sleeping naked? As a guest, I feel really bad for making you make do. Why don't you sleep however you're comfortable?
Really just rubbing against it?
Chen Zhenzhen dared not think any further.
" Little Mute, didn't you say there were only a few buses going back? We need to hurry or we'll miss the early bus!" She pulled Xiang Qing away.
"Okay, goodbye Zhang Zhaomu!" Xiang Qing turned around and waved. " Zhenzhen, didn't we agree that you'd only call me by my nickname when there are three of us?"
"Okay, Little Mute."
The two figures gradually disappeared into the distance.
Zhang Zhaomu stood there and thought for a moment.
What should I do today?
He used to spend every weekend playing games at internet cafes, but this week he had absolutely no desire to play games.
"Never mind, let's go upstairs and continue studying. The monthly exam is next week, so we need to make the most of every minute."
So I studied like a madman all day long.
The only leisure activity I did was remember that I needed to buy a computer, so I ordered a lot of computer parts online.
Considering that I need to focus on my studies and probably won't play many games, I only need the computer's performance to be able to play videos smoothly. Therefore, I changed my original plan to buy the latest series graphics card and chose a cheaper one instead.
Zhang Zhaomu was in a good mood after unexpectedly saving a large sum of money.
Then it was time for bed.
A faint fragrance lingered on the sheets, but Zhang Zhaomu's mind was devoid of any romantic thoughts, as he was contemplating something more important.
Tomorrow is the start of a new week.
"I wonder what kind of character will emerge."
"I'm not asking for anything like being invincible or immortal, just a normal 'peerless genius' or 'unparalleled good fortune' will do."
"Please don't try to give me any more negative publicity!"
He mentally prayed to every god and Buddha whose name he could think of, and then, thanks to his already regular biological clock, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
It seems like I had a dream, but the details are blurry. I only remember dreaming about Chen Zhen, the Little Mute, and even Duan Chan'er making a cameo appearance.
I don't remember what bizarre and fantastical plot unfolded in the middle, but the only thing I do recall is the ending where the three of them each carried a machete.
They surrounded themselves.
"I arrived first, so I get to make the first cut."
Chen Zhenzhen's sinister smile was right in front of me, followed by the rapidly enlarging blade tip in my pupils.
Zhang Zhaomu was startled awake.
This week, my persona is that of a [ Fitness Expert ].
He was still a little shaken. He sat up, took a deep breath, and that dispelled the nightmare.
"What a weird dream! It must be a side effect of watching a horror movie last night."
Only then can I have the mind to think about the new character design.
" Fitness Expert? That sounds like a very down-to-earth persona."
"But it's alright, at least it's not a negative persona."
"Perfect timing, I really need to work out a bit, otherwise people keep saying I have no muscle at all."
"Since you're a [ Fitness Expert ], you must have a lot of fitness experience, just like your [ Refined ] persona, right?"
Zhang Zhaomu pictured himself after successfully working out and becoming a muscular hunk.
Hmm, having my own face on a body with explosively muscular muscles seems a bit incongruous and disgusting.
So, is it because the head isn't pointed enough?
"Thankfully, the forced loading only lasts for a week, after which I can control the intensity of my workouts."
"I don't think I need to overdo it with training. Just getting eight-pack abs and making Chen Zhen kneel down and beg me to show them to her is enough."
Thinking of that scene, Zhang Zhaomu smiled happily again.
He glanced at the time, thinking to himself, "Besides studying, I'm a bit short on time to complete my exercise plan outside of class. Looks like I'll have to use some of my morning study time. I wonder if Old Chen will be willing to do that for me..."
"Wait! How can I use study time to exercise? As a high school student, studying is the most important thing!"
The " Academic Ace " persona, which was still in development, began to clash with the " Fitness Expert " persona.
Zhang Zhaomu was already very skilled at handling this situation. He simply uninstalled the " Academic Ace " persona and casually put on the " Refined " persona.
As a great contributor who has been with me from the very beginning, the " Refined " persona deserves to remain!
Then, a thought flashed through Zhang Zhaomu's mind, and he remembered something important.
He quickly pulled out his phone and opened the online shopping page.
"Damn it! Am I out of my mind to buy this stupid graphics card?! It probably can't even run Teamfight Tactics properly!"
"The ' Academic Ace ' persona is extremely harmful!"
"Thank goodness it hasn't been shipped yet, I'll cancel it! I absolutely have to cancel it!"
"Buying a computer you don't intend to use for gaming is no different from buying a sea-view property and sealing off all the windows, or making dumplings with meat filling but no meat in them!"