Unknowingly, the sky had already turned completely dark.
The folding table was a mess, with most of the hot pot ingredients devoured by Wen Yang and Yan Xinya.
Ning Chu, having a small appetite, didn't eat much. She took a sip of cola and suddenly asked, "What time is it?"
Originally, she planned to keep the two girls around until late at night—past ten o'clock at least. By then, both she and Wen Yang would be too sleepy to stay up, and they could just fall asleep without worrying about anything happening between them.
But now, things are different.
Who knew if Lily, the succubus, would pull some tricks? After all, she had just experienced a sudden increase in arousal, and her body was bound to be sensitive, not to mention her mind was probably full of inappropriate thoughts.
"It's seven o'clock," Yan Xinya glanced at the time and casually replied.
"That's pretty late~"
The wolf girl leaned her arms on her thighs, engrossed in the movie. "Not really, it's only seven."
"..."
Ning Chu was speechless. Yan Xinya had such high emotional intelligence when it came to setting her up with Wen Yang, so why was she acting so clueless now?
After a moment of silence, Ning Chu got up and said, "I'll go wash the pot so you guys can take it later."
"Take it?"
What? Were they planning to stay overnight in the boys' dorm?
Just as she picked up the pot, she looked at Yan Xinya with a questioning gaze.
"Why don't we just stay over!" The wolf girl grinned teasingly. "You and Wen Yang can sleep together, and Lily and I will take your bed~"
So that was their sneaky plan!
Ning Chu's fair face turned a little pink. She glared at the wolf girl fiercely and decided to be straightforward: "Get out, now!"
She had invited Yan Xinya and Lily to avoid anything inappropriate from happening between her and Wen Yang—not to be coaxed into sleeping with him!
That would be way too dangerous!
"No way! The movie isn't over yet!"
"Out, out, out!"
She turned to Wen Yang, only to see his face full of anticipation, which made her even more embarrassed and annoyed.
Carrying the pot, Ning Chu walked to the balcony. As soon as she placed it in the washing sink, she glanced at the pitch-black balcony outside. Images from horror movies flashed through her mind, making her shiver. In a panic, she rushed back inside and turned on the balcony lights.
With the bright fluorescent light illuminating most of the corners outside, she finally felt at ease and returned to the balcony to wash the pot.
There was no dishwashing liquid in the dorm, so she could only rinse it with water and make it look clean enough.
Before long, Ning Chu returned to the dorm room. "It's clean. You guys should go now."
"But I haven't finished watching the horror movie!"
"Watch my foot! Move, I need to clean up the table."
She busied herself wiping the leftovers from the table into the trash bin. Looking up at the movie progress bar, she realized there wasn't much time left.
Just enough for a shower.
If she were alone with Wen Yang, she might hesitate about showering, but with others around, there was no way that shy virgin boy would have the guts to do anything inappropriate.
The only thing she needed to worry about was Yan Xinya possibly egging Wen Yang on...
"Wen Yang, sweep the floor," Ning Chu instructed before grabbing her change of clothes and rushing into the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of running water filled the dorm. Yan Xinya's wolf ears twitched as she teasingly looked at Wen Yang, who was sweeping the floor.
"Ning Chu is taking a shower~"
"I know."
"She's completely naked, you know~"
"..."
Wen Yang sighed helplessly. "I'm not that kind of person."
"So lame." Seeing that her teasing failed, Yan Xinya pouted but quickly regained her excitement, her eyes shining as she looked at Wen Yang. "Tell me! How far have you and Ning Chu gone?"
"Well..."
Wen Yang looked up and saw even the usually aloof Lily watching him eagerly with a gossip-hungry gaze.
Was this something he could talk about?
He scratched his head and tactfully said, "We're just starting."
"Have you confessed to Ning Chu again?"
"Huh?"
Wen Yang was momentarily stunned. "Is that really necessary?"
Aren't they already dating? Does he really need to confess again?
"You're so dense! Even if you're already in a relationship, you still need to go through the process! Be a little romantic!"
Romantic...
To be honest, the moment Wen Yang heard that word, his mind went completely blank. He couldn't even imagine what romance was supposed to look like.
This was clearly a gap in his knowledge.
Yan Xinya slapped the table in frustration, about to launch into a long speech on how to properly pursue romance, but just then, the bathroom door opened.
Turning her head, she saw Ning Chu stepping into the room, wearing loose-fitting shorts and a T-shirt while toweling off her damp hair.
"You only took five minutes... Never seen a girl shower that fast."
"You finished your movie, right?"
Yan Xinya glanced at the screen just in time to see the credits rolling. With the movie over, she had no excuse to stay any longer. She looked at Ning Chu with pitiful, teary eyes, trying to play the sympathy card.
"Out!"
Ning Chu packed up the induction cooker and pot into a bag and started pushing Yan Xinya toward the door. "That's enough! Lily, you too! It's time to go home. Staying too long in a boys' dorm isn't appropriate for girls!"
"You've been here for over two months yourself!"
Ning Chu quickly covered Yan Xinya's mouth, glancing nervously at both ends of the hallway. She whispered a warning, "Don't talk nonsense! What if someone hears you?"
"Awooo~"
"Out!"
Finally, after closing the door behind them, the dorm was quiet again without the wolf girl's noisy presence.
Ning Chu glanced at the window. Sure enough, Yan Xinya was still peering inside, looking like a puppy that had been locked out and wasn't allowed to play.
"Don't you think it's a bit rude to kick them out like that?" Wen Yang asked.
"No, Yan Xinya doesn't mind."
After spending so much time together, Ning Chu had already figured out Yan Xinya's carefree and silly personality.
Stretching with a yawn, she turned off the lights and climbed into bed. "I'm going to sleep now, don't bother me."
"So early?"
"Yep!"
Going to bed early was the safest bet—otherwise, who knew what Wen Yang might try?
Even though she had clarified her feelings, she wasn't ready to give herself away so easily.
Just thinking about things going too far made her panic. She was a complete coward when it came to this.
Maybe she should find a chance to explain things to Wen Yang and make up an excuse, something like—her family had a conservative background, and premarital intimacy was strictly forbidden?
For now, Wen Yang was very respectful of her boundaries, but if he ever stopped respecting them... well, that would mean he was only interested in her body after all.
At least this excuse could hold up until graduation. And after graduation? She could bring up the need for a house and a car, which could buy her a few more years.
Ning Chu hadn't taken a nap in the afternoon, and she thought she wouldn't feel sleepy so early. However, the moment she lay down, drowsiness overwhelmed her.
She yawned and closed her eyes, but images from the horror movie suddenly flashed through her mind, making her heart race with unease. Without thinking, she called out softly, "Wen Yang?"
"I'm here. What's wrong?"
"It's all Xinya's fault, making us watch that horror movie... I can't sleep now."
Wen Yang climbed onto her bed, sitting at the headboard and looking down at her curled-up figure in the darkness. She seemed small and slightly afraid.
Reaching out, he gently wrapped her tiny hand in his palm.
"Go to sleep."
"Mm..."