Trapped In Paradise
Volume 1 Chapter 72: Looks Like I Might Have to Run Away
The moment the words left his mouth, Wen Yang regretted them.
Seeing Ning Chu's stunned expression filled him with guilt, but when he opened his mouth to apologize, that inexplicable male pride suddenly got in the way.
Besides, he wasn't wrong, was he? He and Ning Chu had only known each other for a little over a month. Although they had gone through quite a few things together, at the end of the day, they were just roommates.
Not even his parents had ever tried to control him this much.
Seeing the disappointed look on Ning Chu's face made Wen Yang feel awful. Several times, an apology reached his lips, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
It wasn't like he was wrong…
"I'm done eating. Let's go."
Ning Chu stood up expressionlessly, tossed the plastic bag into the trash, and turned to leave the cafeteria first.
"Huh? Okay!"
Wen Yang's voice unconsciously became quieter as he hurried after him.
Usually, Wen Yang was the one walking in front, while Ning Chu, with his short little legs, would jog along behind him.
Wen Yang tried to observe Ning Chu's expression, but that blank face revealed nothing. All he knew was that Ning Chu had entered one of his familiar withdrawn moods again.
This roommate of his was always somewhat emotionally unstable.
Sometimes he was lively, cheerful, and adorable. Other times, he would become withdrawn and introverted, capable of sitting there for an entire day without saying a word.
The first rays of morning sunlight had already fallen across the ground, painting the eastern horizon orange.
Ning Chu continued walking toward the dormitory with his head lowered, his mind working furiously as he tried to find a way out of this predicament.
He had anticipated a situation like this before. Even long-term discipline from parents or close family could provoke a rebellious response, let alone control coming from someone who was merely a roommate.
But there were still plenty of plotlines from the hentai novel that hadn't been triggered yet. He still needed to protect Wen Yang's virginity…
The problem was that his previous method of keeping Wen Yang under control was no longer working very well.
Although Wen Yang had improved and generally kept his distance from girls who came on to him, he was still a man. Naturally, there would be times when he was attracted to girls, and he would always want a girlfriend.
And after spending so much time in close proximity, Wen Yang had clearly developed some affection for him as well.
"What am I supposed to do?" Ning Chu muttered to himself, frowning deeply.
Ever since arriving in this world, he hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep.
He secretly glanced sideways at Wen Yang's guilt-ridden face.
Even if he ignored Wen Yang's affection for him and his growing rebellion against being controlled, this was still an unstable time bomb that had to be dealt with eventually…
Ning Chu didn't believe Wen Yang could continue holding himself back until every plotline had been resolved.
The two returned to the dormitory in silence. Zhang Shaoqing was still asleep, while the cool air in the room helped clear Ning Chu's mind a little.
He stared blankly at the computer screen, casually clicking through webpages while continuing to think about his current predicament.
This felt almost impossible to solve…
Unless he "sacrificed himself for the greater good" and personally offered himself up as Wen Yang's girlfriend.
That way, he would have a legitimate reason to stop Wen Yang from getting involved with other girls.
But that was impossible!
Even if his body had already become more feminine, and even if he had tried dressing as a girl, even if he really did become a woman someday, he would still only consider dating other girls!
In a world this messed up, a lesbian relationship would be perfectly normal too, right?
Without thinking, Ning Chu recalled the time he had secretly peeked at Wen Yang.
His dick had been terrifyingly huge!
If he really ends up as Wen Yang girlfriend, his behind won't ever close again!
Suddenly, a shadow blocked the sunlight coming in from outside.
Ning Chu paused and looked up, only to see Wen Yang standing awkwardly in front of him.
"Um…"
Wen Yang's eyes wandered everywhere. He didn't know why he always seemed to lose his confidence whenever he was in front of Ning Chu.
"I suddenly feel like… it's actually not so bad for you to keep me in line sometimes…"
"???"
"I'm from the countryside. I don't know much about the city, so I really am easy to fool…" Wen Yang gave an awkward smile, but his gaze had already drifted up toward the ceiling. "And there's no rush when it comes to finding a girlfriend. It's probably good to have you help me keep an eye out too."
You gave in way too quickly, didn't you?
Ning Chu looked at his somewhat silly smile and sighed helplessly.
"I guess what you said makes sense too."
Over the past few days, their friendship had already begun showing signs of drifting dangerously toward romance, and Ning Chu also wanted to put a little distance between himself and Wen Yang.
The problem was, he couldn't think of a replacement solution.
"…"
Wen Yang fell silent for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Ning Chu.
Suddenly, he asked, "Shaoqing's still asleep right now, so tell me… what exactly are you? A guy or a girl?"
The blunt question caught Ning Chu completely off guard.
The moment he recovered, he immediately shook his head.
"A guy!"
Wen Yang instantly looked deeply disappointed, but he still asked skeptically, "Really?"
"Yeah! A man!" Ning Chu answered firmly.
However, judging from Wen Yang's suspicious expression, he clearly still doubted his gender. Ning Chu lowered his head and looked himself over.
Yep. There wasn't a single visible trace of masculinity anywhere on his body!
He fell into deep thought.
Should he just take off his pants and show Wen Yang his little "worm"?
It might be small, but it was still there.
But what if Wen Yang suddenly got carried away and pounced on him, pinning him to the floor?
Seeing that Ning Chu had stopped trying to argue his case, Wen Yang gave a helpless, bitter smile. He pulled over a chair and sat down, deciding to have a completely honest conversation with Ning Chu.
"Actually, I don't really mind you keeping an eye on me or looking out for me… I already told you why. I'm afraid of getting scammed too. If I get cheated out of money, I won't even be able to afford food this month. And getting hurt emotionally wouldn't feel great either."
"Hm?" Ning Chu didn't understand why Wen Yang had suddenly become so serious.
"I'm not in a hurry to find a girlfriend anyway. I mean, I look decent enough, and there are a few girls at school who like me."
Decent enough? A few?
Ning Chu pressed his lips together in jealousy.
With Wen Yang's looks, if he took a stroll through the women's dormitory area, he'd probably get a chorus of screams. It wasn't as if only a handful of girls were interested in him—forget hundreds or thousands, there had to be at least several dozen.
And that was only counting the girls who appeared in the novel's plot.
"The problem is…"
Wen Yang suddenly stopped.
The awkward expression on his face disappeared, replaced by a deep flush that suggested he was struggling to say what was really on his mind.
"Don't stop halfway through."
Under Ning Chu's curious urging, Wen Yang guiltily lowered his head.
If he honestly admitted that Ning Chu was the female lead in his erotic dreams, would they even still be able to remain friends? Ning Chu would probably think he was some kind of pervert.
Though, to be fair, it was pretty perverted…
"The problem is that my family keeps pressuring me to get married. They say some of my old middle school and high school classmates are already married, while I still don't even have a girlfriend."
Ning Chu could immediately sense Wen Yang's evasiveness.
His brows furrowed deeply as he scrutinized Wen Yang's flushed face and wandering gaze.
Then he noticed Wen Yang's fingers unconsciously twisting together, his restless leg shaking, the occasional nervous gesture of running a hand through his hair, and that guilty, sweaty expression.
He was obviously lying.
A certain thought made Ning Chu's heartbeat gradually speed up.
Look at him!
Didn't he look exactly like an innocent little virgin trying to confess to the girl he liked, but too embarrassed to get the words out?
Holy shit!
I thought it was just a little attraction! Had it already turned into actual feelings?!
What exactly do I have that those girls chasing after you don't?!
In terms of looks, at best I'm on the same level as them. My face looks so young I could pass for underage, and as for my figure, I'm basically flat as a board!
Ning Chu's eyes suddenly widened. His body instinctively leaned backward, putting more distance between himself and Wen Yang.
If that guess was actually true…
He might have to pack up and flee overnight!