Wen Ying didn’t want to stop him anymore.
Because Si Haoxing’s eyes once again showed that inexplicable melancholy.
Anyone who’d been through their chuunibyou phase knew this was the chuunibyou about to unleash its ultimate move.
But a chuunibyou who jumps off a building won’t end up in another world; they’d more likely splatter into an unrecoverable pancake.
“Bro, found you”
Just as Wen Ying was about to grab Si Haoxing again as he climbed the rooftop railing, the half-closed rooftop door burst open with a heavy thud.
Under the gaze of two and a half pairs of eyes, the six-foot-five golden retriever of a man charged straight at Si Haoxing.
Wen Ying quickly hugged his nose and stepped aside, giving the golden-haired and purple-haired pair plenty of room to tussle.
“Don’t jump off the rooftop, you’ll die from the fall!”
The golden-haired man grabbed Si Haoxing’s collar tightly, shouting at him with a face full of worry.
Si Haoxing’s face turned pale from being yanked, and in the chaos, his mullet fringe was shaken into something that actually looked normal.
The tense atmosphere was broken by his accent, turning it comical but Wen Ying couldn’t laugh.
Broken Chinese paired with naturally blonde hair and blue eyes.
Loves sweets, heals everyone with his smile, a naturally cheerful sixteen-ethnicity mixed-blood prince, whose family runs an international arms business.
Without needing “Gentleman” to say it, Wen Ying had already remembered his name.
This was the last of the Ming Ying Four Young Masters, Richard, who was in the same Class 2-4 as Si Haoxing.
In the book, Richard and Si Haoxing really were close, but his sudden appearance still struck Wen Ying as very strange.
It wasn’t just strange to run into Richard the fact that he happened to catch Si Haoxing standing on the rooftop was already bizarre.
It was as if the plot had deliberately arranged it.
A sense of dissonance surged in his chest, and Wen Ying clenched the sandwich in his hand.
“Hello, I’m Richard.” Richard didn’t notice the shift in atmosphere. After grabbing Si Haoxing, he grinned and greeted Wen Ying.
“Sorry, my bro he likes sorcery, maybe his magic trick, miscalculated.”
“Daoist arts.”
Si Haoxing corrected coldly, then flicked his fringe back into its mullet style.
“Not sorcery.”
So the “magic” mentioned in the character intro just meant he was superstitious.
Not just a chuunibyo also a mystic.
Wen Ying silently made his judgment.
“Classmate, what’s your name?”
Seeing the silence hang in the air, the big golden retriever scratched his head and asked Wen Ying cheerfully and fluently.
He’d practiced this line many times it definitely wouldn’t go wrong.
Richard was confident!
“Wen.”
Wen Ying’s voice cut off abruptly.
He clearly realized where the dissonance in his chest came from.
In the book, Richard had met the female lead at a gathering, and Richard had asked the same question then.
Classmate, what’s your name?
He’d already avoided the gathering, yet he couldn’t avoid crossing paths with the Ming Ying Four Young Masters.
Even without the “coincidental” rooftop encounter, maybe next time, they’d still meet through some twist of fate.
This realization made Wen Ying increasingly uncomfortable.
He was willing to follow the plot to stabilize the situation, but that didn’t mean he’d allow the plot to manipulate him in return.
“Wen Ying.”
He quickly adjusted his state and repeated his name before the others could feel confused.
“Hello, Wen Ying!”
Richard smiled, showing eight big white teeth: “You’re really cute.”
He’d been to many countries and met many people, but rarely had he seen a same-sex person as good-looking as Wen Ying.
Wen Ying was dazed for a moment, then smiled back at him.
“Thanks.”
You’re really cute.
In the book, when Wen Yingying had told Richard her name, that was exactly what he’d said.
Because Richard didn’t understand Chinese, he’d mispronounced “Ying” as “Ying” (with a different tone), which had made Wen Yingying think her identity was exposed and panic for a while.
Even this detail matched.
Thud.
In his daze, the sandwich he’d been gripping too tightly fell to the ground, tumbled twice, and was evenly coated in batter… dust.
Wen Ying snapped back to reality, bent down to pick up the sandwich, stuffed it back into the bag, and wiped the sauce off his hand.
Throughout it all, his expression never changed.
Thanks to the fake smile he’d honed since childhood, the two people in front of him didn’t notice anything off about Wen Ying.
Qu Huo, however, glanced at him but remained silent.
“I still have things to do, so I’ll head off first.”
Wen Ying’s voice stayed steady.
With that, he nodded to Qu Huo beside him and turned to leave.
“Hey.”
Richard wanted to say more, but the person had already disappeared through the door.
Wen Ying didn’t return to the classroom. Instead, he went to the restroom on the floor below.
He tossed the now-inedible sandwich into the trash can and walked to the sink.
The boy in the mirror had a very grim expression.
[Your Highness.]
“Gentleman” was deeply worried.
Water ran through Wen Ying’s hands.
He cupped them together, then let them open, letting the water drip away.
“Gentleman, is this really a real world?”
Wen Ying asked calmly, but it seemed like excess emotion would burst out at any moment.
The teachers who always appeared, the male supporting character who suddenly called him “Princess,” the male lead who chased after him showing off, the key plot points that got filled in even when he deliberately skipped them, every person he was forced to meet.
Everything felt prearranged.
He disliked this feeling intensely it was exactly like being in the Star Palace.
He had lived eighteen years in that false place, and he had no desire to spend the rest of his life in another predetermined world.
Water ran over his cheeks, where the skin had been flushed faintly red by the sunlight on the rooftop.
He had thought he’d escaped, but was there truly no way out?
[Young Highness.]
After a few seconds, the “Gentleman” spoke softly.
[After repeated testing on my part, this is indeed an independent, real world. Every person here has their own consciousness.]
[The Star Palace no longer exists. You are a citizen of this place, and citizens are forever free.]
Citizens were forever free, but the royal members of the Star Palace were not citizens. The former Wen Ying had stood on the high platform, yet possessed no human rights whatsoever.
The “Gentleman” was the steward assigned by the Star Palace, but it served only Wen Ying.
It knew the Young Highness didn’t want to go back, which was why it hoped he would integrate into this place more quickly.
[Everything here will be influenced by the original book’s plot, but the plot cannot completely dictate anyone’s life.]
In other words, outside the main storyline, he still had a good chance of living a normal life and making new friends.
At least he had more opportunities here than in the Star Palace.
“I understand.”
Wen Ying washed his face, his emotions gradually calming.
It wasn’t such a big deal, really.
He thought it was the fallen sandwich that had suddenly deflated his spirits.
But at the thought of that sandwich with the half-picked-out red pepper Wen Ying’s mood still couldn’t quite recover.
“Uh, sorry?”
Seeing him lingering by the sink, a sheepish golden-haired boy emerged from the corner.
Behind him followed a purple-haired boy who didn’t dare look at Wen Ying.
The purple-haired Si Haoxing remained silent as ever, playing the mute. Richard mustered his courage to meet Wen Ying’s gaze, then quickly lowered his head again.
He blinked. “We weren’t, like, secretly peeking.”
“We weren’t peeking at all.”
Si Haoxing sighed, dropping his aloof school-idol persona to translate.
Wen Ying believed him when he said they hadn’t been watching.
After all, both of Si Haoxing’s eyes were covered, making him look like an unkempt Shih Tzu.
“What’s the matter?”
Wen Ying’s tone was gentler than he’d expected.
After all, Si Haoxing and Richard weren’t bad people just a bit dim-looking.
“Yeah, no peeking.” Richard grinned foolishly.
“I saw your sandwich bite the dust. Wanna grab lunch together? My treat.”
With that, he pulled a Ferrero Rocher from his pocket and held it out to Wen Ying.
Si Haoxing said nothing, just nodded.
He’d watched Wen Ying’s dejected retreating figure and belatedly realized he’d indeed caused trouble.
Wen Ying might not be the princess he was waiting for, but he owed Wen Ying a lunch.
And he had a gut feeling the one he was looking for was Wen Ying.
Treating him to a meal.
Wen Ying wasn’t sure if this was the two young masters’ goodwill or the plot quietly pushing them to complete the meal scene.
Looking at the two guilt-ridden peers, he accepted the chocolate and offered a composed smile.
He raised his hand, waving the golden chocolate. “No need this counts as the treat.”
Si Haoxing was stunned.
Richard was too.
Handsome and well-mannered, Wen Ying had once been the face of the royal family. He could sit at any event for three hours doing nothing and still trend on the Star Net.
Few bothered to scrutinize his somewhat unpleasant and immature nature, because he could briefly pretend to be whatever others wanted to see.
The two statues watched Wen Ying walk away.
After a long moment, Richard muttered, “Cute.”
“Adorable.”
Si Haoxing commented, his phoenix eyes drooping slightly.
“No, no.”
Richard frowned, turning to Si Haoxing, who was still in his Shih Tzu getup: “Bro, you can see!”
Weren’t you supposed to not be able to see Wen Ying?
“No!”
Si Haoxing hastily covered his hair, turning his head away in a show of aloofness.
“I saw it.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did!”
“No, you didn’t!”
[Your Highness, the task at this plot node has been completed.]
The “Gentleman” was quite pleased.
Completed?
Wen Ying was puzzled.
The previous task node had been too vague, and he hadn’t taken any special action.
It ended suddenly was it because he’d met all four young masters?
Counting this task as complete at this point might be because the four young masters were also part of Mingying Academy. The requirement to “familiarize oneself with the campus” inherently included getting to know them.
That was the only explanation.
On the task bar, the original “Familiarize with Campus” now had a checkmark. Wen Ying tapped the green button.
The light screen flashed, the node advanced a step, and the next task appeared.
Integrate into campus life as much as possible, and prepare for the next monthly exam.
The previous requirement was to familiarize oneself with the campus; now it was to integrate.
The first half was a vague task, but the second half was easy to understand.
Just study.
Back in the classroom, Wen Ying’s mood had mostly recovered.
Even after picking out the red pepper, the flavor lingered, and it wouldn’t have tasted good anyway.
He mentally convicted that poor sandwich of a crime.
Qu Huo had already returned to his seat, head down, packing his schoolbag.
As if he had just gotten off the phone, he was so hot that he had unbuttoned half of his school uniform buttons, giving him a somewhat rakish, delinquent look.
The chocolate Richard had given him still didn’t stave off his hunger. Feeling his stomach start to act up, Wen Ying rummaged through his bag and pulled out some cellophane-wrapped candies.
He’d tried one from Qu Huo before and thought it was tasty, so he’d bought a jar for himself.
Knowing the candies wouldn’t satisfy his hunger either, Wen Ying ate a few and then dutifully pulled out his stomach medicine.
“This is medicine you take after a meal.”
Qu Huo, carrying his schoolbag, reminded Wen Ying from three desks away.
Chocolate counted as food.
But Wen Ying couldn’t argue with Qu Huo.
Because Qu Huo had seen with his own eyes him picking out the red peppers, and had watched that sandwich meet its dusty demise.
He lowered his head: “Mm, I know.”
There was a soft scuffing of shoes on the floor, the sound moving toward him.
“I haven’t eaten yet.”
A tightly wrapped rice ball was held out in front of him.
Qu Huo’s behavior was beyond his expectations, and Wen Ying’s mind went blank for a moment.
He and Qu Huo seemed to have a special connection when it came to food.
This was a connection not written in the book, and one he hadn’t anticipated.
“But this is your lunch.”
Wen Ying heard himself say.
“If I eat it, what will you eat?”
“My family has an emergency.”
Qu Huo didn’t say much, but it was easy to understand.
He was going home to eat, so he was giving the rice ball to Wen Ying.
“Thank you.”
Refusing again would be too pretentious. Wen Ying, without much thought, blurted out: “Be careful on the way.”
The moment he said it, he felt it was inappropriate.
Their relationship shouldn’t be close enough for him to tell Qu Huo to “be careful on the way.”
Wen Ying quickly tried to make up for it: “I’ll copy this afternoon’s notes for you.”
“Okay.”
Fortunately, Qu Huo didn’t seem to pay much attention to it and hurriedly left.
Wen Ying stared at the rice ball for a long while.
He knew that anyone being kind to another person came at a cost, why did Qu Huo always help him?
He couldn’t offer Qu Huo anything in return.
[Perhaps it’s because of the grandmother who adopted Qu Huo.]
The “Gentleman” reassured him.
[His grandmother has stomach problems just like you, and she often skips meals.]
Because it reminded him of that, the solitary Qu Huo helped him.
Wen Ying forced himself to feel a bit more at ease.
Although Qu Huo hadn’t asked for anything, he decided to give Qu Huo something in return.
Taking advantage of the classroom being empty, Wen Ying grabbed a big handful of glass candies from the jar and crept toward Qu Huo’s desk.
He averted his eyes and tossed the candies into Qu Huo’s empty desk.
Then he quickly returned to his own seat.
He didn’t like carrying too many snacks; all he had left was the candy jar. Since Qu Huo carried glass candies with him, he must like them too.
Finally, Wen Ying carefully tore open the rice ball’s wrapper and took a bite of the white rice.
He chewed and vaguely tasted carrots.
Carrots?
Wen Ying’s gaze dropped, and he saw bright red, intimidating shreds of carrot exposed at the bite mark of the rice ball.
Wen Ying fell silent.
So many carrot shreds.
He couldn’t be picky about food someone else had given him. Without much internal struggle, Wen Ying took another bite anyway.
The carrot shreds were sweet, without any earthy taste, but Wen Ying, unaccustomed to them, still couldn’t quite accept them.
[Little Highness, keep going!]
The “Gentleman” was so excited his voice trembled.
Eighteen years a full eighteen years.
His Highness, His Highness had finally stopped being picky about carrot shreds.
If they were still in Star Royal Palace, he would definitely have a pair of vintage-style couplets custom-made for that Mr. Qu.
The upper line: “White rice ball, coal in the snow.”
The lower line: “Carrot immortal, miraculous healing hands.”
The horizontal scroll: “Savior of the Little Highness”!
Wen Ying’s face burned at his words, and he swallowed the carrot shreds with difficulty.
After barely finishing the carrot shreds, the shredded scallion and beef underneath made Wen Ying’s face turn pale and then green.
Qu Huo’s taste buds were at least three hundred million light-years away from his.