Chapter 73: Asking Zhou Yuejun for a Little More Money
Zhou Yuejun: “…I’ll go check the bathhouse later.”
If there truly were no partitions and everyone was naked, he would see if he could make a curtain for Yu Deng.
Or…
He really should have rented a place at the school gate. It was a mistake.
Now, Yu Deng’s front, back, and even his bottom would be seen clearly by others, and more than one person.
Along the way, he accurately caught those secret, prying gazes.
The dormitory building was a bit old. Their room was on the third floor, which Yu Deng thought was just right.
The first and second floors were damp, and the sunlight was mostly blocked by the trees outside. Above the third floor, Yu Deng thought it was too much to climb.
Before entering the room, Yu Deng heard an argument.
“Are you annoying? Can you just get lost?”
The voice was filled with dissatisfaction, sounding arrogant and bossy—not easy to get along with.
Yu Deng had been humming a song, but hearing that, he immediately went silent, shooting a timid glance toward Zhou Yuejun.
He only dared to be arrogant in front of Zhou Yuejun.
Zhou Yuejun pushed the door open with his foot. As the light swept over his sharp features, the situation inside the room was clear at a glance.
Yu Deng had thought the dorm wouldn’t have many people, but when the door opened, seven or eight faces were looking at them.
Instantly, all the attention was on Yu Deng.
Yu Deng was embarrassed to death, only daring to peek out from behind Zhou Yuejun.
Inside the dorm, some were packing their things, while others who were finished were watching the drama.
The drama they were watching was two men pulling at each other.
By the bed near the door, a clean-looking boy was holding a cloth, his wrist being gripped by another man.
The dorm was for six people. The other five spots were already taken, leaving only the top bunk by the door.
As Zhou Yuejun’s gaze swept over the bed, Jian Ling realized they were blocking the way. He stopped pulling with Xie Yangjun and immediately moved aside.
The space was small. As Zhou Yuejun walked in, his tall and sturdy frame arrived like a mountain, instantly silencing the cramped room.
One couldn’t say Zhou Yuejun looked like a delinquent, but he felt fierce and not to be messed with.
Zhou Yuejun began to pack Yu Deng’s things.
Jian Ling pulled his hand back, frowning with impatience. “Fine, you leave first.”
Yu Deng hadn’t intended to watch the drama openly, but then he heard the clean-looking boy telling the frustrated one to leave.
It turned out the clean-looking one was his roommate.
Zhou Yuejun took out a towel and wiped Yu Deng’s face twice before starting his work.
He wiped the bed frame, made the bed, organized the clothes in Yu Deng’s cabinet, and then placed the toiletries on the balcony.
Yu Deng stared at his roommates for a while. He could tell they weren’t very introverted.
Finally, Jian Ling spoke.
“My name is Jian Ling, I’m an English major. My family is local. What about you?”
Yu Deng was drinking water and didn’t rush to answer. He learned that the people in the dorm weren’t all in the same major: three were in Economics and Trade, and three were in English.
He, Jian Ling, and another boy named Yang An were in the same major.
Jian Ling looked generous and composed, and his family background seemed good. Yang An, on the other hand, looked plain and kept his head down, glancing at people from the corners of his eyes.
Yu Deng also introduced himself.
As soon as he finished, Yang An asked, “Is your family from the countryside?”
Yu Deng had only said he was local without specifying urban or rural. Being asked like that by Yang An gave him a strange sense of… confusion.
Yu Deng was choosing between maintaining his persona and being honest, but actually, the system hadn’t told him to lie; he just had to be extravagant.
“From the countryside.”
Hearing the answer, Yang An’s mood improved slightly, but noticing everyone was looking at him, he immediately became panicked.
“No, I didn’t mean anything by that. I just wanted to say we’re both from the countryside, so we can look out for each other.”
“I also wanted to ask where your hometown is. We can go to the station together during the holidays.”
Yu Deng didn’t care. After a short response, he saw Zhou Yuejun coming in from the balcony and quickly handed over his insulated cup.
“Have some water, Yuejun-ge.”
The weather was hot, but Yu Deng’s smile was sweet and lively, enough to cool Zhou Yuejun down.
Zhou Yuejun hadn’t taken off his overshirt. He just pushed his sleeves up to his shoulders, revealing his bulging and fierce muscles.
The insulated cup was filled with sour plum juice that Zhou Yuejun had prepared. It was sugary and iced, making it refreshing and thirst-quenching.
Zhou Yuejun took a gulp. He noticed the flush on Yu Deng’s cheeks hadn’t faded.
Possessiveness took over; he didn’t want anyone else to look at Yu Deng’s face.
“The dorm supplies haven’t been picked up yet, and the wood for hanging clothes on the balcony is broken. I’ll go downstairs to get them.”
He had thought about not bothering and having Yu Deng just pile up his dirty clothes—except for underwear and socks—and he would take them home to wash during the holidays.
But then he thought it wouldn’t be hygienic. What if the roommates thought Yu Deng was messy and lacked manners and started targeting him?
After Zhou Yuejun left, the dorm became active again.
“Yu Deng, your brother… is so strong!”
One punch from him could probably break two or three ribs.
Jian Ling also nodded in agreement. “Like a muscle man in a movie, he could take down a whole crowd with one punch.”
Yang An asked, “Is he your brother?”
“He’s so attentive. I thought he was your family’s driver.”
Yang An spoke very softly, as if he were just expressing curiosity.
Yu Deng was a bit tired, sitting on his stool to cool down. He frowned. “He’s not a driver!”
Zhou Yuejun came back with the supplies and continued to work.
The previous occupants had left some things, and with the room being empty for months, everyone had only cleaned their own beds, cabinets, and tables. The floor was still dirty and filled with debris, and there were spiderwebs on the ceiling. It felt as if dust was flying everywhere.
Jian Ling and another roommate who was finished packing also lent a hand, helping to sweep and fetch water.
Zhou Yuejun wouldn’t let Yu Deng do any of it, so Yu Deng gave an apple to each of his roommates.
Yu Deng looked solemn.
Because the other three roommates didn’t help at all, while Jian Ling, a rich young master, was the one taking two bags of trash downstairs.
After dealing with the dorm, Yu Deng had to go buy meal tickets and water tickets.
Zhou Yuejun looked at the bathhouse; there was a wall with partitions on the left and right.
Fortunately, only one side was exposed. He could use a cloth to cover it, otherwise…
He really would move the house to the school gate so Yu Deng could go home every day to bathe.
“This is a week’s worth of meal tickets. I’ll put them in your backpack. You must eat both meat and vegetables. No being picky, and no eating only from the snack shop or outside the school.”
There were two general stores inside the school and a food street outside. Zhou Yuejun could already imagine Yu Deng going wild and indulging himself now that he was away from him.
Yu Deng was already eager, nodding perfunctorily while licking his lips.
Then he held out his hand, palm up, with a clever and mischievous blink. He didn’t even hint; he spoke directly.
“What about my allowance?”
Yu Deng’s hand was open, pinkish-white and delicate, with neatly trimmed and cute nails.
He wanted to lick it.
He wanted to feel it.
Yu Deng acted arrogant. “I want pocket money to buy snacks, to go out for meals with my roommates, and to buy school supplies.”
He had the meal tickets, but for anything else, he would surely need money. Zhou Yuejun couldn’t possibly give him nothing, right?
Yu Deng was being sneaky, showing his greed on his face as he prepared to ask for a lot from Zhou Yuejun.
At least… he had to ask for twenty.
But Zhou Yuejun reached into his pocket and gave him five ten-yuan bills, and his cold, solemn face showed no sign of distress over the cost.
Finally, after putting the money back, he took it out again and added another ten.
“This should be enough. If it isn’t, let me know.”
Yu Deng: “…”
Should be?
That’s true. When Zhou Yuejun was away, he gave him sixty yuan a day. Now, even with the meal tickets, giving him sixty for a week was actually a reduction.
He had been too soft-hearted. He should have asked for more to spend all of Zhou Yuejun’s money.
Sixty a week… that would be two hundred and forty a month…
107: [That’s too little. Be harder. Spend four or five hundred.]
Yu Deng: “…”
Then he wouldn’t just eat and play; he would buy things, like two-hundred-yuan shoes or three-hundred-yuan clothes.
Zhou Yuejun put the money into Yu Deng’s bear wallet and then placed it in the backpack. “Don’t take your money out too often, especially in the dorm. And don’t just make friends with anyone.”
“You remember the number of the telephone booth downstairs, right?”
Yu Deng had the backpack on his back, waiting for Zhou Yuejun to finish. Then he turned around obediently.
He nodded his chin, his lashes curving as he grinned, showing his small canines.
“Mhm, I remember. I’ll definitely call you every night, hehe.”
Zhou Yuejun thought Yu Deng was good at sweet-talking, but he could also do things that would make him angry.
If he could, he would stay at the school to accompany Yu Deng.
But he couldn’t.
As Zhou Yuejun sent Yu Deng back into the dorm, he smoothed Yu Deng’s slightly messy dark hair.
He wanted to pin the boy down and kiss him.
“Be good. Don’t let yourself be bullied, you understand?”
Yu Deng had been feeling fine, filled with anticipation for his university life.
But now, because of Zhou Yuejun’s behavior, Yu Deng’s eyes and nose felt sore, and his chest felt tight.
Clearly, he wasn’t that far from home.
Yu Deng tightened his face, his tone trailing off. “I understand~”
Not knowing what else to say, he put on a smile and waved to Zhou Yuejun.
As Zhou Yuejun’s figure disappeared at the door, Yu Deng almost wanted to chase after him.
But he held back.
He was only a little bit sad.
“Yu Deng, let’s go eat and get our books?”
If you asked why Jian Ling chose Yu Deng among the five roommates, the reason was shallow: Yu Deng was beautiful.
The boy was snow-white and pinkish, like a little dumpling. Though he wasn’t that fat, his cheeks were round.
His features were overly exquisite, with the look of a little immortal. He was clean and clear, and every smile or frown made it impossible to look away.
He felt just like those elders looking at their fat grandsons, thinking Yu Deng was adorable.
He felt the boy must smell sweet.
“Okay—”
Just as Yu Deng was about to agree to Jian Ling’s invitation, a head popped in from the door.
“Dengdeng!”
Ning Qian had arrived.
Ning Qian didn’t come empty-handed; he brought two bags of things: iced water and pastries.
He was very tactful, sharing the things with Yu Deng’s roommates and asking them to take care of Yu Deng in the future.
Ning Qian unscrewed the cap of a water bottle for Yu Deng; the iced water was giving off a cold mist. “Is everything packed?”
“I’m late. I had to look for your major’s dormitory building, and I didn’t help at all.”
“If everything’s packed, let’s go out for a meal.”
Ning Qian didn’t act like an outsider at all, quickly becoming familiar with the people in Yu Deng’s dorm.
Because it was opening day, the restaurants outside the school were crowded. Ning Qian hailed a taxi and took them to a specialty hotel.
Ning Qian was generous; even Jian Ling didn’t think he could afford to treat everyone to such an expensive meal.
“Qiao Fangyu wanted to find you. I told him you had a class meeting this afternoon, so he didn’t come.”
If the man came, wouldn’t he take away the time he had with Yu Deng?
He had been waiting for Zhou Yuejun to leave; how could he let Qiao Fangyu interfere?
Yu Deng was gnawing on a rib. Hearing that, he only gave a muffled response.
The bone was large and Yu Deng’s mouth was small; he ate until his mouth was all oily. Being fond of cleanliness, he kept wiping it, making his lips look vivid red.
As if they had been roughly ravaged.
Red and swollen, looking quite enticing.
Ning Qian wiped the sweat from the boy, and the used tissue remained in his hand; he didn’t even want to throw it away.
He didn’t eat much himself, just staring at the boy, looking utterly obsessed.
After eating his fill, Yu Deng leaned back in his chair to rest, patting his stomach as he enjoyed the air conditioning.
“It would be great if the dorm had air conditioning too.”
But forget air conditioning; the dorm didn’t even have a fan. Sitting there would make one all sweaty.
After returning to school, Ning Qian helped Yu Deng carry his books.
Thinking about how much he had to learn this semester, Yu Deng suddenly felt dizzy just looking at the books.
Ning Qian stayed in the dorm until the afternoon.
“Dengdeng, military training starts tomorrow. I’ll come to see you after class.”
“Do you want to eat at school or outside for lunch? I’ll bring it to you. There will be many people fighting for food during military training; you might not get any.”
The boy was already thin; if he had to endure training under the hot sun and then couldn’t eat, how could his body take it?
The thought made Ning Qian’s heart ache.
Yu Deng didn’t want to fight for food after military training. He would be hungry and tired, so he wanted to eat directly.
“I’ll eat whatever you eat. I’ll give you my meal tickets.”
After speaking, Yu Deng went to his backpack for the tickets.
Ning Qian quickly pressed down on the backpack. “No need. I have some meal tickets from before that I haven’t used up.”
Jian Ling didn’t want to fight for food at the canteen after a hard day either. He immediately took out money, putting his hands together in a plea.
“Brother, bring one for me too. I haven’t exchanged my meal tickets yet. I’ll give you the money.”
Ning Qian didn’t refuse. Bringing one was fine, and bringing two or three was no trouble.
Moreover, after accepting the favor, Jian Ling would also look out for Yu Deng in the dorm.
Yang An’s dark eyes flickered. “Then… bring one for me too.”
At four o’clock, Yu Deng and the others went to the classroom for the meeting.
There were many people in the major—about fifty or sixty. At a glance, it was a sea of people with an even mix of boys and girls. Gathering together felt like being in a sauna.
Yu Deng and Jian Ling sat in the last row.
The meeting was mainly for self-introductions, electing class officers, and the counselor giving instructions for tomorrow’s military training.
Yu Deng was hot, his back sweaty. He used a small fan to fan himself, but it didn’t feel cool at all.
He started to miss the air conditioning at home, and also Zhou Yuejun.
Before, whenever he went out, Zhou Yuejun would fan him, and it was cool. Why was he getting hotter fanning himself?
“Yu Deng, who is that Ning Qian to you?”
Yang An spoke softly, chatting with Yu Deng.
Yu Deng leaned his chin on his insulated cup, answering listlessly. “A friend.”
“You know such wealthy friends?”
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