N-M Chapter 7 A Snake in a Cup
Chapter 7 A Snake in a Cup
The path to the storage room wasn't long, but the silence made the time seem exceptionally long.
Chu Kong followed half a step behind the class monitor, his gaze fixed on her ponytail swaying gently with her steps, his mind racing.
The confrontation with Li Lingchuang has come to an end. It remains to be seen what impact this confrontation will have on the production company's plans, and whether there will be any chain reactions.
What is the purpose of this attentive class monitor? Is he simply fulfilling his duties, or is he brewing another confrontation?
How do viewers in front of their screens view this confrontation?
These are all problems we have to face right now.
The door was pushed open, and a smell of old wood and dust wafted out.
Light streamed in obliquely from the high-rise skylight, cutting out streaks of light and shadow on the piled-up clutter.
"We're here, this is it, the broom... is up there."
The squad leader pointed to the top shelf, his voice ringing out clearly in the empty room.
Looks like we'll have to find something to step on.
Chu Kong fixed his gaze on the corner of the storage room, where several spare tables and chairs were piled up.
"Heave-ho—" Chu Kong used quite a bit of strength to move a chair down and slowly place it in front of the shelf.
"Class monitor, could you help me out? I'm worried the chair might be unstable." Chu Kong stared at the class monitor, trying to guess her reaction.
The chair legs made a slight dragging sound on the concrete floor.
The squad leader did as instructed, reaching out to hold onto the back of the chair, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force.
The two were very close, and Chu Kong could even smell the faint floral and fruity scent of her hair, which was probably from shampoo.
He stepped onto the chair and stretched out his hand—
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the broom handle, the squad leader's voice came from below, very soft, with just the right amount of hesitation:
"Um, Chu Kong."
coming.
"What's wrong, class monitor?" Chu Kong stood on the chair, his hand hovering in the air for a second before he firmly grasped the broom and took it down.
He jumped off the chair, dusted off his hands, and then looked directly at the class monitor.
"I haven't had a chance to tell Chu Kong my name yet. My name is Ning Wantang."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Squad Leader Ning," Chu Kong said with a smile.
"You don't need to call me class monitor anymore, my classmates all call me Tangtang." Ning Wantang shyly twirled a strand of hair from her temple around her fingers.
Chu Kong finally managed to get the broom off the shelf and dusted off his hands.
"If I'm not mistaken, Li Lingchuang is causing trouble for me because of you, Tangtang, right?"
"How did you know?" Ning Wantang was taken aback when Chu Kong revealed what she found difficult to say, and asked in return.
"It's actually quite easy to deduce," Chu Kong said calmly. "I'm new here, and even if I'm not pleasing to the eye, it shouldn't warrant him targeting me like this."
Therefore, I must have made Li very unhappy in some way.
After much thought, the only thing that could upset him was the label "Tangtang's deskmate."
Teenagers in puberty don't always act rationally.
For Chu Kong, this was a reasonably plausible explanation.
But for this show, this is a necessary patch.
Chu Kong silently sorted things out in his mind.
Ning Wantang was somewhat surprised as she listened to Chu Kong's analysis.
This is actually not a difficult conclusion to reach.
What surprised her was not the conclusion itself, but Chu Kong's effortless and composed demeanor.
Ultimately, Chu Kong is still a minor.
Less than five minutes have passed since the incident occurred.
For ordinary people their age, such a short time is not enough for them to recover from this trouble.
Nine times out of ten, people are drawn to the events themselves and fail to step back from the events to consider the underlying logic.
Therefore, in Ning Wantang's view, the thoughts of an ordinary person at this time should be resentment at the injustice they have suffered, dissatisfaction with the unexpected disaster they have encountered, and even confrontation with Li Lingchuang.
Before Ning Wantang could speak, Chu Kong continued, "But Tangtang, you don't need to blame yourself too much. It's only natural to be jealous. I can't blame Tangtang for being too popular, can I?"
Hearing this, Ning Wantang gave Chu Kong a reproachful look: "Don't joke with me."
Her face was already flushed, revealing a youthful naiveté.
Chu Kong didn't reply immediately. Instead, he raised his eyes and calmly locked his gaze on Ning Wantang, as if waiting for an answer that had already been prepared.
Then, in a voice devoid of emotion, he asked, "So, Tangtang... what are your thoughts?"
This is a double entendre, and also a test.
It could be thoughts about Li Lingchuang, thoughts about Chu Kong's experience, or even more...
As expected, upon hearing Chu Kong's question, Ning Wantang's pupils contracted as if she had been stung by a bright light. She quickly waved her hand, and even her speech became faster: "I didn't have that kind of thought."
Ring ring ring—
The school bell rang at just the right moment.
"Class has started, let's go quickly." Ning Wantang seemed to be rescued. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk outside.
Like a frantic fawn, it fled the storage room as if escaping.
No one knows whether her answer was also a double entendre.
Chu Kong took a deep breath and followed Ning Wantang's steps.
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The morning classes flew by, and apart from the necessary business conversations, Chu Kong didn't have any further interaction with the other students.
As soon as get out of class ended, he would lie on his desk, and no matter who tried to talk to him, he would look apologetic and say he was feeling unwell.
However, Chu Kong didn't listen to a single word of the lesson. Right now, all he could think about was how to deal with the production company's next move.
His idea was that, before making thorough preparations, the simplest approach was to avoid all possible traps.
"It's lunchtime, Chu Kong. Let me take you to the cafeteria," Ning Wantang said, patting Chu Kong who was still in a daze.
During these breaks, she would ask Chu Kong with concern if he needed help or to buy medicine, but Chu Kong declined each time.
"No, Tangtang, I don't have much of an appetite, and I'm going to the convenience store to buy something. You go and eat by yourself."
Chu Kong forced a smile onto his pale face, then left the classroom alone, leaving Tangtang behind him looking at him with a worried expression.
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Yulan Middle School does not restrict students from entering or leaving the campus at noon.
Chu Kong walked for more than ten minutes and arrived at the store where he had bought the glass water cup in the morning. He then spent fifteen yuan to buy the same water cup again.
But looking at the 124 yuan in his account, he couldn't help but sigh.
He cannot easily use the money left to him by his benefactor.
In this play, he is just a poor child who receives ordinary financial aid, which is distributed monthly and not all at once.
As for the subsidized meals at the cafeteria, he has no plans to eat there now.
After putting himself in the production company's shoes, he realized that the possibility of the production company setting a trap for him there was extremely high.
Until he could come up with a foolproof solution, he was prepared to stay away from that "dangerous area".
After hesitating for a long time in the store, he chose to buy a large bread worth two yuan. It had a rough texture and only a slight salty and sweet taste, but it was big enough.
Just as he finished paying, a familiar, cute voice, tinged with weariness, rang out: "Boss, a pack of 'Nine Heavens' tea, please."