Chapter 60 Tang Ruotong: I Used to Dislike You!

“If you decide to enroll at Tianfu University in the next few days, I, Song Qing, can personally request my mentor to vouch for you. No matter how you perform in the National College Competition, you’ll have a guaranteed spot at Tianfu!” Song Qing said.

“A guaranteed admission, huh? If only I’d had that kind of privilege in my previous life,” Wang Chen mused inwardly.

“Thank you for your generous offer, Leader Song. I’ll need a little more time to consider,” Wang Chen replied.

“I’ll be awaiting your good news,” Song Qing said, handing Wang Chen a business card. After a few more pleasantries and compliments, she took her leave with her group.

Wang Chen and Long Wushuang walked out shoulder to shoulder.

“Well done, Chenzi! Looks like you don’t even need to bother with the college competition anymore,” the chubby one said with a sly wink.

“I haven’t decided whether I’ll go or not,” Wang Chen replied.

“Tianfu University is a great choice. Sichuan has amazing food, and the place is crawling with beautiful girls.”

“Hey, is that really your priority?” Wang Chen laughed and scolded him. “Can’t you think about something else for once? If you keep being such a glutton and a flirt, no matter how strong your Archer class is, it won’t save you from ending up a couch potato.”

“What’s so bad about becoming a couch potato?” Long Wushuang shrugged indifferently. “By the way, Chenzi, is the reason you didn’t pick a storage ring today because you already have one?”

“Yeah.” Wang Chen nodded and held up his finger to show it.

“I knew it! I was wondering why you never brought the Forest Gale with you. I thought maybe you didn’t realize how useful the Virtual Realm was and saw no need to carry it around.”

Long Wushuang eyed the storage ring curiously. “How much space does it have?”

“Ten cubic meters.”

“Damn! My dad only got me a five-cubic-meter one, said kids don’t have much to carry anyway.” Long Wushuang was practically green with envy.

“I got lucky; it dropped while I was farming monsters. Next time we get the chance, I’ll help you get one,” Wang Chen said with a smile. He knew that although Long Wushuang’s father was wealthy, he was stingy with his son, hoping to teach him thrift.

It was probably thanks to that upbringing that Long Wushuang hadn’t turned into a pampered rich kid, and he and Wang Chen had become such close friends.

The two walked along the street, chatting idly as they headed in the same direction.

“Aren’t you curious how I managed to solo clear the Silver Peak dungeon?” Wang Chen suddenly asked. “I mean, I’m just a support class. Most people would find that pretty odd, right?”

“Of course I’m curious. But I get the feeling it’s an important secret. If you don’t want to say, I won’t ask. I’ll wait until you want to tell me,” Long Wushuang replied with a grin.

“Come on! Fatty, don’t suddenly act like some caring big sister. That’s terrifying!” Wang Chen made a face.

He nodded. “Truth is, I’m not sure how to explain it yet. Let me think it over, and when I’m ready, I’ll tell you.”

“Mhm.”

Long Wushuang replied absentmindedly, but suddenly his eyes lit up at the sight of a fried chicken shop by the road.

“C’mon, Chenzi! I’ll treat you to some chicken!” Long Wushuang grinned, drawing out the last word with a playful twang.

Before Wang Chen could react, he had already dashed into the shop.

“If I don’t keep you in line for three days, you start tearing the house apart! Wait till your godfather sorts you out!” Wang Chen called after him.

He didn’t hurry inside, but stood by the glass door, watching Long Wushuang’s back. In a soft voice, he murmured, “Thanks, brother.”

…

After a hearty meal with Long Wushuang, they parted ways at the roadside.

Wang Chen walked home alone.

As he reached the entrance to his alley, he spotted a girl sitting under his building from afar.

Drawing closer, he realized it was a classmate.

“Tang Ruotong? What are you doing here?”

Tang Ruotong stood up. “I came to see you. There’s something I’d like to discuss.”

Wang Chen was puzzled. Though they were classmates, they’d never really interacted.

Still, since she’d come all this way, it would be rude to leave her standing outside.

“Let’s go up and talk,” Wang Chen said, leading her into the stairwell. Tang Ruotong followed.

The tenement building in the slums wasn’t tall—self-built, three or four stories at most. They quickly reached Wang Chen’s floor.

“Come in,” Wang Chen said, unlocking the door and letting her inside. “You can sit on the bed.”

Tang Ruotong glanced around with the corner of her eye. It was her first time in a male classmate’s home, and she felt a little awkward.

Wang Chen let her settle for a moment, then went next door to borrow a glass.

When he returned, he picked up the kettle from behind the door, rinsed the glass with hot water, and poured her a cup of warm water.

“Sorry, I don’t have much to offer you,” Wang Chen said.

“No, I’m the one imposing,” Tang Ruotong replied quietly, eyes downcast.

“How did you know where I live?” Wang Chen asked curiously.

“I went to the class committee. You have to fill out your home address to receive the scholarship, and she had the records.”

“What? She just told you that easily?” Wang Chen protested.

“She didn’t agree at first. I said graduation was coming up, and that I’d liked you for three years and wanted to confess to you. That’s when she told me,” Tang Ruotong replied.

“What?” That move almost made Wang Chen pull a muscle.

Did you really say it so flatly when you asked her? Wouldn’t she suspect you were out for revenge, not a confession?

He pulled a small stool out from under the bed and sat beside Tang Ruotong. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I’d like to team up with you in the National College Competition,” Tang Ruotong said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Wang Chen frowned. “Why? I mean, I’m just a Life Shaman—a pretty mediocre class. Why would you want to team up with me?”

“I thought your class was pretty strong?” he asked.

Tang Ruotong looked at him. “The first time I leveled up, I reached Level 7.”

“You’re impressive, then.”

“That’s only because, after you left that day, I finished off a bunch of Six-Tailed Venomous Centipedes,” Tang Ruotong said. She stood up on the bed, hugged her knees, and crouched to meet his gaze.

“You don’t have to hide it from me. I saw your back that day. If I was hesitant before, after you broke the Virtual Realm record today, I’m certain you’re the one I saw.”

“Wait, you were at the City Research Center today?” Wang Chen hadn’t expected their paths to cross yet again.

“Classmate Tang, I should remind you, following people is a bad habit,” Wang Chen joked.

Tang Ruotong stared at him, unblinking, ignoring his attempt to deflect. “Will you agree?”

He smiled wryly, “Let’s just sit on the bed and talk. This posture is too awkward.” Wang Chen stood up.

Once they were both seated on the bed, Wang Chen stared at his toes. “So, just because of those two things, you want to team up with me?”

“I mean, shouldn’t you team up with someone you truly connect with, someone you can trust to fight back-to-back?”

“In three years of high school, we’ve barely...” Wang Chen searched for the words. “Never mind, there’s no way to spin it.”

He looked at Tang Ruotong. “I doubt we’ve spoken twenty sentences to each other in these three years. I even thought you might have a communication disorder.”

Tang Ruotong turned her face aside, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t talk to you much before because I used to dislike you.”