Chapter 100 - Sunscreen spray.
Disasterspeaks and liang lian stan (nice name), thank you for your Ko-Fis!
Since Kang Shengzhe was waiting for Little Sword Fairy to get to the main point, Little Sword Fairy stopped beating around the bush and sent a photo to him in the next second.
The photo quality could not be considered as clear, but it was possible to discern that it was taken at a wine party. Across a set of cutlery, there were two men smoking their cigarettes, and they had their heads lowered as they discussed something.
Jian Jian: — Do you see them, it’s Qiao Yishu and Zhang Xin.
Kang Shengzhe asked: — Sneak shot?
Jian Jian: — Since when did I do that? I used my phone to take the picture in an open and above-board manner, although someone might have suspected that I was taking a selfie.
Kang Shengzhe: — That makes a lot of sense.
He might be joking on the surface, but this was one of the rare instances where Kang Shengzhe was examining the photo seriously. From their faces alone, Kang Shengzhe was aware of who they were, but hearing their names sounded foreign because very few people called them Qiao Yishu and Zhang Xin in their normal settings. Instead, the two were called ‘Piaoluo’ and ‘Howling Wolf’ respectively when they were being addressed by their millions of fans.
The two of them were actually eating together at the same dinner table…
It was truly strange.
The fans might not be cognizant of it but the people within the small circle of anchors – Kang Shengzhe included, even though he was a person who infrequently partic.i.p.ated in these anchor get togethers – were well-aware that Piaoluo and Howling Wolf were like oil and water, attributing to the fact that they were both popular game anchors from MengMao TV which led to them confronting each other for a period of time.
However, who knew what kind of wind was blowing, such that it had brought the two of them together.
Jian Jian: — When a common enemy appears, even the two vicious dogs that most fear will also join hands.
Needless to say, the common enemy he was pointing at was Kang Shengzhe, who was yawning as he replied: — So melodramatic?
Little Sword Fairy laughed and spoke in a half-truthful manner: — If you changed it to anyone else, they would be red-eyed as well. Just think about it, after the live broadcast you had previously, the company has given you a lot of leeway, KK. You’ve broken your streaming schedule a few times in the past two months but you appear on the homepage recommendations twice more than Piaoluo does and your fan count has soared exponentially. And prior to this, Howling Wolf was the most popular anchor in MengMao, but who is the anchor with the most fans now? It’s you, Victor KK.
— To put it bluntly, you’re still a newcomer, and to gain such results so shortly after your debut, no old anchor can accept it, especially two individuals who have always protected their food, who probably have had renal problems for half of their lives.
Kang Shengzhe did not express an opinion and he allowed Little Sword Fairy to explain the matter in full before he said: — Are your eyes red?
Little Sword Fairy was startled for a moment when he was met with such an unexpected sentence. Then, he typed back: — Big Brother, 666.
Although he was young, his eyes were highly objective, poisonous and spicy concurrently. Yet, when it did not concern him, he was indolent as if he was a personnel that had nothing to do with the matter. His other aspects could be disregarded first; but when it came to his foresight and observation skills, Little Sword Fairy truly admired him for it.
— Truthfully speaking, if you ask me if I’m jealous or not, I’m definitely jealous. However, I’m well-aware of the situation in my heart; being jealous as an anchor is useless, it only counts if I become popular on my own merit. If I was going to have my own fire, I should have already experienced it after live broadcasting for so long.
Kang Shengzhe agreed and said: — Plastic surgery helps.
Jian Jian: — …….
Jian Jian: k2014; Go screw yourself.
He was only a few lines into a proper conversation before he was teased into laughter. Alas, Little Sword Fairy could only continue on: — Either way, that’s just how it is. Although I can’t be red, I can stand in line. When a man attains Tao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, no?
Kang Shengzhe: k2014; Self-proclaimed chicken and dog?
Jian Jian: k2014; What’s wrong with being a chicken and/or dog? If there’s food to eat, calling someone Daddy works too.
Kang Shengzhe: k2014; Transparent.
Jian Jian gave him a smug expression: k2014; Yup.
Kang Shengzhe: — Are you sure you want to stand with me?
Jian Jian: — Old brother, this is not the first or second day I’ve been standing with you.
Kang Shengzhe laughed and no longer spoke. Instead, it was Little Sword Fairy who warned him again and again with the greatest of care: — You have to be careful of black material. How many anchors have been beaten to death because of the Internet’s public opinion? The faster you achieve popularity, the quicker you die. You ought to take heed.
Kang Shengzhe: — Noted, I’m withdrawing.
What should be said has already been said and everyone understood what was being said. Little Sword Fairy replied with an expression pack that was proposing a toast to his oldest brother, and he was about to close his WeChat when Kang Shengzhe abruptly sent another message despite his status declaring he had already pulled out.
Kang Shengzhe stated: — Thank you.
Little Sword Fairy did not reply. He merely smirked, and everything went silent.
* * *
Even after receiving Little Sword Fairy’s early warning, it did not affect Kang Shengzhe’s daily life much. If he had to eat, he ate, if he needed water, he drank, but unfortunately, his days of lazing around did not last long. Ten days into his injury-induced holiday and when he had just regained his ability to talk, You Liangxing cancelled his leave and forced him back to school.
All his methods of coquetry and rolling about were for naught; You Liangxing remained firm. No matter how stinky and shameless he was, it all ended up in defeat, and it had to be said that You Liangxing’s serious appearance was so handsome that it had his hackles rising.
When Kang Shengzhe returned, most of the military training had pa.s.sed and it was currently at the tail end of the training. The first thing he did when he returned back to school was wear his military uniform and join the fresh green contingent.
As one of the few ‘acquaintances’ he had within the freshmen cohort, Liang Chulin was even considerate enough to fetch him to welcome him back.
Kang Shengzhe stared at the shorter boy who was approaching him for a few seconds. Then, he asked: “Who are you?’
Liang Chulin was so angry he almost shattered his teeth from the grit and he burned with anger. “Kang Shengzhe!”
It was no wonder why Kang Shengzhe frowned as he tried to identify him. After not seeing him for a few days, Liang Chulin’s appearance had changed drastically. His skin was three shades darker and when he scrunched his face together, he looked very similar to a small black monkey.
Sincerely, Kang Shengzhe said, “You’ve grown darker and you’ve become uglier.”
Liang Chulin: “……” Scram! To h.e.l.l with you, s.h.i.tty duck!
Once Liang Chulin saw Kang Shengzhe, his anger threatened to overspill, but what was more frustrating was this: not only was Kang Shengzhe taller than him, he was whiter than him now! Furthermore, it was not an ordinary white, it was a tender white!
Aren’t you embarra.s.sed to stay so white as a two-metre-tall man!
From one side, the line-up signal sounded and Liang Chulin hastily ran over to form a square array. Just as he took a few steps forward, he was surprised to find that Kang Shengzhe was following him with an ever-present lazy expression.
Urgency filled Liang Chulin’s voice. “What are you doing?”
Kang Shengzhe: “Lining up.”
It was unknown why Liang Chulin’s face convulsed as he said indignantly: “Are you joking?”
While Kang Shengzhe was taking a few days off, the square array that was planned according to cla.s.s had already been rearranged, and Kang Shengzhe was no longer a true ‘member that was not on the regular payroll’. Thinking that, Liang Chulin stared at him for a few seconds from where he stood before his lips suddenly hooked up and let out a strange laugh.
* * *
While the freshmen cohort had a large-scale military training at the sport field, the second- and third-year school seniors of both genders in the student union were not idle. The school had arranged for them to do inspections and on this hot and humid day, and none of them were willing to accompany the freshmen who were stuck in the sports field to suffer in the dry heat. As soon as the task was released, the student union started complaining.
Since no one wanted to do it, You Liangxing could only take it upon himself and Liao Su followed after him and volunteered, “The President and I will go.”
Just as the two of them stood up, every single person in the student union who seemed to be doing tasks that appeared out of nowhere, who were initially surrounded in an atmosphere that insisted that they would rather be beaten to death than move, went through a huge and sudden change, and it was one that stated that they would fight anyone who s.n.a.t.c.hed the position away from them.
Liao Su pursed his lips and gave You Liangxing a few looks, going from envy to jealousy, but within that loathing, there was a complex admiration.
Once the members were organised, they dispersed in accordance to the square array they were supposed to inspect and they went out of the student union room together with You Liangxing and Liao Su. However, unfortunately for the pair, You Liangxing was the sort of person that attracted the gazes and crowds wherever he went, and it did not matter if it was within the student union or outside of it.
Ever since he made the school opening speech, the sensation of having eyes fixed upon him had already become the norm.
But it was not the same as before. Prior to this, You Liangxing had an elevated and cold character design and everyone would only observe him from afar, but that distance and avoidance had been broken and there would always be someone coming up to greet him with every few steps they took on the road:
“h.e.l.lo, You-xuezhang,” they would say.
Which gave Liao Su’s joke a lot of credence— You Liangxing was less like a student union president and more like the successor of the princ.i.p.al.
… Even the princ.i.p.al was not as popular as him!
“We have enough inspectors, and we only need to walk around the west sports field. There are eight faculties gathered there alongside the national flag bearers.”
You Liangxing had a height of 1.85 metres and he was handsome in appearance. Back when he was a freshman, he had been the main flag bearer in the national flag team. With his straight waist and back, he made his own landscape as he stood at the helm. Hence, with such an existing connection, You Liangxing had some feelings for the national flag team.
However, what placed him in a slight predicament was that once the west sports field was brought up, You Liangxing’s first reaction was not to go and see the national flag team first; rather, he wanted to see the square array for the boys from the Liberal Arts College instead.
“Brother Liang, should we buy two bottles of water and bring it over?” Liao Su was thinking to himself, “Xiao Linzi and G.o.d K are over there, we can toss it to them as we’re pa.s.sing them by.”
If it was under normal circ.u.mstances, You Liangxing would definitely have said that it would be a bad influence, but You Liangxing actually nodded his head faintly this time around. When he was choosing the drinks, he deliberately picked one bottle of lemonade and cup of honeyed water.
Liao Su wondered out loud, “How did you know that Xiao Linzi loves drinking lemonade?”
You Liangxing gave him an odd look, and he wanted to counter with a question as to how Liao Su, someone who was known to be crude and careless, managed to notice a small detail like Liang Chulin’s preference for drinking lemonade.
Furthermore, Xiao Linzi…?
When did that nickname come about?
As if he read You Liangxing’s mind, Liao Su laughed and said: “I’m trying to hit on his sister, no? So I’m trying to get friendly with him.” As he spoke, he tried to slip the bottle of lemonade into his pocket. However, what was surprising was that it collided with something and the relatively small bottle of lemonade could not fit inside.
Liao Su lamented a little and he could only pull out the item from his pocket. Glancing at it, You Liangxing discovered that the culprit that was initially bulging up his pockets was a sunscreen spray which was best described as cute and delicate.
… Sunscreen spray?
Having been acquainted with each other for two years, You Liangxing had never seen the naturally tanned Liao Su use a sunscreen spray.
Liao Su smiled, “It’s for Xiao Linzi. He’s become awfully tanned these past few days and his skin got sunburned. He looked rather pathetic.”
You Liangxing hummed in response. Despite the lingering feeling that something was amiss, he did not pursue it. Then, just as he took two step forward, he suddenly asked: “Where did you buy it?”
Liao Su: “What?”
You Liangxing: “The sunscreen spray.”
Liao Su: “From the cosmetics shop beside the supermarket. Why are you asking, Brother Liang?”
Eyeing him calmly, You Liangxing did not say a word as he turned his feet towards the cosmetics store. A short while later, two men, both holding similar sunscreen sprays as well as a beverage, set out on a journey to inspect the west sports field.
As they walked past several faculties, Liao Su’s interest visibly heightened as they reached the Liberal Arts College section.
You Liangxing’s gaze unconsciously surveyed the square array for the boys from the Liberal Arts College first. And while his line of sight did not fall on its intended target, he noticed someone they were acquainted with at the side.
— Liang Chuhan.
In the end, Liang Chuhan did not join the school student union but chose to settle in the student union for her Liberal Arts College instead. Thus, both of their external task durations overlapped and it was not surprising for them to encounter each other at this time and place.
It was currently the hottest part of the afternoon. Liang Chuhan hadn’t brought an umbrella and how long she had been standing under the sun was unknown because the skin on both of her cheeks were faintly red.
Reasonably speaking, now was the most opportune moment for Liao Su to offer the sunscreen spray he had to brush up the good feelings she had for him, but unexpectedly, after the three had exchanged a few sentences, Liao Su did not take any action. Instead, his pair of eyes seemed to rove around their surroundings and it would always shift towards the boys in the Liberal Arts College.
The translator has the a few things to say: We’re at three digit chapters and 5/7 through, Jian Jian is a good bro, and–
I ship Liao Su and Liang Chulin OwO