NANSO Chapter 3

TL: Hua

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The next morning, when Xie Yu got up to wash, Shen Ci had already left.

Before leaving, he put the scattered props back in place, took his jacket from the sofa, and left the room spotless, as if he hadn’t been there the night before.

Xie Yu, toothbrush in mouth, flipped through the hotel’s breakfast brochure and casually asked, “Doesn’t the Young Master require Shen Ci to stay and have breakfast?”

The system said, “The Young Master can’t get up, and Shen Ci has an early meeting and has to go to the lab. You can check the contract; their contract time doesn’t include the morning.”

Xie Yu nodded.

He hadn’t been a good student in school, skipping morning readings whenever possible. He had a mediocre grade, competing for the last spot with problematic kids in the back rows. In his early years, he’d even worn earrings and ridden motorcycles. In short, he was not in the same league as a serious academic god like Shen Ci.

He quickly skimmed the contract, then tossed the brochure onto the sofa, and asked the system, “Do we have any plans for today?”

“Yes,” the system replied, looking through the novel. “There’s a car race today.”

The original owner was a top-tier second-generation rich kid who played quite ostentatiously. Besides various unspeakable special hobbies, he also enjoyed car racing.

Xie Yu nodded: “What are the key mission nodes?”

“First, you need to bring Shen Ci to the race, tell your circle that you’ve hooked up with him, and have… uh, physical contact with him in front of your close friends.”

At the ambiguous description, Xie Yu knew it was censored content again.

But censorship was also where he could manipulate the actions.

Xie Yu nodded: “Anything else?”

“Similarly, you need to make the protagonist feel humiliated and uneasy. The mission points are: declare ownership, verbal teasing, forced physical contact, and insult.”

The plot points of abusive novels were always similar. Xie Yu nodded, indicating he understood. The car race was scheduled for 2:30 PM, just enough time after lunch, within the agreed-upon time frame.

He called Shen Ci: “Okay, I’ll tell the protagonist.”

—

In the laboratory, Shen Ci took off his gloves and turned on the water tap.

The lab gloves were made of rubber, non-breathable, and tightly encased his skin for several hours. Now, taking them off, a thin layer of sweat covered his knuckles. Under the lab’s overhead lights, it shone against his pale skin, like porcelain covered in glaze.

Shen Ci let the water run over his fingers, then wiped them with a towel. At this moment, his phone vibrated slightly in his pocket, the screen lighting up. Shen Ci paused but didn’t answer. Instead, he thoroughly cleaned his hands, then looked up at Li Yue and Han Yunyun: “Remember to monitor the temperature of the incubator, record experimental data every twenty minutes, and if anything goes wrong, please contact me immediately.”

These two were his junior lab mates, freshmen who had just joined this year, so many procedures were unclear to them. They nodded like chickens pecking rice: “Okay, Senior Shen.”

Shen Ci waved his hand and asked them to do their own things. Han Yunyun took two steps and then turned back: “Oh, right, Senior, there’s a meeting next week. The professor wants you to attend.”

Shen Ci nodded.

Li Yue added, “Our advisor said this meeting is quite important and told you to dress nicely.”

Shen Ci paused, his expression unreadable: “Hmm.”

He didn’t have many good clothes.

Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated again. Han Yunyunted and said, “Senior Brother, you have a call.”

Shen Ci glanced at the caller ID, stopping his movement the moment he recognized the name. The bright blue phone screen reflected in his pupils, like a deep, cold pool.

Han Yunyun, watching from the side, cautiously said, “Senior Brother?”

Shen Ci turned off his phone, his expression still cold and devoid of emotion, only saying, “Something came up; I’m going out for a bit.”

With that, without waiting for Han Yunyun to respond, he pushed open the glass partition door and quickly walked out into the corridor, disappearing from view.

Han Yunyun watched him leave, murmuring, “Senior Brother seems strange today.” What’s so urgent that he can’t tell us? In the past, he would always give us a heads-up about student affairs activities or meetings.”

Shen Ci really couldn’t tell them.

The weather today was gloomy and misty, as if it were going to rain, yet he detoured all the way out of the building, waiting until the lab windows were far behind him, where Li Yue and Han Yunyun wouldn’t be able to hear any sounds, before he opened his phone.

Two missed calls, both from Xie Yu.

According to Young Master Xie’s temper, if a call rang three times unanswered, it was an unforgivable sin.

Shen Ci stood at the entrance of the lab building, his lips pressed into a straight line. He didn’t want to call back, but the screen already lit up again.

“Hello,” Young Master Xie’s leisurely voice came through: “Why aren’t you answering my calls?”

Shen Ci: “…I was doing an experiment, didn’t hear it.”

Xie Yu chuckled, “Really doing an experiment or pretending?”

Shen Ci lowered his gaze: “…Really.”

Not answering the phone because of a busy experiment was certainly not a good excuse, but Young Master Xie wanted to make things difficult for him, so he didn’t need excuses anyway.

However, Xie Yu was just asking casually. After a brief greeting, he opened the novel and read out the lines to Shen Ci: “I have a car race in the suburbs. You’re coming with me. I’ll pick you up at the lab building at 2 in the afternoon.”

The original owner was always this high-handed and entitled. He wouldn’t ask Shen Ci if he had time or if it was convenient; he would just say he was coming, and Shen Ci had to wait.

Fortunately, there were only routine experiments in the afternoon, no important meetings. If he hurried in the morning, he could finish before leaving.

In those few seconds of his pause, Xie Yu added, “Answer me.”

Shen Ci could only say, “Okay.”

Then the other party hung up.

Shen Ci showed no expression, put away his phone, and walked towards the lab. When he reached the end of the corridor, through a layer of misty frosted glass, he suddenly slowed his steps and paused at the door.

On the other side of the wall, Li Yue and Han Yunyun were gossiping.

Both were new students, fresh and energetic, especially Han Yunyun, who loved to read gossip on the school forum. In just two months, she had a clear understanding of the school’s prominent figures. Every time Shen Ci returned to the lab, he could hear her and Li Yue chatting about which department and class had handsome guys, which counselor and professor were together, and so on.

But this time, the subject of the gossip was a bit special.

Han Yunyun: “By the way, did you see that Bentley that came to pick up Senior Shen the other day?”

The day Xie Yu had someone force Shen Ci to get a physical examination, his subordinate drove a Bentley to the school.

The original owner disliked old-fashioned business cars like Bentleys; he preferred flashy luxury sports cars. But his subordinate didn’t drive the young master’s favorite cars, only a Bentley.

Li Yue recognized the car’s brand: “I saw it. I think it was a Bentley Bentayga, a car worth over three million yuan.”

He mumbled, “But doesn’t Senior Shen come from a poor family and rely entirely on scholarships? He barely orders meat at the cafeteria, almost completely vegetarian. Does he have friends who drive such nice cars?”

Han Yunyun: “Speaking of which, there’s a rumor on the forum that Young Master Xie from the Xie family…”

Gossip spread fastest in schools, and Xie Yu was always ostentatious. Many rich kids in Jiangcheng recognized his car, and there were quite a few at A University. Someone had seen the license plate of that Bentley, and through speculation, some rumors had already surfaced on the forum.

Han Yunyun said a few sentences, and Li Yue was startled by something, his voice raising: “No way, Senior Shen is so aloof, how could he…”

Just then, the door lock clicked.

This sound was like a death knell. Both of them trembled simultaneously, and silence fell inside the room.

Shen Ci pushed the door open and entered. He didn’t look at his junior lab mates. He stood at the lab bench, putting on his gloves again. His slender fingers were encased in rubber, faintly showing the outlines of his knuckles: “Did you record the data from before?”

Han Yunyun’s heart pounded: “Re…recorded.”

She secretly tried to read Shen Ci’s expression, and seeing his calm face, she boldly, awkwardly asked, “Se…Senior Brother? When did you come back?”

Shen Ci’s expression was cold: “Just now.”

He didn’t continue the topic, instead taking out and categorizing the reagents he needed to use, then adding, “I need to go out at two o’clock this afternoon. I’ll finish my work in the morning. You two can keep watch in the afternoon.”

“Huh?” Li Yue hesitated: “Finish in the morning?”

Han Yunyun also said, “That’s a lot of work, Senior Brother. Do you have time for lunch?”

Shen Ci didn’t even look up: “Yeah.”

The atmosphere became heavy for a moment, and no one spoke again.

After lunch, Han Yunyun and Li Yue left one after another. Shen Ci finished the experiment just in time. Looking at his watch, there were still ten minutes left before 2pm.

The sky was gloomy, and through the glass window, the distant view was dark and oppressive. The air was thick with the smell of moisture, making the lab feel stuffy. Looking at the sky, it seemed like a heavy rain was about to fall.

Shen Ci pressed his throbbing forehead. Not eating lunch combined with low blood sugar made him dizzy. But he didn’t want to face the consequences if he fainted in front of Xie Yu.

After a moment of hesitation, he still went to the school’s supermarket and bought a cheap chocolate bar.

It was just after lunch, and students were buying snacks in groups, so there were quite a few people at the checkout. By the time he paid and came out, there were only three minutes left.

Xie Yu’s text message arrived just in time: “I’m downstairs.”

For Xie Yu, arriving three minutes early to an agreed destination was basic courtesy. If he wasn’t afraid of violating his persona, he would usually arrive ten minutes early. But for Shen Ci, this felt more like a signal of the Young Master’s dissatisfaction.

He clutched the small chocolate bar in his palm and took a shortcut back, a path rarely used that led through the school’s birch forest. Halfway there, a strong wind suddenly picked up, making the birches rustle.

Autumn weather changes especially quickly; it’s often sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. The dark clouds had gathered for so long, then were slashed open by a silvery flash of lightning. The next second, before Shen Ci could react, the downpour arrived as expected.

It was late summer, early autumn, and this rain was quite cold.

He had no umbrella and nowhere to hide, getting soaked from head to toe. Rainwater dripped down his shirt, and the fabric clung to his body.

His phone vibrated again. Xie Yu asked, “It’s raining, where are you?”

Shen Ci didn’t have time to think much. He quickly walked to the lab building and, sure enough, saw a metallic gray Bentley parked downstairs. It had a waterfall grille, two rows of matrix headlights, and small windows. Young Master Xie sat in the driver’s seat, resting his forehead on one hand, a lollipop in his mouth, scanning the passing crowd through the glass, seeming very impatient.

The original owner smoked; Xie Yu didn’t, so he was sucking on a lollipop to maintain the persona.

It was exactly two o’clock, also the time for students to return to the lab. The building was bustling with people. Li Yue and Han Yunyun walked over from the dormitory side, recognizing Shen Ci from afar. Han Yunyun was startled to see Shen Ci looking so disheveled: “Senior Brother, don’t you have an umbrella?”

Before she finished speaking, the Bentley’s car door unlocked, and Xie Yu rolled down the window halfway.

Shen Ci was caught between them, his whole body stiff with cold.

Xie Yu didn’t recognize Li Yue or Han Yunyun: “Why are you standing there? Aren’t you cold? Get in.”

Shen Ci pursed his lips, not responding to Li Yue and Han Yunyun, and got into the car in front of them.

Once he was inside, Xie Yu closed the window, leaving a crack for air, and asked, “What happened?”

Shen Ci was soaking wet, his face pale, his lips blue. Rainwater streamed down his hair, and his clothes clung to his body, making him look rather pitiful.

Xie Yu only glanced at him before looking away.

His wet shirt clinging to him perfectly outlined his waist, the curve of his lower back smooth and beautiful, perfect for being held and played with in one’s palm. The fabric of his clothes was also sheer, revealing and concealing, creating a seductive “half-covered pipa” look. Xie Yu’s glance caught everything, intended or not.

He coughed, “How did you get yourself into such a state?”

Shen Ci: “The rain suddenly poured down.”

Through the glass, he looked out the window. Li Yue and Han Yunyun were still standing rigidly in front of the lab building, hesitating whether to come up and ask.

Xie Yu grunted, reached out, and twisted open the front storage compartment, saying, “Your shirt is soaked; take it off first.”

Last night, Shen Ci was coughing just from the air conditioning. If he wore wet clothes the whole way, Xie Yu wouldn’t need to go to the car race; he’d just send him to the hospital.

As soon as the words fell, Shen Ci suddenly froze, looking over in disbelief. His body was tense, his fingernails almost digging into his flesh. He stared at Xie Yu in silence for a long time.

Xie Yu continued to search: “What’s wrong?”

Shen Ci said hoarsely, “Here?”

“Huh?” His voice was too small for Xie Yu to hear clearly. He continued rummaging through the storage compartment, as if reaching for something deep inside.

Shen Ci paused for a long time, then looked up, flustered.

Through the thin layer of glass, people came and went outside the lab building. Young men and women moved through the campus, talking and laughing, as if in a different world from the car.

Shen Ci stared blankly out the window. Li Yue and Han Yunyun were still under the eaves. Han Yunyun held an umbrella, and Li Yue had pulled out a towel, presumably to bring it to him, which he’d prepared for their afternoon ball game.

The glass was one-way, but the rear window had a ventilation gap. If the two changed their angle, they could see into the car.

Shen Ci lowered his gaze.

The car was eerily silent, with only the sound of Xie Yu rummaging through things.

In the silent standoff, Shen Ci seemed to recall something. His face turned pale, almost green, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably. After a moment, seeing that Xie Yu had no intention of backing down, he silently reached for his buttons, one by one… His pale skin was exposed to the air, covered in fine goosebumps.

When only a few buttons remained, with his shirt hung precariously on his body, Shen Ci closed his eyes completely.

But the next moment, something soft and heavy enveloped him, covering him completely.

Shen Ci was startled and instinctively reached out, grabbing a handful of something fluffy.

It was a thick blanket.

Xie Yu turned the air conditioning to full blast, pulled a fleece blanket from the storage compartment, and draped it over Shen Ci’s head. “Quick, wipe yourself. How am I supposed to take you out to see people like this?”

This was the original owner’s tone.

Shen Ci remained silent, as if he hadn’t reacted. His wet hair clung to his ears, and he peered out of the fluffy blanket, his eyes fixed on Xie Yu, looking a little confused.

Xie Yu said, “What are you waiting for? Wipe yourself dry!”

The physical examination report for Shen Ci had truly scared him. It was no exaggeration to say that with Shen Ci’s constitution, a cold could quickly turn into pneumonia, then lead to hospitalization, the ICU, and, in severe cases, directly to the crematorium. Xie Yu would act out scenes where the plot specifically indicated, but he wouldn’t dare let the protagonist get cold in places the novel didn’t mention.

Seeing that Shen Ci wasn’t moving, Xie Yu simply took the blanket and ruffled it through his soaking wet hair.

Outside the window, Han Yunyun entered the laboratory. She turned around and happened to glance through the gap, catching a glimpse of the scene inside the car.

On the spacious car seat, their senior sat in the passenger seat, tightly wrapped in a thick blanket, with only a small part of his head visible. In the driver’s seat was a tall, handsome young man. On his wrist was a Patek Philippe watch with a deep blue dial, which alone looked valuable. He casually pushed the watch up his wrist, holding a blanket with both hands, and leaned over to rub their senior’s head, drying his hair. His brown pupils reflected fragmented specks of light, and his smiling “peach blossom” eyes overflowed with warmth.

He actually looked quite gentle.