The Slacker Academic Always Gets Caught (SLACKER)
After cooling his face with the frozen bayberries for a while, Chi Ning soon started the billiard table. He played while eating, his cheeks occasionally puffing out on one side.
Like a little squirrel storing food.
Zhang Qiuwen looked dazed.
He'd known Qin Heng for years, yet Qin Heng had never brought him any treats. How long had he known Chi Ning? He was already giving away profitable frozen bayberries for free.
Was this the legendary "beauty clouding judgment"?
Qin Heng shot Zhang Qiuwen a glance. "Had enough staring? There aren't many customers now—go practice. The competition's in just over a month. If you don't place, I won't be sharing any prize money with you."
Zhang Qiuwen knew his skills weren't as good as Qin Heng's, but the gap wasn't that wide.
Qin Heng didn't really want him to practice—he just didn't want people staring at Chi Ning.
Zhang Qiuwen's thoughts wandered.
Was the "first smiling face that comes to mind" his brother had mentioned, perhaps Chi Ning's?
Distractedly observing, Zhang Qiuwen noticed Chi Ning had already finished his frozen bayberries and was now drinking the bayberry juice.
The bayberry juice was also ice-cold, causing condensation to form on the bottle after being exposed to the air. Just touching it left his hands wet, making it impossible to eat and play at the same time.
He had no choice but to go to the counter to buy tissues.
Just as he took out his money, two new customers walked in, looking to open a table.
Qin Heng finished the necessary procedures for opening a table and was about to lead them to the billiard table when he noticed Chi Ning’s damp hands. He tilted his chin toward the counter and said, "Tissues are two yuan a pack. Brother Xu left them at the counter—help yourself. I’ll go set up the table."
Zhang Qiuwen felt conflicted, wondering if he had overthought things.
Qin Heng had such high emotional intelligence and strong initiative—if he liked someone, he’d definitely pursue them himself. There was no way he’d let someone pay for tissues out of their own pocket.
Tissues weren’t expensive anyway.
But… maybe… Qin Heng just hadn’t realized his feelings yet?
After wiping his hands, Chi Ning tossed the crumpled tissue into the trash. Just then, another group of customers walked into the billiards hall.
He glanced back at Qin Heng, who was still helping the other customers set up the balls, and Zhang Qiuwen, who seemed completely out of it. He kindly reminded them, "Wait here for a moment. The owner isn’t around—I’ll go call a staff member for you."
The man at the front of the group wore loose casual clothes and his hair slicked back with wax. He was also being accessorized with the latest trendy pieces.
His gaze lingered on Chi Ning for a moment before he raised a hand to stroke his chin. "What about you? Aren’t you on duty? Do you take playing partner requests?"
Zhang Qiuwen, who had been keeping an eye on Chi Ning, immediately snapped out of his daze and stepped forward. "He’s a customer. I’ll help you set up."
The man took one look at Zhang Qiuwen’s rugged face and immediately averted his eyes, opting to "rinse" them by staring at Chi Ning instead.
Chi Ning smiled at him.
The man instantly looked away as his face flushing red.
Zhang Qiuwen: "…"
Maybe it’s better if Qin Heng never figures it out.
Otherwise, it's hard to say whether his head will be black or green in the future.
Chi Ning’s smile was too sweet, too charming.
After Qin Heng finished setting up the table, he walked over to the blushing customer and gave him a glance. “Want a Playing Partner?”
The man was utterly dazzled by Chi Ning’s smile. “Yes…”
Qin Heng said, “Ten yuan an hour. Both of us are available. Want one or both?”
The man: …
I’m not here for a tough-guy Playing Partner!
He cast a longing look at Chi Ning. “No need, we have enough people. Let’s just start.”
Qin Heng felt a little regretful.
What a shame. If the man had hired a Playing Partner, he could’ve openly traumatized him.
Chi Ning paid no attention to their exchange, too preoccupied with the last black ball on the billiard table.
The black ball was in a tricky position. No matter how he looked at it, there was no clear path for a one-shot pocket.
Standing for so long was tiring, so Chi Ning grabbed his cue and sank into the sofa in the rest area while staring at the table as his mind raced through calculations.
Ten minutes later, he stood up, found an angle, and forcefully struck the cue ball with his cue.
After the cue ball hit the black ball, the black ball shot straight into the cushion, then rebounded to the other side. At this rate, even three cushion hits might not send it into the pocket.
The people who had come with the man burst into laughter.
One of them, a student-looking boy, snorted. “Thought he was so good.”
As he spoke, he stole a glance at the man who had been blushing at Chi Ning earlier.
Seeing the man still lost in thought, the boy pursed his lips in frustration.
He chalked his cue tip and walked up to Chi Ning. “That ball’s definitely not going in.”
Chi Ning said, “Not necessarily.”
“How is it not? With that force, after three cushion hits, the ball’s momentum will die out and stop.”
Their exchange was rapid.
Just as the boy finished speaking, the black ball came to a halt.
The boy lifted his chin smugly. “See? I was right. You just don’t know how to play. Sitting there staring for so long and still—”
His voice cut off abruptly.
The black ball had stopped, but the cue ball was still moving. Because the two balls had slightly different speeds, the cue ball ended up hitting the black ball again after it had stopped.
It went in.
Chi Ning smiled at the boy. “See? I told you it wasn’t certain. No one said the cue ball can’t hit the object ball twice.”
He was about to bend down and retrieve the ball to reset it when Qin Heng stepped in to handle the task for him.
Chi Ning murmured a quiet thanks.
Gu Zhe’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately turned to look at his senior, only to feel his heart sink when he noticed the man’s gaze fixed on Chi Ning.
He had pursued his senior for over seven years. Because his senior liked youthful-looking boys, he styled himself accordingly. Because his senior loved playing pool, he practiced relentlessly.
The more Gu Zhe thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. His eyes welled up. “I’m Gu Zhe. I want to challenge you!”
“No.” Chi Ning was afraid he’d make him cry.
Gu Zhe stomped his foot before blurting out, “You just got lucky earlier! Otherwise, why wouldn’t you dare to compete?”
“Gu Zhe, stop making a scene,” the man who had been watching them said coldly.
Gu Zhe’s eyes widened in anger.
Holding back tears, he put down his cue with a shaky breath and ran out of the billiards hall.
Chi Ning: …
Still cried.
Such a childish temper.
He played another round by himself, and when Gu Zhe still hadn’t returned, he walked to the entrance to take a look.
Gu Zhe was pitifully crouched on the steps outside the billiards hall. The scorching sun outside had drenched his back in sweat, his thin imitation uniform sticking to his skin.
The heels of the boy's shoes bore a master-crafted nameplate in what looked like Latin, and he wore an expensive watch on his wrist—clearly someone from wealth or privilege, standing out starkly from the group he was with.
Chi Ning searched his memory for the surname Gu but came up with nothing significant.
Whatever. This little lovestruck fool looked pitiful enough. Despite his earlier anger, he hadn’t thrown his cue—good manners at least.
Chi Ning bought the cheapest bottle of ice water and walked over to crouch beside Gu Zhe. "Go back inside. It's too hot out here—you'll get heatstroke if you stay any longer."
He shoved the water toward him.
Gu Zhe didn’t want to take it, but the bottle was so refreshingly cold that once he grabbed it, he couldn’t let go. He looked up at Chi Ning’s face—exactly the type his senior liked and better-looking than him.
Gu Zhe hugged the bottle and gulped down half of it in one go, exhaling contentedly afterward. "I’d never normally drink something this cheap. Who knows if it’s even clean?"
Chi Ning: "..."
You just chugged half the bottle. That’s "not drinking it"?
Not the brightest, huh.
He held out his hand to Gu Zhe.
Gu Zhe glanced at the slender, pale fingers and neatly rounded nails, then discreetly wiped his sweaty palm on his pants before placing his hand in Chi Ning’s.
Once their hands touched, he peeked at Chi Ning and whispered, "I was rude earlier. I’m sorry. But I won’t give up my senior to you!"
Chi Ning laughed, figuring it’d save a lot of trouble to claim he liked someone else. So he lied, "What senior? I already have someone I like."
Gu Zhe cringed so hard he could’ve dug a hole with his toes.
Chi Ning led him back toward the billiards hall.
Before they could enter, they overheard someone inside say, "Why isn’t Gu Zhe back yet? Bro, maybe you should go talk to him?"
Both paused mid-step.
Another voice replied, "No need. It’s sweltering out—he’s probably hiding in some drink shop. He’ll come back on his own, same as always. He’s just being dramatic. Don’t worry, it’s not like we’re short on someone to foot the bill."
Hearing the familiar voice, Gu Zhe paled. He instinctively tightened his grip on Chi Ning’s hand before hastily letting go. "I—I’m not going in."
So his senior never liked him at all—he’d only brought him along because he could pay.
Chi Ning had lived two lifetimes. Even at his lowest, someone had always doted on him. He’d never been anyone’s fool.
Gu Zhe’s emotional intelligence was low, and his brain didn’t seem all that sharp either.
Pity stirred in him.
Chi Ning shifted from holding his hand to clasping it firmly. "Hello, I’m Chi Ning."
Gu Zhe startled and instinctively shook his hand in response.
Chi… the Chi family?
Chi Ning laid out the situation plainly. "If you leave now, will they cause trouble for you later?"
Gu Zhe shuddered.
He attended the same university as his senior. If he ran away today, rumors could easily spread against him on campus.
Chi Ning understood now. "Go back in. Sit on the sidelines—don’t play. When it’s time to pay, say you didn’t participate and won’t cover the bill."
He smiled. "The billiards hall has surveillance. If they try to argue or badmouth you later, just pull up the footage."
Gu Zhe’s eyes lit up. "We can use the video to throw it back in their faces!"
Now that he thought about all the money he’d spent on that senior, he felt disgusted.
That guy had kept stringing him along—never rejecting him outright, just using him as an ATM!
What "love of his life"? Just a disgusting scammer!
Lost in thought, Gu Zhe didn’t let go of Chi Ning’s hand even after they reentered the hall.
Zhang Qiuwen took one look and nearly passed out.
What did he say again?
If Brother Qin really likes Chi Ning, he might end up with a neon-green pasture on his head someday.
Who the hell can resist the usually expressionless, composed academic god smiling at you?
Who wouldn’t want that special treatment to be exclusively theirs?
Thankfully, he’s a straight-as-an-arrow guy.
Qin Heng stared at Chi Ning and Gu Zhe’s intertwined hands.
A sudden thought popped into his head:
Ten minutes unsupervised, and he’s already charmed another one. So soft-hearted—what if he gets tricked?
When Xu Jiahao returned from finalizing the business deal, he saw Qin Heng sternly collecting payment.
Qin Heng: "Sir, you’ve played for 6.5 hours, totaling 130 yuan. Beverages cost 79, and seven pairs of billiard gloves at 20 each make 140. The total is 349 yuan. Who’s paying?"
The man at the front glanced at Gu Zhe, who was hiding in the lounge area.
Gu Zhe turned his head away and, following Chi Ning’s instructions, rattled off: "I didn’t eat anything, didn’t play a single game, didn’t get any gloves, and even the water I drank was courtesy of Second Young Master Chi. The surveillance footage proves it—don’t treat me like a fool."
The man’s face tightened. He walked up to Gu Zhe, leaned down, and said, "Gu Zhe, be reasonable."
Gu Zhe panicked for a moment, then glanced at Chi Ning. Meeting those gentle, smiling eyes, he suddenly found his courage.
"What does your pride have to do with me? You knew I liked you, yet you strung me along for so long—why should I care about your dignity?"
Fueled by anger, his voice rose, drawing the attention of nearby customers.
The man’s face darkened. "Don’t you dare regret this!"
He and his friends pooled their money together, digging through their pockets until they turned them inside out and barely scraping together a 350. As they left, he shot Gu Zhe a fierce glare.
Gu Zhe pouted, growing more aggrieved the more he thought about it. Finally, he turned and threw himself into Chi Ning’s arms and burst into loud sobs.
"Seven years! I treated him so well, why? Wuwuwuwu—hic! Even if I’d raised a dog, it would’ve been loyal and developed feelings for me by now."
He hiccuped and kept sniffling as he buried his face in Chi Ning’s chest, then his brain short-circuiting as he mumbled, "Young Master Chi, you smell so nice."
Chi Ning stiffened, unsure where to put his hands.
Qin Heng’s lips twitched. This guy—just got dumped and was already trying to flirt with someone better to rebound seamlessly?
He knew Chi Ning would get fooled!
Qin Heng stepped forward, peeled Gu Zhe off Chi Ning, and shoved him aside. Casually, he smoothed out the wrinkles in Chi Ning’s clothes, then turned back to Gu Zhe with a challenging smirk, looking downright menacing.
But when he faced Chi Ning again, his expression softened and his tone breezy. "These clothes are expensive. Wrinkles don’t look good. Who knows what the paparazzi would write if they caught it? Want me to take you to get it ironed?"
Gu Zhe chewed on that for a second.
Damn! Wasn’t this textbook fishing-type considerate green tea behavior?
With his seven years of love brain experience, he swore this waiter had a thing for Second Young Master Chi!
But Second Young Master Chi already had someone he liked!
Gu Zhe thought Chi Ning was a good person. Summoning his courage under that murderous glare, he bravely stepped forward. "H-how can you just touch people like that? He already has someone he likes. You can’t do this."
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