The Slacker Academic Always Gets Caught (SLACKER)
Chi Ning’s teeth clenched, crushing the fragment of eggshell he had just bitten off.
He didn’t bother spitting it out. Instead, he chewed it and swallowed it.
This was already the third time Qin Heng had acted unusually. It was as if he had no recollection of their past life, yet traces of it seemed to linger faintly on him.
The cool evening breeze brushed past, leaving Chi Ning dazed.
Once could be an accident. Twice, a coincidence. But three times?
He was afraid.
Afraid that his rebirth and the beautiful life that followed were nothing but delusions—that in reality, he was lying in a hospital bed with tubes snaking through his body and his physical form struggling in sleep while his soul had escaped.
Dreams are extensions of memory; they cannot be entirely fabricated.
Everything that appears in a dream must have some anchor in reality. Some people even use dreams to fulfill regrets—like marrying a long-lost first love.
Chi Ning dug his nails into his palm, his heartbeat accelerating and his body stiffening.
A flood of theories raced through his mind, the words tangling around him like quicksand.
Don’t panic.
Chi Ning steeled himself and looked around. There was at least one person here he had never met before—Sun Boxing’s father, Sun Bowen.
In his past life, by the time he’d heard of this man, Sun Bowen had already left the pharmaceutical industry to travel the world. Chi Ning had never seen a photo of him, nor had he ever met him in person.
This face couldn’t possibly be conjured from any film, book, or imagination.
Today was the first time he was seeing it.
Then there were Mo Yuanzhou and Xu Jiahao—two names he had never even heard before. In his past life, he had never set foot in a billiards hall, let alone encountered anything related to one.
These living, breathing people were proof of the world’s reality.
And most importantly—Qin Heng’s lies.
In their past life, Qin Heng had played his role flawlessly, without a single crack in his facade.
If this were a dream meant to make up for regrets, then he should have encountered a flawless, mature, and perfectly composed Qin Heng here—not the one before him now, brimming with the warmth of everyday life and carrying little imperfections.
A thousand thoughts swirled, yet only a moment passed in reality.
After snapping back to the present, Chi Ning immediately laughed. "As if you ever deceived me in a past life."
Qin Heng: ...
This was definitely a trick question.
Not... not an easy one to answer.
He evaded vaguely, "Stay materialistic."
Chi Ning straightened up and stretched. "Alright then, Materialist Heng. That’s enough for today. See you later."
Qin Heng’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his gaze lingered on Chi Ning’s back, almost transfixed. Abruptly, he recalled how Chi Ning had once drowsily called him "Brother Heng."
Too intimate.
Whether it was "Little Heng" or "Brother Heng," it all felt too intimate, as if the relationship between them had suddenly taken a step closer, becoming abruptly more familiar.
His back grew damp with sweat, and he thought dazedly: Just wait a little longer.
Wait until Chi Ning had fully grown up, until he himself had become even more outstanding, until the college entrance exams were over—then he could lay bare his true self for Chi Ning to see.
Qin Heng returned home in a daze, washing away the lingering scent of barbecue. Sitting at his desk, he worked on the assignments Chi Ning had given him, then those left by his high school teachers.
Only after midnight did his chaotic thoughts gradually settle, and drowsiness crept over him.
The moment his head hit the pillow, Qin Heng plunged into a bizarre dream.
He stood in a corridor reeking of disinfectant and holding a bag of medicine. To one side, he could see a check-in wall displaying photos of the nurses on duty, with a line of small text beneath it:
"Intravenous Drip Department, First City's People’s Hospital."
Just as his vision focused, the tired voice of a nurse crackled over the intercom: "Patient A0902, Chi Ning, please proceed to Window 2 for your IV drip."
Seeing Qin Heng hesitate, Chi Ning reached for the medicine in his hand. "I’ll go by myself. You can head back."
Qin Heng shifted his grip, looping the bag around his wrist instead, then steadied Chi Ning with a hand at his waist. "No need. I’ll stay with you until it’s done. I’ve got nothing else to do anyway. The adjacent ward is empty—I’ll arrange for you to rest there. Sitting while getting an IV isn’t comfortable."
Chi Ning said, "Sorry for the trouble."
Qin Heng felt himself smile. "No trouble at all."
He accompanied Chi Ning to the nurse’s station, watching as the sharp needle pierced the back of his hand. The young man seemed already accustomed to the pain.
He was painfully thin, like a sheet of paper that might flutter away in the wind.
His fingers, hands, and arms were traced with blue veins, the pallor of his skin exuding an air of lifeless fragility—little more than skin and bones.
"How did you get so thin?" Qin Heng murmured.
"I’ve actually gained some weight," Chi Ning replied with a smile. "Your cooking is too good—I always end up overeating."
Qin Heng held the IV bag for him as they entered the ward, the noise and bustle of the hospital suddenly shut out.
He set the bag down. "I’ll be back in a bit."
When he returned after completing the paperwork, Qin Heng brought a small heating pad. He unfolded it, folded it carefully, and tucked it into Chi Ning’s hand. "Hold this. The IV fluid gets cold if it flows too fast."
Chi Ning’s fingers rested lightly on the warming pad, his eyes downcast. Suddenly, he said, "Why are you so good to me? At most, we’re just friends. I’ve never seen you fuss over Zhang Qiuwen like this, and you two practically grew up together, didn’t you?"
Qin Heng stood for a moment before bending down and placing his palm against Chi Ning's thin yet still beautiful cheek, his thumb gently brushing over his eyelashes. "I don't want to talk about this now."
"You understand, don't you? You must know a little in your heart..."
Chi Ning looked at him quietly.
"I like you," Qin Heng said.
Chi Ning tilted his head slightly away, avoiding the scorching touch of his palm, his voice slightly nasal. "Don't like me. I don't have the time..."
Dawn broke abruptly.
Qin Heng's eyes snapped open.
He sat up, pressing his temples as he took a moment to steady himself. The image of Chi Ning rejecting him flashed through his mind. "How... how could he be so thin? How old was he then? 26?"
Chi Ning could reject him, but how could Chi Ning be so thin, so sickly, so unhealthy?
The dream had an absurd sense of reality—he could even vividly recall the texture of Chi Ning's cheek, the curve of his eyelashes, the way his lips pressed together when he refused him, and that pitiful, aggrieved expression.
Qin Heng sat on the bed, staring blankly at the greenery outside the window.
Wait, wasn't he the one who got rejected? Why did Chi Ning look even more wronged than him? It wasn’t like he would force anyone.
What kind of stupid dream was this?
Qin Heng was so frustrated it felt like he had actually been rejected.
How inauspicious.
He checked the time, flopped back down, and pulled the blanket over himself, hoping to catch a little more sleep.
Preferably the kind where he could defy fate in his dreams—rush back into that dream, turn things around, and win Chi Ning over.
But the moment he closed his eyes, Chi Ning’s frail, sickly figure appeared in his mind, so clear it made his chest tighten.
"Damn it." Qin Heng threw off the blanket and sat up again. "How could he be that thin!"
Even with stomach problems, he shouldn’t have been that gaunt. And those dark circles—like he hadn’t slept in centuries. Had the Chi family gone bankrupt or something? How could Chi Ning have been worked to that state?
With his hair a mess, Qin Heng stormed into the second-floor kitchen, mentally cursing his dream self for being so useless while grumbling as he fried eggs. "What kind of nonsense dream was that? With Xu Jiahao’s collaboration, no matter how bad things got for the Chi family, they wouldn’t let Chi Ning suffer like that, right? What a stupid dream. And why was I so timid and pathetic in it?"
Finally mustering the courage to confess, and it had to be something so unlucky—even in dreams, he got rejected?
Even in dreams, he couldn’t even get a kiss. Unbelievable.
Absolutely unbelievable!
Still muttering under his breath, Qin Heng finished frying the eggs and moved on to making pancakes.
With an MP3 player in his pocket playing English listening exercises, he multitasked between cooking and studying. Once done, he sandwiched the eggs with meat sauce and vermicelli into a burger and rushed straight to school.
Qin Heng stopped at the door of Class 1 and knocked coldly. "Chi Ning, come out for a second."
Chi Ning froze.
What?
Did Xiao Qin suddenly turn into a cool guy overnight?
He looked like the school tyrant who came to pick a fight with him.
Oh right, Qin Heng was indeed the rumored school tyrant of No. 1 High.
Before Chi Ning could react, Li Qiuhe patted him with trembling hands, "D-d-don't be scared, I-I-I'll protect you."
Chi Ning: "..."
You look like you're about to faint from fear—better protect yourself first.
He reassured, "It's fine. Even if it comes to a fight, Qin Heng might not necessarily beat me."
Li Qiuhe: "..."
Really? I don’t believe it.
The two of you aren’t even in the same weight class, judging by your builds.
Chi Ning stepped out of the classroom, closed the door behind him, and pulled Qin Heng up to the rooftop.
Class 1 was on the top floor, so the rooftop was just half a flight of stairs away.
"What's wrong?" He tilted his head, giving Qin Heng a thorough once-over. "Something urgent?"
A faint aroma of scallion oil lingered around Qin Heng, making one’s mouth water.
Soon, the source of the scent appeared before him—a round, plump, piping-hot pancake.
Qin Heng exhaled as if relieved of a heavy burden. "Eat up. You're too thin. Not acceptable."
Chi Ning was both amused and exasperated. "My current weight is healthy. I'm not that skinny."
Despite his words, he took a big bite of the pancake.
So delicious, mmh.
He loved these fried dough cakes. Back when his brother was still acting, he’d bring them from Taiguan District.
Now that Chi Yang no longer acts, he doesn't go to dangerous places like Taiguan District anymore.
It had been ages since he last had this kind of pancake.
"If only there were shrimp inside," Chi Ning mumbled with his mouth full. "Fried shrimp."
"Tomorrow," Qin Heng said while standing opposite Chi Ning and watching the boy’s stuffed cheeks. Only then did the chill from his nightmare fade slightly.
It’s fine. This time, he’d take good care of him—no way he’d let him get that thin again.
The thought made Qin Heng pause.
Why did these inexplicable ideas keep popping up, as if there really was a past life?
Maybe there was...
Then damn, fate had been kind to him.
The person he couldn’t win over in his past life—he could chase him now!
A match made in heaven! The matchmaker tied them together with a stainless steel red string.
Qin Heng’s voice turned airy. "Let’s buy a fish tank for the house? Put it by the entrance to block your lab from paparazzi."
Chi Ning hummed. "You like keeping fish?"
He’d never seen Qin Heng with such a CEO-like hobby in his past life.
Qin Heng: "Didn’t you want shrimp? We’ll raise them. Easier to kill when needed."
Chi Ning: "..."
Poor shrimp. Delicious pancake, though.
"Fine, do whatever you want."
Sorry, little shrimp, but you’re just too tasty.
Crocodile tears dripped from the corners of his mouth.
Chi Ning crumpled the greasy paper after finishing the pancake and sighed. "Qin Heng, your cooking is amazing. To thank you, I’ll prepare a gift for you."
Qin Heng’s heart skipped. "What gift?"
Chi Ning smiled faintly. "After the monthly exams."
Qin Heng thought: That smile is too sweet. His lips look like they’re coated in glossy lip balm—so soft.
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