Chapter 9

“Oh my, Yi Zhen, slow down eating! Nobody’s Qiangni , why the rush? Look at how messy you are—you’re our dorm’s third-highest Yanzhi representative! If word gets out, girls will refuse to add us on WeChat just because we’re from Room 306—you’re the main culprit, so you owe me, Zhenlin, big time! Otherwise, shape up! Don’t give them any reason to pick on you.”

Zhenlin, who had been quietly watching Yi Zhen take the hand-held pancake, smiling and smirking to himself, never expected that the moment he grabbed it, Yi Zhen didn’t even peel off the wrapper—he just bit straight into it, wolfing it down like he hadn’t eaten in days, so ravenous he might’ve swallowed his own hand. Ugh, if I keep playing games all afternoon like him, I’ll turn into a starving ghost—worse, one that just got reincarnated, like he’s never tasted food before. Just seeing it gives me the creeps.

Does Yi Zhen eat people?!

That question suddenly popped into his mind, sending chills crawling over his skin—more terrifying than the corpse joke earlier, since that was just a prank, but this… this had a terrifyingly high chance of being real.

“Uh… any more?” Yi Zhen ignored him entirely—he was truly starving. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out looking for food. Back when he was unconscious, his appetite was tiny—a single small Lanzhou noodle bowl would fill him. Now? His hunger had exploded. Without food, his thoughts grew chaotic. He’d completely forgotten what Zhenlin had just said.

“Yes yes yes, I’m getting it right away, don’t rush!” Zhenlin spun around and hurried off, forgetting all about compensation. Just getting him to calm down was enough. He rushed back to his bed, snatched up the two remaining hand-held pancakes still unassigned, unsure if Yi Zhen could even finish them—but he’d been so terrified, he didn’t care if he ate it all. Just hand it over.

We can buy more tomorrow—the holiday still has one day left, plenty of time. Right now, calming down the little guy matters most. He didn’t know why Yi Zhen had changed so drastically, but from his dry, hoarse words, he could hear exhaustion. It was just hunger—not enough to make him do anything extreme. Still, after giving him the food, he’d better back off. Better safe than sorry.

“Yi Zhen, what the hell are you doing? You dare pluck my hair?! You think I won’t assign you all the dorm cleaning this week? Hmph!” Someone slowly emerged from the bathroom holding a small mirror, combing his hair rhythmically with his right hand—but the hair he’d lost couldn’t be replaced. If he kept losing this much daily, he’d be bald soon. That was unacceptable. He had to stop Yi Zhen’s plucking—otherwise, how would he ever find a girlfriend? How would he ever enjoy moonlit strolls? How…

His dignified aura was gone. His combing hand now curled into a perfect orchid finger pose, eyes locked on the tiny mirror. He hadn’t seen Yi Zhen’s starving-ghost eating act—or else he’d have panicked just like Zhenlin, and never come over to confront and threaten him.

“Mingyang, can you help me find my phone?” Yi Zhen ignored his rude demand. Understanding the truth was far more urgent now.

He’d already briefly searched around and found no sign of his phone. He’d been about to call Zhenlin over to ask, but since Mingyang had walked up, he might as well ask him now. It didn’t matter who he asked—no one had found it yet, so he’d just have to ask the next person, and they’d ask each other, saving time.

He’d wanted to search himself, but one hand-held pancake wasn’t enough. His hands could move, but even turning his head felt like lifting a mountain. Without more food, he’d have to sleep it off.

But the truth lay right before him. As someone who wouldn’t rest until he’d uncovered the whole truth, he didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to verify everything piece by piece. This was a mental barrier—if he didn’t cross it now, he’d feel uneasy, and sleep would be impossible.

“Huh? Yi Zhen, I’m trying to reason with you, and now you’re ordering me around? You wanna be dorm boss? I won’t accept that! I’ll represent the moon and obliterate you, waaah…” Mingyang couldn’t believe it—Yi Zhen not only ignored his complaint but turned the tables and ordered him to do something. A thousand times no! If he’d been reasonable before, now he wouldn’t even apologize—it was impossible. If I do this, I’m not Mingyang anymore. I might as well be called Ming Junior.

Seeing words failed, he crossed his arms, extended his left hand, and prepared to pinch Yi Zhen’s ear. He had to make him remember who the dorm leader was—and he’d been the one to wake Yi Zhen up! This kid not only repaid kindness with betrayal, but commanded him. That was unforgivable. If he didn’t get revenge now, he’d have to become a real, serious dorm leader—no more girly nonsense. But clearly, his revenge was about to be delivered.

The little Yi Zhen could only move his arms—nothing else. Otherwise, he’d have gotten up himself. So the conclusion was clear: now was the perfect time for revenge. Sure, bullying an injured person was shameful—but it was the best solution. Normally, he couldn’t match Yi Zhen’s strength. This was the perfect moment to strike decisively. Hehehe, here I come, baby—wait for your big brother’s affection… *slurp* (drooling.jpg)

Just as his grin widened and his steps closed in, an enormous hand slammed down, silencing his unfinished words. His threats died mid-sentence, his momentum shattered—big mistake. Who the hell had the audacity to break his momentum? Whoever you are, don’t let me find you—I’ll log you for phone use and sleeplessness, then hunt you down like a damn pest!

“Mingyang, first check Yi Zhen’s condition. Don’t talk nonsense—you’ll regret it if he starts eating people and I don’t save you.” Zhenlin arrived just in time, one hand holding a plastic bag, the other covering his mouth—both tasks handled.

Luckily, Yi Zhen’s head moved with such difficulty he couldn’t watch their drama—or else he’d have jumped up and beaten them both. First Zhenlin, talking like Yi Zhen was about to die. Then Mingyang, asking him to help—pointless. He’d forgotten: you can’t command this troublemaker unless you dominate the conversation. Sigh. I just want to check my phone—why is it so hard? Yi Zhen stared blankly ahead, thinking this way. He heard their voices, but was stuck between wanting and not wanting to act. He hoped they’d hurry up—if the truth was real, maybe it could restore his strength.

Now he was so tired, so sleepy—but his stomach was still empty. He couldn’t sleep.

“What? Eat people? Look at how weak he is—how could that even be possible?” Mingyang flat-out refused to believe it. They joked all the time—he’d even scared Zhenlin with a fake story before. That idiot had actually run off. His nerves were too weak. Couldn’t even handle a little joke. Sigh. Guess I’ve got to hold up the team—after all, I’m the oldest in this dorm.

Even though he’d only just moved in, he couldn’t deny he was just a tiny bit older—age-wise, or whatever. He had the right.

“Uh, okay, maybe I exaggerated a bit—but let me feed him first, then you judge whether he’s acting strange.” Zhenlin had no choice. From the side, Yi Zhen looked perfectly normal now—except he wasn’t speaking. Otherwise, he was just like usual: motionless, lying still on the bed, like he always did. He looked burdened, but no one pressed him—he didn’t want to talk, so no one forced him.