Chapter 282: Are You There?

But it's not a big problem—after this week ends, she and Jiang Nian will be desk mates again.

Thinking this, Li Qingrong pulled out her second exam paper.

She had just written one multiple-choice question when she suddenly remembered something.

Should she send a message tonight to try?

Suddenly, Nie Qiqi, who had been whispering to her desk mate in the back row, brought up a chat topic.

"There's this junior high classmate who keeps messaging me. But every time, he never says anything meaningful—just keeps asking if I've eaten."

"Boy or girl?"

"Boy."

"Then that's good—he cares about you."

"Not at all, it's so boring," Nie Qiqi said, complaining, "He just keeps asking 'Are you there?' 'What are you doing?' What does he even want?"

"He cares about you."

"Like hell he does—it's excruciatingly boring. I'll delete him as soon as I get home."

Hearing this, Li Qingrong held her quick-dry pen, unable to bring it down.

For her, choosing a topic was extremely difficult. She had almost no topics at all—just two questions, then nothing more.

Would he think she was boring?

Would he delete her too?

The thought made the knuckles of her fingers turn faintly white.

Ten minutes remained until evening self-study ended, and the classroom's restlessness was already uncontrollable.

Li Hua leaned over to Jiang Nian, glanced at Zhang Nenzhi and Huang Fang. Seeing the girls in their group busy with their problems, he lowered his voice and sighed in relief.

"Nian, do you know 'Management'?"

Hearing this, Jiang Nian put down his pen.

"Huh? Aren't you planning to apply for a STEM major?"

"Pure interest," Li Hua coughed, writing "xx tea" on Jiang Nian's scratch paper, "Search it and you'll see."

"Black market trade? Are you making me study ahead?" Jiang Nian gave him a dead-eyed stare. "I might not even pick this major—I might go study something else."

Li Hua waved his hand. "Don't care. Just search it."

The day before yesterday, he watched a livestream of a black-stockinged college girl who taught management concepts through borderline dance moves—and it worked shockingly well.

Li Hua, someone indifferent to knowledge, still remembered her "Maslow's Hierarchy of Black Stockings Needs" theory days later.

No reason—her voice was soft, but her logic was powerful.

The Black Stockings Need Theory basically meant: when your belly is full and your clothes are warm, lust arises. Once you've got money and girls, you start wanting to show off.

For example.

Like when a Japanese boss or superior likes to NTR his subordinate's wife—is it just because he's horny?

Hot fact: if you have money, you can find real soldiers.

No, actually, it's about enjoying control.

What he desires isn't the subordinate's wife—it's the male subordinate, he's just using a euphemism.

Case solved: the essence of NTR is Nantong.

To Li Hua's surprise,

Jiang Nian immediately pulled out his phone and opened TikTok right there.

"So mysterious."

Li Hua swore, leaning over to look at Jiang Nian's TikTok.

"You've got balls that big?"

"Zeng You hasn't been caught—why should I be afraid?" Jiang Nian didn't say that Old Liu would never catch him. "xx tea, right? Let me see how (sexy) it is."

Li Hua: "Hehe."

Instantly, a black-stockinged short skirt popped up.

Jiang Nian immediately covered the screen with his hand and glanced at Zhang Nenzhi.

She noticed his gaze and looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh."

Jiang Nian looked at Li Hua and gave him a light punch.

"You almost got me killed."

Then he followed xx tea and swiped away TikTok.

Li Hua didn't care—he followed dozens of female streamers on TikTok. He felt he couldn't be as celibate as Jiang Nian.

He wanted to become—the Brothel King!

Of course, the main reason was to gain some experience.

Since he wasn't in a hurry to date, he might as well prepare for the future. First, watching lewd content isn't about lust—it's about desensitizing himself to pretty girls.

In Zhennan, the fate of a lickspittle is usually bad.

Bride price explodes.

So Li Hua thought it necessary to know both himself and the enemy to win every battle.

Just in case, Li Hua whispered quietly.

"Nian, you won't suddenly start dating in Gao San, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Jiang Nian stared at him in shock. "I'm someone who loves learning—don't say things that have nothing to do with me."

Hearing this, Li Hua immediately sighed in relief.

"Good."

After evening self-study ended.

Li Hua sent Huang Fang and Zhang Ningzhi home first; the male group members stayed behind to clean. Wu Jungu and Ceng You had no objections—after all, the group benefits were good.

Occasionally giving a little effort is only right.

Jiang Nian had just picked up a broom from the cleaning corner and pulled out his phone, preparing to send Xu Qianqian a WeChat message, asking her to wait for him on the third floor.

He turned his head, and the broom in his hand was taken away.

Huh?

He looked up and saw Hu Nianzhong standing before him.

"What's wrong?"

"Big Brother Nian, let me sweep for you," Hu Nianzhong smiled shyly, still holding the broom. "You go home first."

Jiang Nian was stunned. "No need—you're not secretly in love with me, are you?"

This left Hu Nianzhong speechless. He froze for two seconds, then shook his head like a rattle.

"No no no."

Li Hua strolled over with a grin, sweeping as he spoke.

"Definitely in love! Can you secretly love me too? I'm pretty cool—then you can clean for me as well."

Hu Nianzhong scratched his head, unsure what to say, and just went back to sweeping.

Watching Hu Nianzhong walk away, Li Hua turned to Jiang Nian, clutched his chest, and put on a look of heartbroken outrage.

"Fucking beast, you're even hitting on me now."

"Whatever." Jiang Nian didn't bother arguing—he just packed his bag to leave. "You sweep slowly. I'm heading home to watch videos."

After Jiang Nian left, Li Hua glanced again at Hu Nianzhong, lost in thought.

"Why so long this time?" Xu Qianqian asked, slightly annoyed.

"Isn't it always this long?" Jiang Nian automatically lifted her bag, then set it down when he felt it wasn't heavy. "Don't carry so many books home at night."

"I didn't carry any."

"I'm just reminding you—you carry them around but never read them. You'll stunt your growth."

"So what? I'm already tall enough!" Xu Qianqian skipped down the stairs, smug. "When I wear heels someday, I'll use your head as a basketball."

Jiang Nian: "That's called stilts."

"You don't get to decide—I say it is."

Back home.

Jiang Nian went through his usual routine of washing up; on the way, he and Xu Qianqian had shared a late-night snack. She was afraid of gaining weight, so she ate all the fish balls and left the rest for him.

Her skin really is invincible.

He came back after blow-drying his hair, but his stomach hadn't digested the food yet, and he wasn't sleepy.

His phone buzzed, and a message popped up.

He glanced at it—it was from Li Qingrong.

"Are you there?"

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