[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-trapped-in-paradise":3,"chapter-trapped-in-paradise-trapped-in-paradise-chapter-144":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Trapped in Paradise",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1875419,2483,"Chapter 143","trapped-in-paradise-chapter-144",144,"\u003Cp>Sitting alone at the desk in the farthest corner, Wen Yang held a textbook in his hands, but he couldn’t read a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brows furrowed with a trace of worry as he sat quietly, his mind a chaotic mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t used to the absence of Ning Chu by his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost instinctively, he glanced toward the library window, where a small head was peeking in from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, Ning Chu spotted him too. Their eyes met briefly, and then she excitedly waved at him from outside the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her lively demeanor, Wen Yang felt slightly relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His biggest fear was that his confession would create a rift between them, but it seemed Ning Chu wasn’t bothered at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Placing the book back on a nearby shelf, he walked straight out to the corridor outside the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you here?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu handed him a cup of milk tea, smiling brightly. \"What’s up with you? It’s been almost a whole day, and you still look like you haven’t woken up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on! Let’s go to the second floor of the cafeteria and get something good to eat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s only three o’clock.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what? Can’t I be hungry?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had a habit of eating something whenever she was worried about something. The fuller she felt, the more her worries seemed to fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when she was feeling down, she preferred to sit in a daze on an empty stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go! There’s a Taiwanese snack shop on the second floor. I heard their fried squid is amazing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impatiently, Ning Chu grabbed Wen Yang’s arm, hugged it with both hands, and dragged him downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop spacing out here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Yang, unable to resist her pull, helplessly followed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked down the stairs of the teaching building, Wen Yang couldn’t hold back his question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t you think... this is a bit awkward?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Awkward? Because you confessed to me yesterday?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we can’t be a couple, we’ll just be friends! We’re only in our first year. Why rush into a relationship?\" Ning Chu felt that saying this was a bit risky, but she encouraged him anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And stop worrying about whether you’re good enough or not. Dating in college isn’t supposed to be rational. It’s not like we’re planning a marriage where everything needs to be perfectly matched—it’s not a business deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... Shaoqing told you everything?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu nodded teasingly. \"Yep! Who would’ve thought you’re actually pretty insecure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Yang looked upward awkwardly, chuckling. \"Well, it’s just... my family’s financial situation isn’t great, so yeah, I guess it makes me a bit insecure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Ning Chu said wasn’t entirely right, though. Deep down, Wen Yang actually hoped he and Ning Chu could someday walk into marriage together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re still in school. Work hard, graduate, and get a good job.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu let go of his arm and tried to encourage him. \"You’re studious, and you’re doing well academically. You’ll definitely find a decent job in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s... not guaranteed, is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean, not guaranteed?! I’m telling you, you’ll have at least a 100,000 annual salary after graduation!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s the protagonist! With the protagonist’s aura, he didn’t have to save the world, become the richest man, or pioneer an industry. Just having an elite-level salary was totally reasonable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was brimming with confidence in Wen Yang, patting him on the shoulder with a mock-serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really! I have high hopes for you, young man!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Yang looked puzzled again. \"That doesn’t seem likely, does it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly thought of the incident where Yan Xinya was harassed by the counselor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Ning Chu had firmly believed that if he reported it, the matter would be quickly resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Ning Chu’s eyes, he seemed capable of anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A person can be poor, but they can’t lose their ambition!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Yang lowered his head, still looking unconfident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu frowned, thinking he needed a bit of a push.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This side of Wen Yang was so frustrating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I actually prefer confident guys,\" she said casually. \"No matter what problems they face, they rise to the challenge. That’s the most attractive kind of man.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, she had no idea whether she could ever like men, let alone what kind of men she might like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Yang’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Observing Wen Yang’s expression, Ning Chu curled her lips in disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s with this overly innocent demeanor for a male protagonist in a Hentai doujin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Wen Yang was no longer the male lead from the story. Even if he fell head over heels for some girl now, it was unlikely he’d become the womanizing, harem-building playboy from the original plot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More likely, he’d turn into a loyal, responsible man devoted to just one woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this mean that even if she loosened her grip on him and let him date someone, the storyline involving her would become even less likely to occur?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t dare take that gamble...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the second floor of the cafeteria, Ning Chu ordered crispy fried pork and fried squid. She sat at a table near the Taiwanese snack counter, watching Wen Yang’s posture gradually straighten, his energy returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two months ago, she never would’ve imagined using herself as “bait” to motivate Wen Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he was the male protagonist she should’ve been most wary of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want some?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, thanks,” Wen Yang shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu pouted and tapped the back of his hand with a bamboo skewer, launching into her typical nonsensical reasoning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at you! Acknowledging your flaws and accepting help from others is a form of confidence too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? I just don’t like fried food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh…” Ning Chu lowered her head in embarrassment, brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen over her face. “You could’ve said so earlier—I ordered so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair was getting longer. It wasn’t much of a problem most of the time, but whenever she leaned forward to eat, it would get in her way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wondered if she should get it cut before it got long enough to accidentally end up in her food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should I get a haircut?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Girls look good with long hair,” Wen Yang remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know…” Ning Chu muttered, “but it’s inconvenient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Washing and drying her hair had become such a hassle. Back when she had short hair, she could just towel it half-dry in minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about a hairband?” Wen Yang suggested. “Or a small ponytail?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s too girly for someone living in a boys’ dorm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at celebrities; some of them wear ponytails, and no one says they’re girly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Chu nodded thoughtfully. “True.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just celebrities—those samurai-style ponytails could be pretty cool too! If paired with a bit of stubble and a brooding gaze… total dashing uncle vibes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pictured herself sporting a samurai ponytail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, a cool and handsome girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her mind drifted to the shaved middle of a traditional chonmage hairstyle… That would be terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help me finish this,” Ning Chu said, pushing the fried pork toward him. She had a small appetite and doubted she could finish everything. “I don’t think I can eat it all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.” Wen Yang obliged, though his gaze remained fixed on Ning Chu as he ate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her devour her food, oil glistening around her mouth and breadcrumbs clinging to the corners, she looked so childlike and adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t let Ning Chu’s confidence in him go to waste!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time to get it together!\u003C\u002Fp>",1266,"2026-06-10T06:04:15.011Z",1,"novelbin.me","56a3d5edc7cc11c955d1929edff8ec860f6d2b7a5d8c2e91e13d9ed9522dccb9","trapped-in-paradise-chapter-151","trapped-in-paradise-chapter-143",471,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ftrapped-in-paradise-cover.jpg"]