The Red Sports Car and the Low-Frequency High-Energy Alert

A night passed.

By the following afternoon, Xuezhen still had to attend classes. However, things were different this time. Tang Jia had mobilized a small army of workers to renovate Xuezhen’s apartment, overhauling it inside and out.

As Tang Jia put it: “Since this place is close to the university, don’t bother moving back home. We’ll just refurbish this into something proper.”

Xuezhen accepted the upgrade happily. Tang Jia seemed extremely satisfied with him, hinting that he should maintain contact with Cheng Shi, though he cautioned against being “too proactive.” Xuezhen felt that 886 and this NPC shared a very similar, albeit twisted, frequency.

Since the apartment was a construction zone, Xuezhen decided to head to campus early. Before leaving, he received a message:

“Free this afternoon?”

Immediately followed by: “I’m downstairs.”

Xuezhen: “…”

It was, of course, Cheng Shi—the man who had added himself as a friend and pinned his own chat window to the top. The messages were sent only five minutes apart. It seemed the concept of “refusal” simply didn’t exist in Cheng Shi’s dictionary.

A horn blared from below. Xuezhen leaned out the window and, as expected, saw a glaringly bright red convertible sports car. The golden emblem stood tall on the hood, drawing a small crowd of onlookers.

In the center of the attention sat Cheng Shi, looking completely unbothered. One arm was draped over the door, and his collar was open wide enough to reveal his tanned chest. At least he had the sense to wear sunglasses. Spotting Xuezhen at the window, Cheng Shi waved. Should I be grateful he didn’t shout my name? Xuezhen wondered.

Xuezhen had no choice but to go down. Fortunately, Cheng Shi hadn’t driven this monstrosity directly to the university gates yet. If he had, Xuezhen feared he would become famous overnight—and not in a good way. He could already imagine the whispers about the A-University student being chauffeured by a “shady socialite.” To the average student, Cheng Shi’s flashy style didn’t exactly scream “academic peer.”

“Snooker. You in?” Cheng Shi opened the passenger door for Xuezhen as soon as he reached the curb. “New place just opened.”

Xuezhen buckled his seatbelt. “I have class this afternoon.” He looked at his schedule and then back at Cheng Shi. “Don’t you have classes?”

Cheng Shi was momentarily stumped. Originally, his old man wanted to ship him abroad to study business under his uncle, but Cheng Shi had zero interest in commerce and had secretly changed his major. After two months of domestic warfare, his father had eventually shoved him into the Management department at A-University. Cheng Shi had compromised, but he rarely, if ever, showed up.

Xuezhen understood the silence immediately. “I can’t skip this afternoon. It’s a departmental professor.”

As a professional playboy, Cheng Shi wanted to argue—what class is worth more than a good time?—but as he hit the gas, he caught a glimpse of Xuezhen in the rearview mirror. The youth had swapped his formal attire for a clean, crisp short-sleeved shirt and shorts.

The weather was sweltering, and A-City’s air felt heavy and humid. Tang Xuezhen seemed particularly sensitive to the heat; his light blue shirt looked thin and soft, and his straight, pale legs were pressed against the leather seat. He carried a crossbody bag stuffed with books. His soft black hair curled slightly against the nape of his snowy neck, and his round eyes were bright and clear. He looked… quite obedient.

Cheng Shi’s words took a turn. “What time is the class?”

Xuezhen checked his watch. “Three-thirty.”

“Then there’s time,” Cheng Shi exhaled, relieved. “I’ll take you to lunch first, then we’ll hit some balls. Don’t worry, I’ll get you to class on time.”

Since the offer had turned into a compromise, Xuezhen nodded. The engine roared, and Cheng Shi gripped the wheel, picking up speed. “Let’s go.”

Ten minutes later, they arrived. Xuezhen stepped out and looked at the landmark building. “Here?” Across the street, the words “Qi Corporation” loomed large on a skyscraper.

“Yeah,” Cheng Shi handed his keys to the valet. He misinterpreted Xuezhen’s look. “Lunch first. It’s only thirty minutes to campus from here. You won’t be late.”

Xuezhen gave a non-committal “Oh.”

While waiting for the elevator, Xuezhen poked 886’s round head. “886, can you locate the Second Male Lead?”

“886 can do that!” the bird chirped, scanning data. “Within 150 meters… high-frequency energy point detected within 50 meters… Host! According to the data, it’s the Male Lead!”

Xuezhen raised an eyebrow. That close? He hadn’t expected to run into the protagonist so soon. He pressed down on the jubilant 886, whose fuzzy wings were tickling his neck. Though 886 had no physical form, the sensation caused Xuezhen to sneeze. He pulled out a tissue.

“Cold?” Seeing this, Cheng Shi took off his denim jacket and handed it to Xuezhen. “Wear more next time,” he said, reaching out to squeeze Xuezhen’s thigh. “Look at you, shivering from the AC.”

The contact was sudden. Xuezhen tried to dodge, but Cheng Shi’s hand was firm. This guy!

“Why are you always so handsy?” Xuezhen frowned, clutching the warm jacket. He looked genuinely annoyed, but to Cheng Shi, the pout looked like a soft, petulant spoiled act. Xuezhen gave him a sharp roll of the eyes.

“Whoa, what a temper.” Cheng Shi chuckled. Instead of being angry, he felt that glare hook into his heart. Xuezhen was beautiful, and when he was angry, his eyes sparked and his cheeks flushed a faint pink. It made Cheng Shi want to tease him more, just to see that expression again. Wait, am I a masochist? Cheng Shi shook the thought away. He’s a guy, after all… even if he is soft and smells like milk.

Xuezhen ignored Cheng Shi’s internal crisis and put the jacket on. The building was indeed freezing. He wrapped himself in the denim, noting that Cheng Shi was standing there in a sleeveless shirt, his muscular arms exposed, completely unfazed by the cold. This NPC should be sent to a horror survival world to build some character, Xuezhen thought darkly. Let’s see him try to be handsy with a final boss.

“There’s a great Japanese place upstairs. Sound good?” Cheng Shi asked, trying to change the subject.

“Sure,” Xuezhen replied.

The restaurant was quiet. Cheng Shi was clearly a VIP; they were immediately led to a private room. They ordered, though Xuezhen wasn’t very hungry. He was more focused on the fact that the protagonist was nearby.

In every world, the “Dragon Aotian” protagonist possessed the highest energy frequency, which could be overwhelming for novice task-takers. But Xuezhen was a veteran. He loved watching protagonists endure humiliation before their inevitable rise. However, in this world, his mission was to date the man.

As Xuezhen pondered his strategy, the silence of the room was shattered by a loud pounding on the door.

“Brother Cheng! Brother Cheng!”

Cheng Shi frowned. “Who is it?”

A young man dressed in flashy designer logos burst in, leaving a confused waiter in his wake. “It really is you! I saw the car and had to come say hi. You here for snooker? Come join us, Little Wu and the guys are here. There’s some real ‘entertainment’ today.”

“No,” Cheng Shi said coldly. “Go away. I’m with someone.”

Only then did the man, Ji Kai, notice Xuezhen. He raised an eyebrow, his tone turning suggestive. “A newcomer? Very pretty. You’ve got great taste, Brother Cheng.”

“That’s enough, Ji Kai,” Cheng Shi’s face darkened. “Get out.” Ji Kai scurried away, sensing the genuine irritation.

Once the door closed, Cheng Shi turned to Xuezhen. “Don’t mind him. He’s low-class.”

Xuezhen didn’t care. Ji Kai looked like a classic minor villain destined to be slapped in the face by the protagonist. Sure enough, Cheng Shi frowned and made a phone call to check on the “entertainment” Ji Kai mentioned.

“Ji Kai was supposed to be grounded,” Cheng Shi muttered. He spoke to a lackey on the phone for a moment before hanging up. “Boss, I found out,” the voice on the other end had said. “Ji Kai got into a fight at a club with a part-time worker who defended a female coach Ji Kai was harassing. His dad is forcing him to go apologize to the kid today… at the club you’re heading to.”

Xuezhen suddenly spoke up. “What was the worker’s name?”

The voice on the phone paused, surprised by the presence of someone else, but answered: “Qi… I think his name is Qi Wu.”