Chapter 45: A Steamed Bun and a Bag of Pickled Mustard Greens

“Haha, you silly girl, what are you imagining? I just purely want to hold you.”

“Is it really that simple? No other intentions?”

Yu Yanan was a bundle of disbelief. Men, after all, were creatures of impulse. Although she had already fantasized about this moment countless times in her mind, now that it was finally here, she was nervously flustered.

Shen Xin let go of her and chuckled, “I just came back to tidy up a bit and grab a few things. I’m going to stay in the dormitory for a while.”

“Why did you decide to return to the dorm? Are you giving up on delivering food?”

“I’m done with that. Found a new job, pays much better.”

“What kind of job? Is it hard?”

“Helping someone look after their house, guarding the place. It's not tough—just takes up a bit more time. The monthly pay is high enough to support you without any trouble.”

Shen Xin hadn’t planned to tell Yu Yanan the truth yet, afraid she would worry.

Yu Yanan replied shyly, “I’m easy to keep. Just a steamed bun and a packet of pickled vegetables a day is enough.”

“You silly girl, don’t you worry. I promise you'll have good food every day. Come, help me pack up.”

They tidied up a little, but didn’t take much—just a few daily necessities.

As they parted, Shen Xin couldn’t help but remind her, “Yanan, in the next few days, some bad things might happen in your building. Remember to contact me immediately if anything happens, no matter who calls you.”

“Oh,” Yu Yanan replied in confusion as she walked into her dorm building.

Shen Xin returned to his own dormitory.

There were two others living there: Zhou Yuan, a good-looking guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and Zhou Min, whose face bizarrely resembled a Sanxingdui mask.

Another roommate, Gao Shuai, was a plump fellow who rarely stayed at the dorm—his home was in the city, so unless necessary, he seldom came by.

When they saw Shen Xin return, his roommates were surprised. Zhou Yuan asked, “What brings you back?”

Zhou Min joked, “Decided to come home at last, eh?”

Shen Xin bantered with them for a while, then made his bed, washed up, and went to sleep.

His return wasn’t just for Yu Yanan; he had several reasons.

First, he wanted to see if he could save the three female students who would attempt to jump.

Although their private lives had issues, they didn’t deserve to die. If he could save them, he would.

He also wanted to keep an eye on He Xuantong.

And, of course, he was there to protect Yu Yanan.

Yu Yanan’s dormitory was right across from Shen Xin’s, separated only by a cement playground about a dozen meters wide. If anything happened, he could teleport over instantly.

Moreover, both of their dorms were on the fifth floor. If anything arose, a shout from the balcony would reach each other faster than a phone call.

The night passed uneventfully. He spent the entire time cultivating—practicing the spiritual cultivation method Danjie had given him. Now he could train while lying down, no longer restricted to sitting in meditation.

By the time he opened his eyes, full of energy, it was only five in the morning.

He climbed out of bed, washed up, and left the dormitory.

He knew that this was when He Xuantong would go downstairs to exercise.

He Xuantong valued his health and, whenever he had time, would go for a morning run on the playground.

Shen Xin had once teased him, asking if he did it to attract the girls from the building opposite.

He’d retorted, “At this hour, they’re all asleep! The body is the capital of revolution—gentlemen strive for self-improvement.”

This time, when He Xuantong saw Shen Xin joining him for the morning run, he was curious. “Shen Xin, you’re up early. Here to run too?”

“The body is the capital of revolution—gentlemen strive for self-improvement.”

He Xuantong paused, then nodded in agreement, smiling, “Wanna race?”

“Sure! How do you want to compete?”

“Ten laps. First to finish wins and gets to treat Yu Yanan to breakfast. Loser can’t go.”

“No problem!”

Shen Xin thought to himself that He Xuantong clearly hadn’t given up on Yu Yanan. This was a good chance to test his potential and see if he was hiding any strength.

At the start, Shen Xin dashed ahead, leaving He Xuantong more than a lap behind.

But by the eighth lap—each about a hundred meters—he was already out of breath. He had thought ten laps would be easy, especially given his pre-reset body was in excellent shape, strengthened by various elixirs and nearly half a year of hard training. His physical condition was far beyond ordinary.

Suddenly, he remembered that it was only after he’d been bitten and infected by Yu Yanan that his body had truly advanced.

Did this mean he needed He Xuantong to become a vampire and bite him this time too?

He quickly shook off the thought. After being reset, those abilities couldn’t be retained anyway.

In the end, He Xuantong overtook him by half a lap.

“Shen Xin, you lost because you started off too fast.”

“I lost fair and square. I keep my word—go ahead and take Yanan to breakfast.”

He Xuantong gave a wry smile, “No need. It’d just be awkward.”

With that, he left. Shen Xin breathed a sigh of relief, hoping He Xuantong had finally given up.

At breakfast, Shen Xin asked Yu Yanan about Tang Wenwen.

Yu Yanan scoffed, “Oh? Interested in her?”

“Nothing like that. Just curious—has she been acting strange lately?”

Tang Wenwen was in the same college as him, but in a different department—he only saw her in large classes. They’d barely spoken more than three times in three years of university.

“Strange? I don’t think so,” Yu Yanan replied after a moment’s thought. “We’re not the same type. She likes to dress up and go clubbing, often stays out all night.”

“I see. Let’s eat.”

Shen Xin realized he wouldn’t get much from asking—anyway, Tang Wenwen’s jump was still a few days off.

He was still frustrated, though. His supernatural abilities didn’t give him much advantage against that ghost infant.

He didn’t know if his newly acquired space distortion skill would work on it. Even if he got rid of the ghost, it would only be treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Only the White Funeral Couple could resolve it completely.

It was Saturday, so there was no class. After breakfast, Shen Xin returned to the dorm, planning to wash his bedding while the weather was good. As he entered, he saw Zhou Min fidgeting, muttering under his breath.

“Minzi, what are you doing?”

Zhou Yuan laughed, “He’s got hemorrhoids and is planning to see the doctor today.”

“Why go to the hospital? I can fix you up in a minute, and it won’t cost a thing.”

Zhou Min instantly perked up. Hospital treatment for hemorrhoids was expensive. He hurriedly asked, “Really?”

“Of course. Family remedy—simple as can be. Just bring me a toothpick.”

Zhou Yuan immediately handed him one, grinning, “Go on, stab it hard!”

Zhou Min looked worried, “Shen, does it hurt? Should I take some painkillers first?”

Shen Xin reassured him, “It won’t hurt. Come here and open your mouth.”

“Ah!”

“Just a little.”

Shen Xin lifted Zhou Min’s upper lip and used the toothpick to prick the frenulum—the little membrane connecting the lip and gum. There was a small white spot there; he just needed to break it.

“All done. You’ll be fine tomorrow.”

“That’s it?” Zhou Min was incredulous.

“Guaranteed.”

“Wow, Shen, you’re amazing. Let’s go out for hotpot—my treat!”

Zhou Min was thrilled, having saved hundreds.

Shen Xin laughed, “You’d better stick to a light diet for a few days.”