Note: This chapter is Redone on 7 / 27 / 2025
Link for character illustration:
https://ko-fi.com/hannibal52661/gallery
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Note: I'm changing Han Jingye from homeroom teacher to counselor
Volume 1 Chapter 29: A Good Person
As a student counselor, dropping by the dorm building was perfectly normal.
But Ning Chu suspected this guy was just using it as an excuse—really, he was probably scoping out the girls' dorm for potential "targets."
"If anything in the dorm is broken, go to the dorm manager and get a repair form. Usually it'll be fixed within a week."
"If you have any problems in life or with your mental health, you can talk to me—just send me a private message in the group chat."
Han Jingye always wore a gentle smile and spoke softly, his face giving off an innocent, harmless vibe. When checking the dorm's cleanliness, he didn't feel like a teacher at all—more like the friendly older brother next door dropping by for a chat.
He strolled casually around the room, then looked up at one of the bunks. With a smile, he asked:
"Whose bed is this? Look, they even know how to fold their quilt. Now compare that to the rest of you…"
The other three roommates all turned to look at Ning Chu.
Ning Chu froze for a second, glancing around in confusion.
"Uh… I woke up early this morning and had nothing to do, so I just folded it…"
He really didn't want any kind of connection with this counselor.
Best case, he'd leave no impression at all—so that the next time they met, the guy wouldn't even remember his name.
"Ning Chu, right? The one who fainted during training last Monday?"
From outside the door, a few students who were watching burst out laughing.
"…"
"What's so funny?" Han Jingye turned and glared at the doorway, then looked back at Ning Chu and nodded warmly. "Good. Alright, I'll go check the next room. You guys tidy up a bit, make sure you eat breakfast, and don't be late for training."
Expressionless, Ning Chu gave a short reply.
He hated people like Han Jingye—those who looked harmless on the outside but were filthy on the inside, a complete hypocrite.
Take Zhang Shaoqing, for example—what you saw was what you got. People hated him openly, even before he'd "turned into a villain."
Maybe it was because of Ning Chu's lack of warmth—or even mild rejection—that Han Jingye frowned slightly, studying him from head to toe.
A very delicate-looking boy. The training jacket was tucked neatly into his trousers, giving him a clean, crisp appearance. But he was slender to the point of looking fragile, his waist as thin as a willow branch.
He genuinely had no idea why this student seemed to dislike him.
Han Jingye didn't dwell on it. Still wearing that warm, approachable smile, he headed to the next dorm—only to open the door and see a student using an oven to bake egg tarts. His smile nearly cracked.
"Whose induction cooker is this? And an oven and a microwave? What, you think this dorm is a kitchen?!"
Wow. The dorm next door really knew how to live.
Even through the wall, Ning Chu clearly heard the counselor's furious shouting.
"Ning Chu, let's go. Let's have a breakfast at the cafeteria."
"Coming, coming!"
Ning Chu quick-stepped after Wen Yang, his face full of envy.
"The guys next door are amazing. They cook for themselves—better than the cafeteria and cheaper too."
"Not so fast. Give it time—once they're familiar with everyone, they might end up cooking for ten people."
"True."
While chatting about the neighbors, Ning Chu kept thinking about Han Jingye's "kindly" expression and voice.
The counselor actually seemed pretty responsible.
He hadn't gotten angry about their messy room—just gave them a gentle reminder. But he'd been furious about the neighbors' unsafe electrical appliances.
Before, Ning Chu had only seen his sunny, gentle side, and assumed it was fake. Now, after seeing him truly angry over safety issues, the image felt… more real.
Could it be… that the counselor was actually a good person?
Not that it mattered to him!
He already had enough trouble keeping the villain and the protagonist from going astray. Now he was supposed to worry about the counselor too? What, was he supposed to split himself in three?
Better to stick with the original plan—have Wen Yang keep an eye on Han Jingye. If he got any solid dirt on him, they'd strike first.
Ideally, the counselor would land in jail, and no female students would get hurt.
When they got to the cafeteria, Ning Chu went to the little campus store and bought a bottle of iced Coke before sitting beside Wen Yang.
"Not eating?"
"I already ate in the dorm, it's the bread and milk from last night."
He tilted his head back, took a swig of Coke, let out a satisfied burp, then glanced at Wen Yang, thinking about how to casually bring up the subject of Han Jingye.
"The counselor seems to be pretty well-liked in the class?" Ning Chu asked casually, pretending it was just small talk.
"I guess so?" Wen Yang had only bought two large steamed buns and a bottle of mineral water. Compared to the breakfast of other students, it was pretty bare, but he didn't care. He went on, "From the past few days, I think he's a decent guy. But… you don't seem to like him?"
Ning Chu didn't seem to like the guy, sure—but he also seemed to be paying extra attention to Han Jingye.
"Did he offend you before?"
Ning Chu hesitated, unsure how to explain.
He had considered telling Wen Yang the parts of the book that involved Han Jingye so he could get help, but thinking it over—Wen Yang wasn't an idiot. No way he'd believe him just because he said so.
And right now… Han Jingye really did seem normal.
"Not really. I just think his smile looks fake—it's kind of off-putting." Ning Chu paused, then added, "He didn't leave a great first impression."
Wen Yang nodded and, between bites, said, "I think he's fine. Pretty attentive, actually. He's already looked into the family situations of all the students in the class."
"Looked into?"
"Yeah. The school subsidies are for financially disadvantaged students. A few applications got rejected by him—turns out they were from well-off families trying to cheat the system."
Ning Chu was even more confused.
Could it be… that the counselor really was a good person?
Seeing him get lost in thought, Wen Yang sighed.
"Don't judge people by first impressions. Look at Shaoqing—blond hair, lazy attitude… First impression, who'd guess he's just a goofball?"
"He is a goofball…"
Ning Chu yawned. He decided not to think too much about it for now, and simply put the counselor on his "long-term observation" list.
Checking the time, he saw it was nearly eight.
"Time for training."
Ah, the real nightmare.
His shoulders slumped as he collapsed against the cafeteria table, soul drained. Just thinking about the three laps of slow jogging and thirty minutes of physical training every morning made his legs tremble.
"I just want to skip and lie in the dorm with the AC on~"
Wen Yang finished his breakfast, stood up first, and looked down at the limp, puddle-like Ning Chu.
"Just get through this week—it'll be over soon."
"But the forecast says it'll rain today. Why are we still doing military training~"
Dragging his feet, Ning Chu followed behind. Military training always left him completely exhausted—by night, he only had the energy to rest and sleep, nothing else.
"Looks like it really might rain—check out the horizon."
Hearing that, Ning Chu perked up instantly. He followed Wen Yang's gaze toward the distance.
That thick, heavy cloud bank on the horizon made his heart race with excitement.
"Look at that! That's at least a torrential downpour! No way we're having training!"