CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: KILLING THE CHICKEN TO SCARE THE MONKEY, CHEN ROUROU WHO WAS SCARED TO PEE

He pondered.

He pondered for a full half hour.

During this time, Zhang Beixing sat there motionless, like a statue.

This drew sideways glances from students on their way to the cafeteria, none of whom could decipher his performance art.

Just as someone was about to approach, take a photo, and ask what was going on, suddenly, Zhang Beixing moved!

Old Zheng and the others said that I seem to be somewhat of a celebrity in the school now, so I can utilize my professional skills and the celebrity effect...

After pondering for a lengthy half hour, he finally understood what he needed to do.

Thus, he clapped his hands abruptly, stood up, and started walking out.

Then...

HISSS—

As he took the first step, Zhang Beixing sharply sucked in a breath of cold air.

The numbness spreading through his legs made Zhang Beixing feel as if his soul was about to leave his body.

Thrilling! Absolutely damn thrilling! The rush from holding one posture for half an hour and then suddenly moving... That was the real deal!

「Twenty minutes later, on the sports field.」

Zhang Beixing walked in, holding a sign.

As a regular on the sports field—and the man who had defeated five opponents and been confessed to by the campus belle just the day before—Zhang Beixing immediately drew considerable attention upon his arrival.

Some even proactively greeted him. Zhang Beixing smiled and returned each greeting.

He then began scanning the field, and his gaze soon locked onto a small, unattended pushcart.

It was Lin Siqi’s pushcart; she was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing it, Zhang Beixing’s eyes lit up. He walked over, fastened the wooden sign to the small pushcart, then took out his phone to play while he waited.

Seeing this, the people on the sports field were rather baffled. They peered at the wooden sign, which read in neat, large characters:

"Workout Buddy, Accepting Orders Online!"

"Still worried about having no one to run with?"

"Still feeling lonely exercising by yourself?"

"Still lacking motivation because you have no one to compete against during workouts?"

"Workout Buddy, your best exercise partner!"

"Grand opening promotion! Not 998, not 888, only 28! Minimum one-hour rental per session. Experience the true joy of exercise!"

"Limited availability, limited time! Book now! For reservations, add WeChat: ******"

After reading the sign, the students on the sports field had expressions of utter confusion.

Wait a minute, what’s this? A workout buddy? Dude, are you sure this is appropriate?

It wasn’t that his idea was illegal or anything. On the contrary, it was actually quite good.

But the problem was, this was a university! And on a university sports field, there’s certainly no shortage of people exercising.

Yet here he was, setting up a stall to rent himself out as a workout buddy.

This was...

"Weird!"

"It’s just too weird!"

People shook their heads, voicing their opinions. They weren’t very optimistic about Zhang Beixing.

Zhang Beixing, however, was oblivious to their reactions. After playing on his phone for a while, he pocketed it, donned his weighted vest, and started doing push-ups on the spot.

His current weighted push-up count was 140 out of 1,000.

I’ll set a small goal: get to 500 out of 1,000 today. Then tomorrow, I’ll hit 1,000 out of 1,000!

Zhang Beixing continued his exercises. Engrossed in his training, he was completely unaware that at that very moment, a girl in a white karate uniform, holding a wooden board, was emerging from the sports equipment room behind him.

When she saw Zhang Beixing at the doorway, his body rising and falling with each push-up, she froze.

The next second, she took a deep breath, spun around, retreated into the sports equipment room, and pulled the door shut.

Leaning against the door, listening to her own ragged breathing, Chen Rourou was utterly bewildered.

How could this happen, how could this happen, how could this happen? How could Zhang Beixing be here? I just came to get some wooden boards to practice; how could I run into him like this?

Chen Rourou panicked.

Last night, upon returning to her dorm, the first thing she’d done was look up Zhang Beixing on her phone. Consequently, she had seen the recently leaked surveillance footage of Zhang Beixing taking on five opponents and knew what he had proclaimed beneath the men’s dormitory building:

"’I’ll be watching her behavior. If she doesn’t shape up, I’ll beat her every time I see her.’"

That was why Chen Rourou had been exceptionally cautious when she left today. Even now, coming to get the wooden boards, she had deliberately taken a side path.

She had thought that by doing so, she would avoid Zhang Beixing at all costs. Yet, no sooner had she collected the boards and prepared to return to her club than she opened the door to find Zhang Beixing doing push-ups right outside!

Oh my god!

"Hello, is that Xin Xin? Help me! Zhang Beixing is blocking my way!" Huddled in a corner, pressed against the wall, Chen Rourou tremblingly pulled out her phone, dialed her best friend’s number, and pleaded pitifully.

Hearing this, Xin Xin was dumbfounded on the other end of the line. She asked what was wrong, and Chen Rourou immediately poured out the whole story.

Xin Xin was silent for a long moment. Then, a crisp CLICK sounded from her end of the line.

SIGH... "Rourou," Xin Xin said, "is it possible he came looking for you specifically? To make an example of you?"

At these words, Chen Rourou’s lips trembled, and she nearly burst into tears.

"Of course, I know that’s a possibility! That’s why I called you, Xin Xin! What should I do now? Zhang Beixing is blocking the door; I really don’t dare to go out!"

Hearing the sob in Chen Rourou’s voice, Xin Xin knew she had to step in.

Fortunately, they weren’t too far apart.

Xin Xin said, "Two minutes." Then she hung up and walked into a nearby milk tea shop.

「Moments later.」

Xin Xin, now in disguise, arrived at the sports field.

She carefully walked past Zhang Beixing. Noticing he paid her no mind, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she quickly slipped into the sports equipment room where Chen Rourou was, where she found Chen Rourou huddled in a corner, looking utterly dejected and pitiful.

Seeing her best friend like this, Xin Xin’s heart ached. She rushed over to hug Chen Rourou and console her.

After soothing Chen Rourou’s frayed nerves, Xin Xin handed her one of the two milk teas and began to discuss a way out of the predicament.

When Chen Rourou heard she’d have to approach Zhang Beixing herself and offer him the milk tea, she didn’t even have to think about it before shaking her head vehemently, terrified of being beaten.

Seeing this, Xin Xin sighed and patiently began to reason with her, appealing to both logic and emotion.

「Five minutes later.」

Chen Rourou, clutching two cups of milk tea, very timidly stepped out of the sports equipment room.

Gazing at Zhang Beixing, who was still energetically doing push-ups, she took a deep breath. Then, she walked over, tapped his shoulder, and said, "Um... excuse me, Beixing. Sorry to bother you."