Forced Me to Regress, Huh?

Cheng Zhu soon finished exploring the street outside the campus.

He did find a better, more suitable location than the sushi restaurant. But unfortunately, it was already a thriving braised chicken restaurant with no signs of being up for transfer anytime soon.

In a fit of anger, Cheng Zhu went inside and ordered a meal!

He ordered a small, mildly spicy portion. The taste was indeed great, and the price was reasonable. No wonder business was thriving.

Originally, he planned to eat lightly since it was a late-night snack. After all, scumbags all had to maintain a good figure. No matter how tasty the food was, how could it compare to eating a girl? But in the end, he finished everything.

Looks like Rich Lady Shen’s shop is the best choice, Cheng Zhu thought.

Of course, he wouldn’t ask for a special deal just because they were friends. He’d simply rent it at the market rate.

He never used favors for trivial matters.

When he returned to his dorm room, his three roommates were still happily gaming at an internet cafe.

Cheng Zhu started researching claw machines and reliable plushie manufacturers online.

While browsing, he somehow stumbled upon inflatable, life-like dolls. Fuck, is big data so accurate now? It knows I sell sexy lingerie and wants me to expand my business, huh?

He wasn’t interested in this thing because the market was still relatively niche.

Instead, he set his sights on adult toys. Demand was only growing year by year, and the market size was expanding rapidly.

The trend held true for both men and women.

Ah, societal pressures—it’s understandable. I can consider these products.

With great power comes great responsibility.

As a regressor, the weight of the adult world rests on my shoulders!

* * *

The next morning, the boys in Room 309 woke up to their alarms ringing.

Today was the first day of military training.

Cheng Zhu carefully put on his military training uniform and tidied up his appearance meticulously.

He knew full well that drill instructors liked to single people out to establish their authority.

He was very self-aware. With his face and demeanor, he gave off a school bully vibe that would undoubtedly catch the instructors’ attention, like a firefly in the night.

Computer Science Class 2 was full of scrawny guys. His rugged, handsome, bad-boy looks made him stand out like a crane among chickens.

He recalled his military training in his past life. To assert his authority, the drill instructor had shouted, “Is anyone unconvinced?”

All Cheng Zhu did was lock eyes with him for a second. Somehow, the instructor misread the look and barked, “So, you’re not convinced, huh?”

Just another day of an unprovoked disaster caused by his naturally defiant face.

After everyone finished washing up, the three roommates saw Cheng Zhu taking out the dark golden bottle of sunscreen. He squeezed out a dollop, applied it vigorously to his face and neck, and rubbed the leftovers onto the backs of his hands.

“Brother Zhu, let me borrow some,” said Dong Dong, the one most obsessed with his image.

Cheng Zhu shot him a glance. What level are you to share the sunscreen Lin Lu gave me?

“No. This bottle of sunscreen costs three digits. Each use costs money. Tell you what. I’ll send you an 18.88-yuan red packet in the group later. Just treat it as you’ve used it.”

—I’m not stingy!

“No need. I don’t want that money,” Dong Dong refused. “It’ll feel weird, like you’ve smeared it all over my face.”

He turned to Zheng Qingfeng and Liu Feng. “We have to work hard and strive to get sunscreen from girls during military training!”

Liu Feng and Zheng Qingfeng exchanged glances with him. Then all three nodded vigorously. “Yeah!”

“Ambitious!” Cheng Zhu applauded from the side.

The first day of military training wasn’t much different from how Cheng Zhu remembered it from his past life.

Since Sci-Tech University had invited proper instructors, the military training was well-structured and rigorous.

It wasn’t like some other places, where so-called instructors seemed more interested in sleeping with female students than conducting proper training. Worse, the success rate was rather high, and some girls even bragged about it.

Cheng Zhu was tall, so he stood at the end of the line, making him the reference for others to align themselves.

He was quite satisfied with this. Being at the end meant more breathing space and less exposure to sweat odors.

In addition, some girls were worried about smelling bad and drenched themselves in perfume. The mix of all the different scents could be overwhelming.

Counselor Chen Jieyu even made an appearance, strolling over with a parasol in hand.

From a distance, she observed Cheng Zhu and became increasingly convinced that subtly pushing him to run for the class committee was the right call.

Admittedly, this boy had a natural and unrestrained demeanor. When speaking on stage, he had been poised and confident. The impression he gave was distinctly different from the silly and immature college students standing nearby.

Moreover, since he could be the subject of rumors involving the well-known Shen Qingning, his overall qualities were certainly not lacking.

That said, his appearance and temperament left her, a counselor, feeling a bit worried.

He had ‘school bully’ written all over him and didn’t look like someone to be trifled with. Ordinary class committee members probably wouldn’t be able to manage someone like him!

Chen Jieyu had a gut feeling that this student would definitely be a handful!

So, the best solution was—to make him a class committee member!

It was a bit like how teachers would make the noisiest student in the class be the discipline monitor.

Others probably won’t be able to control him, but I feel he should be able to keep everyone else in check. Chen Jieyu trusted in her judgment of people.

She casually glanced at the line, and her mind instantly categorized them: scrawny, scrawny, scrawny—oh wow, buff guy!

The military training uniform with its belt perfectly outlined Cheng Zhu’s long arms, narrow waist, and Pacific Ocean-wide shoulders.

If you threw him into the group of instructors, apart from his fair skin and the slight difference in temperament, he wouldn’t look out of place at all.

Although Chen Jieyu was a new counselor, she had heard colleagues talk about class monitors who spent their days begging others to get things done. While they eventually got the job done, both the class monitor and the counselor were left exhausted.

It was better to have some authority.

As Chen Jieyu silently observed Cheng Zhu, a beautiful figure approached from a distance.

Her footsteps were light, and her gaze was focused on Cheng Zhu.

Her appearance caused the instructors and counselors in the area to note something peculiar.

Although the students were standing at attention, motionless in every other way, their eyes were definitely moving! Their eyes were following the girl’s every step!

The voice actress, Lin Lu, had come alone specifically to watch Cheng Zhu suffer.

She had invited Shen Qingning to join her, but for some reason, Ningning flatly refused and repeatedly emphasized, “Boring!”

Lin Lu’s mind was a bit like those upper-year students who deliberately showed up at the first-years’ military training to enjoy the show.

Speaking of which, there were indeed some upper-year students lingering near the military training grounds.

College students were hard to manage, and shooing them away didn’t work either. As long as they didn’t disrupt discipline, they were generally left alone.

At this moment, Lin Lu stopped in front of the Computer Science Class 2 formation.

This time, she didn’t stand on her tiptoes to wave at Cheng Zhu. She just mouthed silently to him, “Hello, Cheng Zhu! Hello there!”

Cheng Zhu, standing disciplined within the formation, merely blinked exaggeratedly in response.

How many times did he have to say it? He wasn’t some campus thug. He just liked to show off and carried an air of arrogance.

As long as the instructor didn’t mess with him for no reason, he wouldn’t cause trouble.

Lin Lu couldn’t help but smile when she saw Cheng Zhu blinking exaggeratedly while remaining as still as a statue. He felt as if he could hear the voice of this cheerful girl’s giggle echoing in his ears. “Hehe~!”

In his view, Lin Lu and Shen Qingning couldn’t be more different.

Lin Lu was cute, radiant, lively, and brimming with energy. She genuinely didn’t care what others thought of her. If she wanted to come see Cheng Zhu, she would just come. If she wanted to interact with him secretly, she would simply do it.

Shen Qingning, on the other hand, was a tsundere—prideful and contradictory.

Moreover, she loved to act aloof and untouchable, as if she were perching on a lofty cloud.

It made him want to drag her down so badly.

At this moment, across from the Computer Science Class 2 formation was a corridor. Lin Lu casually found a spot in the corridor and sat down.

She glanced at the woman with gold-rimmed glasses holding a parasol and guessed, Is she Cheng Zhu’s counselor? She’s quite beautiful.

Little did she know that Chen Jieyu was also secretly observing her.

As mentioned before, Chen Jieyu came from a somewhat complicated family, and her family background was indeed very ordinary.

Her exquisite lifestyle, the persona she had crafted for herself, and her air of sophistication were all meticulously and painstakingly—sometimes even desperately—put together.

But Lin Lu was different. The feeling she exuded was entirely natural.

For some girls, you could tell with one look that she was loved by everyone.

Chen Jieyu envied such people, deeply, intently envied them.

For instance, the clothes, shoes, and bags Lin Lu wore, she had to meticulously budget for high-quality knockoffs of them. Buying the genuine articles wasn’t even an option.

She might never possess this natural cheerfulness, confidence, generosity, and radiance, coupled with a touch of playful arrogance, in her life.

Is she here for him? Chen Jieyu had noticed their subtle interaction.

She was growing increasingly curious about this first-year.

In the sweltering heat, after the students stood at attention in military formation for another seven to eight minutes, the drill instructors gave everyone a five-minute break.

It was simply too hot. The students needed to be allowed to drink some water. Otherwise, given the trash constitution of today’s college students, wouldn’t a few of them collapse later?

The moment they heard they could take a break, the scene immediately became lively and noisy.

“Holy crap! Do you see that girl over there? She’s insanely beautiful!”

“She’s been watching our training! Could she be looking at me?”

“My pee is yellow. How about I pee for you? Stop being delusional. You’re just an ordinary guy.”

“Our school has such a beautiful student? Which department is she from? Don’t tell me she’s from our School of Information?”

“I’ll make a promise right here. If she keeps watching us train, I’ll be able to stand at attention for a whole day and night!”

“Ah, that’s why I suddenly feel like the sun isn’t so hot and my legs aren’t so tired. It turns out this is the reason!”

Even the eleven girls in the class thought the girl sitting in the corridor was ridiculously beautiful.

Not only was she stunning, but her figure was downright unfair. She definitely had a D-cup chest.

Many people believed that ordinary girls couldn’t stand seeing a goddess because they felt disgusted or envious. In reality, there were also many beauty lovers among women. They not only appreciated handsome men but also admired beautiful women, and they tended to be more friendly towards attractive girls.

It was like how many female fans followed popular actresses.

Who didn’t love a beautiful girl?

“Oh my god, she looks so sweet. She must be the epitome of sweet girls!” A girl sighed.

“Ah? She’s smiling at me, and she even has dimples. I’m dying!”

Immediately after, the students of Computer Science Class 2 saw a figure holding a bottle of mineral water, striding confidently towards Lin Lu.

Dong Dong and the others watched Cheng Zhu’s back with envy.

Damn it, when will it be my turn to shine?

“Stop grinning. Does watching a handsome guy train make you that happy?” Cheng Zhu said, irritated.

“What are you saying? I’m here to see you get tired like a pug!” Lin Lu giggled.

“Tired like a pug? Damn, are you even categorizing me by breed?”

“I’m not going to talk about this. Let me ask you! Did you use the sunscreen I gave you?”

He teased her, “Oh no, I forgot!”

“Huh? Why are you like that? After my voiceover work the other day, I specifically went to buy it for you! I even reminded you last night!” Lin Lu was a bit upset.

She felt she had made the effort to get him a gift, but he didn’t appreciate it. The voice actress felt a little aggrieved, and her entire body seemed to wilt a little, as though her energy were flowing away.

When Cheng Zhu saw her like this, a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and an idea began to form.

He immediately said, “No, I was just kidding. I actually used it.”

“You’re lying! You definitely didn’t use it!” Lin Lu was angry now and didn’t believe him at all.

She looked up at Cheng Zhu, her brows furrowed, the corners of her mouth turned downward, looking utterly pitiful.

Cheng Zhu knew she wouldn’t believe him. That was exactly what he wanted!

“Hey, you still don’t believe me? Just wait!” He headed outside and called his three roommates over.

Dong Dong and Liu Feng rushed over excitedly, their faces showing the eager expressions of people waiting for drama to unfold.

Zheng Qingfeng was also anxious inside, but he forced himself to slow down and keep three steps behind the other two to maintain his aloof persona.

Cheng Zhu said to Lin Lu, “These three are my roommates.

“I told her I used her sunscreen before I left this morning, but she didn’t believe me.”

He explained the situation to the three of them, wanting to see which roommate was the most reliable so he could take him in as his foster son.

Lin Lu felt a bit flustered and embarrassed as she listened to Cheng Zhu call his roommates over with great fanfare.

Hey! You don’t need to prove it like this! Hey, hey, hey! Why are you calling people over?!

And what’s with those expressions? Why do they all look like they’re eating the dog food of a couple? Ahhh! Don’t tell me they think I came here just to ask him about the sunscreen?

It’s not like that! Ugh! It’s clearly just a small matter. Why has it suddenly developed into such a big commotion?

Ah! Why does the atmosphere suddenly feel a bit ambiguous? Stop! Stop it right now!

This made her feel so strange inside that the answer to the original question suddenly became unimportant.

At this point, she didn’t care if Cheng Zhu valued her gift or not. She just wanted this awkward atmosphere to end as soon as possible.

But was the answer really unimportant?

—It was very important.

And you still want the atmosphere to end? Then why did I, the grandmaster, summon these three disciples here?

Turn it up! Keep raising the atmosphere!

Liu Feng, the youngest of the Horndog Three Musketeers, was the first to respond confidently,

“Sunscreen? Yeah, he used it!

“We even asked Brother Zhu if he could share some with us. He said no, but he wasn’t stingy. Instead, he converted the value of the sunscreen and gave us red packets to make it for it, saying to treat it as if we’ve used it! Hahaha!”

* * *

Among the Horndog Three Musketeers, Liu Feng was the first to gain Cheng Zhu’s favor.

Not bad, kid. You’ve broadened your path again.

With Brother Zhu here, if there’s a chance, I’ll deign to be your wingman once.

I’ll let you experience the power of the ultimate wingman!

Dong Dong and Zheng Qingfeng weren’t as sensible and even decided to engage in some internal dorm betrayal.

Liu Feng said, “We asked Brother Zhu for sunscreen, but he wouldn’t give it to us.”

But in fact, only that rascal Dong Dong had asked for it, while the others didn’t say a word.

The aloof, old-looking chubby who cherished his words like gold directly stabbed him in the back. “Only he asked.”

“You son of a…” Dong Dong was speechless.

The matter wasn’t a big deal, but now that the topic had danced all the way to the person who had gifted sunscreen—such a beautiful woman, a goddess senior sister no less—he felt genuinely embarrassed. He quickly explained, “No, no, I was just joking! I didn’t even take the red packet, cough, cough!”

It was too real. This whole sequence of events was too real!

Of course, it was real. They weren’t acting.

Lin Lu sat on a bench in the corridor and smiled. “Really? Even giving red packets!”

“Okay, I get it. I know you’ve used it, okay? Happy now?” She looked at Cheng Zhu beside her and mumbled, “You even called your roommate to prove it…”

“Wasn’t that because you didn’t believe me?” The scumbag grinned and started shifting the blame.

Looking at his grin, Lin Lu couldn’t explain, but she just felt he was very bad!

Now I’m the one feeling awkward. The atmosphere here is too weird.

I want to escape! Run, run, run!

“Alright! I get it! It’s not important. Why would I even care if you used it or not? I’ve already given it to you, so you can do whatever you want with it, right?” Her words began to bumble out in a chaotic mess as she stood up from the bench.

“You all have military training soon, so rest properly for now. Anyway, I’ll get going!

“Bye!” She gave Cheng Zhu a quick wave and dashed off with her bag, running away like a deer.

Cheng Zhu watched her leave. Lin Lu walked away quickly, mumbling something to herself, though he couldn’t quite catch what she was saying.

He stretched out his large hand and patted Liu Feng’s shoulder. “Chuan’er, do you have any thoughts about dating someone in college?”

“Of course, Brother Zhu!” Liu Feng immediately responded.

“If there’s a girl you like, let me know in secret, okay?” He raised an eyebrow at Liu Feng.

“Okay!” Liu Feng replied excitedly. Is Brother Zhu going to impart his wisdom to me?

Dong Dong and Zheng Qingfeng exchanged puzzled glances.

Wait, what are they doing?

“So you’re only going to tell Old Cheng in secret? Can’t we know?” Dong Dong said. “Chuan’er, don’t tell me you’re planning to keep Old Zheng and me out of the loop?”

Liu Feng: “…”

Sigh, with your perception, your future is going to be tough.

The four of them left the corridor. Along the way, Dong Dong was still thinking about being backstabbed by Old Zheng. The two of them started shoulder-checking each other, playfully bumping back and forth.

Dong Dong was extremely thin and bumped into him while cursing.

Zheng Qingfeng was on the heavier side and maintained an aloof and stoic expressionlessness.

The people in Room 309 were actually pretty good-natured. They were easy to talk and easy to joke around with, never holding grudges.

In roommate relationships, the worst thing was when people had all kinds of calculative thoughts and held grudges without ever saying anything openly.

Meanwhile, Lin Lu had already walked far away.

Girls’ points of focus always tended to be different from those of boys’.

Girls were usually more detail-oriented and liked to dig deeper.

He didn’t let them use it, but he said he’d give them red packets. What did he mean?

Was it to show that he wasn’t unwilling, that he wasn’t stingy? If he had bought the bottle of sunscreen himself, he would have definitely shared it.

But since it was a gift from someone else, was it absolutely off-limits?

Suddenly, the sunscreen became a special item, elevating its value and status.

Or was it not the item that was special but the person?

The same thing, when said by you or by someone else, could have a completely different impact.

Ah, what am I thinking about?! Lin Lu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Go away, go away, all these messy thoughts, get out of my head!

When I gave it to him he didn’t even care about it, and he even complained to me!

I just don’t understand him. I really don’t understand him! Forget it! I won’t think about it anymore!

She stomped a few steps forward, her strides large and determined.

But soon, her pace slowed down, and her steps became smaller.

Ugh, he’s always saying one thing and thinking another! Hmph! Lin Lu’s footsteps became lighter.

She carried her small bag and clicked along in her little leather shoes. She told herself she didn’t want to think about it anymore, but after a while, she found herself thinking about it again.

Yes, she had already escaped, but the strange atmosphere that had been created earlier still lingered like a faint trace of warmth.