NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 13 - Wang Cheng, Are You Weak-Kneed?
Chapter 13: Wang Cheng, Are You Weak-Kneed?
“Boss, give me two cases of water,” Qi Lin said casually as he walked into the school store, greeting the owner with familiarity.
Being wealthy and carefree, Qi Lin was a regular at the store. Despite having only transferred a month ago, he had already become well-acquainted with the shop owner.
“No problem! Ah Qiang, bring out two cases of water for Young Master Lin,” the shop owner chuckled, calling his son to fetch the order.
Since Qi Lin drove luxury cars to school and spent money freely, the shop owner jokingly referred to him as ‘Young Master Lin’.
Heh, do you really think the boss calls you ‘Young Master Lin’ out of respect? He’s probably cursing you as a fool behind your back, Wang Cheng thought sourly, standing behind Qi Lin like a lackey.
If Qi Lin had heard Wang Cheng’s thoughts, he would have sneered. Despite all the benefits Wang Cheng had received from Qi Lin, when Qi Lin’s family went bankrupt, Wang Cheng had turned his back on him.
In his previous life, after Qi Lin’s family lost their fortune, he had returned to his old school to reminisce with the shop owner. The owner had not only treated him with kindness but also offered him free drinks and even a pack of cigarettes.
The shop owner didn’t fawn over him during his prime, nor did he look down on him during his fall. Compared to the shop owner, Wang Cheng wasn’t even worth carrying his shoes.
“Wang Cheng, pick whatever snacks or drinks you want,” Qi Lin said nonchalantly, lighting a cigarette.
The shop owner normally didn’t sell cigarettes to students but made an exception for Qi Lin. Wang Cheng had been waiting for this invitation. His face lit up with joy as he began picking items.
However, he hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked, “Just to confirm, I didn’t bring any money with me today, so you’ll really cover it this time, right?”
Qi Lin felt a wave of contempt but maintained a smile, flicking the ash from his cigarette.
“Relax, it’s on me this time.”
Relieved, Wang Cheng picked out a pile of snacks, totaling 70 to 80 yuan. The shop owner shook his head in disbelief at Wang Cheng’s audacity.
Such blatant freeloading was a first for him. The owner couldn’t help but feel sorry for Qi Lin, having such a shameless friend. As for water, Wang Cheng didn’t bother taking any. He figured Qi Lin’s two cases would be enough to share.
“Young Master Lin, it’s 168 yuan total. I’ll round it down to 160 for you,” the shop owner said cheerfully after calculating the cost.
Instead of paying immediately, Qi Lin turned to look at Wang Cheng, startling him. Wang Cheng immediately assumed Qi Lin wanted him to pay again and braced himself to refuse. This time, he wouldn’t fall for it, even if it meant putting the snacks back.
But Wang Cheng was overthinking it.
“My body’s been a bit weak lately, and I can’t carry heavy things. Wang Cheng, why don’t you handle these for me?” Qi Lin said with a sly grin, glancing at the two cases of water.
“Gulp.”
Wang Cheng understood. Qi Lin wanted him to carry the water.
Though Wang Cheng was 1.8 meters tall, his slim frame of 130 pounds wasn’t built for heavy lifting. Carrying one case was doable, but two would wreck his back.
Still, he hesitated. If he refused, would Qi Lin refuse to pay for the snacks?
“Are you weak, Wang Cheng? A guy 1.8 meters tall can’t carry two cases of water?” Qi Lin teased with mock surprise.
No man likes being called weak, especially not in that way. Though it wasn’t moral coercion, it felt even worse.
“Who says I can’t? Two cases are nothing!” Wang Cheng retorted, gritting his teeth.
“Boss, please help me get these on my shoulders,” Wang Cheng said, resigned.
“Sure thing,” the shop owner replied, grinning.
The shop owner had seen enough of Wang Cheng freeloading off Qi Lin and was glad to knock him down a peg.
The moment the two cases were placed on Wang Cheng’s shoulders, he realized how heavy they were. It nearly crushed him, but Qi Lin finally paid for everything.
“Damn it, carrying two cases of water for a bag of snacks? I feel like a laborer!”
Wang Cheng cursed internally as he struggled to balance the load.
______
Back in the classroom, Wang Cheng called out, “Hey Xiao Shuai, come help unload this stuff!”
By now, Wang Cheng’s face was red and sweaty, his strength nearly spent.
On the way back, he had asked Qi Lin why he’d bought so much water. Qi Lin casually replied that it was a gesture of goodwill to thank the classmates for their help over the past month.
Trying to win over the class? Not so fast, Wang Cheng thought, sneering internally.
He had already planned his move. Once back in class, he would claim the water was a joint effort between him and Qi Lin. If Qi Lin wanted to earn goodwill, Wang Cheng would share the credit.
After all, he had done the heavy lifting. Surely, Qi Lin wouldn’t contradict him. But as soon as Wang Cheng set the water down with his friends’ help, Qi Lin clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Since I’ve been here for a month, I want to thank everyone for making me feel welcome. Today, drinks are on me—everyone gets one!” Qi Lin announced with a bright smile.