After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 4

Dinner lasted nearly two hours. Once they finished, Ying Xunshun and Zhao Zhao needed to head back to the dorm to wrap up some work.

Wen Huihan immediately stood up. “Then I’ll also”

Unexpectedly, a hand reached out from behind, gripping his shoulder and pulling him backward. His back collided firmly with a solid chest. He heard He Chenshuang’s low, resonant voice: “You guys head back first. He and I still have things to do.”

The two roommates didn’t suspect a thing. Ying Xunshun even offered a friendly reminder, “Oh, alright. You two don’t stay out too late; there’s still a curfew even on the first day of the semester.”

Once they were gone, Wen Huihan asked cautiously, “What. ‘things’ do we have to do?”

He didn’t remember any such plans.

Or  had He Chenshuang noticed something was off and was looking for a showdown?

Wen Huihan hadn’t even started his fitness plan yet. He knew he’d lose in a fight, and he was torn between begging for mercy or acting tough.

Of course, for He Chenshuang, begging for mercy sometimes had a more devastating impact than acting tough.

Wen Huihan knew this from experience.

Back in high school, Wen Huihan had gone through a phase where he was obsessed with 1v1 duels against He Chenshuang in a video game. The latter had always seemed disinterested, letting Wen Huihan stomp him until his character’s corpses littered every corner of the map.

Then, Wen Huihan learned a “trick” from someone else. Before a match, he’d type something taunting in the global chat like, “Big brother, please go easy on me.” It worked almost too well. He Chenshuang proceeded to absolutely demolish him, effectively crushing Wen Huihan’s e-sports dreams.

Wen Huihan knew He Chenshuang too well: the guy was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He was the “protagonist” for a reason; you had to push him before he’d show his true strength.

He Chenshuang looked down at the pale, slender neck in his arms before quickly releasing his grip. His eyes, devoid of much emotion, swept over Wen Huihan. “I made it up.”

Wen Huihan: 

“Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To buy something.”

“Huh?”

Dazed, Wen Huihan followed along, wondering what was on the other guy’s mind. To his surprise, He Chenshuang led him to a nearby dessert shop.

The air was thick with the elegant, rich scent of cream. Wen Huihan shot He Chenshuang several suspicious glances; the guy looked completely out of place in a bakery. Besides, Wen Huihan hadn’t even mentioned wanting sweets.

“Pick something.” He Chenshuang lowered his eyes. His cold, handsome face was reflected in the glass display case, making him look less like a customer and more like he was there to rob the place.

” I’m full.”

He Chenshuang looked over, his lips curving into a faint, almost imperceptible arc. “You were too busy messing with the Lazy Susan during dinner. Did you actually eat anything?”

Wen Huihan:

He Chenshuang was right. During dinner, he’d been so focused on timing the rotation of the table to snatch away the dishes He Chenshuang wanted that he hadn’t actually eaten much. With his appetite, he could have easily polished off two large bowls of rice.

Wen Huihan looked like a refined, ethereal “salt-style” hunk who lived on air, but in reality, he had zero resistance to sweets.

In fact, he’d chosen those two specific dishes for the “hostility” challenge partly because he liked them himself.

He Chenshuang said indifferently, “Congratulations. You won the ‘Consolation Prize’ on the wheel. Pick one.”

Since it was He Chenshuang’s fault he was hungry, Wen Huihan wasn’t about to be polite. He immediately pointed to the most expensive item.

He Chenshuang paid. “Carry it yourself.”

Wen Huihan: “Okay!”

The shop seemed to be a popular “influencer” spot, and the prices weren’t cheap. Having successfully fleeced He Chenshuang, Wen Huihan walked out of the store feeling satisfied.

Squeezing money out of He Chenshuang’s pocket felt like a proper “villainous” move.

He Chenshuang followed behind. Watching Wen Huihan hop down the steps with a light gait, the soft tips of his hair bouncing happily, the tension in He Chenshuang’s mouth finally softened slightly.

He walked slowly behind him.

“Slow down. You’re about to kick that shop’s sign.”

No, I’m not! It’s miles away.

The next day, Wen Huihan sat at his desk, staring pensively at the dessert packaging in his trash can.

He hadn’t felt it while eating, but a wave of delayed guilt was now crashing over him.

He had originally planned to work out, improve himself, and one day turn against He Chenshuang for a legendary showdown.

He shouldn’t have let He Chenshuang “seduce” him with sweets yesterday. Then again, he wasn’t exactly known for his iron will, so it was only natural that he’d been exploited… Wait, could this be He Chenshuang’s counter-attack?

The moment he mentioned wanting to get fit, He Chenshuang immediately arranged a calorie-bomb of a dessert. It was terrifying to think about.

Could He Chenshuang have seen through his schemes and decided to strike first?

The more Wen Huihan thought about it, the more he was convinced. He had likely fallen into the “Protagonist’s” trap again.

But it wasn’t too late. The first few weeks of the semester weren’t busy. Wen Huihan pulled out his phone to look for nearby gyms, intending to sign up for a few trial sessions.

He quickly found a gym with good reviews. On the homepage, there were introductions for the personal trainers. He clicked through them one by one.

Suddenly, he hit the jackpot. One of the trainers looked exactly like the fitness blogger who had been pushed to his feed yesterday.

What were the odds?

Wen Huihan then recalled that the video yesterday had a “nearby” tag in the corner. No wonder the algorithm was so accurate.

Putting everything else aside, the guy’s biceps were definitely impressive. Wen Huihan decided then and there: he’d go to this gym today to get a membership and officially start his fitness journey.

Just then, He Chenshuang walked behind him after washing his hands on the balcony. His eyes inadvertently caught the phone screen, and he raised an eyebrow.

“Going off-campus?”

“So what if I am?” Wen Huihan assumed he was about to be mocked.

He Chenshuang said calmly, “The Go Club is recruiting new members this afternoon. You’re not participating?”

Wen Huihan: “Nope. I already talked to the President.”

Back in freshman year, Wen Huihan had been talked into joining the Go Club by his seniors. Later, he dragged He Chenshuang into it too, claiming it was to “expand their extracurricular activities and meet like-minded friends” (though it was mostly for the easy credits).

Over the last two years, he had been at the forefront of every event. His stellar performance had long since earned him the rank of Vice President.

While recruitment was important, it lasted for several days. He had promised the President he’d show up for the rest of the week, and the President had happily agreed.

Besides, they had He Chenshuang.

Wen Huihan felt a surge of motivation; he needed to strike while the iron was hot before his “laziness” kicked back in.

He patted He Chenshuang’s shoulder solemnly. “I have big things to handle. You handle the recruitment for me, brother.”

Using his “higher rank” as Vice President to give orders, Wen Huihan assumed He Chenshuang wouldn’t refuse.

The “lowly citizen” He Chenshuang just quirked the corner of his mouth, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Wen Huihan didn’t care. He changed his clothes and set off immediately. Time was of the essence especially with He Chenshuang watching him like a hawk.

After Wen Huihan left, the dorm fell silent. Since Ying Xunshun and Zhao Zhao were out, He Chenshuang stood there for a few seconds before tidying up and heading out as well.

The club recruitment was concentrated near the school’s South Gate. He Chenshuang walked over and saw a long row of blue tents. The Go Club’s tent was tucked away in the furthest corner.

While other clubs were swamped with interested freshmen looking for fun activities, the Go Club was practically a ghost town.

The bored Lu Qinghe immediately spotted the tall, striking He Chenshuang. His eyes lit up. “Brother He! Over here!”

He Chenshuang walked over. “What do I need to do?”

Lu Qinghe peeked at him cautiously. “Um, the President said that as long as you or the Vice President just sit here, it’s enough.”

Wen Huihan and He Chenshuang were the Go Club’s secret weapons. Back in the day, the seniors had moved heaven and earth to trick one of them into joining, and the other had simply followed.

The two of them just had to stand there to act as the club’s “golden signboard.” They didn’t even need to organize flashy events, which saved Lu Qinghe from the Publicity Department a lot of work.

He Chenshuang didn’t say anything. He pulled over a chair and sat down, his long legs resting casually.

Lu Qinghe barely dared to look in his direction. Sensing the awkward silence, he tried to make small talk. “Haha, where’s the Vice President? I usually see you two together.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt the atmosphere grow even colder.

He Chenshuang glanced at him, then looked down, saying lazily, “I don’t know.”

He really didn’t know, but his tone made Lu Qinghe feel like he’d asked something incredibly stupid.

Seeing the younger student’s visible discomfort, He Chenshuang nodded toward the path. “People are coming. Get to work.”

Lu Qinghe let out a massive sigh of relief. The President’s plan worked perfectly: a wave of freshmen rushed toward their “club treasure.” Finally, he didn’t have to force an awkward conversation.

He Chenshuang didn’t just sit idly; he helped Lu Qinghe hand out registration forms.

Every freshman who took a form from him looked dazed. This guy was a different kind of handsome compared to the vibrant guy they’d glimpsed on the sports field, but he was undeniably striking.

If only for the aesthetics, they felt they had to join this club.

When things finally calmed down, He Chenshuang opened a bottle of water. He took a sip while typing on his phone with one hand.

He Aotian: Do I get a “high-temperature bonus,” Mr. Vice President?

AAA Handsome Wholesale: I’ll bring you an iced milk tea when I get back.

He Aotian: Don’t want it.

AAA Handsome Wholesale: Take it or leave it.

Wen Huihan replied just as his taxi pulled up to a mall. The gym he was looking for, “TT Fitness,” was inside.

He told the front desk he wanted to sign up and specifically requested a certain trainer. The receptionist enthusiastically led him inside.

“Vincent! This cute guy says he wants to take your class.”

Vincent, who was currently coaching someone else, turned around. He looked Wen Huihan up and down, his eyes lighting up. “OK! Young man, you’ve got good taste. What do you want to work on?”

Wen Huihan asked seriously, “I’m a beginner. What do you think I should focus on?”

He actually had some lean muscle and even abs he’d been a starter on his high school basketball team but his “opponent” was He Chenshuang. He didn’t want to be a typical “disposable” villain; he wanted to be an equal match.

Vincent circled him, nodding approvingly. “You’ve got a great foundation. Your proportions are excellent. You don’t need to bulk up with protein powder; I’d suggest starting with core strength.”

After a trial session, Wen Huihan was satisfied with Vincent and decided to train with him for a while.

The sign-up process was smooth. After paying, Wen Huihan asked the question he was most curious about: “Are you the Vincent from TikTok?”

“That’s me. Ugh, don’t even get me started.” Vincent looked annoyed. “Some competitor reported me for ‘vulgarity.’ I’ve been banned for a few days and can’t post anything new.”

Wen Huihan nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, that sucks.”

Finding a sympathetic ear, Vincent started venting. He claimed his TikTok “thirst traps” were just to drive traffic to the gym because he had a difficult life: a drinking father, a gambling mother, two sisters in school, and his own student loans.

Wen Huihan, the “heinous future villain,” was actually moved. He almost bought more sessions, but his budget wouldn’t allow it.

He could only offer some dry comfort: “It’s okay. You’ll be unbanned in a few days. I’ll give you a like then.”

Hurrying back to school, Wen Huihan checked his phone. He realized He Chenshuang had sent several messages while he was training.

Quoted: Take it or leave it

He Aotian: So bossy? Fine, I’ll take it.

He Aotian: Recruitment is over. 

He Aotian: Are you back yet? 

He Aotian: Are you on the road and not checking your phone?

 He Aotian: Press 1 if you’re kidnapped, I’ll save you.

Wen Huihan almost laughed in frustration.

AAA Handsome Wholesale: 1

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