After Becoming Arch-Enemies with My Best Bro - Chapter 8

Wen Huihan finally accepted the truth: geniuses really don’t need to pay attention in class.

As expected of a freak who published a first-author SCI paper as a freshman, he and these “talent monsters” lived in completely different worlds. Knowing his efforts were futile, Wen Huihan quieted down significantly. Since he couldn’t understand a word anyway, he slumped over his desk in a daze.

About ten minutes later, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

Beef Noodles: Beef noodles at Cafeteria No. 3 later?

Wen Huihan stared at it for a moment. Who the hell was “Beef Noodles”? What a tacky name.

Oh, right. It was the new nickname he’d given He Chenshuang. He almost didn’t recognize it. He chuckled again the rustic nickname was a perfect fit for the cool and aloof He Chenshuang.

Blackened: Deal.

By the time the lecture ended, Wen Huihan was fully recharged and headed to Cafeteria No. 3 with He Chenshuang.

While eating his noodles, he tapped his screen and changed He Chenshuang’s nickname from Beef Noodles to TT Fitness a reminder to report to the gym tomorrow. Tomorrow was Saturday, the perfect day to spend all day working out.

The “distract He Chenshuang” plan might have been an epic failure, but his fitness journey couldn’t stop. A bloody battle with He Chenshuang was inevitable in the future; he couldn’t afford to be lazy.

He had to admit, using contact names as a reminder list was actually quite effective. He was starting to understand He Chenshuang’s logic. After all, despite seeing each other every day, they still messaged each other constantly. He Chenshuang was always at the top of his chat list.

Excellent, he thought. Brothers are meant to be utilized.

****

That afternoon, Wen Huihan and He Chenshuang both showed up for the club recruitment.

Lu Qinghe nearly burst into tears of joy at the sight. Heaven only knew how he’d survived the previous afternoon. He Chenshuang wasn’t mean, but he wasn’t exactly a chatterbox either. Lu Qinghe, a natural social butterfly, had nearly suffocated from the silence.

With Wen Huihan there, Lu Qinghe felt saved. Even the Great Scholar He seemed much more approachable.

With Wen Huihan as the backbone, the recruitment went smoothly. Wen Huihan handled the interviews while He Chenshuang, acting as his “loyal sidekick,” sat beside him to assist.

The process was a bit tedious, but having He Chenshuang there to bicker with occasionally made it quite bearable.

Wen Huihan sighed nostalgically. “Seeing these freshmen reminds me of when we first started. Those were the days.”

“Mm. You mean the part where you got tricked into joining a nearly disbanded Go Club the moment you arrived, and then dragged me down with you?”

He Chenshuang’s tone was flat. “Or the part where you didn’t know the first thing about Go, but begged me to teach you so you could ‘restore the club’s glory’?”

Any sentimental warmth Wen Huihan felt was instantly extinguished by He Chenshuang’s lack of romanticism.

That’s only because the seniors in the club were nice people. he argued stubbornly.

That jerk. He made him sound like some naive rookie. If he hadn’t known He Chenshuang was a pro-level player, would he have jumped in so blindly and dragged him along?

Look at them now. Thanks to their joint efforts, the Go Club had flourished over the past two years, and the membership had grown significantly. Wen Huihan looked at the club with the pride of a parent watching their child grow. Yet, He Chenshuang, that “deadbeat dad,” kept bringing up his impulsive decision to join.

He Chenshuang let out a mocking huff.

That was Wen Huihan for you: soft-hearted and easy to fool. It was true for the Go Club, and it was likely true for the gym membership. If he didn’t keep a close eye on him, Wen Huihan would undoubtedly fall for some impulsive “limited-time offer” and buy a bunch of useless fitness classes.

From He Chenshuang’s perspective, a “more-money-than-sense” student like Wen Huihan going to a gym was like a lamb walking into a wolf’s den. Wen Huihan’s life had been largely devoid of hardship loving parents, a sweet sister, a legendary reputation for being a “good guy,” and unmatched popularity.

Having never experienced true malice, he assumed the whole world was filled with good people.

He Chenshuang toyed with a pen cap Wen Huihan had tossed at him during their earlier bickering, his eyes lowered in thought.

On the other side, Wen Huihan was chatting animatedly with other club members, his laughter ringing out periodically.

“Brother Wen, it’s my birthday tonight. You and Brother He should come!” Lu Qinghe slapped his forehead, finally remembering to invite them. He’d meant to ask earlier, but Wen Huihan had been absent and he’d been too nervous around He Chenshuang to bring it up.

“It’s your birthday? Why didn’t you say so sooner? I haven’t even bought a gift.”

“Nah, don’t worry about a gift! Just having you guys there is enough.”

Wen Huihan nudged He Chenshuang. “Let’s go. It’s for Qinghe.”

“Whatever.”

Wen Huihan immediately turned back to Lu Qinghe. “He’s in. We’ll be there on time.”

Despite Lu Qinghe saying no gifts were necessary, Wen Huihan didn’t like showing up empty-handed. After the recruitment ended, he dragged He Chenshuang to a nearby mall to pick something out.

Wen Huihan was an expert at gift-giving. His rule was to always start with the person’s hobbies. After scrolling through Lu Qinghe’s feed, he saw the guy was obsessed with a new anime. A piece of limited-edition merchandise would be perfect.

Once he had a direction, the shopping was easy. It took him only ten minutes to pick out a limited-edition figurine. The price was reasonable, and it made sense for him and He Chenshuang to gift it together.

With the gift settled and time running short, they hailed a taxi to the party. Even after a long day, Wen Huihan showed no signs of fatigue a true high-energy individual.

“Sometimes I really envy you,” Wen Huihan remarked out of the blue as they stood outside the private KTV room.

He Chenshuang looked back at him. “And why is that?”

“Because you have such an all-around capable best friend like me.”

You certainly aren’t stingy with your self-praise.

Wen Huihan: “Just stating facts.”

From social networking and personal affairs to saving a failing club and standing as an equal to the “Son of Heaven” if that wasn’t “all-around capable,” what was?

Ungrateful He Chenshuang. He didn’t know how to cherish what he had and would eventually choose to break their bond in the future. Truly, he’ll be the architect of his own misfortune.

He Chenshuang who had handled the directions, the bill, the taxi, the carrying of bags, the gift wrapping, the card writing, and the search for the room let his mouth twitch. “Right. Thank god for you, otherwise the ‘Twin Heroes of A-University’ would have disbanded on the spot.”

“Glad you realize it.”

Lu Qinghe’s party was at a KTV near the school. It was a lively scene of drinking and singing. They were greeted with a roar of welcome the moment they arrived.

Wen Huihan was a well-known handsome face in the Law Department, and half the room already knew him. His companion, thanks to Wen Huihan, was also a familiar face and received an equally warm welcome.

He Chenshuang, dressed in a black shirt and trousers, stood beside Wen Huihan looking like he had a “Do Not Disturb” sign permanently attached to his forehead. He gave the birthday boy a curt nod and watched as Wen Huihan chatted with Lu Qinghe.

“Here’s your gift. Picked it out with this guy here. Hope you like it.”

Lu Qinghe’s eyes went wide. “You’re too kind, Brother Wen! This is a heavy-duty gift!”

The figurine wasn’t cheap, even as a joint gift. It showed real sincerity.

Wen Huihan: “Drop the formalities. You’ve helped me plenty with club events.”

He shoved the gift into Lu Qinghe’s arms, then threw his own arms around both He Chenshuang and Lu Qinghe’s necks like a giant bird spreading its wings, laughing as he dragged them into the crowd.

Since they were at a party, he wouldn’t let He Chenshuang rot in a corner. He made sure no one was left out.

As they got closer, he realized the group was playing a classic: The King’s Game.

Perfect. This was a rare chance to publicly set He Chenshuang up. Using a game to make He Chenshuang do something socially embarrassing was the peak of villainy killing without a blade.

He deliberately chose a seat close to He Chenshuang so he could sneak a peek at his cards. “Squeeze in.”

He Chenshuang glanced at him and shifted over, letting Wen Huihan sit right up against him.

“A bit more.”

“Why don’t you just sit on my lap?”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

If he wasn’t close, how could he see He Chenshuang’s hand? That was the whole point.

The game began. For the first few rounds, others were the “King.” Both Wen Huihan and He Chenshuang managed to dodge being called.

In the next round, Lu Qinghe drew the Joker. He shouted excitedly, “I’m the King! I’m the King!”

Wen Huihan was secretly envious. Why didn’t he ever have that kind of luck?

“Alright! Number 5 of Spades and Number 3 of Hearts you two have to ask each other a sharp, aggressive question. No dodging, and you must tell the absolute truth.”

Wen Huihan looked at his card: 5 of Spades. He’d been picked.

As luck would have it, he had just caught a glimpse of He Chenshuang’s card. The guy probably hadn’t expected him to be so sneaky and hadn’t guarded his hand.

He Chenshuang was the 3 of Hearts.

The heavens are on my side! Wen Huihan decided he had to ask the one question he wanted to know most. He raised his hand confidently. “I’m the 5 of Spades.”

“3 of Hearts.” He Chenshuang looked at him with a half-smile. “Go ahead, little Spade. Ask away.”

Wen Huihan smiled back, looking He Chenshuang straight in the eye.

“He Chenshuang, you’ve actually always been wary of me, haven’t you?”

His smile was certain, and he leaned forward, exuding a sense of pressure. This was something Wen Huihan had been brooding over. After being best friends for so many years, he couldn’t understand why they would eventually fall out. Even if they stepped on each other’s toes, a lifelong friendship shouldn’t just crumble into a “fight to the death.”

The only logical explanation was that their bond wasn’t as strong as he thought. He saw He Chenshuang as a brother, but He Chenshuang didn’t.

“My presence is too bright, so you’ve always seen me as a rival. Deep down, you’ve been treating me as an opponent all along, haven’t you? In your heart, you never actually saw me as a brother!”

The room went silent as everyone traded looks. What a sharp question! Everyone knew they were inseparable. Who would have thought there was a hidden rivalry between them? The gossip was top-tier. In an instant, every eye in the room was fixed on one person.

The “Protagonist” at the center of the storm remained perfectly composed, unfazed by the aggressive confrontation.

He Chenshuang lazily raised his eyelids, locking eyes with Wen Huihan’s sharp gaze for a few seconds. Finally, he spat out five cold words:

“Wen Huihan, are you a total idiot?”

It was his answer, and simultaneously, an exceptionally sharp question of his own.

Wen Huihan:

That bastard He Chenshuang. He really does think I’m an idiot.

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