Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 341: 263. Two worlds

Countdown 42:00:00.

On the fifth day after his return, there wasn’t much time left until the next time travel event.

The winter morning was exceptionally dark, with the blackness in the sky like ink that would never dissolve.

At 6 o’clock, the members of Daybreak had already changed into their sportswear early and braved the cold wind to run into the morning mist.

They started from Xingshu Road, passed through the expansive Royal City Avenue, and entered Luo Pu Park.

Qing Chen led at the front, shielding the others from the howling wind, making it slightly easier for the ones behind.

At a certain moment, Hu Xiaoniu, Zhang Tianzhen, and Nan Gengchen, who were following behind, suddenly felt that Qing Chen was like a wolf braving the snowstorm, clearing the path ahead with an unwavering attitude for the pack following him.

Qing Chen’s daily routine included a five-kilometer run, and he did not intentionally run extra distance. Even in training, moderation was key to not rundown his three teammates completely.

As everyone gradually slowed down and stopped, Hu Xiaoniu suddenly noticed Qing Chen frowning and lightly covering the area below his left ribs.

“What’s wrong?” asked Hu Xiaoniu curiously, “Got a stitch?”

Nan Gengchen turned to look and thought, how could someone with Brother Chen’s physical condition get a stitch from running?

It wasn’t until he saw where Qing Chen was holding that he realized something, “Brother Chen, your ribs haven’t healed yet, have they?”

“Ribs? What’s wrong with Qing Chen’s ribs?” asked Zhang Tianzhen, puzzled.

“Brother Chen’s ribs were cracked during the last time travel,” Nan Gengchen explained, “The doctor advised him not to do any vigorous exercise for 90 days.”

This revelation truly shocked Zhang Tianzhen and Hu Xiaoniu; they had not expected that the young man leading them on the run was actually carrying injuries.

If Nan Gengchen hadn’t pointed it out, they wouldn’t have noticed at all!

It wasn’t just those two who were shocked; even Nan Gengchen was astonished.

Had it not been for today’s discovery, even he, who was in the know, had almost forgotten about the injuries that Qing Chen bore.

Qing Chen had just been acting too normally every day!

Hu Xiaoniu looked at Qing Chen seriously. He couldn’t understand why, despite being injured, the other could be so tenacious and wake up for a run every morning.

Moreover, despite his injuries, Qing Chen acted as if nothing was wrong, while he, along with Zhang Tianzhen and Nan Gengchen, were embarrassingly fatigued without a scratch on them.

In the beginning, when Hu Xiaoniu first met Qing Chen, he thought of him as a scholarly young man who was also skilled in combat.

But now he realized that his understanding was too superficial. There truly was someone in the world who was smarter, fiercer, more enduring, and more diligent than him.

Hu Xiaoniu felt utterly worthless next to Qing Chen, except for being wealthier. But could a person like Qing Chen really be poor forever?

Not a chance.

Hu Xiaoniu looked at Qing Chen and said, “I really admire you, I truly do.”

“It’s nothing serious,” Qing Chen replied calmly, “If the pain was unbearable, I wouldn’t be out here running.”

“I’m a little curious,” Hu Xiaoniu felt strange, “I don’t mean anything by it, just curious why you would join Daybreak.”

From his perspective, why would someone like Qing Chen lower himself to others? And moreover, obey the boss’s commands unquestioningly.

It wasn’t that Hu Xiaoniu was disloyal or trying to sow discord.

He genuinely couldn’t figure it out, couldn’t make sense of it.

In fact, Hu Xiaoniu’s judgment was not wrong, he just didn’t know that Qing Chen was the boss.

After pondering, Qing Chen said, “The boss saved my life once.”

“I see,” Hu Xiaoniu thought to himself that one indeed ought to repay a life-saving grace like spring’s bubbling well; this reason was quite sufficient.

At this moment, the three who had just completed the five-kilometer run should have been in a sorry state, sitting on the ground in disarray.

But looking at Qing Chen, it was as if they suddenly had a stubborn breath in their chests that none of them complained of being tired again.

…

…

During class in the daytime, Qing Chen still lay on the desk, looking as if he was asleep.

It wasn’t until evening that he finally lifted his head, not even having eaten lunch.

Nan Gengchen and the others found it strange, arguing that even if one slept during class, they shouldn’t be able to sleep that much.

Now, classmates had started to secretly give Qing Chen a nickname, calling him the “God of Sleep”.

However, for Qing Chen, every minute and every second was fulfilled; with every meter the target moved in the distance, his heart grew merrier.

When school was out in the evening, Nan Gengchen was ready to leave with Qing Chen.

However, just as he was about to stand up, Qing Chen pushed him back down, “Stay in school, don’t go, attend your classes.”

“Huh?” Nan Gengchen was confused for a moment, “Brother Chen, you don’t usually say this, and I see you’re ready to leave, eh.”

“I can leave, you can’t,” Qing Chen said.

“Why not?” Nan Gengchen didn’t understand.

“I am the ‘God of Study’, are you?” Qing Chen asked indifferently.

Nan Gengchen glanced at the setting sun about to dip behind the buildings outside the school window and suddenly asked, “Brother Chen, I can feel you’re more burdened today than yesterday. So, is there danger looming, and that’s why you don’t want me to leave the school?”

“Don’t overthink it, just stay in the classroom and go home as normal after school,” Qing Chen said, patting his shoulder and turning towards the classroom door.

Just as Qing Chen was leaving the classroom, he was stopped by Xu Zimo, who was also going to Xian City for the AMC10 math competition. She was from the next class, high school Grade 2 Class 2, and seemed to have been waiting here right after class.

Passing students couldn’t help but cast curious glances at the two when they walked by, seemingly intrigued by what may transpire between the two top students.

They heard Xu Zimo holding a set of papers, looking at Qing Chen and saying, “Qing Chen, there’s a trigonometry problem here, can you explain it to me?”

The students nearby were stunned, as Xu Zimo had ranked first in the last monthly exam. She needed Qing Chen’s help with a problem she couldn’t solve?

But lately, Qing Chen had been busy sleeping during class.

Qing Chen casually glanced over the papers, “I don’t know how to do this problem.”

Xu Zimo hesitated for a moment, “Then let me explain it to you.”

At that moment, the onlooking students were all frozen in place. It turned out that Xu Zimo wasn’t there to ask for help but to make small talk!

Qing Chen looked at Xu Zimo calmly and said seriously, “I don’t have time right now, and I don’t need it, thank you.”

Having said that, Qing Chen went downstairs.

The evening glow cast upon the corridor, stretching the shadows of people on the walls.

Xu Zimo pursed her lips as she watched Qing Chen’s retreating figure.

Nan Gengchen muttered in the classroom, “Wow, that’s cold…”

Hu Xiaoniu glanced at him but felt it was something to be expected.

Nan Gengchen asked, “Aren’t you surprised at all?”

“Don’t you find it discordant that he stood there with the female student?” Hu Xiaoniu said, “The last time I had this feeling was regarding Yangyang. Back then, at sea, someone was pursuing Yangyang, but when we gossiped about it, it always seemed discordant, no matter who stood next to her. It was like placing a rock next to a dazzling diamond; anyone would look dim in comparison, and the styles didn’t match.”

“Moreover, they are no longer from the same world. The female student’s world is still narrow, with only the road to university ahead of her, but Qing Chen is different now; he is facing a broader world, two worlds.”

…

Thank you, Yueshuxia, for becoming a new ally for this novel, thank you, boss, and bow!

There will be a single chapter break explanation later.