NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Is the 'Rich Kid' Struggling?
Chapter 6: Is the ‘Rich Kid’ Struggling?
This was why Su Mu hadn’t yet left the Su residence.
First, he still needed the Su family to connect with Chu Hanting – he couldn’t just walk up to a stranger and say “Hi” out of nowhere.
He’d be lucky if they didn’t take him away as a mental patient.
Second, in a week, an important certificate would be mailed to the Su residence. He had to receive it personally.
In the afternoon, Su Mu found time to return to school.
It was the second half of junior year, with most classes finished. Students were busy with graduation theses and finding internships.
Some were preparing for graduate school, others looking for jobs, and the four roommates were rarely all present together.
When he returned to their dorm room, Gao Yang was organizing his things. Seeing Su Mu, he immediately threw an arm around his shoulders.
“Hey man, feeling better? Someone called the school yesterday saying you fainted, what happened, bro?”
Su Mu pushed away Gao Yang’s overly familiar hand. “It’s nothing, just overworked.”
Gao Yang wore an ‘I knew it’ expression. “See? I told you to exercise more. You college students are so fragile, you get dizzy just sitting on the toilet.”
“Look at me,” Gao Yang rolled up his sweater, proudly patting his forearm, “check out these muscles, these lines.”
Su Mu skeptically poked at his soft flesh, eyebrows raised, looking several times before speaking, “Are you sure? Does this count as muscle when it’s barely an ounce?”
Gao Yang’s animated expression froze instantly, cracking bit by bit.
His expression drooped, then he looked at Su Mu suspiciously, “Are you really you?”
Su Mu was startled by this casual teasing, briefly worried his reincarnation had been exposed.
Realizing Gao Yang was just joking, he replied with mock anger:
“I’m not myself, I’m a ghost from the future possessing Su Mu’s body.”
Gao Yang was incredulous. “No… something’s wrong. Are you really Su Mu? Did you hit your head when you fainted?”
“What are you talking about? I’m fine.”
“Then are you delirious? Still running a fever?”
He reached to feel Su Mu’s forehead, but Su Mu batted his hand away. “Don’t get handsy. I’m spoken for now, must maintain my virtue.”
Gao Yang was glad he wasn’t drinking water, or he would have spat it out.
Then he looked at Su Mu like he’d seen a ghost.
“Are you really Su Mu who makes these kinds of jokes? You used to be so reserved, but today you’re much more interesting. Did hitting your head cause a personality change? Amazing!”
Gao Yang didn’t take the ‘spoken for’ comment seriously, being rather thick-skinned and assuming Su Mu was just joking.
After all, as Su Mu’s best friend who hung out with him almost daily at school, he would surely know if Su Mu had started dating someone.
Su Mu: …He only fainted, he didn’t hit his head, thank you very much!
“You better not sleep too deeply tonight.”
“Hahaha, Su Mu, are you being serious?”
Su Mu looked at the open suitcases scattered on the floor with clothes piled messily inside. “What’s this, are you leaving too?”
“No way, how could I? Liu Ming and Shen Cong can leave because they have homes to return to. I’m an orphan, where would I go? Why would I pay thousands in rent when I have a free dorm room?”
“Then what’s all this?”
Gao Yang mysteriously moved closer to Su Mu, whispering in his ear, “I found a suitable part-time job, pays this much per month!”
He spread his palm showing five fingers.
“Five hundred?” Su Mu blurted out.
Gao Yang gave him a ‘don’t underestimate me’ look, “Five thousand.”
“Five thousand? What part-time job pays that much, especially for students who haven’t graduated? Don’t get scammed.” Su Mu questioned.
“Don’t worry, this job was recommended by a friend of a friend, totally trustworthy.”
That sounded unreliable right off the bat.
Concerned about his friend being scammed, and possibly interested if it was legitimate, Su Mu asked about the specifics.
“Bar singer?” Su Mu raised his voice.
Gao Yang quickly covered Su Mu’s mouth, “Keep it down!”
Su Mu wanted to roll his eyes, “So you know it doesn’t sound good.”
“Don’t rush to judge, it’s not what you think. It’s just a normal bar, providing music services at the front.”
While Gao Yang was trying to explain further, he was caught off guard by Su Mu asking, “Do they need a keyboard player?”
Gao Yang stepped back in surprise, “Wow, Su Mu, you’re something else! Have you had a change of heart?”
Gao Yang then enthusiastically chatted about making money, and they agreed to check out the bar together that night.
They first went to the cafeteria for dinner.
Watching Su Mu eat heartily, Gao Yang thought he looked like someone who hadn’t eaten in decades.
Choosing his words carefully, “Are you… struggling financially lately?”
Su Mu gave him an odd look, thinking he was referring to the part-time job.
Gao Yang misunderstood Su Mu’s enthusiastic eating for financial desperation, while Su Mu was actually savoring real food after being kept alive only by nutrient solutions in his previous life. Their exchange captures this ironic miscommunication, with Gao Yang rushing to help his “struggling” wealthy friend while Su Mu tries to explain his situation without revealing his reincarnation.
Would you like me to continue translating the next section? I’m following along with the narrative developments and can maintain consistency with the characters and plot details as we proceed.