"Keep your cool! If he doesn’t reach out to you, you don’t reach out to him!"
"Be ruthless! No matter what he asks, say no! Make him chase you until he’s practically begging for it!"
"And don’t rush; let him dangle a bit. He’s that type of guy, trust me."
"Oh, and he might be into role-playing. Buy some... interesting outfits; you might need them later."
“How do I know? My boyfriend’s his roommate, of course!”
Ning Chu was focused on typing out her advice, but suddenly, she found herself face-to-face with a wall—one she walked right into.
She stumbled back a few steps, rubbing her forehead as she glared up at Wen Yang. “Why’d you stop so suddenly?”
“We’re at the bubble tea shop,” Wen Yang replied, looking at her with a mix of concern and amusement. “What’s got you so distracted you didn’t even notice?”
“Just helping Qianqian deal with Shaoqing! She deserves some good advice on how to handle him!”
Wen Yang didn’t pay much mind to girl talk, even if his roommate was the topic. He simply pointed inside the shop. “Look, your two friends are here too.”
“Oh! So that’s where they wandered off to—hiding out in the bubble tea shop, huh?”
Through the glass door, Ning Chu spotted her friends already sipping bubble tea inside. Without a second thought, she let go of Wen Yang’s hand and dashed inside.
The warm blast from the shop’s heater wrapped around her the moment she entered, sending a shiver of comfort through her whole body.
“Hey! Ning Chu! Over here!” Yan Xinya waved at her excitedly.
“This place is great, with the free heating and all!” Ning Chu took a seat across from the wolf-girl and called out to the server, “Miss! One cocoa bubble tea, please!”
“I’ll pass,” Wen Yang, who had just come in, shook his head immediately.
“Fine, just one cocoa bubble tea then.”
Knowing Wen Yang wasn’t a fan of bubble tea, Ning Chu didn’t push it. She turned to Yan Xinya and Lily, asking, “What elective are you two thinking of taking?”
“We were just talking about that! Want to join us?”
“Hm?”
“We’re planning on signing up for yoga! It’s supposed to be great for fitness and toning.”
Ning Chu paused, looking Yan Xinya up and down. “Have you gained weight?”
“I have not!”
“Oh, come on, you ate like crazy over [N O V E L I G H T] the holiday and barely moved. Put on a few pounds, didn’t you?”
“I did not!” Yan Xinya’s ears shot up defensively.
After a closer look, Ning Chu noticed that her friend’s face did seem a bit rounder, and there might even be a hint of a belly forming.
A soft voice chimed in from the other side, “It could unlock some... new poses, too.”
Ning Chu turned to see Lily, the succubus, sipping her bubble tea with an expression so calm it was hard to believe she’d said anything at all.
Wen Yang’s eyes lit up as he leaned toward Ning Chu, whispering, “Why don’t you sign up with them?”
“!!!”
Ning Chu could tell in an instant what Wen Yang’s mind was filled with, and she poked him in the side with a frown.
“But yoga classes outside are super expensive—several hundred per session! The ones at school are free, though!” Yan Xinya’s comment piqued Ning Chu’s interest in the idea.
Not that she was thinking of unlocking any new poses! Just for fitness!
“Alright, let me know when it’s time to register.”
Plus, everyone in the yoga class would probably be wearing form-fitting, lightweight clothes—a little eye candy during class wouldn’t hurt...
Wait a minute! What if the other pervs thought the same?
Ning Chu quickly turned to Yan Xinya. “Can guys join the yoga class?”
“Of course they can~”
“But won’t the outfits be... pretty revealing?”
Yan Xinya thought for a moment before shrugging. “Everyone’s wearing the same thing, so it’s no big deal, right? It’s like wearing swimsuits at the beach.”
“True...”
“Oh! When it gets warmer, we should hit the beach! I want to see Lily in a bikini!”
Lily gave Yan Xinya a dismissive shove. “Not happening!”
“A school swimsuit would be fine too!”
“Quit it!”
“Here’s your bubble tea,” the server announced, placing it on the table. Ning Chu grabbed her cup with both hands, letting the warmth seep into her chilled fingers.
She took a cautious sip, burning her tongue slightly but dispelling the lingering cold.
Yan Xinya sniffed the air, giving Ning Chu a curious look. “Ning Chu, isn’t it about time for your period?”
“Huh?”
“By my count, it should have started already.”
Ning Chu blinked, shaking her head in confusion. “How would I know? Isn’t it only mid-month?”
“Could it be that you’re... pregnant?!”
“No way! Sometimes it’s early, sometimes it’s late—that’s totally normal! And why do you keep track of my cycle so closely?!”
She shot Yan Xinya an exasperated look but couldn’t help glancing down at her stomach, feeling a bit nervous.
Surely not...
Although, now that she thought about it, they hadn’t always been careful at the start, though they’d taken precautions later...
“It’s the smell. It’s always around for days.” Yan Xinya wrinkled her nose as she continued, “Lily’s cycle is every twenty-eight days; yours is every thirty. I remember perfectly.”
In the past, any talk of periods or sanitary pads would leave Ning Chu blushing furiously. Now, she was much more comfortable with these regular topics, even finding sanitary products easy to handle.
Lily, on the other hand, shot Yan Xinya a flustered glare. She might casually suggest little “toys” among friends, but on topics like this, she was surprisingly bashful.
But the colder weather was indeed a reminder to keep warm—getting cramps could make those days downright unbearable.
With a playful nudge of her elbow, Ning Chu warned Wen Yang, “You better watch it, okay? Don’t get on my nerves, or I’ll really let you have it.”
“When have I ever made you mad?”
“All the time! I’m just gracious enough not to call you out.”
Yan Xinya watched the two of them bicker with a grin, leaning over to whisper to Lily, “Jealous much?”
“Hate men,” Lily muttered, turning her face away.
“Oh really? And who was it that told me online, ‘I’d love for a guy to pin me down on the bed...’”
Lily’s usually calm face turned bright red, and she quickly wrapped an arm around Yan Xinya’s neck, effectively strangling the rest of the sentence.
“Stop! I’m dying!”
“Hmph!”
As Lily released her, Yan Xinya noticed Ning Chu and Wen Yang heading out of the shop together. “Hey! Where are you two going?”
“To the store. We need to pick up a few things.”
“Wait for us!” Yan Xinya grabbed her bubble tea and hurried after them. “Aren’t you supposed to be setting your brother up with Lily? Where is he? Lily’s going to die of thirst for a man at this rate!”
Ning Chu gave a bemused shrug. “My brother? He got... intercepted.”
“Oh, too bad for Lily! Wait, ow! Why’d you step on me? I was just trying to help!”
Wen Yang, clearly embarrassed, distanced himself slightly.
Were these friends’ conversations always this... open?
