Over the course of a single meal, Xi Xi quickly became part of Ning Chu’s small circle of friends.
Even Lily, who was usually reserved, was enthusiastically chatting with Xi Xi online, the two of them exchanging experiences about being magical girls. The only exception was Wang Jie, a socially awkward otaku who struggled to interact with women.
At sixteen or seventeen years old, Xi Xi had a petite, undeveloped, and adorable appearance. Her cheerful and likable personality made it easy for the group to treat her like a younger sister.
“If you ever need anything, just call me,” Zhang Shaoqing said with exaggerated confidence. “If it’s something I can handle, I’ll make sure it’s done for you!”
In front of a newly acquainted girl, his desire to show off was in full swing. “Are there enough dishes? If not, I’ll go get more.”
“It’s enough, it’s enough,” Xi Xi replied, smiling politely.
"Hey! How about we hit the karaoke room this weekend? Whatever it costs, it’s on me!"
Ning Chu, having eaten only a little, rested her chin in her hand and watched Zhang Shaoqing’s performance with mild amusement.
This guy always seemed overly lively around girls he wasn’t particularly interested in. But the moment he encountered a cat-girl, he’d shrink back, acting like a bashful virgin.
She leaned closer to Wen Yang and whispered, “Look at this guy, showing off.”
Having once been a man herself, Ning Chu could easily understand Zhang Shaoqing’s mindset. Most men naturally wanted to make an impression in front of pretty girls.
“He won’t be showing off for long,” Wen Yang replied, giving her a meaningful glance.
The longer Ning Chu and Wen Yang spent time together, the more in sync they became. A single glance—or at most, a playful smack on the butt—was all it took for Ning Chu to know whether Wen Yang wanted her to arch her back or do something else entirely.
Following Wen Yang’s gaze, Ning Chu looked toward the cafeteria’s second-floor staircase. There, standing at the entrance, was a cat-girl dressed in a professional OL skirt and a crisp white blouse. Her head was adorned with pristine white cat ears, and a fluffy tail swayed behind her.
Ning Chu’s expression turned subtle as she watched Qian Qian approach with visibly hurried steps, her gait betraying a sense of urgency.
Oh ho~
In this situation, no true friend would give Zhang Shaoqing a heads-up!
Ning Chu immediately prepared herself to enjoy the show.
“Are you planning to stay in the dorms, or will you live off-campus? If it’s the latter, I can help you find a place. I guarantee it’ll be cheap and spacious—I even helped Ning Chu find her rental.”
“By the way, Wen Yang’s birthday is coming up soon. Are you coming? We’re planning to visit a maid café. Interested?”
Qian Qian stopped right behind Zhang Shaoqing. The atmosphere around the table grew noticeably tense, but Zhang Shaoqing remained blissfully unaware, gesturing enthusiastically as he kept talking.
“Shaoqing?”
A gentle voice called out from behind. Zhang Shaoqing flinched and immediately turned around. Upon seeing Qian Qian, he exhaled in relief. “Oh, it’s you. You scared me—walking so silently, just like a cat.”
“Want to ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) sit down and grab something to eat?”
He turned back to Xi Xi and said, “See, this is our new classmate. I’m treating her today.”
Qian Qian gave Xi Xi a quick glance. Noticing the lack of cat ears on her head, her sense of crisis eased, and her smile became even warmer.
“No, thank you. Didn’t we agree? I’m tutoring you in English this afternoon.”
Zhang Shaoqing scratched his head in confusion. “Did we?”
“We did~”
"Yes, we did~" Qian Qian affirmed sweetly.
“You being this forward kind of kills the vibe,” Zhang Shaoqing quipped with a sheepish grin.
Could she afford not to be?
From this close distance, Ning Chu, with her own wealth of experience, could clearly see the flush of arousal tinging Qian Qian’s eyes and the subtle, unconscious rubbing of her thighs. It truly was mating season—these beast-eared girls were all starting to succumb to their instincts.
Zhang Shaoqing probably wouldn’t catch a break this month!
Ning Chu could already imagine him pale and drained by the afternoon, a thought that filled her with gleeful anticipation.
“Let’s go!” Qian Qian tugged at his arm.
Zhang Shaoqing quickly turned to the table. “I’ve already paid, so I’ll head out. Got something urgent to handle.”
As always, he was generous when it came to treating others.
The moment he stood up, Qian Qian latched onto his arm and dragged him along like a hostage. His face still bore an expression of dazed confusion as he muttered quietly to her.
“Why are you being so forward all of a sudden? It’s throwing me off.”
“Same as usual.”
“What’s the same?”
“I could always just force you~”
“Don’t mess around!!!”
Watching the couple walk hand-in-hand down the stairs, radiating sweetness, Ning Chu was thoroughly amused. “I wonder if Shaoqing will even make it to class this afternoon.”
“Wang Jie,” she said, turning to him, “if he’s hiding in the dorm later, take a picture and post it in the group chat. Just think about how he used to laugh at you.”
Wang Jie, usually the honest type, couldn’t resist being riled up. Remembering the times Zhang Shaoqing had mocked him, he gritted his teeth and said, “Got it.”
No need to show mercy to that shameless guy!
Although they’d ordered a lot of dishes for lunch, with Wen Yang and Yan Xinya—two bottomless pits—present, not even the sauces left in the plates went to waste.
As the two continued eating, Wang Jie left early, giving Ning Chu a chance to hatch a small plan. Leaning over to Lily, she whispered, “Shall we go?”
“Go where?”
“You promised to show me your transformation and magic. Isn’t now the perfect time?”
“...”
Lily’s expression remained stoic, her ice-queen demeanor unbroken. Sensing this, Ning Chu quickly roped someone else into the conversation. “What if we bring Xi Xi along? Aren’t you curious about how her transformation looks?”
“What about you?” Lily asked, her gaze piercing.
"I'm not a magical girl~" Ning Chu replied.
But Lily kept staring at her, unblinking.
Feeling a subtle sense of danger, Ning Chu furrowed her brows slightly and instinctively leaned closer to Wen Yang for support.
Her phone vibrated. Glancing down, she saw a message from Lily. It was a link to an online shopping search, the bar boldly displaying: "sexy lingerie."
"If everyone wears something risqué, I'll show you my battle outfit," Lily wrote.
Sexy lingerie...
Ning Chu's cheeks flushed. In this lifetime, only Wen Yang had ever seen her in clothes so thin and revealing they barely covered anything essential.
But now that she thought about it, Xi Xi's battle outfit wasn’t much more conservative than lingerie. As for Lily’s... it probably wasn’t any better.
"What’s this?" Wen Yang leaned over to take a look at her phone screen. An expression of barely-contained excitement spread across his face—until Ning Chu stomped on his foot, snapping him out of it. Grimacing, he quickly adjusted his expression.
"Alright," Ning Chu typed in response to Lily.
What’s the big deal about wearing less in front of girls? It’s perfectly normal.
In the summer, the girls in the dorm would wear thinner pajamas than that. She’d seen it all before.
"Which set do you want? I’ll buy it for you!" Lily messaged back.
Though her face in real life remained as icy as ever, her tone online clearly betrayed her excitement and enthusiasm.
"I’ve already got a few sets at my place..." Ning Chu replied.
"Oh, so you and Wen Yang are into that kind of thing~" Lily sent a lewd emoji. "Just remember, Xi Xi lives right across from you. Don’t keep her up at night."
"......"
She probably had already disturbed her.
No matter how much Ning Chu tried to suppress the noise—sometimes even biting onto something—the creaking of her not-so-sturdy bed was impossible to silence. Her previous neighbors had already moved out, unable to endure the constant racket.
