It was time for the afternoon P.E. class.
Perhaps due to the biological differences between genders, or maybe because Ning Chu had grown lazy since becoming a girl, she had never exercised or worked out. She could distinctly feel that her stamina was no longer what it used to be.
The P.E. teacher required them to jog two laps, a total of 800 meters. However, after just one lap with the rest of the group, she found herself trailing at the very back alongside Wang Jie.
By the time the two laps were done, she was completely out of breath, leaning against Wen Yang’s body and panting heavily.
“You really need to work on your stamina,” Wen Yang teased as he supported the little succubus, whose legs had turned to jelly. He reached out to smooth her messy hair while adding with a smirk, “You never know, it might make you stronger at night too, so I don’t have to keep holding back.”
“Hold back? Since when do you hold back at night?” Ning Chu retorted weakly, though a smug smile crept across her face. “Wang Jie didn’t even run as fast as I did!”
“That’s just aiming low.”
“I think it’s because Wang Jie’s too weak, not because his girlfriend’s too strong.”
After finally catching her breath, Ning Chu straightened up and took the bottle of water Wen Yang handed her. She gulped down half of it in big swigs, but some spilled from the corners of her mouth, dampening her shirt. She didn’t care, though. She simply wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and shook off the droplets on her shirt before turning to Wen Yang.
“My horns have grown a bit again, haven’t they?”
“Hmm, a little, but it’s not too noticeable. You wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.”
“Good.”
Her horns curved backward from the sides of her head, resembling those of a ram. Thankfully, the tips weren’t sharp, so they didn’t affect her ability to sleep lying down. Even when sleeping on her side, the shape of her horns fixed their position, and she had grown used to it.
“I’m heading back to training,” Wen Yang said.
“Go on!” Ning Chu gave him a playful smack on the butt. “Don’t embarrass me later!”
“If you need me, I’ll be at the basketball court,” Wen Yang called over his shoulder as he walked off.
Watching Wen Yang head toward the court, Ning Chu began scanning the field for her friends. Her gaze wandered until it stopped at a girl sitting alone in the shade of a tree far away.
Qing Qing?
She suddenly realized that this girl had been a quiet presence in every P.E. class, yet Ning Chu had never noticed her before.
Admittedly, there hadn’t been many P.E. classes this semester, but Qing Qing’s lack of presence was startling. This was despite her being strikingly beautiful.
Ning Chu tilted her head in confusion but didn’t linger on the thought for long. She dismissed the minor character who had apparently resolved her plotline easily and resumed her search for Lily.
No luck—Lily was nowhere to be found. Neither was Xi Xi. They were probably off in some corner exchanging magical girl insights.
I hope Xi Xi doesn’t get corrupted...
Meanwhile, Zhang Shaoqing had gone off to play basketball, and Wang Jie was sitting on the lawn with a group of boys, gaming together. Ning Chu suddenly realized that there was no one left for her to talk to.
Standing there in a daze, she became acutely aware of how few friends she had.
Maybe I should go watch Wen Yang at the basketball court...
Taking a couple of steps in that direction, she suddenly changed course and headed toward Qing Qing.
A hermaphrodite!
In a world where beast-eared girls were common, someone with the hermaphrodite tag was rare enough to ignite Ning Chu’s uncontrollable curiosity.
What if she’s hiding here under the tree to secretly... reward herself?
With that mischievous thought, Ning Chu strode over to the same patch of shade and sat down, not far from Qing Qing.
Feigning interest in her phone, Ning Chu soon found her eyes sneaking a glance at Qing Qing through her peripheral vision. To her surprise, Qing Qing was already looking her way, and their gazes met unexpectedly.
Both girls quickly averted their eyes in embarrassment.
Moments later, Ning Chu lifted her head again, this time openly looking at Qing Qing.
The hermaphrodite girl had a delicate appearance. Her slender face bore faint masculine contours that gave her an androgynous charm. Yet, her eyebrows were perpetually knit together in an expression of timid distress. Her eyes carried a constant wariness, as though she were a rabbit trapped in a pack of wolves.
Her slim frame was emphasized by her attire—a white wool sweater on top, and thin, evenly proportioned legs extending from a short skirt, covered in thick tights. The overall effect was surprisingly flat.
What a unique person.
The blend of feminine softness with subtle masculine traits didn’t seem out of place. Ning Chu felt a twinge of recognition, as though she were looking at her former self.
This initial impression left her with a positive feeling toward Qing Qing.
And recalling what she’d seen the other evening—total LSP—her fondness for Qing Qing only grew.
“Hi, I’m Ning Chu.”
Qing Qing’s shoulders twitched. She ducked her head and her face flushed bright red as she stammered, “H-hello.”
Her gaze darted nervously, and she clamped her legs together, looking flustered and anxious.
So, she recognizes me.
Ning Chu shifted closer, casually saying, “Don’t be nervous. I’m not going to tell anyone. I just wanted to make a friend.”
“...”
“I noticed you were sitting alone with nothing to do. My friends are all busy, too.”
She bent her leg instinctively but quickly realized she was wearing a skirt. She {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} hurriedly lowered her raised knee and continued, “What’s your name?”
“...”
Qing Qing stayed silent, her wariness unbroken as she eyed Ning Chu cautiously.
Ning Chu sighed dramatically. “I’m a succubus, you know. Whatever you’re worried about, it’s nothing to me.”
Dropping her act, she decided to interact as a succubus—it was time to embrace her shame.
Qing Qing glanced at Ning Chu’s horns and, recalling the notorious reputation of succubi, visibly relaxed. Her tense body softened as she murmured, “Qing Qing.”
“Oh, Qing Qing... You didn’t think I was here to blackmail you, did you? Why are you so tense?”
Ning Chu chuckled, scooting even closer until they were less than half a meter apart.
Now closer, Ning Chu could observe Qing Qing more clearly.
The girl kept her head low, stealing only fleeting glances at Ning Chu before quickly looking away. Her timid and cautious demeanor made her seem pitiable.
It was evident that other people’s gazes made her uncomfortable. If a passing student looked her way, Qing Qing’s body would noticeably stiffen until their gaze moved on.
“W-what do you want?” Qing Qing’s voice was soft and sweet, indistinguishable from that of a typical girl.
“Nothing much. I thought you might be a succubus too and wanted to say hi,” Ning Chu said nonchalantly.
“I’m not.”
“Want some milk tea? My treat.”
Qing Qing shook her head, staring down at her toes.
“How about adding me on WeChat?”
Another shake of the head.
Feeling awkward, Ning Chu twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
She wasn’t good at initiating friendships, and Qing Qing’s resistance left her clueless about what to do next.
No wonder she doesn’t have any friends. Everyone else hangs out in groups during P.E., and she’s always sitting here alone.
Maybe I should talk about something risqué? Or is that too forward?
Deciding to let it go, Ning Chu yawned and pulled out her phone to read a novel.
At least she had gotten a closer look, satisfying her curiosity about hermaphrodites.
