Whether back when she was a man or now, Ning Chu had always been the type to slack off during P.E. class.
While others played basketball, soccer, or at least grouped up to game on their phones, Ning Chu preferred to laze around, barely moving a finger. With just one long P.E. class in the afternoon, she spent the time chatting with Lily and Yan Xinya or wandering around campus, eventually deciding on their May Day trip to the hot springs.
After circling the track twice and finishing a cup of milk tea, she returned to the field just in time to hear the teacher’s call.
“Gather for roll call! Class is about to end!”
Ning Chu sighed dramatically. If not for the mandatory roll call at the end of class, she would have left school early to head back to her apartment and play games.
Jogging over to the group, her eyes were drawn to another class gathering nearby. Even during roll call, Qing Qing lingered at the very edge of her group, standing all alone with no friends in sight.
“What are you looking at?”
Wen Yang had finally found her in the crowd. “Why didn’t you come find me?”
“That,” she said, pointing toward Qing Qing.
He followed her finger. “Oh, her? What about her?”
Nearby, a classmate muttered, “Isn’t that the weirdo from Class 4?”
“Who?” someone else asked. “What kind of weirdo?”
“I heard she has, uh, you know, down there...”
Before the sentence was finished, Ning Chu’s foot discreetly connected with the speaker’s shin. When the boy turned around in confusion, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° she smiled sweetly and said in a mocking tone, “Wow, such a big man talking behind someone’s back. Impressive~”
“Huh? I was just saying—”
“Pfft!” Ning Chu scowled, clearly displeased.
Rumors about her being a succubus had already spread in her own class, thanks to these gossipmongers and their wild imaginations. While the rumors were true, she’d deny it until her dying breath.
With her ram-like horns—distinct yet not quite like those of a typical sheep-girl—it was no surprise that people associated her with succubi. Fortunately, she hadn’t heard any particularly nasty comments so far.
Wen Yang, however, looked at her in surprise and asked, “Since when do you care about this kind of thing?”
Hearing the teacher call her name, Ning Chu raised her hand to respond, then grabbed Wen Yang’s arm and pulled him out of the crowd. As they walked toward the exit, she finally replied softly, “It just rubbed me the wrong way.”
Wen Yang immediately saw through her. Glancing back at Qing Qing, still isolated and alone, he smiled warmly. “Why do you always think everything is your fault?”
“It’s not that...” Ning Chu mumbled, clutching his arm. “It’s just that seeing her reminds me of myself back then.”
“You mean when your body started becoming more like a girl’s and you felt... caught in-between?”
Back then, Ning Chu had often sat silently at her desk, withdrawn and avoiding interaction with her dormmates. The only time she showed any energy was when other girls tried flirting with Wen Yang.
Wen Yang, recalling those moments, gently stroked her head with a comforting hand. “That’s all in the past. Things are better now, aren’t they?”
His warm hand on her head made Ning Chu close her eyes in comfort, tilting her head slightly to nuzzle against him.
“Yeah, I’ve come to terms with it.”
After all, she had already fallen so deeply into her current life. There was no going back.
Trading her masculinity for healthy family members in a parallel world and gaining a caring boyfriend like Wen Yang—she couldn’t help but feel it was a good deal overall.
Her life now was so much better than before she transmigrated.
The couple strolled out of the school gates, leaning close to each other.
“Tomorrow’s the weekend. Where do you want to go?” Wen Yang asked.
“I want to... Wait, wasn’t this weekend supposed to be your second birthday celebration? Last time was just us two, and you didn’t even collect any gifts!”
“Is that really necessary?” Wen Yang shook his head with a wry smile. “Why celebrate twice?”
“At least Zhang Shaoqing has to give you something...”
All Ning Chu could think about was squeezing something out of that rich boy, even if it was just a notebook worth a few bucks.
Suddenly, a black sedan sped past the sidewalk, startling her.
“What the hell?!” she exclaimed, glaring at the car as it came to a stop just ahead. “Are they crazy?!”
Wen Yang sighed. “It’s Shaoqing’s car.”
“How do you know?”
“The license plate.”
Ning Chu paused, puzzled as to why Wen Yang would bother memorizing something like that. Then her expression darkened. “That bastard scared me on purpose!”
The car window rolled down, and a familiar, shameless face poked out. Zhang Shaoqing whistled, calling out, “Get in!”
“What for?!” Ning Chu stormed over, hands on her hips. “What’s wrong with your head, speeding like that at the school gate? Aren’t you afraid of hitting someone?!”
Faced with her fury, Zhang Shaoqing instinctively shrank back, almost as if he were being scolded by his mom. Quickly recovering, he retorted, “There aren’t that many people around!”
“It only takes one!”
“Alright, alright. Just get in. We’re celebrating your boyfriend’s birthday. Remember that maid café I mentioned? Are you coming or not?”
“That’s it?”
“Of course, I’m treating.”
Ning Chu huffed but climbed into the car begrudgingly after Wen Yang opened the back door. “If it weren’t for Wen Yang’s birthday...”
A maid café?! Ning Chu’s inner curiosity was piqued. She had only heard of these places online—would it be decent or... something else?
From the front passenger seat, Wang Jie turned to Wen Yang and said, “I sent your gift to your Steam account. It’s a new game—finished it already. It’s pretty fun.”
“Thanks,” Wen Yang replied with a nod. “I’ll check it out later.”
“Though your computer might not handle it...” Wang Jie added.
Zhang Shaoqing chimed in, “How about the internet café later? That game has multiplayer, right? It’s been ages since we played together.”
“Since Wen Yang moved out?”
“So it’s Ning Chu’s fault for stealing our roommate. Now we can’t even form a full team.”
Ning Chu rolled her eyes. “As if you ever managed to get everyone together before.”
The backseat was spacious, and Ning Chu lazily leaned against Wen Yang’s shoulder. “Shaoqing, where’s your gift? Wang Jie already gave his.”
“Can’t you see I’m driving? I’ll give it to him when we get there. What’s the rush?”
“By the way, does Qian Qian know you’re going to a maid café?” Ning Chu suddenly asked. “I thought she’d come along.”
Zhang Shaoqing’s grip on the steering wheel tightened briefly before he sneered, “Why would I need to report to her? Even if I told her, do you think she’d dare stop me?”
“Wen Yang!” Zhang Shaoqing declared, puffing up his chest. “You need to step up your game! Look at me—I can go clubbing or even visit a... special venue, and Qian Qian wouldn’t say a word!”
Ning Chu crossed her legs, holding up her phone. “Keep talking. I’m recording.”
“Hey! The maid café is perfectly decent! Are you seriously recording this? Come on, delete it, will you?”
