"Ah, I knew it! Sneakers are so much more comfortable."
Ning Chu walked ahead, her eyes eagerly scanning the shops along the street.
She was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, its hem tucked into a high-waisted skirt that accentuated her slim waist, making her figure even more noticeable. Her chest, especially, stood out more than usual.
She could feel the eyes of passersby on her. At first, it made her feel uncomfortable and nervous, but by now, she had gotten used to it.
With a pretty face and great figure, no matter what she wore, people were bound to notice her.
Turning her head, she looked back at Wen Yang, who was strolling leisurely behind her. "I remember there’s an arcade around here. I want to grab a few plush toys."
Wen Yang smiled gently and nodded. "As long as you don’t go overboard."
"Of course not! I’m the unbeatable champion at claw machines!" she said confidently.
With that, Ning Chu immediately pulled Wen Yang toward the arcade.
These days, arcades were often labeled with names like "Anime City," and to outsiders, it might seem like a haven for all things anime. But in reality, it was mostly filled with all kinds of arcade machines.
"After this, let’s check out the food street... then we can go to an internet cafe?" she suggested.
Although they were out shopping, Ning Chu quickly found the idea of the internet cafe more appealing than wandering the streets.
Wen Yang, ever easy to please, was more than happy to go along with her.
On the way to the arcade, Ning Chu picked up a few local snacks, and soon Wen Yang’s hands were full, carrying all the food.
Though it was a holiday, the arcade wasn’t crowded, especially the area with the claw machines, where there were barely any customers.
Ning Chu held her snack box, eyes scanning the prizes in the claw machine. She quickly stopped in front of a shark-shaped pillow. "This one! Scan and pay! Wen Yang, get me ten coins first!"
"Ten coins, will that be enough?"
"Definitely! If I don’t get it, I’ll try again!"
She put down her snacks, stretched her wrists and arms, and set her face in a serious expression, as if she were preparing for a final exam. The intensity she showed here was unmatched even during final exams.
Once Wen Yang had /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ loaded the coins, Ning Chu stood in front of the claw machine, nervously watching the claw descend, carefully calculating the best angle for grabbing the toy.
The claw descended slowly, grabbing the pillow firmly before it lifted, only for the toy to slip free and fall back into the machine with a "thud."
After several failed attempts, she could no longer hold back her frustration. "Damn it!"
"It's rigged," Wen Yang said soothingly from the side.
"I don’t believe it! So close! Five more coins!"
He thought to himself that similar plush toys online probably cost around twenty yuan, and the quality would be better, with bigger sizes...
But seeing Ning Chu roll up her sleeves with determination, he didn’t dare stop her and just quietly inserted more coins.
Ning Chu was fixated on that swaying claw, convinced it was intentionally messing with her. Her frustration only grew, while Wen Yang couldn't help but smile at her focused, determined expression.
After a few more failed attempts, she sighed in defeat, finally giving up.
"Bad luck..."
She looked up at Wen Yang, narrowing her eyes, then suddenly asked, "Wen Yang, what do you like about me?"
"You’ve asked this before, haven’t you?" Wen Yang, ever cautious about these tricky questions, tried to avoid answering. Instead, he turned the tables, "What about you? What made you fall for me?"
With a teasing smile, he asked, "It can’t just be because I’m handsome, right?"
"Please~ You’re so full of yourself."
Ning Chu rolled her eyes, even though Wen Yang really was handsome—something even her shameless friends couldn’t argue with...
But the longer she looked at his face, the less special it seemed. It was his fit body that truly made her happy.
She turned to walk toward another claw machine, while Wen Yang, relieved to avoid answering, followed her silently.
This kind of question was tricky for men—unless they gave the perfect answer, it was almost guaranteed to upset Ning Chu.
"Maybe because I was always alone before?"
Ning Chu continued fiddling with the claw machine, and unexpectedly, she spoke up. "No friends, no family... always alone."
"Then something happened that turned me into who I am now... and you stood by me."
She lowered her head, casually picking up a doll, but her face didn’t show joy. Instead, she continued, "At first, I was really resistant. I thought maybe I didn’t like you, I just depended on you. Then I thought, since I’ve already hit rock bottom, if I don’t hold onto you, I might never find the right person again."
After just a few months together, to be honest, she wasn’t sure if Wen Yang was the one.
"But walking together, supporting each other... it’s definitely easier than before."
She looked up at Wen Yang’s face, her expression slightly shy, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "It’s not bad now, right?"
At least it was far better than her past life.
At least she had finally come out of the panic of turning into a girl, out of the shadow of it all.
Wen Yang gently patted her head, his smile softer than usual. "Then you’ve chosen the right person, you’ve got great taste."
"Pfft~ My mom still thinks I must’ve lost my mind choosing you, you broke guy!" she laughed.
But when Ning Chu looked back, she realized that no matter how she’d ended up in this parallel world, whether she became a girl, fell for a man, or whatever happened... her life had only been getting better.
"It’s just money, what’s wrong with your hero?" Wen Yang laughed, taking the doll Ning Chu had just won, automatically becoming the bag carrier.
"Aren’t you the one with no confidence? I’ve always thought you could do anything," Ning Chu retorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Her hair brushed across his face, causing a slight sting, but it also carried the fragrance of her shampoo.
"Got the doll! Let’s head to the internet cafe!"
"Who goes shopping and ends up at an internet cafe?"
"Today, you’re going to take me to the top! I need to rank up! My laptop’s crap, that’s why I’m so bad!"
Wen Yang caught up with Ning Chu. "So, do you want to eat when we get to the cafe?"
"You eat. I’m already full."
"......"
He sighed helplessly, holding the doll with one hand and several bags of snacks with the other.
Though he had a big appetite, he couldn’t help but feel like Ning Chu was treating him like a pig.
......
Meanwhile, at Lily’s house, the sound of Mahjong tiles clacking filled the air.
"Nine Wan!"
"One Chicken!"
"Hu!"
"Unbelievable! It’s Lily again! She’s way too good!" Yan Xinya jumped up, incredulously peering at the winning tiles Lily had laid out. "No wonder you play strip Mahjong! Good thing we’re just playing for money..."
Qianqian eagerly nodded in agreement.
If they were playing strip Mahjong, by now, everyone would be completely naked without even their underwear.
No wonder Lily was so cool!
