(1)
‘What exactly does it feel like to be a beautiful girl?’
At the very least, as of right now, Zhou Zhao felt it wasn’t too bad.
In this increasingly open era, there are many things boys cannot do, yet girls can do them all. She could chat with boys openly and huddle intimately with the girls. Because she was equally enthusiastic toward everyone, nothing seemed out of place.
The only slightly uncomfortable thing was likely her relationship with her two former brothers.
Even though they were still very good friends in this timeline where she was a girl, she always felt a slight barrier between them. It didn’t seem as natural as it once was.
“Hey, Qiang, what are you spacing out for?” Zhou Zhao giggled as she reached out and waved her hand vigorously in front of Fang Qiang. “What are you looking at?”
“Huh? Oh… it’s nothing…” Fang Qiang scratched his head awkwardly. “It’s just, for some reason, I feel like you’re actually quite womanly today.”
“Ha? Hahaha — I wasn’t before?”
“You were more like a brother before.”
“It’s because she has a chest now,” Sun Wei chimed in from the side.
“Cough! Maybe that really is it!” Fang Qiang masked his embarrassment with a loud voice, yet his eyes still couldn’t help but glance toward Zhou Zhao’s chest.
“Brother, what’s wrong with you? Your eyes are wandering all over the place.”
“Are… are they?”
“If you want to look, then just look boldly!” Zhou Zhao put one hand on her hip, sounding annoyed. “A grown man acting all sneaky and secretive when looking at a girl just makes him look creepy. If you look openly, people will think you’re frank and sincere instead!”
“Holy crap, really?” Sun Wei’s eyes widened.
“Of course it’s true. But Wei, it won’t work for you. Can you at least clean yourself up a bit? No matter how you look at a girl looking like that, it’s going to be creepy.”
“Screw you!”
Fang Qiang glanced sideways at Sun Wei. “It seems I’m the one who looks decent after all.”
“Calling it ‘decent’ is the nice way to put it. The harsh way is to say you have zero distinctive features!”
“It’s okay, Wei. You’re distinctively ugly.” Zhou Zhao covered the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and giggled.
“Dammit!”
Watching Zhou Zhao chat with her brothers from a distance, An Jing couldn’t help but click his tongue. ‘Is this guy getting a bit too into his role…?’
“Jing, I’ve collected almost everything. Where are you looking?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
“I was in the classroom just now, too. Why weren’t you looking at me?”
“Uh…?”
“You were staring at Zhou Zhao the whole time. You think I didn’t notice? Hmph… I never thought Jing would be such a fickle playboy. Or are you looking down on me because I’m short, have a round face, and short legs?”
“Hey, hey, I never said anything like that!”
“You clearly did!”
An Jing covered his forehead helplessly. “It’s… it’s not like that…”
“Then what is it like?”
“Ah…” An Jing scratched his head vigorously. He glanced at the noisy classroom and simply grabbed Zhu Ying’s wrist, pulling her quickly out the door and toward the stairwell.
“Where are we going?”
“To the Fifth Floor… I’ll explain it to you carefully.”
Zhu Ying squeezed An Jing’s hand back, using her soft fingers to lightly tickle his palm. “Jing really is hiding some secret from me, isn’t he?”
“It’s… it’s not really a secret. I just thought I wouldn’t have to explain it today.” An Jing felt his neck shrink back in embarrassment as Zhu Ying leaned her small face against his shoulder. “Your hair is tickling me.”
“You’re not allowed to keep any secrets from me, okay?”
“Eek… then do you have any?”
“Of course not.”
An Jing lowered his head, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curling up. The pace at which he pulled Zhu Ying upward subconsciously quickened.
The Fifth Floor was entirely different from the noise downstairs; it was so quiet it felt like another world. There were no offices or classrooms currently in use here. During noon, almost no one even used the restrooms — unless the floors below were full, students would only occasionally come up here to resolve their needs, and it was usually girls.
An Jing pulled Zhu Ying to a stop by the corridor railing. He rested his elbows lightly on it, looking down at the puddles in front of the teaching building that hadn’t yet drained away.
“Ying knows, right? That I turned from a boy into a girl.”
“Of course. Why would you ask such a question? Is that something I could easily forget?”
“Cough, it’s not that… it’s just, well… what if I said that Zhou Zhao actually turned from a boy into a girl as well? Would you believe me?”
“Eh?”
“Since there’s one case like me, it wouldn’t be strange if there was another, right?”
“Hmm… but regarding Zhou Zhao, I have very complete memories. Even back in the first year of middle school — when we just took the entrance exam, she and I were in the same testing room.”
“Well, for example, doesn’t everyone still think I’m a boy right now? Even though I look absolutely nothing like a boy.”
“Jing, you mean…”
“In other words, after she turned into a girl, certain things changed. Everyone’s memories were modified, making it seem as if she had always been a girl.” An Jing lightly tapped his temple with his finger. “Right now, it seems like I’m the only one unaffected. Maybe it’s because I’m also… someone who turned from a boy into a girl.”
“Zhou Zhao… Zhou Zhao? She was originally a boy?”
“Yeah, he was my best friend. He was originally named Zhou Chao. Do you remember?”
“Zhou Chao…”
“Last year, on your birthday, he was the one who rode his motorcycle to bring us the birthday cake and snacks.”
“…! I think I remember!”
“So, Zhou Zhao is actually Zhou Chao. Cough, so… just don’t think too much about it…”
“That’s not necessarily true. When Zhou Chao was a boy, he changed girlfriends all the time. Since Jing is both a boy and a girl, who’s to say she won’t be interested in you?”
“Hey, hey, how is that possible!”
“That’s not necessarily true; she might actually do it! So, it’s still very dangerous!”
“Can’t you have a little faith in him…?”
“Pfft, Jing looks so nervous.”
“I really don’t want to lose a good brother because of something like this.”
“What about me?”
“Ying is also very important, of course…”
“Also?”
“The… the most important!”
“Hmph… regardless, I have to be careful of the female version of Zhou Chao. She doesn’t look like a boy who turned into a girl at all right now. Her tone and actions are all so convincing!”
“He’s just being mischievous. He’s just… in a playful mood. After all, he will turn back.”
“Eh? He can turn back? Then what about Jing…?”
“Cough… maybe one day I will too…” An Jing hesitated.
“No, no! I want the small, cute, and soft Jing!”
“Hey!”
“Turning back into a boy… whew…” Zhu Ying took a deep breath, imagining the possibility. “The girl version of Jing is definitely cuter.”
An Jing stared blankly, then suddenly tilted his head up slightly. “But… but I definitely want to turn back… Do you only… like me the way I am now?”
“Yes!”
“Liar, you clearly said before—”
“The girl version of Jing is definitely cuter, though.”
An Jing sniffled hard, pursing his lips and lowering his head. He looked at Zhu Ying with teary eyes. “I don’t want to…”
“Pfft, Jing is actually crying?”
“Huh?”
“I’m teasing you! No matter what you’re like, as long as it’s Jing, I like you! Honestly, you still don’t understand even now?”
“Which of your words is actually true…” An Jing turned his head away huffily. “I can’t tell the difference at all.”
“I was definitely joking just now —” Seeing An Jing ignoring her, the expression on Zhu Ying’s face gradually became serious. She stepped forward softly, hugged An Jing’s arm, and slowly rested her small face against his sleeve. “I like Jing no matter what. Whatever you are right now is the version of you I like most.”
An Jing sniffled hard again and turned his head slightly, seeing a small face filled with apprehension and unease. “Really?”
“Of course it’s true.” A tender smile bloomed on that small face again. She reached out and poked An Jing’s forehead forcefully. “How could Jing doubt me!”
“Cough, I was just…”
“I’m sorry. I won’t make a joke like that again. I originally just wanted to see your nervous expression…” Zhu Ying’s smile faded slightly as she pursed her lips and lowered her head. “It really was just a joke. If you don’t believe me, just use your mind reading.”
“I… I believe you…”
“You clearly didn’t believe me just now.”
“Cough, I just wanted to see if you would get nervous…”
“Alright! You, Jing! You’re actually using my own tricks against me!”
“Ow, don’t hit me! Wah!”
“Don’t run if you have the guts!”
“I won’t listen to anything a little devil says!”
“I’m not a little devil!”
“Then what are you — ?”
“I am — Jing’s Fiancée!”
“Why aren’t you running anymore?”
“…Just hit me.”
“Tsk, that’s no fun. I don’t want to do anything if you don’t fight back.”
(2)
“What’s up, Qiang? You specifically invited me downstairs to buy coffee, but didn’t invite Wei.”
“It would just be a hassle if he came…” Fang Qiang gripped the coffee can in his hand awkwardly, lightly tapping his forehead with the bottom of the can. “Uh… so…”
“So what?” Zhou Zhao nimbly pulled the tab on her can, smiling nonchalantly.
When she smiled, she was like a chocolate cake decorated with strawberries — slightly sweet, yet seemingly carrying a hint of bitterness at all times. Those upward-slanting phoenix eyes also looked slightly narrow in that moment, but her gaze became exceptionally enchanting…
“I said… cough, I know there probably won’t be a result if I say this, but I just feel… if I don’t say it, I might regret it for the rest of my life… Because, because… ah, even though there are some not-so-good rumors about you, I think you’re a very good person. This… this has nothing to do with being male or female. What I mean is… what I mean is, cough!” Fang Qiang rubbed his nose and looked up nervously. “I might never have another close friend like you again, someone who is a girl but also understands me so well…”
“Hmm?”
“I’m saying — I… I like you, Zhou Zhao!”
The nonchalant expression on Zhou Zhao’s face instantly froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief. In that moment, time seemed to have fallen into peanut butter, flowing with an exceptional thickness…