Chapter 24: Online Crush, Real-Life Meeting

“You sure you don’t need one of us to come with you?” After class, Zhu Niao turned to Ye Qingchang, who was preparing to deliver the alcohol.

“This is someone who actually bought ‘lightly used by a female college student’ booze, you know? Better safe than sorry.”

Liuxie also gave her a look of genuine concern from the side.

“It’s fine. There’s a club meeting today anyway, and I’m bringing our one and only member with me,” Ye Qingchang waved them off with a smile.

“Besides, this is still on campus. I’m not as high-value a target as our campus flower, Miss Zhu, who’s already been harassed twice.”

Liuxie still had that thing wrapped around her ankle, and Zhu Niao had a night shift tonight. Best they both get some rest.

As for their dorm leader, the petite Yang Shuli?

Even if anything did happen, she was more like a free add-on than any real protection.

“Alright then. Bring food back when you return. I’m planning to sleep straight through,” Liuxie yawned.

Zhu Niao, drawing from her own post-harassment wisdom, gave Ye Qingchang a couple of extra reminders before leaving with Gou Yu, who was still AFK in more ways than one.

Ye Qingchang trailed behind Liuxie and Yang Shuli, and by the time she picked up the two bottles, the other two were already knocked out cold in their beds.

Used to this sort of scene by now, Ye Qingchang adjusted her glasses, grabbed the bottles, and left the dorm building.

The literature clubroom was a bit of a walk, and by the time she got there, she was lightly panting.

After catching her breath, she placed the gift bag down by the door.

Just as her hand landed on the doorknob, she paused as if something had just occurred to her—she turned, snapped a photo of the gift bag, and sent it to the buyer.

Only then did she push open the door to the literature clubroom.

Inside sat the club’s one and only member, completely unfazed, already lounging under the air-conditioning and absorbed in a book.

Seeing him somehow brought a strange sense of relief.

Rain or shine, this guy always showed up on club days to read.

Sometimes, he’d bring a laptop and furiously type away—maybe writing something?

Come to think of it, her virtual pet had also started producing short stories lately to entertain her.

The two of them never really talked. They just each did their own thing. Ye Qingchang didn’t even remember his name—and she was pretty sure he didn’t know hers either.

And yet, this bizarre little two-person club had managed to survive, occasionally even getting new books added to the collection.

Ye Qingchang figured this lone member must have some sort of behind-the-scenes pull, but she didn’t know him well enough to ask.

She randomly pulled a book off the shelf and found a seat for herself.

While she was cleaning her glasses with a cloth, her clubmate suddenly spoke:

“No new members allowed in the literature club.”

Flat, emotionless words—he didn’t even lift his head.

Ye Qingchang blinked and looked around in confusion, then muttered blankly, “Huh? Oh… yeah. No new members.”

Why did she always feel like this guy was a little unhinged? Maybe she should just cancel today’s club meeting.

“If you know that, then why are you here?” he continued.

“If you’re here to see the club president, I can help contact her.”

With that, he casually pulled out his phone and started dialing.

It seemed that this sole club member didn’t have a great relationship with the club president either—it took him quite a while to find the number and finally make the call.

The flurry of actions left Ye Qingchang a little at a loss.

In her impression, this club member had always been like a monk—quiet, unresponsive, almost lifeless.

Why was he suddenly freaking out today? Like a cat hissing after someone trespassed into its territory.

Then Ye Qingchang’s phone started vibrating. She looked at the dazed expression on her club member’s face and suddenly seemed to realize something.

She answered the call. Echoes began overlapping: “You don’t recognize who I am? No—do you recognize who I used to be?”

“Who are you?” The boy with the same black-rimmed glasses as Ye Qingchang looked at her like he’d seen a ghost. “Did you steal the club president’s phone?”

Ye Qingchang didn’t consider herself close to her only club member, but it was clear he genuinely remembered her previous self—as a guy.

So… does that mean all the targets of these romance missions remember who we were before?

“Take a look at this, and then check the school forum.” Ye Qingchang handed over her ID.

The outstretched hand was dodged, but once she placed the ID on the table, he picked it up and examined it closely.

“So the club president turned into a girl now?” He adjusted his glasses. His face was still full of disbelief, but it seemed he was starting to accept it.

Ye Qingchang retrieved the ID that had been placed back on the table.

She’d almost forgotten—her only decent club member had an online girlfriend. He would often smile idiotically at his phone and kept a polite distance from every girl on campus.

Now that she’d become a girl herself, it looked like he was starting to avoid her too.

“Yeah, you can think of it as a supernatural phenomenon. Not many people remember I used to be a guy—you’re one of the few.”

Ye Qingchang played along and scooted her chair a bit further away from him.

“……” The other party frowned, lost in thought, but in the end said nothing. He just sat back down and resumed reading.

Time dragged.

That was all Ye Qingchang could think about as she sat there.

She could clearly feel that ever since she revealed her identity, her loyal club member had started sneaking glances at her from time to time.

Eyes filled with confusion, hesitation, and things left unsaid.

Just as Ye Qingchang was entertaining yet another urge to flee, her club member finally spoke.

“President, now that you’re a girl, you probably understand girls better, right?” His tone was filled with sincere curiosity.

“Huh?” Ye Qingchang blinked. “Just say what’s on your mind. If I can help, I will.”

“I have this online girlfriend… you probably noticed, right?”

“Yeah. What about her?”

Ye Qingchang hadn’t expected that her first real conversation with her only good club member would be about a romantic problem she’d never had any part in.

“She hasn’t messaged me for a while, and I don’t know what to say.”

The boy added, “I’m afraid she doesn’t want me anymore.”

Well-versed in all kinds of melodramatic romance novels, Ye Qingchang pinched her chin thoughtfully.

“So you’re in an online relationship—have you ever heard her voice?”

“No.” The boy shook his head.

“Have you ever video-called her?”

He shook his head again.

“That’s really risky.” Ye Qingchang slapped the table.

“You two don’t have any connection in the real world. If you strip away the online layer, there’s nothing left!”

“Ah? President, what should I do?” The boy’s expression visibly turned frantic.

“Listen to me—start sharing bits of your daily life with her, let her feel like you’re a real, living person. Then find a chance to meet up.” So said Ye Qingchang, who had never dated anyone herself.

The boy in front of her immediately got to work.

While she waited, Ye Qingchang, who had just picked up her book again, felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

Her long-silent virtual pet had sent a message.

Was it… sharing daily life with her?

That was a first. Usually, she was the one responsible for that part.

What’s this about the literature club president turning into a girl?

Wait a minute.

Ye Qingchang stared down at her phone, drenched in cold sweat.