My pad’s gone—I’m freaking out!
Su Yao’s first thought was whether she’d forgotten to bring it. But she vividly remembered hesitating before slipping the pad into her pocket—she couldn’t have gotten that wrong.
So, had it fallen out somewhere?
She retraced her day’s movements but couldn’t pinpoint where it might’ve dropped. She could only hope it wasn’t in the teacher’s office or during class. If someone saw it, she’d be done for.
Su Yao was panicking. Her legal identity was still male, so carrying a pad would seem bizarre to anyone. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that—she needed to solve her immediate physiological problem.
After racking her brain, the only option seemed to be buying a new pack at the school store.
Thus, she embarked on a side quest to purchase “personal protection.”
The school store was, naturally, next to the cafeteria. Students loved their drinks, and even in this cold weather, chilled sugary beverages sold like hotcakes. It was lunchtime, and the place was packed. Su Yao’s scalp tingled at the sight of the dense crowd.
Despite mentally preparing herself, the overwhelming scene still unnerved her. The sheer number of people was intimidating.
She considered going off-campus, but that meant a kilometer trek to the food court where shops were. By the time she got there, she might not need the pad anymore… So, she’d have to buy it here?
Staring at the overflowing cafeteria, she decided to wait until the crowd thinned out.
How long she’d wait depended on how urgent it got.
She found a shaded spot outside, too afraid to sit down in case a shift in position changed her abdominal pressure and caused an irreversible disaster.
After what felt like forever, the crowd dispersed, and Su Yao hurriedly dashed into the store, grabbed a pack, paid, stuffed it into her pocket, and rushed to the nearest teaching building’s restroom to change.
Feeling the comfortable, snug fit, she sighed in relief—crisis averted.
At the same time, she vowed never to let this happen again. If someone had seen her, it would’ve been bad. From now on, she’d carry spares—and spares for her spares.
Emerging from the quiet restroom, Su Yao found the teaching building eerily empty during the lunch break. The sky was overcast, casting the hallways in dim light, but she was used to this desolate atmosphere.
With no appetite, she skipped the cafeteria, planning to find a quiet spot to rest.
Between the teaching building and the sports field was a green area with badminton courts and ping-pong tables. Some students, instead of resting, were playing or chatting there.
Su Yao had intended to pass through to the back hill and sit in a pavilion until class, but on her way, she overheard snippets of conversation. Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced toward the sound. At first, she saw no one, but looking closer, she spotted three girls crouched behind a hedge, seemingly plotting something big.
Wondering what they were talking about, Su Yao crept closer, squatting in the grass to eavesdrop.
“No issues with the intel—she’ll definitely pass by here. Just go up and pounce on her.”
“You got this!”
“Uh, I’m kinda scared.”
“What’s there to be scared of? Listen, all relationships start with a romantic chance encounter. If you can leave an impression she likes and keep building on it, then…”
“Then what?”
“Then it’s a done deal!”
The three chattered animatedly, their voices crisp and lively. Su Yao pieced it together: one of the girls was planning to make a move on someone but lacked confidence, while the other two were hyping her up with advice.
*Oh, they’re setting up a “chance encounter.” Got it. I’ll leave them to it.*
Su Yao stood to leave, but just then, the three gasped, “She’s here!” Startled, she ducked back down. The sudden movement tugged at her insides, making her suck in a sharp breath.
*What the heck are you “here” for?*
Peeking out, she saw Mu Nanqiu staring at her crouched form. Su Yao was stunned by her sudden appearance, while Mu Nanqiu, noticing Su Yao’s pale face, frowned with concern. “You okay?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine!”
The loud response wasn’t from Su Yao but from a short-haired girl who’d just faceplanted after a failed “pounce.”
The girl had fallen hard, her hand numb with pain, her face scrunched up. Still, she forced a smile through the agony.
But when she looked up and saw Mu Nanqiu three meters away, not even glancing at her, the earlier reply sank her into unprecedented embarrassment and the world’s full malice. If she could, she’d dig a hole and bury her face in it—too bad it was a concrete floor.
Her two “supportive” friends had already vanished. Mortified, she scrambled up and fled.
Su Yao watched the girl’s humiliated escape, then looked at Mu Nanqiu’s concerned, beautiful face. It took her brain a solid half-minute to process what had happened.
*Oh no, did I just mess things up?*
“Su Yao, you sure you’re okay?”
Mu Nanqiu reached out to help her up, but Su Yao didn’t take her hand. Supporting herself with one hand, she tried to stand, only to black out briefly. Her legs gave way, and *thud*—her knees hit the grass.
Her hands landed on Mu Nanqiu’s slender, black-stockinged legs—soft and warm.
Su Yao was stunned, and so was Mu Nanqiu, who thought, *I haven’t even done anything yet!*
“Ahem, Su Yao, it’s a bit early for this.”
“…”
Su Yao’s pale face turned beet red, and she yanked her hands back, her whole body burning.
Mu Nanqiu crouched to help her up, eyeing the mortified girl with amusement. Though inwardly delighted, she kept her expression restrained to avoid pushing Su Yao further.
As Mu Nanqiu bent to brush off the dry grass on Su Yao’s knees, Su Yao beat her to it, muttering in her soft voice, “I can do it myself, no need to trouble you, xuejie.”
Mu Nanqiu wasn’t surprised by Su Yao’s distance. They’d only met offline twice, leaving shallow impressions. Building rapport and maxing out her “affection meter” would take time—maybe a lot of it—but Mu Nanqiu wasn’t in a hurry.
Suddenly, her gaze fell on a small pink pack of Sofy on the ground.