“So, you’re waiting for him to pursue you now?”
“I can see his growth and changes with my own eyes, that’s one thing. But agreeing to his pursuit is another story.” Ye Qingchang waved her hand. “That’s an entirely different matter.”
Zhu Niao propped her hands on the slatted wooden planks of the bench.
She looked at the bespectacled girl beside her.
This one, the most mature of the dorm, seemed a bit out of her depth in this situation too.
“Not entirely,” Ye Qingchang said, looking surprisingly composed. “Your love life has been all over the place—ups, downs, downs, downs.”
“Isn’t that a bit too many downs?” Ye Qingchang pulled her hand out and gave Zhu Niao a light chop on the head.
“It’s the truth. You two don’t even look like normal people anymore. Honestly, I’m kind of curious how you two can still get along so peacefully.” Zhu Niao rubbed her head, mumbling.
“Because of expectations.” Ye Qingchang replied with a cryptic remark, then turned to complain at Zhu Niao: “And you have the nerve to talk about me? Xiao Yi’an and I might not look normal, but the two of you don’t even look human.”
“Please don’t insult the human race.”
“Should I praise you for your self-awareness?”
Ye Qingchang shot Zhu Niao a glare, her slender fingers gliding over her phone screen.
“Speaking of which, I found something while cleaning out my photo album. Is it called Doraemon?” Zhu Niao complained, but still leaned her head over.
She saw a photo of Zhu Niao and Gou Yu sleeping on the grass, both wearing camouflage uniforms.
It was from their freshman year, probably during military training.
Zhu Niao’s face was covered by her training cap, half-hidden, but even half a face revealed its perfectly delicate, sun-untouched skin.
Gou Yu’s head was also capped. And curled up in the crook of his arm was a tiny Zhu Niao.
That was the No.1 on the Campus Beauty List for you.
She crushed all her other roommates, as well as weirdos like Dongbei Yujie.
Back when Dongbei Yujie showed up, everyone thought the school belle was already decided, but then Zhu Niao and the others appeared.
For the record, Dongbei Yujie ranked fourth.
“Oh, so you got exempted from training later, just sat in the shade and watched us suffer. Must’ve been sweet.”
Zhu Niao seemed to recall the origin of this photo.
“No, not you guys—them. I got exempted on the first day. The first day I was sunburned into a red monkey. While standing at attention, I passed out in the first ten minutes because I didn’t eat breakfast.”
Ye Qingchang recounted her heroic deeds without shame.
“But that’s not what I’m talking about. What I’m saying is—weren’t you supposed to be a guy back then?”
Zhu Niao fell silent.
“I know it’s probably because that damned Probationary Goddess turned us into what we are now and patched up the logic so there’d be no holes.”
Zhu Niao shaped her right hand like a gun and rubbed her chin.
“But even so, I’m still curious how people see our past lives now that they’ve been repaired.”
“I actually looked into that a little. I asked some people who don’t remember I was a guy before.” Ye Qingchang said, then suddenly looked up at the big tree shielding them from the sun. “And? What did you find out?” Zhu Niao asked.
“They said I’m a gloomy literary girl. But actually, I know my image didn’t change—I just switched genders from being a dark, sour rat in the sewers.”
Ye Qingchang complained, then turned to Zhu Niao.
“But some people think I’m actually a bit like that. Especially with your mouth always mumbling weird stuff I can’t understand.”
Zhu Niao didn’t seem too bothered.
“Really, it’s pretty normal. Meeting a gloomy girl like you, I kind of guessed you were a landmine girl.”
“That’s art you guys don’t get.” Ye Qingchang raised her middle finger.
“In summer, it’s okay—at least you wear short sleeves. Now that you’re wearing such thick clothes, people probably wonder if your arms have box-cutter scars.”
After hearing that, Ye Qingchang slumped in despair. “Is there no other way out?”
“Actually, there is. A gloomy girl like you, who doesn’t play games and has few friends, the only explanation is being a two-dimensional otaku.” Zhu Niao said. “Then just do cosplay, go to cons, and you’ll be fine.”
“Oh, and don’t forget to download Identity V and Genshin Impact.”
“I feel like what you’re saying is getting weird.”
“Wouldn’t that make it even weirder?”
Two shadows fell over them in quick succession, cutting off their conversation.
It was Gou Yu and Xiao Yi’an, back from their first lap. Both were slightly out of breath.
Xiao Yi’an nodded at Ye Qingchang. “Last one, done.”
Ye Qingchang quickly grabbed a water bottle from the bag beside her and handed it to him.
“Thanks, thanks.” Xiao Yi’an didn’t stand on ceremony, took a couple of big gulps, then turned to leave.
Before leaving, he said goodbye to Gou Yu, who had run with him.
Gou Yu raised a hand in a brief farewell.
Then Zhu Niao and Ye Qingchang both stood up from the bench.
Gou Yu reached out and pressed Zhu Niao back onto the seat.
“Hold on, I’m going for the second lap now—count it as two runs so I don’t run out of time later. By the way, the school rule says you can count up to two campus runs per day.”
“Two runs is five kilometers, can you handle it?” Zhu Niao asked, stunned.
“Don’t worry, I’m a Gold Medal Rider with a ninety-nine percent approval rating.” Gou Yu gave a thumbs-up, his white teeth almost sparkling in the sun.
“Go ahead then, just don’t die out there.”
“The only one who’d die from five kilometers is you.” Gou Yu chuckled.
Next to them, the Legendary 800-meter Athlete, Ye Qingchang, averted her gaze.
As Gou Yu started running again, Zhu Niao pressed the rising Ye Qingchang back onto the bench.
“Don’t rush, let’s chat a little longer. You’re not gonna leave me, an empty-nester old lady, all alone, are you?”
Ye Qingchang glanced at the retreating Gou Yu, then at the vanishing Xiao Yi’an. She sat back down.
“Fine. Since you’re making me stay, I’m going to demand something from you.”