Chapter 33: The Scene of Social Death

“Ugh, what terrible timing…”

Just as Xia Mengxi was shifting her train of thought, a sudden urge to pee surfaced in her mind. 

She temporarily withdrew her attention and stood up from her seat.

Lin Xue’er, sitting beside her, noticed her movement and looked at her with a hint of curiosity.

“What’s up, Xiao Xi?”

“Nothing, I just need to pick some flowers.”

Lin Xue’er immediately understood and stood up as well.

“Perfect timing, I was just about to go too. Let’s go together, Xiao Xi.”

“Okay!”

Going to the restroom with Lin Xue’er wasn’t a big deal for Xia Mengxi. 

After all, they’d already seen each other naked-no need to be shy about it.

However… she was acutely aware that while her body was female, her heart was still that of a man. 

This realization made her slightly nervous.

Her nervousness caused her to space out while walking. 

As she stepped out of the classroom, she didn’t notice someone in the hallway and accidentally bumped into them.

“Ah! S-sorry!”

The person she collided with was “well-endowed” and soft, so while Xia Mengxi wasn’t hurt, the impact was enough to snap her back to reality.

But the moment she regained her senses, she froze again—because the person standing before her was none other than Li Siqi, the very subject of her earlier internal monologue.

Holy crap! 

Fate works in mysterious ways, huh? 

She hadn’t even figured out how to approach Li Siqi yet, and here they were, running into each other by chance. 

With luck like this, she might as well buy a lottery ticket!

“It’s fine… Huh? Aren’t you the girl who fainted during the opening ceremony this morning? Haha! I happened to be passing by―you gave me quite a scare!”

Honestly, Xia Mengxi wanted to bolt right then and there. 

But she couldn’t afford to leave a bad impression on Li Siqi. 

Her instincts told her that would cause major problems for her future plans to win Li Siqi over.

Not to mention… the words of God appeared right then, making it impossible for her to flee.

[Discovered potential romance target: Li Siqi. Choose your next move, young maiden!]

[Option A: Speak to her in a childish tone, “Woman, are you challenging me?”]

Choosing this option will pique Li Siqi’s curiosity about you, young maiden. 

Additionally, you will become famous throughout the entire school.

[Option B: Explain the reason for your fainting spell to Li Siqi and exchange contact information.]

Option B will leave a favorable impression of you in Li Siqi’s heart.

At first glance, the correct choice seemed obvious. 

But picking it would be a huge mistake!

Option B appeared straightforward—both the action required and the outcome seemed perfectly normal. 

The problem wasn’t with the option itself, but the butterfly effect it would trigger!

If Xia Mengxi chose the seemingly optimal Option B, Lin Xue’er’s “darkening” level would increase. 

She noticed this, which left her torn between the two choices.

If Option B was problematic, why hesitate? 

Well, that’s where the effects of Option A come into play.

Option A has two possible outcomes. 

The first is sparking Li Siqi’s interest in Xia Mengxi, which sounds quite promising since Li Siqi is one of her targets to befriend. 

Establishing an early connection could be beneficial in the long run.

However, it’s crucial to note that there’s a highly unstable ticking time bomb by her side! 

Moreover, this bomb’s countdown accelerates, and its destructive power increases with every new person she meets. 

Therefore, until she defuses the timer or gains control over this bomb, she absolutely, absolutely! 

ABSOLUTELY must not get acquainted with anyone else! Not even if the other person isn’t physically near her!

Xia Mengxi was already aware of this before stepping out of the classroom. 

Additionally, the second effect of Option A closely resembles the first. 

She suspects the second outcome might attract the other three targets, thereby increasing the likelihood of encounters with them. 

Thus, faced with this choice, Xia Mengxi is deeply conflicted.

As the saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. 

After weighing the risks of both options and assessing what she can handle within her capabilities, Xia Mengxi ultimately chooses… 

Option A.

Taking a deep breath, she deliberately feigns anger, placing her hands on her hips as she glares at Li Siqi and declares, “Woman, are you challenging me?”

The moment these words leave Xia Mengxi’s lips, the atmosphere around them freezes. 

Whether it’s Lin Xue’er, Li Siqi, the girls walking in the hallway, or even the students in both her class and Li Siqi’s—everyone is stunned into silence before all eyes turn toward her.

“W-what?! Y-you can m-mock me, but I c-can’t scold you?!”

Though she had anticipated this social disaster, being the center of it in reality makes Xia Mengxi’s embarrassment explode like the Big Bang. 

Her face burns as red as the setting sun, and her toes curl so hard they could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.

“Pfft-! Hahaha!!!”

Unable to hold back, Li Siqi bursts into laughter, shattering the silence.

While others aren’t as outright, most cover their mouths to stifle giggles as they resume their activities.

“W-what’s so funny?! Hmph!”

Xia Mengxi pretends to be ‘flustered and angry?’ as she grabs Lin Xue’er’s hand, stepping past Li Siqi to leave without another word.

Seeing this, Li Siqi quickly jogs after them with an apologetic smile.

“S-sorry… Haha… I didn’t mean to… haha…”

Damn it! Li Siqi is still laughing!

Fine, she’s definitely getting noted down in the little black book.

“If you didn’t mean to, then scram! Stop following us!”

Xia Mengxi shoots a glare at Li Siqi, who remains unfazed-if anything, she finds Xia Mengxi even more adorable and wants to keep teasing her.

But just then, Lin Xue’er, whose hand Xia Mengxi is holding, casts a sidelong glance at Li Siqi. 

That single look immediately halts Li Siqi in her tracks, for she recognizes the icy chill in Lin Xue’er’s gaze.

“….”

Li Siqi remained silent for a moment, not paying too much attention to Lin Xue’er’s earlier actions. 

The smile on her face grew wider as Xia Mengxi’s face appeared in her mind.

“Heh, what an interesting girl. By the way, what’s her name?”

Driven by curiosity, Li Siqi turned and entered Xia Mengxi’s classroom. 

With natural familiarity, she approached some female classmates and asked, “Hello there! I’m Li Siqi from the next class over. I was wondering, do you know the name of that cute classmate from earlier?”

“Oh! So her name is Xia Mengxi… Do you happen to know what happened to her? She fainted this morning…”