The room still hung heavy with the lingering scent of alcohol, the lights bright, and everything exactly as it had been when Song Qiuyu left last night.
She stared at Jiang Xiao in shock for a moment, her gaze falling on the pair of black high heels cradled in his arms.
She stepped inside, turned to close the door quietly, then tiptoed over and gently called out, “Jiang Xiao?”
Jiang Xiao only frowned slightly, showing no sign of waking up.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu frowned as well. What had happened in this room just last night felt as if it had happened a moment ago, leaving her feelings tangled and complicated.
She wasn’t mentally prepared to face Jiang Xiao right away, but she still knelt down and reached out to shake his left shoulder. “Jiang Xiao, wake up, it’s morning now.”
Jiang Xiao’s eyelids twitched. Slowly, he awoke, and when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Song Qiuyu’s obedient and delicate face.
In that instant, for some reason, he felt an indescribable emotion he couldn’t quite place.
Before he could think it through, the headache from the hangover twisted his expression. He instinctively raised a hand to rub his head and only then realized the black high heels held in his arms.
Huh?
What’s this?
“Does it hurt? The hotel should have hangover soup service. I’ll call the waiter using the hotel’s desk phone.” Song Qiuyu got up and walked toward the desk phone.
Jiang Xiao silently stared at the black high heels in his arms for a long while before speaking, “Song Qiuyu, how did you know I was here?”
She had just finished contacting the hotel waiter and was now forced to face the topic she least wanted to. Song Qiuyu’s mood darkened slightly.
“Of course I knew, because I’m the one who helped you from Moon Viewing Cliff to here.” Song Qiuyu watched Jiang Xiao’s reaction carefully.
“You knew I was at Moon Viewing Cliff?”
Jiang Xiao’s eyes darkened.
“No.”
Song Qiuyu shook her head, her expression calm as she said, “I was working part-time nearby during the National Day Holiday. After work last night, I went hiking to watch the moon and happened to find you at Moon Viewing Cliff, almost falling. So I hurried to save you.”
“So…”
Jiang Xiao lifted the pair of black high heels in his arms and showed them to her.
As he did, he subconsciously compared the silhouette of his roommate with the blurry memory of the female COSER. “These shoes are yours?”
“Ahem, yeah, they’re mine. If you don’t believe me, how about I put them on for you?” Song Qiuyu nodded awkwardly.
“Go ahead.”
“I’m just saying.”
Song Qiuyu sighed and walked back, taking the black high heels from Jiang Xiao’s hands before sitting down on the floor as well.
She obediently slipped off her white canvas shoes, then placed her bare feet into the black high heels.
To prove the size fit, she steadied herself against the wall and carefully stood up, taking a couple of steps. Unfortunately, those two steps looked as awkward as possible.
The Store Manager and the others had seen her skills before and were relieved to just let her stand still.
“Alright, actually, I’m just really short on money, so I have no choice but to dress up as a girl. The female COSER you saw last night was really me.”
Song Qiuyu mustered up the courage, her neck flushing red as she pointed to herself and confessed.
After speaking, she awkwardly scratched the back of her neck and coughed twice. “How much do you remember about last night?”
“Not much.”
Jiang Xiao thought carefully for a moment.
“ДЕ?”
Song Qiuyu was stunned.
“I vaguely remember you suddenly rushing over and hugging me from behind. Other than that, it’s all pretty unclear.” Jiang Xiao looked a little helpless.
Song Qiuyu secretly sighed in relief. Good thing Jiang Xiao didn’t remember much, or else this would have been a very difficult situation to handle.
Even if she said it was okay, Jiang Xiao would definitely feel guilty.
So, she changed the subject, “By the way, Jiang Xiao, did you want to jump off the cliff last night because you had something troubling you?”
“Uh, why would you think that?”
Jiang Xiao was confused.
“The atmosphere was too much like it—the world’s collapsing, ready to die together kind of vibe!”
Song Qiuyu spoke with full conviction, worry and urgency naturally showing on her face.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiao widened his eyes slightly, surprised by her misunderstanding. Then, feeling a little awkward, he lowered his gaze, a cold sweat rolling down his cheek.
He recalled her words at the hotel that day—“We’re all really worried about you.”
“I’m not.”
Jiang Xiao’s lips moved faintly.
Song Qiuyu was stunned. “Not?”
“I wasn’t going to jump.”
Jiang Xiao seemed to sense her doubt. He looked seriously into her beautiful apricot-colored eyes and said solemnly,
“Yesterday was her birthday. I just wanted to celebrate it for her.”
Song Qiuyu felt a pang of guilt and lowered her eyes deeply. She took a shallow breath, trying to act calm as she asked Jiang Xiao to confirm, “Just that?”
He nodded lightly.
Song Qiuyu was moved. It sounded like she had just overthought things. Yet, thinking back to last night, Jiang Xiao’s drunken, despondent figure on the cliff made it hard not to jump to those conclusions.
Seeing her disbelief, Jiang Xiao’s lips moved again. He wanted to say more.
Suddenly, the door was knocked on. The hotel waiter came in with the hangover soup.
“That’s good. But Jiang Xiao, you have to promise me that no matter what happens, you’ll tell me. Don’t drink by the cliff in the middle of the night anymore. Last night really scared me! Luckily, my heart is strong!”
Song Qiuyu opened the door, took the hangover soup, then closed the door again.
Scared?
That’s a bit much.
Jiang Xiao looked at her oddly. Seeing her hand over the hangover soup, he reached out and took it.
Song Qiuyu sat down opposite him, placing the breakfast she brought between them.
Though it was strange why he had moved from the bed to the floor to sleep, she suppressed her curiosity.
Curiosity killed the cat; she couldn’t coax Jiang Xiao into remembering last night!
“After drinking the hangover soup, let’s have breakfast together. There are buns and soy milk. The buns are mixed—meat buns, sugar buns, and vermicelli buns, two of each, quite small. One cup of soy milk is sweetened, the other unsweetened. Jiang Xiao, which do you want?”
“Sweetened.”
“Okay, then I’ll have the unsweetened one.”
Saying that, Song Qiuyu slid the sweetened soy milk closer to Jiang Xiao, picked up the unsweetened one, inserted a straw, and took a sip.
As expected, unsweetened soy milk was terrible.
No choice. She had only guessed Jiang Xiao would drink the sweetened kind based on messages he sent from his alternate account—something Song Qiuyu didn’t know about.
So she had deliberately bought two different cups.
The little buns in the bag were delicious.
Just the right size, with thin skin, generous filling, and juicy.
Watching Song Qiuyu happily nibble her breakfast, gently moving her folded legs, Jiang Xiao’s eyes narrowed. His chest felt tight, but he couldn’t explain why.
As for last night’s drunken memories, they were fragmented and scattered.
He hoped he hadn’t forgotten anything crucial.
After confirming he couldn’t remember, he gave up and grabbed a small bun from the bag, popping it into his mouth.
Then, with a glance out of the corner of his eye at the black high heels she had taken off and placed aside, a look of confusion flickered in his eyes.
He really didn’t understand why he had woken up hugging her shoes.
That probably meant he’d slept holding these shoes all night.
“So, Song Qiuyu, will you be dressing as a girl for the next few days too?”
Jiang Xiao asked in a calm voice.
Song Qiuyu almost choked on the bun she was swallowing.
Bringing up the worst possible topic!
Still, after Jiang Xiao asked like that, she felt she needed to consider something.
Even though Jiang Xiao himself said he had no suicidal thoughts, if she just left him alone and went back to work, somehow, she wouldn’t feel at ease.
Wait, wait, what was she thinking? If she can’t leave Jiang Xiao alone, does that mean taking him back to the store?
In front of him? In women’s clothing?
Song Qiuyu was drenched in sweat.
Jiang Xiao quietly ate his bun opposite her, watching every change in her expression, thoughtful.
After finishing breakfast together, they left the room side by side.
Outside the hotel, a slightly chubby young man walked confidently with his hands in his pockets, clearly feeling like the most handsome guy in the scenic area today.
“Jiang Xiao, I’ve thought it over. How about you come back with me?” At that moment, a clear, crisp voice reached his ears.
Jiang Xiao?
Such a familiar name, and that voice sounded familiar too!
It should be a girl.
The chubby guy stopped, turned his head, and saw two figures stepping out of the hotel.
The fair-faced girl was blushing, her cheeks flushed as she exchanged glances and spoke with the handsome guy beside her.
The next second, his whole body stiffened, eyes wide open.
Why was it this couple again? This time they weren’t messing around in the men’s restroom—they’d gone and booked a hotel room?
At school it was bad enough, but running into them while traveling was the worst luck in eight lifetimes!
From what the girl said, they were probably going to her house next, meeting the parents?
Then engagement, then marriage… Speaking of which, at this university, getting married even earned credits.
The chubby guy took a deep breath, his whole body trembling under the weight of his own flesh. Then he forced a stubborn, disdainful smile and let out a short snort.
As the saying goes, marriage is a grave; to enter that grave so young! Pitiful, but not worthy of sympathy.
He gave Jiang Xiao a look that said “what a clown.”
They were playing so loose, maybe even marrying because of a pregnancy, and the girl would be wearing a wedding dress with a big belly!
Soon after marriage, they’d have to juggle kids, school, and work, constantly being squeezed by both families.
Just thinking about it was miserable; even dogs would shake their heads.
The chubby guy shook his head, withdrew his gaze, and kept walking with his hands in his pockets. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, lowering his face so far that tears streamed from the corner of his eyes.
Why, at about the same age, was he still a virgin, while some already had wives and kids?
He wanted to be that miserable too. When would the heavens drop a wife down to squeeze him?
He wanted to be squeezed!
This damn world!
He wanted to go to a world without this couple!
Wiping his tears away, the chubby guy quietly left without a trace. Meanwhile, the two at the hotel door agreed and rode their Shared Bicycles separately but headed together toward that clothing store.
Of course.
Since Jiang Xiao wasn’t an employee at the store, Song Qiuyu had asked the Store Manager in advance and gotten approval before bringing him over.
Their work started at 10 a.m., and when they arrived, it was already 9 a.m.
It seemed early, but considering the time all employees needed to change and do makeup, it was barely enough.
“Little Keqing, who is this person?” Already dressed, the Barbara Female COSER sized up Jiang Xiao and quietly asked Song Qiuyu.
“My classmate.”
Song Qiuyu explained and then recalled the misunderstanding from yesterday afternoon, so she added, “He’s the classmate from yesterday afternoon. Oh, right, we’re also roommates and good friends.” Barbara COSER hesitated as if wanting to ask more but stopped herself.
Jiang Xiao listened to her introduction, glanced at her, then saw the Store Manager approaching. Strangely, after arriving, the manager only glanced at Song Qiuyu and then fixed her gaze on Jiang Xiao, staring unblinkingly.
After a while, Jiang Xiao grew somewhat displeased under that intense stare.
“Little Keqing, how come you never mentioned your classmate looks this good?” The Store Manager smiled and said.
If the number of COSERS in the store weren’t enough, she might have invited him to join.
After all, he was Song Qiuyu’s classmate, and their relationship seemed good, so they could take care of each other.
Song Qiuyu didn’t know how to respond and just laughed awkwardly, picked up Keqing’s cosplay costume, and dashed into the dressing room. But feeling uneasy about leaving Jiang Xiao alone, she poked her head out again.
Jiang Xiao looked at her curiously as she peered out, then saw her mouth move, signaling him to check his phone.
He frowned slightly and picked up his phone.
［Song Qiuyu］: The Store Manager and the others are very nice, but they’re a bit too enthusiastic. If you really don’t want to interact, just sit on the sofa and play on your phone.
［Jiang Xiao］: ……
Jiang Xiao was speechless but followed the instructions, nodding briefly to the Store Manager and the others before sitting on the empty sofa.
However, even though Song Qiuyu told him to play on his phone, he found nothing entertaining on it.
Maybe he’d browse the comments under their short videos to pass the time.
Inside the dressing room, Song Qiuyu had stripped down to just a pair of men’s underwear, her pale skin fully exposed to the air.
As usual, she first picked up the black stockings and put them on her legs. Next was to put on the fake chest…
Wait.
Where was the fake chest?
Uh…
It seemed to be left on the stool—she had taken it off!
Song Qiuyu pursed her lips, thought carefully for a moment, then grabbed her phone and sent a voice message to the COSER she chatted most with—Ji Zi COSER.
Then, a “ding” sounded, and Jiang Xiao’s phone received the voice message.
Voice message transcription:
［Song Qiuyu］: Sorry, I left my fake chest on the stool outside, the one next to the mirror. Could you help me bring it in? Thanks!
Two seconds of silence followed.
［Song Qiuyu retracted the message. Guess what she deleted.]
At the same time, Jiang Xiao had already sent a concise “Okay” reply.
At this point the chubby might as well appear on their wedding without them even knowing