Jiang Xiao lowered his eyes and looked at the new message.
［Song Qiuyu］: It’s nothing, I can handle it myself.
Jiang Xiao was silent for a moment. Since she said that, he didn’t press further.
When Jiang Xiao replied with a simple “okay,” Song Qiuyu let out a sigh of relief.
She hesitated briefly before firmly rejecting the help he had offered.
Once she accepted, there would be too many things she’d have to explain—things she simply couldn’t clarify or let Jiang Xiao know about.
Like why she was walking with her legs tightly crossed…
Why she needed to buy underwear…
And what if, when they went together, her menstrual blood leaked?
By then, two mouths wouldn’t be able to explain anything clearly.
As she silently prayed that nothing unexpected would happen, a sudden warm sensation struck her like a bolt from the blue.
She nervously crossed her legs tighter and lifted her hips slightly.
To avoid drawing more attention, she arranged her legs as naturally as possible, adjusting her sitting posture.
Her heartbeat quickened—perhaps just psychological—but she distinctly heard each beat, replacing the time display on her phone with a countdown.
Anxious and restless, her patience wore thin as she waited.
Finally, the cable car came to a halt.
As the doors opened, light spilled into her otherwise desperate world.
An overwhelming urge to rush to the lingerie store surged within her, soaring to its peak.
“Right, I just remembered I need to buy something. You guys go back to the store first. I’ll be there soon.” She took a shallow breath, then carefully and quickly rose from her seat.
Without waiting for their response, she turned and strode out of the cable car, inhaling the slightly cool outdoor air while keeping her legs tightly crossed, heading toward her predetermined destination.
Watching Song Qiuyu’s retreating figure, Jiang Xiao lowered his eyes and unconsciously glanced at her legs, still clamped tightly as she walked.
Only after she disappeared from view did he withdraw his gaze.
He wasn’t sure what Song Qiuyu was thinking, but instinctively, he felt she desperately needed help right now.
Only, Song Qiuyu refused help from everyone—including him.
Sang Tian and the others looked equally puzzled.
They didn’t understand what was wrong with Song Qiuyu.
“Jiang Xiao, you seem really eager to catch up to Song. Why don’t you just go after her?”
Hearing this, he didn’t look at Sang Tian, who had spoken. He just shook his head slightly, saying nothing, silently walking toward the clothing store.
Sang Tian tilted her head and followed Jiang Xiao, watching his back thoughtfully.
Song Qiuyu was acting strangely today, and Jiang Xiao seemed odd too. What was going on between them?
Strange indeed.
They headed toward the clothing store.
At the same time, Song Qiuyu had already arrived at another clothing store.
But upon entering, her eyes landed only on clothes—some of which were lingerie, but all were women’s items.
As a die-hard straight man in knowledge, her understanding of women’s underwear was almost nonexistent.
“Excuse me, do you have men’s underwear?”
Song Qiuyu was pressed for time and didn’t give the women’s lingerie a second glance, heading straight to the counter.
But besides the rush, there was another reason. After all—she wasn’t a pervert. Why would she keep staring at women’s underwear?
It was just pieces of cloth; men’s underwear was just the same—nothing special.
Thinking this, her neck flushed with honest embarrassment from the brief glance she gave when entering.
To be honest, this was her first time facing such a large display of women’s lingerie directly.
So many styles, with only a little fabric—never less—and… all so pretty!
She was instinctively attracted. The heart that once only fluttered for shoes and games was now strangely led by these few pieces of cloth.
So odd, really odd.
She could only say this inexplicable instinctive urge was a bit annoying!
“Sorry, this is a women’s clothing specialty store. We don’t have men’s underwear here, ma’am.”
The sales clerk shook her head calmly.
Having entered the wrong store was already frustrating; the clerk’s words added insult to injury.
Song Qiuyu’s obedient face struggled to keep composure, her lips twitching as she said, “Okay, I understand. Thank you.”
Her situation didn’t allow her to risk traveling farther, so she had to grit her teeth and play the fool again—willingly lying on the chopping block even though she knew she’d be taken advantage of.
She no longer tried to suppress her voice and, turning naturally, headed straight to the section of women’s panties.
Before the clerk could recommend anything, her hands quickly grabbed the top item from the discounted area without even looking, then made a beeline for the fitting room.
Once the door closed, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Only then did she open her eyes, slightly holding her breath, her gaze landing on the white lace hollow-out panties in her small hands.
Damn…
Is it still in time to change?
She frowned.
Feeling warmth flow again, she gasped softly and gave up the struggle, hastily crossing her legs, removing her jeans.
Her long legs awkwardly squeezed the night-use sanitary pad stained deep red. She fumbled for a moment before placing the pad on top of the white lace panties.
Then, her jade-like toes lowered, slipping out from the lace on one side; the other foot followed, stretching the snow-white skin inch by inch, finally held snugly by the lace trim.
After putting them on, she twisted her legs uneasily, two slender fingers probing the lace edges on both sides of her waist, gently tugging outward.
That handful of snow.
Her fingers pulled back, and the lace bounced lightly, pressing just right against the soft flesh of her waist.
The lace was pure white and flawless, perfectly matching the exposed skin beneath—both without a single blemish. Like the cleanest peak atop a mountain, a beautiful sight.
She had never worn such comfortable underwear before—it was too smooth and soft.
Feeling this strange comfort, a subtle sensation quietly stirred deep inside her, and the faint redness on her fair neck deepened.
This was only the first time wearing them, yet it was already slightly addictive.
Just like when she wore black stockings.
Thinking of this, Song Qiuyu glanced at the jeans laid on the chair, froze for two seconds, then quickly regained her composure and put the jeans on, pushing aside any further thoughts.
After tidying her clothes, she looked down to check the floor, making sure she hadn’t accidentally dirtied it.
Blushing, she grabbed the empty underwear hanger and pushed open the fitting room door, stepping out.
“I was in a hurry, so I wore these out. How much is this pair?” Song Qiuyu asked the approaching clerk.
“Two hundred yuan.”
The clerk smiled as she replied.
… Damn, she really got ripped off.
“Ma’am, we also have a few bras that match the panties you just picked. Would you like to try some?”
The clerk didn’t come empty-handed, holding three or four white bras of different styles, all for the upper body.
Song Qiuyu shook her head stiffly, embarrassed. She only wore women’s panties out of necessity—there was no way she’d put on the bras too!
Thinking of this, a sharp pang of pain pressed on her chest, forcing her eyes to linger on the bras in the clerk’s hands for two seconds, her mood turning gloomy.
If her breasts really started developing, maybe she would have to wear those.
Thankfully, they weren’t ugly.
Maybe, like the panties, wearing them would be comfortable.
Realizing she was slowly accepting—and even enjoying—this thought, her face flushed. She didn’t feel too shy but covered her face briefly in silence.
Quickly pulling herself together, she decisively declined the clerk’s offer.
She didn’t need it—at least not yet. And definitely not something so expensive…
Two hundred yuan for a pair of panties! God only knows what the bras cost.
Men’s underwear sold five for fifty yuan!
Her heart bleeding as she paid, she lowered her head. Though she’d temporarily escaped the crisis, she had spent a hefty sum. The bright sunshine outside couldn’t dispel the gloom in her heart.
But her melancholy vanished completely once she returned to the clothing store, replaced by a resolute determination to work harder to earn a living.
Before earning money, she still needed to pay part of the compensation for the glass cup.
So, Song Qiuyu explained the situation to the Store Manager, who hadn’t checked his phone yet. The glass cup was accidentally broken by Jiang Xiao, but since she had asked the manager to let them stay overnight, the responsibility was hers to bear.
Jiang Xiao quietly watched her, but he didn’t stay silent until the end. When she finished, he took responsibility, shifting the fault back onto himself.
The Store Manager laughed unexpectedly as they made a big deal out of a small matter.
She highly praised their character and said that if there were high-paying jobs after the holiday, she would consider hiring Song Qiuyu again.
Her words boosted everyone’s spirits, though the parties involved thought quickly with clear reluctance.
Compared to high-paying women’s clothing work, she preferred making a few more short videos.
Afterward, Song Qiuyu had a busy day working the shift while Jiang Xiao and the others stayed in the store discussing short video ideas.
Only during lunch break did Song Qiuyu get a chance to join in.
When work ended, everyone returned to school and their respective dormitories.
“I want to shower first today! Anyone object? Anyone agree?” Song Qiuyu asked her three roommates.
The afternoon was stiflingly hot, and she was drenched in sweat.
On top of her period discomfort, she felt miserable—if she didn’t shower immediately, it felt like ants were crawling all over her.
None of the three roommates objected.
Pleased, Song Qiuyu packed her change of clothes, secretly slipping a thick black plastic bag and a night-use sanitary pad into her pocket as backup.
Wearing slippers, she quickly walked toward the balcony, feeling the sultry air. She glanced up at the night sky.
“Hopefully it won’t rain tonight…”
She hoped it wouldn’t, or else she wouldn’t be able to go to work tomorrow.
With that prayer in her heart, she entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
After setting down her change of clothes, Song Qiuyu first unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the slightly rising, still subtle whiteness of her skin.
Above her collarbone, the red swelling of the birthmark hadn’t fully subsided yet, quite noticeable.
She didn’t let her mind wander recklessly and took off her top, tossing it into the laundry basket.
She quickly removed her pants and dealt with the sanitary pad.
However, when she took off the white lace panties, her face involuntarily tensed.
This thing couldn’t stay in a male dormitory—it was a minefield!
And it cost two hundred yuan, two hundred yuan exactly.
Song Qiuyu thought for a moment but couldn’t bring herself to throw them away. She casually tossed them toward the laundry basket without a second glance and stepped into the warm water, completely naked, starting her shower.
Yet, the delicate women’s panties she tossed didn’t fall into the laundry basket. They only hung on the edge, half dangling outside.
“Mmm… so comfortable…”
The bathroom filled with steam. Song Qiuyu was already soaking wet, parts of her body covered in milky foam as she carefully scrubbed every spot.
She hummed a light tune of contentment and relaxation.
No matter which part of her body she cleaned, she had become much more skilled—not like at the beginning when she was overly cautious, afraid of causing problems.
As the fatigue in her body subsided, she thought about everything that had happened these past days.
Her gaze unintentionally dropped, and a sudden streak of bright red ran from top to bottom over the small heart-shaped birthmark, tracing the elegant curve of her leg before flowing into the drain.
Here it comes again…
It never ends…
The number of times she bled during her period this time was unusually high…
Periods weren’t always fixed—they could be delayed or early, long or short.
Maybe she should be grateful it hadn’t come early, like on the very first day of the holiday—the night Jiang Xiao pushed her down.
Leaving a red stain on the sheets, if Jiang Xiao woke up the next day, she would have no way to deny it.
Not only would her identity as a girl be exposed, but Jiang Xiao might mistakenly think he had “broken” her…
That bloodstain would be proof of their first intimate encounter…
Rubbing the swollen red birthmark with her fingertips, she brushed over the neck Jiang Xiao had once touched with his lips, grateful that no marks remained.
In this hot weather, she certainly couldn’t wear high-neck clothes.
These days, to hide the birthmark, she only dared wear shirts buttoned up to the top, which was already unbearably stuffy.
Her fingertips moved to her chest, rubbing into the foam and gently pushing the still unformed buds.
The other hand lifted as well, kneading more foam.
The growing ache made her frown, and her hands pressed harder.
She rubbed until the skin reddened. The burning pain lightly overpowered the ache and rising pleasure, prompting her to stop and bend down.
Her hands sank into the foam again to wash other parts of her body, now as gentle as touching early morning dew—too much force would shatter it.
After about ten minutes, she dried off and put on her clean clothes, added a sanitary pad, and tucked away the thick black plastic bag containing used pads.
Carrying the cozy feeling from the hot shower, she opened the bathroom door.
Her warm, flushed face broke into a happy smile as she bent down to lift the laundry basket and walked out.
A faint sound went unnoticed—those white lace panties hanging on the basket’s edge slipped silently onto the bathroom floor, soaked by the pooled water.
“I’m done washing!”
Song Qiuyu cheerfully informed her three roommates waiting inside.
At that moment, Xie Zhuran and Lin An were locked in an intense one-on-one match of CS and couldn’t be disturbed.
“My aim in that shot was so seductive! Even I’m impressed. Donk, this is about your level, right?”
“You? You’re in the C division and you dare to trash talk Donk?”
“Speaking of which, Donk is also a little pretty boy who looks a lot like a girl.”
“No, why did you say ‘also’?”
The two were in the middle of a fierce battle.
“I’ll go shower first then.”
Jiang Xiao got up and plugged in his phone to charge.
“Okay!”
Xie Zhuran and Lin An spoke in unison, too immersed in the game to even glance away.
Seeing his two roommates so engrossed, Jiang Xiao momentarily drifted into memories, a faint smile creeping onto his lips.
Shen Xi got addicted to games easily too. Many times, if he hadn’t stopped her, she would’ve played all night. But despite that addiction, she was really well-behaved.
When told to stop, she’d actually go to sleep without logging back in.
In a good mood, Jiang Xiao grabbed his change of clothes and headed to the balcony.
But just because he glanced at the person nearby, his steps slowed slightly.
“Hmm?”
Song Qiuyu turned her face toward him, her beautiful apricot eyes blinking, confused.
“Nothing.”
Jiang Xiao replied instinctively and turned into the bathroom.
Clearly, no one was chasing him, yet Song Qiuyu somehow sensed an urgent feeling from him—as if he was being hunted by ghosts, and the bathroom was his safe haven.
With a creak, the bathroom door closed behind Jiang Xiao.
The thick heat lingering on the balcony thinned out.
Song Qiuyu turned back, puzzled. Since she didn’t have many clothes to wash, she didn’t use the washing machine. She took the dirty clothes from the laundry basket and moved toward the basin.