Chapter 5: Whispers of Wind and Wary Glances

A wisp of autumn breeze slipped through the slightly open window.

Luo Su propped her head on one hand, glancing outside instinctively. A few sparrows perched on a low maple tree, chirping endlessly.

Just like her jumbled thoughts right now.

—Jiang Ning definitely noticed something, didn’t she? Why else would she keep staring over here? What do I do? This is so tricky!

“…”

Jiang Ning couldn’t stand it anymore. This guy was so nervous around her, he wasn’t even looking at the blackboard. She leaned slightly, her hair brushing onto Luo Su’s desk, carrying a faint gardenia scent.

Luo Su looked up, puzzled,

Only to hear her ask softly, “You’re not… someone who’s never talked to a girl before, right? Or do you just hate me?”

“???”

Luo Su bristled at the first part. “No way I’ve never talked to a girl!” He’d almost had a girlfriend, even.

She remembered,

It was during a holiday a year ago, back when she hadn’t turned into… a little succubus. Every day was pure joy—eating and playing.

While gaming once,

She met a super-skilled girl… yep, Luo Su was the one getting carried. She still remembered the girl’s username: “Soft Fluffy Bunny.”

Not only was she sweet, but she was great at cheering people up!

They’d already…

Reached that ambiguous, almost-romantic phase, but then she told Luo Su she liked girls! The more Luo Su thought about it, the sadder she got, slumping onto the desk, completely done with class.

Jiang Ning: “???”

No way, had she actually guessed right? She was just throwing it out there! Ugh, now how was she supposed to ask about the little guy’s deal…

“…”

While Luo Su was slumped over, Jiang Ning could clearly see the pattern on the back of her collar. It was definitely…

The same as the clothes from her dream.

So confusing…

Jiang Ning pieced together the clues. First, the reflection on the bus, then the dream’s setting and the ground at No. 1 High School—not identical, but close enough.

So, was Luo Su actually a girl?

The thought made Jiang Ning giggle to herself. No way, right? But then, what was going on…

Ding ding…

The sudden bell for the end of class

Let Luo Su breathe a sigh of relief. She had a feeling that because of yesterday’s slip-up, things were about to get… weird. She needed to step out and clear her head.

“So, how’s it going?”

Outside in the hallway, Gao Ye asked with interest, “Sitting next to a girl versus sitting next to me—which one’s comfier?”

“…”

Luo Su didn’t know how to respond, just yawning. “Eh, about the same. Fell asleep either way.”

“Asleep?”

Gao Ye was speechless. “Old Xu just left, and you’re that bold? Did you dream of anything?”

“Dream?”

Luo Su glanced at Jiang Ning, quietly reading at her desk, and said half-seriously, “Dreamed of a thug.”

“A thug? Guy or girl~” Gao Ye grinned.

“Get lost!”

Luo Su couldn’t hold it in. “Obviously a female thug. What, you think it’s a guy? What’s wrong with you, so dirty-minded!”

“Alright, shame though…” Under Luo Su’s murderous glare, Gao Ye gave a sleazy grin. “Was she good-looking?”

“Huh?” Luo Su blinked.

“The female thug, she’s gotta be pretty, right~” Gao Ye teased.

“You’re not wrong.”

Luo Su sighed wistfully. The thug from her dream was sitting right next to her now, ridiculously good-looking.

“Hmph… a pretty female thug?”

Gao Ye scoffed, looking up at the clear blue sky, drawling, “I’ve never had a spicy dream like that. So… does it actually feel real?”

“Get outta here!”

“Alright, alright, no more jokes!” Gao Ye laughed triumphantly.

Luo Su turned away, ignoring him.

But she wondered to herself—did Jiang Ning also think it was just a spicy dream?

And yet, she liked girls.

“So weird…”

“She looks so sweet.”

Probably super popular with guys, too. Even so, she didn’t change her orientation? Felt… kinda strange.

Back at her seat,

Today’s classes weren’t Luo Su’s favorites, but thankfully, no PE. Ever since turning into a girl, her strength had plummeted. In events like long-distance running or shot put, without using magic,

It wasn’t just embarrassing—

The teacher would probably think she was deliberately causing trouble. But a two-kilogram shot put? She really couldn’t throw it far enough to pass!

More importantly,

Her transformation magic was running low. If she had to use it for PE, she’d have no choice but to skip class and sleep at home.

Luo Su felt a bit down.

She couldn’t skip PE every week, right? If Old Xu called home, her secret of sneaking out to rent a place would be exposed…

Yep, even getting permission to live off-campus from Old Xu relied on magic.

“What’s wrong?”

Luo Su froze, looking up to see Jiang Ning asking her. She brushed it off, “Nothing, just thinking about what to eat later.”

Jiang Ning: “…”

She glanced at the clock on the blackboard. It was only the second period of the morning… and she was already thinking about lunch?

“Luo Su!”

The math teacher’s chalk snapped in half with a crack, white dust scattering onto the podium.

He turned, his gaze behind his glasses sweeping the room like a searchlight, locking onto the window seat. “Where was I just now?”

Luo Su: “…”

Done for!!! She instinctively looked to Gao Ye…

Gao Ye blinked innocently, pointing at the distance between them, mouthing, [Bro, I can’t help you~]

“…”

Luo Su actually understood.

“Students who want to sleep,” the math teacher said, not pressing Luo Su further, just turning back to the blackboard. “Stand up on your own. Let’s continue…”

“Phew…”

Luo Su quietly exhaled, quickly stuffing her Chinese book deep into the desk and pulling out her math textbook.

“Thought I got caught…”

She muttered softly, her lips curving slightly with the thrill of narrowly escaping. Looks like Lady Luck still had her back!

She hadn’t been noticed.

Jiang Ning watched her silently, her eyelashes flickering slightly, thinking to herself, “Are the students at No. 1 High really not that different?”

Or maybe,

Because this wasn’t a top-tier class?

Her gaze drifted to Luo Su’s wrist and paused—there was a black bracelet.

The material was odd,

Not metal, not plastic, with a dark sheen under the sunlight. Stranger still, it seemed to be… moving slightly?

“No way!”

Jiang Ning held her breath, her eyes locked onto it as if caught by something invisible, unable to look away.

It was definitely… moving.

A ribbon? A snake? Neither seemed right. There was even a heart shape on it. Jiang Ning’s face flushed. “N-no… it’s not a little toy, is it!”

So naughty…

“What’s with you?”

Luo Su was exasperated. Ever since she learned Jiang Ning’s sweet exterior hid a thug, she couldn’t look at her the same way.

“N-nothing!” Jiang Ning jumped, startled.

Luo Su: “…”

Why did it feel like she was hiding something?

An illusion? Or maybe not.