Chapter 64: You think too much
After a few classes, the entire classroom was too distracted to focus, and even the teacher seemed surprised by Lin Xiaoxiao’s situation.
Fortunately, having updated her ID and informed her counselor beforehand, she avoided unnecessary hassle.
But the ones most unsettled were Bai Hao and Huang Guan. Even now, they were reeling, filled with regret.
If they’d known, they would’ve built a stronger bond with their “bro” Lin Xiaoxiao—maybe they wouldn’t still be single.
“By the way, Xiaoxiao, has Old Three contacted you?” Bai Hao suddenly asked, thinking of Xiao He.
Her heart stirred with complex emotions, but she decided not to mention the past incident—Xiao He had already faced consequences. “No, why?”
Bai Hao shook his head, puzzled. “Just weird. He dropped out out of nowhere. No idea what happened.”
They dropped the topic. While listening to the lecture, Lin Xiaoxiao noticed a shift in her dynamic with Bai Hao and Huang Guan.
Since moving out of the dorm, their friendship had already faded. Now, as a woman, an invisible barrier and awkwardness had grown between them.
She sighed. It couldn’t be helped—she knew guys often got shy around girls. Though not socially anxious, she’d always been low-key, her former boyish charm her only notable trait.
With few friends, she didn’t want to lose her bond with her roommates…
Lost in thought, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Wang Shanshan: “Meet me on the rooftop after class. I need to talk.”
Lin Xiaoxiao froze, realizing her situation had reached Wang Shanshan’s ears.
Then, a neglected detail hit her.
She could brush off others with her usual explanation, but not Wang Shanshan—she knew Lin Xiaoxiao had been a boy before!
Though nothing major happened between them, as kids they’d done silly things with other boys—like seeing who could pee the farthest.
The memory made her nervous and headachy. She had no idea how to handle this.
She replied with a simple “Okay,” unable to focus on the rest of the class.
After class, while others went to eat, she headed alone to the rooftop.
Despite racking her brain, she couldn’t come up with a good excuse—just take it one step at a time.
On the rooftop, Wang Shanshan, recalling Lin Xiaoxiao’s story, was baffled and reluctant to believe she was really a girl.
But seeing the delicate girl approaching, she had no choice but to accept it.
“Lin Xiaoxiao, how’d you do it?” Wang Shanshan asked bluntly, curiosity burning. How could someone change from a man to a woman without surgery?
“Uh…” Lin Xiaoxiao started to ramble.
Wang Shanshan didn’t buy it, dismantling her story word by word, leaving her speechless.
Seeing her silence, Wang Shanshan’s eyes held complex emotions. Familiar strangers—that described them perfectly.
Sighing, she said coolly, “Fine, if you won’t tell me, I won’t force you. We’re not close anymore anyway.”
“Lin Xiaoxiao, just answer one thing honestly.”
“What?”
Wang Shanshan paused, then asked, “Do you like men or women?”
Lin Xiaoxiao froze, unable to answer.
Early on as a woman, she’d have confidently said she liked women.
But now, Zhou Ting’s image kept popping into her mind, unbidden…
Tilting her head, she said uncertainly, “I… like both?”
Wang Shanshan blinked, stepping back instinctively, making Lin Xiaoxiao’s forehead twitch. “Relax, I’m not into you anymore.”
Wang Shanshan mumbled, embarrassed, “Who knows…”
But then she asked her real concern. “You don’t have a thing for Zhou Yang, do you?”
They’d been seen together often, though less recently, sparking Wang Shanshan’s unease.
Lin Xiaoxiao’s heart twisted—her relationship with Zhou Yang’s dad made this awkward. “No way! You’re overthinking.”
She walked to the railing, gazing over the sunny campus, feeling foolish for talking in this heat. “You like Zhou Yang that much?”
Wang Shanshan nodded, unreserved. “Yeah…”
Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at her, skeptical of how genuine that “like” was.
“Can we talk somewhere else? Aren’t you hot?”
Wang Shanshan snapped out of it. “No need. We’re done here. I’m going to eat.”
Lin Xiaoxiao shrugged in agreement.
Watching Wang Shanshan leave, she realized she’d become someone she dreaded facing—meetings only brought awkwardness.
Evening came, the sky aglow with sunset.
Lin Xiaoxiao, finishing a book at a nearby milk tea shop, was about to head home when someone blocked her path.
Surprised, she looked at the boy. Didn’t he want to avoid her? “What’s up?”
Zhou Yang, facing the girl in a long dress, looked uneasy but tossed a bank card at her. “Here, take it back.”
Catching it, she was confused.
He turned away, explaining, “It’s my dad’s money. You keep it. I don’t need your pity.”
She rolled her eyes, realizing his pride was at play. “So, you’re ready to go home?”
“Why would I? Don’t think you and my dad… give you the right to boss me around.”
She scoffed. “Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Like I want* to deal with you. Move!”
Stuffing her book into her bag, she turned to leave.
Though she felt a twinge of guilt over Zhou Ting, she wasn’t a pushover. She wouldn’t keep chasing someone who rejected her kindness.
To her, Zhou Yang wasn’t quite a spoiled rich kid, but definitely a stubborn, prideful teen who’d never faced real hardship.