Someone Else

However, Xie Shenhong, on the other side, was not concerned with any of that at the moment.

“Shenhong, you look lovely today as well.”

The moment they met at the school gate, Lyte, as was his custom, praised his appearance.

However, the same words could evoke vastly different feelings depending on one’s mood when hearing them.

When Lyte had first uttered such compliments, Xie Shenhong would merely find fault or inwardly deride Lyte as a despicable liar full of empty flattery.

Now, however, having come to understand Lyte’s true character, a blush instantly crept onto Xie Shenhong’s face.

Just as he managed to reassure himself that these were merely kind pleasantries and finally regained his composure, another thought struck him.

Lyte observed him with such meticulousness that he had even discerned Xie Shenhong’s disguise in the past.

Was it possible, then, that his changing physique also fell within Lyte’s keen observational scope?

Xie Shenhong immediately found himself unsettled.

“Lyte, I need you to tell me honestly, what do you think of my figure?”

Yet, unlike before, when he would bottle up everything, agonizing over it for ages without resolution, Xie Shenhong could now seek Lyte’s assistance.

Although the gradual transformation into a woman was something no one should know, without an outsider’s assessment, he would only become more frantic.

However, Lyte was somewhat bewildered by the sudden question.

“Shenhong, are you asking if your figure resembles a girl’s, or something else entirely?”

‘Oh, this.’

After a moment of hesitation, Xie Shenhong could only articulate, “Am I becoming too much like a girl?”

“Your figure certainly isn’t very masculine, but if you dress properly in men’s clothes and keep your hair short, I believe you’ll be fine. People will just assume you’re a rather delicate-looking young man.”

Lyte had only perceived half the truth.

Nevertheless, that was already enough.

Xie Shenhong breathed a sigh of relief, expressing his gratitude:

“Thank you.”

“I’m glad I could be of help.” Lyte offered a knowing smile.

Upon seeing this, Xie Shenhong surmised that his expression had been convincing enough.

This time, he hadn’t feigned it; he had faced Lyte with a truly heartfelt expression.

However, seeing Lyte’s look of profound relief, a subtle ache began to throb in his heart.

His foolishness had caused Lyte to harbor expectations for who knew how long… He absolutely had to make it up to him.

With this realization, Xie Shenhong immediately brought forth his original plan:

“Lyte, what kind of girls do you like?”

Naturally, this wasn’t the first time he had asked, and to prevent Lyte from giving a repetitive answer, Xie Shenhong had already devised a strategy.

“Don’t tell me it’s Lady Hai Zhu, alright? It’s impossible for you two to become a couple, let alone marry, isn’t it?”

Admiration, by its nature, creates a certain distance, and Lyte clearly had no intention of deepening his relationship with Hai Zhu. Hearing this, he immediately began to ponder seriously.

“You’re right…”

‘Oh no, I’ve messed it up.’

Xie Shenhong, however, was once again overcome with guilt.

Normally, such a topic wouldn’t warrant serious consideration; boys casually discussing what kind of girls they liked was a very common and relaxed affair.

Yet, Lyte still remembered Xie Shenhong’s past suspicions about him, and wished to express his innermost thoughts without reservation.

But Xie Shenhong no longer needed Lyte to do so; rather, in his view, true friends should be able to tolerate each other’s secrets and still trust them implicitly.

It could only be said that his actions back then had been far too extreme; he was the one who had received all the help and encouragement… This kind of behavior had to stop.

“Lyte, you really don’t have to…”

Before Xie Shenhong could finish, however, Lyte shook his head and offered a thoroughly considered answer:

“Shenhong, to be honest, I don’t think we should prioritize romance at this stage.”

“Huh?”

“We are still students, and our foremost duty is to study. School is a place for the pursuit of knowledge. Even you, Shenhong, wouldn’t claim to have mastered all knowledge, would you? There’s so much more we can do: reviewing old lessons to gain new insights, engaging in academic discussions with others, conducting research together. My situation is similar; although as a Martial Duke-tier mage, I am stronger than most teachers, I specialize only in light-attribute magic, and I have many shortcomings in other areas…”

Lyte articulated this with a refreshing earnestness, and his points were so undeniably logical that Xie Shenhong found himself utterly speechless.

He was right. Xie Shenhong had just lectured himself on not exploiting Lyte for utilitarian reasons, yet in the next breath, he was spontaneously planning how to compensate Lyte, all to alleviate his own guilt… Such behavior was truly unbecoming.

“Lyte, you’re absolutely right. Now isn’t the time for us to be thinking about such things… I apologize for suddenly asking such a question.”

Unbeknownst to Xie Shenhong, now that he was no longer putting on a facade for Lyte, his feelings of guilt had become strikingly evident.

“There’s no need to apologize. Though I said what I said, in truth, none of us are heartless study robots. It’s perfectly fine to celebrate our youth appropriately.”

“Indeed.” Gazing at the carefree students on the path, their faces beaming with happy smiles, Xie Shenhong nodded in profound agreement.

Simultaneously, a profound sense of mission and responsibility surged within him: to diligently protect everything before him, allowing everyone to retain their innocence and joy.

****

With the hour hand now past the three o’clock mark, the power of the Hai Zhu puppet had fully recovered to the Martial Duke-tier.

When the Lihuo ship returned to port the day before yesterday, he had deliberately showcased the Martial Duke-tier’s might, aiming to quell domestic skepticism.

However, such an overt display of his strength was bound to invite more unpredictable changes, for this was a scenario that had never unfolded in his previous life.

Whether these changes would prove beneficial or detrimental remained uncertain.

The only certainty was this:

‘I must do even better.’

With a grave expression, Xie Shenhong silently firmed his resolve.

Little did he know, this very gravity held a completely different meaning in Lyte’s eyes.

“Shenhong.”

“What is it?”

“Have you fallen for a girl?”

Xie Shenhong instantly froze, taking a moment to realize that Lyte’s assumption was not entirely unfounded.

First, he had asked if he still resembled a boy, then he brought up the topic of romance, and now he wore such a pensive expression… From any angle, it appeared as though he was agonizing over how to confess his feelings to a girl!

‘Oh heavens, what foolishness have I wrought?’

Xie Shenhong hastily glanced left and right, then lowered his voice to a whisper:

“I haven’t fallen for any girl; you’ve misunderstood.”

There was a valid reason for Xie Shenhong’s furtiveness.

Though renowned for his cross-dressing, when in men’s attire, he was, as Lyte had observed, simply a delicate and charming young man.

The number of girls secretly harboring feelings for him was, at the very least, in the double digits.

If word got out that he was looking for a girlfriend, it would undoubtedly cause a massive stir.

Whether or not he felt any romantic stirrings was beside the point.

Given his current gender-ambiguous state, even allowing a girl to harbor any lingering hope for him was an utterly egregious act.

To even consider forming a relationship beyond friendship, which would only harm another… The mere thought of it was intolerable to Xie Shenhong.

Yet, his very demeanor only led Lyte to further misunderstanding.

“Could it be Lili?”

“No, we’re just best friends!”

Xie Shenhong vehemently denied it, but something still felt amiss.

“Could it be a boy, then?!” Lyte exclaimed, employing his reverse psychology with a shocked expression.

However, for Xie Shenhong, the situation with a boy was equally problematic, perhaps even worse.

He instantly panicked.

“Neither! I was simply trying to ascertain your preferences, Lyte!”

The moment he finished speaking, Xie Shenhong froze.

Because, by any interpretation, it now sounded as if he had feelings for Lyte and was merely trying to subtly gauge Lyte’s interest.