“You might have some misconceptions about me.” Yun Ning chuckled, touching his nose. “During my freshman year, my grades weren’t exactly stellar.”
“However, this year… I’m absolutely determined to secure that scholarship.” He spoke with a confident air.
‘Not great in freshman year, but full of confidence now… so he’s had enough time to grow, has he?’ Huang Xiu silently grumbled to herself. Having observed Yun Ning in combat for so long, always with an air of effortless mastery, she never would have imagined that this seemingly earnest young man was once a “lagging student.”
As this thought crossed her mind, she covertly scrutinized Yun Ning once more. Discovering that he was indeed strikingly handsome, her heart gave an abrupt lurch.
‘Oh no, this guy couldn’t possibly be the stereotypical male lead, could he! A former underdog making a comeback, and handsome to boot… if he also had a tragic backstory, it would truly be perfect.’
“Huang Junior, look, fireworks!” Yun Ning suddenly exclaimed, pointing out the window and jolting the young woman from her reverie.
Following his gaze, she turned her head.
*Whoosh!* Piercing whistles split the air one after another, as streaks of conical fire tore through the profound darkness of the night.
Since they hadn’t made a reservation, they hadn’t managed to secure a window seat.
Still, their current spot offered a decent view.
The young woman tilted her head back, watching with eager anticipation as the fiery bursts ascended, her clear, bright eyes reflecting the spectacle.
Then, with a resounding *bang*, silver flowers blossomed like iron trees against the inky black dome of the sky.
“Senior!” Huang Xiu exclaimed, turning her head in irrepressible excitement. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Indeed,” Yun Ning nodded.
In his gaze, the young woman’s eyes, as she slightly turned her head, caught the silver and golden sparks raining down like a shower. Her gentle face, framed by this spectacle, was no less captivating than the fireworks outside the window.
“It truly is beautiful,” he said, smiling, then asked, “Would you like to take a picture?”
By the time they finished watching the fireworks and returned to the hotel, it was already ten o’clock at night.
****
Professor Yuan was nowhere to be seen in the hotel suite, whether he was in a meeting or simply soaking his feet, Huang Xiu couldn’t tell.
After bidding Yun Ning goodnight, Huang Xiu retreated to her room.
“Finally back!”
Inside the room, the young woman stretched and yawned, her pale waist peeking out from beneath the hem of her clothes.
Beside her, Huang Xiaoxian mimicked her, stretching with surprising earnestness.
Yet, looking at its rotund figure, whether it truly possessed a waist remained a huge question mark.
After all, it was a well-known fact that the concept of a waist was, in essence, a myth-buster.
While every adult of its species had one, the young, as mere offspring, simply didn’t, no matter what.
After her shower, Huang Xiu blow-dried her hair and then burrowed under the covers, preparing for sleep.
Last night, she had severely underestimated how long her shoulder-length hair took to air dry naturally.
Her pillow had been thoroughly soaked, yet her hair remained damp.
‘I still haven’t fully accepted it,’ Huang Xiu thought, lying in bed, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the ceiling, faint tear streaks on her face.
It had been almost three days since her complete transformation, and she had initially believed she was adapting fairly well to her new identity.
She could grudgingly accept the more neutral women’s clothing and underwear without feeling too embarrassed.
Even when people called her a beauty, a ‘little sister,’ or a ‘junior female student,’ she could grit her teeth and respond.
Showering… while still a bit unsettling, at least it wasn’t the agonizing ordeal it had been initially.
Everything seemed to be progressing positively.
Yet, just moments ago, when Yun Ning offered to take her picture during the fireworks, Huang Xiu was seized by an overwhelming dread.
‘To take a picture using this face… a face she still didn’t recognize as her own.’
‘To display her former smile with this face was something she truly couldn’t accept, not yet.’
‘Forget it, time to sleep!’ Huang Xiu rolled over, pulling the covers over her head.
In truth, she sometimes felt like an ostrich.
When faced with an intractable problem, she’d simply decide to let it fester, only to address it later when there was no other choice.
“Goodnight,” Huang Xiu mumbled, her voice muffled by the blanket.
Huang Xiaoxian emerged from the flowerpot, a trace of damp soil clinging to its feet.
It hopped to the bedside, *snapped* off the light, and then scurried back into the flowerpot.
Leaving behind a trail of tiny muddy footprints.
“Goodnight, Master!” it chirped cheerfully.
Except for the time Huang Xiu had abandoned it, it always seemed happy and optimistic.
With the curtains drawn tight, the room plunged into pitch-black darkness, and the sound of breathing grew steadily calmer.
After a long, long while, a sudden creaking sound broke the silence.
Huang Xiu shifted on the bed, her tightly closed eyes snapping open, and her steady breathing rhythm faltered.
‘Damn it, I have insomnia.’
The moment she closed her eyes, thoughts of returning home tomorrow flooded her mind, leading to an endless spiral of worries about her parents’ reactions and opinions…
“Xiaoxian, are you asleep?” she asked, sitting upright.
“Just drifted off… but then Master woke me up,” a sleepy, muffled voice replied from the flowerpot.
“Come here and talk with me for a bit,” Huang Xiu extended her hand.
Huang Xiaoxian obediently crawled out of the flowerpot, scampered over, and settled beside Huang Xiu.
Without turning on the light, Huang Xiu chatted with it aimlessly in the darkness.
She spoke of her childhood, of all the things she had experienced.
Only when drowsiness finally overtook her did Huang Xiu reluctantly conclude their conversation, drifting off to sleep on the bed.
****
Early the next morning, Huang Xiu rose, ate breakfast, and then climbed into Professor Yuan’s Mercedes-Benz, speeding towards the city.
This time, she sat in the front passenger seat, as Yun Ning and Yue Zhengyang occupied the back.
Trailing behind the Mercedes was a red BMW, Li Qinyue’s car.
Hearing that Huang Xiu was going home to confess her situation, Li Qinyue, as the only female student under Professor Yuan, had insisted on joining.
Pounding her chest, she had declared her unwavering commitment to participate.
“So, is it really necessary for so many people to come?” Huang Xiu’s trepidation grew with every mile closer to home, her legs trembling with increasing frequency.
The profound meaning of ‘homecoming apprehension’ was something she was experiencing with such vivid clarity for the very first time.
Thus, she proactively initiated a conversation.
“Hahaha, if not for a large turnout, how else could Tiandu University demonstrate its high regard for you!”
Professor Yuan was impeccably dressed in a sharp suit, his tie knotted perfectly straight, and his hair slicked back with pomade, gleaming with a polished sheen.
For this meeting, he had deliberately woken up early to prepare himself.
Yue Zhengyang was also dressed rather formally; after all, Professor Yuan and the others weren’t entirely reliable, and he was the main support for this occasion, hence his administrative jacket emblazoned with the Tiandu University emblem.
“Welcome to Ying City!” The enormous roadside sign was left behind, and in the distance, slightly weathered city buildings could already be seen.
“We’re almost there!” Professor Yuan said, gripping the steering wheel. “Shall we head to your place first?”
“Alright,” Huang Xiu nodded.
It was only eight o’clock; her father would likely have already opened his business, but her mother was probably still at home cleaning. ‘They shouldn’t come up empty-handed at the house.’
Huang Xiu had originally intended to contact her family a day in advance to inform them that teachers from Tiandu University would be visiting.
However, realizing her voice couldn’t return to its previous state, she had opted for a surprise visit instead.