A New Identity and an Unexpected Encounter

From the guileless girl who once offered her heart only to have it cruelly trampled, Zhou Yi had undergone a striking metamorphosis.

Now, she was a stunning senior student, poised in high heels and a flowing dress, ready to tear apart any ‘green tea’ schemers and liberate those ‘licking dogs’ from their misguided devotion.

Such was the adage: ‘Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never mock a youth in their poverty’—though, in her current state, perhaps it was ‘a maiden in her poverty’?

Another cool breeze swept through, dispelling that fleeting, ill-timed melancholy, and setting her dress hem dancing around her.

Still lost in the lingering depths of her recollections, she was abruptly startled by a tap on her shoulder.

Whipping around, she found herself face-to-face with an unfamiliar girl, whose round face, delicate features, and sweet demeanor were instantly disarming.

“Xiao Yi, what on earth are you doing? Standing rooted downstairs, staring into space, at this hour of the night.”

Zhou Yi froze, a single thought echoing in her mind: ‘Who could this possibly be?!’

[Emergency Alert: Sudden social interaction detected! The individual is your simulated identity ‘Zhou Yi’s’ roommate: Yang Ju, affectionately known as ‘Xiao Ju.’ Relationship status: Best friend. Please respond with caution to avoid going Out Of Character!]

‘This was her NPC best friend?’

It was then that Zhou Yi finally recalled the system’s earlier mention of this detail: within this simulator environment, she possessed a genuine, established identity.

She not only had a dormitory and student registration, but her social media accounts were also meticulously arranged, with her ‘Moments’ feed so vibrant that even she, the supposed owner, felt a pang of inadequacy.

While the absurdity of this setup was undeniable, her immediate concern was how to navigate this unexpected encounter with her roommate—or rather, her *best friend*?

“I…” She parted her lips, her voice faltering slightly. “I was… I was just pondering my thesis project…”

Xiao Ju let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, please, Xiao Yi,” she teased. “When have you ever looked so glum over a project? Don’t even try it!”

As she spoke, she reached out to gently smooth Zhou Yi’s long hair, which the wind had playfully disheveled. “Spill the beans,” she prodded, “are you perhaps waiting for Senior Yang?”

“Huh? S-Senior Yang?!” Zhou Yi’s mind went utterly blank.

‘What kind of plotline is this, conjured from thin air?! The system never loaded this character! Is he a hidden NPC? Why wasn’t I informed in advance?!’

Xiao Ju gave a mischievous wink, then gently nudged Zhou Yi with her elbow. “Don’t even try to pretend,” she whispered playfully. “The entire dorm knows that Yang Chen, the heartthrob from the Chinese Department, has been pursuing you relentlessly!

He brings you breakfast every single day and even saves you seats in the library… Were you perhaps waiting for him to pick you up for a date just now?”

“Pfft… N-nothing of the sort!” Zhou Yi nearly choked on her own saliva.

Her temples began to throb uncontrollably.

‘What in the world is this chaotic script?! And it even comes with an unsolicited romance subplot? Did anyone bother to ask for my opinion?!’

Xiao Ju observed Zhou Yi’s instantly flushed face and flustered demeanor, her smile deepening with a knowing glint. “Just teasing you, silly~ Look how easily you get flustered!

But then again…” She leaned in closer, her voice dropping conspiratorially. “Your reaction… could there genuinely be something brewing?”

“No! Absolutely not!” Zhou Yi vehemently shook her head.

‘She genuinely had no interest in… *fencing*!’

“Alright, alright, I believe you, I believe you~” Xiao Ju said, clearly dismissing Zhou Yi’s vehement denial. “Come on, let’s head inside; no need to linger in the wind downstairs.

I just bought some absolutely delicious cream puffs, and if we don’t devour them soon, the cream will surely collapse!”

“W-wait a moment…” she stammered, desperately trying to conjure an excuse to escape, but Xiao Ju simply grabbed her hand and tugged her into the stairwell.

Zhou Yi groaned inwardly.

‘What happened to my plan of a lone infiltration, a direct assault on the ‘green tea’s’ lair? I haven’t even initiated the ‘raid,’ and I’m already intercepted by a teammate!’

Xiao Ju, still holding her hand, navigated the corridor with practiced ease, eventually halting before a door adorned with charming cartoon stickers.

She turned, flashed Zhou Yi a bright smile, then released her grip and pushed the door open.

Zhou Yi stood frozen in the doorway, gazing at the faint, warm glow and murmuring voices emanating from within.

An odd sensation washed over her.

‘This… this is truly her dormitory room?’

An overwhelming sense of intrusion, of stepping into a life that wasn’t quite her own, spontaneously welled within her.

“Xiao Yi, come in quickly! What are you standing there, stunned for?”

“…Coming…”

‘Unbelievable! Who would have thought that she, Zhou Yi, would ever experience a day like this!’

‘To legitimately step into a female dormitory, to openly revel in its distinct ambiance!’

‘Uh… wait, no, that’s not right. Isn’t she a genuine, bona fide girl now? So, what exactly was she getting so worked up about a moment ago?’

She cautiously stepped into the room, where the air was redolent with the delicate fragrance of flowers and the clean scent of fabric softener.

It was a stark, almost alien contrast to the male dorms she knew, which perpetually reeked of sweat and instant noodles—truly two entirely different dimensions of existence.

She couldn’t help but inhale deeply a couple more times, a sudden thought blooming in her mind: perhaps life as a girl wasn’t so bad after all.

To be perpetually fragrant and soft… it did seem genuinely… quite pleasant?

Yet, perhaps having lingered too long in the ‘distinctly scented’ confines of the male dorms, this overwhelming, rich fragrance that assailed her senses ultimately provoked a sneeze.

“Achoo!”

She rubbed her aching nose, inadvertently crushing the nascent illusion that had just begun to bloom in her mind—the thought that perhaps being a girl wasn’t so bad after all.

Lifting her gaze, her eyes immediately landed on the bed bearing her name, where a sheer, pink lace nightgown was conspicuously draped.

Zhou Yi’s eyes widened. ‘!!!’

‘Is this damn thing even *wearable*?! Can fabric more transparent than a mosquito net truly be classified as clothing?! Who purchased this monstrosity? It couldn’t possibly have been *her*, could it?!’

She stood rigidly in the doorway, utterly paralyzed, not daring to take even a single step further.

Noticing Zhou Yi still standing there, frozen in place, Xiao Ju mistakenly assumed she was merely shy about entering.

She walked back, took Zhou Yi’s arm, and gently but firmly pulled her towards her own desk.

“Oh, stop pretending!” Xiao Ju exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement as she yanked open a drawer and triumphantly produced a pink envelope.

“Here!” she declared, waving the envelope. “Senior Yang secretly slipped you this love letter yesterday! We *all* saw it, you know~ Now, hurry up and read it aloud for us!”

‘A love letter? What in the world is a love letter?’