Unexpected Encounters at the Male Dormitory

Upon hearing my words, Xiao Ru paused slightly in surprise. She then replied quietly, “I was planning for the four of us to have dinner at the cafeteria, and to welcome you to our dorm. But now, what should we do?”

I gave a helpless, wry smile. Lowering my voice, I replied softly to her, “Since Principal Dugu has already given such instructions, I have no other choice…”

She pouted her lips and said, “What a pity…”

“Well, it’s probably fine. And honestly, the other two senior sisters seemed a bit distant anyway, so let’s just forget it…” I hesitated, carefully choosing my words as I whispered this to Xiao Ru. She first froze, then a wry smile touched her lips, and as if by accident, she flicked my forehead.

“You’re too sharp-eyed!” she mumbled, a mix of helplessness and playful chiding in her tone.

This adorable and mischievous expression unexpectedly suited the senior sister, who usually appeared boisterous and uninhibited. I watched, momentarily stunned, and once I regained my senses, my heart ached slightly for Xiao Ru, remembering the subtle hints I had noticed during our dorm tour.

Although I hadn’t been a girl for long, perhaps it was the clarity of an outsider’s perspective—after all, I had previously been a boy. I could discern the intricate schemes and veiled rivalries between girls, things often overlooked by others, thanks to my unique vantage point. From the attitudes of those two, I vaguely sensed that their coldness wasn’t directed at me, a newcomer junior sister, but rather at Xiao Ru herself, who had been so diligently introducing me to the dorm and our roommates!

True to my suspicions, when I publicly stated that I had an errand and needed to leave first, Xiao Ru expressed her regret to the other two, mentioning our original dinner plans. One of them immediately declared that she had already eaten dinner, while the other remained engrossed in a melodramatic Korean drama playing on her laptop, completely ignoring Xiao Ru. This left Xiao Ru looking utterly awkward and disheartened.

We exchanged another helpless, wry smile. Afterward, we both exited the dorm room and descended the stairs. At the corner outside the girls’ dormitory building, we parted ways. It was then that Xiao Ru’s spirits finally lifted a little, as she muttered her hopes that the black rice porridge at the first cafeteria hadn’t sold out yet!

Watching her hurried silhouette, propelled by the thought of black rice porridge, finally vanish into the deepening twilight, I sighed with a profound sense of melancholy.

Despite being one of Tianwu University’s “Ten Great Experts” and even ranking among the top three as the “Dragon-Subduing Princess,” she was so isolated and ostracized within her own dorm room. What was more, in front of others, she had to force herself to maintain that carefree, impulsive facade. Reflecting on this, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pity and sympathy for this senior sister, who was nearly two years my elder.

****

This feeling persisted until I reached the entrance of the Male Dormitory Building 322. There, the desolate sensation of revisiting an old place—where the moon remained full, but familiar faces were nowhere to be found—somewhat softened my emotions. Of course, for me, it wasn’t that familiar faces were gone, but rather that the faces had changed, a six-foot man replaced by a delicate maiden.

I gazed up at the familiar dorm room, where a faint incandescent light glowed. I estimated that the eldest, second, and third brothers in the dorm had likely just finished dinner and were now engrossed in various forms of entertainment on their laptops.

Typically, the eldest brother would be playing games, the third brother would be catching up on new anime, and the second brother… well, the second brother’s entertainment was not suitable for minors.

Just as I considered that the second brother, severely injured today, probably couldn’t indulge in his usual entertainment, I stepped into the dormitory building’s entrance. Suddenly, a short, stout figure, like a solid wooden block, appeared before me. I stared intently, realizing that the dorm manager for 322 had, at some point, ambled out of his office. Frowning, he questioned me, “You, little girl? Who are you? Where are you from? Who are you looking for?”

Subconsciously, I almost blurted out that I lived in this building. However, I quickly reconsidered; given my current appearance, saying so might cause a gender discrepancy. Tianwu University, after all, was relatively conservative in this regard, and advanced concepts like cross-dressing hadn’t yet become popular in this area.

This question left me somewhat at a loss, so I could only stare blankly at the dorm manager, speechless.

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, the old man likely assumed I was a middle school student aimlessly wandering around. He then spoke in a deep voice, “This is the undergraduate male dormitory. What’s a little girl like you doing loitering here for no reason? Go on, it’s late. Hurry home, lest your parents worry!”

With his words, I became even more unsure how to explain myself, and could only stand there, a little wronged and stiff.

“Child, can’t you understand what I’m saying?” The old man grew irritated when he saw me still standing motionless.

Just as we were locked in this stalemate, a familiar, deep, and resonant voice suddenly called out from behind me.

“What’s going on? Grandpa, who are you talking to?” I froze, then turned to look in the direction of the voice, spotting a rather tall and robust figure carrying a thermos, standing behind me with a look of surprise.

“Oh, it’s Little Guo,” the dorm manager said, recognizing the newcomer. “This little girl, I don’t know where she came from. She insists on trying to enter the dorm building. I asked her who she is and who she’s looking for, but she won’t say anything, and she won’t leave. I don’t know what to do with her!”

“Is that so? She’s just a little girl. Grandpa, what’s the harm in letting her play inside? This isn’t some martial arts stronghold; it’s already a messy male dorm. Are you afraid she’ll go in and cause more damage?” The tall male student immediately chuckled, then smoothed things over by speaking up for me.

“It’s not that I’m afraid she’ll cause trouble,” the old man said, narrowing his eyes at me, seemingly scrutinizing me for any signs of thievery. “I’m worried she might be some local hoodlum. What if her hands aren’t clean and she steals something?”

“How could that be! Grandpa, look at such a small girl. Maybe she’s lost, or she’s a family member of someone at the school, here to find her brother or something!” the honest-looking male student added.

“Hmm, that’s true… Little… little girl, what exactly are you here for?” The male student seemed to have a very good relationship with the dorm manager, who immediately asked me this question after hearing him speak.