Note: This chapter is Redone on 7 / 27 / 2025
Link for character illustration:
https://ko-fi.com/hannibal52661/gallery
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Volume 1 Chapter 31: Another Date!
Their dorm wasn't dirty, just messy.
Wang Jie's desk was covered with various wires, the trash can—inside and out—was piled high with takeout boxes from the weekend. Zhang Shaoqing's underwear was hanging directly on his bed frame. Wen Yang's desk was tidy, but that was only because he didn't own much.
Ning Chu had occasional bursts of compulsive tidiness. Sometimes his desk could get so messy that clutter piled up into little mountains, but after a while, it would start to really bother him. Then he would set aside an entire afternoon to clean and organize everything until it was perfectly neat.
Outside, the rain was getting heavier and heavier. The wind howled, driving the rain into the corridors and balconies, turning them into dangerous zones.
The clothes hanging on the balcony were already soaked through. This killed Ning Chu's urge to try to "save" them, so he went back into the dorm and flopped down in his chair like a salted fish.
"Time to clean up," someone said.
"I want to take a shower—so sticky," Ning Chu muttered, peeling off his training uniform jacket and tugging at the collar of his short-sleeved shirt with a look of disgust. "I'm drenched from head to toe."
Wen Yang had just sat down when he heard Ning Chu's complaint. He instinctively looked up.
With sweat and rain combined, Ning Chu's white short-sleeved shirt clung to his skin, making his small frame look especially delicate. From the side, the faint shape of his chest muscles could be seen. His hair was still damp, rainwater trickling down the soft contours of his face, collecting at his chin, then dripping onto his delicate collarbone.
Ning Chu wiped his face with a towel, and, noticing Wen Yang's gaze, looked over. His long, thick lashes—still beaded with water—quivered slightly when he blinked in confusion.
Feeling oddly guilty, Wen Yang quickly averted his eyes. "Take a shower later. Let's clean up first."
"Come on, get moving," someone else said.
"Yeah, yeah! Up you get!"
But when Ning Chu turned around, he saw that all his roommates were still firmly glued to their chairs—mouths saying "clean up" but bodies doing nothing.
So Ning Chu, feeling no guilt whatsoever, grabbed a change of clothes and gave himself a perfect excuse: "I'll clean the bathroom while I shower. The rest is up to you guys!"
Before anyone could object, he darted into the bathroom.
Every time he took a shower, he felt a bit sad inside.
Stripping off his shirt and pants, he touched the not-so-noticeable softness of his chest, feeling the tingling sensation at his nipples. Then, glancing down at the always-lifeless little guy between his legs...
He sighed, looking straight ahead at the half-length mirror mounted on the wall, staring at the pale, tempting version of himself reflected back.
That boyish face was still as delicate and cute as ever, showing no signs of turning handsome—looking every bit the submissive type.
Thankfully, there was no "tomgirl" subplot in this novel! Otherwise, before he even turned into a woman, his "plot" would have happened early.
Since he had only sweated and gotten wet from the rain, it was more of a rinse than a proper shower. After just a few minutes, Ning Chu changed into dry shorts and a T-shirt, and even took the time to scrub and mop the bathroom tiles.
When he came back into the dorm, the other three were already busy cleaning.
"Bathroom's done," Ning Chu said.
"I'm finished here too," Wen Yang said, setting down the broom. "Just sweeping should be enough, right? Do we really need to mop?"
Carrying out a bag of trash, Zhang Shaoqing replied, "It's not like we've got tile floors—what's the point of mopping?"
Ah, so I'm not the only one cutting corners.
Then he looked over at Wang Jie—this guy was still fussing over his messy desk and hadn't helped with the dorm cleaning at all.
Ning Chu casually tidied up his already not-so-messy desk, then plopped himself down in front of the computer. He was about to lower his head and order takeout for lunch when he uncomfortably tugged at his shorts.
It's a bit tight...
Especially when bending forward to sit or lifting his legs in big movements, the fabric of the shorts would cling tightly to his butt, as if a slightly bigger move might tear them apart.
The first time he disrupted the plot, his chest gained a layer of soft flesh. The second time, his hip circumference increased, making pants that originally fit just right now feel a bit tight.
It had even forced him to rush to buy a new set of pajamas over the weekend, which should be arriving today.
So… what about next time?
Ning Chu's face was full of worry. If he followed the plot, he'd eventually turn into a girl and get... well, you know. If he broke the plot, he might turn into a girl even sooner...
If he ran away, he was worried that without Wen Yang's protagonist halo to protect him, he might run into danger.
Knock knock knock!
The door was suddenly knocked, and a noisy commotion from the hallway interrupted Ning Chu's thoughts.
As the door opened, the drill instructor, Han Jingye, and an unfamiliar middle-aged leader walked into the room. Outside the door, a bunch of students were craning their necks to watch the excitement.
Ning Chu hurriedly stood up, quickly scanning every corner of the dorm with a bit of nervousness.
Beds made, trash thrown out, and the room was freshly cleaned—not bad… right?
But why was the counselor here again?!
He could clearly feel that Han Jingye's gaze was landing on him more frequently, which only made him more nervous, afraid that instead of bothering girls, Han Jingye might end up bothering him.
Han Jingye, for his part, looked at him with some puzzlement.
Why does this student dislike me so much? And he even seems a little scared?
"It's okay, but the balcony needs cleaning too." The drill instructor, as always, wore a stern expression that made him look hard to get along with. "Military training is canceled for today. If it rains again tomorrow, gather in the lobby on the first floor of the teaching building."
"Got it." Wen Yang replied, following the instructor out to see him and the counselor off.
Once the door closed, the people in the room couldn't hold back their excitement.
"There's no training this afternoon! Wen Yang, get online—let's duo queue!"
"Sure!"
"Count me in!"
The three of them sat down in front of their computers and launched the game to start a team. Ning Chu looked left and right before blurting out, "I want to play too."
"If you want to play, then get on! Hurry!"
Compared to Zhang Shaoqing's impatient tone, Wen Yang's was more relaxed as he nodded, "Last time I couldn't carry you by myself. This time the whole dorm will carry you, so there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Exactly! I've even watched a bunch of tutorials recently!"
Ning Chu puffed out his chest in confidence, raised the corner of his lips, and suggested, "Since there's no training this afternoon, how about you guys carry me more today? That way, you won't complain when I want to play later."
"Uh?" Wen Yang froze. "That… uh…"
Well, well! The instructor just announced no training for the afternoon, and you're already thinking about a date with some girl?!
"Are you going on another date?" Zhang Shaoqing turned to ask on Ning Chu's behalf, teasing, "Every time you've got free time, there's a girl waiting for you. Share some of that luck with us, will you?"
Beautifully done!
Ning Chu silently gave Zhang Shaoqing a big thumbs-up in his heart. For the first time, he thought this guy's sharp tongue might actually be useful.