For what felt like the first time in her life, Ning Chu found herself feeling nervous before taking a shower.
She opened her wardrobe, reaching for a fresh set of shorts and a T-shirt, and then stood there hesitating.
Now that she had become a girl and there was someone in the dorm who knew her secret—Wen Yang, who might even trigger part of the plot—it didn't seem wise to shower there.
But going to a hotel to shower… that didn't seem appropriate either.
She lowered her gaze to her legs.
Ever since she got her new "accessories," she'd instinctively avoided them, rushing through bathroom visits with just a quick wipe, never daring to explore or entertain any unhealthy thoughts.
"Ning Chu, duo queue?" Wang Jie, with nothing else to do, turned and asked her, "I'll carry you to victory."
"No, I'm going to shower." Ning Chu sighed softly, lowering her gaze and hugging her fresh clothes to her chest.
Grabbing the towel hanging on the other side of her wardrobe, she walked straight toward the balcony bathroom, as if heading to an execution.
Inside the bathroom was a half-length mirror stuck to the tiled wall.
Who knew how long it had been there, or which generation of seniors had left it behind?
The surface of the mirror was a little foggy from years of use.
Ning Chu hung her clothes up high and wiped the mirror, trying to make it as clear as possible.
She leaned in so close her nose nearly touched the glass, studying her reflection.
Overall, her face still looked quite young—oval-shaped with soft, smooth lines.
At first glance, she seemed like a cute, well-behaved girl. But her eyes were almond-shaped, with slightly upturned corners, and always carried a faint pinkish hue around them, giving her a pitiful yet alluring look.
She looked like a high school sophomore or junior who had accidentally put on nightclub makeup.
"Ugly..." Ning Chu muttered, unable to accept her appearance.
She looked just like a vixen who had often played with men's hearts!
Turning around, she checked the bathroom door again, making sure it was locked.
Then, she took the mop from the corner and propped it against the door.
After a thorough safety check, she took a deep breath and undressed.
Her upper body hadn't changed much from before—her arms were slender, her shoulders narrow, her waist slim, and her belly adorned with a long, narrow belly button.
The size of her chest hadn't changed significantly either; it was still perky and cute, though the skin around it seemed to have darkened slightly.
She slipped off her pants and stepped back, legs tightly pressed together, though there was still a small triangular gap between her thighs.
She raised her head and looked at the naked figure in the mirror.
Who was this unfamiliar woman?
From the little boy she once was to the young girl she had become, it felt like she had gone through a lot, yet not much time had passed.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, she could no longer recognize the person she used to be.
Her hand unconsciously touched the mirror, tracing the face of the woman reflected back at her.
It felt as if someone had replaced her—just like she had replaced the original Ning Chu of this world.
A cold chill crept up her spine, and Ning Chu controlled her breathing, fearing she might hyperventilate and pass out again in her naked state.
Shifting her gaze away from the mirror, she chose to avoid the truth, much like how she had avoided taking photos for the past two months.
Shameful, but effective.
Warm water streamed down her body, but it didn't ease the coldness she felt inside.
Her chest was tight, and her hand trembled slightly as she held the showerhead.
She hurriedly lathered her body with shower gel, deliberately avoiding her new "accessories."
She spent ten minutes staring into the mirror, but only three minutes in the shower.
With wet hair, Ning Chu walked out of the bathroom in silence, tossed her dirty clothes into a basin to soak, and leaned against the balcony railing, staring up at the pitch-black sky.
Now that she thought about it, her appearance during her boyish phase had about 80% resemblance to her former self in her previous life—or rather, it resembled her middle school self.
Back in her previous life, she'd started going through puberty in middle school, breaking out in acne, and her cute, boyish looks had been ruined.
After arriving in this world, for some unknown reason, she had kept that boyish form as a freshman in college, but she knew her final height would've been around 1.75 meters.
She had been confident, waiting to go through puberty... and then puberty turned her into a girl.
"Why aren't you going inside?" A voice came from behind her after she had been lost in thought for who knows how long.
It was Zhang Shaoqing.
"Just stargazing."
"Stargazing, my foot. There's no stars out there."
Zhang Shaoqing rushed into the bathroom, only to dart back into the room minutes later, clearly eager to get back to his game.
Not long after, Wen Yang appeared with his clothes, about to take a shower, but paused on the balcony.
Seeing Ning Chu leaning against the railing, staring at the sky, he asked, "What's wrong? You seem upset."
"I'm okay, just a little... melancholic," Ning Chu replied, her bad mood from the shower already fading away thanks to the quiet company.
"Melancholic?" Wen Yang stepped forward a couple of steps, leaning against the railing next to Ning Chu, mimicking her stance as they both stared at the night sky. "What's wrong?"
"I'm just thinking... what will happen in the future?" Ning Chu sighed in frustration. "This world is so dangerous..."
Even if she managed to disrupt all the plots in the book, she'd still have to live the rest of her life in a world where, without the protagonist's protection, you could easily end up in someone's basement with a dog collar around her neck and mind broken beyond repair... Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine!
But what about Yan Xinya and all the other girls? They never had the protagonist's protection, yet they were fine.
Was it because they weren't part of the plot?
Maybe if she completely destroyed all the storylines and escaped her supporting character role, the dangers around her would disappear too.
But until then...
She glanced at Wen Yang, deep in thought.
"What?" Wen Yang asked, confused. "It's not that dangerous, is it? I mean, the place is pretty safe overall. Sure, you run into a bad guy here and there, but no need to freak out."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Ning Chu replied, nodding absentmindedly.
Then she added, "I was just thinking... maybe you could give me something as a protective charm?"
The protagonist's blessing—surely a portion of that protagonist's aura would rub off on her, right?
As for sticking around Wen Yang, going from dorm mates to coworkers and then to neighbors... it wasn't impossible, but it seemed like a difficult plan to pull off.
There were more extreme ideas too, but she wasn't considering those at all.
"Superstitious nonsense." Wen Yang rummaged through his pockets, finding them empty. He ended up offering his shirt, a pajama top. "Here, take this."
"Will this work?" Ning Chu asked, skeptical.
"Of course not," Wen Yang replied flatly.
Still, Ning Chu took the pajama top and casually draped it over her shoulders. "What if it does?"
Wen Yang was dumbfounded. "Wait, don't you have your own pajamas?"
"I threw them out... after trying them once."
Her pajamas were too thin, and she refused to wear them without anything underneath.. After several failed attempts, she had discarded them all.
Now, she wore a loose, comfortable casual outfit to bed instead.
Maybe it was just psychological, but after draping Wen Yang's pajama top over her shoulders, she did feel a bit more comfortable and at ease.
Wen Yang scratched his head, genuinely baffled.
How did chatting with Ning Chu for a couple of minutes end up with her taking his pajamas?
What was this? Was she hinting that she wanted a gift?
The realization dawned on him, and as he walked into the bathroom, Wen Yang fell deep in thought.
What should he give Ning Chu?
<+>
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Latest Chapter in Ko-Fi: Volume 2 Chapter 1 / Chapter 281: January[2]
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[1] https://ko-fi.com/marion1
[2] https://ko-fi.com/post/Volume-2-Chapter-1-Chapter-281-January-U7U31FVPEE
[3] https://ko-fi.com/post/Volume-2-Chapter-1-Chapter-281-January-U7U31FVPEE
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