The attic room reeked of durian. Over the TV speakers, the actors' over-the-top performances were painfully clear. I licked cheese off my fingers, utterly satisfied with this weekend free from slave duties. Truth was, I'd devoured an entire eight-inch pizza solo in just five minutes.

Sitting across from me was the classic next-door girl—my childhood friend, Nan Dongye. Her shoulder-length black hair was neither long nor short. When tied up, it looked less like a ponytail and more like a tiny deer tail, swaying cutely in the AC breeze. I preferred this version of Yuzuru Sensei—barefaced, messy, and focused on writing—at home over the strict class monitor she was at school.

Honestly, while I wasn't paying attention, Nan Dongye had grown into a sweet girl worthy of the "childhood friend" title. Even my mom would sigh, "Ah, such a lovely child! What a shame she can't be Xiao Lan's girlfriend."

Yet the girl opposite me just stared, unblinking. Behind her glasses, those big eyes held no anger over my takeover of the room, no regret for the durian smell—just a weird expression I couldn't decipher.

"Yuzuru Sensei, what are you staring at?"

I waved a hand in front of her face, wondering if the looming deadline had broken her.

"At you."

Duh. Sitting this close, who else would she be looking at? My real question was what she wanted...

"Why?"

"For research!" Nan Dongye pouted—not the kind where girls expect a kiss, like Xiao Qian said. Yuzuru Sensei seemed to try trapping her pen between her nose and lips. "I have a question. Answer honestly."

"Sure, but you answer one for me too."

So Jiang Wuque and Jiang Xiaoyu's forbidden romance really did involve me. Still, being the male lead for a bestselling author felt pretty good—way better than modeling for Yan Xiaoyi's doujinshi. If only Jiang Wuque wasn't written as so cold and aloof. Was that really how people saw me?

"Huh? One whole pizza wasn't enough? I haven't even had lunch. So selfish." Nan Dongye complained, surprisingly remembering despite her daze. "Fine, I'll go first. That question you mentioned earlier—are you really..."

"Stop!"

I clamped a hand over Nan Dongye's mouth. Her pen, perched under her nose, clattered to the floor. "No! Absolutely not! I might be weird, but not that kind of weird! How does this even help your inspiration? What about your deadline?"

Blushing, Nan Dongye pried my hand away. "It matters! This affects the plot. So what kind of weird are you?"

If I were gay, would Jiang Wuque walk that popular, irreversible path too?

I gave a strained smile. "I... was just making a comparison."

Nan Dongye studied my eyes intently for a long moment, then patted her chest. "Okay, I'm relieved."

She decided that all on her own. I had no clue what she was relieved about. "This 'research' invades my sister's and my privacy. Jiang Xiaoyu would go crazy if she knew you saw her as a guy. What do you even think we are?"

"Is that your question?"

Seeing Yuzuru Sensei hesitate, clearly reluctant, I paused and nodded. Originally, I'd wanted to ask her to spoil who the heroine met that night in Black Prince—the older or younger brother.

"Well... since you insist." She sighed. "Truth is, you've acted weird since high school. I mean, Auntie and Xiaoyu are gorgeous, so even as a guy, your Sadako-long hair and height make you hard to... uh, never mind the messy stuff like the Evergreen Goddess rumors. Plus, Xu Xian—always glued to you at school, gossip flying everywhere. Of course I'd get ideas."

"What do I have to do with that blond guy?"

My face darkened. We were just buddies who hung out sometimes—did it really look that sweet to outsiders?

Nan Dongye rolled her eyes.

"Countless things! Half the school doesn't even know you're male. The forums call him your boyfriend. Even the class weirdos believe it now that you attend more. Isn't that love's power?" Yuzuru Sensei smiled wryly—clearly mocking me.

"You're the one who forced me to attend! If it's love, it's for you!"

I snapped back, teeth gritted. This was terrifying. To clear my name, I'd have to ditch the blond guy.

Nan Dongye let out a startled "gurgle," stiffening for a second. "N-nonsense! Forget that. What about Xiaoyu? I doubt she'd stay sane if she knew."

"Why?"

She tilted her head, rubbing her earlobe, then snapped her fingers. Detective Nan Dongye had remembered something.

"Once, I saw her dressed super glamorously, walking with another pretty girl. Not just shopping buddies—holding hands, all lovey-dovey! It was a date!"

"You mean... she's into girls? The dominant type?"

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. The elusive, secretive "slave master" might actually like girls—after all, she'd cried when I teased her about lacking a dick. Maybe she's like me.

Unbelievable. Yuzuru Sensei's view of us siblings was rude: one gay, the other lesbian...

"I never said that! Don't badmouth me to Xiaoyu. It's just a possibility. And this 'research' is only for Black Prince's draft—don't take it seriously. Jiang Xiaoyu being a brother complex? The heroine falling for the hero at first sight? All fake. Just plot needs!"

Nan Dongye whistled casually, too relaxed—making it obvious she was hiding something. Whatever; Jiang Xiaoyu's weird gender-swap wasn't my problem.

But then another question hit me. "When exactly was this 'once' you mentioned?"

"Long ago! Middle school days."

"Huh? You came up from Evergreen's middle school. Xiaoyu was at my school back then."

Nan Dongye's slender brows furrowed slightly. She poked her temple hard with a finger, thinking. "Right... Grade 9? Yeah, I saw her buying practice exams at a bookstore. Wait—was Xiaoyu that tall then? She seemed... half a head taller than me."

"Probably the wrong person."

I lowered my head casually. Suddenly, this had nothing to do with Jiang Xiaoyu possibly coming out.

"Maybe. But from afar, she really looked like Xiaoyu."

A chill shot down my spine. I forced a smile uglier than a frown. Even now, Jiang Xiaoyu couldn't be a full head taller than Nan Dongye. Nan Dongye was my age—if she was in Grade 9 middle school back then...

The person dressed flashy, dating another woman... was me!?