"Sorry, sorry," I hurriedly said. "I was just in the cafeteria."

Taking care of these two little princesses was a political task from the school—I couldn’t slack off even a bit. When we disbanded earlier, I saw her walking out alone and thought she’d gone to eat by herself.

"Oh? The cafeteria? Have you already eaten?"

Yejia Yin’s voice held a trace of disappointment. I caught on quickly: "No, not yet. I just walked around the cafeteria but couldn’t find anything I wanted. I was about to head out to eat."

I looked at her, hopeful. "Wanna go together?"

"Mm," she nodded. "That’s exactly why I came to find you."

What a turnaround! Earlier, my mood was low and the food unappetizing—I’d barely eaten anything. Now, taking Yejia Yin out counted as work; I could expense the meal later.

Was this technically eating on the school’s dime?

No.1 High sat on the edge of downtown, surrounded by eateries. Across the street were fast-food spots with set meals, and two blocks away lay a famous snack street with amazing flavors.

But the snack street didn’t issue proper invoices. For reimbursement, I chose the Chinese fast-food place opposite—it had digital receipts. Still, I had to check with her.

"Yejia Yin, how about eating there?" I pointed to the shop across the street.

"Mm, I’ll follow your lead."

Such a good girl. Inside, I was weeping with relief. Inside the restaurant, I ordered a chicken leg rice bowl. Yejia Yin seemed unfamiliar with this kind of place and just copied my order. When she tried to pay, I stopped her:

"No need. It’s covered by the school’s activity fund—I can expense it."

Her big eyes widened in surprise. "Your school’s so generous?"

Generous my ass—it’s just to please you guys. I chuckled and nodded, hiding my thoughts.

Yejia Yin ate with ladylike grace. To avoid finishing too fast and leaving awkward silence, I slowed my pace too. Over this relaxed meal, she opened up:

"I heard you’re in charge of tonight’s event. Can you sneak me a peek at the lineup?"

I swallowed my food quickly. "Ah, just songs and dances—nothing special. Maybe a few crosstalk acts and skits."

Then I remembered something. "Oh, one skit’s pretty unique."

"Hm?" Her interest sparked. She gulped down a bite of rice. "What kind of skit?"

"Well…" I hesitated. I meant the one that sparked arguments among the organizers and performers on Monday—almost came to blows. The theme was niche. Would it be okay to mention it to a girl?

But seeing her eager eyes, I sighed. "It’s… about… female same-sex relationships."

"Whoa," Yejia Yin gasped softly. She glanced around, lowering her voice. "Does your school allow that… yuri themes?"

Her wording surprised me. Most would say "lesbian," but "yuri" was otaku slang. She knew it—made her feel more relatable.

"Well, the school’s stance…" I scratched my head, frustrated. "Our student team handled approvals. Everyone thought this theme wouldn’t pass. They even argued—nearly fought over it."

Yejia Yin covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide. "Then what? How did it get approved?"

My heart skipped a beat. I grabbed my water cup to stay calm. "Since I’m the lead, I took responsibility. I guaranteed any fallout would be on me."

I buried my face in my hands, groaning. "Now the teachers and admins are clueless. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely get yelled at—or even disciplined."

"Mm… it won’t be that bad," she comforted me. "After the show, I’ll tell your leaders how much I loved it. Since they invited us as VIPs, my feedback should help, right?"

"Thank you so much." I clasped my hands together, deeply moved. This girl was a little angel.

"But," Yejia Yin suddenly added, "why did you vouch for them? Don’t most guys just enjoy yuri in anime but hate it in real life?"

She giggled. "After all, in reality, every yuri pair means two fewer potential girlfriends for boys, right?"

My eye twitched. Thinking it over—yeah, that was true. In anime, if a girl you like is into girls, guys cheer because she’s "safe." But in real life? If she’s into girls, you’re completely out of the picture.

Huh. So guys were just hypocrites, huh?

Yejia Yin waited for my answer. I rolled my eyes, picking the safest reason: "Because it’s a skit, not real life. Like watching anime—I think the theme’s actually pretty cool."

—Besides, in a few days, I won’t even be a guy anymore.

She seemed satisfied and nodded, resuming her meal. I realized my food had gone cold and sped up. We finished around the same time and walked out together.

"Oh, Xiao Yao," Yejia Yin said near the school gate. I was shocked she remembered my name—then recalled introducing myself yesterday at Lanying. Her senior must’ve passed it on.

"Hm? What is it?" I slowed down, puzzled.

"Actually…" Yejia Yin leaned close to my ear, like childhood friends sharing a secret. "I’m yuri."

She dashed off before I could react, sprinting into the school and leaving me frozen. Her words echoed: Why tell me this? Was she shutting down my hopes?

No—that couldn’t be. If so, why get so close? Did she know my secret?

My mind spun. But when I looked up, confusion turned to sheer panic.

Another beautiful black-haired girl stood at the gate. Her face was utterly blank. Her strange golden eyes had slit pupils—like an angry cat I’d seen years ago at a neighbor’s.

I yelped in terror. "Qingli, let me explain!"