Yang Yue broke the stalemate first. She was surprised by her own boldness today, so she decided to pour out all her pent-up feelings at once. "Qinmu, no matter how you feel about me, I'll always like you, always stand by you. So... I need to know how you truly feel. Do you like me? Or hate me?"

Qinmu's heart twisted with conflicted emotions—Tu Shen was still right here.

If she admitted she liked Yang Yue now, Tu Shen would definitely explode. But if she said she didn't... that'd be digging her own grave. And it would hurt Yang Yue too—the worst possible trade-off. Sensing Qinmu might voice the answer she dreaded most, Tu Shen swiftly yanked her away from the infirmary.

Only Yang Yue remained, frozen in place. She still hadn't heard the answer she desperately craved.

A breeze swept across her pale, dazed face. Her heart felt hollow—numb, aching, tangled with indescribable bitterness...

*Maybe I shouldn't have barged in so recklessly. Shouldn't have spilled such immature confessions. Then neither of us would be awkward now. Qinmu wouldn't have fled with Tu Shen like that.*

Ever since Yang Yue bared her heart that afternoon, Qinmu's pulse had been thumping wildly. Lying on the other infirmary bed, she rolled back and forth, fingers pressed to her burning cheeks. "Mmph... She confessed to me. That means she *likes* me," she muttered anxiously to herself.

*Should I accept her confession?*

Her heart fluttered like a startled fawn. Dizzy with the sickly sweet scent of first love—just like any girl experiencing romance for the first time—she kept replaying the possibilities. If she accepted, tomorrow she might stand before Yang Yue as her girlfriend. A future she'd never dared imagine when she was still a boy.

Having your goddess become your girlfriend—that was every boy's dream. And now it was happening to *her*. Qinmu's chest swelled with such fierce excitement that crashing through ten brick walls wouldn't have contained it.

Though she didn't understand why Yang Yue liked girls, and regretted not blurting out "I like you" back then—maybe she could've finally gotten the relationship she'd always wanted—she was also relieved she hadn't given a reckless answer under pressure. If she had, Tu Shen might really have exposed her secret to the whole school, triggering a full-blown "shura-jō" chaos!

Qinmu finally settled back beside HuiXiang's bedside.

Watching her sister's dazed, flustered expression, HuiXiang pinched Qinmu's flushed cheek. "Hey, sis. Lost your soul somewhere? Got a crush on some guy?"

Qinmu brushed her hand away. "Don't be silly. It's definitely not a guy. It's a girl."

HuiXiang burst into a knowing laugh. "Tsk tsk. Likes girls, huh? Careful she finds out you're one too and thinks you're a creep... Hey, why not just go out with *me*? Then no one will ever know your secret."

Qinmu shook her head fiercely. "No way! That'd be *really* messed up—dating your own sister. If it came to that, I'd rather get surgery and turn back into a boy."

HuiXiang kept teasing, dead serious. "Surgery won't fix anything. You'd still be fake. Not the same as before. Anyway, sis, your preferences might gradually shift. What you say now might sound childish later."

Qinmu glared. "So you *want* me with a guy? Are you a fujoshi like Tu Shen or something?"

"Of course not!" HuiXiang grinned. "I'm worried about your future! Your secret won't stay hidden forever. Dating girls will get way harder once it's out. Why not just take my advice? Wouldn't that be perfect?"

Qinmu rolled her eyes coldly. "I'd never date you. You're my *sister*. If Mom and our older sister found out about this twisted stuff, I'd be dead. They spoil you rotten—you're the baby of the family."

HuiXiang shrugged helplessly. "If that's how you feel, fine. Go chase your happiness then. Just don't waste someone's youth... or get labeled a creep."

"I don't need your advice," Qinmu grumbled, lips pouting with a trace of resentment. Her sister's teasing had crossed a line.

Deep down, she still resisted the idea of sibling romance. HuiXiang *was* undeniably cute and beautiful—enough to make any guy swoon—but Qinmu had her limits. Though those limits were slowly crumbling under HuiXiang's relentless charm, as long as they held, they still mattered.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. An unknown number—who could it be?

To avoid HuiXiang overhearing and causing misunderstandings, Qinmu hurried to an empty office on the same floor before answering.

"Hey, Qinmu? Got time to go shopping with me after school tomorrow?"

"Shopping? Why pick *me*? I've never even stepped inside a women's clothing store." Qinmu recognized Yang Yue's voice. Shock gave way to eager anticipation—how had she gotten her number?

"It's fine. Just keep me company? You won't refuse such a small request, right~?" Yang Yue's voice trembled slightly, shy and nervous about her own boldness. *What if she rejects me because of my clumsy confession earlier?*

Everything felt uncertain. She still didn't know Qinmu's true feelings.

Qinmu couldn't believe the usually quiet, reserved Yang Yue had mustered such uncharacteristic courage. She tapped her ears, half-convinced she'd misheard.

"Okay... but where? Have you decided?"

"Xinyu Street. Not far from school. My best friend Yin Wenqi and I go there all the time. I'm sure we'll find something perfect for you."

"My sister has tons of clothes for me. No need to buy new ones." Qinmu wasn't keen on shopping—her reasons felt flimsy. Besides, Xinyu Street's boutiques were pricey. Her current boys' wardrobe would last months; she didn't need a "glamorous transformation" just yet.

"I've been wondering what gift to give you lately. But since you're a girl now... I'll pick out some pretty clothes for you. You *have* to wear them." Yang Yue had accepted Qinmu's truth surprisingly fast. It made sense—Qinmu had been such an unnaturally beautiful "boy." Revealing she was actually a girl felt like restoring the natural order. A girl pretending to be a pretty boy? That was far more believable.

Qinmu struggled to adjust to this unexpectedly bold, warm Yang Yue. *Wasn't she always so reserved? When did she become this open, this unrestrained?*

*Could she be one of those girls who's shy around strangers but wild with friends?*

*Probably.*

Qinmu didn't know Yang Yue well. Despite being desk mates for a while, they hadn't truly opened up to each other. Every conversation carried unspoken boundaries—things left unsaid, jokes avoided. That distance had kept them strangers.

But the truth of Qinmu's identity worked like magic. It dissolved the rigid barrier between genders, opening a new world. A bridge of shared feelings spanned the chasm between them, pulling their futures closer until each could finally hear the other's heartbeat...

Yang Yue had bravely taken that first step. After all, asking out a girl *should* be easier than asking out a boy, right?

She felt confident about this. Winning over someone of the same gender had to be simpler—especially for her, who still carried a deep fear of confessing to boys.

"Alright. Add my WeChat too—it's the same as my phone number. Easier to coordinate." Qinmu masked her excitement, keeping her tone calm.

"Mm! See you tomorrow then! But... Qinmu, why did you pretend to be a boy to get into school? Is it like those anime plots—family traditions or something?" Yang Yue's curiosity about the cross-dressing flared. She didn't dare imagine the real reason—boys turning into girls was too absurd, too unreal.

"Mmph... No way! I *was* a boy before. Then the heavens must've had it out for me and turned me into a girl. Otherwise, I wouldn't be bullied by those jerks like I am now." Qinmu shuddered, remembering Tu Shen's cruelty.

"Wow... but it's okay! You're a girl now. Don't dwell on it. Besides, I'll protect you from now on! See you tomorrow!" Yang Yue hadn't fully grasped the explanation, but since she'd secured the date and Qinmu hadn't rejected her, she hung up hastily. A tiny universe of hope ignited inside her: *You can do this!!*

Qinmu ended the call and watched the crowds surge below. Warmth spread through her chest like sunlight inching across cold ground, filling her with quiet, boundless strength.

Her future remained unwritten. But if she held onto the belief that beautiful wishes could come true... then love, too, might find its happy ending.