Just as I was utterly captivated by my cross-dressed reflection in the mirror, the bathroom door swung open again. Xu Wanrou walked in right then, finding the scene both hilarious and exasperating. "Wu Tong," she said, half-laughing, half-sighing, "since you know you're this pretty, why keep wearing that ugly male Skin Mask? Anyway, I tossed your dirty clothes in the washer. They'll be ready in a few hours. Just hang out at our place for now!"

Great. Now I couldn't even switch back to my boy clothes if I wanted to. In the living room, Xu Wanqing sat on the sofa watching TV. She quickly waved me over. "Wu Tong, right? Honestly, when I caught that faint fragrance from you, I should've guessed you were a girl. But your voice is so neutral—I didn't think twice."

Maybe because I hit puberty late, my Adam's apple was barely noticeable—you had to touch it to feel it. So my voice stayed neutral too. To guys, it sounded feminine; to girls, it was just deep.

Seeing I didn't reply, Xu Wanqing assumed I was shy and switched topics. "Well, Wu Tong, how do you take care of your skin?"

"Not really anything special..."

"So you're just naturally gorgeous?"

"Not exactly..."

I chatted casually with Xu Wanqing, but inside, I was anxious. My legs stayed tightly crossed the whole time. After all, I wore a short skirt now, with my original boy's boxers underneath. If anyone saw them, how could I explain?

The washing machine hummed to life as Xu Wanrou returned. She sat on the other side of the sofa, staring at me like I was some rare treasure. First, she pinched my cheek. Then she ran her fingers through my hair. She even reached for my thigh, but I slapped her hand away. What if her curiosity led her hand under my skirt and touched my... you know?

Luckily, Xu Wanqing scolded her firmly. "Wanrou, stop treating Wu Tong like a doll to paw at. It's rude!"

"Got it, got it!" Xu Wanrou pouted, sticking out her tongue, finally stopping.

Just then, Xu Wanqing's phone rang. After taking the call on the balcony, she looked regretful. "Emergency student council meeting. I have to leave now. Wanrou, be a good host to our pretty guest."

But the moment Xu Wanqing left, Xu Wanrou leaned in eagerly. "Tongtong, why do you cross-dress as a boy at school? Tell me!" Our class beauty was super curious, ignoring her sister's warning. She'd even switched to the nickname "Tongtong."

Seeing her determined look, I almost spilled the truth. "Actually, I was born a—" I froze. A problem hit me: I wore Wanrou's lace T-shirt and skirt right now! If I admitted I was a boy shamelessly wearing girls' clothes, she'd think I was a total pervert.

Xu Wanrou frowned, her lips pouting high. "Tongtong, we've been classmates for two years. Don't you trust me?"

"It's not about trust. I have my reasons..." Yeah, I feared she'd call me a freak.

"Reasons, huh..." Xu Wanrou studied me, then her eyes lit up. "Ah! You're a descendant of ancient martial arts, right? Many old schools only pass skills to males. Is that why you pretend to be a boy?" Uh, she'd read too many wuxia novels. Bad at lying, I nodded along. "Exactly. My parents raised me as a boy to inherit the sect. Please, don't tell anyone!"

"Don't worry, I keep secrets! But what if it leaks?"

"I... I'd be stripped of my skills, expelled from the sect, and left with no place in the martial world!"

"That's awful!" Her mouth formed a perfect "O." She grabbed my hand solemnly. "Wu Tong, this is our secret. I'll never tell!"

"Good..."

"But wow, your chest is flat, and your voice is low—you really have the advantage for cross-dressing! Though your face is too pretty. No wonder you need the mask." Phew, luckily her wild imagination covered for me.

But doubt flickered in her eyes. "Wait, you didn't wear glasses before, did you? Your eyes are so beautiful. Without lenses, I should've noticed earlier."

"That..." Cold sweat trickled down my spine. "Um... maybe you're mistaken..."

Xu Wanrou propped her chin on her hand, thinking hard. She shook her head. "You were so low-key in class, I never paid attention. Maybe I'm wrong. But wouldn't other students find it weird? Boys don't have eyes that pretty!"

Cornered, I pushed on. "Actually, I wasn't this pretty before. It's just... girls bloom late?"

"Makes sense! I was plain in middle school too." She seemed to accept it. "Well, your clothes take three hours to dry. Weekend's boring indoors. Let's go shopping!"

Huh? In this outfit? Too embarrassing! But Xu Wanrou was already handing me women's sandals. "Our shoe sizes match. Try these?"

These were the class beauty's shoes? I really wanted to lick them... no, I meant wear them...

The sandals fit surprisingly well. I'd always had small feet for a guy, and after the elemental baptism, they shrank a bit. Now, my bare feet peeking out looked like crystal grapes—so tempting to taste.

Unaware of my dirty thoughts, Xu Wanrou sized me up again. "Hmm, Tongtong, even with a flat chest, you're still a girl. You should wear a bra. Borrow mine..."

"Absolutely not!" I clutched my chest with both hands. That was way beyond my limits.